5. Chamonix is often known as the cradle of climbing. It is located near Mount Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps and its gigantic collection of attendant glaciers which tumble into the Mer de Glace.
It also has some of the most dramatic, and, for the true extreme skier, scarcely believable challenges in the world. The slopes in the Chamonix Valley are scattered among half a dozen areas, few of which actually link.
Between them they have plenty of relaxed, enjoyable skiing, with some more challenging runs thrown in. The highlight of your visit to Chamonix is likely to be the cable-car ride to the impossibly steep and spiny Aiguille du Midi.
