Haute-Savoie

Sunday, 17 May, 2009

Chalet in the Alps for 200,000 euros?

If you get your skates on you can pick up a 235 m2 chalet at the foot of the ski runs in Grand Bornand for 200,000 euros. The fantastic wooden chalet. valued at 600,000 euros is due to go to auction on the 11th of June at the the Annecy High Court (tribunal de Grande instance)

Posted by davidof at 09:27 PM
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Friday, 01 May, 2009

Chamonix Plays Apprentice

Shareholders in the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc, including the Seydoux family, Chamonix town hall and the Compagnie des Alpes are unhappy. Not only has the resort been hit hard by the credit crunch with a dearth of free-spending British and Russian guests but there have been massive cost overruns on the new Planpraz gondola lift in Chamonix.

Posted by davidof at 12:01 AM
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Sunday, 05 April, 2009

Has Cham killed the golden goose?

According to journalist Antoine Chandelier Chamonix has been hit hard by the credit crunch. The area relies on rich British and Russian visitors for its fortunes. Over half of guests come from abroad.

Posted by davidof at 11:28 PM
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Tuesday, 23 September, 2008

Les Houches to remain closed for the 08/09 Season?

The contracts to run the ski domain of both SEPP (Bellevue lift) and the LHSG company that runs the Prarion lift (Compagnie du Mont Blanc + Cachat family) have been recommended to be cancelled by the government commission at the tribunal of Grenoble, potentially making it legally impossible to open Les Houches for skiing this winter.

Posted by firechick at 03:58 PM
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Tuesday, 29 January, 2008

Bust up between la Clusaz and the Croix Fry

Over the summer ski resorts have been busy. Improving ski runs modernizing ski lifts and, a key marketing tool, adding links between disparate domains. But not in the Haute Savoie where relations between some resorts have become decidedly frosty, unlike the above average temperatures this January.

croix-fry

Posted by davidof at 06:11 PM
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Tuesday, 01 January, 2008

Vallorcine renews off piste ban

The mayor of Vallorcine, Patrick Ancey, has passed a bye-law for the start of the 2007-2008 season banning off-piste skiing in 2 sections of his community and restriction access to a third sector to days when the avalanche risk is less than 3 (Considerable) on a scale of 5. The ban has not gone down well with snow professionals in the Chamonix valley. Mr Ancey is up for re-election in the spring of 2008.

Posted by davidof at 03:30 PM
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Friday, 19 October, 2007

Chamonix to have ‘Ski Ambassadors’, more lift openings

A new programme for winter 2007/08 will be started in Chamonix called ‘ski ambassadors’, designed to help tourists at the ski hills find their way around, give information and ‘animate’ the morning ski queues.

Posted by firechick at 12:04 PM

Monday, 11 June, 2007

Abondance abandons skiing

The news has sent shockwaves through the Haute-Savoie. The local council at Abondance has voted to close the ski lifts. The ski resort has been loss making for the last 15 years. The local council tried desperately to find a buyer before the start of the season but was forced to run the lifts over the winter. This year’s poor snow was the final nail in the coffin. Requiring over half a million euros in investments the end has none the less brought strong reactions from the 1400 local residents and businesses.

Posted by davidof at 10:36 PM
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Tuesday, 01 May, 2007

Ropes removed from Aiguille du Midi

The ropes and other safety equipment on the Aiguille du Midi ridge have been removed. The ridge gives access to the Vallee Blanche off piste as well as many other routes in the Mont-Blanc range such as the 3 Mont Blancs route to the summit of Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s highest summit.

vallee blanche
Photo: Tom Rune

Posted by davidof at 10:17 AM
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Friday, 09 February, 2007

Three avalanches in Haute-Savoie

Three avalanche incidents in the Haute-Savoie have resulted in minor injuries but are a reminder that the new snow has formed new slabs resting on some fragile layers at altitude on north sector slopes.

Posted by davidof at 08:31 PM
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