Latest posts for the topic "General questions about Chamonix..."

General questions about Chamonix...

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:52:05 GMT

Sorry if I'm echoing what others have asked her, but I used the search function and nothing really answered my questions.

I just need some insider information on Chamonix, as myself, the other half and 3 friends are staying self catered for a week at the end of January through to start of February.

Although not exactly experienced, I'm quite competent on skis, having been to Breckenridge, Vail, Keystone and Arapahoe (very spoilt for my first skiing experience!!!). Unfortunately everyone else will be beginners, with at most about 6 hours tuition on dry slopes back here in the UK.

What areas are best for the bulk of our skiing, bearing in mind I'll be with beginners? From what I can gather Brevent/Flegere will be a good bet for most of the days, as they're close by (we're staying a 10-15 minute walk west of chamonix centre).

Is paying for the Mont Blanc unlimited pass overkill? I'm unsure whether we'll get the best out of it, and costs are a factor for some of my group.

What are prices like in Chamonix? Beer, food etc. I'm expecting it to be expensive, and for this to be compounded by the weak pound against the euro. Would we be best off buying drinks and food in for the apartment and heading into town a bit later on in the evening?

Does anybody have any recommendations for other worthwhile experiences other than the skiing? I'd be quite keen on taking the Tramway Du Mont Blanc up to the top, but this is made less attractive by the prospect of Les Houches being closed for the season (any updates on this?).

How about recommendations for bars/restaurants etc for a night out?

Sorry for the 1st post essay. I got a bit carried away.

Cheers in advance!!!

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:13:41 GMT

Welcome to J2ski Hoop

Chamonix is a great destination and has enough skiing for all standards. The nicest (IMHO) area with easy skiing is Le Tour/Vormaine. You can get there on the free ski bus, or drive up if you have a car. It's a very friendly area with some tree lined skiing for poor vis days.

Food prices in Chamonix are not terribly eye watering, compared to other resorts. There is a decent supermarket right in the centre of town, it's easy to miss, it only looks small, but it's a bit like the Tardis inside. There are also a number of mini markets, with a good range of fresh veg and meal bases.
Eating out prices are whatever you want. If you are watching the pennies, there is even a McDo. Some of the smart restaurants are clearly geared to fleecing the tourists, so do some window shopping on the 1st couple of nights.

The Mont Blanc pass is pricey, you might want to buy the Chamonix pass, and see if you can buy an upgrade on the day if you feel inclined.

Take your whole party up to the Aguille du Midi, you can go right up to the needle, and see who gets the altitude headache 1st

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:29:44 GMT

Thanks for the welcome and info, bandit. We've got a car for the week, so we're pretty flexible.

We'll be arriving lunchtime/evening on 28 Jan, so we'll be skiing from the next day. Our plan was to do a quick scout round the town on the first night, so it sounds like we should find places that suit our tastes and budget.

I know peak periods can be pretty bad for lift queues, but what about the week we're going (28 jan to 4 feb)?

Am I right in assuming that we can expect good snow? I know there's no guarantees, but from what I've read, the chances seem good.

Also, are there free detailed piste maps available at all of the ski areas?
The maps we had in Breckenridge et al in America were fantastically detailed, making the pistes easy to navigate.

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:16:47 GMT

As you will have a car to drive up to Chamonix, may I suggest doing your party's big shop in Sallanches, which is the last valley town before you start the climb up.
For rather large and tasty burgers, decent music and a good vibe, try the Poco Loco in the main Chamonix shopping street. It's only tiny, but has more space upstairs.

With a car, you can dodge the queues, as the week progresses folks start to feel more confident, leading to a big crowd at Argentiere on a Friday
I have always had good snow in Chamonix, here's some in April 2007...

You can ask for a map with your lift tickets, as the areas are quite separate, it's hard to get lost.

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:37:51 GMT

Cheers bud...all good stuff there!

Anybody else got any general tips/info to share?

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:09:23 GMT

Le Tour is a great place for beginners. It's also the least expensive for a day pass. Good snow and easy - open slopes. Probably much less crowded than Grands Montets area which would be quite busy and intimidating for a complete beginner, though fine for early/intermediate.

Have fun!

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:03:32 GMT

steverandomno wrote:Le Tour is a great place for beginners. It's also the least expensive for a day pass. Good snow and easy - open slopes. Probably much less crowded than Grands Montets area which would be quite busy and intimidating for a complete beginner, though fine for early/intermediate.

Have fun!

AFAIR the prices for all the hills are now the same, as one company runs the entire system. Agree with all the other points tho

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:40:26 GMT

In fact my picture here was taken late December 2007 at Le Tour, which is where I recommend you head, due to the tree cover if it gets a bit windy. On this particular day, we were just over the crest (which had all the snow blown off by 1pm) and heading towards the tree line on the other side which was pure joy (condition wise and emptiness wise as no-one else was willing to make the initial effort)
If it does start windy-ing up, then most of the other pisted areas become uncomfortable ski-ing.

Please bear in mind that moving between the different areas is a time consuming process. Plan to ski in one area, for the whole of one day. We tended to stay in Le Tour for most of the week due to the exceptional high winds. I would have loved to experience more areas but the snow had all blown away.

If you go to Flegere, check the return of the last cable car. It does tend to leave early-ish, (15.30). SO to make the most of your day there, it's essential to be on the first car up the hill (the other annoying thing is that it's 20 mins between each car)

On more practical notes, if you are hire-ing ski stuff, then I suggest you head to one of the 'Sport 2000' franchises- same choice, but cheaper than that other company recommended on here.

If you or any of your party have even in the slightest inkling of ever considering buying a pair of ski boots, then please hold off until you have a proper professional boot fitting by Jules at Sanglard Sports (you'll need to book but well worth it)

Check my entry from early in 2008 and you'll see why I'm so enthused by his work.

There are more suggestions I will divulge when I recall them. Most of them involve dancing all night to house music, if you like that kind of pre-ski warm-up excercise !

If you are an expert off piste ski-ier then all the above will be minor niggles.

I hope you have an awesome trip, and I hope you have an opportunity to dance.

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:47:40 GMT

If you want poorly prepared rental kit then the Sport 2000 franchise is the place to head for. The last time I used them I wrote and complained afterwards and got a partial refund from the contracting agent.Apparently mine was not the first complaint they had received. A quick look at the rental racks will tell you what you need to know. If you are renting, don't pre-book, make sure you see the gear 1st.

It's perfectly feasible to ski 2 separate Chamonix hills in one day, I have done it.

If you are skiing Flegere, don't forget that it's linked with Brevent, so you can head up one side and down the other if you wish, and buses connect the base areas.

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:17:53 GMT

Doesn't hiring in resort carry extra cost though? I've been looking at hiring from this website:

http://www.snowrental.net/be/ski.asp

who use the following shops:

Skiloc
Proski
Location des Planards

Or this website:

http://www.snowpack-plus.com/uk/ski-rental.php

who use Intersport.

Anybody have any experience with either of these websites or any of these shops?

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:25:20 GMT

Yes, you could pay more, then again, if you pay less would you want your holiday ruined for the sake of GBP10 difference.
I have also used Cham Sport at the railway station end of town. They were okay, not brilliant, but at least the rental kit was of recent manufacture, and the skis had been edged.

AFAIR, Snowrental is the company from whom I received a partial refund.

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:07:48 GMT

bandit wrote:
I have also used Cham Sport at the railway station end of town. They were okay, not brilliant, but at least the rental kit was of recent manufacture, and the skis had been edged.

So I should be OK if I rent from here? :

http://www.chamsport.com/ski-rental/booking.php

They're offering 15% discount at the moment for our dates. That makes it 70 Euro for "green slope" skis, and 88 for "blue slope".

What will the difference between green and blue skis be, anyway? Will the better skis be worth the extra, or will the green be adequate for beginners (my friends) and intermediates (me...kind of)?

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:31:55 GMT

Hoop I rented from Cham Sport as a walk in. This meant I was able to look at the equipment before parting with any money. If you prebook/prepay, you lose the right to walk without losing money and feeling cheated. You might get a description of the models, but you cannot see the condition of the kit before you pay.
If a rental shop or 3rd party agency is offering a discount, it will be to shift kit. It will be the stuff that gets left behind when all the shiny skis have been taken (huge generalisation).
I cannot say if you will be okay or not by renting with Chamsport, they are a part of the Twinner chain, so on a par with the local Intersport.

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:44:11 GMT

Bandit

I know that you know an awful lot more than me about skis but I suspect you are being a bit harsh on Sport 2000. In my experience, the hire shops vary enormously regardless of which franchise they are with and you can be lucky or unlucky. However, I do accept that you need to be fairly demanding in any ski shop if you want good quality kit. Unfortunately, most skiers simply don't know what good kit is other than liking something that looks new and shiny and I include myself in that category .

I have used Snowrental/Sport2000 for the past few years and have not noticed any particular problems with their gear - of course, it is possible that I have been given crap and not known the difference .

However, there is no doubting that their online prices are significantly cheaper than walking in off the street, usually 40% lower. Given that the OP and his pals are pretty much beginners, do they really need to be very fussy about their equipment - within reason of course, nobody is going to enjoy their skiing in clapped out old skis

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:16:40 GMT

Wanderer wrote:

.

However, there is no doubting that their online prices are significantly cheaper than walking in off the street, usually 40% lower. Given that the OP and his pals are pretty much beginners, do they really need to be very fussy about their equipment - within reason of course, nobody is going to enjoy their skiing in clapped out old skis

At least the OP and his friends could learn how to recognise dull edges and sloppy bindings.
Better still, the beginners could learn before they go,then the worst bits of learning are over and done.
I do think they need to be fussy, there are safety issues to be considered, plus, if the beginners have a poor experience because the hire kit is tat, then they won't be back.
They might have a poor experience for lots of other reasons, but some things can be controlled.
Folks here, seem to be fixated on the % saving, and losing focus on the big picture.

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:21:20 GMT

I understand what you're saying bandit, so please don't think your opinions and warnings are going unheeded. Unfortunately, for some of my group, budget is a massive consideration, so we may have to take a chance on web hire and hope that the kit is serviceable.

On that point, is there a hard and fast way to recognise skis that have or haven't been properly prepared?

I emailed Cham sport on this point and this was their reply:

Hi,

All the ski are prepared, and the edges are done after the end of the rent .

Regards,

CHAM' SPORT

I know they could claim whatever they wanted, but at least they've taken the time to get back to me on an important point.

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:40:47 GMT

Hoop I understand where you are coming from on this. I do hope you will be taking the email with you, nice one

Ski edges should be smooth and sharp enough to take a shaving from a fingernail. Bases should be smooth, free of gouges, freshly waxed and scraped back to reveal the base structure.
Bindings should hold the boot without any loose movement, no slop. There should be no excessive gouging on the glide plate under the toe piece.

Everyone in your party should have a multi tool of some sort with them on the hill, they are handy for quick repairs, though most lift stations do have tools on a rack outside, you may not be at a lift when you need them.

I got caught out recently, with brand new test skis, and a faulty binding brake. One ski sped off by itself onto a crevassed glacier area, and no way could I go after it, much too dangerous. I did get the ski back, I was lucky, someone picked it up lower down and returned it.
It serves me right for not doing my own checks.

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:45:03 GMT

Hoop - you'll get a minimum of 20% discount off the walk-in price with SkiSet, our partners for Ski Hire, so worth your while to check a quote from them. I'm not sure of your dates but if outside the peak weeks the discount may be 25% or more.

They have an Economy range and, even for this, guarantee that all skis will be serviced (edges and wax) prior to each hire.

You can check your appropriate ski category on our Chamonix Ski Hire page or get a quote (and book) via http://chamonix.skiset.co.uk/j2ski/.

Re:General questions about Chamonix...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:45:33 GMT

bandit wrote:Hoop I understand where you are coming from on this. I do hope you will be taking the email with you, nice one

Ski edges should be smooth and sharp enough to take a shaving from a fingernail. Bases should be smooth, free of gouges, freshly waxed and scraped back to reveal the base structure.
Bindings should hold the boot without any loose movement, no slop. There should be no excessive gouging on the glide plate under the toe piece.

Great info. Cheers, bandit. If i decide to go with Cham sport then I will definitely be taking the email with me.

Admin Thanks for the link. The economy range looks more than good enough for our needs. That's another option well worth considering...good prices. We go out on 28 January, so I think that falls outside peak times...25% discount I believe