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Chamonix Valley – France

Price £145 or 200€

The Chamonix Valley is home to some of the world's most stunning walks. Snow covered peaks and jagged ridges tower over the town of Chamonix, including the highest mountain in Western Europe, Mont Blanc. For centuries the beauty of this mountain landscape has provided inspiration for writers, artists and poets from Charles Dickens, to John Ruskin. Ruskin described the views around Chamonix as being clear as crystal, sharp on the pure horizon of the sky and often tinged with the rose of the sinking sun. You can experience all this by choosing Chamonix as your base for a walking holiday.

Below is a only taster as the list is endless…

Lac Blanc

The walk to Lac Blanc, a glacial lake high above the valley, is one of the classics of the area. We take the cable car from Flégère to the mid station before starting our mountain traverse to Lac Blanc. Along the way we can enjoy the amazing views on offer to the Mont Blanc Massif. Ibex, chamois, and marmots graze the mountain slopes amid the alpine flowers. Ascent 484m.

Aiguille du Midi

A trip to the snowy peaks on the Aiguille du Midi cable car is a must. It offers incredible views of the mountain ranges and the chance to get ‘up close' to this alpine wonderland. After enjoying the views we descend to the mid station and being our high traverse to Montenvers. This is one of the famous ‘balcony' walks established in the Victorian era. We end at Montenvers were we look down to one of the longest glaciers in the Alps, the Mer de Glace. Mountaineers can often be seen on the glacier practising their ice climbing techniques. We descend on the rack and pinion railway to Chamonix. Ascent 150m.

The Alpage of Loriaz

We travel to the village of Vallorcine, the name means valley of the bears, and then begin our climb to Loriaz. We climb through the forests before breaking out onto the high alpage; the summer meadows where the herds graze to a chorus of cow bells. The alpine flowers with their vivid colours are one of the highlights of a trip to an alpage. We can enjoy a coffee and cake at the farm buildings before descending back to the valley. Ascent 900m.

Lognan to Chapieux

We start from the village of Argentiere then take a cable car to the middle station of the world famous Grand Montets ski area. Then we begin our journey across the mountain side heading south towards Mont Blanc. This gentle undulating path has excellent views of the Chamonix Aiguilles, or ‘needles', the name given to the rocky spires towering high above us. We then walk back down to the valley floor and Chamonix itself. Ascent 150m.

Aiguille des Posettes

A scenic trip on the famous Mont Blanc Express brings us to Mont Roc where we begin our ascent of the Posettes ridge. The route takes us through pine forests, where squirrels are often see scampering through the branches, then we get onto the ridge proper which provides the most incredible views of the Argentiere glacier, Mont Blanc, and over to the mountains of Switzerland. There is a real sense of being ‘high' with views in all directions. We complete the traverse of the ridge, and descend back to Mont Roc. Ascent 900m.

La Pierre a Bosson

A pleasant stroll through the old part of the village of Argentiere, past the Baroque Church whose altar was carried over by mule from Italy, then up through the pine forests and flowers to the Pierre à Bosson – a viewpoint above the glacier. After enjoying the panorama we traverse through the woods until we travel under the nose of our second glacier of the day at Le Tour. Ascent 450m.

Coupeau to Brevent

Stunning views but a challenging walk due to its ‘uphill' nature to the Brevent cable car. We start in the coolness of the trees by the very imposing Christ Roi statue above Les Houches in the small village of Coupeau. We then walk to the animal park, Parc de Merlet where ibex and chamois are often sighted. We leave the trees to sight views of the Mont Blanc range on the opposite side of the valley. These views grow in their grandeur and stay with us all day. Our well deserved lunch stop is at the Refuge de Bel Lachat. An easier afternoon completes our ascent to the summit of Brevent where we gain 360° panoramic views. A superb walk that saves the knees from a long down hill! Ascent 1600m.

Price

The daily cost includes the services of a qualified International Mountain Leader, who will have extensive knowledge and enthusiasm for the mountain environment and region. The guide's fee is shared between the members of your group making this an inexpensive way to explore the mountains without the worry of having to think about the route! You just relax and enjoy yourself. Public transport, food, any uplifts used and insurance are not included.

Accommodation

We can suggest a wide range of accommodation in the Chamonix Valley allowing you to choose from luxury to budget.

Options

We can also travel a little further and cross into Italy, only 30 minutes away through the Mont Blanc tunnel, where we could spend a night in the wonderful Rifugio Bonatti, a mountain refuge as comfortable as any hotel. Switzerland is also on our doorstep, another 30 minute drive from Chamonix, where we have access to another regions historic day walks and the luxurious Swiss thermal baths at Lavey-les-Bains.

Further Information

Chamonix is easily reached by transfer, car, train and bus from Geneva airport. It is a drive of approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.

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