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Charman Som snowkite spot
France · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Overview
Charmant Som (1867m) is a renowned snowkite spot in Chartreuse, only 20 minutes from Grenoble. The riding area is on the plateau around the Auberge du Charmant Som (~1700m), offering great spaces for cruising.
Easy access from Col de Porte via the snow-covered road/track (4 km, 320m elevation gain). Iconic spot for Grenoble locals, often the first outing of the season with the first snowfalls.
Spot forecast for Charman Som
Sunrise 07:59 · Sunset 18:43
Forecasts provided by Open-Meteo
Charman Som: when to go?
Rideable days and hours computed for a minimum wind of 7 knots · log in to set your own (foil, twin-tip…)
108h
in January · 12.5 rideable days
The best month is January: 13 rideable days and 108 hours of usable wind, at 1 °C. The low point is February, at 0 days.
Rideable days per month
Wind strength when it is rideable
When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 7 and 12 knots — 55% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is January, at 1 °C. The wettest month is May, with 258 mm. Snow depth peaks in January, at 10 cm.
Monthly averages: Charman Som
| Month | Rideable days | Usable wind | Temperature | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12.5 | 108 h | 1 °C | 209 mm |
| February | 0.0 | 0 h | 3 °C | 83 mm |
| March | 1.0 | 8 h | 4 °C | 140 mm |
| April | 0.0 | 0 h | 7 °C | 166 mm |
| May | 0.0 | 0 h | 10 °C | 258 mm |
| June | 0.0 | 0 h | 16 °C | 164 mm |
| July | 0.0 | 0 h | 17 °C | 103 mm |
| August | 0.0 | 0 h | 18 °C | 75 mm |
| September | 0.0 | 0 h | 11 °C | 228 mm |
| October | 0.0 | 0 h | 9 °C | 144 mm |
| November | 1.0 | 9 h | 4 °C | 174 mm |
| December | 0.5 | 3 h | 2 °C | 147 mm |
Photo gallery of Charman Som
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Technical details of Charman Som spot
The spot works with winds from SSE, S, SSW, SW, WSW.
Local association recommendations
Onekite – Isère-based kitesurfing, snowkite and powerkite association. Many members regularly ride Charmant Som.
FFVL – French Free Flight Federation
Spot functioning
The spot works mainly with South wind, dominant in Chartreuse. Sessions possible with 10-12 knots.
Riding area: plateau and alpine meadows around the Auberge du Charmant Som, up to the summit (1867m).
Spot opening date
- Spot opening date
- Open all year round
- Spot type
- Freeride (Ski touring access)
- Altitude
- 1,698 m
Parking
Prairie parking at Col de Porte (1326m). From Grenoble, head to Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse then Col de Porte. First road on the left 300m after the pass on the descent.
Warning: very busy on weekends!
Wind specificities
Charmant Som works mainly in south wind, the dominant wind direction in Chartreuse. South-west is also very common and often stronger.
South / south-west wind: main orientation. Rideable from 10-12 knots. In sustained south-west wind (20-30 knots), watch out for wind slabs forming on north-facing slopes below the ridges.
Plateau effect: the area around the Auberge (1,700 m) is open and catches wind well. The summit plateau (1,867 m) is often windier. Wind can be turbulent at the forest edge on the way up from Col de Porte.
Iconic spot for Grenoble riders, often the first session of the season as soon as the first autumn snow falls, thanks to its proximity (20 min from Grenoble) and favourable exposure to the prevailing wind.
Hazards
Cohabitation: very busy spot with snowshoe hikers, cross-country skiers, sledders, fat bikes. Respect other users.
Karst terrain: rocks possible with low snow cover, summits often stripped bare by wind.
Avalanches: slabs possible on North faces below ridges with South wind.
Additional information
Alpine terrain with meadows and forests. Gentle to moderate slopes around the Auberge, more technical towards the summit.
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Live
Petit Som8.2 kmsource FFVL
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Live readings from Petit Som weather station are reserved for Premium members.
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Additional stations
-
La Scia7.2 km
Readings reserved for Premium members
source FFVL
-
ST-PIERRE-LES EGAUX3.5 km
Readings reserved for Premium members
source meteofrance
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Webcams near Charman Som
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Directory: France
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