You've probably seen the photos. Jagged granite peaks, glaciers that look like frozen tsunamis, and people looking very small against the massive backdrop of Mont Blanc. Then you look at a chamonix ski lift map for the first time. Honestly? It's a mess.
Unlike most resorts where everything fans out from a central village, Chamonix is a long, narrow valley with five distinct ski areas that aren't actually connected by lifts. If you try to "ski to the other side," you'll end up standing in a parking lot waiting for a bus.
👉 See also: Why the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul Philadelphia is Still the City’s Best Kept Secret
Basically, you need to treat the map as a menu, not a single playground.
The Chamonix Ski Lift Map: What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest trap for newcomers is thinking the whole valley is one giant map. It isn’t. When you pull up the PDF or grab the paper version at the Office de Haute Montagne, you’re looking at several "islands" of skiing.
Brévent and Flégère are the ones you see from the town center. They face south, which means they get blasted by the sun. This is great for a tan but can turn the snow into mashed potatoes by 2:00 PM in March. They are the only two areas actually connected by a lift—the Liaison Brévent-Flégère cable car.
Then there is Les Grands Montets over in Argentière. This is the big daddy. It’s north-facing, steep, and holds snow longer than anywhere else. Most experts head here first. The lift map shows a massive vertical drop, but keep in mind that the top cable car has been under reconstruction (the new one is set to fully transform the area in 2026).
👉 See also: Russia: What Most People Get Wrong About the Biggest Country in the World
Further up the valley is Le Tour/Balme. This area is wider, gentler, and sort of looks like the rolling hills of Austria. It’s the best place for beginners, but if the wind picks up, the lifts here close faster than a bank on a holiday.
Finally, at the entrance of the valley, you have Les Houches. It’s lower, tree-lined, and technically has its own separate lift pass, though it's included in the "Unlimited" version. It’s the place to go when a storm hits and visibility at 2,500 meters is zero.
Decoding the Symbols
You'll see abbreviations on the map that look like French code. They kind of are.
- TPH (Téléphérique): Big cable cars. Think Aiguille du Midi.
- TC (Télécabine): Gondolas.
- TSD (Télésiège Débrayable): High-speed chairlifts.
- TK (Téléski): Drag lifts or "buttons." If you're a snowboarder, these are your sworn enemies.
Why Your Lift Pass Choice Changes How You Use the Map
In Chamonix, the map you use depends entirely on the plastic card in your pocket. There are two main flavors: Chamonix Le Pass and the Mont Blanc Unlimited.
If you have Le Pass, you are limited. You can ski Brévent-Flégère, the lower parts of Grands Montets, and Balme/Le Tour. You cannot go to Les Houches, and you definitely can't go up the Aiguille du Midi or across to Courmayeur in Italy.
The Mont Blanc Unlimited is the "get out of jail free" card. It covers the whole valley, the Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace glacier, and even the Evasion Mont Blanc area (Megève/Saint-Gervais) for longer stays. It’s significantly more expensive, but if you want to see the "Step into the Void" glass box at the top of the Aiguille du Midi (3,842m), you need this or a separate pedestrian ticket.
Navigating the Valley Without Getting Stranded
Because the areas aren't connected by slopes, the chamonix ski lift map often includes a dotted line at the bottom. This represents the bus and train lines.
The Chamonix Bus system is actually pretty efficient, but it gets crowded. Really crowded. If you're staying in Chamonix Sud, you can hop on a bus to Argentière (Grands Montets) and it’ll take about 20 minutes. The Mont Blanc Express train is also free with your lift pass (or a guest card from your hotel) and is a much more scenic way to get to the Le Tour or Les Houches ends of the valley.
Pro Tip: The "Hidden" Maps
Most people ignore the small maps of the valley floor. Don't. These show the "nursery" slopes like Les Planards and Le Savoy. If you have kids or are just learning to slide, don't go to the top of a mountain. Stay down there. The snow is often artificial, but the gradients won't give you a panic attack.
Surviving the Aiguille du Midi
The Aiguille du Midi is the most famous part of the map, but it’s not for skiing—at least not "normal" skiing. There are no groomed runs from the top. None.
When you see that long, winding line down the glacier on the map, that’s the Vallée Blanche. It is 20 kilometers of unmarked, unpatrolled glacial terrain. If you go there without a high mountain guide, you’re basically gambling with crevasses. It's legendary, but it's "off-piste" in the truest sense of the word.
Logistics for the 2025-2026 Season
For the current season, keep an eye on the lift opening times. Generally, the main lifts open at 8:30 or 9:00 AM. In January, they start closing around 4:15 PM because the sun disappears behind the peaks early. By April, they stay open until 5:00 PM.
Prices for a 6-day Mont Blanc Unlimited pass for an adult (15-64) are sitting around €480 for 2026. If you buy online at least three days in advance, you can usually shave off a few Euros. Also, if you're a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids), look for the "Family" pass—it basically lets the third, fourth, and fifth child ski for free.
💡 You might also like: Newport Beach, California: Why People Still Get This Place So Wrong
Actionable Next Steps
To make sense of the Chamonix chaos, do these three things tonight:
- Download the "Chamonix" App: It has a live version of the lift map that shows which lifts are actually open. This is vital because high winds often shut down half the valley.
- Pick Your Base: If you want to ski more than one area, stay near the Chamonix Sud bus station or the Place du Mont Blanc. It’ll save you miles of walking in ski boots.
- Check the "Liaison" Status: Before you head up to Flégère with the intention of skiing over to Brévent, check the board at the bottom to see if the connecting cable car is running. If it's closed due to wind, you'll have to take a bus back around the valley.
The Chamonix valley is spectacular, but it’s not a "plug and play" resort. A little time spent staring at the map now saves a lot of standing in the rain later.