 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's next to La Rosiere so be prepared to get loads of hits on this thread, as this appears to be the La Ros appreciation site.
Just to add my view, La Thuile is a great ski area, which links to France. A couple of nice blacks that drop into resort spring to mind and there's at least one great Pizza reaturant on the mountain.
Don't know about the Planibel Apts but don't be prepared to fall in love with the beauty of the town - it's not the prettiest place in Italy
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 27-02-07 23:47; edited 1 time in total
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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TallTone, Just before anyone gets the wrong idea, I used to work in La Ros and have very fond memories
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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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wozzie, welcome to snowHeads 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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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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Thanks for the reply`s & welcome, whats it like for kids ages 7-14 years?
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Can't help you there, we don't have kids, but there seemed to be plenty there so I'm guessing it's ok?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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beedeji, I have only heard good reports for kids.
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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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Stayed there about 5 times the Monte bianco block are the best apartments, the rest can be a bit tired. Kitchen is a minimal 2 rings. They are quite large, two bedroom ones have 2 large bathrooms.
Lovely deli at bottom of apartments and basic supermarket. Also rather nice ice cream parlor.
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You know it makes sense.
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carroz, Loved the ice cream parlour! A couple of decent restaurants within walking distance too although I found the food on the Italian side a bit odd. Would love to go back but would be worried that it could be just too cold for our 2 young kids.
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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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boredsurfin, Are you getting cocky just because you have had snow for the first time this season 
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Poster: A snowHead
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wozzie,
I've just come back from 22 people to the Planibel - children and adults. I can give you lots of info, contact names and numbers etc but too busy at work at the emoment. I would recommend it. Ski school was not a good experience for us though. Other than that it was very good.
using teh search facility on Thuile or planibel should give you quite a bit of info in the meantime.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| aidancostello wrote: |
wozzie,
I've just come back from 22 people to the Planibel - children and adults. I can give you lots of info, contact names and numbers etc but too busy at work at the emoment. I would recommend it. Ski school was not a good experience for us though. Other than that it was very good.
using teh search facility on Thuile or planibel should give you quite a bit of info in the meantime. |
What happened at ski school?
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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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Hi There. Went with wife and kids during school holidays getting there 10th Feb. Booked the Monte Bianco apartment direct with ATA by emailing them. It was very nice and had view of the piste. Cooking facilities are very, very minimal. We took a travel kettle with us and that was better then boiling water in a pot. The complex is pleasent enough with small supermarket. Get there early for the bread!! No apres but went to resturants every night in town. The town is quite nice and about 5-10 minutes walk away. Wife is a beginner and loved the long wide blue runs. My smallest son made it down on the red routes to the bottom and really enjoyed it. High winds shut the link with La Ros for 5 days. Your pass covers you in one other resort's in Aosta for a day and I noticed a bus near the lift that went to Courmayeur if you have no car. Met lot's of Brit's there that had been loads of times and I can see why, as it is very child friendly, good for beginners and kids. Quite a few English reg cars, so a lot of people do drive. I flew to Bergamo and then drove, saved a packet by doing it myself. Would go back again with the family only. Hope this helps.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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wozzie,
Ski school was full and they couldn't accommodate us. Normally a ski school would get in extra instructors but they said there was nothing they could do. After some intervention we managed to get classes form the second day. Groups were as big as 14 to a group. There were groups where complete beginners were being put in with third trip skiers who were obviously of a better standard. The older children who are reasonable skiers complained it was boring and that the instructor was on his mobile phone all the time. One of the adults complained about how bad the lessons were but had no solutions offered. He gave up and didn't go to the lessons he had paid for on the last two days. Our older children didn't go on the last day - we took them skiing with us. Despite this my wife was very happy with her group. The classes are simply too big. I would suggest you email them in advance and let them know exactly what you want and commit them to a maximum class size if possible. I tried doing that before we arrived but didn't get a reply to my email - probably because they knew they were fully booked already. I didn't have classes myself so I can share a personal experience. I had a two hour private lesson through Bluski who area small British independent operator in the resort. If you are going independently you can book your flights and Bluski can help with accommodation, transfers etc. They don't do structured lessons or teach children but that might change in the future I guess. They have a website and the guy who runs it is very helpful. I didn't know they existed when I organised our trip. Despite the ski school fiasco I very much enjoyed La Thuile.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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aidancostello, i contacted Bluski for some friends that in the end came with us and I was very impressed with them.
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Frosty the Snowman,
Glad they were good. I found Mark to be a really helpful guy. We didn't even go with them (we went independently) yet he helped us out with ski hire and I had a few beers with him in the resort. Really helpful. he came along to watch my lesson too with the ski teacher he uses there. I'm always happy to recommend someone genuine and helpful so hope he gets something from the rec on here.
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The Italian La Thuille and the French La Rosiere are linked resorts.
It isn't my word (so the La Rosiere lovers please note) but I once read a couple of articles suggesting the French side may not be a place to go if it isn't because the link to La Thuille which is significantly bigger with a better variety of runs.
I believe many the good things said about one side of the linked resort may be more evident on the other side and so one must go to both sides, but the link can be challenging for the beginners.
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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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Thanks for the advise everyone, we have booked Planibel apts in La Thuile for half term 2008 for 30 of us.
Is it to early to start getting excited 
Jason
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wozzie, no, it's never too early for that.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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I'm excited Jas....shall I book the coach yet
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Stayed at Planibel apartments first week of Feb, the apartments are very handy clean and equipped well enough, there is a supermarked beneath the blocks that has everything you need and is reasonably priced, there is also a very good butchers just around the corner. We booked through Igluski.com with Crystal, not bad reps not at all pushy, pre booked the ski hire through skiset.com and saved quite a bit over a weeks hire, the hire shop is right beneath the main gondala and you get free lockers and ski racks so no lugging the kids skis back to the apartment.
We took our kids, 13, 11 and 2. There was plenty of skiing for them up on the plateau, the runs I think are not graded to severly, most of the reds are realistically tougher blues so if you want proper red runs you should go over to La Rosiere but it was ideal for the girls who loved to cruise. The wife went in the ski school for the week and thought that the instruction was great, she was coming back after a cruciate ligament damage. As for the 2 year old there are two play areas right in front of the apartments and you can hire a sledge from the ski hire shop, there is a small nursery slope right in front of the apartment but you are better just to get the gondala up to the top and knock about there.
We had a completely clear week with no high winds and not a cloud all week, being higher than a number of the resorts nearby the snow was better than others had experienced during the same weeks.
The only down sides were that the apartments could be quite noisy, we moved from being near the lifts but the doors do bang quite a bit, if you stay at the apartments you have to pay 25E to go to the health club, under 10 (i think) were free, the pool was really nice though and the gym is well equipped (not that I went in - too knackered).
On the whole though a really good place to take the kids, no nightlife to speak of but cheap to eat out and stay on the Italian side if you want to eat on the slopes. The lifts are also better on the Italian side but still pretty good on the french side as well
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You know it makes sense.
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howman,
Thanks for the review.
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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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howman, Welcome to SnowHeads. Nice report.
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Poster: A snowHead
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howman, now that is what I call a first post! Welcome to !
I would dispute that the French side (La Rosiere) reds are "real" though - it would largely be down to conditions I guess, but Bellette from the top of Roches Noires to the bottom of the Fort chair is no more than a tough blue. By contrast, I found 6 La Nouva in La Thuile to be a joyful descent to resort!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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TallTone, I think FF and M are the toughest reds in the area and they are both french. See how we fans now communicate in familiar abbreviations
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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| aidancostello wrote: |
Frosty the Snowman,
Glad they were good. I found Mark to be a really helpful guy. We didn't even go with them (we went independently) yet he helped us out with ski hire and I had a few beers with him in the resort. Really helpful. he came along to watch my lesson too with the ski teacher he uses there. I'm always happy to recommend someone genuine and helpful so hope he gets something from the rec on here. |
Just to let you know that as a result of your and Frosty's comments I contacted Bluski over the weekend (I mentioned Snowheads as well). Had a few email exchanges with Mark about booking private lessons even though I'm going to La Thuile this coming weekend with another tour operator. He was very friendly and gave me his mobile number and I spoke to him today. I'm now booking 4 hours lessons with them. Its costing about a fiver per hour more than the quoted official ski school private lessons but I've been persuaded that the difference will be worth it. I'll give an update when I get back.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I had a two hour lesson with an experienced English instructor arranged through Mark- he was good and based on what I saw of the local ski school it will be worth it for the little bit extra. Have a great time! If I can persuade the rest of our group I'll happily go back to La Thuile next Feb. I thought a couple of the reds were tricky enough after a lot of snow. Certainly spooked one or two of our younger children. Admittedly others seemed extremely easy. Hopeless at remembering names or numbers though. There's a nice steep black going back to La Thuile or at least very steep in one part - quite wide though. Enjoy
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simmo, wozzie, I took 22 of us independently to the Planibel. If you want a coach company I found a really good one that I would not hesitate to recommend. They are based in Milan but will give you a quote if you are flying somewhere else including Turin. The guy to email is Massimo at info@voulaz.it. Website is www.voulz.it. We may be going again next half-term so if you book a coach I hope they can still accommodate us. In the interests of the community of snowheads thought I should let you know. They are much cheaper than some of well advertised resort transfer companies you see widely advertised aimed at British tourists. Any questions feel free to ask. Tell him I suggested you contact him because he will give you a special price!
If we do go to La Thuile again next Feb term we may see you there! If you fly to Milan we should speak about sharing a coach and or organising lessons for children with small groups of English kids from your gang and ours
Cheers
Aidan
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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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I'm Mark from Bluski. Thanks for the kind comments about us in the forum.
In terms of our ski school, we are only allowed to teach Bluski clients and this year the Italian authorities have been really hot enforcing this, so we have also been employing the services of my long term friend and mentor Kim George. He is a former Director of BASI, BASI trainer (he trains ski instructors) and also ISIA qualified. This gives him international ski teaching status so that is why lessons for some of you were undertaken by Kim.
If you come to La Thuile as Bluski clients, you can choose me, Matt or Jones'y for lessons too.
Conditions update
After a week of sunshine and several heliski trips (hard day in the office), low temperatures and snow has returned. Looks like we've got plenty to keep going to the end of season on April 25th. If you've got a trip to La Thuile booked, there's some excellent skiing to be had.
Off-piste course
We still have spaces for our 5 day ‘introduction to off-piste’ course from April 2 to April 6. This is 5 mornings, so you have the afternoons to yourself.
Content:
Safety, equipment, navigation, snow recognition, snow pack, transceiver work, avalanche probes, tactical skiing, skinning, choice of routes and group deployment.
Possibility of Vallee Blanche or Glacier Toula descent (additional cost)
Cost for the course is £225.
Prerequisites
Good parallel skier (on piste). Typically 8+ weeks on snow
Full off-piste insurance
Ciao
Mark
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aidancostello,
Thanks for that aidancostello, we have booked for half term feb 2008 and flying into Turin, so maybe see you next year
Jason
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FAQ
I think you can guess FF 