Chamonix Activity Report: 10th July 2005
Saturday morning was the first break in the near constant rain we've had over the past week and we hope it stays that way for the World Climbing Championships (11th-13th July - there will be fireworks on the last night) and Bastille Day (14th July) celebrations - a French national holiday commemorating the start of The French Revolution in 1789. Shame the sun didn't shine for the Lions over in New Zealand, but hey…you can't win ‘em all. We opted for some retail therapy to take our minds off the loss.
Like most French towns, Chamonix hosts a weekly market selling wares from local traders. Sadly, it's not an all day affair – the trading hours are generally 8am til 1pm, depending on weather/time of year – but it's definitely worth checking out. You'll find the stalls set out in the car-park opposite the Hotel Alpina (Rue du Mt Blanc) and sprawling out along the Rue Whymper towards the centre of town.
The market is very much in two sections; the first – in the car-park – is where you'll find an array of crockery, Alpine fabrics, costume jewellery and clothes that can only be described as very ‘French'. This is the place to come if you realise you haven't packed enough socks or have the sudden urge to own a beach towel with a huge kitten or Michael Schumacher on it.
The second section is where the market becomes a sensory experience; there's a real buzz as both locals and tourists bustle through the aisles, straw baskets in hand, stocking up on fresh produce, regional specialities, flowers and fish. This is where the locals buy their fish – be prepared to queue. The stall-holders are friendly and some put on quite a show to drum up interest. Many of them offer samples, so it's a great place to go and try out the many varieties of cheese, honey & saucisson before you part with your euros and then decide you don't like the taste!
If time allows – Saturday is often arrival/departure day – you should make time to visit the market; the sounds and smells are an experience in themself. And if you're here to experience the food as much as the activities, do your grocery shop here as it's much better value than the supermarkets – just watch out for the granny trolleys, they'll have your toes off!
Coming up this week
The World Climbing Championships and the highly regarded Beer Athletics Championships that is the Cham'Biere 2005 - Beer Festival at the MBC. The Climbing Champs are an impressive display of speed and dexterity, brought to you in the centre of Chamonix - no climbing for the visitor required! There will also be lots of displays, stands and fireworks on the closing night. With any luck we have had the rain (which traditional likes to participate in these events also) with us last week so the forecast looks promising...
Piste Maps for Chamonix (pdf format), Les Houches (jpg format), Cross-country skiing (pdf format), and Mountain-bike trails (pdf format)
Current status for opening of Pistes & Lifts
Chamonix Webcam Index
Useful Links
Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research
French Avalanche Research Institute
Meteo France - Mountain weather and avalanche conditions bulletins (in French)
Henry's Avalanche Talk - popular avalanche training sessions based in French Alps as well as translation of current avalanche conditions
PisteHors.com - Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding News in English for the French Alps. Excellent coverage of avalanche safety and advice
Additional snow and weather information provided, with thanks, by meteo.chamonix.com and the Tourist Office
