Summer
The Chamonix valley is stunning in summer and just as popular as it is in winter. There are lots of great activities for all abilities from gentle walks to scaling alpine giants. Here are some of our favourite summertime activities:
Hiking/Walking
Chamonix offers endless possibilities for walkers from the shady woodland trails in the valley bottom to the high mountain passes. The Aiguilles rouges area offer some of the nicest walks with stunning views over to Mont Blanc and regular wildlife encounters with the local Chamois, Ibex and Marmots. The infrastructure of lifts and huts in the valley is ideal for walkers and hikers allowing you to quickly access more interesting terrain and making multi tour walks a very pleasant experience.
Mountaineering
Chamonix is often described as the birthplace of Alpinism and is still a regarded as one of the most important destinations for aspiring and experienced Alpinists. The jagged peaks of the Mont Blanc massif contain more than a lifetimes worth of quality routes with everything from easy beginner routes to world class test pieces and even a few unclimbed lines for future generations. There is of course the mighty Mont Blanc itself, the highest mountain in Europe and a great challenge for all mountaineers. The hut and lift network give superb access to large sections of the range allowing you to climb big mountain routes in just a day or two. Chamonix is a great place to learn the ropes and there are a number of great mountain guides working in the area who can help get you on your way.
Mountain Biking
Mountain biking has become increasingly popular in recent years and there has been a great deal of investment to make the valley more mountain bike friendly. As soon as the snow melts trail makers get to work grooming, repairing and building purpose built mountain trails. The valley has everything from cross country to lift assisted downhill trails with more than enough to satisfy even the most hardcore of mountain bikers.
Canyoning
Canyoning involves following a river or stream down through a canyon using a combination of swimming, sliding on rocks, jumping in plunge pools and abseiling down waterfalls. It is an exciting way to explore the valley and the cool water is very refreshing on a hot summer’s day!
Rock Climbing
There is a lot of excellent rock climbing in and around the Chamonix valley with over 5 different rock types within an hours drive. The climbing is varied from bolted single pitch crags to huge and adventurous big walls up in the mountains.
Paragliding
Chamonix offers some great opportunities for paragliding with a number of great lift accessed launch points and stunning scenery to enjoy on the way down. If you fancy giving it ago there are a number of good companies who offer tandem flights. For a really exhilarating experience you can even take off from the Aiguille du Midi.