Chamonix Valley chalet with garden & views

Chalet Pic Rouge is a traditional Alpine chalet rental in a quiet and scenic site at the foot of Mt. Blanc in the Chamonix Valley. Located in the resort town of Les Houches, the chalet is an hour's drive from Geneva Airport, a three-minute walk from the Le Tourchet beginners' ski lift and 1.2 km from Bellevue cable car and the main Les Houches ski area.

The chalet is a five-minute walk from shops, restaurants and ski rental. It is the end chalet in a terrace of 4 adjoining properties with private parking. It is away from the main road in a peaceful area, where local families live year round. It offers a traditional Savoyarde atmosphere with access to 5 top ski areas in winter and hundreds of hiking & biking trails in summer.

CHALET DETAILS:
The chalet can accommodate 6 guests but in winter 4 or 5 is a more comfortable number. In summer the veranda offers extra outdoor dining and seating space.
Guests bring their own bed linen and towels but if you would like to hire them the price is £22 for the double bed and £17 for each single bed. Please ask when you make your reservation.

GROUND FLOOR:
The ground floor has a lounge / dining room, a separate kitchen and a bedroom with standard double bed and bathroom with shower and wc.

LOFT:
The loft space is under the eaves with a sloping roof and a very low ceiling. There is one bedroom with 2 single beds (+ folding bed) and a further 2 single beds on the mezzanine. Note the sloping loft ceiling height is a maximum 166 cm (5ft 4ins) - this is ok for children but not really comfortable for adults, who must stoop upstairs. Access to the upper floor is by a spiral staircase and the mezzanine sleeping area has a balcony open to the lounge. There is a separate bathroom with small bath tub and wc.

CHALET EQUIPMENT
All beds have duvets and pillows. The house is generously equipped with dishwasher, washing machine, free wifi and Bose Soundtouch speaker to connect your own music from your phone or tablet.

The kitchen is very well equipped with plenty of quality pans, plates, bowls, glassware and cooking utensils. It has a medium sized fridge with freezer compartment, a dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, liquidiser, electric mixer, stove-top expresso machine, French press coffee maker, toaster, electric kettle, fondue set and raclette set.

The lounge has a dining table seating 6, a comfortable 2/3-seater sofa and a couple of soft chairs. Books, maps and a selection of DVDs are for guests' use. There are also a few games for children and adults.

GARDEN
The fenced and gated private garden has shrubs, flower beds and tubs and is mostly laid to gravel. There is outdoor seating and dining and in summer the chalet gets sun during the morning, afternoon and evening. The timber-decked veranda gets morning sun and fabulous sunset mountain views and there is a seating area at the front of the house to enjoy the evening sun.

WHO STAYS AT CHALET PIC ROUGE?
The chalet is perfect for couples and families. Guests appreciate the convenience of private parking, the beautiful garden and views, as well as proximity to local attractions, hiking trails, ski slopes, shops and other local amenities.

GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND
A car is useful, especially for families with young children, but not essential as all guests have free use of the Chamonix Valley buses and trains. Several companies offer door-to-door transfers from Geneva Airport - please ask for details. Between 1st November and 31st March by law all vehicles must carry snow chains to fit the two driving wheels when needed or be fitted with winter snow tyres on all four wheels.

LES HOUCHES
Les Houches is an attractive town with traditional architecture and has two well-stocked supermarkets (10 minutes walk away), an organic food shop, bakery, bank, post office, tourist office, chemist, cycle hire and launderette and there are numerous ski and snowboard shops and rental outlets - the nearest is 150 m from the chalet. There are bars, including the Solerey brew-pub 5 minutes walk from the chalet, restaurants and take-away pizzas. An evening bus runs in the high season between Les Houches and Chamonix for more choice of night life.

THE SKIING
The Chamonix Valley offers skiing and snowboarding for all levels from beginner to expert. Les Houches has 60 km of pistes rising to 1969 m, and is especially appreciated for its long tree-lined runs, snowpark and World Cup black run, La Verte. The Le Tourchet beginners' slopes are 3 minutes walk from the chalet (open high season only) while the Bellevue cable car is 1.2 km, but easily accessed on the free ski bus, which stops at the bottom of the Le Tourchet lift. The Prarion gondola is a little further on, while the Brevent and Aiguille du Midi cable cars are a 15 minute drive or bus ride away. Beyond Chamonix, the Flegère and La Balme slopes offer fabulously scenic above the tree-line runs, while the Grands Montets is a high-altitude snow-haven where off-piste legends are made. Further away you'll find the resorts of St. Gervais, Les Contamines, Megève, Verbier and through the Mont Blanc tunnel you have access to Courmayeur in Italy. A ski hire shop is a 5 minute walk from the chalet.

SUMMER HOLIDAYS
In summer the Chamonix Valley is famous for mountaineering, hiking, adventure sports and family activities. Walkers will find many trails starting from Les Houches, including the famous Tour du Mont Blanc trail. Several walks start from near the chalet but by using the buses and trains, you have access to all the amazing hiking terrain of the Chamonix Valley and beyond. With its panoramic views of Mt. Blanc, the Grand Balcon Sud is a favourite. From mid-June to September, the ski lifts take you up to 2000 metres and higher in a matter of minutes, from where you can contour around the flank of the mountains to get the best of the views with minimum effort! Mountain bikers have plenty of choice of route and the chalet offers the convenience of a large veranda for parking bikes undercover. With a top location at the foot of Mont Blanc Les Houches also appeals to those content to gaze up at the shimmering glaciers and jagged peaks. With its sunny garden, great views and veranda with comfortable seating, Chalet Pic Rouge is perfect for relaxing.