 Poster: A snowHead
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Do you really get a certificate if you complete it? If you do how do you prove you have been to all the right places?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yes, you can get a certificate by going to the lift office and asking them nicely to check your lift pass. They don't give a special certificate for doing it in one day. Your lift pass logs which lifts you've taken and they can tick them off the list. You can also get a printout of the times you hit each lift, like the one shown here:
http://www.latania.co.uk/photos/2013/2Dec/NewEscapade/index.html
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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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chrisb,
Yes you do - rather a pleasant A4-sized bit of card with your name (hand-written), signed and stamped when you present your lift pass at one of the main offices.
Your lift pass gets put into a reader and it tells the operator whether or not you have checked through all the required lifts.
I did the Escapade over two days in January this year - the last afternoon was done in near white-out conditions.
The look of surprise on the face of the lady behind the desk was worth the effort - on more than one occasion I stopped on a 25º slope when my brain suggested it was more like 40º. Cue slo-mo fall onto slope...
Raceplate,
Congrats on the single day completion. I don't think that I am sufficiently fit or competent to ski quite so hard and fast all day!
Just out of idle curiosity, however:
If you were based in VT...would you do the Escapade in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction?
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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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HossDoc, the route I used is broadly clockwise but there are a couple of crossovers for maximum efficiency.
I wouldn't change the route if I was going out from VT but I can see 3 possibilities for starting points with various merits:
1/ Peclet - do all the VT lifts first but run the risk of getting stuck in Les Menuires if you miss Becca/Montaulever. Can mitigate this by going directly to Cote Brune from top of Granges if you know you're short of time.
2/ Plan de l'Eau - leaves all VT lifts last but runs risk of getting stuck in Orelle which would be the most expensive taxi home ever (you've got to go via Albertville!) However they have upgraded Peyron this season which will reduce the times in the 4th valley by 11 minutes. I also know from experience that you will only get stranded there if you mess up the lift times - if the lifts break down they will evacuate you. I once got a rope tow on the back of a piste basher all the way up when Rosael had broken down. Others were airlifted and skidooed up the hill to get back to VT.
3/ Add Moutiere as the first lift and then follow the route from Grand Fond onwards. This gets the Orelle lifts out of the way first thing and means you finish with the main VT lifts so no issue if you miss one. You also now finish with Col so no longer need Portette and the overall time should be the same.
I haven't got a piste map to hand so I can't look up the closing time for Col. I seem to recall it's about 10 minutes before Moraine, though. If that's all it is then option 3 would be the best way.
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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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Raceplate, Thank you for that!
My gut feeling was to hit Orelle as early as possible - some very fast pistes when nobody else around, although the lifts are a bit slow - and then go clockwise.
Downside is that I finish on Col. Pleasant enough run but have never been sufficiently warm following the uplift to enjoy it!
You must have been gutted that you got the rope-pull, rather than the airlift/skidoo combo out of Orelle. Both options pretty cool, though!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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HossDoc,
| Quote: |
| Downside is that I finish on Col. Pleasant enough run but have never been sufficiently warm following the uplift to enjoy it! |
Yeah, not ideal finishing on an exposed lift when you're knackered. OTH at least you can cruise back to VT centre or stop for a beer to celebrate!
| Quote: |
| You must have been gutted that you got the rope-pull, rather than the airlift/skidoo combo out of Orelle. |
I was! I saw the first chopper coming in and turned to my mates and said, "They're going to airlift people out, we should go over to the helipad." but got outvoted as they just didn't believe the lift company would use the choppers for cost reasons.
There were at least 150 people stranded at about 2pm, though so they had 2 piste bashers (with dual ropes holding about 10-12 people per rope, 2 choppers and 5/6 skidoos all ferrying people up the hill at the same time. I could have been one of the only people ever to heli-ski in France (as it's illegal)!
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I found a piccy!
You can see they're geared up for it 'cause the ropes have mini pomas on them. Might be the longest poma ride ever? It went up the Blue run (Gentianes) which must be about 1.5km long.
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this season... hopefully
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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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Does anyone have any idea where the waypoints are located? I've not seen anything in my recent searching, only peaks with a 3V symbol?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you look on the 3vs pist:e map it shows the escapade waypoint, though can't remember the exact symbol but it's on the key.
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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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Green circle with a looped yellow arrow in it from memory.
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The Escapade has now moved to the official app, so you do it on your phone rather than your lift pass hence you cant find them on the paper piste map.
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You know it makes sense.
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Completed the 3 Valleys Escapade (not in a day in a week) and you can still go into the lift office and get your certificate and they will give you a badge for free. This year there is a new badge. I can't figure out how to add the image, any advice would be appreciated.
But goes to show that it hasn't all gone app based.
Wakkitt
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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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Just saw the picy from Raceplate of his ride out when the lift broke down. We were also there but got a heli lift out as we had to get back to Brides. It was in the days before automatic ticket barriers. Our passes were punched to show we were allowed on the lifts after normal closing time. We arrived in Mottaret about 7pm as it took ages to get ev eryone out, and asked how we would get back to Brides. They hadn't realised anyone would need to so we got a ride in a 3V vehicle with one of their workers going home.
It had been great flying round the 3V although a very short time in the heli!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I know this is an old thread, but I referred to it before going out to the 3V last week - shame the escapade is no longer being marketed.
@Raceplate, your feat is now one of legend in our household. We managed only 47km skiing when we went out to see how doable it was (and decided it wasn't at all doable for us) - you must have done double that distance the day you skied it. Hats off to you sir!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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FAQ
you're too kind, Sir, too kind.
