Course
base feature - Chamonix Mont Blanc
Welcome
to the Icicle town tour of Chamonix. It's one of the key
course bases we use in the Alps, and we get many requests
from clients asking our favourite places to hang out,
shop and visit. Here's our tour...
Until the year of 1786, when Mont Blanc was first ascended
by Balmat and Paccard, the town of Chamonix was very small
and isolated. The ascent of Mont Blanc soon made Chamonix
a popular tourist location, and just over 200 years ago
the railway track to the town was built. This facilitated
the access to Chamonix for the tourists, and the town
grew quickly. In 1924 the first ever winter Olympics were
held in the town, and Chamonix really established itself
as the Alpine capital. Each year ski and climbing world
cup events are held in the town, as well as many famous
sporting events, such as the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail. |
|
"If
you like Winter - if you like Winter so much that you
like even the word
'Winter' - if you long for snow and are willing to work
at whatever keeps you
in it, then sooner or later you come to Chamonix. That's
just how it is."
Extract
from the novel
'Cham'
by Jonathan Trigell |
|
 |
|
The
town today
Many first time visitors are surprised
how large the town is, as Chamonix is very different from
'twee' mountain resorts such as Zermatt and St Anton.
You get the flavour that Chamonix is a working town, and
there are as many visitors in the summer months as during
the winter, which is rare in Alpine towns. The history
of Mont Blanc dominates the town, and the names of Jacques
Balmat, Dr Paccard, and Horace Benedict de Saussure, are
used for roads, buildings, and square names. There are
roughly 10,000 permanent residents of Chamonix, though
this figure can treble when tourist numbers are added.
As a town catering for 30,000 people, Chamonix boasts
a sports centre, swimming pools, ice rinks, climbing walls,
schools, the national Guide and Ski Instructor school,
and literally hundreds of shops and bars. |
|
|
|
The buildings are a mixture
of old and new, but there are a lot of typical haute
savoie (pronounced sav-waa) chalets and buildings,
such as the Maison de Montagne and the Majestique,
dotted around the town centre. This photo is of
the central square, and on the right is the l'Arve
river which flows through the middle of town. When
you are in Chamonix, you will notice that the river
changes colour as a result of the weather. Hot weather
causes lots of glacial melt, and the water is chalky
white. In cold conditions the water runs clear,
and when it is rainy the water is brown. |
|
|
| Restaurants
& Bars |
|
|
|
|
| As
the population of Chamonix is so large in the peaks
of season, it has a huge selection of places to
eat and drink. Instead of providing a boring list
of everywhere that is open, we have selected our
favourites. Needless to say, we are in the mountains
each day, so our focus is on good food in large
quantities and cheap bars with great atmospheres. |
|
|
|
|
Buck's
Coffee, Avenue Aiguille du Midi
In the morning, this is the
best cafe / bakery to head to for a coffee and croissant.
There's free WiFi, and it's nicely decorated, and
a great place to hang out. Across the road is the
Fournil Chamoniard bakery, which is great for picking
up a sandwich for your lunch. |
 |
|
|
Bighorn
Bistro, Cham Sud
Run by American locals in
Chamonix, the Bighorn is a great eclectic bistro,
with good food, craft beers, and also home made
bakery items for sale.Top tip: go there in the late
afternoon, when the sun is hitting the square. |
 |
|
|
Beckett
& Wilde, Irish bar
Located
in the 'Sud' just around the corner from the course
meeting point, this is a good locals bar, with Guiness
on tap, and we often end up here on the last night
of the courses. Free WiFi. |
|
|
|
Monkey
Bar, Seasonaires bar
The infamous seasonaires bar
of Chamonix Sud, the Monkey also serves great bar
food, burgers, & nachos. It's got a fairly young
crowd, and there's a pool table, free WiFi and good
coffee there too. |
 |
|
|
Caveau
Restaurant
It may be hard to find (opposite
the cimena, and below the Chinese restaurant), but
it is worth searching for. Built in an old stone
cellar, these pizzas and garlic bread with mozarella
should not be missed. Good pastas too. |
 |
|
|
Micro
Brasserie de Chamonix (MBC)
As
you may have guessed from their logo, it is run
by a crazy bunch of French Canadians. Living up
to its name all the beer is brewed on-site. There
are three key choices; Blonde (lager), Granite (bitter),
& Drus (stout). |
|
|
|
Jekyll Pub,
food and bar
The only Irish bar in Chamonix,
close to Chamonix Sud and the campsites. As well as good
drinks, the food is very good. The bar is on three floors,
though you are advised to book ahead if you wish to eat.
Munchies restaurant
Situated in the old cobbled Rue
de Moulin (Mill Street), Munchies is a modern Scando-Asian
fusion cuisine style restaurant. If you are looking to
treat yourself to great food, this is one of the best
places to head.
Poco Loco & Midnight
Express
For a quick snack after a climb
(or at 1am after a beers), Poco Loco & Midnight Express
are virtually next door to each other on the high street,
and are famed for their range of hot sandwiches and burgers.
The top tip is the Cucaracha burger in Poco Loco where
you can sit upstairs, or the Midnight baguette poulet
frites.
Elevation & Chambre
Neuf bars
Next
to the train station in the town centre, these bars are
opposite each other, and frequently have live music, especially
on apres ski times. These bars are run by French and Scandanavians,
and the bars are always lively. Open throughout year.
Elevation also does good cooked breakfasts, for those
hungover mornings....
Note: Be very careful where you
choose to eat out or drink in Chamonix, as prices vary
massively. All the places listed above are very competitively
priced, but walk into the wrong place and you could be
buying a ten pound pint of beer, or a twenty pound salad!
Generally the centre of town is the most expensive. |
|
 |
|
Shopping
Chamonix shops contrast massively,
so don't be surprised to walk past the Chanel and Patagonia
shops one minute and then bargain t-shirts, naff souvenirs,
and stuffed toy shops the next. Alpine sport shops dominate
the town centre, and there are tens of climbing equipment
and ski shops to choose from. The main chain of outdoor
shops is the Twinner 3S brand, two of which are a minute
walk away from our Chamonix office. Other popular shops
include the Tiarraz photography and poster shop on the
road leading to the train station, and the Alpine Library
bookshop (opposite Snells on the main pedestrian street)
which sells a wide range of English language guidebooks
as well as a huge range of Alpine maps. If you visit Chamonix
from outside the EU, be sure to ask for the tax free shopping
prices, or keep all your receipts to claim the tax back
off your purchases as you leave France. |
|
|
|
Views
of Mont Blanc
Wherever you are in Chamonix, you
only need to look up to see that you are surrounded by
mountains. To to SW lies the main Mont Blanc massif, and
from most places in town you can look up to the summit
of Mont Blanc. Descending from the summit is the Bossons
glacier, which is the largest icefall in Europe. It descends
to within a few hundred metres from the valley floor.
Directly above Chamonix on the opposite side to Mont Blanc
are the Aiguilles Rouges (Red Needles) mountains, which
get their name from the red granite rock that forms them.
To the south lie the Aiguilles du Chamonix, which contain
some of the most famous rock climbs in the Alps, such
as the Charmoz Grepon traverse, the Fou, Blatiere, Peigne,
Pelerins, and Aiguille de la Republique. |
|
|
|
Weather
& Seasons
The altitude of the town is 1030m,
so almost exactly four kilometers beneath the summit of
Mont Blanc. In the summer the snowline is roughly 3200m,
though usually from December to March the snowline is
lower than Chamonix, so the streets and roofs are covered
in a blanket of snow. The differences between summer and
winter are incredible, so pack your clothes carefully!
In town in the summer months (June to September), you
can usually walk around wearing shorts and a t-shirt and
the temperatures can reach the mid to high thirties, but
in winter the daytime temperature can be as low as minus
fifteen in January or February, so wrap up warm. In the
mountains the summer temperature is roughly minus ten
on Mont Blanc in August, but take the wind chill factor
into account. All visitors notice that even on a cold
day in the Alps it rarely feels as cold as the UK. This
is due to the air being a lot drier, and in Chamonix you
are usually outside exercising, so don't get as cold. |
|
|
|
Cable
Cars
As far as ski or mountain resorts
go, Chamonix is quite low at just over 1000m above sea
level. However it is served by a very large range of cable
cars and mountain railways, which enable you to access
the high altitudes with great ease. The majority of lifts
are owned by the Compagnie du Mont Blanc, and this monopoly
has a clear impact on prices. A return ticket to the Aiguille
du Midi costs about 43 Euros. Whilst the cable cars are
not cheap, they do include some of the most spectacular
routes in the world. The Aiguille du Midi is 3842m, and
the twenty minute ride to its summit is worth every penny.
In the winter season the Grand Montets is a favourite
lift for skiers. The cable cars are very busy in season,
and some start as early as 6am in the key months, but
outside the busiest months (February, March, July, &
August), the hours are slightly reduced, and out of season
most are shut for repairs. |
|
|
|
|
|
When
to visit
As you will have seen from the 'Weather
& Seasons' and 'Cable Cars' sections above, Chamonix
has two key seasons; winter from mid December to mid April,
and summer from mid June to mid September. Outside these
months the weather is generally unstable (lots of cloud
and rain), and most of the cable cars are closed for the
seasonal maintenance. You will find cheap flights and
accommodation during these off months, but should you
decide to visit, don't be surprised if you find most shops
and cable cars closed and have seven days of rain. You
have been warned! During the main summer and winter seasons
the weather is generally stable as anticyclonic (high
pressure) conditions dominate. |
|
| Places
of interest |
Musee
Alpin: It illustrates the history the Chamonix,
including the first ascents of the local Alpine
summits, life in the 19th Century, paintings &
ski history. |
Maison
de la Montagne: In here is housed the high
mountain office, where route information and maps
are stored, as well as weather & avalanche
offices. |
Place
Balmat : In this central square in town, you
will find two statues. One has two characters;
Balmat and de Saussure. The single figure statue
is of Dr Paccard. |
| More
Information? You
should visit the award winning Chamonix Tourist
Office in the centre of town for free leaflets and
advice on all the tourist attractions mentioned
here. Most of the staff speak English, and are very
helpful. If you want to visit their web site, click
on the following link: Chamonix
Tourist Office Website. |
|
|
|
|
Top
10 activities
1.
Aiguille du Midi cable car. At a height of 3842m, this
is the highest passenger cable car in the world, and offers
great views of the Mont Blanc massif. There are several
viewing platforms, shops and even a restaurant. Remember
to wrap up warm.
2. The Montenvers mountain railway
gives access to the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) Glacier,
with spectacular views of the Grandes Jorasses and the
Dru / Aiguille Verte massif. The glacier also has an ice
cave and crystal gallery to look around. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 3.
Gaillands: a famous rock climbing crag on the edge
of town, by woods and lakes. |
|
4.
Arve: the river that runs through Chamonix town
is famed for its hydroglisse & rafting. |
|
5.
Mountain Biking: you can hire good bikes in town,
and get lift passes for many runs down. |
|
6.
Canyoning: there are several good gorges in the
region for canyoning days in summer. |
|
| 7.
Paragliding: you can opt for tandem flights from
a variety of cable car stations in the valley. |
|
8.
Helicopter Flights: there are flights available
from £80pp, and you can fly over Mont Blanc. |
|
9.
Vallee Blanche: hire a Guide for the day and descend
the world famous off piste route. |
|
10.
Snow Shoeing: in the winter months, this enables
you to walk in some remote areas. |
|
|
Sightseeing
nearby
Chamonix is situated within a half
hour drive of either Switzerland and Italy, so if you
have some time to spare, this section offers some advice
on sightseeing in all three countries within a 1-2 hour
drive of Chamonix. |
|
|
|
|
|
 France |
|
 Italy |
|
 Switzerland |
Le
Brevent - excellent view of the massif including
the Aiguille du Midi & Mont Blanc.
Lac
Blanc & Flegere - view of the Mer de Glace
and summits of Verte & Jorasses.
Aiguilles
Rouges - nature reserve centre at Col des Montets,
and good trekking paths.
Musee
des Mines d'Argent - silver mining museum of
the history running up to 1908.
Gorges
de la Diosaz - the gorge of the Diosaz contains
waterfalls and via ferrata.
Notre
Dame de la Gorge - chapel, built in 1707, at
the heart of a wooded valley. |
|
Courmayeur - Italy's answer to Chamonix, on the south facing
side of Mont Blanc.
Val
Ferret - here there are many good walks on sections
of the Tour du Mont Blanc.
Val
Veny - the glaciers from the south side of the
massif almost reach the valley floor.
Val
de Cogne - most famous in winter for the huge
range of ice climbing routes that form.
Macaby - a huge rock climb (with path up the back) to reach
a ruined monastery on top.
Dalle
de l'Amone - a huge slab, that is good rock
climbing in the dryest summer months. |
|
Martigny - an old Roman town, surrounded by vineyards,
and containing a very well preserved amphitheatre,
a sculpture park, and some very famous art galleries.
Emmoson - this dam was famed for the Bond film Goldeneye,
where the opening scene involved a bungy jump
from the top. Good walks around both lakes.
Dinosaurs - above the higher Emmoson lake there is a rock
where many hundreds of dinosaur footprints have
been clearly preserved. About a three hour walk
total. |
|
|
|
|
