Poster: A snowHead
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On a sunny day the Pramint red run down from the Saint Martin express is so good. 2k feet of vertical in one fast chair.
I’m not sure why I’d ever rush to ski anywhere else other than the 3Vs for piste skiing really....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@anjunabeats, did pramint today, no one else in it ....... fantastic conditions best run of the day
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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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stevew wrote: |
@anjunabeats, did pramint today, no one else in it ....... fantastic conditions best run of the day |
Great stuff - my ski tracks altitude reading looks extremely repetitive from doing that run many times in a row last week!
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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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Epic day in Val T today!
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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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3Vs are reported to be staying open for the time being, although there could be some lift closures due to staff shortages on account of parents having to look after their children with schools closing. The Sauliere cable car is being limited to 50 passengers at a time. It was very cloudy in Meribel today but visibility and snow conditions in VT were good.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sadly now closing.... https://st-martin-belleville.com/en/coronavirus
Along with everywhere else as far as I can see. A friend arrived yesterday by overnight bus and will be picked up to retrace her steps by to the UK today. We will probably stay on a few days to sort out some house stuff.
. Feel very sad for all the locals, seasonnaires etc.
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We came home yesterday after a great week in La Tania, speculation was rife but largely based on hearsay as what would happen next. Skibeat team had full bookings but preparing for a lot of no shows.
I never posted on conditions on Friday due to packing but after a shaky start of looking out of the window to fog and realizing that the webcams at Saulire were above the crowd we set off just after nine. What a treat the day was. Stay above 2100m generally and it was clear blue skies and drifting clouds. Bit of fresh snow high up made for a fabulous day. We mainly stopped in the 1850 and had lunch at 1650 on the Belair terrace in the baking sun. A little cloud again after than then to clear again and a bash around the sunny side of Meribel, the Loze chair in mist, to clear at the top run down the Lanches black in good vis. Intention was for a run down Folyeres but very heavy fog / low cloud, so up Bouc Blanc chair, the top part in the sun and a great run back to the Bouc Blanc bar, now in mist for a celebratory drink. By the time I'd had a drink it had cleared up a little and the run home down the green was more than acceptable.
Even though we had two days early in the week with cloud, snow and rain, there were good times in those days and the week overall was fantastic.
Thanks to Nikki and Jack at Chalet Beriozka for their hospitality and good food. Hope whatever happens next due to the season closure works out for you.
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Literally just back from 3v on the last plane out of dodge, empty jet2 flight picked us up. Season est fini
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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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A beautiful, sunny day in Meribel-Mottaret after the shock announcement last night. Have seen a few individuals skinning up the pistes, although it is reported to be illegal. People apparently being allowed to stay in resort until they can get travel arrangements made. Supermarkets are open and well stocked. Some restaurants are offering take away food. There is said to be a 17 mile tail back on RN90 from Bourg St Maurice heading towards Moutier. Take care folks.
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It was lovely warm day today. We walked into St M this morning-lots of people out chatting in the street looking rather dazed. I really feel for the locals and seasonaires. I saw a few people with snow shoes, and kids tobogganing down the village slope.
A stream of cars were coming down the mountain all day.
After lunch on the balcony, and a chat with our local (english) plumber, we went for a stroll-others doing the same. I dropped our friend down in Moutiers for the SnowExpress Bus which picked everyone up that they had dropped off yesterday. I have to say they were brilliant at keeping in contact with their customers. Our friend had an email late last night to the effect that they were sending a rescue bus for all of their customers and asked for confirmation that she wanted to be picked up. She was given at ETA and told that she would be updated if it changed (the rescue bus had been sent out from the UK last night), and was picked up on time at 5.40pm this afternoon.
We will stay on till later this week to sort out of few DIY jobs in the house, meet a local builder, and then drive back-thankfully we have had a car out here since Boxing day, so at least we can avoid airports.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There is a posting on the Valley Echo FB page warning that there could be a travel ban in place between French departments from Tuesday onwards. Not sure what the implications would be for Brits wanting to drive home.
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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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Travel bans should exempt people transiting through which is currently the case in CH.
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Left St M at 7.15 this morning. Went via Carrefour in Moutiers and bought a few groceries - checkouts were “screened” with prodigious quantities of clingfilm and customers were let in a few at a time. We were in and away in the first group. Didn’t check the loo paper shelves.
Plenty of traffic for the first half of the journey, but roads got quieter the further north we got. The only police check was at a peage fewer than 100 miles from Calais- we were in the the 30km toll tag queue and didn’t get stopped. Eurotunnel shuttle was quick and quiet. Home by 7pm.
A sad end to our first season of home ownership in the alps. What time we have had there has been great. Who knows when we will get back there.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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@mountainaddict, you're not wrong. I've mostly skied in France, and this was our first season as mountain property owners. So in theory we are committed to the 3V for good now. I'm sure we will go elsewhere from time to time as well, but when you become familiar with one place it opens up your mind to what else is there beyond the piste-so trying to get into touring, discovering more about the off piste options; summer in the mountains...(if we get there this side of July I'd be surprised..... Ho hum..talk about a first world problem...).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There is no escaping that the 3-Valleys are awesome, I have travelled to other highly rated resorts, but I can’t help use the 3-Vs as the benchmark.
It I have two criticisms it is that the piste skiing is just a little too good! Gnarly accessible on piste has largely been eradicated.
I also noted this year that several family run lunchtime eateries have gone, and even in St Martin and VT valley, there is a trend toward high end expensive food rather than traditional mountain fare.
The danger is that there is a tendency toward it being too sanitized (probably an unsuitable term right now).
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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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@DavidYacht, I agree about the changing restaurant scene. Le Lachenal closed in St M at the end of last season and despite the building boom of fancy chalets in the village, there isn’t a corresponding increase in restaurant space. Simple and Meilleur -the new piste side place in the Caseblanche development is just too posh, though I think it has improved since it’s first season.
We are still big fans of La Loy and Corbeleys. Chez Pepe Nicholas is great, but has developed hugely since my first visits back in 2013 when it still felt like a undiscovered gem.
While we never really used it, does anyone know why Les Cretes at the top of St M/Meribel was closed this winter. It was given a serious makeover for 18/19 and it seems odd that it never opened this year..
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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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@Perty, Les Crete’s was sold to the guy who has developed this place I’m told .
https://www.refugedelatraye.com/
Opening next winter was the chat in Jan but all bets might currently be off .
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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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@DavidYacht, @Perty, what about Chez Alfred, was that still going and unspoilt this season? I was supposed to be in 3V mid March.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Les Cretes and Le Lachenal were the ones I was thinking of ... but the Yeti has gone for development, and places like 2 Lacs have got expensive and upmarket with no sensibly priced PDJ. Best place this year was the Bel Aire which I understand is now run by the next generation ... the welcome and service was impeccable and as ever relatively good value Plat de Jour
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Yes, I think Chez Alfred still doddering along. Of the new places over the 2 seasons, Copina in 1650-fantastic tapas restaurant- has been our biggest fave.
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@Perty, is Copina on the mountain or in the village?
@DavidYacht, Bel Aire seems to have been reliably good for a couple of decades.
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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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@PeakyB, Copina is in the village. Easy to get to even if you are skiing into the village. Head down the piste to bottom by the gap in the buildings between Hotel la Portetta and Fahrenheit 7. Park up skis, and walk down the road to and then cross over to the the restaurant. It’s not a place for lounging in sun, but the grub is fantastic. Here is a pic of a veggie platter I shared with a friend. Normally with a group of 3 or 4 you would order individual dishes, but they did this for 2 of us when one of us was a veggie. We got such a wide selection. Yum..
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@Perty, thanks, looks impressive. Hope to sample it next season!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Just had some money back on our 2 season passes..€318 in total. Not bad.
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You know it makes sense.
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Perty,
Same as us! Better than nothing
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