Week skiing
Off-piste skiing in Chamonix
One Week Training Course in Chamonix
You like virgin snow? Let's discover together the dream off-pistes paths of Chamonix.
The Programm:
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Discover the different techniques to progress in off-piste skiing, and to feel comfortable in this fabulous place, far away from the ski lifts!
Day 1
Group and technical level evaluation on some off-piste downhills, in the domain of the Brevent and La Flégère. Explanation of the security equipment and its use.
Day 2
Skiing in the Argentière domain with local off-pistes places : Lapendant, the Hotel hills. Learning of ground-anticipation techniques, nice off-piste downhills. Personal technical correction for everyone thanks to a digital camcorder.
Day 3
According to the weather, Departure for the Top of the Grands Montets (alt. 3,300 m) And on the top of that: a beautiful downhill in the Mont-Blanc Mountains on the Argentière Glacier, a breathtaking landscape!
Day 4
Warm-up on pistes.
A day to enjoy the wide-open spaces and a more technical skiing
Direction the Pas de chèvre to join a fabulous off-piste with an incredible view on the Mont-Blanc
A schuttle will take us back to the station. Unforgettable!
Day 5
For this last day, I propose you an initiation to the cross-country skiing or a downhill in the Vallée Blanche through an unusual path in the middle of the Mont-Blanc moutains.
 | Price :960€/pers Group of 5 pers. This price includes:  moutain guide services Technical equipment : ARVA, shovel, harness, probe… ski lifts costs meals accomodation transports during the week This price does not include your personal equipment: skis, ski boots… Possibility to take you by car to the airports and train stations in Annecy and Geneva |
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Welcome to Chamonix
After last week's and last night's heavy snowfall, we're scheduled for 5-10 more today and 10-20 tomorrow and it doesn't look like it is going to stop there! We're having one big DUMP AFTER DUMP. The Grands Montets opened a little late this morning, but have the Logan, Marmottons, Coq and Bochard open now. For current conditions, have a look at our Snow Report.
12 Dec: Meeting for the anglophone community on French fiscal laws, taxes and other expat subjects at 15:00 in the St. Gervais municipal building (more info.)
13-14 Dec: The FIS Telemark World Cup in Les Houches
14 Dec: Speedskating Alpine Championships
Check our Events in December.
Geography
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is located at [show location on an interactive map] 45°55′8″N 6°51′55″E / 45.91889, 6.86528. The Chamonix valley runs from northeast to southwest, and is watered by the Arve, which rises in Le Tour. The Arve is joined by the torrent l'Arveyron, which rises in the famous Mer de Glace just above Chamonix. On the southeast towers the snowclad summit of Mont Blanc (4808m), and on the northwest the less lofty, but rugged chain of Le Brévent (2525m) and of the Aiguilles Rouges. A number of villages and hamlets stretched out along the valley belong to the commune including Les Bossons (1012m), Les Praz (1060m), Argentière (1252m) and Le Tour (1462m). The valley is connected via the Col de Montets (1461m) to Martigny (Switzerland) in the Rhône Valley.
Chamonix is a popular winter sports resort in France. The 1924 Winter Olympics were held here. As the highest European mountain west of Russia, Mont Blanc holds a special allure for mountain climbers, and Jon Krakauer, in an essay in his collection Eiger Dreams, described the town as "the death-sport capital of the world" because Chamonix serves as an ideal playground for almost all types of outdoor activity, especially in their more extreme variants, such as ice climbing, rock climbing, extreme skiing, paragliding, rafting, canyoning.
Chamonix is famous for its spectacular cable car up to the Aiguille du Midi (3842m). Constructed in 1955 it was then the highest cable car in the world. Together with a cable car system going up to the Point Helbronner (3462m) from Entréves in the Aosta Valley (Italy) it is possible to cross the entire Mont Blanc Massif by cable car.
In the summer months Chamonix is a mecca for alpine mountaineers, drawn to the area by challenges like the north face of the Dru, the Frendo Spur on the Aiguille du Midi, traversing the Alps on the legendary GR 5 footpath or more accessible challenges like summitting Mont Blanc (by a number of possible routes).
Apart from high-mountain summer sports, Chamonix is also a destination for the hardcore mountain biker. As well as the obvious lift-assisted areas for Freeriders there are hundreds of kilometres of challenging hidden singletrack trails - often only found with the help of guides.
The west face of the Petit Dru above the Chamonix valley near the Mer de Glace
Chamonix is also a haven for advanced skiing and snowboarding. The Vallée Blanche glacier runs down from below Mont Blanc du Tacul and the Aiguille du Midi to the valley. This spectacular route can be skied or snowboarded, though care should be exercised due to crevasses. Aside from that, the valley has about six separate ski areas, including Le Brévent (a short but steep walk from the town centre), La Flégère (at Les Praz), Les Planards (ski area for beginners and early intermediates), Les Grands Montets (at Argentière) and Domaine de Balme (at Le Tours). Many of these provide challenging terrain, especially off-piste, with runs down to Switzerland.
Chamonix contains one of the most famous off piste ski runs the pas du chevre. This is one of the most extreme off piste expeditions in the world which offers glacier skiing at the base of the drus. There is also a ski resort at Les Houches.
