 Poster: A snowHead
|
We've signed up for the bad parents club and are going before half term, Feb1st.
Lift pass info here: > http://www.vialattea.it/en/ski_pass_vialattea.html and http://www.montgenevre.com/445.0.html?&L=4
£137 is a pretty good price for the Via Lattea pass, probably because Crystal bought them when the £/E was better, compared to current E189. Depending on how many days you're going to be in MG it may work out cheaper to stick with your original pass and top it up. Depends how much time you want to spend in the queue at the MG lift pass office?
(Actually looking at the Montgenevre site their Via Lattea pass does obviously include Montgenevre but is more expensive at E210 (cf E189 for the Claviere 'Via Lattea' pass) I checked with First Choice though - the pass they describe as the 'Area Pass' is the Italian VL and definitely only includes one day in MG)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Higs, We're taking the kids out in May for a week, so thought February would be pushing it  Thanks for the info - hadn't thought about queuing for the top up, so if the price is comparable & Crystal will refund will definitely try & change.
Have a great time next week & let us know how you get on!
Kate
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Blast... Crystal want 35pp cancellation fee, so it's looks like we'll have to keep the Italian area lift pass after all. Does anyone know how you go about getting a top up to Montgenevre (after we've used the 1 day included)? Could you buy 3 days at a time or would you have to buy one every day you wanted to go. Would you buy in the Montgenevre or Claviere office?
Thanks
Kate
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Looking at the Montgenevre Lift Pass Price List: http://www.montgenevre.com/fileadmin/HIVER/photos_tn/2_station/domaine/Tarifs_hiver_2008-2009EN.pdf
it appears you can only buy a 1-day (E29.50) or 6 days (E168) but I'd be surprised if you can't buy something in between from the lift pass office. Also, there's a price for upgrading a MG pass to cover Claviere (for E18/day) so hopefully there's a reciprocal arrangement in Claviere.
If I find out more when I'm there I'll let you know. If I forget, just give me a gentle prod after Feb 9th - I won't be offended.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Higs, Thanks for that! Look forward to hearing more!
Kate
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
You can buy whatever you need at the office from a few hours on the afternoon of arrival to 3 or 4 days if thats what you need.
Last year we bought Monts de lune passes and went from Montgenevre to Claviere and back all week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
so those arriving late morning with Neilson could ski sunday afternoon if they get their skis quick or have their own
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| cockerhoop wrote: |
| so those arriving late morning with Neilson could ski sunday afternoon if they get their skis quick or have their own |
I've done that before in Serre Che with an early flight to Turin and similar transfer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
cockerhoop, In theory yes. However flying with Crystal we landed at 9.00 but didi not arrive in resort until 2.00. Hope you have better luck than us.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quick update on the 'Two Country' pass and Crystal/First Choice....
The reps now sell Monte Luna and Montgenevre 'Two Country' pass in resort. You still can't prebook it. We bought ours from the Crystal rep. If you've got the 'local' Claviere pass, they will offer you the 'Two Country' as an upgrade. You can also change from the 'Area' (Via Lattea) pass to the 'Two Country' pass. Note though that people in our party who did this were charged a small amount even though the Two Country is cheaper than the Via Lattea. The reason for this (and I do understand it) is that they paid for their Via Lattea in Sterling when the £/E was very different.
For us, the Two Country pass was much the best pass as we were in Montgenevre for some of 5 of the 6 days we were there. In fact one day there was so much snow that all the lifts in Claviere were closed - having the ML/MG pass meant we could just get the Montquitane lift over to Montgenevre while others were faffing about getting day passes etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Higs, Thanks for that - I shall definitely swap ours over!
Hope you had a really good holiday - sounds like there was lots of snow? Also sounds like Montgenevre is fun - was there enough time to get over there & back in time to pick the kids up, & was the hotel OK?
Gosh - it's like the Grand Inquisition
Thanks
Kate
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Kate0,
To answer your questions in turn....
1) yes, we had a realy good holiday
2) there was lots of snow - so much in Claviere one night that all the lifts were closed the next day (~half the Montgenevre lifts were open so we just went over there)
3) Montgenevre is excellent. In fact I think Claviere and Montgenevre compliment each other well. We enjoyed days where we started out in one and ended up in the other. We particularly like the Serre Timbaud area and 'Les Gondrans' was often nice when the rest of the area was overcast
4) yes, there was enough time to get to Montgenevre and back for the kids (~2pm) - see below for routes back to Claviere and my views on them
5) I assume you mean the Crystal Grand Claviere Hotel (we were in a different hotel)... all we saw of the Grand Clav were the bar, lunch menu, kids club and boot room. The bar was fine - it sold beer. The lunch menu was OK - tasty and filling toasties and chips - not the most 'authentic' Alpine cuisine but on a few days we sacrificed the tasty mountain lunch to get an extra hour's skiing and then just grabbed a quick toastie when we picked the kids up. (On the subject of lunches/coffees etc Claviere is much better served than MG IMO). The kids club was excellent, judging by how happy our kids were to go there. The boot room wasn't fantastic - no boot warmers and got quite cramped at busy times. In general then a good hotel. From what i saw I'd happily stay there and our friends who stayed there would go back. The staff were all very good. The main rep (Brenda) had only been in the resort two weeks when we were there and hadn't been able to ski. She was helpful and found out everything we needed to know but she was basically just asking the other Crystal staff. By the end of the week we just went straight to either the bar staff or front desk staff for info/recommendations. Hopefully she'll have been able to get out skiing herself more by the time you get there so will have more first-hand info.
6) yes it is a bit like the Grand Inquisition but don't worry about that - our holiday was improved by info I got from this forum so I'm very happy to give some back.
Routes to Montgenevre:
Walk up to the Miramonti hotel in Claviere, use the Montquitane lift, then green 'Suffin' into Montgenevre. Either stright on to the Chalvet gondola or left on blue 'Pharo' to a choice of the Trempin or Serre Timbaud chairs.
From Claviere ski school, get the Col Boeuf lift. From the top, turning right there are three options (slightly different from shown on piste map). Extreme right (back under the lift) take you back down to the bottom again on a nice red but not into Montgenevre. The next right (99bis, I think) takes you down a red which cuts across a black. If you look down the slope to the left you'll see an obvious sign to Montgenevre. The other right involves poling along for a bit past a derelict wooden chairlift, this brings you out at the top of an easy black, carry on down that 'til you see obvious sign to Montgenevre.
Routes to Claviere:
From Montgenevre head for the top of Le Brousset lift (many ways to get there). From there drop down blue to catch the Rocher De L'Aigle lift. On a cold,windy day this is exposed (wrap up warm). From here get the steep black 100 into Saurel. There is a red 'cat track' round the side of the steepest bit and it's marked red from where they joinup again but I'd call it a tough red, steep and quick to form bumps. From here just make your way into Claviere. We found this route took longer than expected - one day me and my mate went this way while our wives went along the bottom - if we'd all gone over the top we would have been late picking the kids up. Also we went to go over this way one day and both black and red were closed (despite being marked open at the bottom of the lift  - we were early anyway so had time to go along the bottom and get back in time.
'Along the bottom' - from the bottom of the Serre Thibaud and Tremplin lifts pole/skate along the green (XC) route next to the piste pietons. Not great skiing but a reliable way back.
From the Chalvet gondola, get green 'Suffin' to the top on the Montquitane lift, take the nice black 'Plein Soleil' to the bottom (Miramonti hotel), skis off and a 5min walk or less to the Grand Clav.
From the Serre Thibaud lift, take one of three blacks (we only did 'Trois Sales') or blue Rocher Rouge [b]nearly[b] to the bottom of the Rocher Rouge chair. Then pick up blue 'Baisses' down to the bottom of the Montquitane lift, skis off and a 5min walk or less to the Grand Clav. This is a very pleasant blue road down a lovely, often deserted, valley. If you keep your speed up it can easily be done with no poling.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Higs, Wow, thank you for such detailed information - I'm so glad you had such a great holiday! Strangely enough had a phone call from Brenda last night, asking if we had any enquiries. I have a feeling though the only reason is that the Bristol flight doesn't get to Claviere until 7pm, so we'll miss the ski hire shop & the welcome meeting  Should make the first morning nice & stressful! Ah well.....
Thanks again
Kate
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Kate - how did you get on?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Higs, Hi, We had a really good time thanks, & thanks for all the info before we went - it was really useful! Definitely agree with all of the recommendations you made - really liked the bowl & the Serre Thibaud area's in Montgenevre & picking up a Monts da la Lune map made it all so much easier to follow (the Via Lattea map was difficult to say the least). We swapped the Via Lattea passes for two countries ones with no problems.
Also agree about the run from the top of Rocher de l'Aigle. We did the black run down on the 1st day & it did feel a bit like the north face of the Eiger! We also went to Sestriere & Sansicario one day & made it back for 2.30, but it was a lot of lifts & I wasn't as keen on the skiing there as Claviere or Montgenevre, & it did seem a lot busier.
The hotel suited us perfectly & the kids club was great. I thought the kids really came on this year, mainly because they had them on the blues so quickly, but if I were a beginner I think I would be fairly tired of the blue back down to the village after a week. We took them to Montgenevre for the day on the last day & had a lovely time in Les Gondrans & over on Pharo, so much more choice of blues & greens.
We're looking to book again for next year as our friends also had a great time, but because of the price for next half term, it's already fully booked. Have suggested a week in term time which would be soo much cheaper. Would get the kids the 2 countries pass this time though!
Thanks again
Kate
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Kate
Easter is first week April next year, i got a good deal with Neilson at new apts in montgenevre, myself and 14 year old daughter are going
maybe see you there
geoff
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
