Chamonix Skiing Areas

Le Brevent and La Flegere (2525m) on the sunny south side of the Chamonix Valley are the closest skiing areas to Chamonix’s main town centre. Skiers and snowboarders are guaranteed to find something to their liking from the vast array of moderate, challenging and difficult runs from the top of Planpraz (Le Brevent), Cornu (Le Brevent) and Index (La Flegere) chairlifts. For many years these two areas were seperate until lift systems linked them together in 1997 with the introduction of the Liaison cable car forming one much larger area. The combined area has rollers, couloirs, natural table tops and half pipes so there’s much whether you are a freestyle or an advanced skier there’s bound to be something that will keep you entertained for the day.

Being south-facing these fairly high altitude areas tend to get plenty of sunshine with many opportunities for lunchtimes soaking up the rays at the various restaurants. Conditions often remain good on the slopes throughout the season with Brevent typically staying open until the end of April. ... more

• Brevent & Flegere Piste Map
• Chamonix Valley Lift & Piste Map

Les Grand Montets is situated above Argentière and with over 1800 hectares, is the largest of the pisted skiing areas in the Chamonix valley. In comparison to linked ski-systems across the Alps, the Grand Montets area isn’t huge but the sheer number of combinations of possible descents both on and off piste combined with the consistent steepness and difficulty of its slopes is one of the reasons why Les Grands Montets is a favourite with many skiers and riders in the valley.

Les Grands Montets has a reputation for offering some of the hardest pistes in Europe, and this is a reputation fully justified. Don’t be put off though, there are still long, wide slopes that can be attempted by daring beginners that suit an advanced skier just as well. There’s usually a board/skier cross park built here but if that’s not your thing, then there are plenty of runs to get the blood flowing with the Bochard and Lavancher bowl both lots of fun. ... more

• Grands Montets Piste Map
• Chamonix Valley Lift & Piste Map

If you are just starting out in your snowsports career and have heard that Chamonix is only for the hardcore don’t believe it: you will find the Domaine de Balme area (formally called Le Tour & Vallorcine) is perfect for you. Le Tour with its rolling meadows in the summer is the gentlest of Chamonix’s snowy areas in the winter. It’s a mixed terrain that’s relatively rock free and where pistes tend to be wide cruisy blues or fairly easy intermediate reds.

Being right at the top of the valley means that it’s the furthest ski area from Chamonix but it’s worth making the 20 minute journey up there either by car or the local free bus. The train ride to and from Vallorcine is a pleasant one however, the train doesn’t go directly to Le Tour and instead has a stop at Montroc, about 1km from Le Tour itself which therefore requires a bus ride to reach the main lift station area. ... more

• Domaine de Balme Piste Map
• Chamonix Valley Lift & Piste Map

The Valley Blanche (La Vallée Blanche) starts at the top of the Aiguille du Midi and finishes in Chamonix’s town centre (snow permitting). It’s an unmarked, unmaintained, unpatrolled and unchecked high mountain off-piste ski itinerary which offers some of the most spectacular scenery the Mont Blanc range has to offer.

The Aiguille du Midi cable car is generally the popular starting point for the route and as such it can be a bit like Oxford Street in the rush hour! (Sunny weekends are generally to be avoided as many tend to savour the Valley Blanche until they have their ski legs back at the end of their weeks stay). Generally the lift company operates a number system where you can phone and pre-book your cable car in advance (for an additional fee of approximately 2 euros) This is highly recommended if you want to avoid an unpredictable and possibly long wait on a busy day. ... more

Les Houches lies 6 km down the valley from Chamonix and its’ ski domain extends from an altitude of 950 metres up to 1900 metres. The skiing combines long descents through pretty tree-lined slopes, with amazing views of the Mont Blanc massif and the Chamonix valley. The area is certainly not the highest in the valley, and the snow here can be the first to suffer when the weather warms up, but its’ great advantage is that most of the skiing is through pine and larch forests. Not only does this make the skiing here more charming than the more exposed areas further up the valley, but the trees offer shelter when the winds are high elsewhere, and definition when the snow is coming down or during white-out conditions. The pistes in Les Houches lie on grassy hillsides, so even if the snow is thin, there is small chance of scraping your skis or boards on rocks. The ski-out is generally open throughout the season thanks to the great snow cannon coverage on the sheltered lower runs, so no queuing for the gondola back down to the village – always a bonus! Even if you are not staying in Les Houches, you can access the area by taking the free bus (included in your lift pass) that runs from all the villages in the Chamonix valley to Les Houches.

Les Houches is a great area for mixed ability groups, as the slopes at the top of the mountain range right through from green nursery slopes to the famous “Verte” black run used in the Kandahar World Cup skiing! Hidden among the tree-lined pistes, you’ll find delightful mountain cafes and restaurants, offering some of the nicest lunches to be had in the valley. A word of warning for snowboarders and nervous skiers – Les Houches is littered with draglifts. Some, like the Plancerts and Grands Bois are marked as being ‘Tres Difficile Telesiege’, but most of the drags tend to be quite frisky at the start and pull you forward at warp speed before settling back to a more gentle pace. When the snow is soft, deep ruts can also appear on the drag’s run up the mountain, which can be awkward for boarders. ... more

• Les Houches Piste Map
• Chamonix Valley Lift & Piste Map

There are lots of beginners’ slopes in Chamonix; in the form of separate small ski areas, they are strung out along the bottom of the valley. When you’re starting out, rather than buying a full lift pass, which covers the whole Chamonix ski area, it’s cheaper to buy either a full or half day pass for each beginners’ area, or even a book of tickets allowing you a varying number of rides up the draglifts. As most of the slopes are low altitude they may be short of snow if you visit towards the end of the season, however the lowest ones, Savoy and Planards (1035m), have artificial snow cover so you should be ok even late on. ... more