The 10 Best Steep Ski Lines in Chamonix

The very best lines in the Mecca of big mountain skiing, this is what a steep skier's dream winter looks like.

Freeride Skiing, Ski Touring Severe, Extreme

Also in Aoste, Italy • Valais, Switzerland

Description

Listing great ski descents in Chamonix is a potentially endless task but even in this most famous of valleys, some routes stand out above the rest. Here they are.

By Chamonix standards, none of these descents are cutting edge but by any measure they are all serious and command respect. Skiing them will take you all over this rightly revered mountain valley and will demand you to possess a wide range of skills, from the skiing itself through to abseiling and cramponing. Beyond the hard skills, deciding when to ski each of these lines requires expert judgement and decision making.

Getting these ticked off in a single week might just be possible given exceptional conditions and motivation, but even getting them done over the course of a season would be a superb achievement for any serious skier.

Routes included

Marbree Couloir

Probably the most spectacular descent on the Hellbronner, this line goes through some huge terrain and features steep freeriding.

Severe Ski Touring

Distance: 6.2 km
Ascent: 96 m
Descent: 2 km

Glacier Rond

A mythical run down a hanging glacier overlooking Chamonix, the steep and serious the first pitch is often icy and has led to many an accident.

Extreme Freeride Skiing

Distance: 1.1 km
Ascent: 5 m
Descent: 789 m

E.N.S.A. Couloir

Steep and serious terrain reached easily from the Brevent cable car, in a nutshell what Chamonix steep skiing is about.

Severe Freeride Skiing

Distance: 2.8 km
Ascent: 14 m
Descent: 1.4 km

Cosmiques Couloir

This is a classic extreme skiing line, not only in Chamonix, but across the Alps. 900 meters of sustained and serious terrain between 40-50 degrees; enough to get anyones heart pumping.

Extreme Freeride Skiing