Chamonix Valley Questions

[zion zig zag]

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...

I'd love to spend a few months, or a few years, in your childhood valley. Will you run that by your parents and see how they feel about a stranger staying with them?

[subtle plague]

I'd love to spend a few months, or a few years, in your childhood valley. Will you run that by your parents and see how they feel about a stranger staying with them?

They'll let you stay.....but......Only if you spray about the cool times you skied alta when the LCC road was closed and ran over some loser tourist on the high T to ski 300m of vertical at the gnarliest Skiers only resort in the world [emoji6]

[old goat]

Never skied at Les Contamines but spent our first night on the Tour du Mont Blanc there at Hotel Gai Soleil with an excellent dinner and buffet breakfast. We left town on an old Roman road through the beautiful rocky gorge of the Bon Nant ("Good Stream" I think).


from the hotel window


natural bridge


a Roman one

[telefreewasatch]

They'll let you stay.....but......Only if you spray about the cool times you skied alta when the LCC road was closed and ran over some loser tourist on the high T to ski 300m of vertical at the gnarliest Skiers only resort in the world [emoji6]

Alta is the new Mammoth?

[Buster Highmen]

Yeah, Cham is all that and a bag of chips, but the older I get, the more I believe that the places away from the bright lights and glamour are more fun.

[subtle plague]

Alta is the new Mammoth?

Nothing is like Mammoth.

[raisingarizona13]

Nothing is like Mammoth.

I've been told that Jackson is the ski center of the universe.

[raisingarizona13]

Yeah, Cham is all that and a bag of chips, but the older I get, the more I believe that the places away from the bright lights and glamour are more fun.

I don't like crowds any more. Standing in lines for a large percentage of a ski day is super lame.

That reminds me of all the lines we stood in at Andermatt/Sedrun. What a bummer.......

[Boissal]

I'd love to spend a few months, or a few years, in your childhood valley. Will you run that by your parents and see how they feel about a stranger staying with them?

Funny thing, a buddy of mine recently moved to Switzerland for work and I sent him over to my parents' to pick up some of the climbing guidebooks I left there. He ended up hanging out with them for the day, getting fed, and now has a standing invitation for ski weekends whenever he feels like it.
I'm sure they'd be happy to house another dirtbag!

Never skied at Les Contamines but spent our first night on the Tour du Mont Blanc there at Hotel Gai Soleil with an excellent dinner and buffet breakfast. We left town on an old Roman road through the beautiful rocky gorge of the Bon Nant ("Good Stream" I think).

Gai Soleil is closed now, it was owned by a buddy's parents, they retired not long ago. Nice pics of the Bon Nant, you're correct on the translation.

[old goat]

Funny thing, a buddy of mine recently moved to Switzerland for work and I sent him over to my parents' to pick up some of the climbing guidebooks I left there. He ended up hanging out with them for the day, getting fed, and now has a standing invitation for ski weekends whenever he feels like it.
I'm sure they'd be happy to house another dirtbag!


Gai Soleil is closed now, it was owned by a buddy's parents, they retired not long ago. Nice pics of the Bon Nant, you're correct on the translation.

I don't remember much about the owners except that they were super friendly. I think we were the only people there.

[BCR]

...Zermatt...

Can't speak highly enough of this too, but I stayed in Cervinia on the Italian side. Heck of a lot cheaper, less crowded, take the lifts over into Zermatt for the day, have some rosti and sausage for lunch, and then ski 19 miles back down to the town and lodging and Italian for dinner.

[Jvhowube]

Le Grande Montets is a dream resort and manageable as a resort skier.

If you want to experience the other side of Chamonix, a guide is mandatory for someone of your (and my) abilities.

Verbier is amazing, but following random tracks will still put you into deadly exposure.

Go for it, have fun and use your brain! Experience of a lifetime.

Well I bought a plane ticket to Paris with still not a great idea of what exactly I'll be doing, but I'm going for it. I think the plan is still to hang out in the valley for a few weeks and try to get a feel for things. I'm sure I'll figure out what to do (I have friends there, at least 7 free days of skiing there thanks to the Ikon overlords, and not a strong desire to die in a crevasse). I think it'll be an experience at the very least!

[Jvhowube]

Bumping this up - my friends in Servoz say they've gotten virtually no snow. How long do I wait until I audible this trip into a southern France mountain bike adventure?

[stalefish3169]

Bump. Got some stupid cheap tickets to Amsterdam in February and figured I better hop down to Cham for some turns. Psyched!

Will prob make some intermediate turns with the gf for a bit and then will hopefully hit some gnar on my own or with a guide while she's in the spa.

Any current beta is appreciated!

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

[Foggy_Goggles]

Any particular questions?

I really think Cham is piss poor for intermediate pistes. Courmayer is much better. Cham is for getting rad, every thing else is a bit B-...but that's just my opinion.

Sent from my Turbo 850 Flatbrimed Highhorse

[stalefish3169]

Any particular questions?

I really think Cham is piss poor for intermediate pistes. Courmayer is much better. Cham is for getting rad, every thing else is a bit B-...but that's just my opinion.

Sent from my Turbo 850 Flatbrimed Highhorse

No specifics questions really. Mostly want to go for the history and to gape at the scenery while hopefully sliding on some soft snow. I've already gotten way more rad than I probably should've, in years past. lol

Some food recs and other non-skiing activities that would be hard to find on the internets would be helpful.

[Buster Highmen]

Grands Montets is still not running. For some that's immaterial, but for me it's a no go.

The official TRG contact in Cham is Idris who's been patrolling down valley, but knows the Midi well.

[old goat]

If the Chinese restaurant is still open, avoid it.
Chamonix is easier to get to for a short trip than Courmayeur. Spectacular scenery either place.
Plenty of intermediate skiing in Chamonix--Brevent, Flegere, Le Houce, La Balme. And none of those areas have glaciers so no crevasses to worry about off piste. If you decide to do the Valle Blanche use a guide. We've used the official guide company a few times--rates are good but you may or may not be compatible with the rest of the group in terms of ability, or perhaps you can pay a private guide in bitcoin.

[Foggy_Goggles]

I think the Mountaineers Museum is closed this winter. I think you may be a bit underwhelmed.

There is little culture in town. The food is generally not that good. Driving sucks.

I love the place but I'm not sure it is what you are looking for.

Sent from my Turbo 850 Flatbrimed Highhorse

[muted reborn]

There are some wonderful groomers on the backside of the Aiguille that aren't on any maps but are very scenic.

[PNWbrit]

Foggy is right about Courmayeur being a better choice for your needs and that the food in Chamonix does mostly suck, for France.

[old goat]

What do you guys have against raclette?
I would agree that the food in Courmayeur is vastly superior.
But the food in Chamonix is vastly superior to American ski town food.
Tell me about a ski town with culture, beside Taos if you stay in town.

[dunfree]

In a museum (don’t think mountaineers?) there was a cool, massive, old, mapping machine that was kinda random. There was definitely much better food elsewhere in France, but oddly, there was a decent Sunday lunch at some place mostly attended by French. Expectations depend on your budget and how much you’ve been spending are willing to spend.

[stalefish3169]

Thanks all, good stuff. I've been fortunate enough to shred deep pow all over the Western US, AK, and Chile, but I've never skied in Europe. Mostly just looking to see Cham for the historical appreciation and beauty, as well as get some good R&R in. If I happen to get some good turns in too, that's a plus.

I'm ok with earning turns at the top of Les Grands if it means softer snow.

[californiagrown]

Thanks all, good stuff. I've been fortunate enough to shred deep pow all over the Western US, AK, and Chile, but I've never skied in Europe. Mostly just looking to see Cham for the historical appreciation and beauty, as well as get some good R&R in. If I happen to get some good turns in too, that's a plus.

I'm ok with earning turns at the top of Les Grands if it means softer snow.

the bus takes 25 mins to get from Cham to Courmayeur through the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Youd be doing yourself a disservice to not check that area out on a couple day trips.