Chamonix: Adventure Paradise In The French Alps

Chamonix is an Alpine town nestled at the southern base of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. This gorgeous French Resort area is located 1 hour southeast of Geneva, or 6 hours southwest of Paris, where the borders of France, Switzerland and Italy join together.

When you arrive, you will see many small groups of people buzzing around Chamonix. Groups of hikers are on their way to their chosen trail. Groups of climbers hold pick axes as they wait for a gondola to carry them towards a challenging mountain of rock or ice. And there’s the groups of cyclists gearing up to conquer the famous winding mountain roads of the Tour de France.

Accommodation is available in all ranges of price or luxury, from budget camping or little huts, all the way up to the famously excessive five-star resorts. Chamonix is a welcoming and accessible place, which gives everyone the chance to pursue whatever truly world-class adventure sports they have on their bucket list. You can do it all here, including skiing, hiking, paragliding, whitewater rafting, rock or ice climbing, electric  or mountain biking, and even a thrilling summer luge.

It seems like every other day that Chamonix is hosting a different global event, attracting the world’s fittest and most adventurous people. Some go whitewater rafting down the glacial Arve River, which is mainly fed by Mer de Glace, the largest glacier in all of France. Others join over 10,000 people from 80 countries and run the 4-day Marathon du Mont-Blanc. Then there’s the adventurous competitors in the Climbing World Cup, one of the world’s most prestigious rock wall competitions against the dramatically commanding backdrop of Mont Blanc.

Chamonix’s transport system is diverse and reliable, with chairlifts, gondolas, trains. Otherwise you can take your choice of more than 170 possible routes along over 320 kilometers of maintained hiking paths and trails. The more daring who have the time will obviously do the Tour of Mont Blanc. An epic 12 day, 160 kilometer trek which passes through Italy, Switzerland, as well as France, with a gain of more than 9.75 kilometers in collective height as you travel over at least 11 passes.

Magnificently towering above the snow-covered resort town of Chamonix, Mont Blanc waits for the most accomplished adventure-seekers from all over the globe. No matter what you goal you are pursuing, you will likely not find any better than the diverse and amazing options at Chamonix.

Source: Chamonix