 Poster: A snowHead
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Definitely agree that heading off right (on the piste map) rather than up Paquis is a good idea if you want to avoid crowds. In particular, Henri should be avoided, particularly later in the day when folk are heading back from VdI. I did a week in Tignes last year at Feb half-term, and it got busy and chopped up. Not great for a nervous skier, though your week should at least be quieter.
I can't exactly recall relative steepness of Rhododendron vs other blues (it's not something I notice), but that area does tend to be fairly quiet. I've always put this down to the slowness of the Marais chair to get you back up the mountain...
Another option is to get the (free and frequent) bus to Val Claret, take Fresse chair and potter around in the greens around the Borsat chair. Not an area I know, so no idea on crowdedness, but most people don't go to Tignes for the greens, so suspect it would be ok. Also has the advantage of being high enough to avoid the ice/slush combination. From there you can either ski down to Val Claret via Prariond (as I said, avoid Henri), or simply download in the Toviere bubble to le Lac.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Steve Angus,
Interestingly Tignes 2100 hotel have been hosting their guests this season on piste. They apparently have a letter authorising it but I do not know who from. Their hosts have no formal qualifications. Double standards!!
The ban, whether one agrees it with it or not, should cover anyone not suitably qualified.
Will be meeting a director of Le Ski in Val in 2 weeks. Will be interested in what he says on the matter. On the Telegraph trip with M Bell. Currently over the ridge in sunny Le Lac.
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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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| stephap wrote: |
| Hi Steve, been following this thread all season and really enjoyed your updates. Having booked in August I'll finally be arriving in Tignes (Lavachet) this Sunday with my girlfriend. We are both at different levels so are taking morning group lessons with evo2. She is still very nervous after two unsuccessful holidays and only ventured off the nursery slopes once (our last holiday to Norway xmas 2015 there was virtually no snow and only a couple of very busy icy slopes open). Where would you recommend we venture in the afternoons? She is worried about being hit by an out of control person so I would like to stick to the quietest possible slopes. Are the blue slopes in Tignes a better bet than the greens in bellevarde? |
Will she have an Espace Killy skipass, or a Tignes skipass?
Potentially quiet pistes in Tignes:- Digues (green), Petit Col, Genepy, Melezes & Myrtilles (all blue).
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I think the Genepy in Tignes (off the Grande Motte) should definitely be avoided.
Because it is marked blue, it is used by people who think they aren't good enough to get down Double M (red). It's a roller coaster piste so is steep and flat, steep and flat etc. Admittedly it is often quite, but with steep gradients and very inexperienced skiers, it is also often carnage. There are also sections where if you don't 'go for it' you will be polling for some distance. This creates a mix of people going for it and people snow ploughing from one side of the piste to the other... sometimes out of control due to the gradient.
I like it but I would advise nervous beginners to avoid it.
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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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As @bar shaker says I would avoid Genepy, the last schuss when everybody presses on the accelerator to avoid the flat / uphill segment at the start of Prariond can be a bit unnerving for her. The blues around the Brevs sector would have been ideal earlier in the season - they were suffering in the sun even as back as late February though. I would have thought Grattalu would be a good place for her to build her confidence, she can lap the chair a few times. Make sure she stays on the side of the piste as the middle can become a bit intimidating. Also +1 for Grand Pre and the green Genepy in Val (the top of Borsat might scare her off but you should make your way down via the path on the right). Given her low confidence you should really make sure you plan your route and make max use of the gondolas to download.
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@stephap, Another +1 here for the Grand Pre circuit and the green Genepy run from the top of Borsat. Both these runs are gentle slopes and massively wide so the risk of collision is certainly less than it would be on some of the crowded blues.
Your best route to get there given your girlfriend's standard will be to take the bus to Val Claret and go up the Fresse chairlift (make sure you queue in the Fresse bit not the Bollin bit!) then ski down the green (directly ahead of you as you come off the chairlift) to the Borsat chairlift. Up there (be ready to arrive - the top station comes into view suddenly) take the track to bypass the bumpy section. Then keep right and you're on Genepy, which will take you all the way to the Grand Pre chair where you can do circuits.
To get back by skiing you will need to reserve some energy, as there will be conditions that are a bit tricker and it's a long way for a beginner if you ski it all. Carry on past the Grand Pre chair (still a green run) and head up the Fontaine Froide chair, then if you've still got bags of energy you can ski down the green run to the Tommeuses lift - however this bit will be busy and it's quite a long way. Instead, if you're tired, there is a "cheat" you can use which eliminates most of the skiing, although it needs to be done early enough for the lifts to be open... when you come off Fontaine Froide, download in the Funival. At the bottom get the bus to La Daille and get the Daille gondola back up. From there, ski the very short distance to the Tommeuses chairlift, go up and then download in the Toviere gondola. You can get the bus from there to Le Lavachet. Make absolutely sure you get onto the Tommeuses lift before it shuts - it's an expensive taxi from Val to Tignes!
To do this trip you will need full Espace Killy lift passes.
Hope this is useful info and not too detailed 
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@moosepig, +1, great post / advice.
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Thanks for the detailed advice, really helpful. I would have thought Genepy in Tignes would be nice but I see now how it could be problematic. Also the extra 'escape' route down the Funival if things get too much, I wouldn't have thought of that. Hopefully I can report back in a week that she has caught the skiing bug 🤞🤞🤞🤞
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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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chrisrawles - I know what you mean re turn shape and line taken down the slope.... open arcs as opposed to closed arcs is what you are constantly battling against! Trickier on a board with the blind spot.... tip I give people is 'spot the turn' before you get to your blind side turn so you have a mind map about where you can next make your turn (it helps a little!)
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stephap - thanks - glad you enjoy the updates. I am sure you will have a wonderful holiday and are excited about it upcoming! It should be a great week.
Anyway your query here strikes accord with me.... I am really passionate about helping people into the sport and staying in the sport.... making the correct decisions and asking for help in a case like this is a great idea and ill gladly offer some advice.
Firstly what do you mean by 'unsuccessful' holidays? What do you / she understand by the 'nursery slopes'.... do you mean a raft of green pistes there or simply the very first slope she was learning on on the first day or whatever? Not trying to suggest anything but often people use phrases like that and it doesnt mean much unless qualified.
It is VERY important to remember that the 'fear' affects people in different ways... I talked about this in my periscope broadcast a little today - more on that later when I post.... so fear of being hit is a common one and managing the environment as best as possible will help settle nerves.
It is important to remember (and this is often not fully understand) that run colourings are subjective.... yes the run gradings (if you want to call it that) in Val / Tignes is perhaps perceived as tougher than other resorts but the grading of a run is purely done on the steepest part of a run - all other factors such as how narrow (as well as a multitude of other factors) it is are not (generally / officially) taken into account. So sometimes (like in this case) local knowledge can really help and finding quiet slopes sounds like a sensible plan for her. But in general take run colours in Val / Tignes with a pinch of salt a lot of the time.
As Mark1863 says (some GREAT advice there) it will be busy next week. I agree the nursery slopes by the paquis lift will be the best place to start. Avoid Palafour in general. Again the run from the top of Chaudannes down to the Aiguille Rouge lift is relatively quiet yes BUT compared to what she might have experienced elsewhere it is not that flat! Yes download where necessary e.g. Toviere lift and stay high! Again the area around the Grand Pre is less busy and in itself a WONDERFUL RUN AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED but crucially getting there e.g. down creux and edelweiss from top of the Toviere mountain means you have to go on busy runs etc! So getting there is a bit of a nightmare.
Something people forget is how tiring it is for nervous beginners (I HATE THAT phrase but saying 'lesser experienced nervous' sounds a little pompous!) so dont be too adventurous how far you go.
As moosepig says 'is your girlfriend comfortable with the steepness of a blue' - your response suggests that she wont - snowploughing down a blue run - which she will be is knackering if nothing else!
DEFINATELY DEFINATELY DEFINATELY DEFINATELY DEFINATELY make sure on that very first day she asks her instructor for advice about where to go... he / she will know what she can / cant do / is capable of!
The 'area around the Aiguille Percee and Grand Huit lifts'... they are OK but not that quiet for the most part. I think your idea of gentle persuasion to get her to have another go is noble... but yea being in snowplough will be tiring and make it difficult to cope with steeper and bumpier but experiencing the beauty of the mountains is a great goal.
So what do I suggest? - apart from getting advice from the instructor etc would be to try the rosset lift after the nursery slopes of the lavachet poma (near paquis as mentioned before).... get mileage and confidence on that lift / run until turns are tighter and more controlled and effectively overdo her time on those runs so she is mentally ready for a bigger challenge rather than just being ready for the next step.... the next step would be a ski from the top of the chaudannes lift to Aiguille Rouge lift then from there take the short (its fine - honestly) bit of the red (that 100 yards could have lots of fast skiers whizzing by I warn you!) from the top of that lift back towards to the top of the chaudannes lift (its about 100 yards) before taking the rhododenron again but peeling off down the petit col and little by little back towards Lavachet (it will be busy as you get close to the lavachet again though). That little lap could take a while!
Hope that helps - GOOD LUCK!
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Sorry just seen all the replies on this page too so will continue posting after reading the above!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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mad for chelsea - yes good shout "Another option is to get the (free and frequent) bus to Val Claret, take Fresse chair and potter around in the greens around the Borsat chair." from the top of the Fresse chair there is a green lop (NOT THE IMMEDIATE BIT UNDER THE CHAIR) that comes back down although when it gets squeezed at the bottom it does get a bit busier.
Mark 1863 - hmmmmmmmm that IS interesting.... perhaps double standards - would love to know what that letter is all about! IF someone is a 'club' you can get around the rules that way but it must be non profit making in any way... you have to accompany people to / from their place of residence i.e. a school group / club, for example from Paris could be guided around the resort. Yes the ban is carpet for getting out people without qualifications yes!
kenzie and bar shaker - some wonderful advice there. As franga and [/b]moospig[/b] highlight the Val Genepy is good (take the PATH from the top of the Borsat lift on the far side!) but again as I said earlier getting there and back will take a lot of effort so if she is super fit and feeling good after her lesson it might work OK but getting there and back will be a mission especially when getting back from there will require some busy slopes to navigate.... the best green in that area as well as Grand Pre is the Borsat green run - that is a great run and not very busy at all!
moosepig +1 for the comment "Your best route to get there given your girlfriend's standard will be to take the bus to Val Claret and go up the Fresse chairlift (make sure you queue in the Fresse bit not the Bollin bit!) then ski down the green (directly ahead of you as you come off the chairlift) to the Borsat chairlift. Up there (be ready to arrive - the top station comes into view suddenly) take the track to bypass the bumpy section. Then keep right and you're on Genepy"
"To get back by skiing you will need to reserve some energy, as there will be conditions that are a bit tricker and it's a long way for a beginner if you ski it all. Carry on past the Grand Pre chair (still a green run) and head up the Fontaine Froide chair, then if you've still got bags of energy you can ski down the green run to the Tommeuses lift - however this bit will be busy and it's quite a long way. Instead, if you're tired, there is a "cheat" you can use which eliminates most of the skiing, although it needs to be done early enough for the lifts to be open... when you come off Fontaine Froide, download in the Funival. At the bottom get the bus to La Daille and get the Daille gondola back up. From there, ski the very short distance to the Tommeuses chairlift, go up and then download in the Toviere gondola. You can get the bus from there to Le Lavachet. Make absolutely sure you get onto the Tommeuses lift before it shuts - it's an expensive taxi from Val to Tignes! "
Yes that is a good cheap but a REAL faff. I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND NOT SKIING THE top section from the top of the Fontaine Froid in the afternoon next week and down the Verte piste all the way to the Tommeuses lift... it will NOT be a nice end to your foray out into the Grand Pre area.... the cheat is perfect but a faff!
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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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What are javelin turns Steve?
Great pictures above, it looked like a very challenging rescue, and that couloir looks seriously steep. Respect to the medical team and their considerable skills. You can see what appears to be blood on the snow, so I hope the chap was OK. That's not the kind of terrain I will ever (be able to) ski, that's for sure!
Also, whereabouts is Pisteurs Couloir? I didn't realise it was visible from a lift..
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You know it makes sense.
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| HoneyBunny wrote: |
What are javelin turns Steve?
Great pictures above, it looked like a very challenging rescue, and that couloir looks seriously steep. Respect to the medical team and their considerable skills. You can see what appears to be blood on the snow, so I hope the chap was OK. That's not the kind of terrain I will ever (be able to) ski, that's for sure!
Also, whereabouts is Pisteurs Couloir? I didn't realise it was visible from a lift.. |
"Javelin turns" - lift your inside ski so you are standing on your outside ski... turn that ski underneath you keeping the hips and upper body still so in effect by the end of the turn you have the uphill ski (which is the one lifted off the ground) crossed over in the air above the other ski (a little bit like scissors!)
Pisteurs Couloir.... OK stand at the loading area for the Fontaine Froid chairlift looking up the lift... now turn through 180 degress and look upwards - the line down through the snow from the top of the Charvet you can see is pisteurs.... the lift you can see in the pic above is the Grand Pre (and the top of the Borsat in the distance too!)
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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@Steve Angus,
Thanks for all this Steve. Advice from you and all the others here has helped give me a much clearer view of the options we could take.
Here's the background of our previous holidays:
Our first winter holiday together was booked for Tignes xmas 2013, we were going to learn to snowboard as beginners. I booked us a lesson in xscape a few weeks before we left and broke my wrist after 30 mins so holiday cancelled. Haven't tried boarding again...
Our second holiday together to Soldeu xmas 2014 my gf was having bad knee problems and arrived on crutches. Didn't want to cancel again. She struggled to make any progress due to pain and restricted movement.
Our third holiday xmas 2015 to Trysil, Norway, there was only 1.5 blue, 1 red, 1 black and green kids/beginners area (few hundred metres served by drag lift) open due to lack of snow. We only managed about 2 hours each day as was so boring, very busy, and also icy due to rain. She tried the blue run once in her lesson and the instructor did not take them back it was so bad.
Last summer we had a very successful holiday in Tignes staying at melezes in Boisses and I managed to convince her to come back for skiing, she said yes because she knows how much I love it. I really would love this year to go well. I learned as an adult too so understand the fear and tiredness although she doesn't have the passion for the sport that I've had my whole life. I'm hoping everything comes together this time.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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stephap - thanks for clarifying all that - with the info you have I am sure the week will go well! Post here if not and I am sure we will (SH's) help.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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And a quick mention and congratulations, if I may, to Sofia Landgren for her success in the French Version of the Voice last night. Sofia works for STVI and sings around the bars and hotels of Val, popping next door every Thursday, to entertain Les Tignards in La Queue de Cochon. For the blind vote she chose 'Forever Young' a particular favourite of mine. Hopefully she will go far under the mentorship of Mika. Go Sofia!
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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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@Steve Angus, great to hear they're upgrading the Datcha lift one the summer. Presume it'll be a fast 6 or 8'er. Do you know if it will be the same start and finishing points?
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Not quite what I was expecting
What a nights golf last night eh folks! Super stuff. I must admit to staying awake (just about) until the 18 holes were over but when it went to a play off I threw the towel in but then spent the next hour lying in bed wondering who was going to win - doh!
Anyway I was a struggle to get out of bed this morning but the sun was shining once again so I cant complain too much. That is one of the things I love about this time of the year so much - the clear blue skis (generally) and the sun coming into the sitting room nice and early and still being there late into the evening - perfect!
chocksaway - yes you are totally correct re Sofia Landgren and her singing success - I was totally meaning to mention that - so yes thank you and good luck to her as she goes forward!
Dr John - yes it is being replaced. My understanding is it will be the same get on and get off place for the lift and they are planning on using the old Solaise Express so it will be a 4 seater chairlift that goes in there.... I could be wrong though!
So yes I started the first of 13 odd days of teaching with a couple of kids / teens (well that was what I thought it was going to be anyway) but it turned out that the mum and dad were coming along too. This in itself should not be a problem but of course in reality the personnel dynamics vary massively and how you actually go about running a lesson has to change so much that it becomes tricky!
Anyway we got some technique balanced with some fun stuff for the kids and I thought it worked out OK. The parents are not planning on coming along to all the sessions and then there is chat about some other friends and again some other family friends coming and going over the next couple of weeks so I might have 'others' from time to time too!
At lunchtime it was up the mountain to meet up with the 'family' and find out how the kids got on in their various lessons and we had a large family picnic up the Solaise in the end.
The afternoon was spent teaching Clares step-sister and her teenage daughter and we worked our way through some technique and again balanced it up with some fun stuff too as per their instructions and I think everyone enjoyed enjoyed themselves.
We headed back to the chalet for afternoon tea, cake and mainly for the kids (including Olivia) to have some fun altogether as well as the adults to catch up with each other a little too! After a couple hours it was home time and Olivia was SOOOOOO tired that she ended up falling asleep on the sofa here within a couple of minutes of getting home and was definately over tired.
Oh well she is asleep now so hopefully she will be ready for another fun packed day again tomorrow!
https://www.pscp.tv/SteveAngusSnow/1mrGmeyVEkqGy?autoplay&t=13
So the weather remains lovely and sunny and warm and I think it will continue that way for the next few days at least. However there was a very strange incident this afternoon as the weather moved in over the course of about 2 hours and suddenly around 4pm it was snowing up at the col and raining in town and it was rather windy and nasty but it moved on and back to sun by dinner time again - strange!
In other news the resort remains very busy and there are lift queues still all over the place but this really is the last busy week and then it drops off next week. The ESF as an example have drafted in 25 extra instructors for this week from other resorts!
I think that is about all for now....
TTFN
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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P.S. I forgot to put this photo up that I took.... so this is a photo of a photo of the instructors Oxygene had working for them back in the 2006/07 season (my first teaching in Val)... dont I look young (and a couple of my current colleagues are also in that photo too.... ha ha!
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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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@Steve Angus, makes sense to recycle. Anything will be better than the marmot powered current Datcha.
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You know it makes sense.
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great picture. Would love to dive there, bit beyond my abilities to go to 100M though, but I know many who can.
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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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Yes, great pic. EDF drained the dam a couple of years ago (I think it was around this time of year / it's done every 10Y for maintenance reasons) - we stopped to take some pics on our way up to Le Lac as the old village of Tignes had resurfaced and was clearly visible.
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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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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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@Steve Angus, she sounds like a lunatic and should be reported imho.
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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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Hi Steve, thanks for a great afternoon today! You found some great snow despite the summer temps! We really enjoyed it. Will be back for more next season. Nick and Lisa.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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V interesting piccies of old Tignes, thanks.
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@Steve Angus, was that violent instructor from the Ecole de Savage Femmes? You did well not to retaliate. Reporting it would probably be a waste of time and met with a shrug 
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 pics! thanks for sharing. Shame about the loony ski instructor.
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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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Must be quick
Im going to be real quick tonight as have been out for a meal and it has been a long day and im shattered (again).
So this morning I had a family friend of the family I am teaching this week and next. Despite being incredibly nervous and dismissive of what she would be able to do she did pretty well for lesson 1. By hook or by crook we got there and she ended up being able to do a run on the short magic carpet up top before we ran out of time.
A brief family lunch at the Ouillette with the extended family and then Clare, Olivia and I did a run on the long magic carpet. She is doing so very well... turning by herself and all sorts down there.... blooming brilliant!
I came home and changed before running a few errands in town etc and a couple of phone calls.
Then it was down to La Daille and a good client of TDC had invited all the team down for a beer and some nibbles and in the sun it was so nice. For an hour we all enjoyed a beer or two and it was lovely and social. I got more details of the new lift and groundworks they are going to be doing down there. So for a starter the new gondola which is essentially going to replace the La Daille gondola and chairlift is going to start pretty much where the current chair is but finish on the Tommeuse side of the Folie Douce (I thought it was going to finish where the chair currently finishes but alas not).... that is a 2018 Summer project! They are also planning on redoing the lands around the base of the building and around the Tufs restaurant to make it more snow sure through the use of the new snow cannons but they are also looking at the option of trying to develop the area of land on the La Daille side of the garage down there coming down towards the Rosie Blanche.... they want to be put some shops and apartments in there apparently.... who knows when / if this will happen but sounds exciting if it does!
However before long it was time to get back on the bus and back into town and Olivia was around at her cousins apartment having a bath before we put her down for a sleep for a few hours whilst all the adults headed to Le Lodge for a really nice meal out. It was really yummy meal!
I picked Olivia up and put her in her push chair (she woke up briefly) to get her home and that brings you all up to date... now I really must get to bed after sharing todays periscope with you.
https://www.pscp.tv/SteveAngusSnow/1vAxRgOqdONKl?autoplay&t=2
TTFN
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FAQ
