In 1997 I called through a number of hostels in Chamonix and asked if they had room for me. I was planning my very first skibum trip to Chamonix, to the European skiing and mountaineering Mecca. This was going to be my first time in the Alps as well. So far I had been skiing only in northern Finland. I was excited, enthusiastic and highly motivated to start my big journey.

I got a room in a nice little hostel, hosted by an American couple. I arrived in Chamonix in late January 1997. It was already night when I arrived, so I did not see much peaks around the valley. In the morning the sky was clear as I opened the window. I was shocked. I had never seen such high peaks and massive mountains so close. In that moment I knew it. I had arrived to the right place. I felt being at home.

I knew nobody in Chamonix and I arrived there alone. I understood I need to get together with other skiers in order to get myself to the backcountries, because that was the reasons why I was there. I started skiing with an Englishman sleeping in the same room. We went skiing in Argentiere which is few kilometers to North from Chamonix. I got my first touch to big mountains on the very first day. How did I feel? It was staggering. I was more than happy. It had been my dream for years and on that day I was living my dream.

I continued networking down in the valley. I went to bars and searched for other Finns. Soon I found myself skiing with very experienced and good skiers who took me to awesome places in the mountains. I was grateful. We went skiing fresh powder in large powder fields and we survived very steep and icy couloirs. We went skiing magic powder in forests and we had competition like “the last one down in the valley is gay!” We spent our evenings in a bar watching big mountain skiing on screen and drinking beer. It was the right way of living for me. I was happy to be there. During my first season I spent two months in Chamonix and during later seasons I spent 2-3 months in there.

Chamonix in review

Chamonix is a great place to ski if you are experienced and you are looking for backcountry experiences. There are pretty nice pistes in Chamonix as well, but for on-piste skiing Chamonix is not the best one. For those interested in climbing and mountaineering Chamonix is a must to visit. European climbing and mountaineering culture has developed mostly in Chamonix area because of Mont Blanc. If you are interested in feeling the mountaineering culture and understanding more about it, Chamonix is again worth to visit. Mont Blanc massive provides spectacular views and awesome objects for photographing. Diverse nature of Chamonix gives very many experiences all year round. Shortly said, you should go to Chamonix if you are interested in backcountry skiing, mountaineering, photographing, nature, mountain biking and trekking. Ok, when should you go elsewhere? I would say that other ski resorts provide you better experiences if you are looking for on-piste skiing, family skiing and nightlife. I have to mention is right away that nightlife in Chamonix is almost dead compared to St. Anton, Les 3 Vallée and other famous ski resorts. So, what is there in Chamonix? Let’s have a detailed look.

Chamonix is located directly under the highest peak in Western Europe, Mont Blanc (4807 m.), and it is surrounded by very steep and high peaks. Mountains around Chamonix valley provide an endless amount of routes to ski and climb. There are approximately 50 lifts in Chamonix and the ski area are a little bit scattered. There are busses circulating between the ski areas, and it seems to be the best and easiest way to move between ski areas. Busses are free for those who have a ski pass.

One of the ski areas in Chamonix, Les Grands Montets, has sometimes been called as the best unique ski area in the world. While Les Grand Montets provides great skiing for experienced, less experienced and beginners can find good slopes in Le Tour ski area. Beginners, who have never been skiing before, should start in Planards ski area in the middle of the valley. Pretty good off-piste skiing and very nice forests can be found in Le Brevent and Flegere ski areas. Those area located in southern mountain faces are very popular and easy to access from Chamonix village. For very experienced skiers, mountain climbers and backcountry skiers a lift from the village gives a ride up to L’Aiguille du Midi (3842 m.), one of the most staggering places to ski. All the slopes coming down from this peak are glaciers and sometimes risky (due to crevasses), so it is reasonable to hire a local guide to help skiing in from this high peak. If you feel skiing from L’Aiguille du Midi is too big challenge, you can always go there the awesome mountain view and shoot photographs. You can always take a lift back to valley.

Chamonix village, with 10.000 inhabitants, provides a number of shops and restaurants where you can spend your evenings. You can get information of the interesting history of Chamonix from skiing and alpine museum. Additionally Chamonix provides a swimming hall, indoor climbing and few atmospheric after ski bars. Even though after ski is quiet, but that is just a positive thing because you need to be fresh and ready to go every morning. Powder fields are destroyed in one hour after the ski lifts have been opened, so there is no time to sleep in Chamonix.

Chamonix facts

- 10.000 inhabitants
- 2.5 million tourists yearly
- 49 ski lifts
- 160 kilometers of pistes, 10 black pistes, 24 red pistes and 40 green and blue pistes
- No freestyle park, no half-pipes
- Village altitude 1042 meters, highest ski list station (L’Aiguille du Midi) 3842 meters
- Ski lifts open from 8:45 am to 4:45 pm
- Ski lift prices: See the latest prices in Chamonix website
- Ski rent 6 days 60-130 euros
- Cross-country skiing routes 95 kilometers
- Restaurants about 200 and nightclubs 5
- Credit cards accepted Visa, American Express, Euro/Mastercard
- Websites: www.chamonix.com, www.chamonet.com , www.chamonix.net

Images source.