Chamonix town sits at the foot of Mont-Blanc, nestled in a stunning sheer sided valley that rises dramatically up to the imposing peaks of the Mont Blanc massif. The Alps' highest peak and its neighbouring "needles" tower over the town. On the other side of the valley rises the less lofty but very majestic Aiguilles Rouge chain.

Chamonix is a haven for expert and extreme skiers, and is arguably where the sport of extreme skiing began in the late 1960s and 1970s with dramatic descents by men such as Anselme Baud, Patrick Vallencant and Sylvain Saudan. This only enhanced the already growing reputation of Chamonix as the capital of extreme sports, not only for skiing and snowboarding but also rock and ice climbing.

It is a town that thrives around mountain sports all year round. Summer is on fact busier than winter. Tourism has certainly changed the face of the town but it remains a unique and exhilarating place to be.

The ski areas:

Despite its "extreme" reputation, Chamonix does have pistes to suit every level of skier with 5 major ski stations in the valley, as well as several beginner areas.

Working down from the top of the valley where France meets Switzerland you first have the le Tour ski area.

Le Tour:

This is the most gentle of the main areas with lovely wide blues and red runs great for perfecting your turns.

At the bottom there are 3 drag lifts servicing the nursery slopes for beginners. To get to the longer slopes you take the bubble lift up which will deliver you to a big bowl served by a chair lift and 4 drag lifts. You can also descend over the far side – into the "back side" of the le Tour area. Here you will find slightly steeper slopes, and in good snow you can descend through forests into the town of Vallorcine.

Le Tour does feature some good off-piste skiing, mainly on the back side, though this area is notoriously dangerous for avalanches so care must be taken. For those willing to hike there are also a number of great descents into Switzerland that can be accessed from le Tour.

Grands Montets:

This is perhaps the most famous of Chamonix's ski areas, and offers the steepest pistes. The area towers above the town of Argentiere and offer over 200o vertical metres of skiing. It has some good intermediate slopes but is most renowned for its advanced skiing, with challenging blacks and fantastic off-piste options.

A choice of cable car or chair lift will whisk you out of Argentiere and up the mountain. From here the novices should head for one of the 3 chair lifts that offer some enjoyable blue runs. Those more confident can take the Herse 6 seater chair or the Bochard gondola for a choice of red and black pistes, and great off-piste terrain.

The main attraction though is the massive cable car that rises to over 3275m. There are only black runs down from here – if this is too much for you the trip is worth it for the views alone and you can ride the lift back down. Be aware that this is glaciated terrain and you shouldn't deviate from the marked pistes unless you know what you are doing. Also bear in mind that you may have to pay extra to take this lift, depending on which type of pass – it is included on the "Mont Blanc Unlimited" pass but not on the "Chamonix le Pass".

Grands Montets is home to Chamonix's freestyle park for all you tricksters. It has been much improved in recent years…

Brevent and Flegere:

These two ski stations are now linked after the new liason lift was installed a few years ago, making for a huge and varied ski area. The slopes here are south facing which means you'll get more sun. This can be great in winter but it means that the snow can become very heavy in the afternoons, especially later in the season.

The views from Brevent and Flegere are truly stunning, giving you a breathtaking panoramic of the imposing Mont Blanc chain.

There are runs to suit everyone here, from gentle greens to the steep blacks that come down from the Brevent cable car.

Brevent offers good intermediate skiing with some nice blues, and then as you progress there some good red runs that come down from the Col Cornu chair lift. For the more experienced, you can take the top cable car that whisks you up the sheer cliff as you look in awe (or keep your eyes firmly shut in some cases!) at the huge drop down to Chamonix town. The views from the top are spectacular and you really get a feel for the size of Mont Blanc.

Flegere is similar in terms of the difficulty of the runs. Its main player is the Index chair lift serving a black, two reds and a blue. A small drag lift, La Floria, takes you higher and gives access to some great bowls.

Lower down, La Trappe chair lift serves a long green run which is great for learners – I went up and down this run all day long on my second days skiing many years ago.

Both Brevent and Flegere offer some great terrain away from the pistes, with short traverses giving access to those fresh lines we all chase, but as with everywhere in Chamonix you have to be quick…

Les Houches:

Les Houches lies at the bottom of the valley and offers good intermediate skiing. It is lower and therefore snow cover is not always so good. The tree skiing on offer makes it a good destination on "white-out" days. The resort does feature the famous Kandahar run, home to the long-running downhill ski race every January.

Again be sure to check your pass covers this area.

Beginner areas:

There are a number of small beginner areas in the valley. Les Chosalets is just before Grand Montet, where 2 drags serve some nursery slopes. Les Planards is a slightly larger area for learners and has 2 drags serving the nursery slopes as well as a chair lift offering a choice of red or blue piste for your descent. Le Savoy is the beginner zone at the bottom of Brevent and is a good place to practise your first turns if the snow cover is good.

Off Piste:

Chamonix offers awesome off piste skiing, which is the main reason for its reputation as a place of extreme skiing.

The pin up of Chamonix's off-piste scene is the 17km Vallee Blanche that winds down from the Aiguille du Midi. It is one of the most scenic descents you can do, though its notoriety and popularity mean you won't have the slopes to yourself. A guide is recommended as the route is heavily crevassed and there is no avalanche control here – this is high mountain terrain.

There are many variations of the classic vallee blanche with varying degrees of steepness as well as other more extreme descents off the Aiguille du Midi such as the Cosmiques couloir and the Rond Glacier. The north face under the cable car has even been skied!

The top station of Grand Montet offers yet more famous descents such as the Pas de Chevre which descends down to the Mer de Glace.

The mountains around Chamonix are a ski-tourer's dream; a hike up on skis can give you more access to the vast mountains and some truly stunning descents, as well as an often much needed escape from the crowds!

Other Sports:

Chamonix is far more than just a ski resort. In fact the town is busier in summer than it is in winter. The reason is the great climbing on offer. There is a whole range on offer from beginner routes to extremely technical ones such as the north face of the Dru. Mont Blanc is a huge draw as people flock to summit the mountain. Since many of the summer routes up are not technically difficult the summit is accessible to many, although remember that this is high mountain terrain with all its inherent dangers and where the weather can change in an instant.

The Aiguille du Midi is a big draw year round, not only to climbers and skiers but also to the many tourists that flock here to admire the stunning views.

Walking and trekking are popular summer activities.

Mountain biking is becoming increasingly popular with many designated trails and the lifts are set up so you can put your bike on.

Parapenting is very popular year round as the thermals rising from the valley make for great conditions, not to mention the stunning views on offer to those soaring through the skies.

Cross-country skiing is popular in the valley with lots of designated trails. You can also find facilities for a whole range of other sports in Chamonix – tennis courts, squash courts, swimming pool, ice-skating, bowling alley, golf (in the summer) and paint-balling among many others.

The Nightlife:

Chamonix's nightlife has taken a downturn in the last few years due to a number of places closing as well as the big fire of 2006 which destroyed 3 bars and a nightclub on the Rue du Moulin which was until then the centre of the town's nightlife. Due to difficulties with licensing only one new venue has opened where there once were four, a slightly upmarket lounge type bar called Mix.

One of the busiest bars in town is Chambre Neuf, a Swedish run bar particularly popular for its live music at après ski. Another popular Swedish bar is South Bar in Cham Sud. Next door to that is Monkey Bar, which has a pool table, sport on the tv and lots of live music and is popular with British saisonnaires. Across the way you'll find Munster, Chamonix's token Irish bar.

Other popular haunts include the Jekyll, which has its ever popular comedy night every Thursday, le Pub on the main high street and La Terasse a large venue that often has live music.

There seems to be a wave of upmarket city-type bars opening in town, most notably No Escape.

As for clubs the choice is limited. The best music can be found at La Cantina which always has a lively crowd, although the small venue can get very busy and sweaty. If you want to drink after 2am you can choose between cheesy beats in Le Choucas, or Le Garage with its mirror-walled dance floor or Chamonix's gay club le Tof.

The other thing you'll notice about Chamonix's nightlife – and this is a perennial topic of conversation among the male inhabitants – is the ratio of men to women in the bars. "Sausage fest" is a term you often hear to describe Chamonix's bar scene…

For a quieter night out you can head to the cinema near the town centre which has regular English language showings.

Eating:

There are some excellent restaurants in Chamonix and a wide range of food is on offer, from the traditional alpine fare to Italian (numerous) to Japanese (Satsuki) to Indian (Tigre Tigre and Annapurna). Munchies is a poplular choice on the Rue du Moulin. L'Atmosphere is expensive but the food is great. Le Caveau is a good choice for a nice atmosphere and tasty food at a reasonable price.

There are number of fast food joints in town. Apart from famous golden arches, you can find a few burger/sandwich places that are open late at night, such as Poco Loco, Midnight Express and Belouga.

There are plenty of supermarkets too. The biggest in town are Super U just up from the main square and Casino, under hotel Alpina at the end of Rue du Moulin. Other smaller ones have less choice but often longer opening hours.