The lower and more sheltered end of the Chamonix valley, with Les Houches sitting in forest beneath the Mont Blanc massif and Saint Gervais over the ridge. The wooded terrain here is the answer to a bad weather day in Chamonix, because the trees give definition when the high mountains are in cloud. The Verte des Houches is a World Cup downhill course and one of the more serious runs in the valley.

The area is on the Mont Blanc Unlimited and Chamonix passes. The Mont Blanc Tramway leaves from Saint Gervais and is one of the more scenic rail journeys in France. Geneva sits an hour away.