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 Here
you will find details of many links and contact details as
well as useful hints and tips for anyone who is planning a
trip to the Alps.
- Dahu Hotel (**)
Argentiere, Chamonix. Tel: 00 33 50540155. Large Hotel with
a variety of rooms. Large restaurant/bar and close to the
shops.
- Gite Belvedere
Argentiere, Chamonix. Tel+Fax: 00 33 50540259 Simple meals
or self cater. Basic but good, happy and informal, English
spoken. This accommodation is similar to a British Youth
Hostel, but much less formal. Close to the shops. Evening
meals are served. Good value, and sometimes used to accommodate
courses run by Alan Kimber if working in France. Take your
own sleeping bag.
- Camping Glacier Du Argentiere
Clean facilities, popular, large Pizza's on site two evenings
a week, ten minutes walk from the shops. Tel: 00 33 50541736
or 50540373. A good variety of restaurants at reasonable
prices offer evening meals and local shops are a few minutes
walk away. Cost is roughly in line with what you would pay
in Britain, depending on the exchange rate at the time.
- Camping Mischabel - Saas Grund
This is the site used by Alan Kimber when working from Switzerland.
It is run by Hans and Lillian Zurbriggen who provide a very
friendly service and speak english. Discounts are given
when climbers are away up at huts. Close to the shops and
restaurants. No previous booking is required. mischabel@hotmail.com
- Haus Cresta -- Saas Grund
Very good B&B and used by West Coast Mountain Guides
a lot during the summer season. bernhard.andenmatten@bluewin.ch
A Swiss base can be used for people considering climbing
in Switzerland or France, as access via the Rhone valley
is fairly simple and quick. However, the Swiss valleys are
less busy and the options for high peaks more varied than
in France.
 By
plane to Geneva, then transfer to Chamonix direct from the
airport. See link above for transfer.
- Direct to Chamonix. Various companies
run this route for alpinists. Details either from the BMC,
Tel:0161 445 4747 or National Express (Eurolines) 0171 730
0202 (London) - 0161 228 3881 (Manchester) - 0141 332 4100
(Glasgow)
- Contact B.R. Victoria, 0171 834 2345.
Ask for Continental Booking Office Information
Various ferry companies cross the Channel from Dover &
Ramsgate. The tunnel is definitely the quickest and can compete
on price if you shop around.. A choice of road routes is available.
The French autoroutes provide fast toll roads (approximately
£60 to Chamonix). If speed is not a consideration a
good route can be used passing around Rheims. More details
are given below. Either way allow a full twenty four hours,
including rest stops from UK.
Shared transport. Please indicate if you would be willing
to share transport with any other people on your course.
The French Autoroutes are fairly easy to follow and provide
fast if at times tedious driving on good roads. Put your foot
down with two driving, and Calais to Chamonix is possible
in under ten hours! The only stops being for petrol, food
& toilet stops, plus paying the toll charges at various
stages en route. Aim for Rheims- Dijon - Geneva and you will
be on motorway all the way to Chamonix with the exception
of the final fifteen minutes driving.
 follows
very good roads through various small and large towns. If
you have the time and want to save a fair bit of cash on motorway
tolls, this is the way to travel. Don't get too worked up
over the ability of the French to lead you into a small village
then avoid signposting your way out! You will get the hang
of it after a while. The scenery is very varied and the excitement
of sitting in the passengers seat instructing your partner
not to overtake in the face of an oncoming juggernaut (which
you can see but they cannot ) is not to be missed !
The following route is tried and tested over many years: Dunkirk
(D217) or Calais (N43) to St Omer to Bethune (N43) to Arras
(D937) to Cambrai (D939) to St Quentin (N44) to Laon (N44)
to Rheims (N44) to Chalons (N44/E17) to St Dizier (N44/E17)
to Chaumont (N67/E17) to Langres (N19/E17) to Gray (D67) to
Besancon (D67) to Pontarlier (N57/E23) to Lausanne (N57/E23)
to Martigny [9] to Chamonix [21]. The route from Pontarlier
to Chamonix is mostly in Switzerland. The Swiss will ask you
if you want to buy a yearly car sticker for travel on their
motorways (Sfr 40 in 2004). The Swiss back roads are the same
as in France. Don't be tempted to travel on Swiss motorways
without a sticker, the instant fines are high! All the above
information is well shown on Michelin map No:989 (France)
1cm = 10km.
People visiting the Alps must have holiday insurance which
covers mountain rescue and hospital costs as well as all the
normal cover, such as cancellation and loss of baggage at
the time of writing please contact the British Mountaineering
Council.
West Coast Mountain Guides and Alan Kimber can be contacted
in the Alps by mobile phone if anything urgent needs to be
discussed. All course members should make sure they have this
number, which at the time of writing is 07909 905 664.
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