Urban Junkies Insider
Jonathan Downey is the man behind Chamonix's beautiful members' only chalet The Clubhouse, alongside London's original secretive speakeasyMilk and Honey and oenophilic paradiseThe East Room, as well as the rest of the international Match Group's liquid empire.
J. Downey's Top Five Chamonix Picks
- Ski/Ride the Vallee Blanche — 22km of spectacular glacial off-piste.
- Vin Chaud is so 2009. Toast up in front of an open fire and sample an apple and absinthe toddy care of The Clubhouse. It'll warm you cockles (and other bits) up too!
- Take a ride up the Aiguille du Midi cable car - the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world at 3842m - and check out France, Italy and Switzlerland in one glance.
- It's not all about skiing. Chamonix is the adventure capital of the world, so try something different and challenge yourself. Ice climb, lead a team of huskies, ski seven resorts in one day (with the help of a helicopter), cross a glacier, paraglide across the valley at 2000m and 25mph/40kph.
- Pop over to Italy (just 25 mins through the Mont Blanc tunnel from Cham) for an indulgent day of pampering at the Terme Pre St Didier spa (only 45euro entry), lay back in a hot thermal spring watching the sun go down over the mountains and the stars take their place
