 Poster: A snowHead
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| Dr John wrote: |
| I think we can all agree that you'll have a ball wherever you choose, just as long as it isn't Brides les Bains. |
erm, No.... I live a couple of miles from Brides, and certainly "have a ball" - depends on what you're looking for in a resort. Agree though that the gondola is a long drag (pun intended), and tend to drive up to Méribel, Mottaret or even ValTho.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Dr John, is right we don't like it when the weather closes in badly. We can and have skied in those conditions particularly Tignes - you have to get your money's worth! We would like a resort where there is at least the possibility of tree skiing for when that happens.
I see that people have their favourites and I understand that so am happy to hear about them. I am beginning to think that it looks like we won't get to cover it all in a week anyway. Is it a bigger area than Tignes/ Val d'Isere?
MarjMJ, We can ski all reds and can manage a few blacks if not too icy or mogully (such a word?) Also like pottering about through the trees etc if there is powder but that is our limit.
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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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Hi ruthie, I would recommend Courchevel 1650 as a base. Prices are not stupid and it is still easy for red run skiers to explore the Meribel and Val T valleys from.
Piste conditions are normally much better than the Meribel/Mottaret valley. Courchevel valley has a great selection of pistes and easily accessible off piste including some trees! If you don't fancy the ski back from 1850 after a day exploring the other valleys then there is a ski bus which departs every 10 minutes from 1850 to get you back to 1650. You can normally find last minute deals with the chalet operators out of the peak weeks. Le Ski are also worth a look.
I've done numerous seasons here and still find new things to ski although not always on the piste! 
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ruthie, La Tania, Le Praz (both in the Courchevel valley) or Meribel for trees. 3V's is a slightly bigger area than Espace Killy. If you are a decent red run skier and motivated you can ski it all in a week although you will probably find favourites and go back to those. You have the advantage that mid Jan is a quiet time so you should have no lift queues and will certainly be able to get last minute bargains on accommodation if you are flexible on location.
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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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1650 isn't a bad shout, the skiing is almost exclusively fast cruising, with 1850, La Tania and Meribel only a couple of lifts away. Espace Killy (Tignes & ValD) is another superb area, but it's mostly above the tree line, certainly all the best stuff, so may not be to your liking. Have you thought about Les Arcs? It's still on my to do list, but there is lots of tree skiing there apparently.
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It is a very very long day skiing from 1650 to VT and although the skiing is good there 1650 isnt the best base to explore the 3v's as it is at the extreme end of the resort...
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BobinCH,
The 3v is not slightly bigger than Espace Killy, it's exactly twice the size. 600km vs 300km.
I've been going there for 8 years, four to five times a year and haven't skied it out yet so, motivated or not, you're not skiing it all in a week.
1650 is a nice place to explore Courchavel from but too remote to explore the south side of the area.
You can get to VT in about 1 1/2 hours but you won't be seeing much of the resorts you're passing through.
Motteret is best placed for what you want.
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jimmjimm, I'm sure you're right about the size but even from Val Thorens you can certainly ski a good chunk of the 3 Valleys in a week if that's your goal. I did a season there many years ago and on a hard charging day starting in VT we were able to ski a fair chunk of Mottaret, Courchevel and come back via the Col de la Loze and through Meribel in one day.
As you said, 1h 30 from one end to the other so start early, finish late and you have quite a few hours in the middle to explore the different areas. A day each for VT, Les Menuires/La Masse/St Martin, Meribel/Mottaret, Courchevel 1550/1650 and Courchevel 1850/La Tania/Le Praz. That's 5 days skiing. Even leaves you a free day to go back and do your favourite again!
I'm not saying this is what I'd recommend someone do but it is quite possible with the motivation.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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jimmjimm & BobinCH,
It's not so much the km size of the area that matters, more the infrastructure that allow one to travel around it. Off the top of my head, I'd say it would take 8 lifts and 2 1/2 hours to travel from one side of the EK piste map to the other, but only about 6 lifts and 1 1/2 hours from one side of the 3V map to the other (braces self for onslaught of corrections). It's all the bits in between that make an ski area interesting. I'd say 3V and EK are even when it comes to variety of skiing, and both give a satisfying feeling of travel in a day.
Not sure what point I'm trying to make, just having fun traveling around two superb ski areas in my minds eye...
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ruthie
I've skied the 3Vs extensively and stayed in each of the valleys plus Brides Les Bains (Where despite Dr John's comment we also had a great time - nice hotel near the gondola, not a bad town for a few nights eating and drinking - and prices cheaper than up in the 3 Vs).
Anyway, I would understand it if you are completely bewildered by all of the options and suggestions on here. Each valley has its pros and cons but none has so many cons that I wouldn't stay there again.
Wherever you stay you will be staggered by the scale of the 3Vs and the quantity and quality of the skiing. Just go for it!! You can always try somewhere else next time.
Another very cheap option (accommodation and food and drink wise) that we have done a few times is to stay in a valley town and commute to the skiing. Moutiers is only 15-20 mins drive from St Martin de Belleville and has a fair range of cheap hotels. Albertville is 15 mins further. From Moutiers you can also get to Bourg St Maurice easily - about 20 mins - to access the funicular to Arc 1600 - which I think is still covered for a day's skiing on a 3 Valleys lift pass?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Off the top of my head, I'd say it would take 8 lifts and 2 1/2 hours to travel from one side of the EK piste map to the other
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I timed it once from the top of the glacier at Val D'Isere to the bottom at Tignes Les Brevieres. Skiing at reasonable speed - on end of season mush at times - it took around 1 hour and 45 mins. Of that, about an hour was spent on (seven?  ) lifts and 45 mins on skis. There were no lift queues.
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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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Transfer from Geneva to Val T is only 2hours 30 now that the motorway goes all the way.
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The drive can be done in 2 hours 10 minutes - even going the non motorway route (which is 155km) via Annecy and the lake. Coincidentally, the motorway route (approx 200km) also takes just under 2.25 hours on a good run.
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| Bergmeister wrote: |
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Transfer from Geneva to Val T is only 2hours 30 now that the motorway goes all the way.
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The drive can be done in 2 hours 10 minutes - even going the non motorway route (which is 155km) via Annecy and the lake. Coincidentally, the motorway route (approx 200km) also takes just under 2.25 hours on a good run. |
Be aware of the speed cameras en route if following the Annecy road, not a big problem if you have UK registration but it may be if you are hiring a car. There is often a mobile camera between Albertville and Moutiers.
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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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I am beginning to think that it looks like we won't get to cover it all in a week anyway.
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Probably not ruthie, and even if you ended up skiing in one area, you won't be bored. The weather kept us in/low for a couple of days on our last trip yet we just had some fun messing about on empty blue slopes like I said.
Personally, if you want to be handy for the skiing I would be as high up as poss.
I was interested to see the 'Courchevel is better snow [sic] ' comments. We found that was the case with respect to higher parts of Mottaret, especially around the Saulire and runs around there but TBH have never skied lower into Courchevel that the altiport as the snow was poop. It also was much busier at that high point than in other parts of the 3V e.g. at the high points of Val T. But that was our experience on one or 2 days over 4 years so you can distill from that what you will.
I would however SACK any ideas of driving up from Albertville or Moutiers. God love it, but even in the blazing summer sun, Moutiers is not somewhere to linger. And who wants to spend all that time driving to end up at the low end of a resort. It is a ski hol.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just had a quick scan of this thread and was wondering, can anyone on here say which station might be best as a base to give access to the largest options for off piste skiing for a two week holiday.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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richardK, IMO nowhere else gets even close to Val Thorens for off piste in 3v's. The Cime de Caron cable car takes you up to 3200m and has great off piste options in all directions including the 1400m vertical Vallon du Lou. Other good stuff off Epaule du Bouchet in the 4th Valley, off Col including the classic glacier descents of the Face ouest, gebroulaz and borgne. VT also gives easy access to the excellent La Masse down in les Menuires and to Mt Vallon over in Mottaret. However if you've got 2 weeks can you split it between 3v's and Espace Killy? Even better off piste in Val d'Isere/Tignes!
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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 would however SACK any ideas of driving up from Moutiers
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Moutiers is not somewhere to linger. And who wants to spend all that time driving to end up at the low end of a resort. It is a ski hol.
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All that time? 20 minutes to St Martin de Belleville isn't bad, surely? Then you are only 2 lifts from Mottaret/Meribel/Les Menuires, 3 lifts from Courchevel 1850 and 4 lifts away from Val Thorens/La Tania.
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which station might be best as a base
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As in railway? It has to be Moutiers for the 3 Valleys 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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BobinCH, Thanks for the ideas. I have heard of most of these off piste areas. Would it be worth joining the SCGB rep to try these areas or are they to restricted these days?
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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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Bergmeister, a total pfaff IMO. Isn't the point that you are going to the largest ski area to ski, not beggar about with cars [although when we were in St Martin the snow conditions were poop so we drove up to the car park at the start of Val T... DH has some kind of desire to get changed in the car park for some reason  ]
You can do it of course. Just my opinion.
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Of course it should really be renamed the 4 Valleys, since they opened up into the Maurienne valley beyond Val Thorens. La Masse is well worth visiting and the skiing from the Cime de Caron cable car is some of the best in the whole 3 Valleys (especially off piste).
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If you have never been to the 3-Valleys you will probably have a great time which ever resort you go to. Any of the resorts will keep you busy without much need to stray into the other valleys and each valley offers more than most other resorts. However the more you visit the 3-Valleys the more picky you get and the more you tend to travel to find favourite runs or restaurants etc. Frankly I cannot see the benefit of getting into a car if I could avoid it.
My suggestion is that you choose the valley that best suits you, each has its own benefits. The Courchevel valley is expensive, has cruisy runs and some very good mountain restaurants, Le Tania and Le Praz offer more budget alternatives and more tree line skiing. The Meribel Valley is more centrally placed, with great access to all valleys, has particularly good skiing around Vallon, but Meribel itself might not be to everyones taste. Motteret is even better placed but is not so much of a centre. Val Thorens is snowsure but could be regarded as bleak and you could get trapped in this valley, but it does have access to some good ski areas, Les M is ugly and rightly or wrongly we avoid it! We like the runs into St Martin. As you work towards the VT valley eating and drinking gets cheaper!
Given all this choice I cannot see why one would want to stay further down the Valleys, though Les Allues or La Raffort has the bubble coming up the valley, and you can ski back down to them if the run is open.
Hope that this helps.
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Les M is ugly and rightly or wrongly we avoid it!
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Wrongly IMHO...
There are some of the best runs in the Belleville Valley around Les Menuires.
And some of the best off piste
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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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| richardK wrote: |
| BobinCH, Thanks for the ideas. I have heard of most of these off piste areas. Would it be worth joining the SCGB rep to try these areas or are they to restricted these days? |
Not sure what the SCGB do I'm afraid. Mabye someone else on here has skied with them in VT and can answer?
If you don't know the area I would hire a guide early in your trip to show you the best areas. In any case if you want to ski the glacier runs - Gebroulaz, Face Ouest etc you should take a guide unless you are experienced in glaciated terrain. I used one a couple of years back the first time I did the Gebroulaz/Borgne and he was very good - I'll try and dig out the name.
You can also ask the guide to show you/point out other routes that are in good condition and that you would be "safe" skiing on your own.
North facing areas like Front side of Col (although glaciated) are usually well tracked, keep the snow in good condition, and route finding is easy and visible from the lift/piste. Same for much of the stuff on front side of Cime de Caron, Grand Fond and Boismint.
Areas like Vallon du Lou, backside of Grand Fond, back of Cime de Caron are a bit more exposed and see more avalanche activity. Be sure to check the avalanche bulletins that are posted daily on the board by the ski school.
If you are there on your own one idea might be to ask around in the Frog and Roastbeef and see if you can hook up with some of the skiing regulars who may be willing to show you around for a few beers.
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There are some of the best runs in the Belleville Valley around Les Menuires.
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Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 
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