Ice climbing in Chamonix valley

The Chamonix Valley is very famous for its ice falls. In and around Chamonix you can find more than 200 routes for all levels and skills. The valley itself offers you more than 10 spots where you can use your crampons and ice axes. But the good thing is that in a distance of one or two hours driving you can find another two wonderful spots for vertical ice. We're talking about the Swiss Valley of Trient or the Cogne Valley in Italy... Access is easy, with 10-60 mins walk from the road. Some of the ice falls are equipped with belays and most have abseil descents. The ice falls at altitude normally start to form around December. The lower falls start forming from January onwards with the best ice fall climbing months being between January and February.