Chamonix – the Mountains at the Heart of the Haute-Savoie with Jean-Michel Poupart
Feel it feel it feel it feel it feel it feel It welcome to we to ski I’m your host John Moran today we’re in France grab your skis and let’s go skiing and Shaman my guest today grew up in France now lives works teaches and skis in Shaman every day zel pupar lives in the shaman Valley with his family and two
Dogs he grew up in the perisian countryside studied physics in the capital and that brought him to Shaman to test out the laws of physics and gravity he’s an established skiing instructor for 20 years shamani he specializes in off piece guiding sha Michelle is a mountain leader member of the compid to shamani
The oldest and largest guide Association in the world established back in 1821 shamani is in the French Alps just north of Mount Blanc and about an hour’s Drive south of Geneva between the peaks of the AGI Rouge and the AGI deidi borders Switzerland Italy and sits at
The foot of mon Blanc it’s one of the oldest ski resorts in France popular with alpinus mountain enthusiasts skiers Napoleon even visited this town the cable car to the 3800 met agamid is the highest vertical Ascent cable car in the world it takes you to the hopping point for the fame valet
Blanch in addition to the skiing for us mere mortals Shaman hosts the world’s Elite Town host surround the FIS World Cup arur Kandahar all this after hosting the first Winter Olympics back in 1924 and multiple World Championships the valley is comprised of four separate Mountain areas Le gr mon
Braon Le Dom de and of course the these run along the Valley from lur down Le skiing here for the most part is not for beginners but let’s talk to Jean Michelle and find out all about skiing Shaman joham Michelle thank you for joining us today I’m excited to talk about
Shaman Shaman is an older Town concentrated into a narrow Valley my first feeling was being totally odd seeing Mount Blanc towering over the town and realizing the mountaineering and the skiing history there aside from the physics what brought you to Shaman in the first place and why do you
Stay yes but it’s really an amazing place and when you arrive there the first time so you think first I was sinking first I might stay long there and so I’m staying there for 25 years I think the first reason is just just the place the mountains are huge very
Different they all have characters and and that’s it the mountains are spectacular when you pull into that Valley it’s amazing uh maybe you can give our listeners a little bit of an overview of just what you see when you come in the valley and what to expect when you get
There you know the skiing’s not all centered in Shaman it’s spread out all over the place all the way from like AR and Le and you know they all have different characteristics that the town is sort of focused on it but the skiing itself is way up
Above yes yes yes yes you’re right sh Valley so there is a few Village a town let’s say that sh is a little town and you need you need to most of the time to take a first Gondola and then to to arrive above the tree line and then you
Start you start skiing as entrance of the valley first there is L luch it’s more woody woody area a bit lower a bit more family area it can be a good refuge for the stormy day when there is a high risk of avalanche we all finish at L it’s a
Kind of Joker and then after if you enter more in the valley first sh you have amazinga on the sun on the east facing Sun so in the morning it’s really sunny and you are just watching the high mountains on the other side of the valley M Green Peak Etc the very high
Mountains then if you go in the valley even forward then you arrive in artier where where you will ski on the side of the high mountains so on this side you can ski higher in Grand Monte we could go to 3,300 mly there was a fire that
Destroys the highest but if you come back in three years it will be open again and then we finish at the end of the valley in lour there is the border with swiland on this ski area and it’s more easy than the two other area but
Let’s say anyway on each area is easy slope difficult slope all kind of LEL and of course which is famous it’s of past of past in shamon you can practice everywhere of course I’m sure you are maybe we speak about later with the famous Val blanch of past but you can
Also practice of P everywhere in this different SK pretty good overview that’s a great there are different characteristics for each of the different almost every different town yes yes yes Z they very different I will sayy is difficult to describe really but the mountains are very different the
Sham Val is 20 kilom long so in know way the change and so that’s good every day you change area every day it seems that you are somewhere else you have different angle of those high mountains it it makes a particularity of shon area and you know also we have many
About geology we have three three kind of rocks here we have all the all kind of rods that exist on Earth you have sediment you have granitic and you have also metamorphosed the rock so it’s all mixed in this region so if you are watching panoramic Le
The mountaine doesn’t look the same it’s really particular it’s really particular I didn’t travel in outside Europe so much but in Europe it’s one of the best place I will say in alss for this that that must make it really interesting in the summer for climbing too and of
Course and of course in summer for Gran for for climbing in Granite the granite is very pure is very pure the the crack I say in English the crack are very very interesting people can put their device in the crack and climb it’s not big wall like in the
State but I’m sure it’s still challenging more challenging than I want to tackle and and also there is hiking in summer you have all these high mountain to climb but also all these where you can hike you can hike one day you can hike a few days in a row
There is mountain hut in the mountains you can sleep you can have the dinner or the breakfast and you can sleep there next day you go ahead there is a famous tour we’re speaking about MBL there is M tour you go around the range of mountains in 10 days if you are not
Cheating with transfer van or you can do five six days in stre country I think one of the particularity the area also it’s that we are on three country there is Italy and S very close so there is three Culture The Cure you have three type of wine you have many type of
Cheese that you know so I’ve heard I’ve heard of the I’ve heard of that 10day trip around it’s supposed to be spectacular in the summer it is it is and again I will tell you that every day is different I tell my client because like you you ask me
People want to know before they come and so you say you will see we will speak again in 10 days I tell you that you will feel like every day will be different Cas AG wow it’s something this is why I’m I’m I did this tour I imagine
Almost 100 time I’m doing this for 25 years you know if I do it four time a year it’s 100 I I’m not getting bored because of this because it’s very it’s different every day of course of is different by C are different but also also there is a strong
Variety that have changes every day and probably changes every year so let’s go back to skiing you know no no discussion of shamon is complete without talking about the agidi and Val blanch that’s probably one of the most iconic pie p in the world what makes it so
Special first it’s not a pie it’s a off pie it’s a off past yeah fair enough fair enough it’s off past and there is no Market past on the side very is one Valley and there is there is four main routs in fact which makes it particular
It’s the surrounding mon you start at 3,800 M sorry for American again it will be 12,000 ft something like this you will make the correction so 12,000 ft you you have the more 14 15,000 ft around and you are going down this valy with mountain like this very high
Mountain steep M on the side and huge huge Glacier when you are starting at the top the glacier there is a first Plateau there is more than 400 m deep of of ice so imagine so before this Plateau you start on a ridge on a sharp Ridge on one side you have shamon
1,500 M vertical down on the left which is very impressive and so Ju Just because of this you will remember it you won’t forget the beginning and then and then you will start you will start skiing of course with a high mountain guide and you will feel secure you will feel
Insecurity you will follow the the guide and as I said there is four main Roots there is a root for intermediate let’s say plus plus because you will you will meet maybe all kind of snow so when you are intermediate in certain snow you you you feel like being
A beginner so better beate plus plus to to to be able to to to still enjoying your your your trip we can say trip in this Long Valley so there is for main rout there is two other main routs with maybe a bit steeper a bit in the middle of the
Cracks in French you know big holes like this so there is certain root a bit more demanding technically and so you you you need to be able to stop quickly to turn quickly to just go where the guide is going so it’s for it’s more for Advance
Here and there is one route with a much steeper rout for for expert so there is for for everybody it’s about we used to say 16 kilomet long from the top to shamoni to shamon it’s a bit rare that there is the condition to to reach
Shamon so most of the time you you are ending at the place called M Glass where there is a [ __ ] train to bring you back first you take a little Gondola you know the the glacier with the global warming shrinking shrinking shrinking so you go
Up to to meet the train you have you have you have a gondola now in summer you have stairs plus a Gonda now you have a gondola and is really brand new this year they open a new one yeah I was going to ask about that does help I I
Know that getting out of there you to used to have to go up a lot of stairs like 500 stairs Five s00 May yeah every year it’s more no no actually just open a new one now if you if you have this if you get
This option to to not go ski to shamon because there is a lack of snow you won’t have to go upstairs now but next year will be 30 stairs in two years there will be 50 in 10 years there will be what what’s like going off the ridge
Up there at the top you have to put a lot of times you have to put on crampons and walk down the ridge to be able to drop in to any of the four roots I assume that’s that’s a little that’s not the usual you know you wearing crampons and then hauling your
Skis down the ridge but once you get there you put your skis on and you just drop in and work with your guide yeah no no you you you’re right it’s an experience to to get all these gear equipment first of all at the bottom the guide will will give you
Harness you need to you need to wear an harness on on a glacier it’s not because you will climb but if it happens that you finish in a hole which is very very very very rare but if it happens it’s it’s a possibility that it happens so to for the rescue people
To get you it’s it’s it’s much more easy then you will have and when you arrive at the top there is tunnel in the Rocks there is ter outside but there is tunnel in the Rock and in one of the tunnel arrive on the snow on this special Ridge
And there is also a ice cave just before you you are leaving this place it’s very very amazing place with blue eyes then the the guide will put you on rope all together and he will give you crampon to put on your foot and then you go outside and you go
Hiking on this Ridge most of the time the on the ridge there is also an extra R and there is also how you call this in English sticks in the in the snow with a rope and you can hold it in fact there is two Roots one without one
One with so if the guide if you are five six with the guide maybe take the roots with the Rope if not is holding you with the rope and you go more straight to the to the place to put on your skis but it last 20 minutes I
Would say it’s it’s quite impressive but it’s all in security it’s all in security no no worry so I would say agidi you can also go just for the view most of the people are going there for the view even in Winter of course in summer there was much less people
Leaving this area to go in the high mountains it’s really moning and skill but in but also in Winter people just go for the view it was so that’s an all day trip too isn’t it that’s like two or three hours minimum of going up real skiing let’s say it’s
Two hours two hours to but you you have a lot of stuff just watch where you are speaking with the guy where you are you make photos you have you eat something you can also have a break halfway down there is a mountain hut halfway way down usually people are sleeping there in
Summer to go CL but in winter it’s open for the skier on the we so you can have you can have a little something to to eat something warm you know most of the time based on cheese something a bit heavy give you energy potatoes cheese bread
Baker so what about a day what’s the right time to ski that as you know you must have to have pretty good weather to be able to ski that you need to you need the visibility you need the depth per C of course of course to have the
Visibility it can happen that the guide come just a few clouds the guides they know well area but sometime also okay let’s go but they can sell at the top is there is too too much risk so also to answer the best also the best period the
Best period years ago we were doing just this from February but now if the condition are good could be in December as long as the the glacier is a bit the holes of the glacier the crass are a bit filled by the snow that there is bridge
And you can do it till end of April April so it’s kind of spring spring ski also cool that I didn’t know that I didn’t know that aside from the valet blanch you know know you were talking about Argent tier and the skiing up there and there’s some really good
Skiing how’s that ski and that faces more toward the west so you get like afternoon sun exact afternoon sun December almost no sun and is just just half an hour and then now it’s getting more and more and it’s West Northwest so most of the of the slopes
Are between 2,000 and 2,700 so it’s keeping uh very good very good snow B cold late in late March beginning of April you still have good snow there you still have good snow this is why I come back on the choice where you ski every day me with my client it depending of
The of this okay we are in Spring there will be sun this morning on this side of the valley so let’s go there the snow we get very good to ski around 11 and it’s still so we can maybe spend the deser if not we will change the area going
Somewhere else in our for for for the snow at the end of the valley you have lour or it’s in the shade on one side in the morning then it’s in the in the sun on one side in the morning then it’s in the sun in the afternoon so when it’s
Slashy on one side it’s better on the other side Etc it’s it’s really part of my job to to to choose the right place or to be as the right area how do you get how do you get up the road on there are there buses periodically you know transportation is
Usually um pretty good around there but around ski areas yeah do they have buses that go up or is it skiable to get up there I don’t think so yeah the for area are not connected so you can take B and now the network is getting better and better and better but
You know with global warming we think that we we should be an example because we the first impact is on the snow one of the impact is the snow it’s in mon so the valley the town hall they Mak is getting better and better and to push people to to get the
Bu the parking are shrinking and shrinking are shrinking and they are more expensive expensive expensive so this is but in in a way so don’t be scared to to to spend your day on the bus usually you choose we go on one ski area and then we we spend the the full
Day on this ski area there is enough for there is enough for the but sometime any anyway with my client or if you are four or five people we get the car we we get we can also anywhere Drive still driveing the valley so Le is where I’ve skied the
Most in Shamy myself and it’s not so high it’s further down it’s there are trees so that you get depth perception in bad weather like you were talking about earlier and the runs aren’t incredibly steep it’s more geared toward intermediates they also hold the World Cup races there
Correct yes correct yeah yeah it was two weeks ago there was slom slom man World Cup there was also downhill but it was canell rest because it was too warm during during one week it was too warm and the snow won’t be good for for this
Level of skiing racer like this if the snow is not like ice it’s not it’s not good it’s not fair for the other one behind they will ski on ra so now they can sell but yeah nice World Cup K day of this of this world cup and for many
Years we didn’t have a good skier a French good skier there was a fa with French but they can ah you’ve got a couple of good french skiers now and all the disciplines what what’s the best place for intermediate sayos to ski if you were to take a client there where would
You take them if they were good SK but intermediates what’s nice when you arrive at the top at the very top you take a from the Bott you arrive at the very top it’s it’s not difficult it’s a kind of plateau it’s not totally flat
But it’s a kind of plateau so there is many blue blue slope so you go first at the top you are not starting with a small lift at the bottom then the second leave no no go at the top first and also at the top there is a beginner area with
A moving carpet a small chairlift it’s rare that you have chairlift for for beginner a very small chairlift it’s perfect place really perfect place to start and for intermediate here and then getting down so of course for more expert people you can you can come but
There is better in the valley for them anyway um the landscape are are amazing the mountains are amazing so even if you you spend even if you you spend one day on E area you still you still enjoying the place because because it’s New View it’s new Panorama maybe you won’t come
Back because you you will prefer steeper slop some else but but you are happy anyway to spend one day in all of these so your favorite time to ski Shaman if I remember right is more toward the spring because you get more sun it’s just more fun the snow is usually
Better you say in Spring uh yes is that right or do you like yes spring if you you just spring the snow some sometimes is very slashy and it’s very wet in the afternoon after 3:00 it’s it’s difficult except in artier except in artier it’s rare that it’s like this so let’s say
Late in season we ski more in arti you know artier is closing the 1 of May so it’s quite late in Europe it’s it’s like most of the resorts that go beginning of April mid April and it’s good for the Sun the skiar but I would say for for for the best s
It’s still January and February and and I would say March March you have a lot of of off past SK because in off past you learn to enjoy all kind of snow sometime it’s Paradise because you are lucky there is fresh Etc but but but anyway most of the time it’s very
Enjoyable too you when the snow starts on the surface to getting to be smooth the spring and the spring snow it’s very enjoyable too so in March people come also for feast if it’s snowing they have winter cold cold snow if not they have this kind of spring snow and they know
To be at the right place at right moment most of the time also they get professional you know in chy we didn’t mention it but you have there was this story the first guide company was created there so you have of high mountain guide you have 100 of skin
Structure so many many many people go of past with a professional I I know that it’s it’s more easy than in the America ofast I understand your place you some place are forbidden it’s not more here it’s more you have a you have a guide to to make the security you can go
Everywhere you will find the good uh it is it is easier there to go off piece it’s much easier in a lot of places it it’s getting better here but it’s again the guide is the key part and it’s it’s about learning the right places to go and not getting into trouble
Right so sheman is unique because it’s it’s in France it’s a fun town it’s got some amazing history to it but it’s got great restaurants it’s got great shopping it’s turned into into quite a Cosmopolitan Town even sometimes it’s crowded because it’s so close to Geneva tell us a little bit about town
What your favorite parts of the town of Shaman are sh sh the main Center the center it’s very historic you know all see started more than 200 years ago so you still have the architecture of the 19th century so very nice you still have you restaurant what’s your favorite
Restaurant and again the mon makes makes the show because then you you leave the head and you see you are what’s your favorite what’s your favorite restaurant in town don’t know if I’m right to answer this no I I I I would say I have one which is called atmosphere atmosphere
It’s on the side of the river it’s on the side of of the river you will find so of course very good food it can be French it can be also from all over the world and the service is very nice problem of touristic area sometime is
Difficult to find stuff so the service is not so good sometime you pay expensive you don’t have the good service you pay a bit expensive the food is quite good but okay compared to what you pay but in atmosphere it’s maybe a 10 15 above the average price but it worth it
PR and then and then after you can eat well most of the restaurant you know I will answer one anyway and there is also after a hidden one in the forest in the wood in arer which is Called this is very nice you can find also when you are skiing in AR but you have you need a guide you you need to cross the forest and and you have this one this one is based on on cheese it’s a bit like the oldan food in the old
Days people were keeping the milk like this in cheese like that and during winter they were eating all this and with potatoes Etc so it’s more it’s this kind of food but not expensive at all very good very good assume I assume they’ve got good wine
Too good wine and good wine too yeah yeah but of course is there is nice restaurant you have all the all the French wine you have also the where close to Italy and you know Italy is amazing country also for wine so that was that was good wine
And also savwa savwa you know the region the big region where sh belong to there is there is also Vineyard Vineyard and this wine was not so good 20 30 years ago but now very very good you should taste all those famous in White in red
Wine sounds like you could give a wine tour too yes yes you know Switzerland go to to shamani so we were mentioning the M tour in summer we are hiking on the Switzerland Park when we are watching a valley which is vineard a huge Vineyard as big as B Burundi in
France and and I plan to to make a hi shamon from zat by Z Vineyard so it’s very interesting Al Switzerland and Italy Val very very good area for for wine for cheese for for food Italian Italian on the slope on this area we didn’t mention
We could mention now also a ski area in Italy just to cross the tunnel M tunnel from sham three kilom only then you arrive in K it’s a ski resort there is a ski pass where one of the two ski pass of shamani allow you to
To go skiing there so you with the same ski pass you cross the tunnel and you ski in K ker you have all the restaurant on the slope are amazing because you know Pizza pastas they know to do this Andy they take their food very seriously sorry it’s Italy they take
Their food very seriously [Laughter] yes you come to sh if you come to shamon for one week you have to to go skiing one day and and they still speak French are you you don’t mind you speak English but they still speak French because a long
Time ago a few hundred years ago it was before Italy get bir it was a country called Sawa savwa and it was the same language so on sh side of the than on Monte Bianco side in Italy they were speaking French yeah that doesn’t surprise me um
You’ve got the Su rooll the other parts of Italy so that makes sense the Sawa was all part of France at that point so ARA in sham I’ve heard shambra is a great place to start is that be good yeah yeah yeah is it crowded for drink facing like cow Swedish bar
And I don’t remember it make a three angle and it’s if you want to go for for a drink almost every day there with a band before dinner part of sh as area you have two or three area where there is mood during the night so at shamb
Area close to the train station that there is another areas the street is called de M de mul there is a famous restaurant but also famous bar and the bar you know now after 10 11 they became they became a bit like a diso like a dancing area so
Uh oh dance all night and miss you can’t miss the next day skiing though so you spend a lot of time with guests skiing and you have a lot of impact on those guests that you do take skiing your clients what do you try and teach them
About your philosophy of skiing and how you what do you tell your guests about how you love the skiing and with my philosophy of skiing is to teach you technique that that works which means not pretentious of course every instr teaching techniques I would say techniques that make you save in
I mean there is no point to teach something very special angle with the skis to be on the edge if you need a lot too much energy so it’s really based on this and what’s working what doesn’t work in off pce for example I had five
Years during five years I was doing only off pce with during the full season and I was changing client each five days and so I had so many many many people behind me that I will say okay do this you already feel something different that yes I agree you’re right
Maybe it can help you but I don’t think it will change your your life really and I’m not sure you will be less tired tonight if you do this but do this this I’m sure you will be less tired or you will do much more skiing before getting
Sred so you will ski more ET so I will say well if I teach something there must be I think a result to feel that okay it’s more enjoyable it’s moreable whatever the level we don’t mind how of of course you won’t look like a very good SK if it’s just
Two years you asking but I will I will teach you to most of the people people I will say most of the time people are wasting energy to go zigzagging to turn sharply you should go around Etc so the trajectoire is the first word I will say
Traj the right word in English you know the shape of the term and and to speak a bit less technique of course just on Joy to slide you know sliding it’s a kid things it’s not serious it’s not adult so I I just tell people that try
To remember the kids speaks to the kids you are and go don’t think it’s dangerous don’t think I’m there I’m there so I don’t worry I won’t ask you to go crazy there and take risk so trust me and just enjoy this this is why John
Are still crazy of this of this sport because it’s not [Laughter] serious well it’s very it’s poignant though it’s it’s poting you want people to enjoy themselves and be able to enjoy the mountains and that all goes back to your physics background and being efficient about
It right yeah yeah your own favorite day skiing with no guess where would you go what do you do and what would be your favorite day it’s difficult to answer because I I like to go I like I like to go by myself
But I like to being a friend I like to I have a daughter of course if I have a fre I go I go with her would say I will say maybe more of past but I have a lot of client of past I will go maybe more
Of past I will I will take time to maybe to yeah to to to have a beer on the Terrace to do a bit of skiar but to not to not start at 8:00 and finish at 5 and also I I I will if it’s snowy if there is good condition
Powder yeah yeah I will wake up I will wake up very early I will I will be the first at the ski lift sometimes my clients are a bit lazy I understand are holiday are tired they work a lot in the year so they don’t start very early we
Don’t open the slope but me if there is good condition I will wake up early that’s that sounds perfect that those are the best runs of the day well how can our listeners find you me I have a I have a website website
You will put the the name of the W SC is Ke. is the name of it’s another ski area very close to Sham I me I’m living at the entrance of the valet so it’s very it’s not so far I’m as close to Mo that from the end of shamon Valley know shamon Valley 20
Kilom so so I used to teach in m i used I’m teaching more and guiding more in Shon and also sometime we going for my we going in Switzerland can so mostly you can find me on this on this website if you write my name I think
Onnet I advertise on kind of off tourist website it’s not really offy but it’s it’s a kind of offies on the web okay you can find my details and you will have more more detail of me but I think if you if you were if you didn’t
Stop to listen to this to this interview you we know more I will put the URL for your website and the notes for the podcast too so that people can get to it and a link so and I told you I we I want to add about
Going to ski all over the world because I will be I’m looking forward to to have guests coming from you I’m thanking you already but I say yeah visit if you visit France if you visit Germany spend a few weeks in Europe I mean to limitate your impact carbon just not don’t
Limitate it just for shamon go visit many Place many profit really you cross Atlantic to to see to see many play instead of doing sweet trips in different place because the snow conditions you know are changing and we should take care of this to make this changing as slowly as it could
Be we don’t have the solution but we can limit we can limitate a bit this yes well we can we have to but Shaman is special and sha Michelle I want to thank you so much for taking time to talk to us about the area uh you might find Jean Michelle on
Any of The Terraces after skiing just trying to relax um or you also can find him on his website and I think you know anyone that skis with him would have a ball skiing or you might see him throwing it off the top of the aid one
Day on a nice day in the spring too you like you’re very welcome thank you everybody to this and hope you meet me on the ter with j looking forward to to to see you real I’m coming I’m coming to visit you’re coming and if you like our
Podcast oh yes you will bring what I will bring you somewhere perfect on he done Place perfect if you like our podcasts please share them and listen to perspectives on other areas like San Anton Palisades TOS Jackson the dolomites and many other thanks for joining and thank you to the
Gritz band for the music feel it feel it we feel it we we feel it she feel it we feel it here we go we going get up she going get up we going get up
The Mont Blanc Valley is so amazing we decided to do our first video podcast – we hope you enjoy it.
Chamonix is in the French Alps just north of Mont Blanc, and about an hours drive south of Geneva. Between the peaks of the Aiguilles Rouges and the Aiguille du Midi, it borders Switzerland and Italy and sits at the foot of Mont Blanc. It is one of the oldest ski resorts in France. AND Chamonix has some incredible skiing as well as history going back to Napoleon.
Jean-Michel Poupart lives in the Chamonix Valleywith his family and two dogs. Jean- Michel has been a skiing instructor for 20 years in Chamonix he also specializes in off piste guiding; as a Mountain Leader member of the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix, he knows the mountain and the town.
Our Favs:
Best Restaurant – L’Atmosphere (https://www.restaurant-atmosphere.com/) – sitting over the river this one is comfortable and exquisite
Best Apres – Moo (https://www.moobarcuisine.com/) – any place that has a tag line of “Walk In, Dance Out” is right up our alley
Best Run – well lets just say the Vallee Blanche is a bucket list run . Choose your day, choose your guide and go
Find Jean-Michel – https://www.skichamonix-megeve.com/
La Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix – https://www.chamonix-guides.com/fr
—
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john–morgan/message