Touring & Backcountry Ski Areas in Chamonix
also see Chamonix Ski Areas: All About the Ski Area

Backcountry Routes in Chamonix

Limitless blue skies, pierced by bright sunlight and the sharp Aiguille ranges of the Chamonix valley makes backcountry riding here something spectacular and magical! There's hundreds of miles of mountain for the backcountry rider to enjoy around Chamonix, all of which is fairly accessible after a short hike from some of Chamonix's excellent lift system.

Many of those who choose to take on Chamonix's backcountry terrain are experienced mountain riders as this is a serious sport. The highs that many riders experience are equal to the risks the sport itself presents. Avalanches don't just happen to the inexperienced or careless rider, many highly experienced riders and skiers with years of back country riding can be caught out by mother nature. Today due to advances in equipment and lift systems to get you to it, the alpine backcountry has now become much more accessible to the experinced as well as the inexperienced, but confident/cocky rider.

Always respect the mountain, understand the conditions you are riding in, know your route, and always make sure you are appropriately equipped. Essentials to carry are all included within our Avalanche Awareness article, but in summary, they should include: Transciever, shovel, probe, backpack, ropes, harness, crampons/snowshoes, poles and plenty of fluids, you'll dehydrate must faster at altitude too! Many people will access the backcountry with snowshoes, but using skins on the bottom of your skis (ski touring) is far easier and faster. Boarders may prefer to use 'mini skis' as an alternative. Whatever your mode of approach, you should be relatively fit and strong and be ready to hike!!

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU IGNORE SAFETY WARNINGS AND BARRIERS/ROPES AND UNDERTAKE OFF-PISTE SKIING/BOARDING YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK. WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND THAT YOU TAKE A MOUNTAIN GUIDE WHEN HEADING OFF-PISTE. SKIING OR SNOWBOARDING OFF PISTE MAY RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH EVEN WITH A PROFESSIONAL MOUNTAIN GUIDE OR INSTRUCTOR. THE FOLLOWING IS NOT A SET OF DIRECTIONS OR INSTRUCTIONS, CHAMONET.COM ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION.

Brevent & Flegere Backcountry Routes

Chamonix is a mecca to freeride and backcountry, with riders from all over the world converging on the mountains here. There is a vast amount of fantastic off piste and the whole area is one giant naturanailel fun park. La Flegere and Le Tour are known locally as having some of the best natural terrain for freestyle, with gullies that form natural half pipes, rollers, cornices and jumps everywhere you look. From the Index lift at the top of Flegere, you’ll often see some pretty big kickers built by locals with equally impressive tricks being nailed.

These are just a few suggested routes for backcountry touring from Flegere. They're far from comprehensive but is just a taster of what’s possible if you want to stray away from the regular piste skiers and don't mind a bit of a hike to get there! Most of our routes finish in Le Buet which is at the foot of the Berard valley. At Le Buet, you can catch a train back to Chamonix or take the Vallorcine lift if you fancy skiing further and exploring the Le Tour lift system.

There are several excellent guidebooks with descriptions of the many possible routes both within and beyond the lift areas. There are two published by Vamos called Mont-Blanc Ski tours (ISBN 2910672085) and Chamonix Hors pistes-Off piste (ISBN 2910672107); these books are bilingual, in English and French. An even more extensive guidebook with more difficult routes is Mont-Blanc et Aiguilles Rouges à ski (ISBN 2960025520), written by Anselme Baud and published by Nevicata; it’s only available in French but is worth struggling through even if your French isn’t so good as it gives very accurate descriptions and has good explanatory photos. But remember, in the backcountry there are many dangers not least from crevasses, seracs, cliffs and avalanches so you should always hire a mountain guide. If hiking isn’t your thing but you love powder then heli-skiing/boarding could be for you. Whilst helicopter drop-offs of this nature are illegal in France (as you land on National park), Chamonix is well located with plenty of companies offering heli-drops on the Mont-Blanc massif just over the border in either Switzerland or Italy.

The Col des Crochues gives access to the Col de Berard (easiest), Berard Breche and Glacier Mort (hardest). Take the cable car up from Les Praz, the Index chair and then the Floria drag lift. From there the Col des Crochues looks right up the hill. The skinning/snowshoeing to the top takes on average 40 minutes for those with a good level of fitness and are used to the whole skins/snowshoe hiking business! The top section becomes quite steep in places but there’s a convenient rock where you can sit and take of skis and snowshoes for the final section which we tend to prefer climbing in our snowboots. (It’s not normally necessary to use crampons in this section). On warm spring days, this climb can be prone to wet snow slides so this route is best done early in the morning.

Route 1 : Col de Berard For the Col de Berard it’s a long traverse skiers right from the Col des Crochues. You should try to stay as high as possible on the traverse until you reach the flat section and can go no further. (Something to watch out for on the traverse is the risk of avalanches from the slopes above. These slopes catch the sun and warm up and inevitable slide on to the traverse below, if caught in one of these slides you could possibly be carried over the cliffs below sections of the traverse). If you take this traverse to early in the morning it can be icy and difficult, the trick is to catch it just as it’s softening up as often you have to ride through debris of previous slides. From the flat section we tend to put on our skins or snow shoes and head right to the Col where it’s a relatively short hike of 15-20 minutes to the Col de Berard. You can often expect good snow in the Berard Valley as it slopes are not too steep and the route finding down is fairly straight forward. At this point we tend to take a pit stop before heading into the valley below. Continue following the valley down until you reach the trees and river which lead out of the valley towards Le Buet. If you do this route on a snowboard you may find the last section by the river is a bit of a drag as there are short uphill sections where you may have to walk. The path by the river leads all the way down to Le Buet where the Le Buet Hotel offers a rest stop for a well deserved beer!

Route 2 : Berard Breche The Berard Breche hike is quite a bit longer than the Col de Berard so should only really be attempted if you’re feeling pretty fit. Instead of going to the skiers’ right of the Col des Crochues, you need to climb the ridge to the North. Continue down into the small valley below the flat area before commencing the hike up the wide gully facing, and following on above to the open slopes that lead to the Petite Aiguille de Berard. From there you need to follow the ridge that leads up to the right in the direction of Breche. Near the top, traverse below the ridge to reach the rocky notch, which is the Breche. As you climb up though the notch you’ll see the Berard Valley below. It’s a demanding hike of about 90 minutes but delivers you almost to the very top of the Berard Valley and offers a longer descent than the Col de Berard described above. On the route down beware of the cliff directly below the Breche, we usually traverse skiers’ left to avoid it. The rest of the route is open with rolling terrain down to the bottom of the valley where the route out is the same as for the Col de Berard.

Route 3 : Glacier Mort For Glacier Mort (translated as 'dead glacier'), take the Traverse from the Col des Crochues but stop halfway along the traverse and climb the large couloir on the right towards the Point Alphonse Favre. For the lower part of the climb you may need skins or snowshoes but from halfway up where it gets steeper we find boots are better. At the top of the couloir follow the rocky ride up to the right. The rocks provide good hand holds on the last steep pitch however if it is icy, crampons are highly recommended. The first time we did this climb, we found it a little intimidating because of the steepness of the latter sections, and also because it was the toughest of the three, but if you’re looking for some great powder we can say that the last little steep slog is definitely worth the climb! From the top, (which can be cold and windy even on warm days), traverse to the right to avoid the rock band below and then traverse back left below the rocks to the top of the open gully below. The terrain here is superb with most of it shady and protected from the sun. Follow the gully down, making the most of its powder until it opens out from where you follow the valley down to meet the river and trees for the exit to Le Buet.

There are plenty of other backcountry routes in Flegere which you can also enjoy: we’ve merely suggested a few of our favourites. Other popular routes in the area include hiking out to Lac Blanc where you can head into the Berard Valley via the Col de Belvedere (although be sure to bring the appropriate kit with you as there is some abseiling required!) and the Col de Beugeant. It’s even possible to stay on the front side and ski down to the Col des Montets via the Encrenaz if you so fancy!

If you have any doubts about these routes there are some good guide books available which detailed the routes further. It’s always recommended that you take a mountain guide when you do these routes. Mountain guides have the best knowledge of the snow conditions and dangers involved including the avalanche risks at the time. A guide will make sure that you ride the best snow possible and pick a route that is most suitable for your group.

Domaine de Balme (Le Tour & Vallorcine) Backcountry Routes

Limitless blue skies pierced by bright sunlight makes backcountry riding in Le Tour something spectacular and magical! While the off piste is excellent at Le Tour, the backcountry touring available is a little more limited than some of the other areas in the valley although having said that, there are still a few interesting touring possibilities if you are prepared to go further a field. In one moment you can be skiing in France, the next in Switzerland, there are very few other ski resorts that can offer the same in backcountry riding! There are several excellent guidebooks with descriptions of the many possible routes both within and beyond the lift areas. There are two published by Vamos called Mont-Blanc Ski tours (ISBN 2910672085) and Chamonix Hors pistes-Off piste (ISBN 2910672107); these books are bilingual, in English and French. A more extensive guidebook with more difficult routes is Mont-Blanc et Aiguilles Rouges à ski (ISBN 2960025520), written by Anselme Baud and published by Nevicata; it’s only available in French but is worth struggling through even if your French isn’t so good as it gives very accurate descriptions and has good explanatory photos. But remember, in the backcountry there are many dangers not least from crevasses, séracs, cliffs and avalanches so you should always hire a mountain guide. If hiking isn’t your thing but you love powder then heli-skiing/boarding could be for you. Whilst helicopter drop-offs of this nature are illegal in France (as you land on National park), Chamonix is well located with plenty of companies offering heli-drops on the Mont-Blanc massif just over the border in either Switzerland or Italy.

A favourite tour of ours is the Grands Autannes. We have detailed our route below: Route 1 : Grands Autannes One of our favourites is over the Grands Autannes to Trient in Switzerland. It used to be that to do this trip you would need to organise leaving cars at Trient before you start, so you could get home at the end of the day; however, as there is now a bus service that runs three times a day (approximate times, please check before you go 9:00am, 12:00pm and 4:00pm). It goes back to Vallorcine from where you can get back into the Le Tour lift system, or simply take the train back to Chamonix town. The round trip to Trient from Le Tour takes approximately half a day. It’s best to set off as early as possible because the slopes of the Grands Autannes are steep and catch the sun in the afternoon. Take the gondola up from Le Tour then the Autannes chairlift. Next comes the hard part; either on snowshoes or skins start the ascent up the slopes in front of you. Sometimes it’s best to go up onto the ridge and follow it along to the couloirs, at other times if it looks safe it’s easiest just to head straight up the couloirs. It’s a deceptive climb as it doesn’t look very steep from below, but the upper section by the CATEX tubes can be intimidating and in difficult conditions, we used crampons for the last section. One of the disturbing things about this climb is that there can be areas with no snow where you soon discover that the rocks you are climbing on are loose! At the first saddle, head to the right up the last short rock scramble to the small peak. Once at the top you’ll realise it’s worth the climb, as you have a great view over the back to the Trient glacier.

For the descent to Trient we always stay high and traverse skier’s right, avoiding the rock bands below until we reach the open bowl. From there it’s open powder all the way, and every time we’ve done this run we’ve had great snow. Keep your head down though until you reach the tree line. If you look left you can see the Col de Balme and the restaurant there. Below that is the long gully that leads to Trient. There are several small and steep chutes that lead into the main gully or you can pick your way through the bushes. We’ve tried both, and have to say that the chutes are better, but beware of wind-loading, as we have often set off small slab slides when we’ve been into these chutes. Don’t hang around in the main gully, because it is a serious avalanche channel. After a big snowfall this place is extremely high risk: we’ve seen chunks of snow the size of cars at the bottom of the chute so be warned if you choose to go down this route!! Follow the big gully down, and head left at the bottom into the meadows. Follow the ski de fond trail to Trient and have a beer at the café while you wait for the bus. Job done, powder run completed.

However, there are a few variations on this route. You can avoid the long climb up over the Grands Autannes and instead head over the Col de Balme and pick up the main gully lower down. You'll possibly miss out on the best of the powder but then you do save on the effort of the climb! It’s still an interesting little tour with some decent snow at the top. It always makes the customers at the restaurant wonder where you are going, which is fun too!!

PS. Don’t forget to take your passport on this trip as you may be asked for it when you head back over the border into France!!

Les Grands Montets Backcountry Routes

Some of the world's best backcountry terrain is to be found in Chamonix, especially high up on the glaciers accessed from the Aiguille du Midi and Grands Montets cable cars (Argentiere). These offer kilometres of high mountain powder with even more if you like to hike for fresh lines. There are several excellent guidebooks with descriptions of the many possible routes both within and beyond the lift areas. There are two published by Vamos called Mont-Blanc Ski tours (ISBN 2910672085) and Chamonix Hors pistes-Off piste (ISBN 2910672107); these books are bilingual, in English and French. An even more extensive guidebook with more difficult routes is Mont-Blanc et Aiguilles Rouges à ski (ISBN 2960025520), written by Anselme Baud and published by Nevicata; it’s only available in French but is worth struggling through even if your French isn’t so good as it gives very accurate descriptions and has good explanatory photos. But remember, in the backcountry there are many dangers not least from crevasses, seracs, cliffs and avalanches so you should always hire a mountain guide.

If hiking isn’t your thing but you love powder then heli-skiing/boarding could be for you. Whilst helicopter drop-offs of this nature are illegal in France (as you land on National park), Chamonix is well located with plenty of companies offering heli-drops on the Mont-Blanc massif just over the border in either Switzerland or Italy. For backcountry skiing and snowboarding from Grands Montets it is strongly recommended that you use the services of a local mountain guide unless somebody in your party is local to the area and knows the country really well. You need somebody who knows their mountaineering because it’s all on glacier and the route finding can be complex. Some of the more popular routes are the Pas de Chevre and Col du Passon. The Pas de Chevre has a few variations in route and difficulty. We recently hired a local Chamonix mountain guide to show us round the Rectaline couloir variant.

Route 1 : Rectaline Couloir This route starts at the top of Grands Montets and heads towards the infamous Mer de Glace below the spectacular Aiguille du Dru. It starts gently enough with an open powder field but soon rolls overit is into a steep and narrow couloir. The top can apparently be quite rocky, sometimes requiring an abseil, but we were lucky with the snow and side slipped into the top without too much drama. Some fresh snow had fallen recently and our group was fortunate enough to get fresh tracks down the couloir. It is steep – we would reckon a 45 degrees slope at the top then, 40 degrees for the rest – and the snow was unstable and sloughing as we rode down. There were a few spots at the sides where we could stop to let the sloughs past before we finally rested at the bottom in the shelter of a rock.
It’s a route that wouldn’t look out of place in a ski or snowboard movie, except we were taking it a little less quickly than the pros! Once out of the couloir you are onto a glacier and into open powder fields at a much gentler pitch. You have to keep your eyes open for crevasses and then before you know it you’re off the glacier and not far above the Mer de Glace. Next comes the tricky part, finding the exit couloir to get across the Mer de Glace. That’s where knowledge of our mountain guide proved invaluable as he was able to guide us safely through the crevasses and took us right there. (If you go wrong at this stage you’ll find yourself on top of some very large cliffs wondering if you’ll ever get home.) There’s a short walk back up the other side of the glacier before the descent through the trees on a narrow path back down to Chamonix (snow conditions permitting) or via the Montenvers funicular down to town.

Route 2 : Col du Passon The Col du Passon is more of a ski-touring route than the Pas de Chevre as it involves a 2–3 hour hike. It starts at the top of Grands Montets but heads in the opposite direction to the Pas de Chevre down onto the Argentiere glacier, before heading up over the Col du Passon then down to Le Tour. Our mountain guide took us through the powder fields skier’s right of the Point de Vue piste leading us safely between the crevasses until we were at the side of the Argentiere glacier. From there we started the long hike (– roped up and wearing snowshoes) to cross the glacier.
We had set off early in the morning as the slopes we were climbing warm up rapidly in the sun and so are prone to sliding. We zigzagged our way up for a couple of hours until we reached the bottom of the couloir to the col. At this point the steepness meant we had to use crampons: if you’ve never used them before they give you a feeling of safety that’s hard to beat as the spikes dig into even the iciest snow. A few minutes later and we were all at the top, with the Le Tour glacier and open fields of fresh powder waiting for us below. However, we took a well deserved break and stopped for lunch.

From this point there are several possible routes down but our guide took us on one to the skier’s left. The top section started fairly mildly but soon rolled over into a pitch that was just about perfect for pulling fast powder turns. It was a long powdery descent with lots of room to manoeuvre high above the tree line. It wasn’t long before we started a long traverse skier’s left into some open trees and then the final, quite picky and steep descent through the bushes to Le Tour. The final section was probably the trickiest of the whole day and looking back up the slope it was possible to see plenty of very steep sections and cliffs where things would have gone badly wrong without the knowledge of our local guide… who knows what could have happened had we taken the wrong turn!