 Poster: A snowHead
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Just been playing tennis & some of the girls I normally play with were sick - & they've not set foot in Val d'isere. There seems to be a lot of this Norvirus bug about at the moment - certainly around here 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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I hesistate to say this but one operator does seem to have the same problem every season 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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And strange how it only seems to affect those staying in chalets 
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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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You mean Ski Esprit boredsurfin?
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It was in our total ski chalet last year. Ski total is the same company as ski esprit is it not? We thought it had come from the pool or the sauna, but then people who hadn't been in either started getting it. I'd say the standards of hygiene in our chalet were good, but because the kitchen was open plan, people were always around that area. That might or might not have been the problem, but 4 of the 17 people in the chalet got it, 2 of the 4 were kids sharing a room, and the other two were also sharing a room. We all drank the water, so it couldn't have been that. The kids seemed to get it first, but then they were playing in the pool with some kids from the ski esprit chalet next door.
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| Matthew Way wrote: |
| You mean Ski Esprit boredsurfin? |
No
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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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Sounds like the bug is from folks staying in catered chalets. I was in a group of six people in a self-catered apartment in VDI Jan. 07. None of us got the bug. We all drank the water from the faucets. No issues and the water tasted just fine. I recommend carrying hand sanitizer just in case.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| stewart woodward wrote: |
| The water supplies/sewage systems are also governed by the EU regulations and are modern systems not some antiquated system that some people are trying to imply. |
I wasn't trying to imply anything. As I said in my second post the specific problem in Val d'Isere is the water supply as confirmed openly by Bernard Catelan, the mayor. The town made improvements to the water supply over the summer which they believe will improve the water quality.
Many French ski resorts do have clapped out or non-existant sewage treatment, for example there is no sewage treatment plant down the valley at Ste Foy - they spent the cash on a new chair lift instead. Courchevel is finally upgrading its sewage treatment to cope with winter visitors - previously raw sewage was pumped into the river below St Bon during peak periods.
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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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An instructor friend of mine calls it "Val D'isease" 
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Just to bring the 'stomach bug' issue up to date. I have just returned from a halfterm holiday skiing at Val D'Isere. My two sons and I went down with the bug along with half the people in the chalet. I have been on many skiiing trips over the years, but never encountered such a virulent stomach bug.
The holiday rep tried to suggest that the bug had been brought in by a chalet guest! Having read the forum comments I have to agree the most likely explanation is the water source. My advice would be to stick to bottled water.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Matthew Way wrote: |
bug, I had hoped it was not a problem this year.
I have just called Ski Esprit who basically confirmed that it has been a problem in the resort in previous years. I just wished they had bothered to mention it before I spent £5k with them. |
£5K - going for a couple of months I hope?
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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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Hi
We went to la rosiere in early jan with esprit, and normally there are 60+ staff in resort, but during the week we stayed there were less than 30, due to norovirus. We also heard reports of norovirus in les arc, val and tignes. However all staff infected were not to work for 72 hours, which meant bug didn't spread but staff that were left were thin on the ground!
However no one in the chalet was ill!
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Poster: A snowHead
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my local NHS hospital (Warwick) has three wards closed as a result of the Norovirus, and is currently subject to quarantine for staff and restricted visiting hours....
I suspect that someone from the Warwick area has possibly visited Val d'Isere in the past couple of months. Coincidence? You decide....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Was in Corvara two weeks ago. Out of our party of 16, 8 caught the virus. Same with another party of 16 in our hotel. Have no idea why some people manage to avoid it. My husband was extremely ill, but I did'nt catch it. Really put the dampers on our holiday!  It wasn't just confined to our hotel, the italian speakers in the party overheard people in the lift queues and gondolas all talking about it.
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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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My uncle was extremely ill after he contracted a stomach bug whilst staying in Val D a couple of weeks ago. Completely ruined his holiday.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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we have visited Val D'Isere many times- and usually there is vomiting etc. We never ever drink the water and never go in the pool.
I have posetd about this before and had replies along the lines of 'it's all due to new arrivals' but the posts about the mayor openly stating there is a problem seem to dispell that.
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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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Whatever the cause, a lot of people have had miserable holidays. And it must have been very tough on the staff too. My son cooked for two seasons in Val D'Isere and there was a lot of illness (not Noro, just ordinary bugs I guess). The fact that so many staff live in pretty cramped accommodation can't help - however careful the hygiene. And his girlfriend, who worked for a v upmarket operator, suffered with colleagues from a lot of pressure to get back into work before they were fit. This bug business does seem a frequent theme. Obviously bugs can crop up anywhere, but Val D'Isere is mentioned more than most. It's one of the (several) reasons why I would hesitate to holiday there.
Nobody got sick in the chalets my son cooked in though.... he was working freelance, and he got to do things his own way.
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Had the same in Meribel many years ago.
The uniting factors do not seem to be particular viruses (which are convenient for TOs to blame) but Chalet staff with poor understanding of proper food hygiene measures, employers who force them back to work, and France.
join the dots yourself. 
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Just returned from Morzine where my wife spent the first three days in bed... without me . It wasn't the stomach, but she had a hell of a fever and was totally drained. I was slightly affected (one night), but my guide got it and was dying on Friday while skiing and hiking Mt. Blanc. We were in a Hotel and I didn't hear of anyone else getting sick. I was kinda sorry we didn't go to Val D'Isere, but not so much after reading this thread!
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agree
Last edited by After all it is free  on Tue 20-10-15 2:56; edited 1 time in total
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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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I never got sick when I lived in a van, cooked for myself, and did not drink anything from bars. Sickness only occurred if you ate out, or drank in any bars.
I can't say that Val d'Isere was particularly prone to this affliction any more than any other resort.
Just try to avoid places where you are not going to be welcome.
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thanks
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Tue 20-10-15 2:55; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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idkwia, I don't remember any significant discussion of bugs in Val d'Isere in the last few years. Not drinking anything from bars remains good advice though, given the prices. 
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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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| idkwia wrote: |
| I appreciate your answer but I don't have a van. |
People get bugs on ski holidays. I'm not a doctor but have noticed that some of the worst afflictions are after four or five days of early mornings, loads of exercise, 12 large beers, 8 schnapps, 14 jagertee and 3am bed times. Then they blame the water.
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you forgot the 3 pints at the airport on the way out at 5 in the morning and the wine on the plane. Oh plus living and sleeping at 1800 plus metres.
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You know it makes sense.
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So risk factor - vin
protection factor - van
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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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jean claude mont blanc, you mean they may have caught the bug in Transit? (yes, a van joke - see what I did there? I'll get me coat)
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Poster: A snowHead
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I have stayed in Val d'isere/Tignes for more than 40+ weeks over the last 20+ years and never had a bad stomach bug. At times upset stomachs were due to the high mineral content in the water, some people pay a fortune for this sort of water packaged in fancy bottles.
You're more likely to get the vomitting bug in the UK at the moment especially if your name is Kate and you're pregnant. Of course it depends on your personal hygiene.
Amazing how a 5 year old thread gets resurrected.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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welshflyer, exeprienced this on two occasions in Val D'Isere and it was not due to water with high mineral content! On both occasions almost the entire Club Med came down with Noro or something similar, characterised by them being quite happily sat there one minute, turning green the next, and then running ( literally ) for the toilet, where they spent the next 48 hours throwing up and emptying their bowels. On both occasions I was one of the lucky immune ones, but it was an uncomfortable feeling to know I might be next.
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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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idkwia, I stayed in Val d'Isere and Tignes regularly, more so than most other resorts. Never caught any illness other than a vomiting occurrence in Serre Chevalier after a Tex Mex meal. Never caught a cold, or flu.
I would say that in previous fly and chalet or club hotel based breaks for 1 week or more, a cold or flu bug would occur with a probability of between 20%-30%. I think I caught most of the bugs on the plane, or train prior to arriving.
I have eaten out and drank a lot in Val d'Isere and never had much to complain about. (apart from the price of course)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It should be noted that many strains of "gastric flu" get named after the cruise ship that they broke out on.
Personal hygiene folks (doesn't require alcohol wash) - wash your hands after . although that doesn't help the bugs on the door handles from the uncouth youth who hasn't washed his hands... so before eating as well...
simples.
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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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| Bigtipper wrote: |
| Never caught any illness other than a vomiting occurrence in Serre Chevalier after a Tex Mex meal. |
Not the little place on the main drag in Chantemerle (not sure that it isn't there any more)?
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I've been to Val for the last 2 years, both times at the Ducs with Esprit. Both years there has been a stomach bug doing the rounds. Both years the chalet staff greeted us at the door with alchol gel and blamed it on a family from the previous week bringing it with them.
Ive been with Esprit 10 times now and the 6 out of 10 times there has been a bug going round. The last 5 years - every year. I've only been personally affected once, in La Rosiere. All times have been in different resorts. When we got to La Ros the chalet girl who was living in in a room off the kitchen was throwing up. She was using the chalet communal loo as her room wasn't ensuite. The chalet was used for kids lunch, so 20 kids using the loo at lunch time. Kids went down with it like flies as did all our chalet. I guess partly because the snow rangers weren't supervising the kids with their hand hygeine - I watched them one day the kids going to the loo and coming out without washing their hands. Then clambering all over the tables, etc. The chalet girl was also back at work the day afetr been sick, cooking our evening meal.
So I don't think its a Val d'isere problem, I doubt its even an Esprit problem. I think its companies paying their staff a low wage and strongly encouraging them back to work the minute they've stopped shitting their pants. In my job I'm not allowed at work for 48 hrs after the final vomit/poo-poo my pants episode.
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binkacat, +1
Even as reasonably conscientious adults I have been in an apartment when all 6 of us came down with varying appallingness.
Adding to the 70% of the estimated New Year influx at a well known Swiss resort.
The local GP had to order in extra anti voms, etc.
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..... ive lived here for 7 years... drink the tap water ALL the time...... eat and drink and mingle with holidaymakers as my day job as an instructor here and I have never got ill as such (other than what I thought would be normal bug here and there that I could get anywhere). Occasionally in my lessons a person is missing as they are 'ill' but no more than I would expect in the normal course of life. Val spent loads on improving the water treatment plants here some 10 years ago I do believe and that sorted it out I think!
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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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Mineral content in drinking water is not and never has been the cause of vomiting and diahrroea. Occasionalyy bugs from other residents can be a problem and food handling frequently is.
Stick a whole load of gap kids into a catering environment with a cursory idea of hygeine and add in visits from kids and it is not suprising that outbreaks of food poisoning or norovirus occur.
This hapens in Val d'Isere if you want to avoid it your best bet is either to self cater or go to a proper hotel. (Though this is certainly not a guarantee)
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Traditionally Val d'Isere in January everyone is coughing that works, probably long hours up, lower resistance with the same new friends, circulating the bug known affectionately as the Val d'Isere cagg.
Although in more than 35 weeks visit I've never had the shits, although I've never drank in Dick's either
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