Bored of easy-peasy skiing? Then check out Chamonix
People come to Chamonix to do crazy things,’ says our taxi driver, as a car whizzes past us pulling a man on a skateboard. Yes, crazy, but Chamonix also has a hardcore reputation, attracting adrenaline junkies, powder-hounds and skiers who think long lunches waste prized piste time.
little more than an hour from Geneva Airport, Chamonix is perfectly positioned for a high-octane weekend — and there’s no shortage of snow this season.
But let’s be clear: it is not geared towards beginners. Boarders and skiers alike come for the formidably steep descents and iconic off-piste routes, such as the Vallée Blanche — a 12-mile decline from the top of the 3,842m-high Aiguille du Midi, accessed only via a steep ridge with sheer drops.
Where you stay is important, because Chamonix isn’t a ski-in, ski-out destination. We are billeted in the Rockypop, a cool concept hotel that opened last year on the outskirts of family friendly les Houches, a short bus ride from Chamonix Centre.
Rooms are basic, but affordable. Dorm rooms for 12 equate to just £6 per person per night. Ski season workers swarm here in the evenings for wood-fired pizzas or signature cocktails. It’s a fun-filled, sociable outpost. It’s also a good place to discover the best skiing for the next day from locals at the bar. We head to the 3,300m summit of les Grands Montets after insiders tell us it offers the most challenging off-piste skiing and plenty of steep, deep runs.
From the top, you have the option of two non-pisted black runs, or some excellent glacier skiing. Conditions force us down the blacks — a hair-raising icy drop, followed by endless moguls.
legs burning, we stop for lunch at the Chalet Refuge de lognan, a remote restaurant accessed by a red run from the Herse chairlift. The hearty, home-made food comes courtesy of Zian Charlet, a renowned mountain guide (his grandfather was Armand Charlet, who famously climbed the Mont Blanc Massif 100 times). Afterwards, Zian drags us back on to the mountain using his snowmobile and a rope.
We finish our trip snowshoeing by moonlight up to les Vieilles luges, a 250-year- old Alpine farm serving classic Swiss-style fondue. It’s not the easiest way to get to dinner, but it sums up Chamonix perfectly — hard work, but rewarding.