In the heart of the French Alps, Chamonix is home to the Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain and the capital of extreme sports. In 1786, the first climbers made it to the summit of Mont Blanc and Chamonix has been a mecca of adventurous mountain sports ever since. Chamonix now has around 10 000 permanent residents. During the summer and winter seasons, this number grows to around 100 000 people, combining tourists, seasonaires and extreme sports enthusiasts, all with a mutual interest in the mountains.
There are so many sports on offer in Chamonix, too many to list, from skiing to paragliding, climbing, mountain biking and much more.
Winter
Skiing and snowboarding (on and off piste) are the most popular winter sport in Chamonix, with Chamonix boasting 6 ski areas, all linked by the free bus and train service. Explore the ski areas or take a guide to see some of the famous off-piste areas around Chamonix such as the Vallée Blanche, over 20km of off piste skiing and 2700m of vertical descent. There is skiing for all levels here, as gentle or extreme as you like! Ice climbing, cross country skiing, ski touring and paragliding are among the other winter sports on offer.
Summer
Chamonix attracts more visitors during the summer than in the winter. The most popular activities are climbing, hiking and trail running with paragliding and mountain biking also popular. The ski areas transform into great hiking trails and if you are lucky, you are also likely to see amazing wildlife such as ibex, marmottes and deer.
Events
Chamonix hosts many events and festivals throughout the year, including:
- UTMB (Ultra Trail Mont Blanc)
- The Cosmo Jazz Festival
- Chamonix Unlimited Festival
- Marathon du Mont Blanc
You can read more about these here.
You can also take part in events around the local area:
- Musilac Festival (Aix les Bains)
- Rock the Pistes (Morzine-Avoriaz)
- Snowboxx (Avoriaz)
- Montreux Jazz Festival (Montreux)
- Mont Blanc Triathlon (Passy)
