 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
Sorry i'm very new, my partner is very new to boarding however booked Chamonix last minute for us. I'm capable, 8 years under my belt so all is fine for me. However looking into Chamonix, Mont Blanc. Struggling to find a piste map of all the routes, and what I have found is that there are only two black runs back down into the town?!
Can anyone help or advise?
Thanks for your time
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Assuming you're only looking at the Brevent/Flegere sector, the nearest to the town centre, then yes - and its better to download via the lifts. From memory the blacks aren't difficult, but narrow so they don't want novices going down them. They're not particularly interesting runs so better to download anyway and might not be open anyway
Chamonix is very fragmented so you'll have to get the ski bus to the other areas (Le Tour, Les Houches, Grand Montets) assuming you don't have a car
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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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Hi and welcome.
There are plenty of Chamonix locals who will come along and advise better than I can, but skiing in Chamonix comprises four different, unlinked areas that you can travel to by public bus (if your chalet or hotel doesn't have a shuttle service). It would never be classed as a ski-in town. Brevent, the only area that is accessed from Chamonix town itself (and linked with Flegere) has a black into it, I've never personally skied it and not sure if it would be open?
The other ski areas in the valley (Les Houches, Grands-Montets and Balme) are separate with separate piste maps. Go here: https://www.chamonix.com/infos-live
and scroll down to the interactive map. You can click on each of the ski areas and when the little box opens, click on "plan détaillé" and it will bring up a piste map for each area.
It's like a little adventure each day, trying somewhere new, so don't let the different areas put you off. It's a super town.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Those two black runs from Brevent-Flegere are hardly ever open even when there’s plenty of snow low in the valley, and right now there’s practically none, so they’ll almost certainly stay closed for the rest of the season. Everyone just gets the gondolas down.
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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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I hadn't even realised there were runs into chamonix from Brevent-Flegere.
Having visited for several weeks over several years around this time I don't think they have ever had close enough snow to be open...
Wouldn't surprise me if they are only on the piste map so that they can stop people skinning or skiing them out of hours to avoid clashes with piste bashers...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for all the comments thus far, very eye opening. I usually just let my friends sort the locations (as you can tell!!)
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I am into my 8th full season in Chamonix and have never skied down from Brevent or Flegere (except from the ENSA couloir, which doesn’t count) and never particularly want to. Usually no point at all, even in bumper snow.
The lift is warmer, more fun, and you can drink tea in it.
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| HammondR wrote: |
I am into my 8th full season in Chamonix and have never skied down from Brevent or Flegere (except from the ENSA couloir, which doesn’t count) and never particularly want to. Usually no point at all, even in bumper snow.
The lift is warmer, more fun, and you can drink tea in it. |
Thanks, funnily enough I havn't ever been on a season where you can't ski into the town! Totally new for me.
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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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With a partner who is a beginner boarder, you would be best spending the first few days in the Les Houches or La Tour (area described by @Rois1980 as Balme) ski areas. Brevent/Flegere is more intermediate, and Grands Montets a base for off-piste.
You will need to get to know the ski bus timetable, and find where they go from closest to your accommodation.
Chamonix isn't much like the high purpose built ski resorts, but I am sure you will get to appreciate the special nature of the town.
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Both the Brevent and Flegere descents into town are two of the most bizarre black runs imaginable. They are, in the main, cat tracks with a gradient shallower than some CHX blue runs.
However, they go on. And on. And on. With some sharp hairpins, and steep dropoffs. There's very little room to control your speed. They are usually liberally scattered with random small rocks from the slope they're cut into. In places, there can be streams. Bare patches. Sheet ice. People walking their dogs. Snowshoers. Tourers.
In short, in descent, they have no redeeming features whatsoever.
They do make lovely touring routes early in the morning, if I want to get up before the lifts open. There can be a veritable conga line of tourers and dog walkers heading up them. As a way down the mountain, they are a poor option.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Top tip. If you're going to Le Tour/Balme, do what the locals do. Take the smooth, comfortable, free (if you pay your tourist tax and get a card from your accommodation provider) train to Vallorcine, and enter the Balme ski area from there. Much nicer than a sweaty, crowded, slow, noisy ski bus.
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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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@nckjh7, Can you cancel?
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I mean you’re never going to do laps of it, but as a last run the very top of Brevent down all the way non-stop to the Folie Douce deck is unique enough I’m always happy to do it when it’s possible.
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You know it makes sense.
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| j b wrote: |
With a partner who is a beginner boarder, you would be best spending the first few days in the Les Houches or La Tour (area described by @Rois1980 as Balme) ski areas. Brevent/Flegere is more intermediate, and Grands Montets a base for off-piste.
You will need to get to know the ski bus timetable, and find where they go from closest to your accommodation.
Chamonix isn't much like the high purpose built ski resorts, but I am sure you will get to appreciate the special nature of the town. |
Thanks for this! Great info everyone. Think by the looks of things will do a couple days Les Houches, couple days La Tour then maybe finish in Chamonix for the remainding two depending how my partner gets on during the week.
I'm not that fussy about taking it slow. I'm making the most of being child free for the first time and nailing 7 beers a day
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