SEASON 2017 - 2018

You should have noticed by now that this is a huge winter with massive precipitation pretty well throughout the Alps. Les Houches and the whole Chamonix Valley has had huge early snowfall, and Christmas skiing (which I normally warn people to avoid) was absolutely superb. But as well as snow there has been torrential rain in the warm periods. The combination suggests that there will be excellent cover to the very end of the season, but that dangerous off-piste conditions will be frequent this season. There has already been a significant avalanche in Les Houches which damaged some houses and cars. The exceptional depth of the snow pack is quite threatening, particularly when is gets soaked with rain and therefore heavier, and avalanches and the threat of them will bring frequent road closures on the Easterly route to Switzerland. These will probably continue on and off all the way into April. The train to Martigny may also close from time to time so check before you travel. The main road to Annemasse and Geneva will stay open of course. But the approach road to the Mont Blanc tunnel may close now and again this winter.

So travel may be disrupted but the ski season should be a long one. Pistes should be excellent until the lifts close and I would not be surprised to see the season extended by a week or two.

But take great care when touring or skiing off-piste in 2018. We have already had avalanche states of 5/5, so take the time to research exactly what the various levels of risk actually mean. Atomic Skis sponsor an off piste website which gives comprehensive modular instruction on minimising and assessing mountain risks. There is a small fee to sign up but it should help you enjoy the mountains and might save your life or somebody close to you. Very highly recommended. The URL is:

mountainacademy.atomic.com/en

Check conditions on the webcams by copying this URL into your browser:

https://panocam.skiline.cc/chamonix/houches

Check the lift status everywhere in the Chamonix Valley here:

https://www.chamonix.com/lifts,88,en.html

General Information:

Although relatively low, Les Houches is deeply shaded in the early months of the season. In combination with extensive snow-making and excellent piste management this allows it to offer reliable skiing conditions which attract race teams and instructor-training groups. And it is part of the iconic Chamonix region of course.

Les Houches has many mountain restaurants. If you have gourmet inclinations you may like to sample the charming Vieille Luges, the cool and stylish L'Hors Piste, both of which serve first-class food, while La Taniere has a wonderful atmosphere and a unique Argentinian buzz. A surprisingly large number of other mountain restaurants offer alternatives at lower cost. At the bottom of the lifts there is the quirky Kitch Inn near the Bellevue cable-car, and the friendly and traditional bar-cafe Le Spot is just across the road. At the Prarion lift Eric Jaquier's very professional boulangerie-patisserie has expanded to become a welcome cafe-bar. Perhaps arrive early and breakfast at one of these places before riding the first lift up to make the most of the best snow and the quietest pistes. It's a very effective tactic in busy periods like half-term and the Easter holidays.

The Compagnie Mont Blanc website shows an accurate map and webcams for you to check the slopes of Les Houches and all the other areas. There have been changes this year. Another drag-lift has been removed. The useful Point d'Orientation Poma is no more and the resort now has only two remaining draglifts. So use this link for information about the skiing here and throughout the Chamonix valley:

http://www.compagniedumontblanc.co.uk/en/webcams

If you make irregular visits to the Chamonix valley for only a few days at a time you could benefit from buying a rapid card. This is an annual pass which debits your credit card automatically whenever you ski (or use the summer lifts). The daily rates are discounted and you avoid queuing at the ticket office. So it's not only very convenient, but it will pay for itself quite quickly if you visit frequently. In fact it almost pays for itself if you merely ride the Aguille du Midi lift once. And why wouldn't you? See here for details:

http://www.montblancrapidcard.com/en/

Finally, a reminder that the latest-style of lift passes can be re-used after paying online. This includes hands-free passes from other ski areas. They can all be re-charged for Chamonix or elsewhere by visiting the appropriate website. There is no discount given this way, but you will never have to queue at a ticket office again. A huge convenience at any time, and almost essential at peak periods.