Argentière
Encyclopedia
Argentière is a picturesque skiing, alpine walking and mountaineering village in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....

, part of the commune of Chamonix Mont Blanc. Altitude: 1252m (4101 ft.).

Geography

Argentière is located near the head of the valley of Chamonix approximately 7km from Chamonix town. It is connected by road with Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

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

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

 to Martigny
Martigny, Switzerland
Martigny is the capital of the French-speaking district of Martigny in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It lies at an elevation of , and its population is approximately 15000 inhabitants . It is a junction of roads joining Italy, France and Switzerland...

 in the Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...

 valley. The village also lies on the route of the incredibly scenic Mont Blanc Express railroad which runs from St Gervais / Le Fayet through Chamonix, Argentiere and Vallorcine before crossing the Franco/Swiss border at Chatelard, passing through Finhaut before reaching the 'end of the line' in Martigny.

The Argentière glacier
Glacier d'Argentière
The Argentière Glacier is a glacier lying perpendicular to the Chamonix valley above the village of Argentière in Haute-Savoie département, south-eastern France.-See also:*List of glaciers...

 lies to the south-east of the village, and is bound on its north-east side by the Aiguille du Chardonnet, the Aiguille d'Argentière
Aiguille d'Argentière
The Aiguille d'Argentière is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif on the border between France and Switzerland.The first ascent of the mountain was by a British party comprising Edward Whymper and A. Reilly with guides Michel Croz, M. Payot, H. Charlet on 15 July 1864...

 and the Tour Noir, and on its south-west by the Aiguille Verte
Aiguille Verte
The Aiguille Verte 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 first ascent of the Matterhorn. Whymper was unable to climb with his usual guide, Michel Croz, who...

, Les Droites
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 , first ascent by W. A. B...

 and Les Courtes. This area is generally known as the Argentière basin.

Winter sports

Argentiere is a popular destination for skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....

, snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...

 and snowshoeing, 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 through September - for alpine walkers, rock & ice climbers and as a base for many other alpine sports activities.

Argentière is the starting point for the Telepherique du Lognon cable car up to Les Grands Montets (3,295m), 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 1 cable car (2 sections), 1 gondola, 5 chair-lifts 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-zones, the Valle Blanche, Domaine de Balme[Le Tour/Vallorcine] and 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 2000m that together provide more than 150km of marked piste/trail plus extensive 'off-piste' areas with runs suitable for all grades of skier from Beginner to Advanced.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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