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chamonix must do"s

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
going to chamonix 17-21 feb for a lads ski weekend, anyone got any ideas for essential ski and apres ski must do"s or even more importantly dont do"s?????
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
hedley, Welcome to snowHeads!

The Vallée Blanche is a must do (for good intermediates or above, with good stamina and a head for heights). A guide is essential.
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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?
Suggestions:

1. Take a car (the resort is split into several areas)

Check out natives.com for inside information on chamonix.

skiing: Off-piste - grab a guide and do what they recommend for the time you are there. Beware Vallee blanche in the wrong conditions - and there's almost certainly a walk-out (walk-up actually) at the end so be prepared. PLenty of "near piste" skiing at the Grands Montets but beware occasional unseen rocks.

Weekly lift ticket offers a free day in Courmayeur

Travel down to Les Houches if viz is poor - nice tree lined pistes

Bars: - Jekyll for Guiness, and bands, Bar d'Up is a good starter pub - apres ski duo, pool and sky. La Terrasse for bands, La Cantina (round the back and down the stairs) for dance

Apres booze - check out Belouga burger (ask anyone who looks like a seasonnaire - they'll know it - for the best burgers in history
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
go up to Le Tour and ski across the border into Switzerland.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
& walk back ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
can't you get the train back?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
There's a new lift this season, no need to catch a train any more.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
hedley,

How much have you skied because Chamonix can be as easy or as hard as you like.

Get upto the Midi and do one of the variations of the Valle Blanche. The scenery is spectacular and if you have haven't skied much do the classic run.... with a guide and pick a good weather day. This is a day-trip to all intents and purposes as the run will take 3-4 hrs alone to get you to the train station at Monteveners....the walking bit..!!
Take a camera and drinks/food, don't p** off the Requim Hut owners by picnicing on their terrace but be prepared. If the weather closes in it can be unpleasant - that's why you need the guide..., if the weather is good it is a magical day.

If you can ski well, maybe consider one of the variations but you need to used to coping with high mountain skiing to deal with this.

The walk down the arrete sets the tone, you may need crampons in some conditions, or be roped up. It may look fine in the valley when you look upto 3843m but if there is any cloud there it may be blowing very hard and be very cold. Once off the ridge you aren't as exposed to the wind
This all adds to the drama and on a good sunny day this is a doodle.
If you book a guide, either via a Tour Op or through the Guides office this will all be taken care of by and large.

If you do it...and you really should, just remember this is high alpine terrain. probably unlike anywhere else you have skied, and it is a very long way down.
Enjoy...
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David@traxvax wrote:
There's a new lift this season, no need to catch a train any more.


Which lift? Where are you actually talking skiing down to ?
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ise wrote:
David@traxvax wrote:
There's a new lift this season, no need to catch a train any more.


Which lift? Where are you actually talking skiing down to ?
Don't, whatever you do, miss out on the Canadian micro-brewery, excellent burgers, chicken wings and of course, outstanding beer!
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
bigpig, huh? Are you even on the same resort thread as the rest of us?
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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.
ise,

There is supposed to be a new lift in Le tour which means you can drop over the hill..Tet du Balme, I think, and ski down into the valley. Not sure you can go as far as Switzerland without using the train though. But the lift links goes down to Vallorcine so either limit yourself to that and be lift linked or you will have to rely on the train which will involve a change at the border
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
JT, I know Very Happy I had a season pass for Chamonix for years and used to ski a lot there so I thought I knew it pretty well.

If the new lift is the one at Vallorcine then that's no where near Switzerland. It's only new skiing for punters anyway, everyone else has been skiing down to Vallorcine and other points in that valley for years and catching the train back.

Could you ski to Switzerland from Les Esserts? Downhill? I can't think you can but I don't have a decent map in front of me. You can from between the Col and Tete du Balme, but I don't recall it being close to the train.

I presume these guys are talking about Vallorcine which ain't in Switzerland.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I'm going to be in Cham for 3 nights from late Wed next week. Main aim of the visit is to get some new boots for my wife from Footworks (appointment already made)

I'm guessing the chances of finding any powder so long after the storms would be low, even with a guide?

I've done plenty of off piste, and mostly like it for the lack of crowds, so I've always been put off by the pics of hordes of people skiing it.

I wondered if I went over to Courmayeur and got a guide there, wether I could do a different route with zero crowds?

Is there much safe off piste around Brevant/Flegere that I can do without a guide?

Any other areas to go play? I wonder if le tour would be fun off-piste, as less popular than other areas?

cheers,

Greg
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
gregh, There is plenty of accessible(no hiking) off piste at Le Tour, it looks gentle, but would advise a guide anyway. There are also plenty of "between piste" areas to play in, especially to the left of the top of Esserts lift. A day ticket is cheaper than the other areas in the valley. Head up to the top of Grand Montets in Argentiere take a run down Point du Vue/Pylones (assuming top cable car running) and check out the routes from there. It is partially glacial-there are crevasses. For Brevent/Flegere stick to "between the pistes", or rent a guide, some of it is steep! In town try the fast food and beer at the Poco Loco, I enjoyed the Goat Cheese/Honey/Hamburger (sounds weird tastes great) snowHead
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I had a mobile home in Chamonix for 7 years which finshed last year. My latest ski map for Le Tour Vollorcine is about 12 months old. I am not aware of any more chairlift additional to the Les Esserts. The Run 19 Piste de la Foret Verte is the only one goes down to Vallorcine and the only way of getting back is by a train. I never did it myself but Ise is right that it is nowhere near Switzerland.

My point is therefore it is still impossible to ski from Chamonix to Switzerland. It is possible that skiers can be confused by thinking Vollorcine is part of Switzerland. Skiers like Ise and myself who drive through the Col De Forclaz regularly can confirm that Vollorcine is about 1.6 miles from the Swiss border yet.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
saikee, I was at Le Tour last March, I beg to differ re: any additional lift. My map shows a new telecabine project scheduled for 2004/5 coming up from the train station/parking area at Vallorcine, bottom of T19 run to meet Esserts chair. Of course we need a snowhead to check that it got built! There was also a big sign advertising this project at the bottom of Esserts chair.
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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?
Like Saikee says we've not annexed Vallorcine yet, it's still in France Very Happy
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snowbunny,

The new chairlift makes sense to me as Vollorcine is served only by a mountain train but seems to have sufficient number of hotels to support a large crowd. The Le Tour side is pretty small and has suffered a major avalanche before. I skied there in 2002 and 2003.

My last post was to indicate the end of the piste in Vollorcine isn't really Switzerland but it is close enough for people to assume it to be. At the border the French side could be called Vollorcine too.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Saikee- Seeing you had a mobile home for seven years in Chamonix

I stayed in Chamonix for a night last summer on the way back from Italy.

Can you park campervans in the large carpark near the lifts during the winter or is that carpark only used in the summer by campervans.

If so is it hard to get a space?
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The Rosiere camp site, the only one in Chamonix and where my mobile home used to locate, may still take campervans. It open on 1st Feb but the owner has sold the land for housing development. I passed there in 2004 Christmas and the infrastructure is still there. You can give it a try. It is on the N506. If you come off the Mont Blanc tunnel and turn left toward Chamonix, pass La Planard (mountain train station), head straight into the town centre, cross the river, take the first left and the camp site is about 1 mile after the turn.

Chamonix resorts are all fragmented and there is a large car park in La Planard, La Flegere, Grands Montet. The paid car park near Brevent is covered. I am not aware of any objection against people parking campervans in these large and free car parks. To be station there for a prolonged period is another matter.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
saikee, I agree with you on all aspects, I was also there just before and a few weeks after the Montroc slide. It was awful to drive past up the road to the car park , the police were still guarding the destruction. I also have old Le Tour lift maps, which have a swiss flag plonked near Vallorcine hmmm, has it always been in France I wonder.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
snowbunny, since longer than there's been skiing Very Happy
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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.
Manda, The Canadian micro-brewery is in Chamonix!!
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
.....AND, it's a cracking night out!
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I skied off the back of Le Tour last week, off piste into Vallorcine after a good snow storm. Had a couple of turns with snow over my head. Fantastic! We skied to the base at Vallorcine back on piste and had lunch in some old pinkish building next to the tracks and this place, whatever is was, has great food. Apparently, they've been there for years. Vallorcine is in France. Switzerland's just through the pass, not too far away. The next day we drove through there with the all important rental car and skied some great, deep snow off piste at Bruson, part of the Verbier network, across the valley from Verbier. At was a very easy drive. Madeye-Smiley
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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.
Jack, the building's been there for years, it's the station Very Happy The restaurant hasn't though, it has a superb reputation but I've never actually manged to eat there. Good to hear the reputation is confirmed though, I'll make more of an effort.

(it featured in Chalet Slaves for UKTV viewers)
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
hedley,

In my 7 years mobile home stay in Chamonix I come to the conclusion that the roast chicken sold only in the morning of the Saturday market day is the best the world, especially with a fresh bagette. No other chicken come close. The Saturady roast chicken store is well known in Chamonix. You can't miss it as it has the longest queue.
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