Maison de la montagne

Standing here, you’re looking at the Maison de la Montagne, once the old parish presbytery of Chamonix and completely revamped in 1973 to become the valley’s headquarters for everything to do with the mountains. Inside, you’ll find the Bureau des Guides and the Office de Haute Montagne, founded in 1972 by Gérard Devouassoux—a place where climbers and hikers stop in for daily weather updates, route conditions, and safety advice, including a dedicated weather point that’s refreshed every morning. The building also houses the French Ski School offices and the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix, the oldest guiding company in the world, whose members have been taking visitors into these mountains for centuries, whether it’s for a gentle hike or a full-on alpine climb. If you walk just a few steps more, you’ll reach the Triangle of Friendship Square, named after the partnership linking Chamonix with Martigny in Switzerland and Aosta in Italy—three valleys tied together by the geography and culture of Mont Blanc. And this is the spot where one of the most exciting moments of the year unfolds: the start and finish of the UTMB, the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. First held in 2003, this legendary race loops more than 160 kilometers around the entire Mont Blanc massif and draws thousands of runners from all over the world every late August. For a few intense days, Chamonix turns into the global capital of trail running, buzzing with the energy of athletes battling the night, the cold, and the rugged Alpine terrain.