Things to do in Chamonix when it rains, in summer and winter

Every mountain holiday has its wet day, in summer as in winter. Here are the indoor options, what bad weather changes for outings with a pro, and how to read the forecast so you don't miss a good window.

Which Chamonix museums are worth a rainy day?

The Musée du Mont-Blanc, formerly the Alpine Museum (Musée Alpin). Under its new name, it is housed in the former Chamonix Palace, a Belle Époque hotel that opened in 1914. Its floor space has grown from 600 to 1,800 m². It tells two centuries of valley life, from the first travellers to the 1924 Winter Olympics: prints, photos, relief maps, climbing gear, sledges, skis and a bobsleigh. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions.

• The entry price varies with age, with reductions for some visitors: check it on the tourist office website.

• Opening days and hours change with the season, and the museum has an annual closure: check the dates on the tourist office website before you go.

The Crystal Museum (Musée des Cristaux), at the Espace Tairraz in Chamonix. It shows crystals from the Mont Blanc massif, then minerals from five continents, and hosts "Trésor minéral", around a hundred crystals gathered over 50 years by the mineralogist Raymond Thibault. Its opening hours change with the season, and it closes for a few weeks each year: check them on the tourist office website.

The Musée Montagnard in Les Houches, a small local heritage museum, runs children's workshops during the school holidays, booking required.

Good to know: the Pass Musées gives unlimited entry to the valley's museums for a year.

Where can you swim or relax when the weather turns?

The Richard Bozon sports centre pool has an indoor pool, plus an outdoor pool in summer. There are adult and child rates, according to the tourist office. Saunas and the steam room are not allowed for under-12s. Opening hours and prices change through the year, so check before you go.

The QC Terme spa, open to over-14s, opens every day. Its heated outdoor pools stay pleasant in rain or snow. The day pass price appears when you pick a time slot on the spa's website, and booking is advised in high season.

The ice rink, the spa and more winter ideas are covered in our guide to things to do in Chamonix in winter without skiing.

Is there an indoor climbing wall in Chamonix?

Yes. Mont-Blanc Escalade, in Les Houches, is the valley's big climbing gym, open to everyone. The price varies with age, there are options for regulars, and opening hours are listed on the gym's website. You can hire gear on site, and it runs climbing courses for children.

In Chamonix itself, the Richard Bozon sports centre also has a bouldering room open to the public: you climb without a rope, on low walls, above thick mats.

On PEAKED, you can also climb on the ice of the Mer de Glace, for example with Jeff Mercier. For other climbing outings, browse the directory of pros and message the pro from their profile.

Cinema, library, ice rink: what about a quiet evening?

• The Vox cinema, in the town centre, has three screens and is open all year. It shows films dubbed in French and in their original language with French subtitles, sometimes in 3D. For films in English, look for "VOST" or "VOSTF" in the listings.

• The Chamonix library (médiathèque) opens several days a week: check its opening hours before you drop in. Visitors can get a temporary 3-week card.

• The Richard Bozon ice rink, indoors, is mainly a winter option. Skate hire on site comes on top of entry, which is free for under-6s. Check its opening periods on the tourist office website. The Pionniers de Chamonix play their ice hockey matches there, usually at 8 pm.

Is a rainy day a good day for a long lunch?

Yes. It's the perfect excuse for a fondue, a raclette or a tartiflette, the classics of the valley's mountain restaurants. Book ahead: when the weather turns, everyone has the same idea. For a fondue at the edge of the ice, Jeff Mercier's Mer de Glace moulins outing includes one in the evening, before a night's bivouac.

Who decides if a mountain outing is cancelled for bad weather?

The pro, who knows the terrain and is responsible for your safety. They look at the forecast, the wind, the visibility and, in winter, the avalanche risk. Then they go ahead, shift the timing, change the route or cancel.

Each activity reacts differently:

• Paragliding is the most sensitive: rain, strong wind or low cloud keep wings on the ground. The flight from the Plan de l'Aiguille with David Paragliding Chamonix, who flies in French, English and Spanish, also depends on the Aiguille du Midi cable car, which closes for a few weeks each year for maintenance, and this take-off is not allowed in July and August (see our tandem paragliding guide).

• Ice climbing depends on the cold and the state of the ice: the guide picks the day's site, or moves the date.

• Hiking and mountain biking sometimes go ahead under grey skies. For Alex Bruneau's nature walk or bike skills session, message Alex the day before if the forecast worries you; the profile lists French and English.

On PEAKED, the rules are simple:

1. If the pro cancels, or the weather stops the outing, you get a full refund, service fee included, or you pick a new date.

2. If you cancel yourself 48 hours or more before, the activity price is refunded, but not the service fee. Less than 48 hours before, there's no refund.

The right reflex: don't cancel just because it's raining in the valley. Message the pro from their PEAKED profile first, and keep a day or two of flexibility in your trip.

How do you read the mountain weather forecast in Chamonix?

• The tourist office forecast, written every morning by a Météo-France forecaster based in Chamonix, with an English page on the tourist office website.

• The Chamonix Météo website (chamonix-meteo.com), which gathers valley forecasts and reposts the avalanche bulletin.

• The avalanche bulletin (bulletin d'estimation du risque d'avalanche, or BERA), written by Météo-France at 4 pm for the next day during the winter season. It rates the risk from 1 (low) to 5 (very high), and it's only published in French. You need it as soon as you leave the pistes or groomed paths.

• The Office de Haute Montagne (OHM), on the top floor of the Maison de la Montagne, opposite the tourist office: free to walk in, with information on mountain conditions. It's the easiest place to have the French bulletin explained.

• The webcams of the lift company (Aiguille du Midi, Mer de Glace) and the tourist office, to see whether it's clear up high.

In the forecast, look for the freezing level (isotherme 0 °C), the altitude above which it freezes: when it rains in the valley, it often snows higher up. La Chamoniarde, the valley's mountain safety and rescue association, also gathers useful links on its website.

Cloudy in the valley, sunny up high: when should you still go out?

In winter, in calm high-pressure weather, cold air can stay trapped in the valley for several days, with fog or low cloud, while it's milder and sunny above: this is a temperature inversion. It can then be colder in town than at 2,000 m. If the sky is grey in town, check the high-altitude webcams before you give up.

The reverse happens too: blue sky in the valley, but violent wind up high, which can close the top of the Aiguille du Midi. On days like that, stick to low-level outings.

A few useful switches:

• Winter, strong wind up high: the groomed walking paths on the valley floor, such as the Bois du Bouchet or the Argentière moraine.

• Summer, lifts closed or cloud on the peaks: our six easy walks without a lift.

• Afternoon storms forecast: ask the pro whether you can start earlier, and save the museum for the afternoon.

• November: several places often have their annual closure, such as the Aiguille du Midi or some museums. Use the time to explore the villages: see where to stay in the Chamonix valley.

Chamonix bad weather activities at a glance

• Musée du Mont-Blanc: two centuries of valley history; check the annual closure before you go.

• Crystal Museum: crystals from the Mont Blanc massif and minerals from around the world; opening hours vary with the season.

• Pass Musées: unlimited entry to the valley's museums for a year.

• Richard Bozon pool: indoor pool, outdoor pool in summer; saunas and steam room from age 12.

• QC Terme spa: over-14s, heated outdoor pools, booking advised in high season.

• Mont-Blanc Escalade, Les Houches: open to everyone, gear hire on site.

• Richard Bozon ice rink: mainly in winter, skate hire on site, free for under-6s.

• Vox cinema: 3 screens, original-language films with French subtitles, all year.

• Library: temporary 3-week card for visitors.