The French Alps - France 2014 - page 1230

have profoundly hit the glaciers of the Alps, which have lost at least a third of their
volume since the 1950s. At that rate, some studies project that most here could vir-
tually disappear by the end of the century, affecting water storage and hydroelectric
power generation, and making mountainsides less stable (for example, a heat wave
in the summer of 2003 caused several rockfalls on the Matterhorn, resulting in trail
closures and the evacuation of dozens of climbers trapped on the summit).
Another consequence of the warming climate is that winter weather no longer
reliably produces snow at altitudes that it did in the past—which is bad news for
Europe's huge ski industry. Seeing a future of ever-warmer winters, alpine resorts
are putting their ingenuity to the test. This goes beyond snow machines: Many re-
sortsareinvestinghugelyinnewspas,conventioncenters,andotherattractionsthat
don't require snow. Meanwhile, European governments strive to invest in environ-
mentally friendly technologies in hopes of keeping their mountains white and their
valleys green.
Chamonix Area Hikes
A good first stop is the full-service Maison de la Montagne across from the TI. On the
second floor, the Office of the High Mountain (Office de Haute-Montagne) can help
you plan your hikes and tell you about trail and snow conditions (daily 9:00-12:00 &
15:00-18:00, tel. [phone], www.chamoniarde.com ) . The staff speaks enough Eng-
lish and has vital weather reports and maps, as well as some English hiking guidebooks
(youcanphotocopykeypages).Asktolookatthetrailguidebook(soldinmanystoresand
at the TI but not here, includes the helpful €4.50 Carte des Sentiers, the region's hiking
map). You can also use the handy WC here on the second floor.
Kids' Activities
Chamonix provides a wealth of fun opportunities for kids. The TI can suggest
family-friendly hikes and activities (such as mini-golf, swimming pools with big
slides, and more). Here are a few kid-pleasing activities to consider.
Parc de Loisirs des Planards —Chamonix's fun park for kids of all ages. It in-
cludes a luge (summer only) and a Parc d'Aventure with tree courses, Tarzan
swings,trampolines,electricmotorbikes,JetSkis,andmore(fordetails,see“Luge”
listing on here ) .