Postcard from ChamonixThe conditions are about the best of the winter, so why am I not skiing very much?
There's fresh snow and barely a soul around, but I'm not skiing the Grand Montets or the Vallee Blanche. Chamonix is one of the best resorts in the Alps in my opinion with endless off piste potential, some great skiing and at the moment there's powder snow under foot and blue sky overhead. However, I've vowed that on this 3-day visit I will do some different things in the mountains.
I want to discover the history of the valley, find out about the awe-inspiring glaciers that dominate the landscape and try some other activities. I have been husky dog riding and been ski joering where you get pulled along by a horse. I have visited a goat farm to see how the cheese is made and I have met a host of characters from the valley.
Getting pulled along by a horse through the woods was incredible and husky dog sledging was undoubtedly one of the best new experiences I have had in the mountain for many a while.Then there's wellness centres, eating out at some of the resorts best restaurants instead of the cheap places I normally frequent. I have been wine tasting with the head sommalier at the Albert premier, Michelin starred restaurant.
In short I wanted to have a different experience out in the ski resort. I have of course done a bit of skiing (well I'd be pretty stupid not too in these conditions), but have been to areas I don't normally go when I am here. The backside of Les Houches, Flegere and a few different routes in Balme.
I will be bringing you a series of reports on the news and feature pages about the other activiites to do in the mountain so do keep an eye open for those.
Sometimes doing something different in the mountains is the way to get more out of them.
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