Chamonix is located in France
close to the
borders of Italy and Switzerland. Chamonix is located almost in the shadow
of Western Europe's tallest mountain, -
Car Hire France - Mount Blanc. This mountain towers
15,780 feet. This picturesque mountain town is situated in the far eastern
southern part of France. It sits in the middle of a narrow valley surrounded
on both sides by the towering peaks of the Alps. Chamonix
is located at about only 3400 feet but it has the feel of being much
higher because of the large mountains,
glaciers, and snow that
surround it. The Chamonix valley
stretches about 20 miles. The valley is a deep "U" shaped and was
carved out by glaciers during the Quaternary Era. At some point over 3000
feet of ice covered present day Chamonix.
Currently the town has about 10,000 permanent residents. Most of the town is
located on both banks of the Arve River. Of course there are quite a few
more people then this in town, especially in the summer tourist season and
in the winter skiing season. This town has long been a haven for the tourist
and outdoors person. There are many outdoor activities to enjoy. Chamonix is
a magnet for paragliders and hangliders. In the summer time you can see a
brilliant display of multi-colored paragliders swirling and climbing high in
the sky, caught in the wonderful thermals. Summer time is
an excellent time for glacier climbing and walking. There are
several hundred excellent
hiking
trails at many different elevations; some climb all the way from the valley
floor to about 9000 feet. These hiking trails are by far some of the most
spectacular in the Alps!! The views of Mount Blanc, Europe's highest
mountain, are incredible. These views become even better during the
"Golden Hour", in the early mornings and late evenings. At times
the mountains near Chamonix reminded me of my trips to the Himalayas and the
Canadian Rockies. This part of the Alps almost seemed to be a cross between
those two huge mountain ranges. Winter actives, such as snow skiing, abound.
More on all of these actives will be discussed in greater detail later in
the article.
People have been coming to Chamonix to enjoy summer time activities ever
since the late 18th century. Winter activities have been enjoyed by people
at Chamonix ever since the early 1900's. In fact the first winter Olympics
were held at Chamonix in 1924. The 12 mile Vallee Blanche run is known
worldwide in skiing circles as being one of Europe's best and longest ski
run.
During the summer you can expect some cloudy days and some rain, and even
some cool temperatures. If you plan to spend only a day or two in Chamonix
you may be sorely disappointed because of the weather. However, chances are
if you stay for at least several days the clouds will part and will reveal
the incredible mountain scenery. I arrived in Chamonix in the middle of the
summer time, to an overcast sky, cold temperatures, and a mild drizzle. The
weather made me wonder why people had been flocking to Chamonix. I could not
see any of the high peaks as they were covered in a thick layer of clouds
and fog. However, by the next morning the sun shone through brilliantly and
all the mountains and glaciers were revealed.
