 Poster: A snowHead
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erica2004, Yes it has everything from wide open piste of just the right pitch (not too steep) and when it narrows ( but not too narrow) it has a those lovely curving bends and humps, like a theme park ride through the trees,  Ooooh get me back there now!!. If I was going to be picky then the lifts at the base are a bit pantsy.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Frosty the Snowman and erica2004 love Cruex and the Combe Saliure as well in terms of quality of hill and run but my gripe with them is their people magnets for the top half, just cottoned onto Frosty the Snowman's thread a bit more whose talking about the bottom half of Creux which is great and quick and looses most of the people after the bottom of the Chanrossa chair, and prey tell whats wrong with the Aguille d'Fruit (sp?) chair, nice fast 3/4(?), rest are slowish chairs.
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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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Agree with Creux, Chapelets and Mont Vallon. Two others worth mentioning from the 3Vs are Tete Ronde from Peclet in VT and Jerusalem above St Martin, which is my personal favourite.
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The Vallee Blanche is up there on my list of favourites - I have skied it twice and it was just a fantastic experience.
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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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I'd vote for Creux too. The trouble is there always seem to be 1000 other people trying to enjoy it at the same time as me.
I like to think my favourite piste will be the next one. Trying Grand Massif this year for the first time. Anyone got any good runs around Flaine?
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| Roger King wrote: |
I'd vote for Creux too. The trouble is there always seem to be 1000 other people trying to enjoy it at the same time as me.
I like to think my favourite piste will be the next one. Trying Grand Massif this year for the first time. Anyone got any good runs around Flaine? |
If the Gers area is open then the runs over the back there are all off piste and good fun.
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Some good tips on the 3V above
Combe de Vallon has to be just about the perfect red and always has the best snow in the 3V
Combe de Saulire is also very good when it's not too busy
I'd add the black run down the front of Cime de Carron (is it Combe de Carron?) and the two blacks down from 1850 to Le Praz - Jockeys and Jean Blanc. They are not always in condition but when they are good they are very very good.
My personal favourite though is a little known marked run between M and Combe de Saulire called Epaule de Vizelle - seldom skied, not often bashed and kind of under the Vizelle bubble.
J
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Creux is a good fun run
I also quite like going from the top of the Saulire to Le Praz without stopping. The run is not that good but it is the not stopping principle that appeals.
Best early morning run is the blue from the top of la Tania to the bottom. well pisted with nobody on it so you can really let rip. But you really need to be one of the first people on the lift. Ideally you have finished the run to meet your buddies at the bottom of the gondala for their first run of the day.
Most enjoyable run ever was the blue from la Tania to Le praz after a weeks worth of snow when we hadn't been able to get out of the resort for the whole period.
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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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Seconding bladeskier's recommendation from page 1 for the Champagny sector of La Plagne, there is a super red run called Borsellier with a 6-pack chair to get you back up and a couple of decent restauarants/terraces nearby when you're clapped out. Good views over to the airport at Courchevel.
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What's the really famous long red run in Zermatt? Can't remember the name, but it's really good. Actually all the runs in Zermatt are pretty good.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Agree with GrahamN, the long black at Grimentz is superb as is the long red at St Luc across the valley.
But in the rare good conditions that it is open top to bottom in Glencoe with views over a snow covered Rannoch Moor takes a lot of beating. Loads of variety in the run depending on the route taken, spectacular views, and on the exceptionally rare occasion that you can continue over a pint in the oldest hostelry in Scotland to finish off with.
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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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If it's favourite piste, then I reckon "Renard" in the Linga sector of the PDS is mine. The upper selection is just perfect for bumps IMHO. The lower section is rarely in good condition (the bumps get really badly formed) but I have skied it in powder and it was tip top. IN any case it provides an interesting challenge.
Although I could also be swayed by "Chamossiere". And the back of Mont Chery. Both also PDS. Oh and the terrific bumps run down the old Lindarets poma track. mmmh....sweet.
So much skiing, so little annual leave.
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jedster, never been down the Epaule de Vizelle, but I've seen it and it looks steep, however I seem to recall it's not on the piste map any more, or even marked on the mountain, can't recall it from my last trip there in March.
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You know it makes sense.
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Funny how many people are opting for runs in 3V. Must prove something. That blue at La Tania is called Folyeres (or someyhing like it). D Superb. Aigle at Les Arcs is similar.
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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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Hmmm, yes the red Aigle in Les Arcs, reminds me of the Ecurielius (sp ) in Les Arcs, its a black further to the right of the piste map from Aigle, but still between the trees. Seems to be rarely skiied, so stays nicely unmoguled and fast. Really it should be graded red IMO.... probably going to get busier now the Vanoise Express is opened  (
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Poster: A snowHead
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( and its got a nice 'lip' half way down where you can get some nice air ! )
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Another vote for the runs off of Mont Vallon from me. As for my personal fav the back bowls at Lake Louise have given me hours of entertainment. Having said that anywhere with great snow and few people will do for me.
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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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From a previous thread:-
The whole of Sunshine Village was engulfed in cloud and snow, which forced 95% of people inside, including my wife and I. We decided on a long lunch, a couple of beers and a bottle of red. Got to around 3 o'clock and we decided to ski down to the bottom. Half way down the ski out run is the chair lift up Goats Eye mountain which had been closed due to the weather. I saw that it was running. We took a chance and jumped on, to our delight, the whole of Goats Eye was in a break in the weather, the two of us and the "liftie" seemed to be the only ones that were aware of this. Bright blue sky, champagne powder on the piste up to our boot tops. There was no one else on our own personal mountain for an hour as we skied up and down, until we drowned in a sea of latic acid and had to stop. It was also three days after we got married, so having your own uninhabited mountain is very handy
What a great day
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Mont Gele is another run that I really liked but I don't know how it would stand up now as its years since I did it. Might be a reason to get back to Verbier...that and the back of Mont Fort... Have to talk to the usual suspects about 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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jedster, I like Epaule too, and Creux and Combe de Saulire. Also in Courchevel I quite like Park City, it's narrow and sometimes windblown, but skiing down a ridge is unusual and always fun. There's also a comedy couloir called Couloir des Belges, which is quite steep but very short - I know the French like to slag off the Belgians!
Kramer, you might mean White Hare, from Hohtalli? But yeah, most of the runs at Zermatt are long, interesting and memorable.
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In PdS there's a great red from the top of Chamossiere. The lift tracks a funnel-like black all the way up, but round the corner there's a great red. No idea of the name - number 16 on the map.
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Only skiied it once, but there is some black piste in Serre Che which made quite an impression on me (mainly for causing a bruised leg much pain). I seem to have lost my old Serre-Che piste map though, so I can only guess that it was called something similar to 'la casse du boeuf'. The Crest Voland stade du slalom was pretty cool too.
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Plake, White Hare is the one. Excellent fun.
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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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JT, oh yes, Mont Gele. An interesting 1rst run of the season in 30cm of fresh never having been there before. Back of Mont Fort also highly entertaining. Especially climbing the fence...you do get some looks.
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Oh yes, nearly forgot, Spanky's Ladder in Whistler. Thanks for reminding me David Murdoch.
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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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Kramer, Oh yes, indeedy. Most amusing.
JT, we need to do some plotting then!
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Talking of Courchevel... Creux is a great one for carving. But if you can hack the drag lift, Stade de Descente is a lot of fun and very quiet - it's the steep red down the side of Verdons. For sheer fun, the Verdons dunes are a laugh. Chapelets is on my list for this year now there's a chairlift  Also in 1650, Piste Bleue, which is our usual route back to our accomodation, is quite nice. Fairly steep blue, low priority for grooming, turns into bumps quite easily. It's not exposed so it doesn't get the ice that Marquis gets. In fact the whole of 1650 is gorgeous
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You know it makes sense.
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David Murdoch,
Anytime late feb is fine by me...!!
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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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Pylons Megeve, first lift ,rollers, wide piste, no punters in fact any piste with no punters!
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Poster: A snowHead
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mark_s, the run you are thinking of is indeed La Casse du Boeuf a long undulating black down to the village of Monetier, I recall taking the chicanes across the bridges at speed as being particularly memorable...
One of my favorites at Serre Che has to be a black right at the top of the reosrt called Isolee, as the name suggests it gives you a wonderful feeling of isolation and fantastic panoramic views right across the hautes alpes. It starts with a steep track about 300m long that has to be schussed straight down as there is an incline of similar length and height on the other side... It's most fun sitting at the top, having lunch, and taking bets on who's not going to go fast enough and have a long walk up the hill!!! It ends with a lovely descent through a steep couloir back to the main pistes.
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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's a great black run through the trees in La Thuile. Can't remember the name, but it goes back to the bottom of the hill, and has a couple of really steep sections. Plus it was deserted when I was there.
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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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xyzpaul, Great fun with 3 ft high mounds of porridge . I Think it is imaginativley called Piste no "3"
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Plake,
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Also in Courchevel I quite like Park City,
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That's interesting. In Park City I quite like a run called Courchevel.
Top of the list though is probably Blackcomb Glacier, on a bluebird day after a big dump - plenty of choice for just how steep you want to take 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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ashton parker,
If you want good long ski runs then read this.
OK this is going to be a biased one.
I have been to the 3 valleys many times, and love many of the ski runs listed including Mount Vallon, Crime de Carron, and the runs from around the top of Saulire down to the various Courchevel ski stations, but most of these runs are above the tree-line, a great ski run should start above the tree-line, preferably in a bowl with some off-piste skiing available and then have a substantial tree-line section, Serre Chevalier scores very highly on this criteria. I will list some of the great runs available in this ski area, starting at Monetier and working down the valley.
Pic de L’Yret to Monetier mainly a blue/red run with a flattish section around 2,200 otherwise a good slope all the way down, this run just goes on and on and is a fantastic.
La Cucmelle to Villenuve mainly red starting off in a huge bowl, loads of off-piste easily available, as you reach the tree-line it narrows and can be very busy. This is one of the World’s great ski runs and is my favourite ski run of anywhere that I have skied.
L’Eychauda to Villeneuve. Mainly black, again starts off in a huge ski area, then joins the Casse du Boeuf black run. Awesome and your legs (burn baby burn)
Serre Chevalier peak down to Chantemerle mainly black down the Olympic Luc Alphand run, I am surprised that this has not been listed in this thread, a great run but often spoilt by being too busy, a good variation is to start at top of the Prorel, though with this route there is a small boring section from the bottom of the Prorel chair to Ratier.
Last run is for the top of the Prorel gondola to Briancon, this is a great red run and usually is not busy.
The average vertical drop of the runs I have list is 1.2Km !! Many ski resort have a vertical drop of this scale or even greater, however few have such a drop over such a large area.
When snow conditions are good Serre Chevalier is one of the greatest ski areas in the World and that is why I have a property there, if you have not been then it should be on your list of ski areas to visit. There is then a good chance that it will then include at least one of your favourite ski runs.
Piste map http://www.serrechevalier.com/skimap/skimap.jpg (this does not include 3 new 6-man detachable chairs that are to open this season.)
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Wengen: Oh God, Lauberhorn
Les Houches: Kandahar
Le Tour: can't remember it's name, but keep as far left as possible.
La Daille: Stade
Saalbach: Schattberg
Zell am see: from the top of the Schmittenhoe, go right.
Winter Park: West Headwall, Johnstone Junction, Sleeper
Blackcomb: 7th Heaven - gentle, but fun in deep pow.
Beaver Creek: Ripsaw
Copper: Spaulding Bowl
Breck: The Burn (peak 10)
Vail: Heavy Metal, Inner Mongolia Bowl
Big Sky: Never Sweat, Ambush
Moonlight Basin: Elkhorn
Alta: Catherine's Area, High Rustler, Main Street
Snowbird: From the Keyhole Gate in Alta down to the Peruvian Gulch, Regulator Johnson
Park City: McConkey's Bowl, Shaft
Deer Valley: Morning Star
Brighton: Wrangler
Jackson: Saratoga, Moran Face, Lower Sublette
(just grabbed a few old piste maps, brings back memories...)
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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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mark_s, Having also consulted an old piste map last night I realised that the run across the bridges down to monetier is Tabuc. The Casse de Boeuf a cracking run from the middle of the resort down into Villeneuve, I defy any mortal to ski its length without pausing for breath at least once...
I can echo chris' comments earlier about the runs down from cucumelle, the pisted red itself is a lovely run, and the masses of off piste nearby is sufficiently huge that it is possible to find fresh powder days after fresh snowfall despite parts being heavily tracked.
For quiet tree lined runs with pretty much guaranteed good snow, the 2 reds off the aiguillette chair cannot be beaten. This chair serves no purpose other than taking you back up to the top of these 2 runs so is invariably undiscovered and quiet.
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mwareing, Have to agree with you about Serr Che, especially the Luc Alphand. It's a shame that some of the lifts are so rubbish (like the L'Yret chair).
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FAQ
). I'd quite like to ski it again this spring if I get to Serre-Che...hopefully making a better fist of it 