Les Coches - La Plagne

brian

Any thoughts on this place ?

What's it like architecturally ? Any good restaurants, bars, etc. ?

Easy to get into the main La Plagne skiing ? What about Les Arcs via the cable car ?

Particulary keen to hear from Savoyard experts (any PGs out there for instance ? wink

).

Bonus questions for them:

Why didn't the Chiaupe glacier open this summer ?
Has it had its frites for good ?
How long would Les Coches to Tignes take on a summer morning ?

A snowHead

brian, as a post pubecent zit squeezer (v'early 70's) I was on a treck that took us from Tignes Le Lac, behind Mt Pourri and down to Landry (other side of the Valley). It was well marked and took us about 10 hours. We were dawdling and piddling around but pretty fit so you can probably chop a big chunk of time from that. These days it's probably even better signed and you can either climb up to the Bellecote or take any of the half dozen of so side paths across the valley to La Plagne. I suppose at a hard pace you might do it in 4-5 hours? Dunno, it's been a lot of years and I've no idea of the changes to the paths network. Tis a nice walk though.

brian

Masque, I was kind of thinking in a car there, to go skiing, but I s'pose if I set off the night before and didn't stop to squeeze anything it might be doable á pied Laughing

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brian,

idle booger! It's a 25-35 minute drive rolling eyes

But for a Summer's day, the walk would be nicer Little Angel

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

brian, Well I can't call myslef a "PG" type expert yet but this time next year I aim to be. Anyway looking at the map and from my little knowledge gained to date Les Coches is a a great position for both La Plagne and Les Arcs and is ideally suited for a Paradiski pass as you have close proximity to both. Good access to Vanoise Express. In fact probably the best position if you want to ski both?

I was out for a weekend and looked towards the glacier and could it be lack of snow? It looked pretty bare but am no summer glacier expert. As for having its frites for good well we need to do the research on this one. Perhaps when PG gets back from his Deuz Alpes jaunt he can update us with the latest news?

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Masque, I would put Les Coches to Tignes on a good day to be at least 45 mins, perhaps even 46.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Frosty the Snowman, yeah, but that's uphill on your bicycle. wink

You may well be right, I'm not adding the time from Landry up the hill to Les Coches . . since I've never driven it.

brian

Mouth, thanks. Position does look good for both. I'm at the early stages of apartment hunting, summer skiing would be a nice bonus.

brian, Apartment hunting to buy? If so are you looking at a particular development in Les Coches?

brian

Mouth, yep, the Chalets de Wengen (maybe DG Orf could rent it Laughing

).

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I wrote to the La Plagne tourist office a fortnight back about the Chiaupe glacier, no comment as yet. I'm not surprised as it was a bit of a "political" question (conflicting views between the local authority and the lift operator). The commune reckoned that operation of the glacier for summer skiing was part of the original lease agreement with the SMA. The SMA's main duty is to its shareholders and it allegedly sees no future for the little Bellecôte glacier in this respect, longer term. The writing was on the wall in its last season of operation when the drag was replaced by a new chair. For the tiny number of skiers to be found up there in July (never did open in August), mainly local race clubs, it was running at even more of a loss as a result.

The tourist office still talks of summer skiing on its website, mentioning its "temporary" closure this year, something I queried in my letter.

Anyway, given size/altitude, it won't be around that much longer anyway. It must have taken a beating this year, given the lack of snow high up last season and the high temperatures again this summer.

(PS maybe Masque's supercharged camper van can do it in less, but for me it's 30 mins to Val Claret from BSM on a good day, so I reckon you can add 20 mins on top of that from Les Coches!)

brian

PG, thanks, not sounding good for the little glacier.

Any thoughts on Les Coches as a village ? Aesthetics, services, etc. ?

brian, afraid I know next to nothing about Montchavin/Les Coches, have only been there a couple of times and don't remember much about it... I do remember latish in the season in 2004 going down to Montchavin at 1250m and it was barely skiable. Obviously very handy for the Vanoise Express, just one lift from Les Coches and you're there in five mins...