Chamonix Mont Blanc is on every winter sport adventurist’s list. Located at the junction of France, Switzerland, and Italy, Chamonix is home to the famous Vallee Blanche glacier run – the sole purpose of my trip. Oh, and let us not forget about Mont Blanc; the highest summit in the Alps surely makes an excellent backdrop. Surrounded by mountains, at the base of it all, is the picturesque traditional alpine village: Chamonix. Pronounced “sham-oh-knee”.

Getting There
Planes, trains, and automobiles. If you are traveling from outside of France, flying into Geneva Airport (in Switzerland) will get you the closest to Chamonix. Depending on when you book your flights, you can find relatively cheap airfare on most major and budget airlines. From Geneva Airport, you have a couple of options in terms of getting to Chamonix.

Chamonix is located about 100 kilometers (or about 62 miles) by road from Geneva Airport. The fastest way to get from the airport to Chamonix is by car hire, shuttle, or taxi – with the shuttle option being the cheapest of the three. Generally, the journey takes about an hour and ten minutes.

If you want to save yourself a few dollars, but want to waste some time, you can also take a bus or train. There are regular coach buses that run between Geneva Airport and Chamonix year round, but the journey takes over two hours. Taking the train is another option; however, there is no direct train between Geneva and Chamonix. Spare yourself the trouble, save yourself some time, and take a shuttle.

There are several shuttle companies that offer the same service: door to door, Geneva Airport to Chamonix (and return) transportation. Each shuttle company offers a private and shared transfer option – opt for the shared transfer and book in advance to save money.

After price matching the return journey, Alpy Bus offered the lowest round-trip price from Geneva Airport to Chamonix: Geneva Airport to Chamonix for 26.50 EUR and Chamonix to Geneva Airport for 32.89 EUR (prices as of December 2016).

There
Chamonix has abundant hotel options, but not many hostel alternatives. You can imagine how pricey staying at a hotel in Chamonix during New Year’s Eve weekend is, and I was not about to spend that kind of money to sleep alone. My hostel search started on www.hostelworld.com, where I found Chamonix Lodge Hostel. Before booking, I usually check the hostel’s website to compare rates. This time, booking directly with the hostel was cheaper. I booked four nights in a four bed mixed dorm for about 42.75 EUR a night. This rather small hostel offers a clean, cheap, and close stay to downtown Chamonix.

In addition to excellent customer service, the hostel also assists with booking airport transfers, ski hire (delivered to the hostel), ski passes (waiting for you in-house), and other activities such as ski and snowboard lessons. I did not take advantage of these additional services since I was able to find cheaper airport transfers and did not need to rent equipment or purchase lessons.

The Mountains
Spread across five mountains, and all connected by bus, you have many options for skiing and snowboarding: L’Aiguille du Midi, Grands Montets, Le Brevent, La Flegere, and Le Tour. The mountains and ski passes are broken down by valley (beginner) and altitude (intermediate/expert) ski areas.

I did not travel all this way to snowboard groomed runs. I was here to snowboard the famous Vallee Blanche and kickoff the New Year down this 20 kilometer (or approximately 12.43 mile) off-piste glacier run. For weeks before my departure, I researched hiring a guide for the day – which is essential for first-timers. The route starts from the Aiguille du Midi and promises an adrenaline rush. Daunting ridges, cliffs, and dangerous crevasses only add support as to why you need a guide for this unmarked and unmaintained run. Renting a guide for the day can be costly, but your life is worth it. To save money, join a group. There are several routes that you can choose from: the Vallee Blanche normal (classic) route, the Petit Envers du Plan, and the Grand Envers du Plan, with the latter being more demanding. But first, you need to make it down the arete. Once you leave Aiguille du Midi, you must first descend about 150 meters (or about 492 feet) along an intimidating ridge to reach the glacier. At the beginning of the season, the ridge is equipped with a safety rope. Roped together to your guide and group members, wearing the appropriate gear, you pray for a safe descent.

Given the snow conditions, or lack of, I was not able to experience all that is Vallee Blanche. Apparently, the first day of January is too early in the season to snowboard the famous run. I was advised to return later in the season during the months of February or March. To be honest, I was kind of relieved that my guide canceled on me. I took the gondola lift up to the Aiguille du Midi, walked through the tunnel, and stood in front of the entrance gate to the Vallee Blanche. My knees were shaking just looking down at the arete – intimidating to say the least. Next time, Vallee Blanche, next time!

Whether or not you plan to ski or snowboard down the valley, be sure to ride the gondola lift up to the Aiguille du Midi.

This is where you can “Step Into the Void” (a glass box suspended 1000 meters (or about 3,281 feet) above the void). Make sure to get there at least two hours before closing.

The views from on top of the mountain are indescribable. Here, you have panoramic views of Chamonix, and you can see the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps.

The gondola lift is included in the Mont Blanc Unlimited pass. I suggest purchasing this pass and skiing or riding beforehand to make the most out of the pass.

Second to Vallee Blanche is Grands Montets, which is accessed from the village of Argentiere. The village is located about five miles from downtown Chamonix and accessible by the free buses that operate from the city center.

Grands Montets has countless off-piste descents – all unfortunately closed during my visit.

Snow conditions were not in my favor New Year’s Eve weekend. Snowboarding Vallee Blanche was not possible, the groomed runs at Grands Montets were outrageously icy, and both La Flegere and Le Tour were closed (and not even on my list of ski areas to visit). 30 minutes away from Chamonix by road, Courmayeur promised better snow conditions. I opted out of attempting to snowboard Le Brevent and headed to Italy for the day. While not ideal, the conditions at least allowed for a day of snowboarding.

Heli-drops are illegal on French National parks. However, many heli-ski companies offer heli-skiing/boarding just over the border in Switzerland or Italy. If that dose of adrenaline does not suffice, snowkiting or kite skiing are also options (which have definitely made it onto my bucket list).

Around the Area
If you are looking for something else to do, Chamonix is also an excellent place for paragliding, hiking, ice and rock climbing, or even sightseeing.

When planning the trip, I learned that Chamonix offers world-class paragliding. With a jam-packed schedule, I did not initially include paragliding on my itinerary. However, not being able to snowboard Vallee Blanche allowed me to add the activity to my itinerary.

Winter takeoff takes place at Le Brevent, walking distance from the city center.

Flights start at 100 EUR. If you buy a day pass to Le Brevent or purchase the Mont Blanc Unlimited pass, the gondola lift up to Plan Praz (at Le Brevent) is included; otherwise, a one-way ticket up costs 14 EUR. The flight promises a dose of adrenaline and showcases Chamonix valley.

If you prefer to stay on the ground, take the Montenvers train from Chamonix to Mer de Glace (a valley glacier located on the Northern slopes of the Mont Blanc massif). The train is accessible from the city center and is also included in the Mont Blanc Unlimited pass.

Bask in the beauty of the valley on your way up. But, be prepared for a good workout. After exiting the train, you can hike or take a gondola lift down towards the entrance. From here, there are more than 400 steps to the entrance of the ice cave. Bring water.

Aside from these activities, Chamonix city center is loaded with restaurants and bars to keep you entertained throughout your stay.

If you are interested in reading about my New Year’s Eve weekend in Chamonix, see post: NYE in Chamonix.