The French Alps - France 2014 - page 1240

Le Brévent/La Flégère —A 10-minute walk from Chamonix's center, this area has
one of the valley's better mixes of terrain. If you're staying in Chamonix and have
just a day, ski Le Brévent/La Flégère. Runs are good for intermediates, with some
expert options, but not great for beginners. You'll enjoy fantastic views of Mont
Blanc.
Les Grands Montets —Above the village of Argentière (about 10 minutes from
Chamonix by bus), this area is internationally renowned for its expert terrain (and
killer views from the observation deck). Part of Les Grands Montets lies on the Ar-
gentière glacier, and there's plenty of vertical. Hire a local guide to explore the off-
piste options.
Les Houches —Afive-minutebusortrainridefromChamonix,LesHouchescovers
a large area with a variety of runs for most skill levels (good for families), but it has
fewer expert options. This area is less crowded than other Chamonix Valley areas,
and the tree skiing is good.
Domaine de Balme —The area above the nearby town of Le Tour offers good op-
tions for beginners, intermediates, and those looking for mellow cruising runs.
Lower Areas Good for Beginners —Le Savoy is at the bottom of Le Brévent, near
Chamonix's center, with scads of kids and a few rope-tows. Les Planards is a short
walk from the town center and the largest area for kids and beginners. These areas
depend on good snow conditions.
The Vallée Blanche —This unique-to-Chamonix run starts on the sky-high Aiguille
duMidiliftandtakesyou13milesdownaglacierpastastoundingviewsandterrain
to Montenvers (easy train back to Chamonix). It requires a lift ticket and hiring a
guide or joining a group tour (figure about €320 for a private tour of up to 4 people,
€25/additional person, maximum 6 people).
Ski Guides
You can hire a private guide for about €300 for your group or join another group.
The Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix (CGC) puts together small groups for
about €80/person (tel. [phone], www.chamonix-guides.com ,
[e-mail] ) . Groups can accommodate strong intermediate
through advanced skiers. (Guides also give experts the option to ski even more dif-
ficult terrain thanintermediate toadvanced skiers.)Skiingontheglaciers, while ac-
cessible, is serious business due to the risk of hidden crevasses. Skier beware.
Information