Summer Skiing In Chamonix Mont Blanc

Whilst talking to some of the Chamonix ski patrollers, Planet Chamonix found out that this years snowmageddon base will last all year long. So this got us thinking about summer skiing in Chamonix…

From the 1960’s and well into the 1990’s Chamonix had some of the best summer skiing in the Alpes. The Grands Montets had a long drag lift on the side of the Petit Vert, which worked well all year due to the altitude being 3000+ meters. (Check out the crazy photo!)

La Flégère also had a summer drag lift above the Index chairlift, which was a great tourist attraction all year round.

But the biggest summer area was off the top of the Aiguille du Midi towards Italy, with two drag lifts running along the french Italian border. One headed off towards the Valley Blanche and one went diagonally back towards the Aiguille du Midi. The pistes where used as a training ground for many professional skiers such as

Unfortunately this didn’t carry on due to safety concerns about securing the site, plus there were many accidents, one being a piste basher falling into a crevasse where it still resides today. There is a yearly clean up of the lower section of the Valley Blanche which is constantly throwing up cables and other rubbish from the old tourist attraction.

The last time Chamonix saw this much snow there was a wave of skiers waiting for the opening of the Grands Montets on the 1st of June, so hold off tucking your bobble hat away for the summer !

2 replies

Chill says:
February 16, 2018 at 10:12 am

Maybe they can start by not closing Grand Montets on the 1st of May,when the conditions are still ok to ski.
- Patrick Murray says:
  February 16, 2018 at 10:38 am
  
  Yes! like some resorts in the States that stay open till the 4th of July if the snows good enough… well i suppose we can ski on the 1st of June 😉