When it comes to hiking in Chamonix, there are a few COMMON SENSE Tips to help make this a safe, and comfortable trip. Knowing where you are at all times will keep you safe. Having a handle on transportation timetables will determine the length of your day hikes (unless you want to walk home) Paying attention to the weather in Chamonix daily will help plan your trail outfits, and what to bring in your backpack. This Traveller is a planner, these suggestions will help to get familiar with the Chamonix Valley weather and hiking in the French Alps. 

To further avoid crowds, we purposefully scheduled this trip AFTER the UTMB (10,000s of ultra marathoners descended on the valley to RUN around Mont Blanc) and BEFORE the lifts/cable cars closed for the season. There were hikes we wanted to avoid the climb up or down the valley.- (Check Schedule here>> ) If you travel to this part of the Alps wanting to hike, get to know the lift schedules to start and end your hike times (or hike from the valley floor). Be aware of traveling too early in the season you might have snow remaining on the trails (but maybe crampons are your thing?)

Weather in the Chamonix Valley

When visiting Chamonix, there are a few handy Weather Apps to help you through the day to day weather changes. Always dress in layers and bring cold weather or rain gear.

The Chamonix app.

This was a great all-around app to have in the moment. Developed by The Compagnie du Mont-Blanc, Chamonix Tourist Office and La Chamoniarde mountain safety and rescue organization. Tons of tourist info, bus and train timetables. I found the Chamonix weather report to be the most useful, the daily reports with visuals provided insight into the way weather works at all elevations. Find the app downloads here>>

The Meteo France Weather App.

I’d start and end each day with this app. It was very helpful to plan exactly when the weather would turn- for better or worse and was usually spot on. Find App downloads here>>

• Rain or Shine in the Chamonix Valley. We had a mix of both on our trip. Traveling in the Fall, we are always prepared with the right gear. In Chamonix we were outside everyday and hiking on exposed trails, and were vigilant in monitoring weather extremes: lightning with rain, rain and fog, and higher temps with clear skies.
  • We enjoyed hiking in light rain, but would avoid hikes in downpours. The trails were just too slippery.
  • High Temps and full sun had us prepare extra water, sun hats and plenty of sunscreen. I was tan from the Midwest summer and still came home looking like I lived on the AZ golf course. I still have sock lines!
• The difference in altitude from the Chamonix Valley to Mont Blanc is no joke (1000m to 4000m). We planned on the Panoramic Mont Blanc trip to test the effects of altitude on our bodies and our gear. Some of us felt dizzy in the high altitude (4000m), and our legs were heavy going up stairs. Best advice is to stay hydrated, eat at mealtimes even if you don’t feel hungry (an effect of altitude). Dress in layers and plan on taking them off and on throughout the elevation gain.  

Navigation for Chamonix HIkes

• Born before technology, I love a good paper map. Don’t get me wrong, Alltrails was great support while en route and the 3D feature was a FANTASTIC visual for elevation gain. However, the pre-planning with paper was key for me, and provided a good, overall visual orientation of the area. Name of Maps here>>
• Huge shout out to Andrew McCluggage and his book Walking Chamonix Mont Blanc>>. This blue book was my bible and was the base for our exploration of the Valley. Partnered with his Tour du Mont Blanc book you won’t find a better reference. Thank you Andrew!

What to Pack for Chamonix Day Hikes

You’re going to want to Smokey the Bear (ahem – “Be Prepared”) this trip for all weather extremes. Moving up and down from altitude you’ll need more or less layers depending on the season. Our trip was in Mid-Sept and the cool nights and warm days had us packing warm layers for mornings and layering in prep of afternoon sunshine.

Here’s a sample of what I packed, but add what you need to make a great day on the trail! 

Tips for Layering

Starting on the bottom:

• This may be obvious but avoid cotton undies. You’ll sweat and they’ll chafe or it will rain and they’ll stay wet the whole day and you’ll still get chafed. No need to go back to the days of diapers. Wear synthetic (or wool!) with as flat as seams as possible. I’ll write more about this on my IRELAND>> posts (wip)
• I wore shorts next, lightweight, easy drying and flexible.
• Next I was prepared with long underwear or heavy leggings – synthetic or wool
• Final bottom layer was a wind layer that fit over everything. Test your outfits before you go! Pockets are a must for me and these pants from Duluth Trading Co were fantastic>>

On the Top

• Think about your bras – how much cotton do they have? I packed two, one for hikes and one for town. Hiking one was a sporty-type.
• Next layer was a woolx tee. I wore it everyday w/o washing. I didn’t find it itchy and I plan on adding more to my hiking wardrobe.
• A long sleeve fleece was next, ¼ zip, midweight.
• A Synthetic Down Jacket and a Rain Coat were always along in my day pack.

Always in my pack:

• Warm Hat, gloves, hat with a brim
• Neck gator. In addition to a handkerchief since temps were warm, but I wore it for sun protection
• Headlamp
• Whistle
• Knife

Transportation in and around the Chamonix Valley

Getting to Chamonix

If not renting a car, getting to Chamonix is easy from the Geneva Airport via bus and train or shuttle. There are multitudes of shuttle services, often reservations are available through your hotel. We were 5 Folks, it was most cost effective to hire door to door service through chamonix-valley-transfers.com. 

If staying at a local hotel, You’ll receive a cart d’ hote that provides FREE bus and train transportation throughout the Chamonix Valley: Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet to Montroc le Planet. 

I’ve written an entire post on transportation here>>

Multi-day Lift Passes

Purchasing a multi-day pass is a huge savings and there are no limits to day use. In your receipt email for a multi-day lift pass, you’ll receive a QR code that allows you to print your card at the stations (Aiguille du Midi was the closest to us).

You will need to reserve a departure time slot for a few key locations: 

• Tramway du Mont Blanc
• Train du Montenvers
• Panoramic Mont-Blanc: Aiguille du Midi Departure time

Transportation Schedules for Chamonix: Cable Car / Chair Lift / Cog Trains

• Secure time slots for lifts and trains when necessary online
• Time the ending of your hike with the last lift down so you don’t have to hike down to the valley floor. I’ve read horror stories of folks missing the last lift down, and spending hours hiking back in the dark. Because of that, I always packed my headlamp.