 Poster: A snowHead
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| Nadenoodlee wrote: |
| FlyingStantoni, merci beaucoup, I shall go and chat to the ladies/dragons at the Pleney. |
Start the conversation with "my stupid boyfriend forgot..." and you'll raise a smile. MrsFS did this a few years ago and had success. Take the receipt they gave when it was bought as it will speed thing up.
Don't go when they're busy as they have to pull out the sales record to check that the three tickets weren't previously purchased for the same season ticket.
Where are you thinking of going?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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BTW, everyone says that Praz de Lys and Abondance are good places to escape the half term madness.
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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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FlyingStantoni - thanks for the welcome!
DJL - Ah yes, from Chatel you're ok going clockwise, you're there in time to turn-around if it's stopped. I was thinking more of Morzine & Les Gets skiers, with at least one more lift needed out of Les Crosets to get back to the French-side and time short by that point it can be a nightmare.
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It's a good point shep. Let's face it, you're better off being stuck in Chatel than in Les Crosets in terms of taxi costs!
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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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We enjoy an away day to Praz de Lys, did it a few weeks ago. We usually pay on our days there and use the reciprocal days to go somewhere that is going to be more expensive.
Saving the three days this time till we have a week at La Giettaz (with the lovely sounding Miranda) later in March. Although we did this last year and ended up only using two of the tickets for Flaine and Les Contamines.
Worst experience was using one of them for a day at Megeve, sitting having a rather expensive and small lunch on a terrace somewhere and OH gets out wallet to pay for lunch and out fell the remaining one day tickets and straight through the decking into never-never land. Made the rather expensive lunch extremely expensive - and thank god it was him wot did it and not me.
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Woot Woot. 
Finally booked my WE in Morzine with a mate.. arriving 2/03.
Got saddled with that WE because of his work so I hope the queues won't be too mental.. It's been a while since I went boarding during school holidays..
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| Quote: |
Praz de Lys and Abondance are good places to escape
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Are these easy to get to by car from the Swiss side?
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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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Abondance is pretty straight forward - over the Pas de Morgins to Chatel and then about 15km down the valley. Never been to Praz de Lys!
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sanman, Praz de Lys is a bit of a bug from the Swiss side as it's through Morzine, up to Les Gets and then off the road between Les Gets and Taninges. Praz de Lys is linked to Sommand, which you might be able to access more easily, but it's still not straightforwards.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ok thanks DJL and FlyingStantoni, sounds like Abondance may be well worth a day trip (I've always known it was there but never made the effort) but sounds like Praz is beyond us.
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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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Ok thanks DJL and FlyingStantoni, sounds like Abondance may be well worth a day trip (I've always known it was there but never made the effort) but sounds like Praz is beyond us.
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I might give Abondance a try myself. Been there often in the summer but never skied,.
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You know it makes sense.
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Well with the snow as it is, this is the year to try it out.
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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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On a similar subject, anyone skied at Drouzin Le Mont? (top of Col du Corbier between Vallee d'Abondance and Vallee d'Aulps). I've driven past a few times but never skied there - doesn't look very extensive. thinking we might try a few of the small resorts this year as the snow is so good and some are a bit low. Bernex also falls into this category and is worth a look - some great views across to Mont Blanc from the top and I suspect some good off piste (I've seen people going over the back)
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Poster: A snowHead
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I'm in the PDS week commencing 18th Feb, busy I know but no choice. Will need to drive to ski each day. Usually would park at Ardent or Prodain, though as staying at Drouzin could go 'round the back' to Chatel, Pre la Joux etc . Is parking going to be a nightmare? Any tips or advice?
Also ski'd Pras de lys a number of times, very French so relatively (for PdL) busy at half term though many are there for the world class x country skiing. No fast lifts, great place in fresh snow.Combloux part of Megeve is a great day out, particularly La Giettaz.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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retsil - Ardent would be the default from your direction but it will be busy. My favourite on the Avoriaz side during the vacances is by the fromagerie on the Avoriaz road 3/4 of the way up (where the chairlift crosses over/piste goes under the road). It's only one chair from Avz in both directions, and if you find a mega queue for the Zorre chair (bottom of Proclou) on the way home you can hike up to the car skis-on-shoulder in <10mins (not with little-ones though).
For the Morzine/Les Gets side you can drive up through La Cote d'Arbroz and park at the Cherie-Nord chair. Spend an hour on Mont Cherie (never a bad thing!) before crossing Les Gets though or you'll find a queue in town.
For all the above the trick is earlier-the-better in high-season. If you end up making a more leisurely start to the day, try the Cherche-Midi parking on Pleney-B piste, accessed by a little side-turning off the Morzine-Les Gets road. You ski B to Pleney bubble from there so not good first thing; and then B again obviously for your home-run.
Good Luck!
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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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retsil, The drive round to Chatel is probably the same distance as to Ardent. Parking in the centre of Chatel or Barbossine is v limited but there is plenty at Linga or Pre la Joux ( though it will get busy). You could try parking at the Braitaz lift in La Chapelle though it is a long way to Avoriaz if you are heading there.
How's the skiing at Drouzin le Mont?
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Shep, than you for your advice, I never thought of the fromagerie option. I agree re Mt Chery, had a great day in mid Jan this year, fresh snow all day probably 50 people skiing! Without doubt [with snow] the best skiing in Les G-M.
DJL, if parking 9.30 ish at Linga or Pre La Joux is it likely to be full?
I have never ski'd Drouzin! [yet] may give it a go for a day this year-staying at a friends chalet. Probably is a little gem having walked up there one summer/looked at piste maps, though again at peak french holidays may be relatively busy.
Btw the charm of Pras de Lys is that it is that it is a true 'French' resort and in Jan/March you are almost alone on the slopes!
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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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Arriving 9.30 would give you a chance of being in the upper carpark (no need to walk uphill or wait for the bus. Much later and it will be the lower one.
Top tip - if you take the Pre La Joux lift and go right at the top you can follow the road to Plain Dranse and the Rochassons chair (to get access to Lindarets). More chance of a parking spot near this lift and you avoid the scrum for Pierre Longue lift.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 9-02-12 10:42; edited 1 time in total
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More advice sought on routes - am eagerly looking forward to a long weekend early March and starting to think about route finding in the magnificient PDS (which i don't know at all)! On our middle day (Saturday) am looking for a big day out - weather permitting. We are staying in Nyon so will probably do that area in our other days - its a bit of advice on how far we might realistically get to (and get back!). we're a family group fastish on blues, comfortable on almost all reds and easier blacks....Any advice gratefully etc. 
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kewhoward, I'm assuming you will have covered Morzine & Les Gets so have ignored that.
I don't know what the buses are like in Morzine but assume you can get from Nyon to Super Morzine lift with no trouble (or if you have a car better still to go to Ardent) then you can do a big tour of all the Swiss resorts plus Chatel & Avoriaz.
My suggestion would be get down to Morzine and make your way through Avoriaz and into the Fornet bowl (take the Intrets chair to Hauts Forts and then Bleu du Lac) and up the lift to the top of Chavanette (Swiss Wall) which you can either ski or down load on the chair and then take the Ripaille drag lifts. Follow the run all the way down to Grand Paradis near Champery (not difficult skiing and a really beutiful quiet valley) then up the two stage chair to Planachaux. Over to Les Crosets and work your way into Champoussin by doing a run from each of Grande Conche, Mosettes and Pointe d'Au chairs. Then head across to Morgins and ski into the village and cross the road to the chairlift and drags towards Chatel. At this point you need to see how the time is looking. If you have plenty of time you could ski over towards Torgon and La Chapelle but it's probably a step too far unless you are moving really fast. Otherwise head for Super Chatel and down into the village. Take the bus to Linga and ski this area, then head over the top to Plain Dranse and take the Rochassons chair up to the ridge (if you are pushed for time you can take the bus straight to Pre La Joux). You are now above the Lindarets valley and can ski down to Ardent to your car (or bus to Morzine) or carry on over the next ridge and down the runs to Super Morzine.
The above can be extended many times over by skiing extra runs from the chairs but it is nice to tell the kids they have skied in 7 different villages.
You can do it in reverse (which is the way we usually go as we are based in Chatel) which has the advantage of getting the bus journey out of the way early and avoids the problem of downloading the Swiss Wall if you don't ski it. Possibly means you reduce the risk of getting stuck in the wrong valley as once you are in Les Crosets it is only two lifts (Mosettes or Grand Conche plus Cubore) to get to Avoriaz.
A good study of the piste map recommended if you don't know the area well. Enjoy!
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kewhoward, the bus from Nyon goes to the bottom of the Pleney lift and then you need to either walk across town to the Super Morzine bubble (5-10 minutes) or take the petit train. The better route from Nyon is to catch the bus to town and change at the first roundabout you get to for a bus to Prodains.
There are buses back to the town centre from the bottom of Prodains, Super Morzine and Ardent - so on the way back you just need to get into a position where you
I agree that starting at Ardent is the way to go if you have a car.
Do bear in mind that you skis a far distance (I'm sure someone has or will work it out!) and you do need to have a certain sense of urgency. The navigation isn't difficult, but it is really important to manage the people in your group - there are some places where an innocuous wrong turn can take 40-60 minutes to recover from.
We always regret it if we don't hit the first lift.
I always recommend carrying a credit card if you're skiing further afield. You never know.
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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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| retsil wrote: |
Shep, than you for your advice, I never thought of the fromagerie option. I agree re Mt Chery, had a great day in mid Jan this year, fresh snow all day probably 50 people skiing! Without doubt [with snow] the best skiing in Les G-M.
DJL, if parking 9.30 ish at Linga or Pre La Joux is it likely to be full?
I have never ski'd Drouzin! [yet] may give it a go for a day this year-staying at a friends chalet. Probably is a little gem having walked up there one summer/looked at piste maps, though again at peak french holidays may be relatively busy.
Btw the charm of Pras de Lys is that it is that it is a true 'French' resort and in Jan/March you are almost alone on the slopes! |
It's a pleasure retsil. Echo your comments on PdL and Combloux  . PdL is not a good place to escape the vacances (lots of school-groups), but brill at all other times. In the vein of FlyingStantoni's post about Changabang, Mont Cherie is awful, full of beginners, has crap snow, no views, never ski there.... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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kewhoward, Thew buses in Chatel are quite frequent but being France it all tails off a bit over lunchtime!
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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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You know it makes sense.
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Lou, Where???
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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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Went there todayLou, huge waste of time!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Something to do with Cherie Fm I think geetee so lots of people, noise etc etc 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lou, Ah, right! Doesn't sound like anything I'd like....
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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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On the spot report having arrived this afternoon. Officially cold.
Our apartment is on NW corner top floor and bathroom against an external N wall. No water! Concierge reckons (amongst some Prize French profanities) that the stop cock or pipes are frozen.
Have been on DIY duty with hairdryer against the pipe. If no success we will need a plumber.
Luckily Mrs DJL is off games with a poorly foot so can stay in all day to await the plumber whilst we ski.
Village didn't seem too busy this afternoon.
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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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DJL 
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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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Plumbers are like rocking horse poop over here at the momentDJL, microwave a bag of peas and cling film it to the pipes
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thankfully we tipped the concierge at Christmas and the lads trip flight usually manages to provide him with a bottle of Scotch via duty free. He's been in the village for years so hopefully that will bump us up the frozen pipe list a bit!
My brother has rented an apartment on the floor below and he has hot water and flush toilets.
We'll just have to go skiing!
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| Nadenoodlee wrote: |
| Plumbers are like rocking horse poop over here at the momentDJL, microwave a bag of peas and cling film it to the pipes |
Excellent tip! Any opinions regarding petit pois vs marrowfat?
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Got to les gets for breakfast and took over our apartment at 11am. Skied around the village, ranfolly bowl and turche. No crowds yesterday, but expecting chaos today. The conditions are great, best I,ve seen at half-term in the alps... Ever!
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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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Nope - its still not that busy...
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Nor in Chatel - no queue longer than 5mins. Whwere is everyone? Still v cold though and still no water.
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