Endurance Trail Running and other Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France Sports Travel Tips

Theme: Extreme Sports

Lately I have been getting into Endurance Running. If you are interested in this sport, Chamonix has 2 great races for you.

First in Spring there is the Marathon du Mont Blanc which is a mountain marathon with 2240 meters of uphill, run largely on trails (and only half that of downhill - it's a mostly uphill marathon).

Secondly in late summer there is the North Face Ultra Trail . This is a more advanced trail race, with entry requirements (it cannot be your first ultra marathon - you need to have completed at least 2 50K trail races or 1 80K or longer trail race to enter) and there are 2 race options - a huge effort in any case.

The CCC is the short one - only 90 kilometers and 4500 meters of uphill. The full Ultra Trail is 180 kilometers with over 9000 meters of uphill. The race is a running of the Tour du Mont Blanc walking path. They have time limits of 24 and 48 hours respectively.

If you are not running, you can watch the races from various points along the race courses, and also use it as an opportunity to go for a hike with the family.

Equipment: Check the websites for required equipment. The Ultra Trail requires you to be semi sufficient.

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Address: The alpine trails around Chamonix France
Directions: The websites contain information. Before the races, the Chamonix tourism page has information on how to watch the participants and support them. http://www.chamonix.com
Website: http://www.ultratrailmb.com/

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

The Vallee Blanche is a famous off-piste glacial ski 'run' which starts at the top of the Aiguille du Midi cable car and typically finishes near the Montenvers train station (or in the Chamonix Valley near the beginner's piste called Les Planards if there is enough snow cover). The level of skiing required is a person who can do red runs (to do the typical 'voie normale') up to expert to do variations such as the Plan d'Envers and others.

There are places where you need to ski across crevasses on snow bridges (which can collapse in Spring or at any time) which are quite narrow and other places where you need to ski down a steep hill and stop on a dime to avoid the crevasse at the bottom. Sometimes the route has sections which become very icey where the voie normale, and other routes come together to descend the most tricky parts of the glacier.

This run is beautiful, and most people do it for the scenery and not as much for the skiing. However the skiing on it can be wonderful too given the right conditions. At end of the season without a lot of new snow, it can really suck going down the seracs, which end up as simply glacial ice slides due to inexperienced snowboarders and skiers side-slipping the most dangerous sections.

Do yourself a favor - hire a mountain guide or go with expert skier/mountaineer friends who have done the route MANY times. Only travel with a group - never do the Vallee Blanche alone so that if something does happen, someone is there to possibly assist.

Each year there are several to many people who die trying this route alone or with little or no mountain experience. I don't say this to shock, but to give fair warning that this route is not to be taken lightly. The run starts out looking deceptively easy but quickly runs into very deep crevasses. The part just off the arrete is quite easy and can lull the unwary. You follow someone's tracks, not knowing that you are suddenly led down a steep serac/crevasse field, and suddenly whoops .....

Equipment: Mountain guide

Crampons
Ice Axe
Harness
Rope 30m
Ice screws
Belay device
4 locking carabiners
Arva/Peeps
Probe
Shovel
Backpack to carry it all

Sunscreen
Lunch
Drink
Extra layer in case of sudden weather change

(Average time to do the route is 2-3 hours depending on route taken, skier ability etc. though experts who do it regularly during the season certainly can and do make it down faster)

After a fresh snow, often the routes are not tracked and you can quite easily get lost or end up on top of a cliff with no easy way out.

Even with tracks, do you know which ones to follow? Maybe the person who put those tracks in ended up at the bottom of a crevasse or enjoys launching over cliffs.....do you?

If you don't know why you would be carrying the above items, hire a mountain guide to assist you.

See this website for some true stories of those who tried and screwed up...
http://www.pistehors.com/comments/255_0_1_0_C/

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Address: Aiguille du Midi Cable Car
Directions: Hire a mountain guide to lead you down this route. Guides can can offer you a choice of routes from easy to expert depending upon your skill level and mountain experience. You will have a very enjoyable time in the hands of an expert.
Website: http://www.chamonix.net/english/skiing/valleeblanche/valleeblanche.htm

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

Skiing or snowboarding at le Brévent station is a good choice for families and groups when there are multiple levels of skiers among you. There are pistes for every level (including a small and not steep beginners area with a drag lift at the mid-station) and yet, everyone still gets to go up high on the mountain and ski together for many runs. You also have beautiful views across the valley to see Mt Blanc and the other Aiguilles.

For the more advanced skiers, there are sections of off-piste excitement which the less advanced skiers can follow (by skiing on the cat-tracks), allowing everyone to have fun and still meet up together at various sections on each run. The top station is black run only and leads to some great off-piste when it snows.

This area also connects via lifts to La Flégère, which is another ski station with lots of blue and red runs on the same side of the valley, making this the biggest (and only) connected station (so far) in Chamonix.

If you are a strong intermediate or advanced skier and the snow coverage is good you can ski down from the midstation of either one into the bottom station. This is usually preferable to waiting in a queue to go down the bubble lifts or gondola at the end of the day. If you can't ski down, and it's crowded, definitely leave from the Brévent midstation as the Flégère single slow gondola means longer queues.

If you are here for only a few days and are buying day passes know that a day pass to the Brévent will more than do you (don't ever be fooled in Chamonix into buying the more expensive multi-area day pass that allows you to go to the Grandes Montets and Brévent -- the areas are so far apart you will never make proper use of the pass - do the 2 areas on different days!)

See the Compagnie du Mont Blanc website for prices/lift times/opening and closing day/runs open etc..

Equipment: Skis or snow boards! If you want to avoid expensive food prices, bring hot drinks and snacks in your pack. On a sunny day it is easy to picnic near the restaurant. On colder or overcast days you'll want to venture inside for a warm up break, so bring a few euros for a hot chocolate.

If you are going to do any of the off-piste available from le Brévent, don't forget your arva/beeper, avalanche probe and shovel! It does avalanche here so be sure to take an avalanche safety course before venturing off unaware. The pisted area is generally safe, but after big snowstorms, be cautious and stay off any pistes marked off - limits, as they do not always clear avalanche dangers that quickly in this valley (preferring to close the slopes rather than hire more workers!!)

To avoid parking charges in the Brévent parking lot, park in town and hike it up the hill. Or, park near the Savoy beginner's piste (located just behind the Club Med complex) and if you have a season or weekly 'all area' pass, you can just take the Savoy drag lift up to the top, and ski a few meters down into the Brévent parking lot and station!

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Address: Le Brévent ski station
Directions: On the opposite side of the valley to Mt Blanc - close to the center of town. From the tourist office, go up the hill and past the roundabout. It's at the top of the hill where the road ends. There is a big parking lot, but all pay parking.
Website: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/ski_chamonix/skislides.htm

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

Domaine de Balme (formerly Le Tour) is a great place for beginning skiers - sort of a large (very) rolling hill - a giant cow pasture (literally) to ski down. However the 'backside' of Le Tour also has great tree-skiing towards Vallorcine and some nice off-piste. Located at the end of the valley, on the border with Switzerland - great views of the valley.

If you are a completely rank beginner, there are very flat green runs to the right of the main lift station ( with drag lifts ) - practice here or take a lesson, and when you feel up to it, take the lifts up and ski some nice rolling blues.

Snowboarders (and adventurous skiers) will also find great fun here in the natrual half-pipes (several) which form between the top and mid-station. For expert skiers/boarders, the 'backside' of Le Tour on the Vallorcine side of the Col de Balme lift has some great off piste, but go with people who know the area (there are cliffs).

Free but sometimes scary parking lot if it gets icey (on a hillside, so watch out and make sure you bring chains if it looks like snow).

In high season (holidays and school holidays) be sure to get here early if you are driving - or take the bus if you are leaving after 10am. The parking lot gets full and gendarmes will stop you and force you to park in Montroc or Argentiere and take the bus to Le Tour anyhow!

From the top of Le Tour there are beautiful views down the entire Chamonix valley. New in 2005 a lift services this area from Vallorcine France as well. Parking is easier on this side and the new lift is great.

Equipment: Skis or snowboard, lift pass, chains for your car if it looks like snow (this road is the highest elevation in Chamonix so if it is raining in Cham it's often snowing at Le Tour). Le Tour is also known as the Col de Balme in summer, and as a col, it is very windy - be sure you have enough warm clothes.

I highly recommend taking the free Cham Bus there (stops are all over town) if you are in an easy-to-reach hotel, as the parking can be gone quickly in high-season and you may end up being told by the police to park in Argentiere and take a bus anyhow (unless you get there before 10am). Out of high season it's easy to find parking. In school holidays - go to Vallorcine and take the lift from there. It is a bit further from Chamonix but the parking is easier and the new lift is fast without queues.

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Address: Le Tour, France
Directions: From Chamonix in the direction of Argentiere/Vallorcine - go past the Grandes Montets and through Argentiere and turn right off the main road - follow the signs to Le Tour, or go to left to Vallorcine to the SNCF train station. Lifts are in both towns.
Website: http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

I say a lot of scary things in this tip - but just so you know - my husband and I and our friends all enjoy off-piste skiing here A LOT.

Several ski areas exist in Chamonix, with great off-piste access within the ski areas themselves. These are easy places to start to get your first taste of powder if you have never skied in it before. Be aware that the Grandes Montets is popular (too popular) and gets 'tracked out' very quickly after big snows.

The famous 26km (only in good snow years - otherwise more like 15km) Vallee Blanche run starts from the top of the Aiguille du Midi and goes over the Mer de Glace to the Montenvers station (or into Chamonix in good snow years). Get a local to go with you or hire a guide to take you. You should have a rope and ice axe in addition to normal off-piste gear as this route goes over a glacier.

The Vallee Blanche is often over-crowded in peak season. But, this run is a bit of a 'must do' on people's tick lists and of course it is very unique so don't miss it if you want something different. Just be prepared to wait a lot in high season and realize you will not have the high mountains to yourself. Out of prime season it is fabulous.

Unless you are god's gift to off-piste skiing and have full-on glacier travel knowlege too (in which case you probably are not reading Virtual Tourist for tips on off-piste skiing!!), don't go down anything but the beaten path on the Vallee Blanche, especially if no one with you has also never been on anything but the classic route. Crevasses, cliffs and avalanches await those who decide to become Darwin award candidates. Go only with other experienced skiers or guides on the other tougher routes down the Vallee Blanche.

Be sensible and err on the side of caution when going off-piste. If there is a high avalanche risk posted by the mountain guides office, they are not joking about it.

Equipment: Avalanche beacon, probe, shovel etc. are required. And be sure you know how to use your gear and how to read slopes for avalanche danger. The number of idiots we have seen here who purchase these things and put them into their packs thinking that their very presence will somehow magically cause knowlege of their use to sink in by osmosis is astounding.

Ski buddies are part of your equipment too. Don't ski off-piste alone. This is not a joke - a guy who went alone in 1998 was found dead in 2000 at the bottom of a crevasse. No one knew he was there when he fell in. He just failed to show up at his hotel one night.

Every year we here stories of people who had 'epic' experiences on the Vallee Blanche. From last season: a guy went down the classic route of the Vallee Blanche one time with a group of locals and then decided he knew what he was doing. He took an inexperienced girl with him the next time he went up - to impress her. This was after a big snow and he couldn't find the same path anymore. They ended up off the classic route and in some very big crevasses. She got very scared and cried and tried to take her skis off because it was too difficult for her and she was afraid of falling into a crevasse (but that is worse as ski boots just slip on the ice). In the end they made it back after dark into the train station and spent the night there after missing the last train......

There is NO avalanche control (except nature and unintentional human intervention) in the backcountry here. Though a lot of avalanches can be avoided by skiers who have training, some will always tumble down even when 'everyone said it was safe'.

A mountain guide who taught avalanche safety courses was killed in a massive avalanche late in the season last Spring while skiing towards the Italian side from the Aiguille du Midi, proving that even knowledge of the area and lots of experience doesn't guarantee safe passage after a big Spring snowstorm makes the snow pack unstable.

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Address: Aiguille du Midi, Grandes Montets, Le Tour,Brevent
Directions: See http://perso.wanadoo.fr/ski_chamonix/skislidesVB.html for some photos.

Hire a guide or go with locals (buying them drinks early in your trip may help here) or buy a book on the area. Off piste sections in the normal ski areas are easy to find.
Website: http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/

Theme: Climbing

Just a short distance from the center of town is an 'ecole d'escalade' - an area of rock made up as a 'climbing school' by the local mountain guides. The area is completely bolted and full of 1-3 pitch climbs to practice on.

Local school children can be found here on Wednesdays practicing climbing or 'flying fox' rappels across the beautiful spring fed lakes. Families also like to come here for the moderate routes. Great area for beginning lead climbers to build confidence. Gets crowded in summer so try for early AM or late afternoons then!

When you get to the top of the climbs, there are good views of the Mont Blanc Massif. Also on sunny days even in late Fall or early Spring, the temps here are warm enough to climb (as long as the sun is out).

Great thing about this is if you are short on gear and transportation, you can still get to this spot by walking about 10-15 minutes. In fact, if you have just your harness and shoes with you and no ropes or gear, try going down and talking to people and see if they'll let you have a climb or two. Various languages can be heard daily at Les Gaillands - French, English, Swedish, Italian, German etc. people all climb here.

Equipment: All you need to climb here is a 60m climbing rope (50m works on most climbs - check guide book), harness, shoes and about 12-13 quick-draws and a locking carabiner or two if you want to set up a top rope or rappel from the top (abseil).

The range of climbs starts at very very easy (French 3+, which is similar to US 5.4) and goes up to about French 7c (US 5.12d). Most routes (about 60%) are in the French 5+ range, which is about 5.8 or 5.9 - plenty of moderate climbs here to enjoy.

Guide books available in French or English at local book stores - "Crag Climbs of the Chamonix Valley" or "Guide des ecoles d'escalade de la vallee de Chamonix" list the Gaillands area and several other local areas.

Quickie Guide to French climbing terminology -

Corde =rope - shout this out if you are tossing a rappel rope down from on top
Degaine = Quick draw
Relais = belay station
m'assure = belay me
mousqueton = carabiner
casque = helmet
baudrier = harness
sangle = sling
sec = take up the slack in the rope
donne mou = give slack (slang term)
moulinette = top rope
en tete = lead (the climb)

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Address: 2km from Cham center, on the 'Route des Gaillands'
Directions: Head out of town past the Post office on Rue Paccard. Go past the stoplight and stay on the same road (signs for Les Gaillands), and past Gite Le Vagabond. The cliffs and car park are on the right .
Other Contact: Office of Tourism has maps

Theme: Extreme Sports

This is definitely more involved than a standard hike, since you need to have knowledge of glacial travel and crevasse rescue techniques to go it alone. If you do, then there are plenty of places to go here. If you don't then you need to hire a mountain guide to go. The Mer de Glace is an easy starting place, or also the Glacier of Argentiere (accessed from Lognan) also leads to some wonderful mountains. The routes change from year to year, season to season as the glacier moves and crevasses change - so moving over the glacier is a different experience each time. Summer is the best time to hike (crevasses are easy to see) otherwise, mid-winter is better for ski-touring as long as there has been a good snow-fall to make bridges. Always rope up in winter!!!

Equipment: Crampons, ice axe, rope, ice screws, carabiners, harness, gore tex clothing, layers of warm clothing, gloves (even in summer since if you fall in a crevasse or when night hits, it gets cold quickly), good hiking boots, back pack and bivvy gear (but you can also stay at mountain huts), and a good trail map (and compass). You can go on day hikes or overnight.

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Address: Mer de Glace, Glacier d'Argentiere (and more)
Directions: Get a good area map, available at bookstores or visit the Maison de Montagne to plan your trek. Established trails exist, but check for current conditions on any trail.

Theme: Climbing

This is a very do-able mountain to start out on. It takes only a few hours to climb, and has great views of the area and you get to over 4000 meters of altitude.

Stay at the Couvercle Hut for a real mountaineering experience. Watch for crevasses!! Many new and giant ones opened up during the summer of 2003. Check with the Chamonix tourist office or Maison du Montagne (across the street) for current conditions on this mountain.

We did see some people who were very lucky and fell into one. Why were they lucky? If they had not fallen into the crevasse when they slipped, they would have ended up where their packs did - hundreds of meters down the side of the mountain/glacier and perhaps seriously injured or worse.....

Only attempt this mountain if you are experienced, or with other experienced climbers or a guide! Be sure to have the proper equipment - crampons, ice axes, ropes, harnesses, gloves, warm boots and layers of warm clothing.

This peak is one of the 'Trois Mont Blancs' - a set of 3 mountains often climbed together culminating in the highest one. They are: Mont Blanc du Tacul, (4248'), Mont Maudit (4465') and Mont Blanc itself (4808' or 4810' depending on who you ask!).

Equipment: At the maison de montagne office you can find the weather conditions and forecast posted in english each day or go to www.chamonix.net for the english version on line.

Snell Sports, Coquoz Sports and Alpine Land (and others) in town will rent gear such as crampons, ice axes & mountain boots. If you have never crossed a glacier before, do yourselves a favor and hire a mountain guide. A list of guides (english and french speaking) can be found on http://www.chamonix.net/english/mountain_guides/guide_intro.htm

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Address: Access from the top of the Aiguille du Midi
Directions: This is the mountain closest to you when looking from the Aiguille du Midi observation windows towards the Mt Blanc Massif. Be sure to put on crampons and rope up to walk down the arrete from the Aiguille.
Website: http://www.ohm-chamonix.com/ETE/accueil.php
Other Contact: The site above is in French only

Theme: Hiking

The Tour of Mont Blanc is a classic and famous walk that brings you through three countries and circumnavigates Mont Blanc. Chamonix, Les Houches, St Gervais, Courmayeur, Praz de Fort, Champex, Triente, Vallorcine and Argentiere are some of the towns you pass nearby on your journey through France, Italy and Switzerland. It can be done in a complete loop taking 5-11 days or in separate sections. Many of the towns have either train or bus service and along the route there are manned huts allowing you to travel light in your backpack and have hot meals and even showers in some of the huts or to take a real luxury break and stay in a hotel and explore a mountain town for a day on your way around the circuit.

The scenery is magnificent and the route is generally high (with some easier and harder variations) allowing gorgeous photo opportunities (and certainly if you are not in shape before the hike you will be afterwards).

You can do the hike yourself if you are an experienced mountain walker or there are many guide companies which have Mountain Leaders (Accompagnateur en Moyenne Montagne in French) qualified to lead your hike, and who can also tell you about the local wildlife and wild flowers as well as the history of the region to make a more meaningful and enriched experience out of your journey.

The huts do not start to open for tourists until mid June. Before then a few might be available as unmanned ski huts. If you start too early or late, there will be avalanche danger on some of the high cols, besides the difficulty of passage w/o crampons, ice axe ropes etc.. Therefore trekking season for most tourists is mid June until mid September to have a staffed hut to hut travel with cooked meals etc.; otherwise it is wild camping with high mountain exposure and dangers of avalanche to be aware of. The weather can range from broiling hot in the day time (40C in some recent summers) dropping to near freezing or even below zero at night at altitude, and you can even have snow in August.

All huts will speak French, even in Switzerland and Italy. English is also widely spoken, however it is best and most polite and will get you a better welcome if you at least greet and thank people in their own language and ask if they speak English before prattling off at them in English (French is the native language in France and the part of Switzerland you will be travelling through and of course Italian in Italy).

A comfortable medium sized backpack is usually sufficient to hold required gear unless you are camping. Bring only one main change of clothes and rinse your clothes out at the hut in the evening as soon as you arrive at the hut, and let them dry outside and then on your backpack during the next morning (as long as rain is not forecast!). Bring enough layers to allow you to survive a night outdoors in -10C (in case of emergency bivvy). It's not a fashion show so honestly - don't carry more clothes than absolutely required or you will suffer!

Do NOT forget your camera and plenty of disk space on your digital media, or plenty of rolls of film if you still shoot film. It is a good idea to bring many some waterproof bags which can be used to keep your camera dry.

Ensure your passport and other personal papers are kept in a waterproof bag or sac and if you do not have a rain cover for your backpack, be sure to have a plastic liner for the entire contents of your backpack.

Equipment: Some essentials are: a waterproof and windproof jacket, long underwear, trousers which can unzip into shorts, two to three pairs of walking socks, two or three changes of underwear, two sports bras for women, synthetic long sleeved shirt, synthetic short sleeved shirt base layer (2), medium fleece, a woolly hat, medium gloves, thermal vest or duvet jacket (light weight and easy to roll and stow) and an emergency blanket or emergency shelter (very thin material, for sale in camping stores) and a camp towel should suffice.

A sleeping bag is not required if you are staying in refuges, but a sleeping sac liner (cotton or silk) will ensure your personal hygiene in the group sleeping arrangements. If you do not want to pay to sleep in the huts, you can bring a sleeping bag and bivvy sac to sleep outdoors, and purchase meals in the huts separately.

The huts provide slippers/clogs so that you can let your hiking boots air and dry until the morning. Normally you are not allowed to wear your boots indoors.

Poles are highly recommended to help knees and balance on the frequent uphill and downhill sections. A hat with sunshade and good sunglasses are essential, as is plenty of suncream as the sun is very strong at altitude.

A small MP3 player or ear plugs for sleeping in group accomodations in the huts is also very handy if you are a light sleeper.

Be sure to carry some snacks in your pack while walking (often candy bars can be stocked up at the refuges, which by the way take cash, not credit cards!) and do not forget basic first aid remedies and a Swiss army knife type of tool.

A 2 L water sac is useful to avoid having to constantly stop to get out your water bottle to drink. You can find clean water from spigots often enough on the route to not require carrying more than 2 L at a time, and in some sections where refuges are spaced close together on the map you will only need to carry 1 L of water before the next fill up spot.

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Address: The Alps
Directions: Good starting points depending on what is closest for you are Chamonix or Les Houches France, Courmayeur Italy and Champex Switzerland (near Martigny).
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_du_Mont_Blanc
Other Contact: http://www.walkingthetmb.com