As we mentioned before the Chamonix ski pass gives us access to a number of ski areas and different resorts and after our dump of snow for Christmas we thought it would be a great time to head out and explore a couple of the other places we have access to.
While I am sure you would be able to get to the different resorts by public transport we were lucky to have the van and so we loaded up our gear (including flask of hot tea and fresh baguettes for lunch) and set off on Boxing Day for Les Contamines which is a 40min trip down one valley and up another.
There is free parking at most of the lifts the only issue was that it’s obviously a first come first served situation so when they are full you are out of luck. We of course got there in plenty of time and both felt quite adventurous driving for a day on the mountain. Having to travel to the different ski areas was something that I was a little worried about having to do but after our first trip we thought the whole thing quite easy and while we had to get up a little early it was definitely worth it to be able to go somewhere new.
The next day was my birthday and of course my present was to go snowboarding for the day so off we went on the 30 min trip to Saint Gervais. Again we found a park pretty easily and had a fantastic day enjoying the mountain. As it was my birthday we thought we might treat ourselves to a lunch at a mountain restaurant and at about 1:30 we found ourselves right outside the Folie Douce bar and restaurant. So we sat down at our table with beautiful views of Mont Blanc and the mountain range in the background. It was a superb location and the food was wonderful too.
This being France there is always the chance of a dining experience taking a twist and sure enough a saxophonist, guitarist and singer took to the restaurant and began singing to get the party started. It was a great show and then they were joined by a dj and some dancers and soon the whole place was pumping and we had a fantastic time watching it all go off.
It was a great two days and a great start to our exploration of the different resorts. It was fun to drive somewhere different for the day and enjoy some different slopes and new scenery, definitely looking forward to using the van more and exploring some more. T