Poster: A snowHead
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I've never been to Chamonix, but have a chance to ski there for a day, maybe a day and a bit if I'm lucky, next week. I'll ski anything on piste fairly well, and as I'll be on my own I'm not looking for any off piste this time around.
I'll be staying in the town centre, so can anyone suggest where I should head for?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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lots of good stuff to do but 1 day? spend it all on Les Grands Montets
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The Brevent/Flegere area is great for a day of on piste action, and is the nearest to the town centre - possibly walkable if you're very central.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'm with Whitters. Unless the weather's pants in which case, Les Houches
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ok, thanks. That looks good. How accessible is it from the town centre? Are there buses etc? I'll arrive around 12.30, with an appointment in the town centre at 3pm. Is that enough time for a couple of runs on the first day? I'll have a full day the next day.
And are there lockers at the bottom station?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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For piste skiing, Grands Montets is the worst place to go. Too few pistes and you could do them all in about 90 minutes. As above, Brev-Fleg if sunny or Les Houcehs if flat light or stormy.
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I went to Chamonix last march for 4 days.It was my first time at a proper Ski resort.The first day we went to Les Houche which was very good then the second day we went to Brev-Fleg which was also very good but Grand Montets on the third day was absolutely awesome.It was so much better than the other two.
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@FullyTucked, in March you'd expect the GMs snow to be better because it's north facing whereas B-F is south facing.
Next week? Not so much (not at all).
Plus, @Pending, where are you staying? Going to GMs adds at least 20mins bus each way, (as does Les Houches). You have 3.5 hours on day 1, realistically, 2 hours actual skiing.
Easiest access is Brevent, walkable from town centre.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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FullyTucked, Chamonix isn't exactly a 'proper ski resort'. It's just an Alpine town with an economy based largely on mountaineering and scrambling. The skiing part was added afterwards.
That said, it does have fantastic skiing if off piste is your bag. If I was a piste-only skier, I would have enjoyed my first trip for the spectacular scenery, the atmosphere and the pretty town but it I would not have kept returning because the piste skiing is pretty limited compared to many other French and Austrian resorts. Granted, there are also many resorts with fewer pistes than Cham.
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under a new name wrote: |
@FullyTucked, in March you'd expect the GMs snow to be better because it's north facing whereas B-F is south facing.
Next week? Not so much (not at all).
Plus, @Pending, where are you staying? Going to GMs adds at least 20mins bus each way, (as does Les Houches). You have 3.5 hours on day 1, realistically, 2 hours actual skiing.
Easiest access is Brevent, walkable from town centre. |
I wasn't talking about the snow quality.The runs in Grand Montets are so much better.We had so much fun there.We also prefered Les Houche to Brev-Flagere.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Zero_G wrote: |
FullyTucked, Chamonix isn't exactly a 'proper ski resort'. It's just an Alpine town with an economy based largely on mountaineering and scrambling. The skiing part was added afterwards.
That said, it does have fantastic skiing if off piste is your bag. If I was a piste-only skier, I would have enjoyed my first trip for the spectacular scenery, the atmosphere and the pretty town but it I would not have kept returning because the piste skiing is pretty limited compared to many other French and Austrian resorts. Granted, there are also many resorts with fewer pistes than Cham. |
Yeah i knew that before i posted but i had only been to Zakopane before so i just meant it was the first proper Ski place place i had been to.Heading to Tignes in 4 weeks and expecting it to be awesome
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@FullyTucked, not entirely sure why you'd think that but you ste very welcome to your own opinon
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1 day in Chamonix? Definately Grand Montets. As posted above, more piste skiing in Brevent, better cruisey blues and reds in Les Houches and even Le Tour but going to the top of GM is just a special experience. Some of you guys might be a little jaded but I've only been to the area once and when I remember Cham I remember GM. Back In March with hopefully a bit more snow than last time.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks for all the info. The question wasn't so much where is the best area of Chamonix to ski but where is the most practical given that I have very limited time and have to stick to the piste.
I'm sure I'll be back there for the full experience at some point, but this time it's a quickie
@under a new name, I'm staying off Place du Mont Blanc, which looks to be very close to the centre of town. I'll only have 2.5 hours on the first day - including travel to and from the centre. Would it be too optimistic to hope to get a couple of runs in?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Pending, based on your location, Brevent is the closest and you can ski over to Flegere and back if you're really quick
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Pending, no, you can do it, I wouldn't try going to Flegere as if the tram between was to go tech, you'd miss your meeting. Stick to Brevent, lap Cornu a few times no worries.
@Snow Hound, read the OP! On piste wanted...and anyway, if you know your way around Flegere, better chance of powder than up the GMs anyway...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yeah, Brevent - that looks like the plan! At least for the first afternoon, and I'll see how conditions are for the second day. Thanks.
Anyone know if there are lockers at the Brevent bottom station?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Pending, good choice , great views , great piste just don't bother skiing back down to town , as the black run will only trash ur skis .
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