Skiing at Le Brévent by firechick
Skiing or snowboarding at le Brévent station is a good choice for families and groups when there are multiple levels of skiers among you. There are pistes for every level (including a small and not steep beginners area with a drag lift at the mid-station) and yet, everyone still gets to go up high on the mountain and ski together for many runs. You also have beautiful views across the valley to see Mt Blanc and the other Aiguilles.For the more advanced skiers, there are sections of off-piste excitement which the less advanced skiers can follow (by skiing on the cat-tracks), allowing everyone to have fun and still meet up together at various sections on each run. The top station is black run only and leads to some great off-piste when it snows.
This area also connects via lifts to La Flégère, which is another ski station with lots of blue and red runs on the same side of the valley, making this the biggest (and only) connected station (so far) in Chamonix.
If you are a strong intermediate or advanced skier and the snow coverage is good you can ski down from the midstation of either one into the bottom station. This is usually preferable to waiting in a queue to go down the bubble lifts or gondola at the end of the day. If you can't ski down, and it's crowded, definitely leave from the Brévent midstation as the Flégère single slow gondola means longer queues.
If you are here for only a few days and are buying day passes know that a day pass to the Brévent will more than do you (don't ever be fooled in Chamonix into buying the more expensive multi-area day pass that allows you to go to the Grandes Montets and Brévent -- the areas are so far apart you will never make proper use of the pass - do the 2 areas on different days!)
See the Compagnie du Mont Blanc website for prices/lift times/opening and closing day/runs open etc..Skis or snow boards! If you want to avoid expensive food prices, bring hot drinks and snacks in your pack. On a sunny day it is easy to picnic near the restaurant. On colder or overcast days you'll want to venture inside for a warm up break, so bring a few euros for a hot chocolate.
If you are going to do any of the off-piste available from le Brévent, don't forget your arva/beeper, avalanche probe and shovel! It does avalanche here so be sure to take an avalanche safety course before venturing off unaware. The pisted area is generally safe, but after big snowstorms, be cautious and stay off any pistes marked off - limits, as they do not always clear avalanche dangers that quickly in this valley (preferring to close the slopes rather than hire more workers!!)
To avoid parking charges in the Brévent parking lot, park in town and hike it up the hill. Or, park near the Savoy beginner's piste (located just behind the Club Med complex) and if you have a season or weekly 'all area' pass, you can just take the Savoy drag lift up to the top, and ski a few meters down into the Brévent parking lot and station!
