Carron Scrimgeour on the Petit Envers variation of the Vallée Blanche, Chamonix, France

The Best of the Best: Chamonix's Top 10 Freeride Routes

The ultimate ticklist in the ultimate ski destination, this is the what the skiing Mecca of Chamonix is all about.

Freeride Skiing Moderate, Difficult, Severe, Extreme

Description

There is nowhere more legendary in the ski world than Chamonix, and the hype is more than justified; this is a valley which contains the greatest concentration of high quality and easily accessible ski terrain on Earth. The sheer volume of world-class ski routes is such that the trickiest part of planning a trip to Chamonix is figuring out exactly which lines to aim for if you only have a week or so available. This guidebook provides you with an answer by attempting to name the 10 best freeride routes in the valley. We say "attempt" because any list like this, particularly in a town as legendary Chamonix, is likely to provoke heated debate!

The lines described here are not super steep or technical by local standards but in order to ski them all you'll need solid all-round ski mountaineering skills, and a bit of luck with the conditions. If, having worked through them, you want to understand what the Chamonix elite get up to in the mountains, check out this guide to the valley's very hardest lines -

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Routes included

Posettes Couloirs

Long consistent, but serious couloirs offer amazing skiing.

Severe Freeride Skiing

Distance: 3.1 km
Ascent: 12 m
Descent: 893 m

Couloir de la Jeureumaz

A steep couloir through the forest, narrow in places

Severe Freeride Skiing

Distance: 1.7 km
Ascent: 4 m
Descent: 688 m

Canadian Bowl

A classic Grands Montets line; open, varied, great skiing

Difficult Freeride Skiing

Distance: 2.2 km
Ascent: 1 m
Descent: 760 m

Vallee Blanche

Perhaps the most famous ski descent in the world? Technically moderate but very serious skiing in an absolutely breathtaking setting.

Moderate Freeride Skiing

Distance: 14 km
Ascent: 11 m
Descent: 2 km

Hotel face

“THE" classic freeride face at Brévent which offers numerous different routes of varying difficulty.

Severe Freeride Skiing

Distance: 1.6 km
Ascent: 31 m
Descent: 482 m

Pre Du Rocher Right

Wild, serious skiing away from the pisted areas in the trees which is often good when visibility is low.

Severe Freeride Skiing

Distance: 4.6 km
Ascent: 15 m
Descent: 1.3 km

Jeurs bowls

This run offers great off piste skiing in relatively gentle undulating terrain.

Difficult Freeride Skiing

Distance: 2.7 km
Ascent: 14 m
Descent: 625 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