Activity Reviews in Chamonix

Wow did any of you get to see any of the North Face Ultra Trail at the weekend? What an incredible event. I unfortunately missed the start of the race as I had to go over to Zermatt to work on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning but I made it back in time in the afternoon to catch the end of the race. I bought a French newspaper in Zermatt in the morning and read about the start of the race and all its build up. It takes me a while to read the newspaper in French but is really good practice, anyone looking to improve their comprehension I would suggest reading Aujourd'hui or Le Dauphine as they aren't as complicated as some of the broadsheets and events like the Ultra Trail are covered well in these as the tenses used are normally less complex. So the start in Chamonix at 7pm on Friday evening drew an estimated crowd of 10000 people. These included 2500 competitors, their entourage, local supporters and tourists. The competitors were kitted out in lightweight all weather gear, small back pack and walking poles, whilst the supporters were wearing considerably warmer gear. The temperature at the start was around 12 degrees but with the evening closing in and 7 peaks above 2000 metres on Le Tour du Mont Blanc to climb it certainly wasn't going to be a balmy summer evening (the Col de Grand Ferret at the bottom of the Aosta valley at 2537 metres was to be the highest point of the tour and at 7pm was allegedly only 2 degrees!).

There’s much more to Chamonix than skiing and snowboarding - there’s also a thriving arts scene with regular exhibitions, workshops, concerts and more.

Ahhh...the dreaded interseason. The time when there's not a restaurant open in town, when the rain drums down, when chalets close their doors and board their windows and when teary waves see off the last bus of the winter to leave the resort.

Chamonix has a reputation for having some of the finest alpine singletrack in the world, and with such good natural trails, the purpose made trails have been overlooked by many and have lagged behind the standard of say Whistler or Les Gets.

Things here in Chamonix have taken a slightly cooler turn with loads of rain falling a few days ago and the sun only just about managing to heat things up in to the mid twenties, which has been a welcome breath of freshness for anyone partaking in physical activity.

This summer has been all about the road bikes; I don't know whether it's the "Wiggo Effect" or just the fact that its been so hot that we'll do anything for a cool breeze, but everyone I know seems to have developed a penchant for lycra recently.

The sun has got his hat on once again and Chamonix has got significantly more lively, and lovely, now that the summer season has officially started.

Since Fete de Musique summer has prevailed the way it should do, with lots of sunny days and rain just at the right time to cool things down in the late afternoon. Its pretty much been the same every day and it doesn't even seem fathomable that we could have an extended period of bad weather again, at least till it's absolutely necessary in the winter!

This week sees the launch of our NEW Live weather station. Sitting at the top of Brevent you can see what the weather is doing at 2525m in real-time. We also have lots more weather stats for you, allowing you to spot the trends and make your own predictions, or just check the forecasts!

A nice warm sunny day today but overall the past few days have been a lot cooler and with a lot of rain passing through it hasn't been great for the parties that were on in the town, or partaking in any form of outdoor activity! The Fete des Guides was in action over the weekend but the crowds that would normally be drawn in with the warmer weather were nowhere to be seen!

So another amazing few days in Chamonix, with high temperatures and lots going on. BBQs are being cooked up everywhere from the many free-to-use BBQs dotted in and around Chamonix near parks, climbing walls and lakes, and anyone with a terrace, or bit of grass has been preparing a great meal outside.

Back To School

In the heart of Chamonix town, along side the Arve river sits the majestic, white building of the Alpine Museum (Musee Alpin). It has witnessed much change in the town, including its own name; it was one the Palace of Chamonix and then the Grand Hotel with its vast lush gardens. These days it houses chic apartments, the convention centre (Salle du Bicentenaire) and of course the museum. You can find it round the back of Place Balmat at 89 avenue Michel-Croz

Resorts are opening around us every weekend, and now all of Chamonix's areas bar a few are open for business - well, less business, more pleasure. Les Houches' Bellevue cable car (note shiny new cabin!) and Prarion gondola started up on Saturday, the La Flegere cablecar and higher Index chairlift have been going a while, Le Tour's Charamillon gondola and Chavannes chairlift also opened Saturday, and of course the Montenvers rack and pinion train and Aiguille du Midi cable car are open too. In fact, the only resorts that you won't be visiting this June are the Brevent - due to the refurb of the Planpratz gondola - and the Grands Montets, which is closed until mid-July pending a change of cable on the main cable car. Finally, don't forget that it's just a few short weeks until the Vallorcine gondola over the back of Le Tour opens up.