 Poster: A snowHead
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Greetings all
Its my first visit the Chamonix this christmas\New Years and I have a couple of questions
What the best\cheapest site to order my ski pass from to make sure it arrives before dec23? Also can anyone recommend a good ski hire shop, that will do online reservations
Lifts!!!
I have heard the nightmares about lift Q's in Cham so does anyone have any good queue busting tips, I will have a hire car so not dependant on buses. is there a best time (earlier the better???) to hit the lifts and do certain areas get busy at different time depending on slope facing directions?
Cheers all
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Last New Years was my first time in Cham as well.
We thought about ordering our passes online, but in the end really didn't see the point. There was no price difference that I could see, and in the end there was no line up at the ticket window.
There was, however, a massive line up our first day at the Grand Montets. Our intention was to get there very early (before 8:00), but as it turned out we could not get out of the garage our car was parked in at La Clusaz because of a service truck blocking the exit. So we arrived a little before 9:00 and waited 90 minutes to get up the tram. So yes, get there as early as possible. It bears noting that we did not wait in another line all day, so the mountain spreads people out pretty well. At the other bases, we were always there when the lifts started running and never waited long at all once they were fired up.
Avoid the self-service cafeteria on Flegere. Poor quality, crowded, bizzare opening hours, and expensive. The only other on mountain dining we did was the Refuge de Lognon on Grand Montets. Highly recommended, but I would advise hitting it early (say 11:00) as it is quite small.
We had our own gear, so I can't comment on renting.
New Year's was great fun. We were tempted but did not reserve a place for dinner. Most restaurants seemed to be doing big nine course affairs for massive sums of money. I was a bit worried about finding any place to eat, and finding any bar we could get into without paying an outragous cover change, but in the end it all worked out well. Pre-midnight pub crawling was possible, then everyone floods out into the main square to shoot explosives at one another. After that it seemed that most people we're paying large covers for the clubs, but we had no interest in that anyway. A lot of bars were free pre-midnight and pay after midnight.
We were staying in Les Houches and therefore needed a taxi home. We booked one earlier in the day to meet us just outside the center of town at 1:30. If you will need a taxi, I recommend doing the same.
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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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There's also the option of getting the chair lift up from the bottom of Grand Montets - takes longer but IMO is much nicer and there's normally less of a queue for it - you then get off just up from the Plan Joran restaurant, (which is a nice lunch stop) and take another shorter chair up from there, then ski down to the mid station - was always my preferred way up the hill when I've been, even in bad weather - the cable car is a horrible game of sardines at busy times, the peace & quiet & views of the chair win every time for me ! 
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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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ajbaldwin, just buy online from CMB if you must. No discounted outlets available. Coquoz Sports have ticket terminals.
No lift nightmares that I'm aware of.
Yes, top cable of GMs very busy but you can book. GM car park often full if you don't get there early. phil625sxc spot on about GMs chairlifts. Also Plan Joran restaurant is best of an admittedly (previously) poor selection. Newish Bergerie at Plan Praz good but expensive.
CMB trying fairly hard to enhance the whole experience to be fair - supposed to be changes made for this season - we'll wait and see.
New Brevent bubble should remove any difficulties there.
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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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Nicest restaurant at Argentierre (Grands Montets) is off on the left of the Herse lift (as you look up) on the edge of the ski area. Small and rustic but nice - I don't remember its name but Roland Stieger alway booked a table for us there when we skied with him in that part of the Chamonix / Argentierre valley.
There are free buses between the ski areas: La Tour (far end of valley, generally easy, but some good off piste), Grands Montets (at Argentierre - perhaps the best tougher skiing in the area, on and off piste), Flegere /Brevant (south-facing side of Chamonix) , Aiguille du Midi (Chamonix, opposite Brevant on Mont Blanc - Vallee Blanche: all off piste), Les Houche (you pass it just before you get to Chamonix: pistes through trees, so good in bad visibility - not sure if it is on same lift pass as the others).
If you do the Vallee Blanche you need to join a guided group, or hire a guide and he will book a place on the cable car in advance - necessary, otherwise you will have a huge wait.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 3-12-08 16:17; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Max13biker,
I went the equivalent week in 2007. Always a queue for Grand Montets top cable car. One day there was a longish queue at the bottom of the Grand Montets area, the rest of the time nothing major and usually nothing at all.
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T Bar,
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Always a queue for Grand Montets top cable car
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I think there always is, irrespective of the time of year. Sometimes, when it's really busy, they issue timed tickets. Worth the wait, though! 
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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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| Hurtle wrote: |
T Bar,
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Always a queue for Grand Montets top cable car
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I think there always is, irrespective of the time of year. Sometimes, when it's really busy, they issue timed tickets. Worth the wait, though! |
I notice on the website - that you can reserve places on Grand Montets and Aiguille du Midi cable car.
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Max13biker, really? Never knew that.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Max13biker, Hurtle,
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I notice on the website - that you can reserve places on Grand Montets and Aiguille du Midi cable car.
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You can only reserve one per day or two with a guide and sometimes the reservations are fully booked. The queue was not usually more than 30 minutes when we were there and worth the wait.
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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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Thanks for all the info, what time do the lifts start running?
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