Chamonix, Mont Blanc

Last week was spent with many of my favourite people covered in snow, taking daily hot tubs and filled to the brim on cheese and ‘Rare’ red wine. As some of my readers know, I was in Chamonix for one of my oldest friend’s weddings and followed up with a week long holiday on the slopes celebrating with many of the wedding party.

Chamonix is a gorgeous town sprawled out between the valley at the bottom of Mont Blanc, giving you incredible vistas every which way you turn. We arrived on a Friday to a full 3-day wedding extravanganza, starting with a welcome bottle of champers in our room in our chalet and a beautiful view, it was safe to say we were pretty content. We stayed at Chalet Mammoth about 10 mins from the town centre and would recommend a stay here for a large group of up to 12 people with a really great sociable set up and 6 bedrooms (all en-suite).

The next three days were a complete blur of friends, laughter, love, snow, incredible surroundings and booze-filled long lunches as all 70 of the wedding party enjoyed their time together with the new bride and groom…

After coming down to earth post wedding-celebrations, it was time to focus on the rest of the holiday and SKI. Chamonix is pretty spread out in terms of ski sections, so make sure you make use of the buses if you haven’t hired a car to get around (which sadly aren’t very frequent, so you need to plan your days well). The boys in our chalet were pros, whereas I prefer to pootle along a nice, wide, lengthy blue run so my personal favourite areas to ski are Les Houches and Le Tour, but if you’re more of an adventurous skier, then the area of Grand Montets is for you.

There is also actually plenty to do on a ski holiday bar skiing, would you believe – and in Chamonix especially. Over a couple of non-skiing days, myself and some of the chalet enjoyed the delights of the cake shops in town as we scoffed macaroons to our heart’s content, chilled in the hot tub and sauna in the chalet, pretended we could afford the handbags and sunglasses in Chamonix’s chic Chanel store and visited the Casino (like something out of a Wes Anderson film) for a couple cheeky hands of Blackjack.

The one attraction you simply must do is head to the top of the Aiguille du Midi – it’s a viewing spot 3,842 metres high making you feel you are quite literally on top of the world. Go on a clear day and it honestly takes your breath away. If you’re SUPER brave (read: stupid *ahem*) you can also step into THE VOID (which really is as dramatic as it sounds). The Void is a sheer glass box that pertrudes over the edge of the mountain so it feels like you’re suspended in air almost 4,000m high. Not one for anyone scared of heights but a huge rush and a lifelong memory for anyone who wants to experience something out of the norm!

In the picture below, you can also see what looks like a line of ants – but this is actually a line of crazy thrillseeking skiers and snowboarders who are undertaking the heart-stopping ski run called The Vallee Blanche. This is a steep run you ideally need to have a guide to complete, but if you’re an accomplished skier, I’ve heard it’s an incredible rush! Getting to the top of the Aiguille Du Midi is included if you have an all area ski pass, otherwise it’s about 50 euros to go up and down again.

 

I’d recommend Chamonix to anyone who loves nature and appreciates the outdoors, as it’s the perfect long weekend break away in either summer or winter. Geneva flights can be really affordable from many airlines too. Have any of you managed to enjoy any skiing this season?

LMNH x