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 as ...

, part of the

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( frp, Chamôni), more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2019, it had ...

, 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 ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

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 genera ...

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 (; german: Martinach, ; la, Octodurum) is the capital city of the district of Martigny, canton of Valais, Switzerland. It lies at an elevation of , and its population is approximately 15000 inhabitants (''Martignerains'' or "Octodurie ...

in the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

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 (french: Gare de Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet) is a railway station serving the town Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie department, southeastern France. It is the southeastern terminus of the standa ...

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 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( frp, Cha ...

, 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 Argentière Glacier is a glacier in the French Alps. It is one of the larger glaciers found ...

, 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 first ascent of the mountain was by a United Kingdom, British party comprising Edward Whymper and A. Reill ...

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 firs ...

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 Ulrich ...

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. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

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 Paralympi ...

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 footwe ...

, 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

Geography

Winter sports

See also

References

External links