 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there- got a Friend from across the water coming across to France next year & they'd like to spend a week skiing somewhere else other than Cham but in France- Fernie is their favourite resort in Canada- what would be a similar style of place in France? Not too massive, not overly fussed about night-life as long as they can get a beer and with great off-piste or where companies are not obsessed with bashing the pistes to death if there has been some snow?
If you don't want to reveal your secrets, feel free to send me a PM!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Pistes will get bashed regardless that's what they're for. I'd say Serre Chevalier for trees, and you've got La Grave nearby for big boy lines if he gets his kicks poaching Lizard Bowl from Polar Peak.
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@L_555, does it need to be France? From where you are it's only 1hr40 to e.g. Champoluc or Gressoney...if conditions are good then the Gressoney/Alagna bowls are sort of the same experience.
In fact, all being equal wait and see who gets the conditions...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I had the experience this year of someone coming to stay far.too.long, so as much for my own sanity as theirs, it would be great to get somewhere booked. Thanks for the suggestions guys!
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Wouldn't the French equivalent of Fernie be Ferney....... 
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| Pistes will get bashed regardless that's what they're for. I'd say Serre Chevalier for trees, and you've got La Grave nearby for big boy lines if he gets his kicks poaching Lizard Bowl from Polar Peak. |
I'll second this, stay in Serre Chevalier and commute to La Grave if the snow's better there ( they quite often have different weather systems)
Then there's easy access to the Via Lattea, again a different weather system, also the Queyras resorts, again a....................... 
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I'd agree - Serre Chevalier, it has the same kind of terrain and is also a "one long face" type of mountain. Loved them both. Do try to book last minute to ensure snow is good (both in terms of snowpack and forecast for fresh whilst you're there) Serre Chevalier isn't as snowsure as some other resorts.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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If they're coming all that way, wouldn't they like to try somewhere that's completely different to their normal experience at Fernie? 
I like Fernie, by the way.
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I've skiied Fernie and Serre Che, IMHO Serre Che is better. Loved the Canadians and the resort itself was very nice, but I was a bit unimpressed by the skiing. Maybe I was unlucky with the time of year (Christmas) and snow conditions - warm rain interspersed with heavy snowfall.. very weird and very wet! But, never had a bad trip to Serre Che yet, I agree with those here and think it would be ideal.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| MikeM wrote: |
| Fernie.......warm rain interspersed with heavy snowfall.. very weird and very wet! |
I've been to Serre Che three times and a day trip from ADH, on the day trip it was raining heavily at resort, blizzard/whiteout when you got above freezing level. Stayed on the higher lifts and froze the arris off myself. Lots of drinks in a bar (not too far from the bottom of the Luc Alphond, not the station though) with the rest of the coach load of grockles, the place was jammed and literally steaming.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| rogg wrote: |
| MikeM wrote: |
| Fernie.......warm rain interspersed with heavy snowfall.. very weird and very wet! |
I've been to Serre Che three times and a day trip from ADH, on the day trip it was raining heavily at resort, blizzard/whiteout when you got above freezing level. Stayed on the higher lifts and froze the arris off myself. Lots of drinks in a bar (not too far from the bottom of the Luc Alphond, not the station though) with the rest of the coach load of grockles, the place was jammed and literally steaming. |
Now that I think back I do remember one trip to Serre Che being stuck on a chairlift for 20mins with my son wedged in between my wife and I trying to keep warm when the wind chill fairly froze us to the safety bar... very, very unpleasant, one of the worst experiences I've had 'cos it was unbelievably cold .... thank's for reminding me!
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| rogg wrote: |
| with the rest of the coach load of grockles, |
I would have placed you more in the West Country than Ireland.
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You know it makes sense.
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| davidof wrote: |
| rogg wrote: |
| with the rest of the coach load of grockles, |
I would have placed you more in the West Country than Ireland. |
Old habits die hard.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
If they're coming all that way, wouldn't they like to try somewhere that's completely different to their normal experience at Fernie?
I like Fernie, by the way.
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This surely? I'd take them to Chamonix. If you don't want the bustle of the town then stay up in Argentiere or somewhere in between.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Mike Pow, Sainte Foy is a good shout. I often use Fernie (or Canadian resorts in general) when trying to explain Sainte Foy to people who don't get it. Big mountain, couple of lifts to different ends of the top ridge, handful of pistes, lots of empty spaces to go at.
Trees too! (Best in the Tarentaise for sure!).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@jedster, i think @L_555 is trying to get them a respectable distance from Argentierre for a least a portion of their stay!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
@jedster, i think @L_555 is trying to get them a respectable distance from Argentierre for a least a portion of their stay!
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Ah! My mistake.
I haven't been to Sainte Foy but from mates descriptions it does sound a good option. I wonder also about La Clusaz. I'd argue Les Contamines might fit the bill but I'm biased and a Chamoniard would probably have thought of that already. I think UANN's suggestion of Monte Rosa is pretty good. I'd add Sauze D'Oulx for easily accessible Italy if tree skiing is a criteria.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Mike Pow - your mate is right. Just read the postings, see the phantastic photo's and videos of Rogier van Rijn. He's a dutch expatriate who moved to the Hautes Alpes and lives his dream. Both PSV (his home mountain) and the small stations in the Queyras (especially Abries) are hidden gems for powder fanatics. He went to live in that region exactly for this reason; if you want to earn a living from making photo's and videos and blogging about phantastic offpiste skiing, you need to be close to the spot where you very often have epic conditions. Rezd his story here (google translated dutch to english)
https://translate.google.nl/translate?sl=nl&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=nl&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.antonmagazine.nl%2Fchapter%2F10&edit-text=
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Abries, march 17th 2016, from Rogier's facebook
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| Onnem wrote: |
@Mike Pow - your mate is right. Just read the postings, see the phantastic photo's and videos of Rogier van Rijn. He's a dutch expatriate who moved to the Hautes Alpes and lives his dream. Both PSV (his home mountain) and the small stations in the Queyras (especially Abries) are hidden gems for powder fanatics. He went to live in that region exactly for this reason; if you want to earn a living from making photo's and videos and blogging about phantastic offpiste skiing, you need to be close to the spot where you very often have epic conditions. Rezd his story here (google translated dutch to english)
https://translate.google.nl/translate?sl=nl&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=nl&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.antonmagazine.nl%2Fchapter%2F10&edit-text= |
Looks magic. On the list 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Family resort with deep, untracked powder.
Right up my street
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Looks some great terrain. And deserted
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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forgot to reply to these- thanks very much- they are going to get a car and do some of Southern Alps- Puy, Serre Chev & I even heard a whisper that Les Karellis is a hidden gem..if we ever get any snow!
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| L_555 wrote: |
| I even heard a whisper that Les Karellis is a hidden gem..if we ever get any snow! |
I don't know about "hidden gem". Ugly crypto-communist carbuncle on the face of the Alps might be another word. Still worth going before they extend the lift system as there are still some unexploited back bowls
http://pistehors.com/backcountry/wiki/Savoie/Les-Karellis-Off-Piste
The original village of Albanne is a traditional Savoyard farming village and worth having a look at.
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