Adventure: Chamonix — SpiritScout

February 2025

If you want a truly authentic alpine experience at a legendary destination in the Alps, you must visit Chamonix. ‘Cham’, as the locals call it, rests happily beneath the benevolent shadow of Mont Blanc. This breathtakingly beautiful area—a jewel in the French crown—shimmers with the vitality of rugged mountain landscapes and sunny cerulean skies. The town effortlessly blends French sophistication with old-world charm and everybody sports sexy parkas and bronzed cheeks. I’m pretty sure I saw Jean-Claude Killy dancing at an apres-ski bar wearing a Moraity hat.

The rich history of this political and cultural borderland has left its mark on the landscape and in the hearts of the fiercely independent people of Savoie. The House of Savoy ruled this intrepid region from 1032 to 1860, until it was annexed by France. Emperor Napoleon III signed a secret agreement in 1858 promising military support for the Piedmont area of Italy against the Austrian Empire. In return, Italy ceded Nice and the Duchy of Savoie to France. My favorite historical note about Chamonix is that it was the first host of the Winter Olympics in 1924.

Savoyarde architecture is a style that combines traditional and modern elements including alpine chalets, renovated barns and stables, and Baroque churches. Chamonix is a charming mix of traditional and funky scapes, with plenty of cozy cafes, spas, and retail to explore.

To put the area in perspective, Chamonix sits in a valley next door to the Les 3 Valles area. Les 3 Valles consists of three valleys with several popular mountain towns: Courchevel, Meribel, CVal Thorens, Saint Martin De Belleville, Reberty, and Les Menuires. This ski area is bigger than the largest five resorts in North America combined. With 180 lifts and 372 miles of skiing trails, it is seamlessly linked by high-speed chairlifts and hosts some of the most idyllic and luxurious towns in Europe.

Chamonix is comprised of several independent ski areas and a town unto itself. Unlike Les 3 Vallées, it's not a single, interconnected resort. Rather, it's a valley with several distinct ski areas, each with its own lift system and character, for a total of 51 lifts. While Chamonix doesn't have the same level of interconnectedness as Les 3 Vallées, it offers a diverse range of skiing experiences, from gentle slopes to challenging off-piste terrain, that is manageable for a week’s vacation. Chamonix also has bragging rights to the famous off-piste Vallée Blanche, the longest ski run in the world. Our Icon pass was good for all of Chamonix, and there was plenty of skiing to enjoy: Vallorcine, Brévent, Flégère & Grand Montets, Domaine De Balme/Le Tour, Aiguille du Midi, and Les Houches.

Day 1: We departed BTV@ 9:35 am to IAD on United (5-hour layover IAD-Dulles) and our gate, C-7 United, was next door to a beautiful United lounge. This is a great layover if you find yourself at Dulles. We had a productive and relaxing respite with our free passes issued courtesy of our United credit card.

Big, not bossy, Mont Blanc stands silent sentry over the charming village of Chamonix.

Day 2: Arrived Geneva, Switzerland (GVA )@7:35 am. We rented a Toyota LandCruiser which is a huge rig, but barely contained the four of us with ski gear and luggage. Our car was spanking new, and only slightly more expensive than a round-trip car service from Geneva. Since we planned to visit a few of the ski villages in neighboring valleys, the car rental option made sense. After 1.5 hours of travel, we arrived at our fairy-tale lodgings, the Hotel Mont-Blanc. Established in 1849 and beautifully maintained, this legendary property is a timeless testament to luxury, history, and natural splendor.

The red-eye travel challenge is to stay awake all day until regular bedtime, so we wandered around the main plaza area, Rue du Doctuer Paccard, exploring the quirky side streets. Chamonix is postcard charming with many shops, bakeries, and bars tucked within the envelope of the majestic Alps range. Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps (and Western Europe), sits quietly nearby. At 15, 774 feet, it is not showy like the Matterhorn, so you need a local to orient you to its peak at first sight. There are lots of sunny cafés to enjoy a mid-day meal, and the spunky French enjoy dining al fresco— even in deep winter—which I loved.

Around 2 pm we checked into Hotel Mont Blanc and were delighted with our rooms. We asked for a humidifier because the air is very dry, and that proved to be a godsend. The combination of swimming in the outdoor pool and steaming in the sauna helped us to stay awake for a 7 pm dinner reservation at the hotel’s Michelin star ‘Le Matafan’. We enjoyed a superb meal with a relaxing Savoyarde vibe—lots of handsome plaid shirts checkered the room—and the wonderfully attentive service made us feel welcomed and pampered.

La Cabane des Planches has great fondue but can be tricky to find. Le Monchu in town is a nice alternative to discovering traditional fare.

Day 3: Brévent, Flégère, and Grand Montets. After an exquisite buffet breakfast at Le Matafan ($35- make a reservation & go!), we met up with @Bine Zalohar, our guide extraordinaire from our recent Slovenia climbing trek, who also happens to be a winter ski guide in Chamonix. Bine introduced us to three areas that made for a busy ‘survey ski day’. It was bluebird gorgeous, 35 degrees, with lovely packed powder spring-like conditions. We took every lift, gondola, cable car, and poma on offer to explore the Brévent, Flégère, and Grand Montets areas, and we loved it all. We skied groomers blue, red, and black, but did not go off-piste, which is a big attraction here if you know what you are doing. By late afternoon, we were ready for lunch, and Bine took us on a circuitous route to discover La Cabane des Planches. This mountain hut is located at 2,600 meters and serves traditional French cuisine. Famished from a full day in the fresh air, we ordered the fondue, which was sensational.

Day 4: Domaine De Balme. We took the hotel shuttle to the town of Le Tour which is twenty minutes from Chamonix and spent a lovely day skiing on the open glacier. It was great fun—blue to black difficulty—very skiable, with wide open trails and lots of sunshine. We skied Le Buet, Montroc, and Le Tour. We had a delicious lunch at L’Alpage de Balme @2pm. (Alternatively, Le Comptoir des Alpes or Le Panoramic are good casual cafés.) After a swim and a rest, we walked around town and enjoyed drinks and delicious tapas at Le Pele bar. Cap Horn is their main restaurant, and I highly recommend booking a reservation here— the dining room is magical.

Skier’s Super Smoothie: Banana, Oat Milk, Dates, Peanut Butter, Protein Powder, & Cinnamon. This combo will keep you ripping for hours. Thank you, Artic, we love you!

Day 5: Megeve. Suffering from breakfast buffet fatigue, we walked three minutes to town to pick up smoothies at Artic Juice & Café 210 Rue Jospef Vallot, and a variety of baked goodies (across the street) at Chalet 4810. We loaded the car and drove an F-1-worthy road to the glitzy town of Megeve, about 45 minutes away. Parking was easy at Mont d’Abrios. All we had to do was take an elevator to the lift area and purchase ski tickets ($50/4 hours or $55/day for seniors) since this area was not included with our Icon pass.

To put things in perspective, this is just one of many ‘modest’ local ski areas—with 80 lifts to boot! We enjoyed the slower vibe of this place—it’s not a favorite of the ‘Bomber Boyz’ (young boarders and skiers)—so we could relax a little more on the beautiful corduroy groomers. Mont d’Abrios is the gondola access for lunch at the Four Seasons ‘Ideal 1850’ slope-side restaurant, and we were excited about our deck-side 2:30 lunch reservation. You do not have to ski to reach the Idéal 1850 restaurant, guests can take the Mont d’Arbois gondola lift to reach the restaurant at 6,069’. This Giorgio Armani-designed restaurant makes for amusing people-watching and serves the best GD $50 waygu beef burger (with a panoramic view) you’ll ever taste.

Day 6: Brevant & Aiguille du Midi. A morning ski at Brevant for some; others opted for a workout/swim/walking program today—everybody’s happy! We met at noon for a ride on the Cable Car Aiguille du Midi, excited to view the Vallée Blanche trail up close and enjoy the observation tower and museum at the top. Tickets for the round-trip tour (not skiing) were purchased online before we queued up in the town square for our assigned reservation time. There is a cafe at the top—even better, plan to bring a picnic if the day is warm. Visit Le Refuge Payot on the main drag of town to provision—they sell every delicacy you could desire for a Savoyarde-style lunch. This iconic 2 stage cable car took us to a breathtaking 12,602 ‘ altitude, offering stunning panoramic views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding peaks. Plan on two to three hours, depending upon how long you linger at the top. An added value is the thrill of seeing the courageous ‘ski-fliers’ launch off the cliffs airlifted by colorful parachutes. They look like spiders with toothpicks attached to their feet—it is wild to watch!

SPA Time: The Clarins Spa at our hotel was pretty nice, but I had read about a Relais & Chateau property called Hameau Albert 1er, so we booked late afternoon treatments and enjoyed the ten-minute walk from our hotel to 38 Rte de Bouchet. The property is rustic/quirky—not your typical R&C—but charming enough, with a Michelin-starred restaurant and chic Quartz Bar. This was not a swanky spa facility-wise, and we felt a bit leery at first—but a stellar hot stone massage and herbal scrub wrap restored our confidence and resuscitated us for the ski days ahead. We met our guys in the Quartz bar for a drink, then walked to dinner at Jovi, which offers outstanding pizza and salads in a casual setting. Their cookie collection borders on the obscene.

Day 7: Brévent and Flégère: We opted for one last big breakfast buffet before gearing up for another bluebird blast. I must admit I am getting pretty spoiled by Max, my boot ‘manny’. Every delicious morning, Max brings me heated ski boots and assists in the process of buckling me up for the day. He makes sure I have my skis, my pass, my lipstick—and he even drops me off at the lift. I love skiing. I love Max.

We have just learned that Chamonix will be swarming with families, nannies, and strollers come Saturday (the day we depart) as Europe goes on school break for the next three weeks. (Max will be extra busy!) We cannot believe our dumb luck in scheduling our trip this first week of February, I will have to be more alert to this variable in my future planning. With no crowded lines, we hop the tram to the top and enjoy another spectacular view and the most challenging skiing we’ve had all week. We also ski by the launch area for the paragliders and revel in the thrill of watching them up close as they soar into the void—imagine flying like that! We consider it for a hot minute and then ski on.

SHOPportunity. One can survey shop Chamonix in a couple of hours, it doesn’t feature a wide variety of retail, like Zermatt. That said, they do have excellent optical shops with cool Euro-style frames at exceptional prices. They also have many beautiful ski shops for upgrading your ski kit with brands I have not seen in the US. I suggest packing light and purchasing something new to sport on vacation. I loved the Hiver shop and its array of little luxuries for the home and unusual gifts. One of my travel Pals is a vintage nut, so we tried on some OG ski wear at the ‘Oh My Dressing’ vintage shop, and the quality of the materials and craftsmanship made me swoon with nostalgia. Tired of wandering on our ski legs, we met our guys for a quick drink at Le Pele on Rue des Moulins. This is the main drag for the most interesting restaurants and bars, and it sparkles at night with apres-ski revelers packed into cozy outdoor lounges. A word to the wise: Chamonix etiquette dictates that you make a reservation wherever you plan to eat. We were lucky to book at Munchie, so we crossed the street from Le Pele and were treated to a magical meal. Munchie is an Asian-fusion tapas-style restaurant that I would give my left pinkie to have in my town.

Day 8: Grands Montets. Engaging with nature at this exhilirating level is always thrilling, gratifying—and terrifying. The environment and conditions were exceptional, but we also skied on high alert, navigating our way around a vast range of skier ability as they scissored down the mountain. In Vermont, we know where to ski and how to avoid the weekend warriors. On vacation, we are at the mercy of all the Jerrys and jerks who have decided to ‘try’ skiing—like it’s a new latte flavor and not a high-risk skill. I had a six-foot, 200-pound kid fly over my right shoulder as he collided with unwitting skiers, causing an epic string of wipeouts. It was a very lucky miss for me. When I finally caught up to him with a fiery ‘WTF?!’ his jolly reply was ‘Oui Madam—out of control!’ One thing about ski bums growing older is that we are a little more anxious about our safety, and we comprehend the consequences of a collision with our aging bones at a much more intense level. As a result, the final ski day is always a mixture of wistfulness (bidding au revoir to a beautiful place) and profound relief that we will do so in one piece.

We took one last swim in the lovely outdoor pool and then had early burgers at Poco Loco, a hoot of a joint not to be missed. We packed our gear and prepared for the next day’s drive to Geneva, departing at 7 am for an 11:20 flight. When traveling GVA again, I would add an hour to the schedule as the airport was mobbed with lines everywhere (except United, thankfully); it felt like we cut it a bit tight. The trip was flawless all around—we loved Chamonix and cannot wait to explore this gorgeous area more. Ironically, upon our return to Vermont, we discovered two feet of fresh champagne snow on our deck amidst Vermont’s best winter in eight years. Poweeeeee!

It took me a while to figure out this area when I began to plan our trip. Here's a summary of the key ski areas and their lift systems:

1. Aiguille du Midi

Aiguille du Midi Cable Car: This iconic 2 stage cable car takes you to a breathtaking altitude, offering stunning panoramic views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding peaks. From here, you can access challenging off-piste terrain like the Vallée Blanche. (More advanced skiing.)

2. Grands Montets

Grands Montets Lift System: This system provides access to a wide variety of slopes, from gentle cruisers to steep, challenging runs. It's a popular choice for both beginners and advanced skiers.

3. Brévent-Flégère

Brévent-Flégère Lift System: This system offers a mix of slopes for all abilities as well as stunning panoramic views of the valley. It's a great option for families and those looking for a more relaxed skiing experience. 2 mountains are linked by cable car. Note: The run down to Chamonix is a taxing black diamond, so if you are tired, take the cable car down.

4. Les Houches

Les Houches Lift System: This system provides access to a variety of slopes, including some challenging off-piste terrain. It's a good choice for intermediate and advanced skiers. It is the only ski in-ski out option from the town of Chamonix; bus or car is still advisable. Parking does not appear to be an issue as there are large lots and cheap rates.

5. Le Tour

Le Tour Lift System: This system offers a more tranquil skiing experience with gentle slopes and stunning mountain views. It's a good option for beginners and families.

6. Vallorcine off piste

Vallorcine Lift System: This system provides access to a variety of slopes, including some challenging off-piste terrain. It's a good choice for intermediate and advanced skiers.

Fat biking

Yes—there is fat biking, and no, we did not have time to indulge. You can head to Les Contamines, forty minutes southwest of Chamonix, and try fat biking. Cycling enthusiasts will love a ride featuring breathtaking views of Mont Blanc and the Alps. Spinning through snowy trails on a fat e-bike with wide tires adapted to winter conditions is simply a blast. If you can ride a bike, you can ride a fat bike. A professional guide provides tips on how to maneuver and enjoy the ride.

I’d love to hear from you—feel free to send your comments to me. Please share this post with a friend :) and thank you for reading!