LOTS OF TRULY AWESOME OFF-PISTE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERTS, BUT PLENTY OF ON-PISTE TERRAIN TO AMUSE SKIERS OF ALMOST ALL LEVELS

Chamonix appeals principally to expert skiers who want to test their skills on off-piste terrain in the company of mountain guides. Pilgrims come from all four corners of the world to ski the legend that is Chamonix. In fact the area that they will mostly be skiing is the Grands Montets glacier, located above Chamonix’s satellite village of Argentiere. The lifts here rise up to 3,275m. Although there are a few pistes in this sector, it is much more renowned for its majestic off-piste glacial terrain which, it can never be stressed too often, should only be skied with qualified mountain guides. (Skiers and boarders get only 2 tickets included in their lift pass for the key cable car here, after which it attracts an extra supplement, but even this does not prevent queues building up at peak periods.) Elsewhere in the Chamonix valley, there is testing off-piste terrain to be found at Le Brevent and La Flegere, as well as over the back of the Le Tour area.

For less adventurous skiers, which in this case means intermediates of all levels and good advanced skiers who prefer to remain on-piste, the most entertaining areas are Le Brevent and La Flegere, which are two separate areas nowadays usefully linked at altitude by a connecting cable car. This means that although you cannot actually ski between them, you can start your day on one and finish it on the other – though if you have a car it will obviously make sense to finish up where you began, but be sure not to miss the last connecting lift. (By the way, it is subject to frequent closure in high winds.) The easiest access to these two sectors is probably via the newish six-person gondola running up from close to the centre of town to Le Brevent. From the top station there is then a cable car running up to the summit at 2,525m, where there is a good restaurant with panoramic views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding area. The majority of the runs here are between 2,500m and 2,000m, but their relatively short length is more than compensated for by the awesome scenery that surrounds you.

Although it does have some advanced terrain, the Le Tour sector, which has recently been expanded and will eventually connect with Vallorcine, has plenty of gentle runs to appeal to early intermediates.

The highlight of many visits to Chamonix is a ride up to the top of the two-stage Aiguille du Midi cable car which, at 3,840m, is the highest in Europe. This is the departure point for the famous Vallee Blanche off-piste descent. The skiing on this long and spectacularly scenic run is not especially difficult, but the terrain is glacial and so extremely dangerous. The Vallee Blanche should never be attempted except in the company of a qualified mountain guide and is not recommended for those with a vertigo problem, but for all others if offers one of the world’s great ski experiences.

The Chamonix valley offers access to a variety of other ski destinations within less than an hour’s drive from Chamonix itself. These include Les Houches, now no longer included on the basic Chamonix lift pass, St Gervais and the chic resort of Megeve. Deciding which of the many lift passes to purchase during a visit to the Chamonix valley can be tricky, for further information please see the lift pass section of this page.