Summer

Once the snow has melted away, the mountains spring into life with lush pastures and a myriad of alpine flowers carpeting the hillsides. Butterflies and bees along with deer, chamois and ibex can be seen feeding on the abundant natural food store. It is a great time for hiking and exploring by foot or with a donkey, the 600km's of marked trails, both on the valley floor and in the mountains. At the end of the valley lies the 'Cirque du Fer a Cheval', one of the most classified and protected natural sites in France.

As the spring temperatures rise, the snow melt comes thundering down in the form of many giant waterfalls pouring over the 700 metre sheer rock faces to the streams and rivers below. For the brave, it is possible to abseil down the smaller ones in the form of 'canyoning'; for the rest, further down river the water sports activities come into their own where it is possible to raft or canoe down the white water through a magical gorge toward Samoens and beyond, past breathtaking scenery.

Spring turns into summer quickly here and the range of activities available here is truly enormous, here are some of them.

Within a 5 minute radius of Chalet Chocolat:
Free daily activity program for the whole family to enjoy courtesy of the Samoens and Morillon tourist offices.

Morillon Lac Bleu
A natural swimming lake with life guarded beach, play area, volley ball, tennis and café. Free daily activities programme here.

Indiana Parks (Morillon and Samoens)
Great family fun with tree -top trapeeze bridges and whizzing down zip lines.

Mountain Biking
A great way to explore the Grand Massif region is by its 600 kms of marked bike trails of varying lengths and difficulties and 30 mapped itineries on mountain tracks and forest paths. Several chair lifts open during the summer for mountain bike riders, with blue, red and black runs down the mountainsides. All equipment can be hired close by.

Road Biking
This area is a training ground for many French cyclists as this valley lies on a popular Tour de France route, the Col de Joux Plane! For those who prefer it a little flatter there is the valley floor.

Outdoor Swimming Pool - Samoens
Surrounded by the most beautiful scenery, there is a main pool, intermediate, beginners pool and 60m water slide.

Horse Riding
Horse riding is popular here and the horses are available for short or longer excursions, both for children and adults.

Air Sports
Paragliding was invented just down the road some 20 years ago and the area is known to be one of the best in the world for the sport. There are flights throughout the year with qualified instructors in tandem and pilot courses also. Hot air ballooning is also available.

Climbing and Via Ferratta
Lots of great climbing accessible close by, for beginners to experts. Guide books available. Via Ferratta is great fun for all, there is a magnificent one on the cliffs high above the valley floor. Routes are equipped with cables and metal ladders, safety equipment, steps, bridges and ropes, enabling one to climb at great height in total safety.
www.parapente-samoens.com

Caving
The Gouffre Jean Bernard, is one of the worlds deepest caves set deep into the Criou mountain behind Samoens. Guided tours are available.
www.cairn-fr.com

River Sports
The Giffre river runs down the length of the valley, from the spectacular Cirque du Fer a Cheval, through a gorge and past forest and meadows. Rafting, canoeing, airboating and canyoning are all available from the spring through to the autumn. It is exhilarating!
www.ecolorado-rafting.com

Hiking and Wildlife
There are few places to beat this area for its outstanding beauty which can be most appreciated on foot with the help of a donkey should you wish. Just above the chalet is a large protected 'Biotope', an area with such an astonishing array of wild life and plants (ie. rare orchids, eagles, lynx) in its ancient forests and clearings that it has been awarded with special status and complete protection, the views over the entire Mont Blanc range are sensational.
www.anesduhautgiffre.com

The Cirque Du Fer A Cheval
A 'must see' and one of the most beautiful natural sites in France. The famous GR5 route passes through this area, past Lac d’Anterne, over the peak and down to Le Brevent and Chamonix. There are 900 kms of marked trails, from more difficult mountainous terrain to the flat, suiting all those who wish to explore this extraordinary area and its wildlife on foot.
www.sixtferacheval.com

Golf
There are several championship courses in the area, set in spectacular alpine scenery.
Les Gets (20 mins) www.golflesgets.com
Flaine (40 mins) www.flaine.com
Chamonix(40 mins) www.golfdechamonix.com
Megeve (40 mins) www.golf.megeve.com
Evian Royal by Lake Geneva (45 mins) www.en.evianroyalresort.com

Chalet Chocolat is perfectly placed to visit many amazing sites on a day out, all within one hours' drive from the chalet, and no traffic jams in sight!

Chamonix Mont Blanc
Historic town of alpinism with backdrop of highest mountain in Western Europe, Mont Blanc. Mer de Glace glacier and ice cave. Aiguille du Midi cable car that transports you to 3800 metres above sea level near the summit of Mont Blanc. A variety of lifts and cog railways can be taken or take a helicopter and fly over those mythical summits!
www.chamonix.com

Geneva
A city of international renown, but surprisingly of intimate scale, it lies on the banks of Lac Leman, overlooked by the snowcapped peaks of he Alps. It oozes jet set style from its designer shops to its romantic lake side walkways. It offers 30 museums, galleries theaters and even an opera house. www.geneva.com

Annecy - the little Venice on Lake Annecy
Annecy has to be one of the most beautiful towns in France and is regularly voted to be the town most of the French population aspire to live in due, to its perfect location and cultural and sportive richness. The old town sits amongst a maze of canals that lead out to Lake Annecy, a large glacial lake surrounded by mountains with the cleanest water in Europe, a fact of which the town is most proud and can be seen clearly as the water is a stunning azure blue. There are numerous activities to do here on a day out. You can hire rollerblades or bikes and do the 25 km (flat) cycle path around the lake , stopping off at sandy beaches along the way. Sailing and boating trips are plentiful, or go and explore the beautiful, historic town and its lakeside parks, and eat at its great restaurants.
www.lac-annecy.com

Mont Blanc tunnel and Valley Aoste
Travel under Mont Blanc and come out the other side in Italy and enjoy a day out in beautiful Courmayeur or the Roman town of Aoste. It takes about 1 hour from Chalet Chocolat to Italy and is well worth a visit!