Chamonix Valley Questions

[dunfree]

Stunning scenery, enjoyable skiing, but if you aren’t skiing off piste/ whatever the lift setup isn’t nearly as nice as some other places in the alps.

[old goat]

One of the times I skied the VB was in a low snow year. The helicopters pulled 42 people out of crevasses that day--don't know how bad people were hurt. Both times I was in Cham guides were killed in crevasses in the VB. One year I skied with a guy who had gone into a crevasse the day before, skiing with a guide down to the Argentiere glacier from the top of GM.

[jpcm]

My wife and I spent 10 days skiing around Chamonix back in 2019 and it was amazing. The scenery, the food, the skiing, the old world feel, all a first for us and we loved it. We went in late January/early February before holidays stated, and felt like we had the place to ourselves. We were super lucky and had good conditions, with two rounds of fresh snow each followed by clearing. The storm skiing was limited but fun.

We found GM and Brevant were very accessible as an avy savy skier, and we really enjoyed the day we spent skiing the little down valley resort of Les Contamines Montjoie.

But overall skiing with a guide was worth every penny for us and really made the trip. We were lucy to get a couple days of pristine conditions lapping Valle Blanche, and then did two days of bigger tours around the valley. The access to glaciated terrain is mind blowing, and 100% something I would not undertake on my own. It would take me a whole season over there to comfortably step up to those routes and terrain. Also not having to deal with maps, logistics, route finding, is so nice especially when skiing with the wife. Our guide was also crucial in helping line up the plan for our un-guided days.

When it comes to guides in Cham, one great piece of advice I got from the Maggots was seek out a Brit or American guide. This was spot on, and we definitely ended up with the experience we were looking for. I saw how some of the French dudes were shitting on their clientele.

I skied 4 days with a Irish guy Paul Swail, he did a great job catering to both me and my wife’s skiing style, and was just a good dude to hang out with. If your looking to shit your pants in the really big boy Cham routes look up his buddy, a Brit named Tom Grant.

Can’t wait to get back sometime

http://www.paulswailguiding.com/

[whipski]

so the Montets tram is up and running?

[jpcm]

so the Montets tram is up and running?

No, 2024 I think.

[Foggy_Goggles]

OK, so there is quite a bit of helpful info given so far. I think the biggest question to ask yourself is "what you want you vacation to look like and whether you are willing to put in the effort to make is so?"

If what you want is a traditional resort experience where you are skiing on marked pistes (groomed or ungroomed), Cham is not a great option. I would say that the limiting factor is not your skiing set but the fact that you are alone. For example, I think that a strong resort skier with a sense of adventure on a good vis day with moderate avi danger could ski the Valle Blanche with a partner. Basically, you just want someone to call in the rescue if you fall in a hole.

There used to be this whole Ski Host think but I believe this got shut down. If you make friends easily and say at one of the more dirtbagy joints, you should be able to find people to ski with. If you are wanting to work on your skill set and have the cheddar, find sometime of camp or weekly group.

If the answer is more like, "nah, I'm good I just want to roll around 'murica style" I'd say go somewhere else. Even Courameyer is a better option. Think about Cham as a very large valley with a handful of "ski areas" with surprising few marked runs.

[mogul5480]

If you are young, on a budget and want to go full Euro, this is an interesting way to get out there: https://www.ucpa.co.uk/

The one in Argentiere has a few good skiers each week that can hang. You won't be in a harness, rapping into La Poubelle or anything, but you will get any gear and access some fun side country.

It's VERY Euro, culturally, and you won't hear much English spoken.

[Buster Highmen]

My favorite area around Chamonix is Grands Montets / Argentière, but with the Grands Montets tram closed, overall, there's a ton of places I'd rather go.
I don't have friends that live there anymore, and that makes a huDge difference.

I found the Aiguille du Midi overwhelming for solo skiing and didn't want to spring for a guide to learn it well, so I skied the GM a bunch and Le Brevent and Vallorcine a few days. With a group, spreading the guide cost out would help.

I think Cham is great place if you're really into ropes, ice axes and harnesses and have a solid group or willing to pay guide fees.

Timing is important, I'd avoid 'le vacances' in February and target either mid to late January or mid March in order to avoid crowds and higher hotel costs.

If you have the flexibility, be sure to rally over to Verbier for a few days. My globe trotting .1%er pal who has lived and skied all over the Alps, including Cham, thinks Verbier is a better place for overall skiing despite the cultural dilution there.

If you have a whole month, it's easy to drive to other ski areas. so be sure to sample the Tarentaise (Val d;Isere/Tignes), Trois Valles (Val Thorens) and La Grave, a favorite, and Serre Chevalier. The trains in Switzerland provide amazing access, one can ski to a trains station on the East side of Vallorcine and go to Verbier, Gstaad/G3000, Andermatt/Disentis (another favorite) or Zermatt easily.

Take fat skis and a touring set up, there's so much accessible with skinning that makes it worthwhile.

[Jvhowube]

All good info from the last few posters - thanks guys. Makes me wonder if posting up in Cham wouldn't be the best for me. I'm very interested in posting up in a single (resort) ski town for 3-ish weeks and really taking in the culture and increasing my chances for storms. Maybe I should be looking in Canada.

[Buster Highmen]

I've skied around the Alps a little and I think there's some sweet spots in Switzerland like Davis/Klosters and Andermatt/Disentis and St. Moritz (yeah, I know, but there really is awesome skiing there). Easy rail access, tons of steeps and scary stuff, unreal touring with returns by train and or taxi. There's a little nightlife around Andermatt/Disentis, nothing like Cham or Verbier or Zermatt, so that may be a factor too. Both St. Moritz and Davos/Klosters have been very pleasant surprises. St. Moritz is more expensive than Andermatt/Disentis or Klosters, but the latter locales allow ski day expenses of less than $200/day provided you don't drink much. Dental license not required.

If you have a car, an amazing base is Briancon, France which gives access to ridiculous ski acreage within an hours drive like Serre Chevalier, the Milky Way/Via Lattea, La Grave or the backwaters of the Queyras and the Maurienne valley . It's culturally very French or Italian. La Grave is a tiny town and pretty quiet, but a place every hardcore skier should visit.

[PNWbrit]

All good info from the last few posters - thanks guys. Makes me wonder if posting up in Cham wouldn't be the best for me. I'm very interested in posting up in a single (resort) ski town for 3-ish weeks and really taking in the culture and increasing my chances for storms. Maybe I should be looking in Canada.

Also don't forget that the ski areas in Chamonix are spread out. You're going to be relying on and figuring out public transport if you don't have a car there.

[Idris]

When are you coming to visit? (yes I live in Cham) Read Busters posts. But please watch https://youtu.be/ztDs0RGPjpM - All the episodes, no recreations/reenactments here just actual rescue footage!

[Jvhowube]

When are you coming to visit? (yes I live in Cham) Read Busters posts. But please watch https://youtu.be/ztDs0RGPjpM - All the episodes, no recreations/reenactments here just actual rescue footage!

It would be in March

[dunfree]

All good info from the last few posters - thanks guys. Makes me wonder if posting up in Cham wouldn't be the best for me. I'm very interested in posting up in a single (resort) ski town for 3-ish weeks and really taking in the culture and increasing my chances for storms. Maybe I should be looking in Canada.

If you’ve got three straight weeks you could split it up between regions, if you want, and maybe take in some skill classes. Or if you have wheels you could base yourself more centrally in the Alps ( somewhere in Switzerland? )and stormchase (if it snows) east/west/south

i wouldn’t go to chamonix if Les grands montets is effectively closed

The closest NA resort experience to big eurozone was whistler/blackcomb terrain scale wise

[Huskier]

Also don't forget that the ski areas in Chamonix are spread out. You're going to be relying on and figuring out public transport if you don't have a car there.

This was a total non-issue for me. Like, I was worried about getting around at first but the trains are on time and everything's on one line. Cost for any distance was the only complaint I think it cost me $60USD Verbier and back.

[old goat]

Free buses, or if you sign up with the CdGdC they drive you from the Maison to whatever area they're using. I don't know about the other guides.
The only transport that was an issue was the bus from Chamonix to Courmayeur--booked solid. Otherwise the buses were frequent and easy.
Interesting thing about the Compagnie des Guides--if you look at the last names of the guides a lot of them are the same as the names of the streets. A lot of tradition there.

[hutash]

for pure resort skiing, there are better places than Cham. That said, it is one of the most beautiful valleys in Europe, right up there with Zermatt and Val Gardena. Guides are easy to book there and touring gear is easy to rent there if you don't want to haul your own.

Fat alpine skis are a little harder to rent.

[skaredshtles]

Hi Jvhowube! May I suggest that instead of you wasting your precious time and hard-earned money to fly across the pond just to ski the overhyped, overrated and overpriced French Alps that you "think outside the box" and instead come bring your "A-Game" to the mountains of the northeast USA, home of the gnarliest snowriding on the planet? You will find that skiing in Europe is for the "upper class" and the selection of cheese, wine and fondue as well as their so-called "fashion" is more important than actually "getting after the goods". You will be made to feel like a dumb American peasant. I would proffer that all things considered, the New England area is the clear alternate choice. I would strongly recommend Killington, Vermont. The conditions are actually more dependable and consistent than the French Alps due to the superior snowmaking and cold temperatures combined with dependable and consistent snowfall. Also the terrain is truly fabulous, the partying is unmatched anywhere(can you say "hot New Jersey Italian babes?") and the setting is Norman Rockwell-esque! Pursuing the plethora of hot NYC/NJ and Boston "chicas" in their stretch pants can be even better than the great skiing, but I must warn you they are quite feisty and outspoken, unlike the laid-back western gals you have in Steamboat or the stuck-up and snobby European females in their Cartier sunglasses and Moncler ski outfits that you will find in Chamonix. Try Killington, Vermont, and when you score your first powder day in the glades of "Anarchy", "The Throne", "Chop Chop" or "Patsy" , you will be grinning from ear to ear, I promise you! Both Sunday River, Maine or Waterville Valley, New Hampshire would be also be good choices.
While I am here, I would like to take this opportunity to formally invite you (as well as all TGR Maggots, NewSchoolers, Pugskiazoids, jongs and lurkers alike) to come join our fun-loving but responsible bunch of snowriding aficionados at http://forums.alpinezone.com/. I think most all of you will find that our seasoned moderators "keep the bar high" by maintaining a sense of order and decorum, while encouraging quality discussion about our favorite pastime. I can assure you that "newbies"'(jongs) are welcomed with open arms by our entire community(unlike here at TGR), and there is no "hazing period" or rudeness tolerated. We also have superior bandwidth and response times on our 5g superfibre network as well as a state-of-the-art virtual blade server farm with 5000 terabytes of virtual disk space for your photos, blogs etc. It may take a small amount of getting used to, as we do have reasonable standards as far as language and image posting that are strictly enforced. The registration is easy and painless, and the rules will be explained in detail during the process. I will warn you however up front that registering an ALIAS and/or "trolling" is strictly "VERBOTEN", and something we have zero-tolerance with. If you are tired of the juvenile goings-on at TGR and yearn for a snowriding forum that matches your maturity level, all I can say is: "Come join the fun"!

Awesome.

[frorider]

Buster gave some good (Serre C, etc) above that lines up with my experiences over the years. One advantage of Cham valley is how easy it is to take public transport to access the various resorts, or do a sidecountry tour & get back to where you started. The OP mentioned his friends in Servoz but hasn’t explained why he won’t be skiing with them occasionally?

The tram at top of GM is not a deal breaker. Some locals almost prefer the current situation, since the skin up from top of Bochard or the Hearse is quick for anyone reasonably fit & it filters out some of the crowds. We spend a couple of months there a year, and honestly this past Feb I had some great GM days.

[AlpineZone]

Hi Jvhowube! May I suggest that instead of you wasting your precious time and hard-earned money to fly across the pond just to ski the overhyped, overrated and overpriced French Alps that you "think outside the box" and instead come bring your "A-Game" to the mountains of the northeast USA, home of the gnarliest snowriding on the planet? You will find that skiing in Europe is for the "upper class" and the selection of cheese, wine and fondue as well as their so-called "fashion" is more important than actually "getting after the goods". You will be made to feel like a dumb American peasant. I would proffer that all things considered, the New England area is the clear alternate choice. I would strongly recommend Killington, Vermont. The conditions are actually more dependable and consistent than the French Alps due to the superior snowmaking and cold temperatures combined with dependable and consistent snowfall. Also the terrain is truly fabulous, the partying is unmatched anywhere(can you say "hot New Jersey Italian babes?") and the setting is Norman Rockwell-esque! Pursuing the plethora of hot NYC/NJ and Boston "chicas" in their stretch pants can be even better than the great skiing, but I must warn you they are quite feisty and outspoken, unlike the laid-back western gals you have in Steamboat or the stuck-up and snobby European females in their Cartier sunglasses and Moncler ski outfits that you will find in Chamonix. Try Killington, Vermont, and when you score your first powder day in the glades of "Anarchy", "The Throne", "Chop Chop" or "Patsy" , you will be grinning from ear to ear, I promise you! Both Sunday River, Maine or Waterville Valley, New Hampshire would be also be good choices.
While I am here, I would like to take this opportunity to formally invite you (as well as all TGR Maggots, NewSchoolers, Pugskiazoids, jongs and lurkers alike) to come join our fun-loving but responsible bunch of snowriding aficionados at http://forums.alpinezone.com/. I think most all of you will find that our seasoned moderators "keep the bar high" by maintaining a sense of order and decorum, while encouraging quality discussion about our favorite pastime. I can assure you that "newbies"'(jongs) are welcomed with open arms by our entire community(unlike here at TGR), and there is no "hazing period" or rudeness tolerated. We also have superior bandwidth and response times on our 5g superfibre network as well as a state-of-the-art virtual blade server farm with 5000 terabytes of virtual disk space for your photos, blogs etc. It may take a small amount of getting used to, as we do have reasonable standards as far as language and image posting that are strictly enforced. The registration is easy and painless, and the rules will be explained in detail during the process. I will warn you however up front that registering an ALIAS and/or "trolling" is strictly "VERBOTEN", and something we have zero-tolerance with. If you are tired of the juvenile goings-on at TGR and yearn for a snowriding forum that matches your maturity level, all I can say is: "Come join the fun"!

[SoVT Joey]

Hi Jvhowube! May I suggest that instead of you wasting your precious time and hard-earned money to fly across the pond just to ski the overhyped, overrated and overpriced French Alps that you "think outside the box" and instead come bring your "A-Game" to the mountains of the northeast USA, home of the gnarliest snowriding on the planet? You will find that skiing in Europe is for the "upper class" and the selection of cheese, wine and fondue as well as their so-called "fashion" is more important than actually "getting after the goods". You will be made to feel like a dumb American peasant. I would proffer that all things considered, the New England area is the clear alternate choice. I would strongly recommend Killington, Vermont. The conditions are actually more dependable and consistent than the French Alps due to the superior snowmaking and cold temperatures combined with dependable and consistent snowfall. Also the terrain is truly fabulous, the partying is unmatched anywhere(can you say "hot New Jersey Italian babes?") and the setting is Norman Rockwell-esque! Pursuing the plethora of hot NYC/NJ and Boston "chicas" in their stretch pants can be even better than the great skiing, but I must warn you they are quite feisty and outspoken, unlike the laid-back western gals you have in Steamboat or the stuck-up and snobby European females in their Cartier sunglasses and Moncler ski outfits that you will find in Chamonix. Try Killington, Vermont, and when you score your first powder day in the glades of "Anarchy", "The Throne", "Chop Chop" or "Patsy" , you will be grinning from ear to ear, I promise you! Both Sunday River, Maine or Waterville Valley, New Hampshire would be also be good choices.
While I am here, I would like to take this opportunity to formally invite you (as well as all TGR Maggots, NewSchoolers, Pugskiazoids, jongs and lurkers alike) to come join our fun-loving but responsible bunch of snowriding aficionados at http://forums.alpinezone.com/. I think most all of you will find that our seasoned moderators "keep the bar high" by maintaining a sense of order and decorum, while encouraging quality discussion about our favorite pastime. I can assure you that "newbies"'(jongs) are welcomed with open arms by our entire community(unlike here at TGR), and there is no "hazing period" or rudeness tolerated. We also have superior bandwidth and response times on our 5g superfibre network as well as a state-of-the-art virtual blade server farm with 5000 terabytes of virtual disk space for your photos, blogs etc. It may take a small amount of getting used to, as we do have reasonable standards as far as language and image posting that are strictly enforced. The registration is easy and painless, and the rules will be explained in detail during the process. I will warn you however up front that registering an ALIAS and/or "trolling" is strictly "VERBOTEN", and something we have zero-tolerance with. If you are tired of the juvenile goings-on at TGR and yearn for a snowriding forum that matches your maturity level, all I can say is: "Come join the fun"!

you are a fucking cunt. End of thread.

[californiagrown]

you are a treasure that must be protected with a helmet at all times. End of thread.

FIFY.


Le Contamines just up the valley was a really cool "family" style resort. It was HUUGE per north american standards, but had the vibe of a mom n' pop. The ski hill food is incredible everwhere too. Bring cash, it was much appreciated. Pictures below are mostly from Brevent if my memory serves. Middle picture was a 10 min hike/sidestep to some pretty cool freeride terrain just off a cattrack. Its all easy access.

[frorider]

Les Contamines is (are) pretty chill, also has some mellow touring terrain.

[Boissal]

Grew up in Les Contamines, it warms my heart to hear 3 mags talk about it fondly. I spent a lot of my childhood being mocked by kids from Cham cause they were from the bigger more badass valley. Kids from Megeve would give us Contaminards shit cause they were from a place with money while we lived at the end of a small valley full of nothing but cows. It wasn't until I moved here than I realized how incredibly rad a mom-and-pop resort in the Alps actually is. I always got a chuckle when in line at Alta or the Bird when bros would spray about being locals at the best and gnarliest resorts in the world, or wax poetic about the massive terrain they got to ski. Perspective is a funny thing...

[skaredshtles]

<snip> while we lived at the end of a small valley full of nothing but cows.

Great. Now I'm hungry for some Alpine cheese...