Brevent & Flegere On Piste Skiing

Skiing Areas in Chamonix

The Chamonix lift system consists of several distinct and very different ski areas high above a steep-sided valley where the town and its villages are located. Chamonix is often criticized for being 'disjointed' however this is perhaps a little unfair as it is the physical geography of the valley that largely dictates this situation whilst also giving each of the ski areas - Brevent & Flegere, Les Grands Montets, Le Tour & Vallorcine (Domaine de Balme), L'Aiguille du Midi / La Vallee Blanche and Les Houches - their unique character.

Brevent & Flegere On Piste

In general the Brevent-Flegere skiing area is excellent for those of intermediate ability or above and has enough runs at different levels to keep mixed ability groups happy all day long. Mostly it�s necessary to take the cable cars back to the valley floor although when the snow conditions are good lower down there are some very scenic runs through the forests from the main ski areas back down to the valley. There are generally black runs though and in the main tend to be cat tracks. Whilst one or two of the classified black runs aren�t very steep and even flat in places, they may not be for everyone as they are fairly long, narrow and require some precise control!

Le Brevent is perhaps a little harder than La Flegere, but as an intermediate rider if you stick to the front bowl in La Flegere, you shouldn't get into any trouble. Le Brevent offers some steep skiing off the top with some exhilarating hikes along the ridge line with lots of gnarly descents down the mountain face. From the Col Cornu, there are some traverses that get you into all sorts of fun, and down the backside towards Flegere, the runs are steep, as is the off piste.

In Le Brevent, highlights include the red intermediate piste run from the top of the Cornu and the Charles Bozon black run descent from the top of the Brevent. The Charles Bozon is a black run that is accessed from the top Planpraz-Le Brevent cable car and is a definite �goodie� for testing your techniques. Because of its high altitude, the snow on the Charles Bozon run usually remains in superb condition throughout the season.

Nants is a winding cat track that leads through the forest back to Chamonix town centre. Nants is a long run that on a sunny day, offers some beautiful views across the valley towards the Aiguille du Midi, Mont-Blanc and the snow covered Chamonix valley below. Although this is classified as a black piste is actually not very steep, but it is quite narrow in places so you need to beware of other people skiing on the run. Passing slow skiers can be quite tricky if they�re moving to and fro so take care. On this route you�ll also often see people taking more direct lines between the zig zags of the run. If you�re tempted to follow watch out for rocks! The bottom of the run brings you out at the top of the Savoy beginners� slope; from here it�s easy to head back up on the Chamonix-Planpraz gondola or down the Savoy run if it�s the end of the day. We recommended you avoid doing Nants at the end of the day though as it can get busy. Instead, do it in the morning after it�s been freshly groomed and is quieter, take the gondola down at the end of the day it�s a better end to the day!

Le Flegere
La Flegere is known to the locals as 'riders paradise'. Lots of fun runs, mostly fairly easy, with Cat tracks to jump off and big open off piste sections for letting rip on a powder day.

La Flegere bowl whilst now being pisted is still challenging and fun, and after some fresh snow opens up a world of possibilities. Also all down the front side there are kilometres of open ground, but be aware, light snow cover can obscure rocks, and heavy snow cover can bring a high risk of avalanches. Some of the tops of the cliffs can also become very windswept and icy making it very difficult to stop before you shoot over. Best to ride with a local and remember, if you can�t see over it, don�t ski over it.

The Index chair in this area used to be pretty ancient but it was completely replaced for Winter 2005/06 - it�s the key to the Flegere area giving access to some of the longest runs here. Lachenal piste is a red run that�s almost black giving good intermediates a technical challenge with its physically demanding, consistently steep upper section. After a fresh snowfall the whole Lachenal bowl offers exceptional off piste but can also be avalanche prone so if it�s closed it�s for a very good reason; don�t ignore the signs!

If you take the little Floria draglift from the top of the Index Chair you�ll find the Crochues and Floria pistes which are great runs for long steep skiing, with the Crochues the less difficult of the two, often groomed to perfection they�re great for carving on first thing in the morning. The shorter Chavannes chairlift gives access to some easier blues runs and some gentler off piste to the skiers left for those trying powder for the first time.

last updated 5-Oct-2007