Chamonix Activity Report: 27th October 2006
Well the month of October has remained beautiful right to the very end – it really has been exceptional. The national weather forecast this morning was predicting temperatures up as high as 25 and 26 degrees for this area which is unbelievable for this time of year! Although it hasn't ended up quite that warm and it's been a little blustery at times, it is still easily warm enough to sit outside at lunchtime. In fact we were sat outside the Lapin Agile until gone 9pm last night with nothing more than a glass of red wine to warm out cockles! Well OK, there might have been more than one glass involved…..but it was very pleasant none the less.
With many of the bar and restaurant owners away on holiday at the moment, the selection of watering holes has slimmed down considerably in town. Chambre Neuf, MBC, Bard'Up, Bistrot des Sports and Le Vagabond being the main contenders, but at least you are guaranteed to see a familiar face wherever you go. Returnees to Chamonix will no doubt be very disappointed to learn that Goophy's has sadly closed down and will be opening as an Indian bar restaurant in time for winter. However, Chamonix being Chamonix means that there are of course still late night dancing options available should the mood take you, with Le Garage and Le Tof open until 4am Wednesday through Sunday for those that have the stamina. Fans of Le Garage will I'm sure be looking forward to the ever popular “Lingerie Night” every other Tuesday during the winter, which sees some lovely laydeez model an array of interesting ensembles to the delight of the crowd. And if you are currently gripped by X-Factor fever, then you may be interested to know that Le Tof holds a regular Karaoke night on the last Thursday of each month. Performances don't start until 11pm so there is plenty time to lubricate your vocal cords before hand.
This weekend sees the Brevent lift re-open for a short while (until Nov 5th) enabling hikers to once again enjoy the higher trails in their autumn glory. The gondola will also be opening November 18th/19th and 25th/26th before it opens fully for the ski season on December 2nd (snow permitting) The 2006/2007 season lift passes are now on sale with a 30% discount if you purchase before 20th November. Residents of the Valley in possession of a “Gens de Pays” card (available from the Mairie) can benefit from a further 20% off the public rates (50% in total) for purchases made before the 20th. Check out the Compagnie du Mont Blanc website for the application.
Of course we'll keep you posted with the snow conditions as the winter descends on us, but why not make sure you are the first to know when the snow comes by signing up to our Dump Alert completely free!
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
