Chamonix Activity Report: 5th August 2005
Chamonix shares Mont-Blanc with its neighbouring resort town of Courmayeur in Italy and access is granted between the two towns via the famous Mont–Blanc Tunnel. There is much controversy about the long-term feasibility & environmental damage of dragging 22,000 trucks per week through the valley to use the tunnel but I’ll spare you the soapbox session.
Lured by the temptation of coffee and amazing ice cream we decided to take a trip through to Italy and experience the tunnel for ourselves. Clearly sign posted from Chamonix’s auto-route, the winding road up to the tunnel entrance is prone to long queues; we travelled on a Sunday which meant there were no trucks on the road - the down side of this being that very few of the shops were open in Italy!
There are different tariffs depending on the type of vehicle you are driving (price is per car rather than per person) and whether you take a one way or return ticket. If you think you are likely to make more than 2 return journeys it is cheaper to buy the block of 10 passages. Along with your ticket, you are handed an informative leaflet on the road rules enforced during the 11.6km of the tunnel. Unfortunately you have no time to actually read this before you find yourself en route – a job for your fellow passengers I think. So that you know: keep your speed between 50 & 70 kmph and stay at least 150m away from the car ahead (there are blue lights along the walls spaced at 150m apart to help with this). Apparently fines are administered for ignoring the rules – they’ll be waiting for you as you exit the tunnel!
11.6km feels like a long way when you’re inside the narrow & stuffy constraints of a mountain thoroughfare and I couldn’t help but think about the poor victims of the 1999 fire. Since its re-opening in 2002, there have been many safety improvements (including the regulations mentioned above); there are clearly marked fire escape hatches at regular intervals and even an area for fire engines within the tunnel.
Despite their proximity, Chamonix and Courmayeur often experience different weather, so be prepared. We left on a chilly morning suitably dressed in jumpers & jeans only to swelter in Italy as they were having a sunny spell. The scenery as you drive through the villages toward Aoste is wonderful; it is identifiably different to the French side in terms of architecture, with some very interesting rooflines and a more open landscape, with linear rows of vineyards spanning the hillsides. You don’t have to venture as far as Aoste (approx 40km from the tunnel) for your taste of Italy, as the town of Courmayeur offers many restaurants, cafes, boutiques and sights to be seen. In winter season it is of course an additional area for skiers & boarders to enjoy.
If you visit Chamonix without your own form of transport there is a coach trip through the tunnel to Aoste every Tuesday – for market day. There is also a daily bus service to Courmayeur which is excellent value at 17 Euros return. You can obtain full details on organised coach trips and bus services by visiting the Chamonix Tourist Information Office.
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
