 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Does anyone have any experience of/knowledge of/opinions on driving from a chalet in Montroc down to Chamonix every day? The website suggests the ski bus but I'm not going back to using those! I'm not used to ski-in/out so driving a short distance doesn't bother me, as long as there's plenty of parking. Thanks in advance!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
magriggs,
You'll spend most of your time on the GM and that is just down the road and there is plenty of parking there anyway
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Thanks, JT. The other place we are considering is Les Arcs 1950, how does Chamonix compare with that?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Montroc is next to Le Tour/Vollorcine resort which is part of Chamonix domain. I think on a dry road it is 5 minutes or less to reach Grands Montets. Parking spaces, as elsewhere in Chamonix or other French resorts, depends on the time of arrival. Many day trippers may come from as far as Geneva so you should beat them to it easily.
La Flegere/Brevant is about 10-12 minutes from Montroc if you ascend via La Flegere station.
Les Houches is probably 25 minutes away on dry roads.
Courmayeur at the Italian exit end of the Mont Blanc Tunnel needs about 25 minutes too.
I would say within 30 minutes you can get to any resort of Chamonix.
Within an hour you could be in Les Contamines or St Gervais. Going uphill through the Col de Forclaz it is 1.5 to 1.75 hours to Verbier although I would prefer downhill and use the same time to drive to Flaine or French side of Porte Du Soleil (Les Gets/Morzine/Avoriaz).
----------------------------------------------------------------
Comparison of Chamonix with Les Arcs
Chamonix is a group of small (or even isolated) resorts. Some are famous with steep gradients. Grands Montets is a favourable venue for many national teams to practice there. Vallee Blanc is the ultimate for for some skiers seeking off piste experience. There are easy slopes too but not many. Infrastructure is alright in the big ones but rather dated in the small ones.
Les Arcs is fully linked. You don't need to step into a bus. It is bigger. It used to have link to La Plagnes which is even larger. The cable car link is currently suspended. For immediates Les Arcs is a better bet because the area is much much wider. Indrastructure is top notch of what the French can offer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
magriggs, Montroc's lovely, one of my favourite parts of Chamonix, and there's lots of parking at all the lifts. The only place that might be a bit far from there is Les Houches, but the others are all within 20 mins. Take some snow chains though, just in case of heavy snowfall - you probably won't need them, but the road is quite steep in places. I haven't been to Les Arcs, sorry!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
magriggs, Montroc is just around the corner from the Grands Montets. We have apaertments in central Cham and very often ski Le Tour/Vallorcine. It's easy.
The CMB lift company have done considerable investment in uplift so IMHO Saikee's information is a little out of date. And I will confess I'm not sure what national teams train there...
The general Cham skiing is intermediate although there is reasonable skiing for beginners and of course you can get as steep as you like...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks for all your responses, that was great information. I had a look at the piste map for Chamonix and it's definitely not going to suit the people in our group, so Les Arcs it is! Shame as the apartment was big and a really good price. Ya gets what ya pays for though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
I think saikee meant that the Vallee Blanche is the ultimate off-piste for those who have just recently got into off piste. It is very easy off piste but spectacular.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I was in Montroc days before and after the avalance that took out the nearby houses. It wasn't to do with the skiers. I was skiing in La Vormaine which is about 0.5 mile from Montroc. After the avalance they closed the Col de Forclaz pass and diverted the road traffic through the train tunnel.
The Vallee Blanc is the longest off piste and must be accompanied by a local guide. Many skiers I know regard it as a milestone even though the majority of it is relatively easy in some seasons but the condition is not static. I never tried it myself but I know the top section can wet some skiers' pants. I believe there are regular news from time to time that one or two skiers got killed accidently by dropping into the cracks of the glacier. It is expected every year there will be someone die in Mont Blanc related to the summer or winter sport. Dying from doing the Vallee Blanc is rare but it seems to have happened before.
The Chamonix skiing domain indicated by Chamski pass covers
Le Domaine de Balme,
La Vormaine,
Grands Montets (Argentere area),
Les Chosalets (beginner area of Argentere),
Brévent / Flégère,
La Planards (opposite town centre),
Les Bossons,
Le Savoy (beginner area of Brevent) and
Les Houches which was a separate resort independent of Chamonix during the time I was there.
With the exception of Grands Montets, Brevent/Flegere, Le Domaine de Balme and the later addition of Les Houches all the other resorts have only 2 to 3 chairlifts with 2 to 4 runs. Les Houches was served by two very old gondolas. The infrastructure has not changed significantly during the 8 years I stayed there. Thus my comment of some infrastructure being dated. I am sure more investment has gone into the valley but every one of the above resorts have to be accessed by bus and none is linked. The Brevent was linked to La Flegere while I was there otherwise visitors may have a job to find the location of the chairlift station of Brevent.
Chamonix has its charm and full of character but with 150km combined (not sure if the 55km piste of Les Houches is included or not) spreading out in the valley the experience is totally different from the 425km fully linked Paradiski, which even with the Vanoise cable car suspended, on can still have 200km on Les Arcs side or 225Km on La Plagnes side to explore without getting into a bus.
From my observation many Chamonix slopes at Grands Montets and Brévent / Flégère appear at the upper limit of being graded red while there is insufficient blue slopes around. It one loses control it is a very long way to roll down to the bottom because many slopes do not have a break or flat ground in the middle. I would not call Chamonix "generally immediate" myself but would reserve it for places like 3 Valles, Tignes, Paradiski, L2A, Milky Way, Serre Chevalier, Ski Welt, Saalbach, Lech/Zurs, Sella Ronda, Cran Montana......
May be I have read the wrong information but Chamonix has always been regarded as a Mecca by the experienced skiers, presumably there must be something NOT "easy" and "immediate" about the place.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| snowball wrote: |
| I think saikee meant that the Vallee Blanche is the ultimate off-piste for those who have just recently got into off piste. It is very easy off piste but spectacular. |
The Envers route variations are much more fun and a good next step for people that have done the tourist route.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
magriggs,
Depends on your make-up of the group... For me, Chamonix has it all, it has a special feel and the skiing is what ever you want to make it. It isn't ski-in, so if that is in any way a consideration then look elsewhere. Also, I don't think it is kind to timid skiing as only Flegere is cruisey...and possibly Le Tour. To make the best of the valley you'll want to use all the areas as they all offer something different and the more adventurous you a re, the more you find gems here and there. This is what draws people back again and again. It isn't a big or convenient domain and you'll have to pick a region to ski per day and it has its choke points but it also offers so much so close to the lift... There aren't many motorways at all and you wouldn't go there for that anyway...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
