Chamonix is probably best known as the skiing and alpine capital of the world. As a destination it has a reputation for the extreme and this, whilst undoubtedly true, can mask a wide array of sporting and leisure activities (particularly in summer), peace and quiet, great nightlife, and superb scenery that can be enjoyed at whichever pace suits you. Chamonix is the perfect place to come for a weekend break or a week's holiday. In fact there is so much to do out here many people decide not to go back!

FREE TO SKI

Chamonix boasts some of the world's best ski areas with plenty of potential for challenge in down hill skiiing, ski touring, cross-country skiing, off piste skiing, snow boarding and heli-ski.

La Flégére, Le Brévent, Le Tour and Les Houches have good novice facilities whilst Les Grands Montets and l’Aiguille du Midi are more suitable for skiers of intermediate standard upwards.

Lift and Restaurant facilities in all six areas are excellent (www.compagniedumontblanc.com).

Should you choose off piste skiing, it is advisable to use a guide (www.peakpowder.com).

Ski school  and ski hire are available which should be arranged in advance (www.pezier-sports.com).

Argentière is considered one of the foremost alpine resorts due to its enviable location at the base of Les Grands Montets - an immense, varied area offering an array of pistes and vast powder fields of off piste in the winter and a universe of extraordinary beauty in the summer.
The village is 7km above Chamonix town, nestled below the infamous Drus and Aiguille Verte and between the Mer de Glace and Glacier d'Argentière.

It is the largest and most challenging of all the areas. Usually offers the best snow conditions due to its abundance of North facing slopes. From December to May, the high altitude and aspect make for exceptional, cold powder even in late April when most of the supposed winter sports crowd have packed away their skis and boards for the following year! The off piste descents (7,600 ft vertical) to Chamonix from the top of Les Grands Montets can be outstanding. The best skiing is invariably off the pistes. These areas can be accessed from the top cable car and from the Bochard lift. There is very limited tree skiing available in the case of bad weather; if the piste to the bottom is closed the tree skiing is exclusively off piste. It is limited & difficult. In the early part of the season this area receives little sunlight and can be bitterly cold. Ski the Brevent or Flegere in the morning (they receive more sunlight) then move to the GM.

Major pistes - blue, red and black, freeriding, high-mountain or off-piste routes, moguls, secret combes and couloirs accessible to all make up this unique setting coveted by all who have a passion for skiing and all who love the high mountains.

Brévent-Flégère

Located in the Aiguilles-Rouges, the Brévent-Flégère area is the largest skiing and boarding area in the Valley area and combines altitude, snow quality and sunshine.
Although not ideal for total beginners Le Brévent is great for most abilities with plenty of blue and red pistes.
La Flégère has always been great for beginners and lower level intermediates. This area works well for groups of mixed (lower) abilities as it is well exposed to the sun and has a good meeting point that can be accessed by beginners or walkers.

It is possible for intermediate skiers to take a connecting lift to the Flégère and Brévent ski area.

 

Chamonix and l’Aiguille are the world famous for its off-piste skiing and mountaineering.  It is a fact that the endless miles of untouched powder are the main reason why people revisit year after year.  La Vallée Blanche is an off-piste route recognised throughout the world and can be sampled by intermediate skiers with a head for heights.  It is truly breathtaking with miles of huge seracs, massive granite cliffs and soaring snowy peaks.

 

 

The village resort of Les Houches is located in the Chamonix valley in the Haute Savoie, under a ten minute drive from Chamonix. Situated at an altitude of 1000 metres and lying at the foot of Mont-Blanc (4807m), Les Houches offers an exceptional panorama of the peaks surrounding Chamonix. The village is made up of a number of hamlets, with oratories, chapels, old bread ovens and farms bearing witness to its past and being the objects of particular attention today.

The ski domain of les Houches extends from an altitude of 1,000m to 1,860m and from the summit you have spectacular 360° views of Mont-Blanc and its nearby summits. The area will suit all abilities especially beginners and intermediates with its meandering pistes through the forests. The more advanced can sample some of the best powder tree skiing in the Chamonix Valley.
Les Houches also boasts the World Cup downhill run Le Kandahar on the area's only black run La Verte.