StayInChamonix.com - Tales from the Chamonix Valley

Steep and Deep

2012-01-20T10:07:00.007Z

A little bit of fun with the camera! A shortish video of the kids skiing at Grnad Montets, with a little bit of Le Tour thrown in for good measure!

Hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it!

Has anyone seen our pool?

2012-01-19T13:06:00.006Z

Here's a couple more photos for you and a quick game of compare and contrast. One of the (many) nice things about the apartment is the open air heated swimming pool in the garden. Open for use throughout July and August, it's a great place to head for after a day on the hot dusty trails and grab a few rays and a nice refreshing dip.

L'Androsace and the swimming pool in the garden.

In the last few years, Health and Safety legislation has caught up (it's not just the UK!) and the co-proprietary has had to erect a fence around the pool. It's not too bad, and it doesn't really detract from the informal pool side atmosphere. Though, it is quite high - as you can see in the pics.

Mont Blanc and L'Aiguille du Midi down the valley make for a stunning backdrop to your swim.

However, it does seem to have suddenly disappeared! Here's Sam stood on top of the fence last week having dug down a bit to find it.

Told you that there'd been a lot of snow! And this is after the fresh snow of the previous week has settled and compacted. It's by far the most snow we've seen lying in Argentiere.

There it is!

Lots of snow!

2012-01-18T09:54:00.008Z

That the Alps have seen lots of snow during December is probably not new news anymore. The snows came relatively late, with early December looking particularly bare. However, when it started, it forgot to stop.

The storm rages. Icicles on the roof of L'Androsace - and they just kept on getting bigger, and bigger!

Watching the rain beat against the windows with a hurricane force in the Scottish Highlands over the Festive period whilst reading blog reports of all the snow felt a bit cruel. However, as soon as January arrived we were off on our travels again, and another couple of weeks at the apartment in Argentiere.

L'Androsace apartments looking a little bit wintry.

We kept looking at the depth of snow on the garage and wondering just how deep it would get.
Jodie and Sam in front of our garage which is inlcuded with your stay at the apartment.

Keeping the driveway clear required an extra big shovel.

And it didn't disappoint. Snowing as we arrived, a clear first full day to settle in, and then another week of constant snowfall. In all, around a metre fell in the village in the first week of January alone.

What happens when you book an apartment without dedicated covered parking.

There's a van under there somewhere.

Digging out. Nothing like a ton of snow down your neck when you're filling up at the pumps.

The skiing was mostly very good as a result, although visibility did warrant a bit of Jedi skiing at times. However, heading for the trees above Plan Joran at the Grand Montets and playing in the powder in the steep gullies proved a big hit, even in the worst of the weather. Winds stopped play (first time I've seen this in the last 5 years of regular visits) and while many moaned about the queues for the Pierre a Ric, we found ourselves down at Flegere having one of the most fun days on skis we've had in years. Whilst there was only two sheltered chairlifts running, we didn't need anymore. Only a handful stayed to play in the bottomless powder between the trees. Yee har!

In the woods behind Argentiere.

When the legs got too tired we opted for a walk. Popped out for an hour, came back at dusk! I've always fancied having a go with snow shoes, and it's taken 44 years to make it happen. I've been missing out! More on that in due course.

At the Aire de Jeux

The depth of snow meant that the slide wasn't too exciting!

Off piste snow shoeing above Argentiere. Huge amounts of fun.

But soon enough high pressure arrived over the Haute Savoie, the clouds cleared and some big ski days came our way. 2 weeks flew past faster than ever, and now it's time to plan the next trip to Argentiere. Can't wait!

Evening view from the balcony. Temperatures dropped to -13 degrees overnight this last week.

The Haute Route

2011-04-19T20:10:00.010+01:00

Read around our web site a bit and you’ll find that we’ve been coming to Argentiere since 1986. That first trip was a bit of an adventure. The Chamonix Valley was just somewhere that I’d heard of and sounded like it was a place to go. Free camping on Snell’s Field, a climbing guidebook, plenty of the blissful abandon of youth and a wealth of experience of Alpine climbing – all gained from tales of daring do in the bar back home. (I’ve chosen to ignore the fleeting visit as a 5 year old, passing through at Easter 1973 on our way to Pisa in a Ford Cortina. All I can really remember is a snowball fight outside the entrance to the Mont Blanc tunnel and a chicken running round a farm yard somewhere in rural France just after having it’s head chopped off.)

The Chardonnet Glacier and the first col to cross.

That trip was many things and, bits of it at least, I remember well. The photo we use for the StayInChamonix banner photo was taken on the trip during a foray into the Vallee Blanche. A bivi in the ruin of the old Cosmique Refuge and an ascent of the North Face of the Tour Ronde followed that shot.

Revisiting the North Face of the Tour Ronde 25 years after I climbed it.

One of the things it did do was open my eyes to the wider world of mountains. I heard about the Haute Route, the high level ski traverse from Chamonix to Zermatt. At the time, skiing was prohibitively costly, and not something that proper mountaineers - like what I was, would entertain. But still, it sounded like a bit of a journey, and from that point on, the idea of doing it was logged.

Dawn on the Chardonnet Glacier, looking back to the top of the Grand Montets above Argentiere.

I do think that it’s important to have goals to work to. Some take longer than others to achieve, but nonetheless, so long as you keep moving in the right direction… It’s now 2011, some 25 years on, and finally I’ve done it! I’m not long back from a traverse of the Classic Haute Route.

The hardest part was probably parting with the cash required to buy into ski touring. Just when you think you've bought all the Alpine ski gear, you find out that you need a complete set of other gear to even think about ski touring. And it’s even more expensive! And then you find out that ski touring is mostly about going uphill, and you feel a bit cheated to find that you had to buy new skis at all!

How hard can it be? Starting off your ski touring career with the Haute Route did seem like a bit of a silly idea to some. But if you can ski, you can walk up hill for a long time, and you like being really dirty for days on end, then surely you’ve got what it takes?

Classic touring on the Haute Route heading towards the Valsorey Hut

It was a great trip – fairly full on from start to finish. Straight off the plane, up to the Argentiere Hut, and into the route itself. A bit of acclimatisation would have helped, but so would a clean bill of health – the one without the hacking cough to start off with. The weather was fairly kind to us, as was the snow (despite the relatively lean season) and we made it to Zermatt in 6 days. Days off don’t come into it when you’re on a boys trip (even if there’s at least a token girlie on it) and so day 7 was up the Breithorn and day 8 was a plod to Col Freshfield in the Vallee Blanche.

Nearly there. The Matterhorn on the final afternoon above Zermatt.

Tick! Haute Route done. And boy did I sleep when I got home!

See the Haute Route Photo Gallery on our StayInChamonix web site.

Thinking about the summer

2011-03-10T20:58:00.005Z

Winter is far from over, and we've got a few ski trips planned yet. But the odd glimpse of the sun, and a burning desire to get back on the bike, and we can't help but dream of long summer days...

Enjoy!

Mountain Biking in Chamonix from Jason Chambers on Vimeo.

With thanks to Jason for this clip. Check out his web site for more.

Try something different

2011-02-25T14:49:00.010Z

If you've been following the snow conditions in the Alps this winter then you'll be aware that, until this last week at least, fresh snow fall has been somewhat lacking. With big dumps of snow in the lead in to the season pre-Christmas, once the new year settled in, the sun decided to come out... And stay out.

Certainly no lack of snow at the Grand Montets

On our most recent trip to Argentiere, we were a little nervous that the much coveted ski trip wouldn't be quite the same. After all, we do like our powder and the off piste. However, as it turned out, we ended up enjoying some of the best family skiing we've done, albeit lacking the steep and the deep.

How do ski conditions compare to the design of your skis?

Although the pistes were 'firm', they were also fast, and a dream to let loose on. It wasn't long before we got to thinking much more about our skis and the way they worked. And the natural progression followed...

Hard and fast - the Hearse piste at the Grand Montets

... I wonder what it would be like on some different skis..., these different skis are the absolute business, I can really blast the piste on these unlike my own..., I wonder what some top end performance skis would be like..., these performance skis are the absolute business, I must have a pair, etc...

Work those edges!

And so on it went. We had a blast and very soon I'll be several hundred Euros poorer, but have a big grin on my face. So the moral of the tail is that while no snow is definitely not good, different snow might just be the key to a whole new chapter of skiing.

Dynastar's youngest Factory Test Pilot

Head across to Sanglard Sports and hire some skis with 15% discount when you mention StayInChamonix, or better still, book online using our preferential rates. You can also ask Sanglard Sports for a voucher for the Dynastar Test Centre, based up at Lognan on the Grand Montets. With this, and for free, you can take any of their range of skis for a test ride for a couple of hours. (But remember, it'll cost you when you fall in love with them and have to buy a pair afterwards!)

And, by the way, plenty of new snow this week!

All change in Argentiere

2010-10-22T13:33:00.004+01:00

Some welcome improvements to the village of Argentiere are under way at the moment. First is the complete refurbishment of the village 'square', outside the Mairie and the Office Bar.

The Mairie, Argentiere.

Although in the centre of the village and effectively being the focal point, the open area was always a bit lacking, dominated by a cash point lobby and a defunct chalet office.

New steps replace the defunct chalet office.

But no more! These buildings have been cleared, new steps added, and a more organised open communal space created.

But does anyone know if there's going to be a replacement cash point?!

Elsewhere, the road junction to the Grand Montets car park is being rebuilt. Again, hopefully this will improve the busy junction and perhaps set the tone for more improvements planned for the Grand Montets car park and lifts in the next few years.

Argentiere in 1925

2010-08-26T09:52:00.003+01:00

My! How times have changed! Came across this post card recently, and going by the postmark on the reverse it appears to date from around 1925.

My hero!

2010-08-19T16:59:00.003+01:00

I think the photo says it all. I don't do hero worship. Just like I don't do all the celebrity culture bit either. Well, not normally. But meeting Glen Plake is different.

Family Daynes (minus shy Sam) meet My Hero.

Actually, its not the first time we met. I was quite taken aback at a local ice hockey match; Chamonix taking on Megeve I think it was, last October, when I realised that Glenn was sat further along the same row. Too shy to go up and say hello.

No one has really asked what took us to Chamonix. Obvious I guess. But if anyone did then the full answer would have to include watching Greg Stump's movies in my 'formative' years. The Blizzard of Aahhhs (still got it on my iPhone!), License to Thrill and Groove Requiem in the key of ski. Then dashing across Europe to for a week in Chamonix, flinging ourselves off anything vaguely steep and dangerous, and wishing I had the nerve to go for the full pink mohican.

What a sad man I am!

Le Grand Bornand

2010-08-05T11:24:00.005+01:00

There’s an old Chinese proverb that goes along the lines of “simply printing a mountain bike route map does not a mountain bike mecca make”. Or at least if there isn’t one, there should be. And the good folk of Le Grand Bornand in the Aravis Region should take note.

Camping L'escale, LGB

Uplift!

Moving on from Annecy, a trip back through the Aravis seemed like a good idea; a good scenic route on the way back to Argentiere, with plenty to see and do along the way. Finding some good biking was high on the list of priorities, as was a good camp site with a pool, hence we landed in Le Grand Bornand for a few days.

Jodie with the Col de la Columbiere in her sights

Some of the better "green" sections above Chinaillon

We reported to the tourist office, bought the VTT map, and set off up the gondola to tackle a green route. Don’t get me wrong, it was pleasant enough. Contouring round above Chinaillon and towards the Col de la Columbiere and then back down towards the village again. However, I think we bikers have been spoilt with dedicated and even purpose built trails. We’re just not used to large portions of a green route taking in the tarmac road.

Sam & Jodie on the descent from Le Lachat

Undeterred, we also had a go at a blue route. The first problem was that to get to the start of the blue we had to descend a red, from the top of Le Lachat chair lift. No flowing single track here. The red route follows the access track to the top of the piste, and is little more than a vehicle track covered in loose gravel. Fairly daunting for Sam and Jodie, but no fun for me either. Lovely views, though!
And the blue? With one very short exception, the blue route is a winding road which leads up from LGB through the hillside farms. I was expecting a little more in the way of singletrack, or at least some more ‘off road’.

So, not a high score for the quality of the mountain bike trails in LGB based on this experience. But this was a mere blip on an otherwise unblemished record. The camp site is very pleasant and conveniently close to the village. The pool is both indoor and outdoor, and a great spot to catch some rays at the end of the afternoon.

And the village itself is a lovely spot. Focussed around a very attractive square with plenty of useful shops – bakeries, bars and a Casino mini market. By the river you’ll find lots of leisure activities, from mini golf and beach volleyball to archery and a fitness trail. Close by at the Maison de Patrimonie is a newly constructed bike skills area.

And at the patinoire the kids were playing rollerblade hockey. – the day before they’d been shooting , in the style of the winter biathlon discipline. Unsurprising to hear that if the Winter Olympics bid by Annecy for 2018 is successful, the Nordic Combined events will be held in LGB.

Spot the ball! (It's blue!)

Obligatory end of ride ice cream...

Chances are we’ll be back for another visit some time soon.

Back to Lake Annecy

2010-08-03T22:01:00.003+01:00

It wasn’t in the plan, but with a sudden drop in the temperatures the lure of lower altitudes had a certain appeal. I can’t say that I’ve ever been a fan of ‘hot’ temperatures, but I have kind of got used to seeing a big yellow thing in the sky and not having to carry a rucksack full of fleeces and Gore-Tex.

The Annecy - Albertville bike track. The M1 of bike tracks!

So, a return to our favourite camp site at De La Ravoire on the shores of Lake Annecy was the call on the day. Fortunately, they had a pitch for 3 nights and our luck was in.

It’s a top spot. Great facilities, good atmosphere, plenty of friendly people and very welcoming owners. Sam & Jodie would have been happy just riding their bikes round the site, swimming and sliding down the waterslide (Sam’s still not old enough to use ride solo in Fort William, but has free reign on this one – a happy little chappy!) and playing footie and badminton with the rest of the children. Dragging them away to go and see the sights wasn’t too easy and we didn’t try too hard.

Three nights away from the vertical world of the Chamonix valley well spent

A day on the bike

2010-07-22T21:43:00.005+01:00

A cracking day on the mountain bikes today. All the more satisfying for finding something that Jodie and Sam could really get stuck into and enjoy. With so much “gradient” in the Chamonix valley, it’s easy to satisfy body armour clad, long travel gravity junkies but slightly harder to find something that even the littlest braking fingers can cope with.

Jodie with Mont Blanc and the Chamonix Valley beyond.

Sam on the French/Swiss border, ready for the 1000m back to Argentiere.

But not before a spot of lunch - and a twister.

Leaving the van on the Col des Montets, we took the VTT trail down to Le Buet and on to Vallorcine. This section is just great, Excellent trail, brilliant scenery and a gradual gradient. Once at Vallorcine we jumped aboard the gondola for a bit of uplift. The top of the uplift isn’t quite the top of the hill, and there’s a short (and unpopular) ride to the Col Des Possettes. And then a sweeping downhill on a broad but still quite challenging track to the top of the gondola from Le Tour and the 4 man chairlift to the Col De Balme.

Jodie at the start of the long descent.

Leaving the top of the chairlift, it’s a short and relatively flat ride to the refuge on the col – the perfect spot for a bit of lunch, with your toes dangling over the Swiss border. After lunch it was downhill all the way. First back to the Col des Possettes and then the Le Tour Gondola again. Kids whooping with delight!By now little braking fingers were in need of a rest, so we hopped into the gondola for the descent to Le Tour. Fingers rested, we then the off road again. Down by the river to Le Moulin and then taking the back way into Argentiere. And ice creams at the Rencard.

Nearly there - approaching Le Moulin

There was still the small question of getting the van back from the col, and I came up with the perfect route to go an tackle while the kids hit the pool. Road ride back to Le Tour. Gondola and chairlift back to the Col de Balme. Over to the Catogne descent on the narrowest of trails and on to Trient – all 1014m of it! Oh, yes!

By the time I hit the road climb back from Switzerland to the top of the col, through Chaletard, Vallorcine and Le Buet, my ass was getting a bit sore and my legs a little tired. But that’s what I call a day of mountain biking!

Every day is like Sunday...

2010-07-18T20:00:00.003+01:00

I'm not one for lists of favourites, but if I did then "Every day is like Sunday" by The Smiths would be high on my favourite songs list. And today I've been thinking wouldn't it be good if indeed every day was like Sunday. In particular, this Sunday.

Today I have mostly been...

Rising at a leisurely hour and taking a short stroll to my favourite boulangerie for some viennoiserie and a crusty baguette.

Catching the train to La Flegere (no worrying about taking the car and its free with your resident card or card d'hote) and then the telepherique. Walking with the kids on previously unexplored trails with stunning backdrops and cool shade back to Argentiere.

Picnicing in the sun while taking in the views. Foraging for a feast of blueberrries and wild strawberries by the trail side.

Enjoying Cafe Gourmand (you've got to try one to know!) at the Dahu.

Leaving the kids to play in the pool while taking the bike up to Lognan on the last telepherique of the day and ripping up the Lavancher descent. Getting back to the pool within the hour and jumping in!

Filling the corridor full of curry fumes and Brit Pop classics as my French neighbours arrive. Entente cordiale and all that!

And finally popping a cork on a wonderfully cheap bottle of plonk and watching the sun set over Mont Blanc.

Bring on tomorrow...

Fun in the sun

2010-07-15T21:14:00.007+01:00

Well, the whole point of the blog was to try and keep a record of some of the many things we get up to whilst in residence in the Chamonix Valley. That, and to perhaps inspire you to do the same, and maybe even book a week in the apartment so that you can. But as we seem to be so busy each time we visit, there never seems to be much time left in the day for writing about our exploits.

Family portrait at the Grand Montets

Take this last week for example. The temperatures have been creeping into the 30's every day, and the pool has seen much action. But every day we've been out and about doing something. The list includes gondola accessed downhill mountain biking out of Vallorcine, biking on more relaxed gradients down past Le Buet, walking in the Grand Montets, both uphill to see the Argentiere Glacier and downhill to our favourite at Cafe Lavancher.

Sam, not far from the final descent to Vallorcine

Jodie, finding her stride in the woods below the Col Des Montets

Get used to it! Playing catch up.

Sam. Le Buet in the background.

The bike friendly train - and it's free with your Carte D'Hote!

Sam. Below the Col des Montets and ripping it up on the Foret Verte

Near the Col de Dalme chairlift - entering the Foret Verte

Taking in the view at the Argentiere Glacier.

Then there was the trip to the Emosson Dam on the worlds' steepest funicular. at 87% it was steep. And long. But while the nerves held out, the views were stunning, though it is a bizarre place to be riding on a narrow gauge train. And I did think that having paid the not insubstantial fee to ride up there, it would be some time before I would be there again. But funnily enough, the road bikes came out at the crack of dawn this morning and we climbed just shy of 1000m to the dam - before breakfast!

The first of 3 stages - up from the frontier village of Chattelard

Next it's round the cliffs of the precipice hugging steam train.

Another rather steep ride to the top!

And finally, the Emosson Dam.

And speaking of silly bike rides at the crack of dawn, there was also that first train to Martigny and the ride back over the Col de Forclaz and Col Des Montets. Another 1000m straight up - but more before lunch rather than breakfast, as it did take quite a while to get both there and back.

So, busy, busy... With so much to see and do you'll excuse the lack of posts!

Summer is coming - hit the pool!

2010-06-04T10:58:00.004+01:00

The summer season is pretty much here in the Chamonix valley, and some great news for fans of outdoor swimming pools. After a complete makeover and a prolonged period of closure, the open air pool in Chamonix is due to re-open in a couple of weeks time.

Chamonix pool? Who needs it when you've got your own!

The new facility includes a 50m pool, a second smaller pool with massage water jets and toboggans and a paddling pool with water games for the kids. Look out for the official opening on the 11th July. With the indoor pools as well, it's going to be a superb facility whatever the weather and I'm sure will see a few mid afternoon visits from us on the way back from an energetic walk or bike ride.

Of course, when you've got your own pool in the garden it does kind of spoil you!

For details of more summer news including the latest on the development of more mountain bike routes in the Chamonix Valley and the Nissan Outdoor Games click this link for the Chamonix Summer Newsletter.

Hotel Du Glacier

2010-03-23T21:04:00.003Z

Unfortunately, I've idea what year this photo was taken. The 2CV was the car of choice, but there again it was when I bought my first car in 1991 (it was a 'prunes and custard' one!), so that doesn't really help pin it down.

The main drag in Argentiere - but can you name the year?

The Savoy Bar is there. But that place seems a bit timeless and will probably look the same in 100 years time. And UCPA have yet to take over the Hotel Du Glacier, filling it with 'youths' who inevitably take all the tables in the pack lunch rooms up on the mountain and then scowl at you when you ask if you can have that chair that they're obviously not using because it's hidden under 3 rucksacks.

The railway station car park looks like it has yet to fill with cars, but that 2CV in front of those gates looks like an early commuter letting the train take the strain.

Anyway, nice pic of Argentiere. Enjoy!

Move Over Old Man

2010-02-16T21:48:00.007Z

Another fantastic week of skiing in the Chamonix Valley, based at our apartment in Argentiere.

A miserable cold day in Chamonix town?!

Some very cold temperatures, reminiscent of skiing at Aspen Highlands in the mid 1990's when we were out in -16 degrees and the sudden launch on the high speed chair delivered the mother of all ice cream headaches. However, the only whinging came from the adults, though that was possibly because faces were so frozen that forming words was nigh on impossible.

Snow conditions were excellent. The new snow that fell for 36 hours was very, very cold and therefore as close as I've seen to the legendary champagne powder as I've seen since those trips same trips to Apsen.

In the bumps in the Lavancher bowl

However, for all that, there's still one thing that's bothering me. It's the way that when I turn around around blasting down a cruisey blue run they're right behind me. It's the way that when I drop into the bumps off the safety of the traverse track above. It's the ease and enthusiasm with whichtey launch off the jumps. And the way that I have to shout TURN! when heading down the final stretches of Pierre a Ric as they look like they're about to reach warp speed.

Hitting the 'jump park' at the Grand Montets

I thought with a 5 year old and a 7 year old I was safe for a few more years yet. But based on the experiences of the last week I'm beginning to think otherwise. How long I wonder, before I hear the shout of "Move over old man! Make way for the 5 year old Olympic hopeful!"

Hole in One?

2010-01-29T12:10:00.005Z

You just couldn't do this if you tried. I mean, its one thing to take a massive tumble, its another to fall through the tiniest hole on a hillside into a crevasse, but to link them together is either sheer genius or just all your bad luck arriving on the same day...

More Ski >>

There's advert to begin with and the good stuff starts about 1m 15 s in.

Snow, snow and more snow.

2010-01-12T10:57:00.005Z

Our first visit to Argentiere in January for quite some time, but thanks to some quirky timing of the Scottish school hols, we were able to make a brief visit to the apartment immediately following New Year. My lasting memory of Argentiere at this time of year is the cold. And cold it was. Plenty of snow too, with feet rather than inches being a good unit of measure for the Monday snowfall.

View to the Grand Montets in Argentiere

By far the most arduous and tiring part of the weeks skiing was the flights. About 4 hours delay each way. Aviation fuel pouring from a leaky engine on the way out (not good!) and 10cm of snow on the tarmac at Geneva on the way back (also not good if you're wanting to land a plane). Allegedly the worse snowfall at GVA since 1985. I know why I never look forward to the commute.

A Christmas Welcome at L'Androsace apartments

But despite the flight delays, it's always well worth the effort. Seeing Argentiere in the snow is as exciting now as it was when I first saw it nearly 20 years ago. I want to go and play! And the apartment was looking good too, with the Christmas decorations still on display. Even the lobby had a fine Christmas Welcome waiting for us.

Can't wait till we're back again in just a few weeks time!

A Promising Start

2009-11-11T20:48:00.002Z

Early November and there's already a hope that the Grand Montets will be open for skiing very soon. As the image from the lifts web cam clearly shows there's been a fair bit of fresh snow, and the snow canons have been running to add to it.

Web cam image at Lognan, Grand Montets

Not quite there yet as the decision appears to have been taken that the lifts won't be opening this weekend. But fingers crossed the season will get under way from Mid November. Can't wait!

Hot rock

2009-10-23T09:46:00.003+01:00

Nearly time to head back to the West Highlands. But not because we want to you understand. I mean, why would we. The weather has been has been excellent if a little colder than expected, Its even warmed up these last few days. And every day we’ve been out and about doing something or other active.

We’ve sneaked in a few climbing sessions. Though Jodie is a regular visitor to the Ice Factor in Kinlochleven, she’s had virtually no experience of climbing on real rock. No better place to start than on the bolted routes at Les Gaillands just outside Chamonix.

Sam too has shown that he’s not shy when it comes to rock climbing. Yesterday afternoon we paid a visit to the climbing area by the lake at Les Houches. Despite being a bit higher and steeper than our previous attempts, both Sam and Jodie reached the top without much trouble.

And so we’re now in the routine of plenty of fresh air and outdoor fun. Not looking forward to the clocks going back and the short dark days of a Scottish winter!

Slap Shot

2009-10-21T21:03:00.004+01:00

Chamonix 4 St Gervais 1. Go Les chamois!

Le Lac Vert

2009-10-19T20:38:00.002+01:00

With temperatures still struggling to get much above freezing unless in the direct sun and with a forecast for totally cloudless skies it made sense to seek out the sun today.

The walk up to the Lac Vert, high above the sunny village of Servoz gets a good write up. Walking from the village itself looked like a bit more of a challenge for little legs and so we drove up through Le Mont and La Côte, finding a surprisingly large and flat parking area at the end of the road, on an otherwise vertiginous hillside.

Through the trees the air was still very chill but there were enough glimpses of the sun to keep it fairly pleasant. The climb up the wide track was fairly steep but not too long. High above the craggy peaks of Rochers des Fiz looked magnificent in the early afternoon sun.

I’m guessing that judging by the size of the adjacent car park and restaurant, you don’t often get the Lac Vert to yourself. But today we lucked out and had exactly that. Finding a sunny spot on the far bank we broke out the picnic for a very leisurely lunch while soaking up a few rays and taking in the views across the lake and above the trees to the summit of Mont Blanc.

There’s another path that circumnavigates the lake, just slightly higher up, from which the views are once more quite something. With a full vista from the Aiguillette des Houches with the Aiguille du Midi behind, across the various high summits of Mont Blanc to the Bionnassay Glacier and then over to Mont Joly its quite a spot.

Another cracking day out in the Chamonix valley!

Heaven is ...

2009-10-17T20:16:00.001+01:00

... a late afternoon run up above the apartment, along the path towards the Aiguillette d’Argentiere and then down towards Tres-Les-Champs. At or very near freezing, silver birch with golden leaves, amazing views across the upper end of the Chamonix valley and a fresh dusting of snow on the path.

Oh yes..!

Pierre a Bosson

2009-10-15T21:02:00.002+01:00

Another big blue-sky day and another great walk amidst the autumn scenery. Cold mornings mean late starts, which seems to be fine with everyone at the moment. Plenty of time to let the sun climb over the Grand Montets and start warming the depths of the valley in Argentière.

After much deliberation, more coffee, another pastry, and several glances out of the window we opted for a route we’d put off in the summer as being too steep in hot weather for little legs. Quite the contrary now; a little bit of effort uphill should work up a good head of steam. So off we set, baguette, jam and flask of hot chocolate plus a few extra layers of fleece, with the Pierre a Bosson in mind. Named after a rock that doesn’t seem to be there, the Pierre is a viewpoint high above the village of Argentière at a little over 1600m, with a view over the snout of the Argentière Glacier.

To make the walk a little easier, and a little more interesting as it turned out, we parked up at the station at Montroc (no trains running this fortnight!) and cut back across towards the Petit Balcon Nord above Le Planet. Though late to catch the sun and therefore still pretty frosty, the views through the trees across the Aiguille Rouge were stunning.

A handy picnic bench in a sheltered and sunny spot under an old pine was the perfect place to break out the late lunch. After that the broad path traverses the hillside through the trees before finally breaking out into scrub and the final climb to the viewpoint.

And what a viewpoint! Not especially high. Not especially difficult to get to. But sat in the autumn sun with a view looking over the Argentiere glacier was quite special. The Aiguille du Chardonnet made an appearance through wispy cloud, as did the Aiguille Verte, and further round the hazy Chamonix valley and the Aiguilles Rouge just added to it all to make a complete 180 degree vista. And not a soul around.

Only 1 more thing to do – beat a hasty retreat to L’Office in Argentiere before the sun got too low in the sky!

Good to be back

2009-10-14T20:23:00.004+01:00

Great to be back in Argentiere again. There’s something quite magical about this time of year. Its much colder than I expected for mid October, but that just sharpens it all up a little. A crisp morning frost and clear intensely blue skies above, the smell of wood smoke wafting gently down the valley and the autumn colours beginning to come into their own.

And yet Argentiere is all but a ghost town. Back home in Glencoe the weather isn’t usually quite so kind, though the colours are a little more intense. But with Octoberfest about to get underway, and the glen busy with visitors, the contrast couldn’t be greater.

Still, we’re not complaining. Great to be out and out exploring again. And guess what we found in the woods!

Trail des Aiguilles Rouges

2009-10-07T12:58:00.003+01:00

For most folk, the measure of a good holiday is how much time you've spent lying in the sun, favourite drink in hand, and how many pages of that book you've got through. For our most recent guests in the apartment however, a great holiday seems to be measured in terms of distance run!

Finishing the Trail des Aiguilles Rouge

Tom's a regular face at the Lochaber Athletics Club Winter League races and the season kicks off in just a few weeks time. So no better time to head off for 3 weeks of trail running in the Chamonix valley, based at the apartment in Argentiere.

Highlights of the stay include a 'run' up Mont Buet which Tom described as a 'good long run from the apartment'. Looks like it should be a 2 day expedition to me.

And also completing the Trail des Aiguilles Rouge, a 51km run starting in Vallorcine, climbing up into the Aiguilles Rouge and then eventually descending to Servoz. And if that wasn't bad enough, there's another little leg over to the finish in Les Houches. 3300m of uphill. And a 5am start. Ouch!

I'm expecting to finish some distance behind Tom in the Winter League races start in November!

Aqua Parc

2009-09-19T12:33:00.003+01:00

With the busy summer months over thoughts are naturally beginning to turn to the next winter ski season in the Chamonix valley. The first of the bookings for the apartment in Argentiere are already in and this week I'll be turning my attention to ensuring that the web site is in winter mode.

But the season isn't quite over yet. We'll be back in Argentiere in October to catch the autumn colours and some late sun season sunshine. And when asking the kids what they'd like to do when they get there, the answer that keeps coming back is 'go to the Aqua Parc'.

It takes about one and a quarter hours to drive over the Col des Montets and head down into Switzerland. There's a quick dash down the motorway from Martigny, past the UCI headquarters, and you'll find the Aqua Parc on the shores of Lake Leman (Geneva).

Not exactly a cheap day out, but the various flumes and water slides kept us busy for the entire day on last visit and so we actually got excellent value for money on the entry fee. The shame of it is coming back to Scotland and 5 / 7 year olds not being allowed down the tiny slide at the local pool unsupervised. Its a far cry from the long black tubes at the Aqua Parc!

Cafe Lavancher

2009-08-19T13:28:00.004+01:00

You can't beat a good coffee shop walk. There's nothing like a bit of fresh air and some gentle exercise to work up an appetite for a bit of coffee and cake, or perhaps an ice cream.

When I've been out running on the local trails I couldn't help but notice that a few little signs and posters had appeared, advertising a new cafe in Le Lavancher. Now, I have a bit of a soft spot for this little corner of the valley. Along with Montroc a little further up the valley, its elevated above the road and away from the hustle and bustle. As soon as you arrive there's a feeling of peace and calm that you can't get when you're closer to the main drag. Add to that some cockerels disturbing that peace, a few prayer flags flapping in the breeze and the wafting smell of wood smoke and you've got yourself a cracking little hamlet.

So, from the apartment its a short hop across to the Petit Balcon behind the Grand Montets telepherique station, and then a really nice walk down valley to Le Lavancher. Just long enough to get going and give the kids some exercise.

Cafe Lavancher can be found near the top of the village and provides breakfast, lunch and evening meal, plus those all important light snacks for habitual coffee shoppers such as ourselves. Free Wi-Fi and a very pleasant outdoor seating area also come as part of the service.

As does a skateboard. Just for if you get bored when you've podged yourself on ice cream!

Give them a call if you want to book dinner. Tel 04 50 90 83 36

If you want to avoid the (slightly) uphill walk back to Argentiere, then perhaps its worth taking a train timetable with you and heading down the path opposite the restaurant to catch a train from Les Tines. Perfect!

Jungle Gym

2009-08-04T12:23:00.005+01:00

In the same way that when kids watch the pre Christmas TV ads and perpetually say "I want one", a similar cry may be heard when we see a brochure or an ad for one of those Jungle Gym/Treetop adventure thingies; "Can we go?"

We've had a go on a few now. But not in the UK. The kids aren't old enough, nor will they be for some time. And the quality of the French variety does vary a bit from mediocre to brilliant, though wee Sam inevitably ends up on the little one when he really wants to go bigger and higher.

And then we tried the one at Talloires, above Lake Annecy. Wow! It did say 3 to 5m above the deck come to think of it. Unlike most of the others we've been on, the 'smaller' course runs on one continuous cable, so there's no need to clip and unclip. This makes it much safer, and perhaps as a result they can push the boundaries a bit further.

The photos do the talking much better than I can, so have a look at the album on this link to my Facebook pages.

Admittedly, its a bit far for a day trip from the apartment in Argentiere but for aficienados of the Jungle Gym, perhaps it'll be worth the effort!

Horses, goats and Lake Annecy

2009-07-21T20:52:00.002+01:00

I suppose most folk think we head out to the Alps and walk up mountains, go biking and visit glaciers all the time. Well, sometimes we do. But sometimes you've just got to give in to the requests for slightly less adventurous past times.

Spent last week at Lake Annecy. Mostly hot and sunny. Loads to do. Not least of which was stay on the site and jump in the fantastic swimming pool and chase Sam down the water slide. Being unsupervised, anything goes, including 5 year olds on big slides. Try doing that in Fort William while the scowling attendants blow their whistles at you!

Anyway, there's also an animal park and 'Balade a Poney' just by the southern end of the lake. And it was a big hit. Meet Rocky and Flocky. Ridden by Calamity Jane and John Wayne. And they also have Hairy Coos from the Heilans!

Ahhh... Happy Holidays!

Excuse my French

2009-07-20T21:09:00.002+01:00

But does anyone know what this sign means!?

World politics eh? Can't escape it, wherever you go. Even down at the local animal park!

Glacier des Bossons

2009-07-09T19:43:00.003+01:00

Sitting on the balcony at the apartment in Argentière and looking down the valley the view of the Mont Blanc massif, with the Chamonix Aiguilles all lined up, is pretty sweet. The view of the Glencoe mountains from my house back in the Highlands is something special, but I reckon that this one probably beats it.

View from the balcony - 8am this morning!

But keep studying the view carefully, and its not long before you realise that one of the fascinations with it is a great bit tongue of ice, apparently spewing down onto the valley floor itself. You probably noticed it on your drive into the Chamonix Valley too; the Glacier des Bossons.

Taking 5 beneath the snout.

Reading up on it, the glacier is a popular place to go and get closer to the ice, with a viewing point serviced by a chair lift near to the snout. It also seems that it may well have the record for biggest vertcial fall on a glacier, coming down from the summit of Mont Blanc to try and touch the valley floor. And because of the sheer drop and its gradient (45 degrees on average) its also possibly one of the fastest moving at 200 – 250m in a year.

Ice creams are compulsory!

And to give an example of what this actually means in practice, crash an aircraft near the top and you’ll have to wait about 37 years for chewed up bits of it to be spat out at the bottom! At least, that’s how long it took for bits of the Malabar Princess to appear after crashing in 1950.

We parked up at the landing area of the former Olympic Ski Jump in Les Bossons. Actually felt quite ill just looking up at it. A cool walk up through the woods wound its way nearly 400m up to the café and viewpoint, though not before taking a little side trip into the valley beneath the snout.

The top of the Aiguille du Midi from the cafe - spot the cable car!

Sam & Jodie again faired well on the walk, taking it all in their stride, so to speak. When I tried to explain that when I was doing my O level geography all about glaciers I had to have a pretty good imagination, whilst they’re already old hands at glacier spotting, the point seemed to get lost. Ice creams seemed more interesting…

Bikes, walks and adventure parks

2009-07-08T20:23:00.005+01:00

The pace of the last couple of days has been decidedly slow. In typically British fashion I’ve got to add that the weather hasn’t exactly been driving us along. Very cool in comparison to expectations, and at times a bit wet too. Evenings by the fire were not what I had in mind for July!
To celebrate Sam’s 5th birthday on Monday, we jumped on the bikes and headed down to Chamonix. Using the riverside track, we kept away from the traffic and made it all the way to Place du Mont Blanc before locking the bikes up at the station. A great ride down and the kids loved it.On then to the adventure park over by the Montenvers train, with the main objective of a few blasts down the summer luge. However, there was a slight cock up in the plan as 1. The park now charges an entry fee for the day and 2. The summer luge was shut.

Last year we were able to buy a few tokens and it felt like good value entertainment as the kids ‘paid as they played’. At 40 Euros for a family ticket, it felt like an expensive birthday treat. And that’s discounted from the 52 Euros we would have paid if the luge had been operating.

Another slight annoyance is the fact that they charge by height – under 1m tall in for free (Sam exceeds this quite considerably), but the activities are restricted by age – several being for 7 and over. How fair is that?

Regardless, we spent a couple of hours there having a go at most things, including the Mini Foret jungle gym up at the top of the brand new Planards chairlift. Sam went home happy having had a bike ride and a couple of hours at the park.

I got ticked off by the guard on the train for bring the kids bikes on. Only 5 bikes on any train and we’re a family of 4. That doesn’t leave much room to rely on the service – and a great service it is too. At least with the car, the worst case scenario is that having biked down the valley I get the train back while the others grab an ice cream and wait while I drive down to collect them. But that kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it?! At least, now that I've paid my taxes and got my residence cards sorted, the train is free.

Leaving Montroc

On the Aiguille Rouge National Park Nature Trail

With a promise of drier weather following in behind the overnight rain we decided to get out for a proper walk today. Of the many options available, and with still the odd shower about, plenty of low cloud and a chilly wind, a valley walk over to Vallorcine seemed the best option.

Someone got a new camera for Christmas!

Hameau Les Montets

Having timed our sandwich making just right, we jumped on the train up to Montroc and then picked up the path over to the Col des Montets and the Chemin des Diligences. I had thought that this might be a fairly dull walk, following the road through familiar territory. However, I have to say that it was really good, being just the right distance for Sam & Jodie, and with plenty to look at and take in along the way. Thoroughly recommended for an easy low level walk into the quieter reaches of the Chamonix valley.

Bugs & Butterflies

2009-07-05T19:43:00.002+01:00

Not exactly the longest of walks today but back at last on the Chamonix valley paths. Leaving the car up at the Aiguille Rouge National Park visitor centre, we explored the first half of the nature trail, then broke off downhill in the direction of Tre-Le-Champ. There’s something about the old farm buildings tucked away in this little corner of the upper part of the valley that has that really special feel about it.

Instead of continuing on down we cut across the main road and took the path that traverses the hillside above Argentiere. There’s no significant climbing; ideal for tired children (and parents) after 2 days spent in a car travelling the 1200 miles from the Highlands.

Wild strawberries, crickets, various butterflies and plenty of flowers kept the pace fairly gentle, before we found a good rock with views across to the Argentiere Glacier to stop and break out the baguettes.

Soon after lunch the path met the Flegere bound trail coming up out of Argentiere. We cut back down this and 20 minutes later were in the pool. So, not the longest of walks, but quite sufficient to ease us back in and with plenty of interest too.

And the car? Well, nothing that a quick run back up towards the Aiguillette D’Argentiere and some good Ben Nevis Race training couldn’t take care of!

2010 Ski Season

2009-05-06T11:52:00.006+01:00

If you're anything like me then your thoughts will be firmly focussed on the coming summer season. With some warmth in the sunshine, long daylight hours, hills to be run, trails to be biked, there's little time for thinking about when I'll be skiing in 2010.

Already dreaming of 2010

However, with flight schedules for Easyjet and others now available perhaps its worth taking a few moments to secure the dates of your choice for the next winter season?

Prices and availability for our apartment in Argentiere are now available on our web site. There's good availability just now but we are receiving enquiries and some weeks are now committed.

Right, back to the biking...

Chamonix Swimming Pool

2009-04-15T12:58:00.003+01:00

Popped down to the swimming pool in Chamonix the other day. A nice break from 2 full weeks of skiing. And what a pleasure it was!

Coming up for air

Every week back home I try and get a half mile, maybe even a full mile, in at the pool in Fort William. But its a drag. Its an 18 mile drive to the leisure centre in Fort William and as there's only lane swimming available in the morning session, it inevitably means a crack of dawn start. But its good to get the day going.

So whilst at the pool with Sam & Jodie I popped into the big pool to try and sneak in a few lengths. First thing you notice is that the water's nice and cool - at 27 degrees, its 3 degrees cooler than the leisure pool. Next is the clarity of the water. With the sunlight coming down through the glass dome above, there's perfect end to end vision.

And then there's the view. Coming up for air on the outward leg, the view through the window is of the Dru. And coming up at the turn is a huge vista of the Aiguille Du Midi and Mont Blanc through the glass wall. How cool is that! Stunning! A far cry from the dark winter mornings back in Fort William!

If only I lived in Chamonix I'd swim like a fish...!

Late Season Deals

2009-03-13T12:17:00.003Z

Its been an incredible season for our self catering apartment in Argentiere, in the Chamonix Valley. Although only our second winter of operation, the apartment and the StayInChamonix brand has become well established. The apartment has been fully booked from mid December, right through into mid April.

Catch some spring sunshine on the mountain and chill out

But its not over yet. There's still stacks of snow and the skiing looks like being excellent right the way through to the end of the ski season in early May. Prices are much lower in April so now's a good time to book a late season ski holiday in Argentiere. Check the web site for availability.

The family will be returning for some Easter skiing very soon - really looking forward to getting back out again. and then it'll be time to turn attentions to the summer and perhaps some downhill action of the 2 wheeled variety.

Mountain Biking on the TMB, beneath Mt Dolent

More information about mountain biking (VTT) in the Chamonix Valley can be found on our web site.

Guess Where?

2009-02-14T10:53:00.003Z

Another cracking day on the slopes yesterday. The drive to the slopes was like driving through a wintry calendar picture, with snowy hillsides. deep snow piled by the ploughs at the side of the road, and big lumps of snow bending branches on the overhanging trees.

It was quite clear on arrival that a combination of great snow, good weather and the school mid term break had prompted quite a few others to a similar plan of action - the ample car parks were overflowing, including the overflow car park!

But once on the hill the slopes didn't seem too busy. With all runs and and uplifts working there was plenty of space for everyone. The snow was in great condition and the skiing fantastic.

So where were we? Brevent? Flegere? Les Houches perhaps?

No, all wrong. Cairgorm Mountain, Scotland!

Snow Still Falling

2009-02-11T18:58:00.003Z

Plenty of snow still falling in Argentiere this week. Some great conditions on the mountains but if you're just starting out and want a bit of family fun then you're as well using the 'beginner slopes' at the foot of the hills.

Here's a photo of Les Chosalets, close to the foot of the Grand Montets ski lifts in Argentiere. Great for messing about on, though they don't take too kindly to sledges! Spot the apartment in the background - the large apex building in the middle right of the photo.

She moves in mysterious ways

2009-02-08T20:14:00.006Z

Isn't it just a little odd that a bit of snow in the UK can cause so much disruption?

Jodie shredding the piste at Flegere with the Dru & the Aiguille Verte as a backdrop.

Having had half an eye on the weather in the UK throughout the week, we had thought that we'd escape any of the problems on our way home again as Glasgow was largely clear of the heaviest falls. But no. The flight crew were stuck in Luton, and so we were left in Geneva twiddling our thumbs for several hours while the reinforcements were dragged in.

Finishing off Lachanel at Flegere - another classic Chamonix Valley red run for Jodie and Sam

At risk of stating the bleeding obvious, isn't it all down to being prepared? I have to admit I was slightly concerned yesterday morning to find that after a light overnight fall there was a full 6" of snow lying on the drive, and a Mazda 6 in the garage that had an appointment to keep at the airport. This'll be fun?! But with snow tyres fitted, it was as if there was no snow at all, this despite the snow being deeper than the front spoiler.

So, how bad would things be if we all invested in a set of winter tyres?! Would that keep the schools open?

Anyway, back home now and sorting through a few more of the films and photos from another great week in Argentiere. How about this one of some more sledging. The soundtrack was there already - no through some clever film editing!

Little kids and big kids

2009-02-03T20:34:00.003Z

Snow seems to be causing much chaos for the UK at the moment, whilst here in Argentière its causing much amusement.

Went for a bit of a walk through the forests, at times disappearing a full leg length into the soft stuff. Slightly milder conditions have caused a bit of a thaw, so what might have supported a person’s weight yesterday, was having second thoughts today.

Found a few ‘interesting’ runs for the sledges. Just about managed to avoid any broken bones but the ski jump ramp at the top of the Les Chosalets beginners area did look very tempting! However, inevitably we ended up back at the old favourite at the foot of Marmottons for an hour or 2 of amusement, followed by crepes and pizza.

Also gave Caroline time to play with the settings on her Christmas pressie. Look, it does black and whites too!

It's a bit chilly!

2009-02-02T20:51:00.003Z

Can’t help but wonder what the wind chill factor is when its –5 degrees and its blowing 30 kph. Regardless, it’s cold. Cold enough to give you a damn good ice cream headache when sat on a lift riding slowly into the oncoming wind. Absolutely Baltic in fact.

Amazing then that wee Sam didn’t grumble at all about the cold today. There’s me in my branded ‘Gucci’ kit, from thermals through to Gore-Tex, and there’s he in anything we can find him that’ll fit and won’t break the bank because he’ll soon be growing out of it. Who’s gonna crumble first…?!So its not quite the weather that we had last time we were out skiing – at Easter last year. But all the same, great to be back in the Argentière apartment, at the head of the Chamonix Valley. It’s a quick week, or at least I reckon it will be by the time we hit Saturday, but still long enough to enjoy all the reasons that made us finally decide to buy a place out here.

Have to say that the place is looking good. Our second full winter season and we’re definitely making our mark. The floor which I put down back in November has transformed the place. Already thinking that I might try and find time to come out again later this season and have a go at closing off the double door to the family bedroom, making the lounge much cosier in the process. And maybe find a few hours to hit the trails at the same time, naturally!

Snow Shoes Rule

2009-01-29T18:52:00.004Z

Nicely back from Argentiere, 'stookie' (that's a cast on a broken bone if you're not familiar with Scot's dialect), Gordon is full of praise for snow shoe trips. Undeterred by broken bones incurred as a result of a try at cross country skiing, plans are already being made for the next trip! Perhaps the photos reveal why!

There's lots of talk about the comparative strength of the Euro against the pound at the moment, but with 2 weeks of blue skies, sub zero temperatures and oodles of fun you've got to admit that its money well spent.

Julia from Tracks & Trails is the person to speak to if you fancy a bit of snow shoeing or some ski de fond / cross country skiing. And she promises that most of her clients don't end up getting plastered, at least until they've hit the pub later that is. (Sorry, terrible joke I know. I'll get my coat.)

It all goes to show that just because its winter, you don't have to be a downhill skier to have a great time staying at our apartment in Argentiere. The Chamonix valley has much to offer, and we're only just scratching the surface at the moment. Tandem paragliding next, then?

And if, like Gordon, it all goes pear shaped out there on the white stuff, you can always take a hike up to a sunny slope side restaurant, and enjoy the sunshine and a glass of the old vin rouge!

Enjoy your break!

2009-01-14T21:08:00.002Z

Gordon, our man from Clachaig has been out in the apartment in Argentiere this last 10 days or so. We've had the odd text or 2, taunting us with tales of deep snow, blue skies and French wine. It sounds like you don't need to be hardcore skier to enjoy the Alps, even at this time of year.

With walks in the snow and with views like this who needs skiing?! Well, it sounds like a reasonable alternative at least.

And for a view like this, down into Switzerland, how about a day snow shoeing? Amidst the gloating, we detected that Gordon had a fantastic day with Tracks & Trails and an introduction to snow shoes.

However, latest reports suggest that cross country skiing isn't perhaps all its cracked up to be. Within a couple of hours he'd broken his wrist and was bound for the Argentiere clinic, hot on the trail of Kylie (see below)! Ouch!

I should be so lucky...

2009-01-06T14:31:00.003Z

Chances are that by now you've heard how good the start to the winter season has been. Snow, snow and more snow, ensuring that the Chamonix Valley got one of the best starts to a winter season in years.

Our Christmas guests had a great time and have provided some very positive feedback:

"Can I say what a fabulous time my family had in your Argentiere apartment over Christmas. The apartment was lovely; well equipped and cosy. You have obviously made it in to an apartment that you would feel comfortable staying in - not usually the case! The Christmassy decorations were a delightful addition and with our roaring fire on Christmas Day made our holiday. It was light, spacious, thoughtfully decorated and warm - I don't want this to sound like a criticism, but almost too warm! It seemed a shame to open the windows when things got too toasty, but better warm than cold! The area is lovely and we had a fantastic time in the mountains. What a view from the balcony!!

I loved your apartment and I'm very jealous as I wish I had one just like it! A beautiful setting, a homely, cosy apartment and fantastic owners who genuinely seem to care.... brilliant!"

And it seems that someone told diminutive pop princess and so it would appear keen snowboarder Kylie how good it was this year. Sounds like Kylie and her current have been shredding the slopes of the Grand Montets over New Year, although the 'current' might have over done it a little as local sources report Kylie as last being seen in the Doc's surgery in Argentiere. Ouch!

I've always had a soft spot for Kylie, ever since the Charlene days (well, students watch Neighbours even today don't they?) and the little kids from next door to our flat in King Edward Street in Gateshead used to tease me and my (diminutive) girlfriend that it was Kylie & Jason coming home. (That's the Mrs. now, and the frizzy perm look has gone). I do, of course, have to deny rumours that Kylie booked with StayInChamonix for her New Year retreat. I should be so lucky...

Ski Rental Partnership

2008-11-11T12:28:00.003Z

Last week proved to be a busy one. The new floor is fully installed and the apartment is looking even better than ever. Despite the lack of camera, I managed to remember that technology has moved on in recent years and that I have a camera on my mobile. So here's a picture, albeit not of the usual standards, of the finished product. In case you're confused, that bright glare by the windows is the sun (it's probably been a while since you've seen it!)

We also established a new partnership with Sanglard Sports. StayInChamonix guests can now receive a 15% discount on ski hire from the Argentiere shop. Check out our web site for details.

The ski season isn't far away now, with snow filling in from about the 1900m contour. However, there's still plenty of sunshine in the valley and with the autumn leaves still hanging in there its a real pleasure being out. Despite being just below the snow line, rock climbers were making the most of it on Saturday, with an ascent of the Aiguillette D'Argentiere, high above the apartment.

The carpet is dead!

2008-11-05T19:52:00.004Z

Great. Invest in an apartment in Argentiere so that you can spend lots of time in the fantastic surrounding mountains. Not so this week!

Have spent the last 3 days on my knees with a wallpaper scraper trying to clear the remains of the old carpet from the floor of the apartment. And the good news is that the mission has now been accomplished. The old carpet is now resting in the bottom of a skip in Chamonix and the fantastic new floor is taking shape nicely. Despite still having a fair bit to lay over the next couple of days, its already transformed the apartment, and its looking great. Would love to prove it with a photo with numb-nuts here has forgotten to bring his camera!

Its not all work, work, work. That would be a bit dull. Have at least managed to get out for a bike/run/swim over the last few days. The autumn leaves and the quiet trails through the Aiguille Rouge Nature Reserve above the apartment were pretty special!

It's snowing in Argentiere!

2008-10-30T09:43:00.007Z

Leaving a snowy Glencoe to head to Argentiere at the weekend with a plan to replace the tired carpet in the apartment with a new laminate floor. I've got my running shorts at the ready and the mountain bike boxed, all ready for some exercise and fresh air. But having had a quick look at the web cams I'm wondering whether skis might not be a better idea!

View of Argentiere village courtesy of Chamonix.com

The Grand Montets at Lognan courtesy of CMB

Last year we were skiing on 1st December. Keep an eye on the web cams and keep your fingers crossed for another excellent start to the ski season.

Mountain Bike Tour du Mont Blanc

2008-09-26T10:43:00.010+01:00

Just nicely back from last week’s Mountain Bike Tour of Mont Blanc. It all seemed like a good idea at the time. You know the thing. A quick saunter up some easy graded smooth surfaced track to the top of the pass, chill out in the sunshine for a while, then blast some sweet singletrack down the other side.

Well, we got it half right!

A week away from home, 8800 metres of climbing on the altimeter and 5 days/4 nights out on the tour, it’s a highly recommended classic. But its not a walk (or even a ride) in the park!

Here are some photos and a few words of description of our trip to inspire you.

Day 1
From our base in Argentiere, we set off in damp and chilly conditions down the riverside track to Chamonix. A gentle downhill gradient seemed like a very kind way to start the circuit. Once through Chamonix town, we rejoined the off-road at Les Gaillands and continued on down to Les Houches. Downhill over!Our chosen route then took us up the road through Les Houches towards Vaudagne, before leaving the lovely tarmac and hitting the first of many carry-climbs up to the Col de la Forclaz at 1533m. I’d love to say the effort was worth it, with stunning views back up the Chamonix Valley to Mont Blanc. But I can’t. ‘Pea-Soup’ conditions and a fine Scottish ‘mizzle’ favoured those with a good imagination.

The rather damp conditions also favoured not getting the map out too often. Just follow the downhill and at some point sooner or later, you’ll hit the tar on the road to Les Contamines. That is, if you haven’t hit the dirt track face first on the 600m of downhill!

Our first night out was at the Hotel Chemenaz in Les Contamines. Very bike friendly with a powerful hose for legs and bikes, and a superb drying room for sorting out 2 days of soaking kit belonging to 11 dishevelled bikers. And a big feed too!

Day 2
I always get nervous when plans change last minute. It kind of suggests that we didn’t really know where we were going in the first place. Surely not? However, with insider information from the biker hotel owner, we were promised a much better descent from the Col du Bonhomme to Les Chapieux. Whilst the democratic vote was being taken, someone forgot to mention that the revised route involved an extra road pass worthy of the Tour.

The route up towards the col is rideable in parts, and with the cloud slowly beginning to clear, we got our first glimpses of mountains since arriving in the Alps. Biking through high alpine meadows, with swirling clouds and high mountain views opening up all the time the big broad grins of satisfaction started to appear.

Only to suddenly disappear when we saw the snow on the Col du Bonhomme at 2329m. Bugger! At least the final carry up to the col gets the blood flowing, and there’s a small hut on the top to keep the windchill off bare white peely-wally legs.

Instead of heading through snow and cloud to the next col, we followed a bit of singletrack down to the south east, made for mountain biking (except for the middle vertical bit perhaps).

Following the watercourse down, the track got a little ‘interesting’, with a fairly high penalty clause for any offs. Once through the narrows the objective dangers came from cow sh*t rather than a 100 foot cliff. Slight less life threatening; equally undesirable.

Back at the tar, the news about the road pass was gently broken to us. Solace was found in a handy roadside hotel with strong coffee and apple tart. It tasted good half way up the Cormet de Roseland as well. And ¾ of the way up. And near the top. Burp!

Being mountain bikers, it was of course necessary to terrorise some poor motorist on the descent with an overtaking move on the outside of a blind bend, before scooting off onto some gorgeous grassy switchbacks and a cold beer at the Auberge de la Nova.

Life is good.

Day 3
Little can be said to recommend sharing a dormitory room with 9 other farting, snoring, weak bladdered bikers.

The road from Les Chapieux to la Ville des Glaciers is a rude awakening in the chill of an autumn morning. But nothing like the climb from there to the Col de la Seigne at 2516m. Fortunately, the weather was now behaving, and once through the cloud base, the inversion and the views to the Mont Blanc massif were magical. At last, we were back on plan; snoozing on the top of the pass in the midday sun (jackets required!)

The descent into Italy was mountain biking at its best. Look out for the footpath variation just before the Refuge Elisabetta Soldini. Smug smiles at lunch by the Lac de Combal were quickly lost once we started the carry climb up the TMB path. Just a mere 400m of ascent this time. Gratuitous though it seemed to add in this extra loop, the reason for the torture of the climb soon becomes apparent at the top.

The panorama over the Glacier du Miage and Mont Blanc is rather special, as is the long singletrack traversing descent towards the Courmayeur ski area at the Col Checroui.

The Val Ferret is also an impressive spot, and chances are we’ll be back to explore with the family next summer. The long uphill into a headwind hurt, as the length of the day began to take its toll on tired legs. Spurred on by stunning views and yet more cold beer, arrival at the Chalet Val Ferret at the head of the valley came soon enough.

Day 4
It’s a hard trip if you’re not a ‘morning person’. And you’ve woken up with a red-wine induced hangover.
From the Chalet it's out of the back door, granny gear up to the Refuge at 2062m, then a quick carry up to the Grand Col Ferret at 2537m. Views from the col of Mont Dolent and the Aiguille de Triolet serve as a reminder of the geography and the fact we’re on a circumnavigation. Just beyond lies the Argentiere Glacier, and our final destination back at the apartment.

The descent from the pass is just too fast and too much fun to think about stopping to take photos. Just take our word for it. And the word is ‘yeehar’!

Brake discs finally got a chance to cool off in the village of La Fouly. Having dawdled sufficiently with a coffee at the Refuge at La Peule we missed the supermarket and so had to settle for a Swiss banquet of Rosti. Tastes great, costs a fortune and sits on the gut like a brick.

If by this time the combined fatigue is tempting you to stay with the tarmac down the valley, don’t! Follow the TMB marked footpath on the far side of the river and enjoy some lovely mountain biking through the trees. Those of a nervous disposition may want to dismount and hold on to the safety chain where it crosses the ravine!

The final treat for the day was another 500m or so of tarmac climbing up to Champex. The easy gradient just means that it takes twice as long to climb to the idyllic lakeside setting – and the cold beer that awaits. Oh yeah!

Day 5
As if realising that we were getting a little tired of those mornings where its straight out the door and straight up a thousand or so metres of climbing, the trail from Champex starts off with something unusual – downhill. But boy, do you pay for it.

The track up the Bovine route starts easy enough. And then it turns into the hardest climb yet. Maybe the ‘man flu’ was wearing me down. Or maybe I was just plain and simple knackered. Regardless, I suffered big time with a Specialized Stumpjumper on my back over the 700m ascent.

Once again, the VTT Tour du Mont Blanc delivers another spectacular bit of track, just made for mad men on mountain bikes. Firstly on a narrow path traversing round a steep hillside, with nothing but the flat lands of Switzerland thousands of feet below. Then, 500m of singletrack descending with a challenging variety of rocks and roots to really test your sphincter control.

And of course, it all ends at a suitably positioned restaurant on the Col de la Forclaz (that’s a different one to Day 1).
At this point, for those easily led astray, the temptation of an easy tarmac finish can distract from the real business at hand. And it has to be said, that half of our motley crew showed a distinct of lack of moral fibre and followed the tar to Vallorcine and the Col des Montets.

The real mountain bikers amongst us did of course hang a left and climbed again, up to the reservoir Jeur Verte, on up to the telesiege Tete de Balme and finally the Col des Posettes. And from there, its downhill all the way to Argentiere and the apartment!

Winter Flights

2008-08-10T16:34:00.003+01:00

A wee note to let you know that EasyJet have now released their winter flights. And from first glance, it appears that despite gloom & doom in the British Press and the ever spiraling cost of oil, you can still get to the Alps for a very reasonable price this coming winter.

Check out prices for flights from your local airport to Geneva with EasyJet.

We already have!

Me Tarzan, you Jane...

2008-08-08T14:51:00.006+01:00

One final bit of fun before the long journey back to the Highlands. Back down to Chamonix again and the Parc de Loisirs for some jungle fun on the roped course through the trees.

With 3 different levels in the Parcours D'Aventure its possible for wee Sam to have a shot on his very own course through the trees, with a watchful eye being kept from a very safe spot on terra firma right next to him. Despite some slight concern that he wouldn't be quite so bold when it came to it, Sam loved the 'mini foret' and chances are he'll be moving on up the grade to the petit foret as soon as age and height permit.

Jodie meanwhile climbed high from the start on the 'Petit Foret' course, with me in tow keeping a close eye on the karabiners and safety procedures. And what great fun it was too! Climbing steep ladders (and a climbing wall), traversing high wires and suspended logs, swinging into cargo nets, and probably best of all, the zip wires. And all without batting an eyelid! No Fear!

Not sure whether you're supposed to or not, but we enjoyed it so much that we went back round many of the sections for a second go! And the parc is open till the end of October, so if we get chance in October and the weather holds there's a very good chance that we'll be back for more very soon.

As the course is located in the trees at the top of the Planards ski run, just on the outskirts of Chamonix, you need to catch the chairlift to get up to it. But this also means that on the way down, there's another run on the summer luge included in the price of the ticket!

So that's all for this trip to Argentiere and the Chamonix valley. Back again in a few weeks with the mountain bikes to have a go at the Tour of Mont Blanc.

Les Gorges de la Diosaz

2008-07-29T19:14:00.002+01:00

An easier day today. Plus we actually travelled away from the upper Chamonix valley for a change. Just down by the narrows as you enter the valley you’ll find the village of Servoz, though unless you’re looking out for it you’ll be past it on the motorway before you know it. And the train passes through, so again, no need for the car (though we did today so that we could have a bit of an explore on the way back).

Our reason for heading down was to visit the Gorges de la Diosaz. A walk up a narrow canyon on walkways, sometimes suspended over the gorge itself, sometimes hacked out of the cliff face. However, the trail itself is well maintained and enclosed, so there were no worries about taking 4 year old Sam along.

The damp, spray filled atmosphere, and the shade from the sunshine allowed a very pleasant hour or so, escaping the heat of the day. Imagine that its also a fairly good place to go on a wet day, when you don’t fancy going out into the hills.

On the way back we took the scenic route via Vaudagne to Les Houches and had a look at the bolted rock climbing area and the Kids Adventure area. Then continuing along the back roads, we stopped at Les Gaillands and enjoyed an ice cream whilst watching the climbers on the bolted climbing routes there. Next we’ll be bringing the climbing gear too!

Trains, gondolas and luges

2008-07-28T20:14:00.006+01:00

The market comes to Chamonix on a Saturday. Has to be said it’s a bit bigger and a fair bit better than the one that comes along to Fort William! If strange sausages wrapped in hairnets and stinky cheese, made even more stinky by the near 30 degrees heat, are your bag, then you’ll love the market.
Apart from just wondering around, it’s a fine spot to head to if you’re looking to buy fruit and veg (be warned, its easy to spend a small fortune), rotisserie chickens, herbs and spices, fresh fish, bread, flowers, honey, jams… and the list goes on. Just choose a cooler Saturday.

Being in town for a change, we popped across to the Parc de Loisirs and had a bash at the summer luge amongst other things. Have to say that having seen this on numerous visits over the years I’ve always wondered quite what the craic is. However, I can now tell you that its 5 Euros well spent. Being a bit of a hit all round, we found ourselves there again the following day with a multiple ride ticket. Me & Sam were definitely fastest over the 1.8km course.

Back to the hills today for another walk. Took the train from Argentière up the valley this time and through to Vallorcine. Great spot, although Le Buet probably has the edge. Right outside the train station there’s the new gondola to take you up to the Balme (Le Tour) ski area. Check out the mountain bike downhill course that runs under the gondola. Looks good.

Once at the top of the gondola its just a short walk to the Col des Possettes. Big view down the valley, a few cows in the meadow (just follow the bells) and an Alpage for a very civilised refreshment. Nice spot! From there its an easy and steadily downhill walk to the Charamillon gondola (more beer and ice cream opportunities). Being hardy folk, we continued on down towards Le Tour, taking time to stop and break out the sandwiches in a suitably scenic spot. Then on down to Montroc where hot feet, a need for ice cream and a convenient passing bus meant that the walk was cut short of Argentière but that the terrace at Hotel Le Dahu was reached much quicker. Mmmm!

Feeling quilty after a bit of (over) indulgence I headed out onto the Petite Balcon Nord for a blast on the mountain bike, while Caroline and the kids booked their place by the pool. An hour later I was in there cooling off with them. Another fantastic day out for the family in the Chamonix valley!

Cafe Gourmand

2008-07-25T20:59:00.004+01:00

Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun! The weather has really come good this last few days and, as ever, time has been flying by as we’ve been out there making the most of it.

Today’s choice was a walk up to Chalet Le Chapeau above Le Lavancher, which just a bit further down valley from Argentière. Whilst it would have been possible to use either the train (to La Joux) or the bus, or even walk down by the river to Le Lavancher, we gave the car a rare outing and drove there.

Pick up the path heading up into the forest at the top of the village and follow the signs. Depending on who you believe, its either 50 mins or 1hr 10 mins to Le Chapeau. I suspect a good pace would see you there a lot quicker than that, but if you’ve got a tired 4 year old in tow, its really hot, and you’ve got to stop and catch ants to look at in the bug viewer, allow a bit longer!

The chalet sits on the hillside overlooking the source de l’arveyon, and was allegedly the path of choice for the Victorians coming to look at the (then) larger Mer de Glace, before the coming of Montenvers and the transfer of traffic to the other flank. With a panorama looking up the snout of the glacier, round to Chamonix town in the valley below, round to La Flegere and the Aiguille Rouge peaks, the chalet is a stunning spot. What’s more, its really quiet, very friendly and there’s some great food at very (extraordinarily) reasonable prices. Sam and I recommend the tarte framboise!

Its only half an hour (bugs permitting) back to the car. Time for that elusive ice cream in Argentière (none at the chalet!) before heading back to the apartment to hit the pool in the heat of the late afternoon sun.

We saw quite a bit of the pool yesterday. In fact, with blue skies and rising temperatures we didn’t stray far from it all day.

Well, we were due a rest after Wednesday’s walk down from the top station of the telepherique at La Flegere. The path doesn’t start off too well, being quite steep as it descends the winter ski run. However, once close to the last uplift chair it detours away from the wide track into the woods and becomes a very pleasant track with a steady gradient. The cover of the trees keeps it cool, while the odd clearing allows for some great views down to Chamonix town and, of course, across to the Aiguille du Midi and Mont Blanc.

Look out for the path heading across to Chalet La Floria. Another improbable chalet location clinging to the hillside above the valley. One minute, a steady path through a steep forest, next minute tables, parasols, flowers galore, tarte myrtilles, cold beer and a great view to ponder while you take a wee break from another hectic day.

And while we’re on the subject of great places to take a break and enjoy something to eat and/or drink, seek out the Hotel La Prairie in Les Bois. Not really somewhere you’ll stumble across while out in the car, but ideally located if you’re following the mountain bike routes, or the easier walks, heading out from Chamonix. Try a Café Gourmand. It’ll give you a bit of a buzz!

Adrenaline Sports

2008-07-21T21:19:00.003+01:00

Chamonix, a name synonymous with extreme adventure sports such as skiing, mountain biking, climbing and paragliding. However, you can forget all that. Been there, done it. Instead the in sport in the valley today is downhill scootering.

From Argentière we followed the track alongside the river, heading down the valley towards La Joux, through the steep narrows and then past Les Tines to the Parc des Paradis near the golf course. After a couple of shots on the zip wire and the Himalayan bridge it’s then a short scoot down by the Arve into Chamonix itself.

Both Barbie and Power Ranger faired well over the 5 mile course, with no major mishaps, though a little discretion was required through the steep bits above Les Tines, despite wearing helmets. And to celebrate it was Smartie ice creams all round, before heading back to the apartment and some post adrenaline sport r&r in the swimming pool.

So there you have it. Downhill scootering is where its at! And they’ve even got a special compartment on the train for carrying scooters (and those mountain bike thingys) back up the valley again.

The Sound of Thunder

2008-07-20T16:21:00.002+01:00

Late afternoon and sat on the balcony watching and listening to a passing thunderstorm. Another pleasant walk today, this time over on the other side of the Col Des Montets.

Took the car over and parked in the large car park next to Le Buet railway station. Immediately across the road, we picked up the footpath towards the Cascade De Berard. Its easy going, first crossing the La Poya beginners drag lift and ski area and then meadows with grazing cows. Once into the forest, the going slowed up considerably due to the large numbers of wild strawberries and blueberries growing either side of the path.

A little further on and we soon came across the chalet by the waterfall. Real picture postcard stuff and the ideal location for the obligatory ice cream stop! We decided to continue up the path towards the refuge and stopped in a sunny glade by the icy cold river for lunch, before returning to the car via sur le rocher. Another really pleasant and fairly short walk through some fantastic scenery.

Called at the National Park office on the Col des Montets on the way back down. Interesting interpretation and well worth the stop, even more so if you’ve got a really good understanding of French. Not me then!

Going for a run seemed like a good idea on Friday. That was, however, until we chose to run up to Plan Joran on the Grand Montets. Any sane person would have realised that 700m straight up (opposite the apartment) was always a daft idea, but..! Unlike back home on, say Ben Nevis (half the reason for going out was to grab some much needed training for the Ben Race), the paths zig zag up the hillside keeping a nice even and runable gradient. Ouch!

On reaching the top we took a right turn and descended via the Alpage at the Chalets de la Pendant and then on down the Grand Balcon Nord route to Le Lavancher, returning to Argentière by the Petit Balcon Nord. By the time I reached Le Lavancher I was feeling totally dehydrated, dizzy and generally banjaxed. However, following on Nix’s heels, we were soon back at the apartment and soon it was all just a memory. 1hr 50 mins round trip. Needless to say, there was some time spent by the pool in the afternoon!

Finally gave in to the lure of the Quecha shop down near Sallanches yesterday. My halo remained firmly in place and I came away empty handed. Caroline, Jodie and Sam all scored big time however, with new trainers, jackets, over-trousers (we will be heading back to the Highlands at some point!) and t –shirts. On the way home we called in at the Parc Aventure at Le Fayet for an ice cream and a play on the swings. The narrow gauge railway was also running and lots of children were enjoying free rides round the park. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before Sam and Jodie were trundling round the park on the back of the trains too. A big hit!

Aiguille bagging

2008-07-17T21:23:00.002+01:00

A no kids day today! They were off on a trip down with friends down to the Parc de Merlet at Les Houches today to go and see the animals with friends. So time for a quick walk up the Aiguillette des Posettes above Le Tour. A cracking walk despite the increasingly gloomy weather. A bit of a pea-souper on the summit and a wee bit chilly too, but glimpses of the views through the passing clouds gave an indication of how good the views must be on a clearer day.

There was also time to squeeze in a quick blast on the mountain bike round the upper Chamonix valley. Down to La Joux and then back up towards Le Tour on the Petit Balcon Nord. And back for a swim in the outdoor pool in the drizzle. Very refreshing!

Family walks and the outdoor pool!

2008-07-16T20:25:00.009+01:00

Back in the apartment in Argentière again, having driven from the 850 miles or so from very near to Land’s End, having had a couple of weeks on the beach on our way south.

Despite the long journey and some less than welcoming weather on arrival on Sunday we were champing at the bit for some fresh air and exercise. Most of our visits so far have either been to do specific things in the summer, or to ski during the winter, so we are keen to explore the Chamonix valley.

Monday 14th July – Short walks near Argentière

Whilst the clouds and rain were still clearing I headed out for a quick run. And what a great little route it turned out to be. There’s a track following the bank of the river at the bottom of the village, and I took this warming up on the gentle downhill gradient close to the village of La Joux. There’s a footbridge over the River Arve here and then the first of the climbing back up to Le Lavancher. From here you pick up the Petit Balcon Nord and a great undulating path back to Argentière through the trees. Cracking 45 min outing!

The weather continued to improve and by mid afternoon the sun was making a most welcome appearance. For a gentle introduction for Sam and Jodie’s little legs we left the car in Le Tour and walked back to Argentière along the Petit Balcon Nord to Le Planet, and then followed the path down into the back of Argentière itself. A really pleasant walk, mostly downhill and great for an hour or two of fresh air. And this did of course mean that I had to get the mountain bike out and bike back up for the car afterwards. Any excuse! The easier way, especially if you’re without a car, is to make use of the local bus service and take the bus up to Le Tour.

Tuesday15th July – The Argentière Glacier

And so onto bigger (and higher) things. A quick ride on the Lognan telepherique at the Grand Montets and you’re at 2000m before you know it. From the top station, we followed the track out left towards the Argentiere Glacier, heading for the Point de Vue. (See walk no. 29 in “Mont Blanc Walks” by Hilary Sharp).

Although there’s a bit of height to gain, even 4 year old Sam managed it to the Glacier without too much difficulty. We opted for the more scenic and more challenging variation from the first viewpoint of the glacier by the tunnel entrance. Slightly challenging for little legs but with a firm grip on little hands and the occasional shove up a big boulder step and we made it to the viewpoint. A great spot to break out the packed lunch and take in the sun and the spectacular mountain views up the Argentière glacier. A slightly sobering thought in that the last time I walked up here was something like 22 years ago, heading for a climb up the NE face of Les Courtes.

The prospect of ice creams at the Refuge de Lognan tempted us to take an alternative route down. Nice though it was, we would probably have been better with the original plan of taking the path down to Les Chosalets as walking down the home run, the Pierre a Ric was tougher than envisaged as due to the rocky conditions underfoot. However, two 6 year olds and a 4 year old managed it quite admirably with barely a grumble.

Back at the apartment, the sun was still on the swimming pool. Needless to say it was sheer bliss after 6 hours on the go. Very satisfying to splash around in the pool and cast an eye up to the Refuge where just a short while before we’d been devouring ice creams.

Wednesday 16th July – Trains & Ice Caves

After yesterday’s exertions we felt obliged to take it a bit easier. Having been pestered to visit the ice caves at Montenvers on the Mer de Glace on the last 2 ski trips and successfully avoided it, now was the time to finally succumb to Jodie’s demands.

Again leaving the car behind, we took the train down to Chamonix and paid across large sums of Euros for the obligatory train ride up to Montenvers. Sunny spot, cracking views and a bit busy. And a notable lack of seats to sit down on. To escape the crowds we walked along the path away from the mayhem for a short while and found a nice quiet sunny spot with big mountain views to break out the packed lunch.

The trip down to the ice cave on the Mer de Glace glacier, first on the gondola and then on the elevated walkways and staircases was pleasant enough, and a big thrill for the kids. However, I have to say that the cave itself was a bit of a let down. If you’ve seen some of the ice sculptures to be found elsewhere, then the offerings here were a little, ... well, …pathetic.

Still, a cracking day out in the Chamonix valley that keeps the children happy, and we were back in the apartment in good time for another swim in the pool. A great way to wind down at the end of another busy day.

Here comes the summer

2008-06-10T16:11:00.006+01:00

Not too long now till we're back again for some summer fun in the Chamonix Valley. Hopefully the sun is going to shine a little bit more than it has been of late and we'll be out taking in the fresh mountain and exploring the tracks, on foot and on bike, around Argentiere.

One of our favourites is the path which runs through the woods behind the apartment and eventually leads all the way down to Chamonix. There's a couple of variations, with much of the route forming part of the Petit Balcon. And being gently downhill, and about 5 miles or so to the town, its an ideal length for energetic 3 and 5 year olds. Particularly if you tell them that there's an ice cream in town and a train ride back again!

But there's plenty more to go at as well. The obligatory train ride to Montenvers is on the cards again, as is the Mont Blanc tramway. We might even find time to head down to the lake in Annecy, or the water park by Lake Geneva. And I'll be through the Stumpjumper in the van to make sure that there's time for a few training runs up to the Col de Balme, in anticipation of the Tour du Mont Blanc in September. Can't wait!

Still Skiing

2008-05-02T10:15:00.003+01:00

Finally, the ski season is coming to a close in the Chamonix valley. But whilst most of the areas have now closed for the season, there's still plenty of excellent skiing to be had in Argentiere at the Grand Montets, where the lifts stay open till 11th May.

The weather pattern has continued to be fairly unsettled but the plus side of this has been the continued snow falls. A quick look today, however, reveals that its a great skiing day with some big blue skies overhead. Fantastic!

And our guests have been taking advantage of the prolonged season, with the apartment booked right through until this last weekend. And here's a happy looking bunch...

Caroline and her family have recently returned from 2 weeks in Argentiere and it sounds like they had a great time - and really appreciated the apartment. Here's a little of what they said...

"It was so lovely to walk into a spotless & comfortable "home" with all the beds made up, & a great kettle & teapot! The kitchen is extremely well stocked, we were very impressed with the potato masher & the toaster (SO unFrench). It is a very spacious apartment for Argentiere, & you seem to have thought of everything we could have needed."

Glad to hear that we're getting it right. Now, on with the summer!

Start 'em young

2008-04-10T12:33:00.004+01:00

Have you got a favourite ski run? Well, if pushed, I think I'd have to have Les Chamois up on the Grand Montets somewhere near the top of my list. A long, large meandering black run down a natural bowl that's provided some challenging and excellent terrain for many years. I was probably in my mid/late 20's before I discovered the run (only having learnt to ski a couple of years before that). So, sickening then when your 6 year old daughter in only her second season manages to ski the run with grace and ease!

And compared to 3 year old Sam, that's nothing! At the beginning of the trip he was merrily being dragged around between my legs. 2 days later and he's not just skiing the slopes, he's looking for jumps. Needless to add, progression during the holiday was significant, with the crowning glory being his descent of the Herse, the red run under the 6 man chair at Grand Montets. He turned an eye or 2 on his way down!

Don't you just wish you'd learnt to ski when you were 3 years old!

Here's another one of Jodie and Sam heading off with the entire Chamonix valley ahead of them and Mont Blanc in the middle distance... Cool, huh?

On the buses

2008-04-09T20:40:00.005+01:00

Do we hire a car or do we rely on public transport? Being a 2 car family living in an area where public transport is next to non-existent, the natural choice is always to opt for the convenience of hiring a car. However, one of the key deciding factors in the long decision making process which resulted in deciding to stay in Argentière was based on the ease of access to the slopes. And so surely the right thing to do was save some money and opt for no car. Fine, when it comes to the short walk over the road to the Grand Montets, but what about when it comes to skiing down the valley at Le Brevent, especially with 2 young children plus skis in tow?

We actually set off with a day at La Flegere in mind. The bus stop is a short walk up the village street from L'Androsace but Sam (3) and Jodie (6) manage the walk easily in their ski boots, though it helps that dad attaches both sets of skis to his rucksack. We used the bus regularly over a fortnight and never waited more than about 10 minutes for one to arrive. The trip down the valley to the Flegere stop only takes a few minutes but, due to high winds or other reasons unknown, the telepherique was closed, so we stayed on the bus into town and the Chamonix Sud 'bus station'. Once there, we had to wait about 20 minutes for the bus to take us up to Le Brevent which wasn't ideal - but such are the joys of public transport I guess!

Once at Le Brevent, the longer than expected journey was soon forgotten. Excellent snow conditions, stunning views, big sunshine and deserted pistes all help! The lower runs were easy and yet challenging and long enough to keep Sam occupied for the day and the Haagen Daz ice cream in the restaurant proved to be the staple diet of the young skier. Another cracking family ski day.

As for the journey home again... We waited less than 5 minutes for the bus back into town and then were straight onto the bus up to Argentière. Back in the apartment in no time. Cars? Who needs 'em!

Back in Argentiere

2008-03-28T20:59:00.004Z

Back again in residence in Argentière for a couple of weeks. Having been out in mid April last year and enjoyed a week of blue skies and 20 degrees plus and some very spring snow conditions we weren’t really expecting the depths of winter when we arrived. But that’s exactly what we got! A big storm over the Easter weekend brought stacks of new snow to low levels (about 500m). Don’t know the final count but last we looked the fall in Argentière at around 1100m was 60+cm.

We arrived late Sunday to find that it was still snowing – and it continued into Monday. And with a chill wind behind it, the weather felt decidedly more wintry than it had done on our previous trips out in December and February, and we’d had some big snowfalls on both occasions.

The difference being, however, that in late March the sun rises much earlier in the depths of the valley and once the storms clear, the snow in the valley at least, soon gets quite wet. That said, it’ll be a while before the 60+cm thaws and we see the swimming pool again.

The days on the mountains have been as enjoyable as ever. Jodie, who turned 6 just last week has progressed beyond the red runs and is now attempting to shred the powder behind mum. And Sam, at just 3 years old, is into his 2nd season on skis and yesterday was let loose on the blue runs at Le Tour on his own. He’s getting quite good at ‘pizza and chips’ and I suspect it won’t be long before he’s chasing his sister into the off piste. And thre’s always time for a little hedonism for dad. First tracks this morning under blue skies and untracked powder in the combe and under the herse at the Grand Montets. A little slice of heaven…

MTB Tour of Mont Blanc

2008-03-11T14:23:00.004Z

Still very much in winter mode and we've still got another 2 weeks of skiing ahead of us, but there's always time to start planning for when the snow melts.

And no time like the present for planning a wee 'boys trip' to tackle the classic mountain bike Tour of Mount Blanc. The route will take about 5 days and basically goes all the way round Mount Blanc taking in some fantastic off-road mountain biking on the way. Have a peak at the KE Adventure web site if you fancy learning more about the route.

There's a group of about 10 bikers from the Highlands, home of the 2007 MTB World Championships, and we've chosen the middle week of September to head out. We're obviously still in the planning stages at the moment and givee that its an exclusively male club, we haven't got past who's carrying the beer yet!

What a week!

2008-02-11T20:49:00.000Z

So, just nicely back to a surprising sunny Glencoe after a fantastic first family week in the apartment in Argentière. And, wow! What a week we had.

Travelling with Easyjet out of Glasgow went without incident, and they even managed to get us to Geneva early. However, the airport decided to put us back to schedule with a delay whilst they got all the skis through to baggage reclaim. A bit of a pain, but appeared that several incoming flights were affected and at least we got the skis - unlike on the way home.

We booked our transfers using the special discounted rates for StayInChamonix.com customers with Ski-Lifts. They passed the 'Ronseal' test with flying colours and did exactly what it said on the tin in both directions. Faultless service with plenty of communication thrown in.

And so to the action... Plenty of recent snow ensured that Argentière village was well covered. And yet another snow fall on our first day out at Le Tour just added to it. With some challenging visibility 5 year old Jodie faired particularly well, but in reality the skiing was secondary to the excitement of being in the midst of a real snowfall. The skies cleared on the following day making for a fantastic blue sky powder day, which we spent at La Flégère, just a short bus journey down the valley from Argentière. Despite the congested access on the telepherique, the easy blue and green runs, plus the great snow conditions, the huge mountain back drop and the big sun in the sky make it a great place for Jodie and Sam (just 3!) to ski.

During the rest of the week we skied again at Le Tour, at the head of the valley, and had a couple of days at Les Grand Montets. We found a couple of great places at Le Tour to get Sam practicing some 'pizza and chips' with his skis. Next time out he'll be chasing Jodie down the red runs, and within a couple of years I fear will be shouting catch up at me. The Grand Montets also really provided a few good easier runs for cruising with the kids and came with the added bonus of being so close to the apartment. I actually sneaked out on the odd morning at 8.30am to go and grab a few (very quiet) runs down the mountain on the snowboard before heading back to the apartment to swap for skis and collect the kids for an afternoon at a slightly slower pace.

Using the valley bus was quite painless, despite travelling with 2 young children and 4 sets of skis. In fact, it comes with high novelty for the kids as we don't really have great public transport links in the Highlands of Scotland. We were also obliged to pop down to Chamonix on the train, not so much for the need to go to Chamonix, as for the train ride there and back again! Any excuse for a latte and an ice cream!

And then there was the sledging, the snowman building, the snowball fights, the icicle smashing and everything else that little (and big) kids love to on their hols!

A great week. Can't wait till we're back in Argentière again... soon.

Can't wait!

2008-02-01T13:57:00.000Z

Typical isn't it. You invest in a ski apartment in the Alps so that you indulge yourself in your favourite pasttime and we go and have a ski season here in Scotland again!

Not a bad complaint I guess. Having had a couple of weekends at Nevis Range in January, family Daynes are now swapping the fickle snows of the Highlands for the slightly less fickle snows of Argentiere.

Not sure who's the most excited about heading out for the week. Three year old Sam or dad - a bit more than 3 yrs old. We will of course be updating the blog with our exploits so call back again soon!

Gone skiing...

Tales from an Argentiere virgin

2008-01-25T14:54:00.000Z

No, probably not as exciting as you might be thinking from that title. Gordon, General Manager back in Glencoe, has just returned from a week out in the apartment in Argentiere. And being neither a skier nor having visited the Chamonix valley before, we weren't sure quite how he'd get on. However, needn't have worried as, like so many before him, he's now a convert and is chomping at the bit to get back out again.

Despite being advised to get his transfers sorted in advance, there was a bit of a last minute panic to put something in place. In the event, Gordon settled for the Alpy Bus. In theory, this scheduled service is cheaper than a shared transfer, however, judging by the rates charged, you either need to book in advance, or even better, book with Ski-Lifts using our 10% discount scheme. It also seems that it is good advice to know exactly where you are heading (ask for the garage with the petrol pumps before the railway bridge in Argentiere) as the drivers don't know every single address in the valley and have minimal patience by the time they've got to Argentiere.

Lots of fresh snow and so on with the skiing. Gordon found the Evolution 2 office opposite the tourist office closed and so instead tracked them down at the Panda Club, just behind the Grand Montets lifts. In no time at all a 3 hour lesson was booked for the following morning and a 20% discount had been arranged with Pezier Sports in the village. 3 days up at Le Tour and Gordon now thinks he's a world cup skier.

Quite blown away by it all, Gordon reports a fantastic week. Overnight snow just about every night and yet blue skies during the day. Morning walks through the village and even into the forest (whilst avoiding XC skiers). And, of course, the usual must do's including the train up to Montenvers, including the trip down to the glacier and the ride up to the Aiguille Du Midi. I did warn them about the temperature but apparently -16 degrees in jeans and trainers is quite ok! And despite worries about not having a car, Gordon is now a public transport convert (wait till he tries it in the Highlands!) and can't get over how easy to use and how clean the buses and the train were.

With that slightly odd Terminator look about him, probably brought about by an Easyjet flight, no lip balm and lots of snow reflected sun, one of his first comments on his return was "I'll be back..."

First visit (and snow) of the season

2008-01-16T20:49:00.000Z

The first trip out to Argentière this winter was at the very beginning of December. A mere 1250 miles or so from Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands and 22 hours of driving only to find that the sale hadn't been completed on target. However, some very grateful goodwill from the previous owners and we were able to get the apartment set up for the winter season. Not before some early season boarding on the Grand Montets of course...

Throughout the course of the week the snow arrived - big time. A shame I didn't bring the children along as they would have loved the falling snow and the Christmas lights in the village.

The garage came in handy. The Vito long wheel base fits with an inch or 2 to spare! And we did discover that making use of the garage is a good idea when there's a big fall forecast as I doubt the plough worries about the odd vehicle or 2 in its way. Makes short work of it, even if there is a good foot or so piled up against the garage door!

But, despite something like 3 feet of snow falling during our stay, the weather did clear from time to time and the views from the apartment were absolutely stunning when it did. Leaving Argentière to head back to the Highlands wasn't so easy- but we'll be back again soon.

Welcome to the StayInChamonix Blog

2008-01-15T09:16:00.000Z

The latest addition to the web site! Find out what we (and others) have been up to in Argentière, Chamonix Mont Blanc. What's new at the apartment, the latest reports from the slopes, ideas for trips, walking and bike routes and perhaps some general waffle.