Activities in Chamonix
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Téléphérique de l’Aiguille de Midi
Year-round the vertiginous Téléphérique de l’Aiguille de Midi cable car links Chamonix with the Aiguille du Midi. Halfway Plan de l’Aiguille (2317m) is a terrific place to start hikes or paraglide. In summer you will need to obtain a boarding card (marked with the number of your departing and returning cable car) in addition to a ticket. Advance phone reservations incur a €2 booking fee. Ensure that you bring warm clothes as even in summer the temperature rarely rises above -10°C at the top.
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Télécabine du Brévent
The highest peak on the western side of the valley, Le Brévent (2525m) has tremendous views of the Mont Blanc massif, myriad hiking trails, ledges to paraglide from and summit restaurant Le Panoramic. Reach it with the Télécabine du Brévent, from the end of rue de la Mollard, to midstation Planpraz (2000m), then continuing to the top.
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Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix
A pair of raquettes (snowshoes) is all you need to go stomping off through virgin powder and glistening forests. The Compagnie des Guides arranges tours around the Mont Blanc range from France to Switzerland and Italy, and romantic twilight tours through the forest with dinner. All prices include snowshoe hire and transport.
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Télécabine Panoramic Mont Blanc
From the Aiguille du Midi, between mid-May and mid-September you can go for a 30 minutes of mind-blowing scenery – think suspended glaciers and spurs, seracs and shimmering ice fields – in the small bubbles of theTélécabine Panoramic Mont Blanc to Pointe Helbronner (3466m) on the French–Italian border.
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Cham' Aventure
Thrill-seekers head here for canyoning (half/full day €65/99 per person), rafting (€37/130 for two hours/day) and hydrospeeding (€47/130 for two hours/day) on Chamonix' River Arve and the Dora Baltea in neighbouring Italy. Most activities are unsuitable for young children.
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Maison de la Montagne
Get the Mont Blanc lowdown here, opposite the tourist office. Inside is the highly regarded Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix; the École de Ski Français; and the Office de Haute Montagne, which has information on trails, hiking conditions, weather forecasts and refuges (mountain huts), and topoguides and maps that are free to consult.
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Skiing & Snowboarding
Chamonix skiing is the stuff of legend: glorious off-piste terrain, thrilling descents and unbeatable Mont Blanc views. It's so darn fantastic that skiers don't even mind that accessing the slopes involves lots of transport. Of Chamonix' nine main areas, Le Tour, Les Planards and Les Chosalets are best for beginners. For speed and challenge, it has to be Brévent-Flégère, above Chamonix, and Les Grands Montets, accessible from Argentière, 9km north of Chamonix. Boarders seeking big air zip across to the kickers and rails at Les Grands Montets snowpark and the natural half-pipe in Le Tour.
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Paragliding
Come summer, the sky above Chamonix is dotted with paragliders wheeling down from the heights. Tandem flights from Planpraz (2000m) cost €100 per person (€220 from the Aiguille du Midi). Paragliding schools include Summits and Les Ailes du Mont Blanc
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Mountaineering & High-Alpine Tours
Mountaineers and rock climbers make the pilgrimage to Chamonix in summer, when local guide companies offer exhilarating climbs for those with the necessary skill, experience and stamina, such as five-day rock-climbing courses (€585) and the incomparable Mont Blanc ascent (€785). For hikers, the big draw is the classic 12-day Tour du Mont Blanc (€1240), taking in majestic glaciers and peaks in France, Italy and Switzerland. The price includes half board in refuges, picnics, lift tickets and luggage transport.
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La Vallée Blanche
This mythical descent is the off-piste ride of a lifetime. A veritable obstacle course of a route, La Vallée Blanche takes four to five hours, leading from Aiguille du Midi over the crevasse-riddled Mer de Glace glacier and back through forest to Chamonix, covering 2800m of jaw-dropping vertical. Because of the obvious risks, it must only be tackled with a guide (guides can take a maximum of eight people in a group – add an extra €16 per additional person to the price above). Snowboarders require an even better level than skiers. Snow coverage is generally best in February and March.
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Lac Blanc
From the top of Les Praz l'Index Télépherique (cable car) or La Flégère, the line's midway point, gentle 1¼- to two-hour trails lead to 2352m Lac Blanc (literally 'White Lake'), a turquoise-coloured lake ensnared by mountains. Stargazers can overnight at the Refuge du Lac Blanc, a wooden chalet favoured by photographers for its top-of-Europe Mont Blanc views.
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Huskydalen
Ever fancied trying your hand at mushing? Huskydalen runs introductory courses from December to April. In summer try an old-fashioned version of dog-walking where the dog walks (read: drags) you from a harness.
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Grand Balcon Sud
This easygoing trail skirts the western side of the valley, stays at around 2000m and commands a terrific view of Mont Blanc. Reach it on foot from behind Le Brévent's télécabine station.
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Grand Balcon Nord
Routes starting from the Plan de l'Aiguille include the challenging Grand Balcon Nord, which takes you to the dazzling Mer de Glace, from where you can walk or take the Montenvers train down to Chamonix.
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Cycling Trails
Lower-altitude trails like the Petit Balcon Sud (250m) from Argentière to Servoz are perfect for biking. Most outdoor-activity specialists arrange guided mountain- biking expeditions.
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