 Poster: A snowHead
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That's interesting. It's a few years since we were there (pre-covid) but the pisting was noticeably some of the best I've ever come across. We remarked on it repeatedly and it was hard to see a join between one piste basher run and the next.
Lifts / toilets etc - yep, agreed!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think the snow is just of a quantity and quality that lends itself to bumping up.
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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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| 8611 wrote: |
This won't be a popular opinion in this thread but after wanting to ski them for about ten years I was a little disappointed by the Monte Rosa resorts. Chocolate box, yes. Unique individual identities and charms, yes. However, the pisting was terrible and there are a preponderance of ancient rickety chairs (on East side above Gressoney in particular). Infrastructure in general pretty poor, barely a toilet up the mountain (must have lowest ratio per number of users going) and then those awful squat yokes you uses to see in France in the 80s. Not sure the on piste eating was great though admittedly, I didn't get much of a chance to try. Faff buying tickets.
Am I being uncharitable? If today was well pisted it would have been a super day but it all left a bit of a disappointed taste in my mouth. |
Above Gressoney there are only 2 chairs (Seehorn, Punta Jolanda) hardly a preponderance and yes they aren't the newest, but they are fine. The principal lifts that do the main W <-> E uplifts are either fast chairs (one covered, one not) or modern gondolas. I'll give you the belvedere double direction chair between Champ and Frachey probably should be in a museum, but both are short uplifts.
There are in excess of 30 mountain huts / restaurants all with toilets, albeit some of the squatter design. I reckon its has more per user than most places.
YMMV as they say 
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I quite like the old lifts, brings back memories of spring skiing when my wife still skied, birdsong and animal tracks in the woods the sound of meltwater streams and the slow ascent up the mountain 
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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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Strange comments above. Following a huge dump of snow, of course the pistes will not be that firm but that will make them all the more enjoyable especially for better skiers.
Never had a problem finding a toilet. There are some of the old school ones, but also plenty of places that have proper sit down toilets too. There is a large variety of restaurants on the slopes, and some of them are very good indeed. Most lifts are fast and we have found we can cover a lot of vertical in a day as a result, if that is what we want. That said I think Gressoney is an under-rated sector, the chairs are indeed old and slow but the slopes are good (including the only really genuine black), never too busy, and some good restaurants.
It is certainly untrue that there is a "preponderance" of old rickety chairs. The main lifts are modern and fast.
TBH I don't know why @8611, managed to form the impressions that he did. But for sure it is not possible to properly explore the domain and reach the conclusion that there are few toilets and the lifts are slow/rickety! He also makes comment about the on piste eating not being great, whilst admitting he didn't get much of a chance to explore. Which is rather telling....
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Well I did say it wouldn't be a popular opinion! Albeit I'm reassured to see some people agree with all my points, but none re all!
Re the pisting, I'm not talking about the pistes being bumpy on powder day, that's a given. I'm talking about them not being pisted at all or being done poorly. Monday, the day after very heavy snowfall, I was surprised to find them quite brittle and scrapy while the off piste powder was super light. I have experienced this before though and it may be environmental (that heavy powder actually bonds better with piste snow?)
Tuesday, I was literally the first to ski across from Champluc to Frachey. The piste had been done but was rutted with big gaps in sections and while I've seen that before it was the first time I'd seen gaps that actually looked dangerous. Then the run down into Staffl and the long run down into Alagna, both main runs in the resorts, were very poor and didn't appear to have been pisted at all. I was skiing them pretty early in the morning and it couldn't have been from skiers that morning.
Again, this may have been due to heavy snowfall / avalanche risk the day before, as both resorts I think were closed the whole day, if so that's obviously fine, I was asking to see if it was the norm. I've two friends out this weekend so will see what their experience is.
Re toilets, I'd invite anyone to go into the gents in the base station of the Crest Gondola in Champoluc, which I assume is the busiest lift in the entire 3 valleys and see what greets you. Two dirty toilets both with the seats and covers gone. It seemed up on the mountain they were mostly reliant on restaurants for toilets, some of which had, literally, one toilet for both sexes and some of which weren't open until mid morning. There were some at the Crest mid station but I couldn't find them at the top or bottom of Frachey. Maybe I just missed them. Again, I don't think that compares favourably to other resorts?
Anyone who thinks that that level of old wooden chair lifts is normal needs to ski another more modern resort. I actually liked the Belvedere one, and all wooden chair lifts have a charm to be fair, but of the lifts I experienced I'd say the only fast chair was from Staffal up to Frachey. The 3 other ones in the Champoluc valley are fine but not what I'd describe as fast. The two above Gressoney were pretty terrible. I agree the pistes were good there. If one of those lifts was fast you could have a great few hours rinse and repeat.
Maybe I doth protest too much. I think the problem is I was really looking forward to it and had a kind of mythical view of the valleys, then just felt a bit let down. Maybe as well its part of the atmosphere.
I'm interested to see what the two lads out this weekend think of it. I won't tell them my views to contaminate and see how they get on. I did love the ambiance and vibe in and around Alagna and would be interested to return and get a guide. Also the sense of unique identity in the Valle D'Ayas. And evidently a strong sense of community, everyone seemed to know and chat to each other on Monday, a lot of people were making sure they got one of the best powder days of the season.
Anyway, it doesn't matter as long as people are happy and I'm still very glad I went and got to see them with their best clothes on.
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I do protest too much... I should stay at home!
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| 8611 wrote: |
| I do protest too much... I should stay at home! |
everywhere is a step down after Switzerland 
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Lol, i was thinking of Verbier a bit as I moaned, but I can't remember the toilets. Maybe its a good thing not to remember the toilets!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Well, the toilets are excellent in all of the quatre Vallees, and I have been there 3 times.
However, the skiing and especially the landscape is much better in MonteRosa. Especially when you factor in pricing.
Personally, I always value skiing over toilets.
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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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| Onnem wrote: |
Personally, I always value skiing over toilets. |
Quote of the year!! Could this be the solution for me I wonder?
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Ischgl people, Ischgl. Plus Swiss trains, fantastic toilets.
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You know it makes sense.
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@8611, There are (quite extensive) toilet facilities at the bottom of the Frachey gondola. And toilets at both restaurants at the top of it. Campo Base has good toilets. There are plenty of facilities at Stafal, and at toilets at the mid-mountain station at Gabiet. That's just for starters. So tbh you are simply ill-informed or not very observant. You also made comment on the food not appearing very good, but clearly were there only for the day and admit you didn't have really explore the restaurants. So frankly I have dismissed the rest of your opinions, as either clearly inaccurate or (by your own admission) baseless.
Ischgl, I agree, can be good if you like that sort of thing. Not my favourite for a family holiday for all sorts of reasons but I would not do it down because of that. And certainly not on the basis of poor restaurant choices (even though I did not try any) and inability to spot where to have a wee. On a one day visit.
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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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@8611, I would question your breakfast choices if you started in Champoluc and were needing the loo by the time you got to Crest mid-station and then were also looking again in Frachey, in fact you seem to have done a lot of toilet research in one days skiing. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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It was two full days skiing, enough to ski every piste in the 3 valleys to be fair. Anyway its not my intention to insult or provoke a fight.
@t44tomo, well it was a powder day you see, if not two, so it was all rushed and excited and first lift no time to attend to essentials in the hotel stuff 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Zikomo works for the Monterosa tourism board I reckon
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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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@8611, You can ski every piste in a day. Easily. Champoluc to Pianlunga and then back over to Gressoney for morning coffee would be a regular start for us. The point of the domain is some really nice, quite mellow and long pistes which cover considerable distances, but are not numerous. Combined with fast lifts, and generally less crowds, allowing big vertical to be racked up easily so long as you are not worried about repeating pistes in a day. Maybe some stuff was not open the first day?
I still don't get your comment that the restaurant/food choices did not seem any good, followed by a statement that you didn't have time to look much. It makes no sense. You state yourself that you have no basis for an opinion, but state one nevertheless. Your information about the toilet situation was just plain wrong.
It's not a fight. It is just not helpful to anyone when clearly inaccurate (and worse baseless) information is posted.
You might have been better saying you just didn't like the area much. That you found it difficult to find the multiple available toilets and on-slope restaurants. And that the chair linking Champoluc and Gressoney is slow and old (it is and should be replaced). Rather than characterise the area as having no toilets, no decent restaurants, and all the lifts were old and rickety.
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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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Yeah that's what I was expecting, maybe hitting it on a powder day not a great idea, maybe a nice midweek trip with leisurely lunch and toilet stops
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@8611, Next time you visit, I will be happy to provide an extensive list of toilets (and directions to them) and recommend lots of very good places for you to eat.
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@8611, what did you eat in the Sapin? Also Breithorn defo much improved over recent years.
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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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Good question - I think the translation was ravioli with beef shavings, then either venison or veal with polenta. Simple, delicious, unpretentious food, just what I like in Italy.
The Breithorn menu was to die for, I wanted the wild boar ribs but a woman ordering the venison before me tempted me away. And no Italian ski trip would be complete without an encounter with another beautiful and previously unheard of wine, in this case a Fumin from the valley.
Now I'm conscious that there's been precious little discussion of snow in these last exchanges, which is surprising given Monday was probably in my top 5 ski days, so I'll shut up now!
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@8611, the Sapin is very fine. I usually (as did Monday night) have steak in pepper sauce. Mrs invariably has a bloody (as in oozing) tagliata. The beef is local so we often take some home. we also invariably take home a doggie bag.
Monday's steaks would have fed families of 4 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@8611, @8611, admittedly I was there the week before you on the Gnarbug, but I loved the place. Chocolate box - without suffering from being as shiny as Austria; empty slopes; amazingly groomed pistes (if that's what you want); good on-piste food*. There's the odd ancient chair, but there's the odd ancient chair in Tignes too, and the ones above Gressoney do go almost vertically. Tickets easy to buy online, and ten seconds queuing for the pass itself (though the dynamic pricing is hateful).
*But be careful of soups like Zuppa alla canavesana that are in fact solid bread with grilled cheese on top.
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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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Yes but what about the toilets
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@8611, I am kind of thinking that you didn't see the best of the area so your opinion is not really one that folk should take, other than, well it sometimes happens.
Frankly we all really enjoyed the lumpiness of the pistes, makes a change from all the brutal grooming.
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You know it makes sense.
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Maybe I had an off day. I take it things are warming up now and its full on Spring?
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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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| under a new name wrote: |
@8611, I am kind of thinking that you didn't see the best of the area so your opinion is not really one that folk should take, other than, well it sometimes happens.
Frankly we all really enjoyed the lumpiness of the pistes, makes a change from all the brutal grooming. |
Didn’t see the best of the area It was the best snow conditions of the season?!?!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yes but in fairness all my comments related to non off piste stuff, skier's convenience
Powder was prob top 5 and I didn't even join the throng for the Alagna stuff the next day. Hotel and meals in resort also excellent.
I'm a grumpy pr*ck
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@BobinCH, all I saw were complaints
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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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| 8611 wrote: |
Yes but in fairness all my comments related to non off piste stuff, skier's convenience
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It’s Italy! The chaos is part of the charm:D
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You're right and I love it. And the other stereotype of them not skiing after lunch and not doing much off piste as no-one can see them also holds true, albeit not among the denizens of those three privileged values
A great place to ski (doing my fourth trip there this year next week), tolerance of faff recommended
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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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| 8611 wrote: |
You're right and I love it. And the other stereotype of them not skiing after lunch and not doing much off piste as no-one can see them also holds true, albeit not among the denizens of those three privileged values
A great place to ski (doing my fourth trip there this year next week), tolerance of faff recommended |
Remember my offer of directions to the many toilets and good restaurants.....
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@zikomo, I'm watching the forecast, and the webcams to see when the pisteurs are off their strike
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That sounds like me, I must have Italian blood
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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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Looks like a good amount of snow on its way for those of us out over Easter weekend! How's the conditions holding up at the moment?
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On my way to Champolouc today, first visit to the area and the forecast looks great  after a few poor snow trips last season looking for to some good conditions!
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FAQ
Today was back to normal service (and a lot quieter 
I refer you also to loos in e.g. Courmayeur... Madonna di C., ... Most of Italy really 
). It is tempting to blame the (raw) deer or the tuna sauce on the tongue / veal combo but the aches and sweats I had suggests a traditional skiers bug. Can't blame the resort for that (or can I add it to my list of woes?)
