Set spectacularly under the towering spires of the 4121m Aiguille Verte & Aiguille du Dru, Grands Montet's north-aspect ski terrain holds Chamonix's best snow & hence attracts a horde of the world's best skiers. The terrain here is skied hard. So hard that if it hasn't snowed for a few days, there can be bumps on the bumps where you never expected to see bumps. So be it. It is a place that needs to be skied on its day, & if you miss that day ........ you can now still get a few freshies because the top cable car burnt down - YAY! Stick on the skins we are climbing up!
Strange how the loss of two cable cars, including one that serves some of the world's best off-piste terrain, can improve a ski area. It’s true. Grands Montets ski resort is better off without the top cable car, whilst the loss of the lower one possibly makes no difference (as the gondola to Plan Joran has good uphill capacity). We think Grand Montets offers a better ski experience without the two cable cars - go figure!
A surprisingly small ski area (only 30km of piste trail), Grands Montets is clearly not for everyone - even though everyone wants to go there. Beginners & lower intermediates need not apply. Whilst the recent lift improvements for beginners via the Tabe chair give some ground, it is just not a place to learn to ski (go to Balme). Similarly, the limited intermediate runs tend to be at the higher end, so by all means come and say you skied Grand Montets, but then head over to Balme or Flegere. The advanced trails are super nice ......... if they are groomed, which some weren't during our visit. We hate super bumps, but that's what we got. The Chamois trail is cool & the Pierre a Ric valley trail is a rip-roaring thigh-liquefier & the best in the valley.
I don't want to harp on it, but Grands Montets is all about the off-piste. The broad Combe de la Pendant off the Bochard is the pick of the lift accessed freeride terrain by a long way. Tree skiing is possible, but conditions weren't awesome for it during our visit, so we avoided.
We rate the nightlife here very highly because of its proximity to Chamonix, not for anything Argentiere serves up. We have heard rave reviews of the shenanigans at the resort base area but found it to be uninspired (perhaps the lack of powder at the time was rankling the natives!). Similarly, if looking to stay anywhere in the valley, go for Chamonix first, Le Tour second, Argentiere 7th!
Getting to Argentiere & Grands Montets was fantastic. Often maligned, we used the free Chamonix bus to get there (wonderful trip) & the train to depart (bit of a walk to the station but a cracking journey as we were heading to Switzerland!)
Every powder hound should strive to ski Grands Montets on a powder day at least once in their poudre soaked lives because it is an amazing location. We will have to return to tick that box. On that day, expect to see us lining up before dawn......