Gerard's Guidebook
Skiing
Some of the best off piste skiing in the world, easily accessible (at least when the top lift is finally working again!)
The skiing on the Grands Montets offers a range of slopes to cater for the beginners to experts, both on and off piste. You have to be up early to get untracked powder but the whole area is secured and accessible from the Herse and Bouchard lifts. It is always worth having avalanche rescue gear, including a transceiver, if you are going off piste, despite the area being monitored.
With skins you can greatly increase the available ski area, it being about a 45 minute skin up From La Herse/Bochard to access the back. You will be on a glacier on the way up, and the way down, so harnesses are a good idea.
Sadly, the food on the mountain is not of the same level as the skiing! Plan Joran is recommended for a range of different offers; Refuge Lognan does good croutes and salads, but the ski out can be demanding (skins offer an alternative). Later in the season a picnic on the slopes can be the best option, when the weather allows.
At the end of the day (or for lunch, as the lift back up is quick) enjoy a drink at Les Marmottons or L’Argentero at the bottom of the Pierre Ric piste, before walking back to the apartment. Both have good terraces facing west, making them great for enjoying the sunshine in the afternoon.
23 現地メンバーのおすすめ
Aiguille des Grands Montets
The skiing on the Grands Montets offers a range of slopes to cater for the beginners to experts, both on and off piste. You have to be up early to get untracked powder but the whole area is secured and accessible from the Herse and Bouchard lifts. It is always worth having avalanche rescue gear, including a transceiver, if you are going off piste, despite the area being monitored.
With skins you can greatly increase the available ski area, it being about a 45 minute skin up From La Herse/Bochard to access the back. You will be on a glacier on the way up, and the way down, so harnesses are a good idea.
Sadly, the food on the mountain is not of the same level as the skiing! Plan Joran is recommended for a range of different offers; Refuge Lognan does good croutes and salads, but the ski out can be demanding (skins offer an alternative). Later in the season a picnic on the slopes can be the best option, when the weather allows.
At the end of the day (or for lunch, as the lift back up is quick) enjoy a drink at Les Marmottons or L’Argentero at the bottom of the Pierre Ric piste, before walking back to the apartment. Both have good terraces facing west, making them great for enjoying the sunshine in the afternoon.
Brevent Flegere are interconnected ski areas that face south, so are often sunny, and get great views of Mont Blanc. The skiing is steep in places but there are also good beginners areas.
Have a drink at La Chavanne, enjoying the music, and eat at Panoramique, enjoying the sensational views (and reasonable prices, relative to all the other outlets on this side of the valley).
In busy periods, it is worth taking the bus down the valley as parking can be an issue at both.
13 現地メンバーのおすすめ
Brevent - Flegere (Chamonix Mont Blanc)
Brevent Flegere are interconnected ski areas that face south, so are often sunny, and get great views of Mont Blanc. The skiing is steep in places but there are also good beginners areas.
Have a drink at La Chavanne, enjoying the music, and eat at Panoramique, enjoying the sensational views (and reasonable prices, relative to all the other outlets on this side of the valley).
In busy periods, it is worth taking the bus down the valley as parking can be an issue at both.
Le Tour is beautiful ski area which has some of the best nursery slopes in the valley. It also has some of the best off piste but do be respectful of the avalanche risk as Le Tour may seem flat relative to some of the other areas, but it does avalanche.
For lunch on the mountain, either Vallorcine (Le Buet or Le Comptoir, access both by getting the lift down when the track is closed) or Refuge Les Posettes, next to the Aiguillete lift, for good Savoyard fare.
Before heading back to the apartment, enjoy a drink on the terrace of Hotel Olympique at the bottom of the home run, next to the lift station. A great terrace for enjoying some sunshine.
25 現地メンバーのおすすめ
Le Tour
Le Tour is beautiful ski area which has some of the best nursery slopes in the valley. It also has some of the best off piste but do be respectful of the avalanche risk as Le Tour may seem flat relative to some of the other areas, but it does avalanche.
For lunch on the mountain, either Vallorcine (Le Buet or Le Comptoir, access both by getting the lift down when the track is closed) or Refuge Les Posettes, next to the Aiguillete lift, for good Savoyard fare.
Before heading back to the apartment, enjoy a drink on the terrace of Hotel Olympique at the bottom of the home run, next to the lift station. A great terrace for enjoying some sunshine.
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出発前に予約しよう
Saving on ski hire
Using a ski rental website will generate significant savings relative to walking into the shop on the first morning - and it will save you time too. We have used Skimium which has proved reliable and cost effective. In Argentiere its outlet is Sanglard Sports which is right at the bottom of the Grands Montets, next to the lifts. The team in Sanglard are helpful and will have your skis, boots etc ready for you when you walk in. They have lockers there too which are particularly useful to save carrying kids’ skis back to the apartment.
必見
Eating out in Argentiere
Top picks are Stone Bar at the top of the village (friendly and good food: great pizzas and pasta dishes, steak etc plus alternatives to Savoyard food, like the excellent Teriyaki Duck) and La Petite Verte, in the same building as the apartment. A more typical French restaurant the food is very good and reasonably priced.