Haute-Savoie

Thursday, 02 November, 2006

The Gorges de l’Arly reopen tomorrow

During the winter the gorges de l’Arly linking Albertville with St Gervais are more often closed than open due to the real danger of landslides and stone fall. The last 8 months have been a bit of nightmare for anyone wanting to use this important route. It is has been completely closed with a complicated detour through the mountains by Héry en Ugine. Now after over 6 million euros of work the road will reopen tomorrow, one month ahead of schedule.

Posted by redac at 08:01 AM
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Wednesday, 27 September, 2006

Chamonix lift pass to include Grands Montets

One weapon in the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc’s recovery following a poor 2006 season is a new lift pass. The Forfait Mont Blanc Unlimited will cost 46€ per day (or 220 € for a six day pass) and includes unlimited use of the 3,300 meter Grands Montets cable car. The new pass brings les Houches back into the Mont-Blanc fold and also includes access to Courmayeur in Italy and the trains of Montenvers-Mer de glace and the Tramway du Mont Blanc (TMB) as well as the Aiguille du Midi to ski the Vallée Blanche.

Posted by davidof at 01:14 PM
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Chamonix profits hit hard by weather

It has been a difficult few years for the Haute-Savoyard resort of Chamonix. Killer avalanches, a deadly tunnel fire, barbarian invasions (in the form of British “neo-colonists"), a cable car accident that wiped out the summer season in 2004, a fire that ripped the heart out of the Rue du Moulin, open warfare with Saint-Gervais over access charges to Mont Blanc and now a 35% drop in turnover for the lift company.

“chamonix

Posted by davidof at 12:54 PM
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Thursday, 14 September, 2006

Montroc avalanche, last legal lap?

The last legal lap in the Montroc avalanche may finally have been run in Grenoble’s Administrative Court this summer, more than seven years after the events that killed 12 people in their homes in the hamlet of les Poses. Four sets of claimants, relatives of the deceased as well as the commune’s insurer AXA sought significant damages against Chamonix and the French state for their role in the tragedy.

montroc avalanche

Posted by redac at 06:30 PM
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Monday, 11 September, 2006

Asian skiers discover Megève

Skiing and guided ski tours in the heart of the French Alps

Recently many inquiries have come to my attention for lesson requests and information on skiing the French Alps. Indeed a few skiers from Asian countries particularly Hong Kong and Japan have come and visited Megève and Chamonix and the ski areas in the nearby Italian Alps, this past season.

Posted by Megeve Mike at 05:20 AM
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Thursday, 24 August, 2006

Permit system to climb Mont-Blanc?

The mayor of Saint-Gervais, Jean-Marc Peillex, has called for a permit system to be established for Mont-Blanc. Speaking as part of his initiative “La Montagne A l’Etat Pur – The mountain in its purest form”. M.Peillex said that Mont-Blanc has far too many climbers and this brings with it ecological and safety concerns. He called on the government and other concerned parties to study some way of regulating the number of visitors as happens in other countries.

le mont blanc

Posted by redac at 01:51 PM
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Saturday, 11 June, 2005

Chamonix Chokes on Air Pollution

People come from all over the world to admire the sparkling glaciers and snowy peaks of Mont-Blanc. They do not expect traffic pollution exceeding rush-hour levels on the Champs-Elysées. A two year study by the Air de l’Ain et des pays de Savoie based in Chambéry has shown that pollution levels consistently exceed European norms and could be life threatening to sufferers from respiratory illnesses.

Posted by davidof at 06:16 PM
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Saturday, 28 December, 2002

British Avalanche Victim Dies in Hospital

The British skier who was seriously injured on the 24th of December after being caught in an avalanche in the Mont Blanc massif died of his injuries on Saturday morning in hospital in Sallanches (Haute Savoie).

Posted by davidof at 08:28 PM
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Tuesday, 10 December, 2002

Chamonix Mayor faces double manslaughter charge

Chamonix mayor, Michel Charlet, already indited for manslaughter for the Montroc avalanche faces the same charge for the Mont Blanc tunnel fire.

Posted by davidof at 05:32 PM
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Sunday, 05 May, 2002

Twelve Polish skiers rescued from Mt Blanc

Twelve Polish ski mountaineers, trapped since Tuesday by bad weather in the small Vallot refuge (4 362 meters) were rescued today during a short break in the bad weather.

Posted by davidof at 04:45 PM
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