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Large chalet in Argentière with great views, golf and ski Located in the tiny 19th Century village of Montroc at the end of the famous “Vallée de Chamonix”, yet only 5 minutes from Argentière and 15 minutes from the lights and bustle of Chamonix itself, our traditional 7 bedroom alpine chalet has everything you need for the complete vacance en montagne. After a full day on (or off) the piste, with a glass of wine in your hand, relax by the log-fire and gaze out through our huge picture window, as the setting sun turns Mont-Blanc and the spires of the Chamonix Aiguilles from gold to rose-pink … until the first stars appear…… The chalet description:
The Chalet was built in 1949 by my grand father who fell in love with it’s unique location. It sleeps 14/16 people very comfortably.
On the first floor :
An 80 square feet heated ante-room to leave jackets and shoes.
A 180 square feet entrance-hall that can be used as an extra dining area.
A separate toilet.
A kitchen with gas-cooker, dishwasher, double sink, fridge-freezer and plenty of storage.
A 300 square feet, south-facing living room (approximately 20 feet by 15 overall) with a large dining table and a huge picture window view overlooking Mont Blanc, l’Aiguille du Midi, le Grand Charmoz, les Drus, l’Aiguille Verte… as well as an 8 foot fireplace.
A spacious, sunny corner bedroom, which features two large windows – one looking back over the Le Tour Glacier, the other facing Mont Blanc and the Chamonix Aiguilles - with a queen-sized bed, 2 wardrobes and a private en-suite bathroom. The bathroom has shower and
hand-basin.
A timber deck runs around almost the entire chalet – perfect for enjoying the sun and the views on warmer days.
On the second floor :
3 south-facing bedrooms, each with balcony, queen-sized bed, 2 to 3 wardrobes and a hand-basin. 1 has a private shower.
1 bedroom under the eaves, with 2 small windows (one facing south, one north) 2 single beds, hand-basin and wardrobes. A room with pine-covered walls and ceiling, loved by children and teenagers.
A 6th&7th bedrooms facing north with a view over Le Tour and the glacier, with 2 single beds, a hand-basin and wardrobe.
Shower and separate toilet
The basement :
has heated storage for your ski outfits and boots. It also has a private apartment, rented separately.
The garden:
is a grassy meadow of more than half an acre, with mature trees.
Parking:
Parking spots are available a few yards from the chalet.
Miscellaneous:
Many English and French books, puzzles and games can be found on the bookshelves.
There is a TV (but with only 3 channels!), a DVD player with lots of American movies, a VCR, stereo with a selection of CDs.
In the kitchen you’ll find all you need for cooking, in addition to the special items you need to prepare “la fondue” (melted cheese with white wine), “la raclette” (another kind of melted cheese you pour on top of baked potatoes and ham) or simply “les crêpes”.
A washing machine is also available in the basement.
To conclude, our chalet sleeps twelve and we hope you’ll love it as much as we do…
The ski resorts:
With 6 ski areas within a 5 mile radius, all serviced by bus or train, there’s no real need to rent a car, and for family skiers there is a nursery area at the foot of Le Tour, Brévent, and Grands Montets.
The nearest of these, and only half a mile from the chalet are the sunny intermediate slopes of Le Tour/ Balme. Though accessed by gondola, at the end of the day (after a vin chaud or hot chocolate at the strategically placed restaurant with it’s stunning views) you can choose to ski back down the long red Charamillon run – and when conditions are good, continue right back to the door of the chalet. Close to the foot of the gondola are some of the best beginners’ slopes in the valley - La Vormaine – the combination making Le Tour the ideal family resort.
Fifteen minutes away, the equally sunny pistes of Flégère and Brévent offer excellent skiing for advanced and intermediate skiers, as well as some superb off-piste runs for experts. Take the second cablecar to the top of Le Brévent, at 2,525m (almost 8,000ft) this is the viewpoint for the world-famous skyline across the valley – stretching from Mont Blanc and the Aiguille du Midi to the granite cathedral of le Dru. Now take the Bozon piste back down, with over 500m of vertical in 2,500m, it’s one of the best “Blacks” in the valley. As with many of the runs at Brévent and Flégère , there’s also plenty of easily accessible ungroomed terrain at the sides of the pistes – perfect for honing those off-piste skills.
Another 10 minutes past Chamonix at the far end of the valley, is another excellent intermediate area – Les Houches. On the (thankfully) infrequent days when high winds temporarily close the other valley ski areas, both the Brévent and Les Houches are the most likely to remain open. Les Houches is also a good choice during times of poor visibility, as its slopes follow the contours of grassy meadows with very few rocks and virtually no cliffs. It is also great for skiing in trees.
BUT only 5 minutes from the chalet is the jewel in Chamonix’s crown - the challenging slopes of Argentière’s Grands Montets. Thanks both to its elevation and huge area of accessible terrain, this is one of the world’s most famous arenas for off-piste skiing, and a must-do for the good skier or snowboarder. By taking the “Top-Tin” you can also ski the long glacier runs of the Pylones or Pointe de Vue - and with the aide of a mountain guide, innumerable off-piste variations – or even the mythical Pas de Chèvre, which takes you right down to join the Mer de Glace at the end of the Vallée Blanche..
Good adventurous skiers should definitely hire the services of a mountain-guide and ski the famous “Vallée blanche”. An off-piste glacier itinerary in the heart of the mountains, taking you from the Aiguille du Midi at 3,842 metres (12,000 feet) down into Chamonix at 1,000 m, this takes the entire day. (Note: Glaciers are changing all the time and though you may read that the Vallée Blanche could be skied by “Red standard skiers”, at the present time this should be increased to skiers confident on Black runs with some off-piste experience, though by next season this may change again ……).
How to get to Montroc?
From the UK, frequent flights from various airports to Geneva. by Easy-jet and other low-cost operators.
From Geneva, a 1h30 drive. Buses are also available, though private shuttles are more convenient & cost roughly the same.
From Lyon, 2h30 drive or 4h30 by train.
From Paris, 6h drive or by train. Schedules vary depending on the season.
From Calais, about 620 miles by motorway.
Facilities:
No shops in Montroc but 200 yards from the chalet are the train station and a bus stop with connections to anywhere. Your ski pass or Chamonix guest card gives you free use of public transport. (Taking advantage of this will contribute to keeping our mountains clean).
Argentière (1 mile away) has everything : grocery stores, restaurants and bars, ski shops, post-office, photo shop, 2 doctors, dentist, chiropractors.
Le Tour has a restaurant and ski shop.
Chamonix will offer you anything you need from supermarkets to high fashion boutiques - even a casino. For ski and board gear, its sports shops have an incredible range (even one devoted to telemarking) and if you’re thinking of buying ski-boots, some of the best and most experienced boot-fitters in the world - try Snells’ or Foot-Works (the latter also in Argentière).
What to do?
As well as downhill skiing and snowboarding, Argentière and Chamonix have over 40 kms of prepared cross-country skiing trails (classic and skating) with another 15 kms each in both nearby Vallorcine and at Les Houches.
Snow shoeing and ski-touring can enable you to discover the secrets of remote places, or why not try ice climbing with a mountain guide?
Chamonix has both a 25 metre and a fun-pool, as well as a steam room and a sauna. You may want to go a little further afield to enjoy the hot springs of either St-Gervais les Bains, or cross into Switzerland for those of Les Bains de Saillon.
Chamonix has an ice-rink, a rock climbing wall, bowling alley, library, and Alpine museum - and of course many places to enjoy good food.
The Mont Blanc Tunnel into Italy is only 5 miles away, making day-trips to Courmayeur an easy possibility. With the Swiss border only 4 miles away, Martigny’s world famous art museum is within easy reach – or even the slopes of Verbier (about an hour and a half) – though remember both require crossing 2 alpine passes. Just out of the valley, an hour’s drive towards Geneva is another prestigious ski resort – Megève/St-Gervais. A very extensive area linking a number of pretty alpine villages, its many blue and red pistes are perfect for intermediate skiers, or a day’s relaxed cruising between the various mountain restaurants. Megève itself is somewhat of a “St-Tropez on snow” and has some of the most chic (and thus expensive) shopping in the Alps. (To access the skiing, drive through St-Gervais following the signs to take the 2-stage Bettex gondola).
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