Chamonix Valley Questions

[Boissal]

Are you from Thones...wait you say the T in that one I think?

Bwah! Silent T would be a bitch in this case, although you'd still be expected to guess and get it right.

Contamines Montjoie is the place, CM Hauteluce the name of the resort itself.

[old goat]

Bwah! Silent T would be a bitch in this case, although you'd still be expected to guess and get it right.

Contamines Montjoie is the place, CM Hauteluce the name of the resort itself.

We spent our first night on the TMB in CM--Hotel Gai Soleil. Excellent dinner and breakfast. The only decent place we stayed on the Tour besides the the hotels in Cham and Courmayeur. Lovely little valley, the ski area looked pretty tame or maybe I was just looking at the bottom of it. The hike out of town on the old Roman road is very cool. What does Nant Borrant mean. Google doesn't know.

[Boissal]

We spent our first night on the TMB in CM--Hotel Gai Soleil. Excellent dinner and breakfast. The only decent place we stayed on the Tour besides the the hotels in Cham and Courmayeur. Lovely little valley, the ski area looked pretty tame or maybe I was just looking at the bottom of it. The hike out of town on the old Roman road is very cool. What does Nant Borrant mean. Google doesn't know.

The resort is definitely tame in comparison with the bigger valleys next door. Lots of mellow runs on grassy slopes, not too many rocks to get in trouble with. It's all cow pasture up there, unlike Cham which is basically one massive talus field. The touring is out of this world with some beautiful alpine outings but also so very serious stuff all over the place.
Nant Borrant is just the name of the creek that goes by the refuge. Nant is creek in the local language. Borrant probably means something but the old timers who know all this stuff are few and far between these days...

[frorider]

I wasn’t going to comment on the ‘X’ thing, although it was funny to read. I guess the guide was fucking with you.

My French is half-assed but generally these pronunciation things make sense. I mean how would you even Not pronounce the X in ‘Thovex’ or ‘Ibex’? Thov-uh sounds really un-French.

The Z thing is interesting. ‘Taconnaz’ glacier/bus stop gets pronounced mostly without the Z by the locals but with by the recording announcing the stops.

[old goat]

IOW French is almost as screwed up as English.

[geo039]

Are you from Thones...wait you say the T in that one I think? I went to Gran Bornan and La Clusa this summer while I was staying in Doussa! All incredibly good places with really friendly people.

Boissal gets it, the sooner you realized that Cham isn't really France the sooner it will make sense.

Try Bex and Gex

[subtle plague]

Try Bex and Gex

Have you ever had Sex with your Ex in Bex while your wife was in Gex ?

[Foggy_Goggles]

So I was paragliding around that part of France. The game for an XC pilot is to launch (Grand Bornard, Brevant, Col du Forclaz, Sambuy etc.) and connect the thermals to travel as far and and stay up as long as possible. One of the beauties of the Alps is that almost all valleys have road and villages.

So I'd send it and land out who knows where and try to hitch back somewhere. The conversations between my shitty French and the drivers English trying to piece together wear am I, where do I want to go, and how to I get there were amazing.

[cravenmorhead]

Locking down our trip and the Smarts as guides. Will report back.

[Foggy_Goggles]

That will be insane! Take lots of pictures.

Sent from my Turbo 850 Flatbrimed Highhorse

[Foggy_Goggles]

Despite its challenges, Cham should be on every good skiers list and this view never gets old.

Sent from my Turbo 850 Flatbrimed Highhorse

[geo039]

Have you ever had Sex with your Ex in Bex while your wife was in Gex ?

Lundi?

[enginerd]

Despite its challenges, Cham should be on every good skiers list

Facts.

If it hasn’t been covered already:
1) fly into Geneva.
2) I’ve used mountain drop offs many times. Cheap. Takes you in a van from the airport to your front door. 45min or so. There are a bunch of competitors with similar service. They’re all great in my experience.
3) I’ve used mountain base several times and found great lodging options
4) agree with the above on a) no car b) walking distance from the midi.
5) Find “Wolfy” (wolfgang) to guide you.

Have an awesome time.



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[easyrdr]

Locking down our trip and the Smarts as guides. Will report back.

Dude, I'm jealous. Miles will deliver, now you just got to decide how much exposure you are comfortable with because that dude can take you anywhere you want to go.

[old goat]

Despite its challenges, Cham should be on every good skiers list and this view never gets old.

Sent from my Turbo 850 Flatbrimed Highhorse

The view is even better from the Italian side. Just saying.
Re Mountain Dropoff is great--unless you have a Russian driver and one of the passengers is going to miss their flight unless they hurry. (I don't know, maybe there aren't any Russian drivers these days, if so book without fear.)

[frorider]

We’ve tended to use mountain dropoff (a dozen times? More?) because of the convenience factor for our location. Zero issues. No Russians. But alpibus is cheaper and works fine to/from Cham sud.

[old goat]

Nothing like arriving at Geneva on a Saturday, coming out into the arrival hall which is shoulder to shoulder, with everyone carrying a bag of skis and a suitcase, everyone looking for their shuttle with the drivers holding their signs at crotch level or lower.

[Idris]

Nothing like arriving at Geneva on a Saturday, coming out into the arrival hall which is shoulder to shoulder, with everyone carrying a bag of skis and a suitcase, everyone looking for their shuttle with the drivers holding their signs at crotch level or lower.

Ahh memories. I spent 6 winters driving those shuttles, first for a Chalet company then for a transfer company.

Now I hide in a partrol shack in Megeve...waiting for my 3 course lunch

[abcdethan]

What great timing for this thread to be active! It is a great resource. I bought my tickets to Chamonix earlier this week for the last 2 weeks of March with a friend. I have similar goals as Cravenmorhead in terms of terrain and risk tolerance but I don't mind doing big human powered days combined with lift access. I will reach out to all the guides mentioned. We would book a guide for several days. If there is a weather window, my friend and I wouldn't mind going for Mont Blanc. Are there any other housing resources besides Mountain Base that I should know about? We plan on staying in the middle of town, hopefully not above a big Apres night club.

[whipski]

What's the status of Grand Montets. Does anyone tour to the glacier if still closed?

[Buster Highmen]

What's the status of Grand Montets. Does anyone tour to the glacier if still closed?

Still closed.
Yes.

[cravenmorhead]

What great timing for this thread to be active! It is a great resource. I bought my tickets to Chamonix earlier this week for the last 2 weeks of March with a friend. I have similar goals as Cravenmorhead in terms of terrain and risk tolerance but I don't mind doing big human powered days combined with lift access. I will reach out to all the guides mentioned. We would book a guide for several days. If there is a weather window, my friend and I wouldn't mind going for Mont Blanc. Are there any other housing resources besides Mountain Base that I should know about? We plan on staying in the middle of town, hopefully not above a big Apres night club.

FYI, we were looking at guide dates the week of March 17. As of yesterday, Vertical Frontiers, Ray Huges, and the Compagnie des Guides all had availability.

[Foggy_Goggles]

I've always had good luck with lodging by using Goggle, Homeaway, Trip Adviser, Expedia etc. and then see if you can contract to property direct via their website.

Personally, with a small group, I like a hotel with an included breakfast. Eating out can to pretty affordable versus cooking and it enhances the experience. Come end of March, it will be light out pretty late and moderate temperatures in the valley. So walking around, beers on the patio and that is really fun.

How to Cham has been covered in this thread so scroll back. Big lifts, big terrain and big itineraries are my game also. Moderately experienced parties can self guide into some amazing places. Being humble, asking questions and being social will serve you well.

[justo8484]

Forgot to add, if you are planning on skiing Le Tour, use the train to/from Vallorcine instead of the bus. WAY less crowded, and at the end of the day you can grab a beer to go to bring on the train for the ride back to cham.

[enginerd]

Yeah just skin up to the col from the highest lift/gondola.


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