Chamonix Mountain Adventures

Hilary Sharp is a qualified Accompagnatrice en Montagne (International Mountain Leader) based permanently in the village of Vallorcine, near Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in the French Alps. A native Brit, she runs her own trekking business, leading guided walks and treks. Hilary has contributed to several British walking magazines and hiking guides. This is her fifth guidebook for Cicerone.

Map key
Map of walks and Alpine mountaineering routes
Map of trail running, road biking and mountain biking routes
Map of rock climbing, bouldering and via ferrata routes
Chamonix town map

Introduction
The region
Glaciers
Flowers and animals
How it all started
Mountain adventures
Other activities
When to go
Getting there and getting around
Accommodation
Tourist information
Language
Health and safety
Using this guide

1 Walks
Classic Walks
Route 1 Mont Joly
Route 2 Le Prarion
Route 3 Aiguillette des Houches
Route 4 Montagne de la Côte
Route 5 Lac Cornu and Lacs Noirs
Route 6 Plan de l'Aiguille to Montenvers
Route 7 Grand Balcon Sud: La Fl&##xe9;g&##xe8;re to Planpraz
Route 8 Aiguillette des Posettes
Route 9 Lac Blanc from the Col des Montets
Route 10 Mont Buet by the Normal Route


Family Walks
Route 1 Lac des Ilettes
Route 2 Lacs Jovet
Route 3 Chalets Miage and Truc
Route 4 Charousse
Route 5 Lac du Br&##xe9;vent
Route 6 Argenti&##xe8;re via the Paradis des Praz
Route 7 Le Chapeau
Route 8 Montroc-Col des Montets-Vallorcine
Route 9 B&##xe9;rard valley and Sur le Rocher
Route 10 Dinosaur tracks

Hut Walks
Route 1 Refuge de Plat&##xe9;
Route 2 Refuge de Tr&##xe9;-la-T&##xea;te
Route 3 Refuge Moëde d'Anterne
Route 4 Refuge Bel Lachat
Route 5 Refuge du Lac Blanc
Route 6 Refuge Albert Premier
Route 7 Refuge de la Pierre &##xe0; B&##xe9;rard
Route 8 Refuge de Loriaz

Adventure Walks
Route 1 Pointe Perc&##xe9;e
Route 2 The D&##xe9;rochoir and D&##xe9;sert de Plat&##xe9;
Route 3 Aiguille du Belv&##xe9;d&##xe8;re
Route 4 Mer de Glace Balcony Trail
Route 5 Tr&##xe9;-les-Eaux Circuit
Route 6 Loriaz to Emosson
Route 7 Mont Buet by the North Ridge
Route 8 Cheval Blanc

Trail Running
2 Alpine Mountaineering
Route 1 Champex to Le Tour
Route 2 Grand Montets to Lognan
Route 3 Aiguille du Midi to Helbronner
Route 4 Petite Aiguille Verte
Route 5 Aiguille Crochues
Route 6 Aiguille du Tour
Route 7 The Cosmiques Ar&##xea;te
Route 8 Mont Blanc

3 Mountain Biking
Route 1 Les Contamines: Truc Miage circuit
Route 2 Saint-Gervais-les-Bains: Prarion circuit
Route 3 Pipeline descent: Saint-Gervais to Le Fayet
Route 4 Tour des Ay&##xe8;res
Route 5 Promenade de l'Arve
Route 6 Petit Balcon Nord: Chamonix to Le Tour
Route 7 Montroc to Chamonix along the Arve
Route 8 Col des Montets to the chocolate shops
Route 9 Vallorcine-Col des Posettes-Le Tour-Montroc
Route 10 Vallorcine to Martigny

Descents and airtime
4 Road Biking
Route 1 Chamonix to Sallanches
Route 2 Col des Montets
Route 3 Emosson Lake
Route 4 Col de la Forclaz
Rides outside of the Chamonix valley


5 Rock Climbing and Bouldering
Rock climbing
Area 1 Les Gaillands
Area 2 The Index
Area 3 La Joux
Area 4 Les Ch&##xe9;serys
Area 5 Aiguillette d'Argenti&##xe8;re
Area 6 Vallorcine Slab (Rocher de la Saix)
Area 7 Barberine

Bouldering
Area 1 Col des Montets
Area 2 Pierre d'Orthaz
Area 3 Les Bossons
Area 4 Le Coupeau
Area 5 Le M&##xe9;donnet

6 Via Ferratas
Route 1 Le Mont, Sixt-Fer-&##xe0;-Cheval
Route 2 La Curalla, Passy

Other routes in the Haute Savoie region
Route 3 La Yves Pollet Villard, La Clusaz
Route 4 La Roche &##xe0; l'Agathe, Thônes

Appendix A Useful contacts
Appendix B Useful French words and phrases
Appendix C Further reading
Appendix D Glacier travel and rescue techniques