shoogly, Very kind of you Sir, I'll have a beer! Well done for booking with AE - good move - do you know who you are skiing with? What days have you booked for?
Adrian, Now you mention it I remember Wayne telling me that they had one guide that would take boarders too - might have to book a day or two to go off with the OH - trouble is she is a much better skier than I am a boarder!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I love Val D'Isere, I'll be heading back there in March.
Sache isn't too bad at all. I wouldn't describe it as an easy black, but it's not really nasty either. There is a steepish section near the end but it's OK. It's fine because you can see the restaurants at the bottom so it gives you something to aim for!
If I can do it, any average skier can.
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?
Piccadilly, first time I did Sache it was a monster, I have never seen such big moguls with such nasty drop offs! Next time I went I warned all my friends, and there wasn't a mogul to be seen! There can be a very icy steep pitch near the end if there aren't any moguls!
Going in March to the Moris (lads trip) not getting tooooexcited yet as Whisler in 3 weeks! Yipppeeeeee
Dr John, i'd prefer the later, but am looking forward to it. We've chosen a quiet week so here's hoping there's a lack of victims of the moguls blocking our way down
Anyone got any other "must do" itineraries in the espace killy?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
shoogly, top to bottom of Fornet is a great route. Glacier speed cruising at the top, gentle blues in the middle then, if open, the foret black through the trees down to base. This can be tougher than Sache because the mogul field is longer, but very rewarding. Piste S from Solaise down to Val is also pretty challenging, half of it is a gully so there's no escape once your in it, I've seen a few tears on there before (not mine, I was merely whimpering).
After all it is free
After all it is free
Sounds good. I had read about piste S before and have seen a couple of ariel shots of it so know what to expect. Fornet is now on the list
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Dr John, OOOOH Piste S! Friend jarred his back on a drop off on the moguls there! In pain for the rest of the holiday! The thing is you can't really go for a "sneaky peek" once on it you're stuck with it! And you haven't mentioned the tree roots on Foret! Actually I am getting excited now!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
shoogly, Piste S tip: save some energy for the last bit, because where it joins up with red M people can see about 30m up the gully. You want to be confidently joining onto M and pretend the rest of it was easy.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I always think that the classic top to bottom from top of Tignes Grand Motte glacier down to Val Claret is a great run - awesome views from the top and the piste just keeps going and going and going!
The sache - they typically piste it about once a week... so you can either be real lucky or real unlucky in terms of it being bumpy or not!
Just to let everyone know that Piste S for some reason (the wind it was) has not got the best coverage this Winter and there is a band of rocks about 1/2 way down that need avoiding. It is possible to traverse hard skies right at any point bar the very middle section to get out of the S gulley if it all gets a little too much.
Another nice black run that is not very frequented is the Marmottes down to the Manchet Express chairlift or the Arcelle red next to it... but if you are coming anytime from about early March onwards you have to get the timing right for these pistes as they are south-west facing and get spanked with the sun so sheet ice for the first part of the day then perfect condition for an hour or two and then slush after that... with those two runs the ONLY way back out (unless you walk / skate along the valley floor) is back out on the Manchet Express chair.
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.
Steve Angus, good call on Archelle red, one of the best around and slightly off the beaten track so not too busy (or perhaps I was just lucky)
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
In the first minute or so, there's a trail that goes down a tight gully, with a hole in it that someone has to throw their skis through. Looks interesting. Is it a piste or an itinerary run?
Thanks for your input Steve.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:
a trail that goes down a tight gully
is that the Piste Perdue? I'm so glad I never let my son persuade me to follow him down there.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
It is the Vallee Perdue - that can be accessed down a tree lined gulley off the side of the Verte piste. If you are looking for it, IIRC, access is on the left about 1/3 to halfway down the part of vert you drop down just past the Folie Douce / La Daille Bubble station, just as you start to get to the tree line and before the route dog legs right towards the tunnel. It is great fun but can get busy (the 'not so hidden valley' may have been a btter name!). Last time I did it was quite late in the season and there was a fair amount of clambering down small water falls and mud walking involved at the bottom! Steve Angus may be able to give better directions and advice on the route and best times to go.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:
that can be accessed down a tree lined gulley off the side of the Verte piste
that's the one. I think he kept calling it the "Piste Perdue" to lull me into a false sense of security. The vis was terrible and he perched on the edge and said to my daughter and me "We just drop down into this little gulley". At the time we couldn't see what we were dropping into. We both declined and skied down Verte instead - just marginally less dangerous, strewn with panicking beginners, icy lumps and chunks of rocky bits.
My son is a very good skier but having spent so much time with instructors when he was in Val D'Isere (and feeling a complete klutz in comparison) has a very modest idea of his ability and doesn't realise how much better than the rest of us he is. It's sweet that he's so modest but it makes it nerve-wracking following him around an area I don't know.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I'm sat in the ducs now. It's pretty much opposite the gare routiere, just 30secs off the main road down an alley. The free buses stop opposite the hotel and it's definetly easier to hop on one rather than walk up to the lifts.
The lift pass gets you one free entry to the pool. After that it's 5 euros for a child and I think 6 euros for an adult. It's a lovely pool though. Remember your trunks as expensive to buy over here! Cost me 60 euros for two cossies last year!
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?
binkacat, I read that as "sat in the docs" and wondered what had happened.
lib-banana, don't know who I'll be skiing with, but i'll find out if you fancy joining the same group?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
shoogly wrote:
Just watched this video...
In the first minute or so, there's a trail that goes down a tight gully, with a hole in it that someone has to throw their skis through. Looks interesting. Is it a piste or an itinerary run?
Definitely pisted- apparently they don't do it very often, but it is quite an amazing to see the piste bashers navigate through that hole in the rocks.
After all it is free
After all it is free
lib-banana, will be skiing with Chris.
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.
shoogly, Oh great - top guy - French Aussie - my wife knows his OH Suzanne - you'll have a good time with him. Afraid I'm not allowed to join - Chris doesn't take boarders - think only one of the AE guides does mixed groups - but think we're gonna try to book a couple of days if he's available (thinks its Thomas that boards too IIRC)
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
mountainaddict wrote:
Having seen details of the 3 Vallees Escapade, a couple of weeks ago Mrs MA and I made up an equivalent 'Ski the whole of Espace Killy in a day' jaunt - aka 'The Espace Killer Loop.'
We started at Tignes Val Claret and the day went like this:
Tichot Chair at 09.00 then worked our way up, across and down to Les Brevieres via the Aiguille Percee.
Gondola out of Les Brevieres.
Up Aiguille Rouge chair from top of the gondola and skied down to Le Lac.
Aeroski then down to La Daille.
Funival then down to bottom of Santons draglifts.
Up Santons drag.
Up Grand Pre Chair.
Down past bottom of Fontaine Froide Chair and down Santons run to Val D'Isere.
Solaise Chair.
Piste L gully run closed due to avalanche risk so took the more circuitous Germain Mattis run to Le Laisinant chair.
Down Table D'Orientation run then Foret piste to bottom of Le Fornet cable car.
Up cable car.
All glacier lifts closed - so quick run off Pyramides Express chair.
Up gondola towards Pissailas Glacier.
Next, took the up and over Leissieres Express and back to the top of Solaise.
Down Solaise to Olympique gondola.
From there to Tommeuses chair.
Down to Val Claret and Lanches and Vanoise chairs up Grande Motte glacier.
Cable car to top shut - so Leisse run instead.
Back down to Val Claret via Double M.
Time in hand so up Tichot and Grattalu chairs.
Just enough time to catch Grand Huit chair, which closed at 16.45, so did that and finished by skiing down to Le Lac.
Next time we would ski it differently - eg miss out the black and bumpy Foret run at Le Fornet as the alternative blue run would be faster and easier. We also want to do it when both glacier areas have the top lifts open.
And for completeness, we should really include Les Boisses....
Anyway, as it was, it filled the day nicely and we skied 37,000 feet vertical.
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.
I'm looking for some info on the X-games that are on in Tignes when we're in Val D'Isere. Anyone know if there's buses running at night to return folk down the hill and back along to Val D'Isere again once the comps have finished each evening?
I really want to see the superpipe and slopestyle.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Getting ready to head off early Sunday... Anyone any last minute tips?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
shoogly wrote:
Getting ready to head off early Sunday... Anyone any last minute tips?
Yes, enjoy you holiday.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Adrian, guaranteed
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
shoogly wrote:
Getting ready to head off early Sunday... Anyone any last minute tips?
Just pray the road is open by then
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Road is open
Thankfully, for all those transfers tomorrow. That could have been messy.
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?
Yep all open and should be flowing fine for transfer day.... good luck.
i'd second the arcelle and marmottes pistes into the manchet valley.
you can get to the vallee perdue by cutting immediately left around the bottom of the tommeuses chair (look for the snow mobile hire place and go between it and the chair).
the bottom of the sache was porridgy moguls when we were there last week (25/2-3/3) but then it was unseasonably warm.
definitely do the grande motte all the way down to val claret. lovely run all in a one-er. the short black off the side of the tignes glacier (leisse) is also a nice opener and you're pretty much guaranteed good snow at that altitude compared to lower down.
do the face first thing when it's been bashed and there are very few people on it. then do it later in the day to appreciate what a pleasure it was earlier! 2 of us used it as our warm up each morning whilst waiting for the loafers in our group.
fab high speed cruising to be had in the val glacier with very few people to get in the way of your super-g carves the red off the side of the t-bar at the very top is a fave (combe du geant).
we found that the lifts 'merles', 'grand huit' and 'aiguille percee' had virtually no queues compared to those leading directly out of tignes and a have nice selection of blues and reds with space to breathe. amazing what difference going just one lift further makes!
aiguille percee down to les brevieres - our favoured route when not fancying the sache was corniche, myosotis, chardons, pavot. makes for a great long red.
and if you fancy a challenge, as someone copy/pasted above, do the entire area. our route was based on a time goal (meeting the loafers for lunch at 2), so we did both glaciers, les brevieres and le fornet (the 4 corners) in 4.5 hrs. val -> tignes glacier -> les brevieres -> val glacier -> le fornet for lunch at the restaurant at the top of the cable car.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
grazzenger, all good info. Face in the morning sounds good.
Now, I've searched and searched, but can't find a post from some fellow snowheads who will be in resort next week as well. Any morning apart from Tuesday or Thursday is good for me at the moment, unless I book more guiding..
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
shoogly, how did you find the Ducs and esprit? Thinking of booking with them and some feedback would be useful.
After all it is free
After all it is free
shoogly wrote:
I'm looking for some info on the X-games that are on in Tignes when we're in Val D'Isere. Anyone know if there's buses running at night to return folk down the hill and back along to Val D'Isere again once the comps have finished each evening?
I really want to see the superpipe and slopestyle.
I'm sure I read that the x games had been cancelled in Tignes due to a funding issue with the promoters, may be wrong tho
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.
yep its cancelled
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Curtains wrote:
shoogly wrote:
I'm looking for some info on the X-games that are on in Tignes when we're in Val D'Isere. Anyone know if there's buses running at night to return folk down the hill and back along to Val D'Isere again once the comps have finished each evening?
I really want to see the superpipe and slopestyle.
I'm sure I read that the x games had been cancelled in Tignes due to a funding issue with the promoters, may be wrong tho
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
And you haven't mentioned the tree roots on Foret! Actually I am getting excited now!
that's the one. I think he kept calling it the "Piste Perdue" to lull me into a false sense of security. The vis was terrible and he perched on the edge and said to my daughter and me "We just drop down into this little gulley". At the time we couldn't see what we were dropping into. 
the red off the side of the t-bar at the very top is a fave (combe du geant).
