We’re heading out to Chamonix with the family for half term May 28th – June 4th and I’d like to try and get a sneaky day off and head to the hills (preferable without pedalling up). Does anyone know if there’s any guiding/uplift service in the area while the lifts are closed..?

Hi Prahran, the lifts usually start up on the 2nd weekend of June, so you’ll be a bit early,but the train is running which gives about 400m of height gain all for the price of about 5euro a week if you get the “carte d’hote” from the tourist office, and close on 800m of vertical for about 6euro or so if you ride all the way down to Le Fayet, which covers lots of interesting natural trails.
Through the tunnel the aosta valley freeride guys’ll be doing uplift and guiding, down the road La Saleve will be open and over the col into Switzerland Dorenaz will be running too.
Or you could do some of the classics which take a bit of pedalling but nothing too bad. Merlet, Loriaz, Caillet are all smashing and less than 700m of climbing.