Opinion on Chamonix

prunudo

I'm thinking about possibly organizing a trip to Chamonix with a small group in January. Do you think it's better to stay in chamonix itself or is Argenteire a better option. It seems to have better access to the slopes but what is nightlife like? Have been to Mayrhofen the last two years and kinda fancy a change and have done French apartments a good few times before so thought I'd look at Chamonix

a148pro

The best skiing is in argentiere but i've never stayed there. Chamonix town is quite nice compared to many ski towns so depending on your priorities and those of your group you may wish to stay there. I've stayed there three or four times and spent nearly all my time skiing argentiere (almost always has best snow because of it's aspect and has acres of well beaten track off piste so is a good place to get into that), bus service is quite good and i've never really been annoyed about having to travel, whereas I usually insist on ski in ski out wherever else I go.

One tip re the bus, the time on the bus stop is the time it's expected there, NOT the time it leaves the centre of chamonix. Makes a lot more sense but took me a while to cop that.

If you're there for a week definitely ski brevant and flegere. Some very dramatic pistes up there, but I still prefer argentiere.

Fattes

Chamonix is overpriced & expensive none of the ski areas are linked. Furthest distance between resorts is approx 40 min.

That said you have to ski it once, you really need a guide to make the most out of Cham. It gets tracked out really quickly to! Grand montes and breast are the best areas.

Après- chamber neuf is the main spot but dull compared to Austria. Chamonix is practically a city compared to Mayrhofen

prunudo

Cheers for the tips guys. I agree with what you're saying Fattes and normally I'd stay clear of a resort that is so badly connected but I think Chamonix should be tried just to see what the hype is about myself.

a148pro

I think anyone into skiing should really experience Chamonix at least once all right. In order to get the full potential that has led to its reputation, you'd really want to be in a small group of maybe three to four very good skiers, with a decent budget, looking to do a lot of off piste touring possibly with some mountaineering thrown in. In good snow conditions its probably the best resort in the world for people with those ambitions.

For the rest of us its still a decent choice imo, though we will never really realise that full potential. There are definitely far better and less disjointed resorts for piste skiing, but there still are some good and dramatic pistes there. There is also a lot of fairly easily accessible and manageable off piste so its a good place to get to experience that and the associated adrenaline with relatively minor risk. Its also got a lot of other stuff going for it - very short transfer (barely more than an hour), the fact the town and restaurants are nice, as is the ambiance of kind of old world extreme sports, and the places they put some of the lifts are pretty insane.

coddlesangers

Chamonix is a proper town, its not just a ski resort though, so its a very different ski experience. There's some lovely skiing in each of the areas, the fact that they aren't linked doesn't really matter much if you are there for a week - you basically pick the area and stay for the day in that one, I'd strongly recommend staying in chamonix town centre. Don't ignore some of the other areas like Les Houches if it is cloudy for tree lined runs either. It is not cheap, but it's not Zermatt expensive either.

derv

i was in chamonix last year. i wouldn't go back.

the ski areas are way too far apart. you will spend 30 - 40 mins on the bus in the morning if you want to try a different area.
on top of that, the Q to get up the lifts in the morning is outrageous. we spent over 30 mins Q'ing just to get on the lift.
by the time we got buses around and got up the ski life it was sometimes after 10:30 or 11 before we were on piste.

also, any accommodation that is near the bigger ski areas is way too expensive.

you can get so much better value for your money else where imo.

prunudo

derv wrote: »

i was in chamonix last year. i wouldn't go back.

the ski areas are way too far apart. you will spend 30 - 40 mins on the bus in the morning if you want to try a different area.
on top of that, the Q to get up the lifts in the morning is outrageous. we spent over 30 mins Q'ing just to get on the lift.
by the time we got buses around and got up the ski life it was sometimes after 10:30 or 11 before we were on piste.

also, any accommodation that is near the bigger ski areas is way too expensive.

you can get so much better value for your money else where imo.

As a matter of interest what dates was this? I've heard mixed views from friends who have been hence why I said I'd throw the question up here. One saying it was disappointing the other saying it was the best place ever!!

Fattes

jvan It doesn't matter when you go it is always the same

You need a guide to get the most out of it

The resorts are always spread out

If you want powder of fresh off piste you have to skin and tour

Hot Chocolate can be up to €8.50 on the hill and that is Le Tour :eek:

You do have to ski Chamonix once in your life but if you are aware of the above and you get lucky with conditions you will have a great time.

I have done Chamonix 8-10 (Dec/Jan/Feb/March) times and only got decent snow twice. But when it was good it was spectacular

a148pro

derv wrote: »

you will spend 30 - 40 mins on the bus in the morning if you want to try a different area.
on top of that, the Q to get up the lifts in the morning is outrageous. we spent over 30 mins Q'ing just to get on the lift.

In fairness, you must have been going from Les Houches to Argentiere, i.e., the full length of the valley to spend this long. I'd say Chamonix town to Argentiere is prob 15 - 20 mins.

Queues can be difficult, no doubt, but they're not always like that. If you actually manage to get up early all of this can be avoided, as in any resort. You have that problem in most resorts but I think Chamonix is worse than any I've visited.

As against that, the skiing can be fantastic. The run from the very top to bottom of GM, with lots of relatively easy off piste variations available is about 2400m of vertical. That is absolutely huge. Indeed some say the Aiguille du Midi to Chamonix town run (you need a guide and very good snow to get all the way down) is the highest vertical drop in skiing. The off piste runs to skiiers right of the Hearse lift (:)) and skier's left of the Bouchard are class. Acres and acres of steep, accessible and relatively safe fun. I don't know any other resort with runs like that so accessible. St Anton perhaps.

Also its expensive, but nowhere near as expensive as the other well known French resorts. 3V and Val D'Isere would be considerably more expensive and there's much more choice in the town itself.

Savman

Total beginner here, hoping to head for either Zermatt or Chamonix in the New Year. Leaning towards Chamonix simply because I was there before (but it was mid-Summer, mind, so no ski) and adore the area. I know Zermatt is supposed to be nice but Switzerland is mega expensive and I don't want to get stung in a tourist trap with no choice but to pay mad money for food and drink.

Keeping transactions in € is desirable too.

a148pro

Savman wrote: »

Total beginner here, hoping to head for either Zermatt or Chamonix in the New Year. Leaning towards Chamonix simply because I was there before (but it was mid-Summer, mind, so no ski) and adore the area. I know Zermatt is supposed to be nice but Switzerland is mega expensive and I don't want to get stung in a tourist trap with no choice but to pay mad money for food and drink.

Keeping transactions in € is desirable too.

Wouldn't have thought chamonix would be a great idea for a total beginner but if you do go le tour is where you should be skiing

Fattes

you will spend 30 - 40 mins on the bus in the morning if you want to try a different area.

I have seen this even from Place De Mont Blanc to Le Tour on a bad weather day.

The run from the very top to bottom of GM, with lots of relatively easy off piste variations available is about 2400m of vertical.

Its spot on 2,000 but you also have to pay for the top stage of the Grand Montes Cable car!!!

Indeed some say the Aiguille du Midi to Chamonix town run (you need a guide and very good snow to get all the way down)

You need a guide it is rare you can ski all the way down and the terrain is dull and uninteresting for skiing but great for looking at and taking photos.


The problem with Chamonix is the hype and it rarely lives up to it

Indeed some say the Aiguille du Midi to Chamonix town run (you need a guide and very good snow to get all the way down)

When you take the FX rate into account Chamonix and Zermatt are about price comparable. Neither are good for beginners!

derv

it was the first of second week of march,

a148pro

Fattes wrote: »

You need a guide it is rare you can ski all the way down and the terrain is dull and uninteresting for skiing

In fairness Fattes, that does depend on which route you take down :

not to forget straight down the front...

http://vimeo.com/24750626

Fattes

Both of those Coulouir Vids are on the face of the Aguille di Midi not part of the Valle blanch, and are skiable once in a blue moon.

Just like the Poubelle, is skiable once in the last 10 years.

a148pro

That's not true either Fattes, they're skied almost every year, albeit only by a tiny percentage of skilled / nutbar skiers.

Listen, I agree the VB is prety boring, at least by the main route, but if you're motivated and skilled (and reasonably rich) the potential elsewhere up there is unbeliveable.

And just to prove you wrong on the Poubelle (there's even a paddy among these lads apparently):

Fattes

a148pro; I have skied Poubelle with another Chamonix based Irish lad, he had waited 4 seasons to get the chance to ski it as the conditions were not good enough.

Any slope over 50 degrees will not hold snow due to its incline so you need a really really good snow year for it to be skiable.

As you said you also need allot of $$$$$$$$$ as guides in Chamonix are not cheap.

a148pro

Fattes wrote: »

I have skied Poubelle with another Chamonix based Irish lad,

Serious respect dude! I only came accross it waiting for a mate to come up the lift, strolled up for the view and then noticed there was some dude down what looked to me like a cliff, feeding rope out. Just seemed completely insane. Never skiing it I don't think, unless iI'm diagnosed with something nasty and terminal.

a148pro

Just as a matter of interest then Fattes, if you're into that kind of stuff what resorts do you recommend? In terms of other sking I've done, I liked 3V and Ischgl for pistes, Tignes for pistes and off piste and St Anton and Chamonix for off piste. Where else should I be hitting? Really want to ski Verbier and Engleberg also but haven't made it yet.

Fattes

Verbier, Engelberg, Andermatt and the below.

Verbier is epic especially off the back of the MT Fort I had the pleasure of skiing it in the presence of Kay Zackrisson :D:D:D What a skier mind blown. Tons of terrain around bit the place is seriously pricey any beer outside of happy hour is $$$$$$$$$$

Engelberg is great and easy to get to, train direct from Zurich in an Hour all of the big boy stuff is on one side of the mountain & the easier stuff is on the other side so it hardly gets wasted.

Andermatt is super also but is very pricey right now!!! Big redevelopment going on to so probably a ****e or great time to visit.

Fieberbrunn - Austria A little Known hidden gem, hot enough to host a stop on the freeride world tour for 4 years!!! The Face at the top is hardcore. Plus as it is off the tourist map its cheap as chips.

Courcheval - France- A bit posh but there is plenty of adventurous opportunities around, and a few great intro coulouirs

Le Grave - France - One lift guide required everywhere and it killed Doug Coombes enough said.

Canada

You need to go to the two resorts below before you die, in fact go now what are you waiting for. Incredible snow, now lift ques, great locals and easy access hardcore terrain. Slightly shorter verts than Europe but Kicking Horse and Revi are pretty close to 2,000 M drops.

Kicking Horse

Revelstoke

Red Mountain - Scary steep you will either be a skiing genius or a corpse

USA

Breckenridge - A bit high takes a long time to get used to the altitutde but some great easy access bowls and deserted resort.

Teluride - Deep Pow trees more deep pow trees repeat for stay.

Sqauw Valley -Squallywood, home to Shane McConkey, Ingrid Backstrom, Colin Gafney, GNAR kt-22 Chair, and some of the most famous features on earth.

Jackson Hole - The Red tram, Coulberts Coulouir and that is just the start find a local and have your mind blown.

a148pro

Added to bucket list, ty