Outdoor hot tub, beautiful woodburning sauna, thick, fluffy towels, bathrobes and high quality bedlinen, log fire, TVs, DVDs, BOSE stereos with iPod docks, Scalextric, PS2, games and wifi.
…take a tour of Chalet la Forêt, Chamonix

It’s just a short walk to the largest and sunniest ski area of Chamonix: Brevent & Flegere.
Village with bars, shops and restaurants within five minutes walk.
Chamonix town centre is five minutes by car or a pleasant twenty minute stroll.
More about our location

Family friendly — children and babies welcome.
Magnificent setting ringed with woods and mountain views — photos inside and out.
…and it’s made of old larch timbers that smell really good.

“Friendly and fabulous” Chalet la Forêt is proud to be selected for the Sawday’s guidebook.
“Wonderful”…“Stunning”…” A dream place”.…..read our reviews

Personal service — book direct with the owner, friendly professional management in Chamonix.

The whole chalet is available, self catering, from £2200 per week. Flexible dates and catered option available.

Chalet la Forêt booking, availability and prices

Some practical ideas for when you’re not on the mountain…

I’ve been asked a few times recently for advice about what clothes to bring, so here’s what I came up with —  practical suggestions, things that I’ve found useful to have.

How cold does it get?
Although the town itself is quite low (1000m) , temperatures in winter can range from +10 ° C to –25 ° C so it’s best to be well prepared, especially in January and February. Though it’s well worn advice, layering really is the best idea as you may need to put everything on at once if it gets really cold.

Do I need smart clothes?
It’s a very informal atmosphere and, whilst I’ve seen everything from eveningwear to clothes that have clearly seen a week’s ski touring without being removed, most people are happily somewhere in the middle. If you do fancy getting dressed up, there are some nice places to go for a smart night out, but on the whole, it’s a casual place, nothing like the ritzier end of ski towns like St Moritz or even Zermatt, and jeans and trainers are ok everywhere.

Shoes:
It’s really useful to have some waterproof boots with good treads as the pavements can get icy, snowy or slushy. The classics are the Canadian boots Sorel Caribou — available for men and women, fleece lined, warm, waterproof and should last a lifetime if well looked after. Very popular in Chamonix.….also last winter I saw a Vogue journalist wearing them in Soho when London got snowy! These pictured are a collaboration with Parisian boutique Colette — tres chic…

Sorel also make a range of boots if the Caribou isn’t right for you — I have the high, faux-fur-trimmed Sorel Arctic myself.

Merrel and Timberland are also good bets, or of course any hiking boot — DMs are also fine The main thing is to have something waterproof and grippy — if you’ve only got trainers, you may find even a short walk to the bar leaves you with wet and freezing feet.

You can also get very good clip on grips for boots to make them better in the snow. Most sports shops in Chamonix will sell them, (Chaines à chaussures) or buy them before you go, they are widely available.

Wool socks are also really handy and will keep your feet much, much warmer than cotton — I especially recommend merino such as Smartwool and Icebreaker.

Finally don’t forget the humble slipper! Skiing, snowboarding and walking in big boots are all tough on the feet, and it’s wonderful to get into warm, soft slippers to slop about at the end of the day. Ugg do lovely sheepskin ones ( at rather supermodel-esque prices it must be said), or go mountain style with tent mules from The North Face.

Outer Clothes

A warm coat is a must — most people will of course have a warm jacket, but if you aren’t skiing, you will need to take something quite substantial. Places are generally kept warm inside, so a thick scarf and warm hat will keep you protected from the elements without overheating you once you’re in. If you feel you need more warm hats, it’s a good place to get them! Zero G is my favourite shop for this. Scarves are something I feel is better from home.

It’s really nice to bring some gloves for going out in, too, as it’s good to have a change from wearing the gloves you’ve been skiing in all day, which may well be drying on a radiator anyway.

Jeans are fine, though it’s not a bad idea to have a thin pair of long johns to wear under jeans or as leggings under a skirt.

Underlayers

Thermal layers can make all the difference to your comfort — lending normal clothes the extra you need to keep you warm in a cold Alpine winter. I really recommend a warm underlayer — Howies, Icebreaker and Smartwool all make nice tshirts in thin merino. These ones from NY’s Outlier are beautiful.

Icebreaker also do very pretty camisoles which I find invaluable — you can wear them under most things  to keep you warm.  TKMaxx is a good place to find merino inexpensively, if you’re lucky, and Icebreaker have regular sales which help reduce their rather eye watering prices. Good merino is an excellent investment though, and my faithful Icebreaker camis have served me well for years,   whether mountaineering in the Himalayas or at winter weddings in Britain.

However, Uniqlo’s HeatTech range, though not made as well, is really good for the price and makes an excellent inexpensive option — their quilted jackets are another good buy, a great range of nice colours at a tenth of the price of down.

If you did want to go an bit more fashion…
For something a bit more niche and interesting, check out Arcteryx’s Veillance line or Japan’s White Mountaineering.

In search of dinosaurs…

I’ve always been a bit put off by Lac Emosson’s massive concrete barrage, but once you’re up there, you don’t see that much of it, and the lovely turquoise lake is in a spectacular setting. You can either drive up to the lake or take the funicular — reportedly the world’s steepest with a section at an astonishing 87 degrees.

It’s a steep but very scenic drive to the dam

The drive is pretty spectacular in itself and this is definitely one of the most amazing views of the Mont Blanc Massif that you can view without using a cable car. The big attraction here are the dinosaur footprints, which we didn’t see as we took a different path and alas it was dark by the time we got back to the lake.

View over the dam

Lakeside

In summer, it’s known as “Emosson Beach” — a bit too cold for a dip today though

In summer, the lake has several points you can swim from — you can see why it’s locally known as Emosson Beach…an almost mediterranean look.
Now, with the streams surrounding the lake frozen solid, it’s less tempting.

Frozen streams wind through the high meadow

There’s still splashes of colour in the rosehips and flowers — these meadows must be spectacular in July.

Rosehips

Late Gentians bloom near the col

As we left, dusk was falling, and I rested the camera on the car to steady it with rather nice results

Dusk at the barrage — reflections are on a car roof though!

We’ll return in the spring — to see the dinosaur footprints this time!

We’re enjoying the last golden days before the snow arrives.

Le Tour glacier panorama

This is a fantastic walk to do in Autumn — though it’s wonderful at any time of year, it can get very busy in late July and August, and it’s a real treat to have it mostly to yourself — though you do have to pay for the privilege with a pretty steep haul up to Le Tour, which in summer you can avoid with the lift.

Time from the car park at Le Tour is usually about 2 hours with the lift, add about an hour and a half if it’s not running. If the Albert Premier refuge is open (generally mid-June to September) you can have lunch there, which is very nice, or even sleep over. Call in advance to book for either.

Mont Blanc rises above the Chamonix valley

Frosty grass in the shade

As you round a corner, the glacier appears

Dry seedheads in front of the glacier, with the Chardonnet in the background

Afternoon sun catching the seracs

Seracs

Helicopter patrol making sure everyone is safe

Golden light at sunset

Though it’s mostly uphill, it’s not a particularly difficult path, it’s well maintained and not too steep. But parts of it are quite exposed — there is a section halfway of about 400m in length which has a very big drop. Parts have chains to hang onto, but it may not be suitable for the very vertiginous or some children. This photo of the airy section wasn’t in focus, but shows what I mean.

Night falls on the glacier — we had to use headtorches to get down but it was worth it

Planning to sleep under the stars one more time while summer was still in the valley, we realised it was the weekend of the Trail des Aiguilles Rouges. It’s a 50km race with a total of 4000m of ascent, passing through some of Chamonix’s most spectacular scenery. We had six friends brave enough to run it this year, so the plan was to sleep out at Lac Cheserys and hopefully be able to cheer them on! They start at 4.30 am from Chamonix, so we reckoned on seeing them shortly after dawn.

We walked up from Tre-le-Champ in the afternoon

On the way from Tre-Le-Champ

and before long, were into the nature reserve — camping is forbidden here, but bivouacs are allowed between sunrise and sunset.

Welcome the the fabulous Aiguilles Rouges!

Ibex are unafraid here, and feed right by the paths

Ibex

Past the Aiguilette d’Argentiere, a great climbing crag

Aiguilette d’Argentiere

Lac Cheserys is about 400 vertical metres below the more famous Lac Blanc. It’s less bleak than its higher neighbour and is a much nicer spot to camp– grassy and pleasant. We arrived at the lake to find about six groups had had the same idea as us, so it wasn’t the normal solitary wilderness bivouac experience! There was a very nice atmosphere though, as everyone was there to watch the race — quite a festive feel around the lake by nightfall

Lac Cheserys

Me and my new bivi bag. It’s hard to believe that in a month or so, this will be a popular ski touring route.

Nice place for a bivi

Fortunately, though the only people without a tent, we had brought along our own outdoor essentials…

Essential bivi supplies

We found a good spot between the trail and the lake, and after polishing off our champagne supper, we climbed into our bivi bags and went to sleep

Night at Lac Cheserys

We were both woken at the same time, by a steady thumping sound. Neither of us could find a watch, but it was pitch dark and there was thick fog everywhere. Perhaps an ibex coming past? They come and check you over sometimes…
We looked around and thought we saw a faint light disappearing in the distance. Confused and sleepy, we found the time — six a.m. This can’t be the race yet, surely? After a few minutes, another light appeared, and the sound began once more. The light bobbed past and everything was quiet again.

Streaks

After the first few, the headlamps began to come quicker

Runners begin to appear

..and soon they were pouring in a glowing cascade down from the checkpoint at Lac Blanc above us

Lights from Lac Blanc

More and more runners kept streaming past. We were convinced that we’d miss everyone we knew, as it was so dark and foggy, and really hard to see past the headlamps, but luckily they all saw us! It was wonderful to be able to see them on their way.

Cascade of lights

Mist

Headlamps on the trail

By this time, everyone who had camped was getting up and we could hear some people encouraging the runners — every so often a group would see a friend and cheer like mad. It was great seeing everyone cheering their friends and all the runners — lots of whom seemed really pleased to find this small, random pocket of support in the middle of the mountains!

Spectators

As the sky lightened, runners were still passing us

Runners at dawn

…till the last of the groups went past

Sunrise over the lake

…and as we made a cup of tea and breakfast at dawn, the volunteers were bringing up the rear and picking up the trail markers.

Last few

…till all was quiet again at the lake — except for the marks of thousands of feet on the path, you would never know the race had been here.

Sun on Lac Cheserys

More tea and a nice stroll down for us — two more huge passes and many hours of effort for those taking part! It was an incredible spectacle to watch — there was something really special about seeing everyone come pouring through in the dark– I hope we can be there again next year.

The mazot has been refurbished! With local, natural materials of larch and granite, a slate shower with luxurious soaker head…it was always a charming romantic retreat but now it’s really special!

Mazot interior with light pouring onto the sandblasted ceiling beams

The basin was carved by local stonemasons from Mont Blanc granite

Locally made basin in Mont Blanc Granite

Fittings, handles and hinges are made of hand-forged iron

Forged steel door latch

The oak floor has underfloor heating to keep your feet warm

Oak floor

The en-suite bathroom is completely renovated with with overhead rainshower and natural slate tiles.

Overview of the en-suite facilities

The bed is now a full two metres long — room to stretch right out, and a top quality new mattress.

Comfortable 2m long bed

Washbasin area with power point for hairdryers and shavers

Washbasin area

Snuggle up in luxury this winter! Please note, the mazot is only available with the main chalet, not separately.

Booking now for winter 2011/2012

If you haven’t been to Chamonix before, here’s my roundup of the things you really shouldn’t miss.

1. The Aiguille du Midi

Is this the most pointless tip ever written? It’s not like the Midi needs any help from me, it’s one of France’s biggest attractions. Nevertheless, it has to be the number one on this list. I never, ever get tired of going up there — just for a coffee or to cool down on a hot day. It’s unlike any other cable car in the world in its scale and beauty. If you haven’t been before I would allow at least half a day for it, to give yourself plenty of time to explore its many terraces. At peak times (most of July and August) it can be very busy — try and get there before 9 a.m. to miss the queues.

If it’s running, don’t miss the Hellbronner Panoramique, which sails from the Midi, across the Glacier du Geant, for quite a different experience — silent, serene and spectacular. The station at the other end is in Italy so stop in for an excellent espresso, a look over the velvet green valley and dramatic needle-sharp peaks of the Val d’Aosta and some fun Franco-Italian border photo-ops. Not many people go on this wonderful ride but I think it’s one of the best things the Midi has to offer and well worth the extra cost. More about the Aiguille du Midi with photos and tips here

The Helbronner lift crossing the glacier to Italy

2. A high Alpine walk

Whether it’s strolling along the high, level balcony walks, with their wonderful panoramic views, drifting through the high meadows full of flowers, or the tougher but rewarding ascents like the pale green, snow-fringed Lac Blanc or the glacial amphitheatre of La Jonction, there is something for every level on Chamonix. Just walking at the valley floor level is beautiful, and the views that open up as you go higher are jaw-dropping. Have a look at our hiking pages for some favourites

3. The Montenvers Railway

The glossy red retro engines of the Montenvers railway chug up the mountainside to reach a point high above the Mer de Glace glacier, with a stunning view of the Dru and the Grandes Jorasses. There’s a lovely old atmospheric restaurant and a newer terrace restaurant which is reasonably priced and has a fantastic view. (Avoid the small cafe at the platform, it’s not very good). The ice caves and exhibitions on crystals and Alpine fauna are fun, but the best thing to do here is just wander around the trails and take in the unbelievable natural drama of the setting — you don’t have to go far to lose the crowds.

View from near Montenvers

4. Food

One of the great joys of being in France is of course the food — French gastronomy was recently awarded UNESCO status! — and Chamonix has everything from double-Michelin-starred gastroparadise at the Albert Premier, to homely, cosy mountain huts. Most places in Chamonix are pretty good, but here’s some particular recommendations of mine.

The lovely Hotel Eden with its emphasis on clear, refreshing flavours is perhaps my favourite in the valley
Le Bistrot at the Morgane — ignore the unprepossessing exterior and delight in their exceptional cooking. They already have one Michelin star and are working on getting the second — meanwhile the set lunch for 18 euros is an absolute steal!
Casa Valerio — you know that when the Italians give pizza awards to the French, it must be really good. Friendly, local’s favourite, also does take-away.
L’Atmosphere — classic French restaurant…try and book one of the tables that hang out over the river.
Food from the Saturday Market — local, fresh and delicious, get a picnic from here and choose your spot!

Cafe at le Jardin des Cimes

5. Paragliding

Chamonix is one of the best places in the world for paragliding  (the French word is parapente), with its combination of easy launching, incredible scenery and reliable thermals. On any clear day, you’ll see dozens of the bright wings drifting high above the valley. Luckily, the fun is easily accessible to most people via a tandem flight, and this is something I’d highly recommend to anyone!

Tandem parapente in front of Mont Blanc

There are plenty of companies offering flights. My friends went recently with Sean at www.fly-chamonix.com who I can highly recommend. I’ve also been with Evolution 2 who were very good.

Done all these? Next up is a post on Chamonix’s hidden gems…

One of the hardest marathons in the world, the route takes a spectacular tour of the valley with over 2500m ascent and 1500m descent.
I took the coward’s option and went to take in the atmosphere with the help of a lift pass and a borrowed dog, hoping to support my braver friends on their way.

The start is at 7am in Chamonix, and has a legendary atmosphere, but with thousands of runners, I thought my chances of seeing anyone were minimal, so I decided to go and watch them at the bridge behind the chalet. At ten past seven, the faint thunder of thousands of feet could be heard coming towards us, and leading the pack were a team with a single-wheeled wheelchair with four handles — I assumed this was a ceremonial role as it didn’t occur to me that they were going to even try to get it round the course.

Morning at the Arve — the wheelchair runners lead the pack

The bright stream of runners poured past, it was great to see friends waving and smiling! I was standing next to a lovely gentleman called Robert, who clearly knew most of Chamonix — we both had cowbells to bang as more and more runners flew past. Though most were in full trail running gear, some brave souls were even in fancy dress — I saw a Roman centurion and three cows.…with the temperature forecast to be 29, I didn’t envy them.

Chapeau! Cheering on the leaders

The runners take in a brutal climb to the Aiguillette des Posettes at the very top of the valley before coming back to Flegere where the level Grand Balcon Sud must be welcome to the legs.

The Aiguille Verte and the Dru make a spectacular backdrop

The path winds along the south side of the valley

On the Grand Balcon Sud

This is still early so only a few runners are on the course here — I saw the first woman go past looking very strong. Luckily we can wait in the shade for them to pass.

The view is wonderful, but it’s starting to get hot now

Mont Blanc in the background

You don’t want to slip here

These guys were singing songs to encourage everyone and working their names into all the songs — they were there for hours and cheered many a tired runner

Singing to the runners

There’s a short, welcome descent here, but the heat is starting to get very strong and there’s no shade at all

Welcome descent to the meadow

The level meadow is the last relief before the killer climb to the finish starts

Molly wonders what all these people are up to

The uphill finish is one of the toughest pieces of running I’ve ever seen anyone have to do — and I was astonished to see the wheelchair teams — they had a huge raft of cheers from everyone — what an achievement! I saw several friends on this section, pushing bravely on through the heat — they all made it!

An incredible effort

Finally the relief of the finish!

Rest at last!

An amazing day and huge respect to all that took part! I’ll add to this later but thought it would be good to get the pics up.

In most ski resorts, it’s reasonably straightforward — you want to be in the centre, near the lift — but Chamonix is different.

It’s not a purpose built resort but a real mountain town, surrounded by small villages.  As it’s much more spread out, the pros and cons are a bit more varied — some parts of Chamonix can be quite central to the town, but a long walk to the lift!

All of them have spectacular scenery, and each has its own appeal. I’ve put together an overview of the different areas to help you get a feel for them.

Choosing where to stay in the valley

The Chamonix area is made up of the town itself and a string of villages along the valley floor, most of which are clustered around a ski lift. All of these are often collectively referred to as Chamonix, as they are linked by a network of buses and trains, so it’s easy to get around.

Places that describe themselves as being in Chamonix are not necessarily in the town itself so it’s well worth confirming the area before deciding on accommodation.

Les Houches

At the gateway to the valley, Les Houches is the first place you encounter — a pretty village with plenty of restaurants and shops, including a supermarket, and a few bars. It’s a more family-orientated village, with a tobogganing area and ice rink. One of the few areas to have ski in / ski out accommodation available, it generally has a more relaxed feel than Chamonix

Les Houches Church, by Roger Olivier, by kind permission

The good

• Excellent on-slope food — the best in the valley.
• Tree-lined runs — good when visibility is poor, especially as it’s lower and can be beneath the clouds
• Less expensive than the other areas
• New terrain park this year
• Characterful village
• Has some ski in/ski out accommodation

…and the not so good -

• Village doesn’t get much sun in winter
• Some parts can have road noise
• Difficult to get to and from Chamonix at night
• Not much nightlife (though there are plenty of restaurants and a few bars)
• Not well placed for accessing the other ski areas
• Flat spots can be a pain for snowboarders
• The lowest in altitude, snow can be risky in early and late season

Skiing and snowboarding from Les Houches
Les Houche’s pistes are gentler than elsewhere in the valley and it has more tree-lined runs. It’s very popular with families, and can get quite crowded during school holidays. There is some steeper terrain available though — the Kandahar World Cup black run is superb — but skiers wanting a bit more challenge might not want to do more than a day here. It also has some good high altitude cross-country skiing on the plateau, and a snowshoeing path at Le Coupeau opposite.
More about skiing and snowboarding in Les Houches

Mist in the valley at Les Houches

Les Bossons, Taconnaz and Le Coupeau

These areas between Les Houches and Chamonix have many lovely chalets, some of which are very upmarket — however, there are no lifts in this area and public transport is not often up to much, so you really need your own transport.
All the catered chalets here will shuttle you to and from the lifts as part of the package. This is undoubtedly convenient but can have the effect of rather insulating you from the life and atmosphere of the town, which to my mind is one of the most unique and fun aspects of Chamonix.

The good…

• Lots more room, nice big chalets with outdoor space
• Wonderful views of Mont Blanc
• Good choice of accommodation

…and the not so good

• 20 minutes at least to get to the lifts
• No nightlife or restaurants
• Some parts can have road noise
• If not in a catered chalet, a car is pretty much essential

Chamonix town

Central Chamonix is the place to be if you want to go out a lot — there’s a huge choice of nightlife and the town is very lively. A lot of accomodation in central Chamonix is apartments, as chalets tend to be located in the villages or towards the outskirts of town. Although there are some lovely chalets very close to the centre, they often come with a price to match.

© OT Chamonix — Mario Colonel: Chamonix at night

The good

• Lots of bars, restaurants and clubs.
• Lively, atmospheric, beautiful town
• Some parts are very close to the Brevent lift.
• Central to all transport to lifts

…and the not so good

• More expensive accommodation
• Not often with outdoor space
• Can be noisy
• Steep hill up to Brevent, the only lift from the town

Skiing and snowboarding from Chamonix town centre — Brevent

The Brevent lift (on the outskirts of Chamonix town centre up a short but steep hill) accesses Brevent/Flegere, Chamonix’s biggest linked areas. Brevent has a good range of pistes including the Charles Bozon black run from the top, which is among the most scenic pistes in the Alps. Anyone can come up to the Panorama restaurant at the top and take in the views, as the two gondolas are also open to pedestrians. Nice big rolling blues and reds here, and some very good off piste too (for which you need a guide). Links to Flegere, so you can descent to either Chamonix or Les Praz.
More about skiing and snowboarding in Brevent and Flegere

Brevent, with Mont Blanc in the background

Chamonix-Sud

Universally (but affectionately!) known as the Ghetto, Cham-sud is a district of Chamonix with rather less appealing architecture, typically blocks of apartments. However, it’s also where a lot of lively bars are, and several excellent restaurants as well as the Aiguille du Midi cable car.
The good

• Lively bars
• Lots of restaurants
• Inexpensive accomodation close to the town centre

…and the not so good

• Not very pretty
• Apartments can be small
• Can be noisy — avoid anything looking over the main square unless you really want to party.
• Quite a walk to the nearest lift (Brevent)

Les Praz de Chamonix

I am of course biased about Les Praz , as it’s where we are. Still — there are good reasons why we chose here! It’s sunny, charming and the as first village past Chamonix, it’s close enough to access the town easily but bus, train or even foot, whilst enjoying the peace of being away from the centre.

Home to the Flegere lift, which links with Brevent to make Chamonix’s biggest pisted ski area, the central position of Les Praz means Les Grands Montets and Le Tour are easily accessible without having to go through the town centre.  it’s also got several very good restaurants, a few bars and shops including good ski hire places, and is not too far from Chamonix for a walk (20–25 minutes) or a quick cab ride home after a night out. The same advice goes for Les Bois and Les Tines, the two villages bordering Les Praz on the side furthest from Chamonix.

Chapelle des Praz © OT Chamonix — Mario Colonel

• Charming Alpine village
• Mostly flat, walking distance to Flegere ski lift
• Link to Brevent makes for huge skiable area with descent into Chamonix
• Central position in valley, good for accessing other areas
• Sunny
• Good restaurants, a couple of nice bars for apres

…and the not so good

• Might be a bit quiet for some

Skiing and snowboarding at Les Praz: Flegere & Brevent

Flegere’s sunny slopes and bowls are a fantastic natural playground, ideal for mixed ability groups as there’s so much variety of terrain. The Trappe lift accesses a couple of easy greens which are a great place for beginners to learn in unparalleled scenery, while the Floria accesses beautiful rolling reds and challenging blacks as well as very good off-piste (take a guide to access Flegere’s hidden gems). It’s worth getting up there early as the lift from the base at Les Praz can get very busy at peak times. The link across to Brevent opens up the whole south side of the valley and you can ski or ride back down to either Les Praz or Chamonix.
More about skiing and snowboarding in Brevent and Flegere

Snowboarding at Flegere

Snowboarding at Brevent

Le Lavancher

Between Les Praz and Argentiere, up a winding road, lies Le Lavancher, a lovely hamlet which has a couple of nice hotels and the very upmarket Chalets de Phillippe complex. Very beautiful and tranquil but, again, you need to either be in a catered chalet providing transport or have a car.

Argentiere

Home of Les Grands Montets, one of the most famous ski areas in the Alps, Argentiere is a lovely place to stay. It’s a good sized village with plenty of shops, restaurants and bars and a more relaxed atmosphere than Chamonix.

The Savoy Bar in Argentiere

The good

• Close to Les Grands Montets
• Attractive village with traditional architecture
• Some good bars and restaurants, quite lively at night
• Train station in the centre
• Greater altitude means better snow cover in the village
• Has a good nursery slope with lots of family activities

…and the not so good

• Distance from town, Flegere & Brevent is quite significant
• Long, expensive taxi ride back from Chamonix if you want a big night out (though there is a bus at midnight)
• Not for the nervous — has a few blues but they are pretty steep. Reds here would be graded blacks in many other places.
• Has a less attractive area near the lifts

Skiing and snowboarding at Argentiere: Les Grands Montets
One of the most famous ski and snowboard areas of the Alps, the huge drops and sweeping runs of Les Grands Montets are unmissable. The black runs from the top lift are unlike anything else, with their massive powder fields bordered by wildly crevassed glaciers. A day out with a guide is highly recommended to access some of the world’s most spectacular lift-acessed off piste. Also has a very good terrain park and some lovely forested areas. Good learner slope at the base, with play area for small children.

Les Grands Montets — snowboarders upside down above the clouds

Montroc

A cluster of chalets, loosely centred on Montroc-Le Planet railway station, this is a beautiful part of Chamonix. Not much accomodation is available here, but if you aren’t bothered about nightlife, and just want to appreciate the wild beauty of the valley, it’s a wonderful place to stay and worth seeking out.

Montroc-Le– Planet by Marco Fieber, via Creative Commons, used by kind permission

Le Tour and Les Grands Montets are both close by for skiing (a five minute bus ride in either direction) and Argentiere is (just about!) walkable for restaurants and bars.

Wondering where looks best in the valley for skiing this morning? Look out of the window!

Sunrise over Mont Blanc and the Midi, from Montroc

Le Tour

At the head of the Chamonix valley, Le Tour is a quiet and pretty hamlet — just a few streets and a couple of restaurants around the lift.

Le Tour in summer

The good

• All accommodation is very close to the lifts, with a few ski in/ski out places available
• Very peaceful and quiet
• Tiny but very pretty village
• Has a good range of slopes, with plenty of fun blues.
• Getting to other areas is surprisingly easy on the bus as you are going against the main crowd
• Often quiet in the mornings as no-one’s got there yet
• Generally gets good snow as it’s very high

…and the not so good

• Not a big choice of accommodation
• Very, very quiet, no shops, just two bar/restaurants
• A long taxi ride back from anywhere after a night out
• Train station is a long way from the lift
• Quite exposed if the weather is bad, and often windy

Skiing and snowboarding at Le Tour Le Tour is best known for wide rolling blues and reds, but accesses varied mountain terrain including some great tree runs off the back and natural half-pipes. More about skiing and Snowboarding in Le Tour
It’s linked to Vallorcine (see below)

Vallorcine

Vallorcine by Christian Bachellier, licenced via Creative Commons, used by kind permission

Vallorcine is at the end of the Chamonix valley, close to the Swiss Border. A quiet and traditional Savoyarde village, it’s recently been opened up more by the new, fast lift that runs from the town, and has a new development at the base with a few shops. Even so, it still has the lovely peaceful feel of an undiscovered gem — for the moment…

The good

• Traditional, low key, attractive village
• Good altitude, always lots of snow in the village
• A couple of very good restaurants
• Train station is central to lifts and village (and has a super restaurant that doubles as a low key apres bar)
• Lovely tree runs
• Small ice rink

..and the not so good

• Very quiet at night (though of course this may be a plus for some!)
• A long way from Chamonix (20km)
• Road can occasionally be blocked by very heavy snow (though access is always maintained through the rail tunnel)

Skiing and snowboarding at Vallorcine
Vallorcine remains one of the quieter areas of the valley — a good tip for peak times is to get on the lift here if there are queues at Le Tour — and has a nice mix of pistes including some super tree runs. Links to La Balme to give access to the village of Le Tour.

More about skiing and Snowboarding in Vallorcine

Skiing at Vallorcine — head in the clouds!

This is a gorgeous drive, about 30 minutes from Chamonix with a fantastic view of the Mont Blanc massif, culminating in a perfect view of the mountains reflected in Lac Vert.

It’s a hugely popular place for parapentes and hang-gliders — we stopped at the parapente launching point to watch the colourful wings take off and drift over the valley.

After a few more kilometers, we arrived at the lake and passing a lovely hour walking slowly around it — the view from the far end is a postcard classic, and the winding, woody  path around the clear green water is enchanting

We had lunch at the lovely Jardin des Cimes. This is a new project, a garden terraced into the side of the mountain, with the emphasis on the local Alpine plants and a charming kitchen garden — the idea is that it will also be a cultural hub for the area, and they have often have music, festivals and occasional evening openings. They have used local plants beautifully to create different areas (I particularly liked the “porte de l’ombre” , a shady lattice tunnel of wild clematis) and here I am in the sculptural “porte des anges” with recorded glacier sounds.

I really liked these living willow screens, which made sheltered, shady spots for the cafe tables. We hope to use willow at the chalet next year to do something similar with the hot tub.

The cafe is overseen by Mickey Bourdillat (chef at the superb Michelin-starred Bistrot in Chamonix) and has a small but perfectly formed menu of organic, vegetarian food. We had the fixed menu of the day (3 courses, 16 euros) with a bottle of organic rosé. They brought a lovely selection of crudites with dips and tangy sourdough bread straight away, followed by a starter of chilled courgette veloute, tomato tart and salad

The main course was ratatouille with hot goat’s cheese on toast with mountain thyme, and the pudding was caramelised apples with ice-cream and brownie. It was all absolutely delicious, thoughtfully presented and cheerfully served — one of the nicest lunches I’ve had for ages. Highly recommended

The garden is only a few hundred metres from Plateau d’Assy’s cultural gem — the astonishing modernist church of Notre Dame du Plateau d’Assy. The main force behind the church was the inspirational figure of Father Couturier (is the Couturier Couloir on the Aiguille Verte named after him, I wonder?) who later worked with Matisse and Le Corbusier. Constructed between 1937 and 1946 to serve the many sanatoriums in the area, the interior contains commissions from some major French artists of the time — Matisse, Braques, Rouault, Chagall and Bonnard are amongst the contributors.

The rich, bright colours and strong shapes are lovely against the grey sandstone.  You can see details of the incredible tapestries in this excellent set of photos from oliverelbs on Flickr which also has very interesting information about some of the artists.

Interior of  Église Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce du Plateau d’Assy by oliverelbs on Flickr (used by kind permission, all rights reserved)

Assy Bercot St Francois Assise Cubiste by oliverelbs on Flickr (used by kind permission, all rights reserved)

It’s an amazing building and well worth a visit.

I’d allow a full day to visit Plateau d’Assy, there’s a lot to see and a leisurely lunch at the garden is a real pleasure, but if you did have more time, the Gorges de Diosaz are close by in Servoz.
Passy tourist information
View Larger Map