International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) Chamonix

[Tex]

How is Chamonix? Have not been since 1985, my international skibum days. Always wanted to go back. Want to take my wife (does not ski) and my daughter (intermediate). Going in the middle of March spring break. I want to use my Ikon pass.

My wife loves to travel and see new places, so does my daughter but my daughter likes to ski too. My wife was wanting to go with me and my daughter skiing but not ski, when I told her Chamonix France she heard France and got all excited, and has already found a place to book lol.

I’m actual sking right now in Taos, I have not done any research on this, so any thought would love to hear. @Cheizz ???

BTW, I got some old photos 1985 I can post later. I just remember taking the big tram to the top, I doing remember skiing any thing else.

 

[Cheizz]

Well, Chamonix indeed is in France. What exactly are you looking for in terms of info? Mid-March is normally nice and quiet, crowds-wise. Otherwise, I have no real info on the place, since I have never been there.

 

[Tex]

What exactly are you looking for in terms of info?

Well first and foremost, I want to make sure I’m not making a mistake booking this.

My wife has her figure on the trigger and about to pull it.

Pretty sure all I skied there in 1985 was Grands Montets. Want to make there blue runs for my daughter, I’m looking at ski maps now, they don’t make this easy. Can you ski all these areas with ikon and are there blues on all these? We are gonna be there for a week.

 

[Cheizz]

No idea whether all of those areas are covered in the Ikon pass. Here's a picture clearly showing where the blues, reds and blacks are (the blue bits top-left are NOT part of the Chamonix valley):


Ikon's blue paradise is Alta Badia in the Dolomiti Superski, by the way. Far superior to Chamonix in terms of food, blue runs, scenery, people, UNESCO world heritage...

 

[dbostedo]

are there blues on all these?

Are you talking North American blue? Or Euro blue?

Because the colors in Europe are green, blue, red, black... with reds (per my reading - I haven't been there) being like steep blues (up to about 25 degrees pitch). And euro blues being on the easier side.

 

[SBrown]

My advice for European ski trips always includes this: do not choose where to go based on Ikon or Epic or any other days. Lift tickets in Europe are not expensive, at all, and you risk being pennywise pound foolish if you are going somewhere simply to save $50 a day (or whatever it might be). You can definitely lose that money in many other ways, very quickly.

Chamonix is beautiful and an amazing experience for many reasons. It isn't the best choice for a piste skier, but it isn't the worst either. I would first look into Verbier or Zermatt, tbh, but if Cham it is, it will work. Just don't make the decision because of Ikon.

 

[Bolder]

Chamonix is a great spot for non-skiers. It's the historical center of alpinism; there's tons of shopping, every major outdoor brand has a store there, plus good restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc. As for the skiing, its not particularly connected, but you have Argentiere for steeper stuff, Le Tour/Vallorcine is a little easier, Grand Montet (have never been there) seems like a bit of a mix, then you also have Les Houches (also not been but it has its fans), not sure if Espace Mont Blanc (Les Contamines/Megeve/St. Gervais) is part of Ikon, but it's mostly blues/easy reds. Depends on how much time you plan to spend there but having a car would let you get around the Arve Valley, plus maybe (if there's still snow around this year...) you can also get to Flaine/Grand Massif (tons of blues/reds)

 

[Cheizz]

I suspect Ikon just has the 'Chamonix' in their pass (the same areas as the Chamonix pass). That means: Les Houches, Brévent/Flégère, Les Balmes, Les Grands Montets: yes. St. Gervais (and connecting to Mégève): no. Flaine/Grand Massif: also no.

 

[DebbieSue]

I skied there 2-3 days in March of 1987, took the train from Paris to Lyon, then another, then a cog rail of some sort, and stayed in Argentiere, gorgeous, gorgeous, skied only Les Grands Montets in rental gear and street clothes. Did not do anything harder than blue runs, had a blast. The food, the grappa, the scenery, amazing.

I returned with a Boston ski club in 1994 and we stayed in town, no car. There were buses to access lifts so this seemed feasible, but the club recommended and facilitated hiring a guide for the week for each group of 6-8 at the higher level groups. There was a level 7 group that I was in, and then a 8-9 group my ski buddy was in. They got avalanche beacons . . . we did not. We were each the only females in our respective groups. This guide service included a van for direct hotel to lift service, and allowed for cutting lines. We skied Les Grands Montets, Aiguille du midi and Les Houche, not sure about the others. Nothing was that steep, bumpy, or scary, but the guide helped with navigating especially in the terrain where the run is not so clearly marked and there are crevasses!!! The ski club arranged one day at Courmayeur (sounds French but it's Italy) by bus through some impressive tunnel and including a memorable outdoor lunch at a Refugio; those runs were definitely intermediate but the whole day was wonderful. The piece de resistance was a guided day skiing the Vallee Blanche, a very long and iconic run starting from a cable car ride up to the peak (Mont Blanc?), a short boot that pack that may have been down not up with a rope railing to hang onto, and then a magnificent run starting on the glacier then descending into the valley. You can't count on doing it ever, because it is dependent on snow condition and weather. Guided and in the right conditions, based on your Taos posts, you could do it for sure. Not sure about an intermediate. The run isn't that difficult, but you need a can do attitude for the whole experience.
I say go for it. Maybe see if the place your wife booked can recommend a guide service for you to do the Vallee Blanche and other than that ski where access is easy.
There is plenty to keep a non-skier busy especially a Francophile!! I would return in a heartbeat.

 

[Tex]

Are you talking North American blue? Or Euro blue?

That’s a good point, I was thinking American blue.

 

[Tex]

My advice for European ski trips always includes this: do not choose where to go based on Ikon or Epic or any other days.

Kinda the other way around for me, one reason I bought ikon is because it had chomonix on it. I been wanting to go back after almost 40 years. The are a lot of places in Europe I would like ski.

 

[Tex]

It's the historical center of alpinism

It’s legendary…I’m gonna book it, don’t you guys try and stop me!

 

[Jwrags]

It’s legendary…I’m gonna book it, don’t you guys try and stop me!

I look forward to hearing about it since I am considering going there next year.

 

[crgildart]

Waiting for this trip report

 

[Scruffy]

It’s legendary…I’m gonna book it, don’t you guys try and stop me!

Yes go! And don't forget to get some the Fondu at La Caleche.

 

[teejaywhy]

Visited there in the summer of 2022 during our hike of the Tour du Mont Blanc. I most certainly looked long at the lifts and slopes and dreamed of a winter return. I too, was a bit confused by the trail maps so very interested in your trip report.

Fondue yes, but don't miss the tartiflette!!

 

[SBrown]

Kinda the other way around for me, one reason I bought ikon is because it had chomonix on it. I been wanting to go back after almost 40 years. The are a lot of places in Europe I would like ski.

Well then that would be the right reason! There are just so many people who get caught up in the free ski days that they spend an extra $2000 on lodging or other stuff, I always like to make sure they know.

I spent a month nearby year before last, so I will think of a few things soon. I would definitely find a guide and do the Vallee Blanche .. as said, the skiing wasn't difficult, but you must be comfortable in weird places on skis, because of crevasses and snow bridges and other places you don't want to end up. No freelancing.

 

[Tex]

We are booked.

 

[Tex]

There are just so many people who get caught up in the free ski days that they spend an extra $2000 on lodging or other stuff, I always like to make sure they know.

It’s a good point, you can’t let the tail wag the dog.

I go through the same type decisions in US, I’m at Copper now for a week and want to ski another area, if it is on ikon or not.

 

[Bolder]

We are booked.

Awesome. If you want some good ol' American food in "Cham" (as my son and his climbing friends call it) I recommend the Bighorn Bistro. (as an aside, you will be surprised at how many British people there are in Chamonix. They basically colonized the town in the late 19th century)