If you are just starting out in your snowsports career and have heard that Chamonix is only for the hardcore don’t believe it: you will find the Domaine de Balme area (formally called Le Tour & Vallorcine) is perfect for you. Le Tour with its rolling meadows in the summer is the gentlest of Chamonix’s snowy areas in the winter. It’s a mixed terrain that’s relatively rock free and where pistes tend to be wide cruisy blues or fairly easy intermediate reds.

 Being right at the top of the valley means that it’s the furthest ski area from Chamonix but it’s worth making the 20 minute journey up there either by car or the local free bus. The train ride to and from Vallorcine is a pleasant one however, the train doesn’t go directly to Le Tour and instead has a stop at Montroc, about 1km from Le Tour itself which therefore requires a bus ride to reach the main lift station area.

 From the top of the Domaine de Balme ski area there are some spectacular views across to the Emosson dam and down to Switzerland. For as much as it’s a great area for beginners, it also offers an expanse of off piste skiing and can be a great place to learn how to ski or board in powder as you can stay relatively close to the piste diving off when you feel confident enough to do so.

 Le Tour is a traditional Savoyarde village situated 4km north-east of Argentiere, right at the end of the valley. It is overlooked by the spectacular Le Tour Glacier and offers a marvellous opportunity for both winter and summer holiday makers to sample a little high-altitude terrain without undue technical difficulty. Le Tour also offers some of the best views of Mont Blanc and the Chamonix Valley.