Why Chamonix Is France’s Most Iconic Ski Area

[@ldmeyers21]

Went there for spring break this year. It was our second time skiing as a family. My two older kids were fine, but my youngest and my wife had difficulty at Flegere and Brevent.

[@RD1R]

Alright so crowds stay low

[@russdpipes]

I had trouble just because the conditions were deceiving in appearance, all the off piste terrain between trails looked like fresh powder, but ended up being crunchy hard ice. upper elevations of grand montet didnt have that issue as it was north facing

[@ldmeyers21]

@@RD1Rwe were there in early April and crowds were not bad at all.

[@Jeckyll859]

By far, the most informative video I have seen yet!

[@djdksf1]

I was there for 9 days in Jan. 2018 and had a fantastic time. I was lucky enough to know someone that lived there who made a really good guide. We spent two days at Grand Montet, which is truly majestic and pretty spicy in certain areas. The first couple days I was skiing with colleagues after a decent storm and we did Brevant the first day, then we hired guides to take us into the backcountry behind LaTour (amazing and mostly untracked) and the next day the Valle Blanche, which should be on any serious skier's bucket list. Visibility was crap that day, but the views were still jaw dropping and the crampon ridge traverse redefined the term 'pucker' for me. Bottomless drop on both sides. Yikes. We took some beginner Dutch friends to Les Houche one day too and had fun skiing and day drinking. 😁 The town is awesome. We spent a couple of nights hanging out at Maison des Artiste, which is both a nightclub and a recording studio. Bands come and record during the day, then perform at night, and while we were there a very cool Brazilian band was staying all week - we danced what was left of our legs off!

[@igoplacessometimes]

peak rankings dropped, hell yes 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 more France, gentlemen!

[@CynthiaMidori]

Maaatteee 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 🔥🔥🔥 Thats the most comprehensive and detailed video for actual skiers / Snowboarders!! Thanks a lot ‼️ Subscribed straight away 🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@hdh4610]

Can't wait for the 3 Valleys review!

[@tribalbc]

I guess I would agree with your analysis from a tourist average skier perspective. In fact unless you are a hard charging expert there's not a lot in Cham besides the views. But for hardcore skiers and boarders it's a pilgrimage that must be made by all. Hopefully they get the top tram running soon on the Grand Montets as that and the Augille De Midi are what make Chamonix truly special.

[@kevinl8440]

I take Verbier over Cham for expert resort skiing. Cham is king for ski mountaineering. Totally different from resort skiing.

[@jarrettreckseidler]

THIS 👆 Cham is not actually that great for resort skiing, even if there are a few cool hidden stashes

[@Pigeonmilk89]

It’s all about the touring and mountaineering in Chamonix. The high quantity of experienced skiers make powder days brutal. You need to know what you’re doing before visiting. Or hire a guide.

[@zaphod4245]

I wouldn't call Chamonix quintessential (quintessential means typical, which Chamonix certainly isn't), it's quite a unique place tbh and is a very different experience to most European resorts. I would describe Cham as the holy grail of off piste skiing, and the 3 valleys as the holy grail of piste skiing. Espace Killy (Val d'Isere and Tignes) is the perfect mix of the two imo and is my favourite resort in the world. Chamonix has some amazing off piste runs, but it's pretty crap if you want pisted skiing and/or don't want to have the bother of hiring a guide and carrying avi gear. There aren't much pisted runs, it's all broken up, and the pistes aren't particularly interesting. 3V has the biggest selectionn of pistes, but it's very piste dense, so there's little area for off piste skiing, as most of the slopes which are skiable are already marked runs. EK has many amazing pistes which Cham lacks, but it's much less piste dense than 3V (for context EK and 3V both cover roughly the same area, but EK has half the pistes), which means there are lots of unpisted areas left for off piste skiing while still within reach of the lifts, many of which are incredible. Also leaving some or all blacks ungroomed is very common in France, but not in Austria, Switzerlad and Italy, where all pistes are groomed, including blacks. France uses a slightly different grading system to the rest of Europe, with a green category that the others lack. This means that French blues and reds tend to be harder than the same colours in other countries, and French blacks are harder than any marked runs in those countries, though Austria have their skiroutes and Switzerland has the orange itineraries which are eqivalent to the french blacks. One other point is that "trail", "lodge"/"lodging" and "tram" are americanisms, if you use those here many people will just give you a confused look or ask you what you mean, we generally say piste/run instead of "trail", cable car instead of "tram" and accomodation insead of "lodging". Obviously you could also use the local language if you speak it.

[@kingebas2873]

That last paragraph sounds like the English Premium meme. But also very interesting to hear this insight about regional/national differences.

[@DRL1320]

My gawd. The heart of darkness of the prestige language of the Brits. Damn.

[@dhowe5180]

I skied there six years ago. Spectacular skiing

[@TheSlipperySlope]

Chamonix is great for mountaineering and steep skiing, but for “regular”skiing, I much prefer Verbier.

[@kevinl8440]

I just posted that before i saw this comment. Yeah Cham doesn't have great expert resort skiing. It is all about mountaineering. Not only would i easily put Verbier at top i would also put St Anton, Engelberg, Andermatt, Val d Isre, and probably a couple others over Cham for expert skiing.

[@asdfghjkl10531]

Did you ever make videos for all of the other Mountains in the breakdown table? I couldn't find one for Veribier 4 Vallees. Possibly being edited?

[@PeakRankings]

Verbier and Les 3 Vallees are still in the works!

[@asdfghjkl10531]

Awesome to hear, thanks for all the content! Incredibly useful and informative

[@franzroth2830]

​@@PeakRankingsyall should hit the jungfrau region this winter, that one's an 11 for mountain aesthetics

[@ConnorMcDermott-ct6ms]

Great vid

[@PatrickDerocher]

Love these videos, but volunteering to speak French on all future videos.

[@stoeon]

Good infomation!

[@wobbecraft]

you guys should cover the paradiski area, it is very big and versatile

[@russdpipes]

While technically not part of Chamonix, did you get a chance to go across mont Blanc to Courmayer? Its also on the MBU pass, but im suspecting no, because i assume you were just using the IKON pass. I had just as much if not more fun there then Grand Montet . The snow conditions were night and day better, especially on the upper north facing slope, which had some awesome steep trees with an awesome view of the south face of Mont Blanc right in your face. too bad I cant post a picture here.

[@benbatho6880]

Just checking. Can you go from Chamonix to Courmayeur on one lift pass while keeping on piste? I can’t see it clearly spelt out online. I assume it’s the unlimited pass?

[@russdpipes]

@@benbatho6880 you can buy the MBU pass and use it at courmayer, but you have to show it at their window to claim your courmayer pass. as for "keeping on piste", that is a no. in order to get to courmayer you need to drive or take the bus through the tunnel to italy. we were able to getdiscounted bus tickets for $15 a person round trip with the MBU pass. the bus ride takes like 30 mins (tunnel is slow), but drops you off at the skyway mont bianco lift right next to the val veny lift. or takes you into the town an drops you off at the bus station, which you can take a short shuttle to the main Dolonne lift. courmayer had the best conditions for our trip, especially if you go to the top and ski the north facing slope. my only regret was wishing my legs werent so tired from previous days

[@scottie10014]

Fun fact, if you have car, Chamonix is pretty close to Courmayeur in Italy, too

[@MerrittMcDaniel]

My rankings of the areas i went to 1. Le flegere 2. Le brevent 3. Les grands montets 4. Le tour 5. Les houches

[@dhowe5180]

Vallee Blanche?

[@philipmartin3902]

@@dhowe5180 aguille du midi is much more than Vallee Blanche

[@giggsmiller1]

Chamonix is probably my biggest love/hate resort - super convenient from the UK, lots of value accommodation which is easily bookable, and when you get a good off piste day, it is incomparable. The scenery and vertical I have found nowhere else, and that ridge down from the de midi cable car to top of the vallee Blanche is memorable whatever the conditions!! However buses connecting the resorts are beyond awful, the lift infrastructure is appalling, and yet the lift ticket is the same as 3 vallees, Val d’Isere etc which is ridiculous. It is a must for any serious skier but has a lot of downsides. If you can book late and time for the conditions then it can be top notch, failing that head for 3 Val’s, Val ‘Isere if heading to France - much better all round - although none of these are cheap!!

[@burninghops4449]

Now you need to hit Les Arcs, Tignes, and Val d'isere. And maybe Sainte Foy, but that's a secret. You're welcome. 😉

[@rudimatt3432]

Dude, sssh americans ruin everything, look what they did to poor Costa Rica, it’s vulgar.

[@philipmartin3902]

I'm not sure how Grand Montets only gets a 9 for challenge with runs like the Poubelle couloir, Rectiligne couloir, etc?

[@kevinl8440]

Because 10 is reserved for Verbier, St Anton, Engelberg, Andermatt, La Grave and Val d Isre.

[@grizzkid795]

I think those couloirs are outside the ski area boundary and the rating is for the inbounds lift served terrain. You generally need a guide for those unless you live in Chamonix all your life.

[@josephrosner905]

nice

[@stevezun]

I'm here for the très français pronounciations.

[@MrHariSheldon]

You will never find a ski region in Europe that has the same amount and quality of snow as in North America. There's just too much continent between the ocean and the Alps... Not sure how fair it is to use North America as the baseline in this regard.

[@kevinl8440]

I have been in 700" inch winters and many 600" winters in NA. I will take a 200" winter in Europe over them. 3 foot of snow in NA gets skied out in minutes. 6 inches stays fresh for weeks in Europe.

[@andrew.l.5493]

Having skied at a number of the major American resorts and in Europe, I'd still rather ski in Europe as it's not a rip off like in the US.

[@adriankozubal]

gotta hit eur before the spot goes extinct its my bucket list but a goal

[@goodson77784]

I really like Mene ze pu pah.

[@unbekannt-lp8xm]

Love your videos. When have you been there?

[@christianwestling2019]

Its written in the description

[@unbekannt-lp8xm]

Haha. Sorry

[@cyberdog4453]

Great off piste but the Mecca for off piste would be le grave

[@DRL1320]

Piste is literally just French for trail people. (Well, also piste = dance floor.) So trail is truly more intelligible than pissed.

[@Cowskiman]

These kooks always find my recommendations:(

[@michaeldaly8282]

La Grave.

[@cvn6555]

Sounds great but not the place to take my wife. Good to know.

[@mleg7104]

You need to be a good to very good skier and spend at least a week in the Chamonix valley (and Courmayeur, and Vallorcine...) WITH A GUIDE to begin to understand you're only just starting to scratch the surface of the place. Those piste map acreage comparisons are all a bit meaningless, as although you CAN just ski the pistes, that really misses the point. The place is gigantic, mega-challenging and bloody dangerous too, if you're up to it...

[@rudimatt3432]

I don’t think you quite understand mountain culture, you coming from New York and all. You’ve gone to Europe, what once to ski and your giving commentary on alps skiing, seems a little premature to me.

[@mrmalware6472]

Again he's giving an American tourist perspective on it all, that's what the channel is. His ranking is consistent across all the reviews he does, and there isn't another KZbinr like that.

[@kingebas2873]

This guy has also been to nearly every ski resort in North America, and he's merely stating his opinion.

[@rudimatt3432]

@@kingebas2873 look it’s like being from Kansas and going around to various surf locations reporting on their worth. You can do it, but should you?

[@thomasmoll8822]

I’m only here to listen to an American trying to pronounce “aiguille”… 😜😇

[@jarrettreckseidler]

😂❤

[@IV-A]

This or Tignes/val d'isere? or some other? I want to go back to alps.

[@Know-it-all55]

Tignes/Val is so much better in every respect except for that it is slightly less convenient with a long ski bus ride from Geneva airport to resort. Ride from Lyon to Tignes is quite nice as well.

[@IV-A]

@@Know-it-all55 do you happen to now. Do you need to reserve bus/taxi from airport ahead of time or is there public public trasportation. I saw some that cost 85e trip.

[@MACCA0405]

@@IV-A reserve your transfer to tinges/val. A private transfer isn't too costly if you have a larger group/family. A Swiss taxi from GVA might cost 1500 euros- beware.. You could hire a ca which opens up St.Foy, Les Arcs and La Rosiere. . Public transport, unless it is an airport bus, is impossible.

[@MACCA0405]

@@Know-it-all55 it isn't so much better- it's just totally different.Chamonix is much closer to the airport (not slightly -save 3 hours), Cheaper- a lot-, has more challenging skiing -if you venture off piste-, has incredible scenery and is much better for non skiers as it is a town. . Chamonix is not good for families, generally not ski in/out, has an antiquated lift system and is low 1000 metres. Tignes/VD have much better pistes and lifts. As someone who has spent years in each they are just different. I would take my children/parents to Val D. I would take good skiers to Chamonix. My opinion- but you know it all.

[@IV-A]

@@MACCA0405 hey can i ask is 24.3.-30.3.2024 too late to go Tignes thinking of Snow conditions. Other time is 18.1.2024, what is better or is it a gamble?