Argentière () is a picturesque skiing, alpine walking and mountaineering village in the

French Alps The French Alps are the portions of the Alps mountain range that stand within France, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such a ...

, part of the commune of

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (; ; (no longer in use)), more commonly known simply as Chamonix (), is a communes of France, commune in the departments of France, department in the regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It was the site of the f ...

, at an altitude of ."Argentière"
en.chamonix.com.

Geography

Argentière is located near the head of the Valley of Chamonix approximately from Chamonix town. It is connected by road with

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

by the pass over the

Col des Montets Col des Montets (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the French Alps in the Haute-Savoie department of France. It is on the road between Chamonix, the Swiss Col de la Forclaz and Martigny in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. The pass is general ...

and the

Col de la Forclaz Col de la Forclaz (el. ) is a mountain pass in the Alps in the Canton of Valais in Switzerland. It connects Martigny at and Le Châtelard ( Finhaut). The road from Martigny to the Col has an average gradient of 6% but in parts is closer to 8%. ...

Martigny Martigny (; , ; ) is the capital city of the district of Martigny (district), Martigny, cantons of Switzerland, canton of Canton of Valais, Valais, Switzerland. It lies at an elevation of , and its population is approximately 20,000 inhabitants ( ...

in the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...

Valley. The village also lies on the route of the scenic Mont-Blanc Express railway which runs from

Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet station Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet station () is a railway station serving the town Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie department, southeastern France. It is the southeastern terminus of the standard gauge La Roche-sur-Foron–Saint-Gervais-les ...

through Chamonix, Argentière and Vallorcine before crossing the

France–Switzerland border The France–Switzerland border is long. Its current path is mostly the product of the Congress of Vienna of 1815, with the accession of Geneva, Neuchâtel and Valais to the Swiss Confederation, but it has since been modified in detail, the la ...

at Le Châtelard, passing through Finhaut before reaching the end of the line in Martigny. The

Argentière Glacier The Argentière Glacier is a glacier in the French Alps. It is one of the larger glaciers found within the Mont Blanc massif, and is situated above the village of Argentière. It lies perpendicular to the Chamonix valley and falls within the Auv ...

, which lies to the southeast of the village, is bound on its northeast side by the

Aiguille du Chardonnet The Aiguille du Chardonnet (3,824 m) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in Haute-Savoie, France. It lies between the and the Argentière Glacier. The border with Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a la ...

, the

Aiguille d'Argentière The Aiguille d'Argentière () is a mountain in the Mont Blanc Massif, Mont Blanc massif on the border between France and Switzerland. The second highest summit of the Aiguille d'Argentière is the prominent rock-tower ''Flèche Rousse'' () south ...

and the Tour Noir, as well as on its southwest by the

Aiguille Verte The Aiguille Verte (; ), which is French for "Green Needle", is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. It was first climbed on 29 June 1865 by Edward Whymper, Christian Almer and Franz Biner, a fortnight before the fateful fi ...

Les Droites Les Droites () is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps and is the lowest of the 4000-metre peaks in the Alps. The mountain has two summits: * West summit (3,984 m), first ascent by W. A. B. Coolidge, Christian Almer and Ulri ...

and Les Courtes. This area is generally known as the Argentière basin. Glacier Argentiére - panoramio.jpg, Argentière Glacier Argentiere - church.jpg, Église Saint-Pierre Argentiere - building2.jpg, Village centre Argentière - train station.jpg, Argentière station

Winter sports

Argentiere is a popular destination for

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...

snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralym ...

and

snowshoeing Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footw ...

, attracting many skiers and snowboarders in the winter season – typically mid-December to early May – and is an ideal location for those who seek an exceptional alpine sports experience. The village is an equally popular location in summer season – June to September – for alpine walkers, rock and ice climbers, and as a base for many other alpine sports activities. Argentière is the starting point for the Téléphérique du Lognan cable car up to Les Grands Montets (), a skiing area famous for its steep and demanding slopes, both on-piste as well as off-piste. In total, the skiing area is served by a cable car (in two sections), a gondola, five chairlifts and some skilifts. Along with the Vallée Blanche, Les Grands Montets draws skiers from all around the world to the Chamonix Valley each and every year. Because of its central location three other ski areas, the Valle Blanche, Domaine de Balme e Tour/Vallorcineand Brevent/Flegere are a short journey from Argentiere by Chamonix Bus or the Mont Blanc Express local train. Overall a total of four easily accessible 'snow-sure' systems, mostly above that together provide more than of marked pistes and trails plus extensive off-piste areas with runs suitable for all grades of skier from Beginner to Advanced.

References

External links

Walking trails starting from Argentière

Site of french glaciologist Luc Moreau
{{DEFAULTSORT:Argentiere Haute-Savoie Villages in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Ski resorts in France Chamonix

Geography

Winter sports

See also

References

External links