Bonjour Chamonix – ski weekend in France

The valley of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc brings alpinists in summer and winter. Mountain lovers and extreme sports enthusiasts alike will rave about it. For me, this is reason enough to take a closer look at the myth of Chamonix during a ski weekend. How does it feel to whizz down the slopes in the face of the highest mountain in the Alps?

The high mountain town

As soon as I approach, the view elicits a few “ah’s” and “oh’s”. At the entrance to the valley, Chamonix presents itself to us under a blue sky in the most beautiful freshly snow-covered winter garb. Undoubtedly, the two steeply rising valley flanks with the jagged peaks, which together with Mont Blanc at 4,810 m above sea level form the roof of the Alps, look impressive even from a distance. Chamonix itself exudes small-town charm. Some pretty chalets are located on the southern slope of the valley. In the centre, on the other hand, the development is clearly urban.

We take advantage of the beautiful weather on the first day to take a leisurely stroll through the city and get a first overview. The magnificent mountain panorama is omnipresent in Chamonix. It is enough to raise your eyes for a moment to dream of daring mountain adventures. If you are down in the valley at lunchtime instead of on the slopes, I recommend a detour to Le Bistrot (151, avenue de l’Aiguille du Midi). Here you have the opportunity to enjoy lunch in a Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant for 20 euros. You can choose between either starter/dessert or main course/dessert.

The ski resorts

The next day, it’s time to get serious. We want to get on our skis. But oh, the sun hides behind dark clouds on this day, which at the same time envelop the mighty mountain peaks. Will we see Mont Blanc today?

But first and foremost, it is important to understand the ski area in the first place. When I look at the trail map, I am still confused at first. In fact, the valley brings together several ski resorts, not all of which are directly connected to each other, but all of which can be reached by public transport. Locals rave about how each ski resort offers a totally different skiing experience, as they are arranged on different slopes and altitudes. There is something for every taste and driving style. So if you get bored quickly, it’s best to buy the Mont-Blanc Unlimited ski pass for 58.50 euros (1 day). This gives you free access to a total of 470 km of slopes spread over 7 ski areas (by the way, also Verbier if you buy a 6-day pass). Cheaper is the “Le Pass” for 42.50 euros, which includes access to the two larger ski resorts Brévent-Flégère and Les Montets as well as smaller areas in the area.

We opt for the nearest area, Brévent-Flégère, which is located on the western slope above Chamonix and would actually offer a panoramic view of the Mont-Blanc massif. We can reach the valley station in a few minutes by bus, the use of which is included in the ski pass. From Chamonix, the gondola lift takes you directly up 2,000 metres to Plan Praz. Up here, surprisingly good snow conditions await us.

But, “it still takes one meter until the big rush of tourists comes in February,” says a gentleman next to us. However, we don’t see anything from the panorama. The clouds have a grip on the mountains on this day. The weather conditions – white in white – also ensure that we feel our way down the slopes a little more carefully. It’s a pity, because there would be some fast descents that would certainly be fantastic to ride in good weather. After a detour with the connecting train over to Flégère, we traverse back towards Plan Praz. What is somewhat surprising is that, in contrast to the modern gondola lifts, the infrastructure of the chairlifts has a somewhat older semester. If you are often on the road in Switzerland and Austria and take amenities such as weather protection hoods and fast transport for granted, you will probably swallow empty for a moment. At least in Brévent-Flégère, the chairlifts with a retro touch have the upper hand.

On the other hand, the culinary delights at the edge of the slopes are all the more convincing. In the Bergerie de Plan-Praz, a pleasant little chalet-style restaurant, we warm up again with an excellent meal.

Despite poor visibility, we then venture to the highest point of this side – Le Brévent at 2,525 m above sea level. The black slope down to Plan Praz is sure to be a real pleasure to ski when the weather is nice.

Back in the valley, we spontaneously decide to take a trip to the Aiguille du Midi in the late afternoon. A tourist magnet in summer, far fewer tourists flock to the rocky foreposts of the Mont Blanc massif in winter. Since the ride to the 3,842 m high summit is included in our Mont-Blanc Unlimited ski pass anyway, we make our way up despite the poor visibility. We don’t actually see much, but we feel the altitude all the more, which is probably due to the fact that you are catapulted from just under 1,000 m above sea level to almost 4,000 m above sea level within a few minutes.

Après-ski

After the thrill of the heights, we return to our hotel, which is located right next to the valley station of the Aiguille du Midi cable car. The 4-star Hotel L’Héliopic is the perfect place for those who appreciate a successful combination of design and traditional elements. In addition to the large lobby with bar service (and free popcorn machine), the hotel offers a nice wellness area for a relaxing start to the après-ski. Here, for example, you can loosen up your muscles after skiing with a 25-minute massage and warm up in the sauna. The only pity is that the space for the relaxation area was probably forgotten in the planning. If there are a few people in the spa in the early evening, there are no sunbathing facilities.

With the onset of dusk, we make our way towards the restaurant. A trip to Haute-Savoie includes tasting the local cuisine. La Caleche, which is centrally located on the shopping street, serves a Savoyard menu in a rustic ambience. I would say onion and cheese soup and tartiflettes are a worthy end to a ski weekend in France. Although, we will definitely come back, as we have only explored one of the seven ski resorts. Thanks to the Mont-Blanc Express, which connects Martigny with Chamonix, the journey from Switzerland is fortunately only a stone’s throw.

Note: This trip was supported by Chamonix Mont-Blanc and Atout France – Thank you very much for this. As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm here.