ORBIS city intelligence

Buying in Chamonix: Skis Made in the Valley They Are Skied In

Three ski makers here design in the valley rather than in a marketing department, and they answer different questions. Decide first which you are doing: skiing down, walking up, or buying gear that has to last a decade.

Black Crows: freeride, and it started here S1

This house came out of the valley rather than arriving in it, and freeride is what it is built around. Touring skis are made too, so say which you want before being shown a rail.

Ask which model suits your weight and the snow you actually ski. A ski chosen for someone else's conditions disappoints in yours whatever the badge says.

Zag: light, because you are walking uphill S2

Zag was founded in 2002 by Stéphane Radiguet and builds around lightness. Touring skis are walked up before they are skied down, so weight is the whole argument.

Ask what the weight saving costs in stability on the descent. That trade-off is real and the answer depends on how much climbing you actually do.

Snell Sports: four generations of watching gear fail S3

Founded in 1934 and run by the fourth generation of the family, this shop works mountaineering and alpinism equipment. In a town of seasonal rental counters that continuity is the reason to come.

Ask what fails first in the gear you are considering. A shop with that much history can answer it, and a rental desk generally cannot.

Zanin Chocolatier: the one stop unconnected to the mountain S4

Chocolate, macarons and pâtisserie are made here, and this is the shop for anyone not buying equipment. It is also the easiest gift to carry off the mountain.

Ask what survives an afternoon in a rucksack. Chocolate and altitude are a poor combination once the sun is on your back.

Dynastar has made skis from Chamonix since 1963 and the M-Pro is the line to ask for. Confirm before travelling that Dynastar and Black Crows keep a shop you can walk into here, since both are brands with a wider presence.