Chamonix
The home of European mountaineering and extreme skiing, a place of pilgrimage for many, welcome to Chamonix Mont Blanc.
Chamonix is a resort unlinke any other, the town is apread along the valley floor, giving permanently spectacular views of the steep and high peaks all around. These include the Aiguille de Midi, a lift built in the 50's to a height of 3842m, the highest lift accessed skiing in the world- the famous 'Valley blanche' an unpisted avdenture into the high mountains. Complete with real and present danger, staggering views, and awesome skiing, hire yourself a guide and experience the Alps at thier best.
The town of Chamonix is a real and busy one, people live here year round, not just for 5 months of the year. There are nearly a hundred different bars and restaurants for you to choose from, plus a massive amount of shopping to be done. Chamonix historically was a pretty cheap resort, revolving around the mountaineers and skiiers that journeyed here, but in the last few years, the big brands and shops have made their way over, and the choice of shops reflects this, though there are still some good cheap places to be found.
The ski area consists of 5 seperate areas, not linked by lifts, spead across the valley. There is a free bus service werving the whole valley, but they aren't the most frequent in the world, and do get busy, so to make the most of the area a car is always recommmended.
Brevent is accessable from Chamonix centre, and links to Flegere. Grands Montets and Le Tour are located further down the valley towards Switzerland, whilst Les Houches is back up the valley, and also accessible on the tramway du mont blanc from St Gervais.
Chamonix is far from ideal for beginners. It is a resort best left for intermediates and experts - Whilst there is some good piste skiing to be found, there is only 130kms of pistes spread over the areas - and the lifts are set up so as to give fantastic access to serious off-piste and backcountry riding. There is a single beginner slope near the village centre, and Le Tour offers gentler slopes, but beginners will be much better catered for at St Gervais or Megeve.
The nightlife is pretty big in Cham, with a huge amount of bars offering the whole range from cheap seasonaire drinking holes, live music pubs and cocktail bars, though the late-night club scene is slightly limited.