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SKI AREA
Argentière pistes benefit from wide open
spaces. The pistes are spread over 3 mountainsides
(the Argentière glacier, Lognan and the
Pendant) and offer excellent on and off-piste
possibilities. Ski adjacent to the glacier and take
advantage of excellent snow conditions right up until
early May. Grands Montets area is made up of various
high altitude and north-facing bowls that make for
good-quality snow from early December through to May.
Access is mainly by the Lognan
cable car which departs from the main
car park at Argentiere or by slow chairlift. This
chairlift is due to be replaced at some point in 2012
for faster access. The Lognan
area is where you need to be for access to the
highest runs. The Marmottons area is accessed by
taking either the Tabé or Plan Roujon
chairlifts. This is the centre of the Grand Montet
ski area and from here beginners can perfect those
wide carving turns. The more adventurous can go into
the board park which is situated just to the left at
the top of the Tabe chairlift.
Grand Montets
1
snowpark
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Slopes
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17
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Lifts
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9
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No. of slopes
– 28km
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2
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|
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5
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4
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6
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EXPERT
SKIERS
Expert skiers throng
to what is undoubtedly the mecca of off-piste skiing
and boarding. The world famous couloirs and steep
gullies of the Grand Montets provide the best
challenges. The vertical drop of 2000 metres from the
summit to Argentière is not for the faint
hearted. Whilst the run down the glacier is not too
difficult the Rectiligne gully is something else,
with the Vallee Blanche stretching from the Aiguille
du Midi at 3790m down to Chamonix 24kms later.
Then there are the
Point de Vue and Pylones, steep slopes where the
piste bashers never venture. Grand Montets has at
least 30 off piste runs from the top like the
formidable Pas de Chèvre with 1000m drop to
the Mer de la Glace.
BEGINNERS
Les
Chosalets beginners’ slope
(1252m) on the valley floor can be found at the lower
end of Argentiere just up from the turning for the
Grands Montets car park. It’s surrounded by
trees and has a small snack hut at the bottom of the
lifts. It is served by two draglifts. This
north-facing shady area normally has good snow on
these 2 slopes. One is very short and flat with its
own draglift for first timers. The adjacent slope is
much longer and wider and steeper in some parts.
OFF-PISTE
La Pendant is a powder bowl par excellence and is
both a good place to learn about off-piste skiing and
a favourite with the regulars. Les Grands Montets is
always the first ski area in the valley to open and
the last to close. The lifts
in the Grands Montets give access to
miles of exceptional steep and deep off piste powder
and glacial terrain, but it can get tracked out very
quickly on a powder day.
By far the best and highly recommended way to explore
the limitless off piste is with one of the many local
experienced guides, who run group sessions or private
days. Off-piste skiing can be very dangerous if you
don’t have the right equipment or take a guide
with you.
View here for more details
on the different areas of the Chamonix Valley ski
area
Argentiere Lift
Passes
Save Time in resort and budget ahead by pre-booking
lift passes. See below for prices.
PRE-BOOK* your CHAMONIX VALLEY LIFT PASS with
PR
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Ski-Pass
Mont Blanc Lift Pass Prices
2011/2012
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Choose
from 2 different passes
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Adult
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Child
(4-15) +
Senior
(65-74)
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Senior
(+75)
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Family*
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7 Day Cham
Pass (1)
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£216
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£184
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£108
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£615
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6 Day Cham
Pass (1)
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£191
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£162
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£95
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£545
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5 Day Cham
Pass (1)
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£173
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£147
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£86
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£492
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7 Day MBU
(2)
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£260
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£221
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£130
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£741
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6 Day MBU
(2)
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£232
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£197
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£116
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£661
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5 Day MBU
(2)
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£211
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£179
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£105
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£601
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MBU Early
snow (03/12-23/12) & Spring (14/04-06/05)
OFFER: 6 day passes only.
See below prices.
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6 Day MBU (2)
OFFER
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£174
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£148
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£87
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£496
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MBU
Early Booking Offer
(weeks 14/01-10/02
& 10/03-13/04): 6 day passes only. See
prices below. MUST BE BOOKED BY
15/11/11
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6 Day MBU (2)
OFFER
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£185
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£158
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£93
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£529
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(1) Chamonix Le Pass: Brevent/Flegère
(Chamonix), Lognan (Argentière, except Lognan
- Grands Montets cable car), Balme (Tour/Vallorcine)
+ Les Planards, Le Savoy, Les Chosalets, La Vormaine
(family area, bottom of the valley). Access to the
resort shuttle service also included.
(2) Mont-Blanc Unlimited
What's covered by the MONT BLANC Unlimited pass:
In France…
• Unlimited access to the ski areas in the
Chamonix-Mont Blanc Valley: Les Grands Montets
(includes Lognan - Les Grands Montets cable car),
Brévent-Flégère, Balme ski area
(Le Tour - Vallorcine), Les Houches ski area, La
Vormaine, Les Chosalets, Le Savoy, Les Planards.
• Unlimited access to 3 major attractions:
Aiguille du Midi Cable Car (access to the
Vallée Blanche), Montenvers Train,
Mer de Glace (Vallée Blanche return route),
Mont Blanc Tram (from Saint Gervais - Le Fayet).
In Switzerland…
• The Verbier - 4 Valleys ski area (included in
passes valid for 6+ days): an 'unlimited' ski area,
fantastic for all snowsports.
In Italy…
• The Courmayeur ski area (1224 m - 2624 m):
this warmly welcoming ski area just 20 minutes from
Chamonix by road offers a variety of pistes for
all abilities in sunny, wooded surroundings with the
bonus of some great Italian food and delicious lunch
opportunities along the way.
• The Monte Bianco Cable Car to the
Vallée Blanche from Italy.
Still included: Free daily shuttle buses to
Courmayeur and back (reservation required), reduced
rates for the Mont Blanc Tunnel crossing, free
reservations on the Aiguille du Midi Cable Car, plus
lots more on offer
NOTE: Compulsory €3/pass for hands-free pass to
pay locally (reuseable annually). No photo necessary.
*2 adults + 1 child (4-15yrs); extra children free
(people with same name living at same address).
Other lift pass on
offer (to buy locally in resort in Euros):
Cham Le Pass ski pass – ½ day and
daily rates:
½ day - €32 children, €37 adults
Day - €36 children, €42 adults
Mont Blanc Unlimited-½ day
and daily rates:
Day - €44 children, €52 adults
Argentiere Ski
Schools
PRE-BOOK* your Argentiere GROUP SKI/BOARD
LESSONS
Please note that a booking fee of £9 per
party will be charged
Group Ski Lessons
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Ski
School ESF Argentiere Prices
2011/2012
Ski
School only (lift pass not included)
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- SKI
-
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18/12-24/12+02/01-11/02+12/03-06/05
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25/12-01/01+12/02-11/03
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Adults
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Child
(3-15)
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Adults
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Child
(3-15)
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6 half
days
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£138
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£119
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£138
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£132
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6 days (no
lunch)
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£212
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£203
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£212
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£209
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TEDDY
LUNCH
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Ski tuition +
lunch + garderie (4-12yrs)
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6 half
days
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09.15-14.00
or 12.00-16.30/17.00
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£217
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6 full
days
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09.15-16.30/17.00
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£277
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-
SNOWBOARD -
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18/12-24/12+02/01-11/02+12/03-06/05
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25/12-01/01+12/02-11/03
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Adults
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Child
(8-15)
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Adults
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Child
(8-15)
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6 half
days
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£138
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£119
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£138
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£132
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6 days (no
lunch)
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£212
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£203
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£212
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£209
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Times and
Schedules
(ALL TIMES TO BE CONFIRMED,
SUBJECT TO CHANGES).
Sun-Fri
for 6 days
Children/Adults: AM: 09.15-11.45 or PM 14.00-16.30
until 11/2, then 14.30-17.00 from 12/2. Piou Piou
(3-4yrs) : AM only 9.45-11.45 for children aged 3;
full days only available for 4-5yrs.
Please note that lesson times
are subject to change right until the last minute.
Outside French school holidays the ski school
reserves the right to cancel group lessons should
numbers be insufficient. For peak periods (18/12-2/1,
13/2-13/3 & 9/4-24/4) we strongly recommend that
you book as early as possible and in any case at
least 6 weeks prior to the required dates. Morning
lessons tend to get booked up first and therefore we
may only be able to offer afternoon classes within 6
weeks of departure. In some resorts English speaking
instructors may not always be available, particularly
at peak times.
Argentiere ski hire
Ski hire in Argentiere - prices start from £37
for children (skis and boots) & £54 for
adults (skis and boots) for 7 days. View
here for Argentiere ski hire prices.
Argentiere Individual
Tuitions
(10/11 prices, NOT
pre-bookable)
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1-2 persons 1
hour
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€55
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3-5 persons 1
hour
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€70
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1-2 persons 2
hours
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€85
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3-5 persons 2
hours
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€110
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2 Hours during group lessons
February holidays
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1-2 persons 2
hours
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€120
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3-5 persons 2
hours
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€135
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Please note that
prices are an indication only and are subject to
change
Vallee Blanche -
€285 for 1 – 4 people.
Individual
tuitions can only be purchased directly from the ski
school. Peak Retreats cannot pre-book
these.
Ski school
Argentiere contact numbers:
Ecole du
Ski Français +33 450 54 00 12
www.esf-argentiere-valleedechamonix.com
Mountain
restaurants
3
Cross-country
42km of marked
tracks
Freestyle park
For freestyle fans, a new snowpark and boardercross
are open at the mid-station of Lognan. From this
winter, the FreeStyle.fr company, in association with
the Fédération Française de Ski
(French ski federation) and the
Fédération Française de Snowpark
(French snowpark federation), will install a system
on the Grands Montets snowpark that will enable
riders to admire their exploits once they get back
home.
All skiers and snowboarders will be able to identify
themselves on a terminal at the starting point of the
park using their lift passes. Their runs will be
automatically videoed and produced courtesy of
several HDTV cameras, installed along the course.
Riders will be able to watch their exploits
straightaway on a giant screen at the bottom of the
snowpark. They then enter their telephone numbers on
the large tactile buttons (useful with gloves). They
will receive their videos by MMS with an offer to
share it on facebook , twitter, etc as well
instructions how to subscribe to the freestylepark.fr
web site. IT’S FREE.
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