 Poster: A snowHead
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@Steve Angus, as both PeakyB and Muppet have said, thanks for the updates. Let's hope things settle down over the summer so we can look forward to another great season next year.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Iski - ha ha. Thanks re the hanger - Bens is taking shape currently!
thefatcontroller - yes indeed it was decadent that is for sure
PeakyB - thanks as always - yes the end of an 'interesting' season! Yes look back with fondness will hopefully be my motto for sure! Yes there have been some great moments this season that is for sure! My favourite was only a week or so before the end I think - fresh powder all the way down (first tracks too) to the heli pick up zone at Chevril - paid to take people heli skiing in fresh powder - does NOT always work out that way - ha ha! But yea skiing the Face with my daughter was a proud moment too! Thanks - yes heres to the positive future for us all!
muppet - thanks indeed! Ill keep an eye on your place for you and yes hope to see you in the Summer sometime!
sno trax - thanks - yes indeed! Settle down will be the vital thing!
Day 55 - T-1 days!
Well folks another day passes... very much 'same as, same as' really. However today feels slightly different - excitement in the air. Actually relief really... the thought that tomorrow we can go to a friends house for a cuppa, we could go for a long cycle ride and have family picnic half way up the mountain if we wanted - its 'freedom' really. In honour I have burned my attestation we have had to carry around for the last 8 weeks - binned all of our forms and put the passport (ID) back away in the filing cabinet!
We had a nice time out for a walk and like yesterday the clouds and rain moved in later on so we enjoyed the most of the weather in the morning!
We spoke to quite a few family members and indeed Clare is on hour 3 of a friends Zoom get-together - or so it seems - ha ha!
In terms of schooling - we should hear tomorrow about Thursday (its now Thursday for the local school back to school time!) and Olivia going back to school but our nice French neighbour has said she will have Olivia and Ben over for play dates from time to time to help Olivia practice her French BUT apart from that we do not know what and when might happen!
So yes this is the last daily update from me for this season and as the 8 week lockdown 'phase 1' comes to an end we hope that the next few weeks brings some good news and that when I do my monthly update at the end of next month there will be better news all round! So it will be monthly updates from now on in!
Radio Val published this today:
"From tomorrow, mountain activities can resume and parks and gardens in the city can reopen. 95% of the department's schools will be able to open for the most part on May 14, then on staggered dates. We do not yet know the date of reopening of the schools in Val d'Isère, the teachers will pre-start Monday and it has already been announced that the school will continue to be done remotely on Tuesday. Middle school students in 6th and 5th will be able to start again from May 18, the date has not yet been set for students in 4th and 3rd. Finally concerning the health plan, the 10 COVID centers of the department, including that of Bourg St Maurice, will be maintained. The tests will not be performed directly by the treating physicians, but by the medical analysis laboratories and COVID centers. In case of symptoms, you should consult your general practitioner who will decide, or not, to order a PCR test. If it turns out to be positive, you will be asked to isolate yourself and give the names and phone numbers of the people with whom you have been in contact within the 48 hours preceding the arrival of the first symptoms to test them in turn. In Savoie, 40 dedicated health insurance people will manage this monitoring. In the department, 150 accommodations in hotels and holiday centers are available, to isolate contact persons if necessary"
Looking forward to being able to use this tomorrow (well the kids anyway!)
TTFN
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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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Many thanks for all your blogs. I shall miss them but you definitely deserve a break. Let's hope we can all ski freely next winter.
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Thank you, Steve Angus, I hope you and your family are able to have a reasonably enjoyable and productive summer.
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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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@Steve Angus, best blog on the net - thanks for keeping it going through the crisis 
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Fantastic you made it through lockdown! Thanks for the updates. Enjoy the bike rides and picnics.
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Olivia's card is so lovely - even felt a little tearful reading it! Reading your updates has become part of my daily routine, so just wanted to say thanks and enjoy your impending freedom 
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Thanks for all you do on social media. It helps us get through this. See you next season.
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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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| Sheffsnow91 wrote: |
| Reading your updates has become part of my daily routine, so just wanted to say thanks and enjoy your impending freedom |
Long time lurker - very infrequent poster but just had to agree. Your 'blog' is the first post I look for on opening Snowheads. So thank you for sharing your lock-down experience with us. I have so enjoyed reading about your days and your family and am in awe at just how you've managed it so well and so positively, when i am sure at times it has been very hard indeed.
Have a good summer, enjoy your freedom, and l look forward to the June installment.
Regards
Sharon
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Thank you for these. I hope all goes well over the summer for all of you (including your mum). Olivia looks so "grown up" in some of the photos over the last few day.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Steve Angus, It has been so interesting following your French Alps lockdown, hope you all have a great summer and look forward to your posts later in the year.
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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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Thanks for your great commentary - great to see how well you have apparently coped. One may grumble here but it sounds as if it has been far more restrictive in France. and the takeaway menu looks fab and very reasonable. Have mercifully discovered a couple of <4 miles pre covid haunts that are doing takeaways and sunday roasts and this week's project is to start using them. Sadly my local is not doing anything. Good luck for next season (and with the accounts).
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WOW THANKS EVERYONE
Such kind words and plenty of people came out the woodwork to comment today! Stay safe and yes ill be back in a few weeks time! First day of freedom today FELT different - bike ride into town (decadent!) and a play in the playground for the kids - they were born again - perhaps Clare and I were too!
Still no word on schools going back on Thursday or not..... arghhh! But good news I have finally finished my accounts! Bring it on - Summer 2020 has arrived!
TTFN
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You know it makes sense.
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have a great lockdown free summer!!
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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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Thanks Steve. It's been fascinating to have an insider's account of what its been like in a French resort. We have stayed in your apartment block in previous years, but this year it all closed down before we could get there. Like the familiar views from the balcony nevertheless.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Watching
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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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It's great to have your news, Steve. Many thanks.
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Good to hear how things are going for you and your family!
Hopefully the strange 14 days quarantine rule in uk will have been abandoned by the time you want to visit!!
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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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thanks for the update. i find the box for the children to play in most disturbing but that perhaps isnt for this forum.
nice to hear things are returning to normal. would love to go for a coffee somewhere!! (stuck in scotland).
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Great update thanks Steve.
Ahh the Moris, crikey that's moved on  What is going there (as if it won't be £££ accommodation!!)
Glad you have some good downtime on Father's day. Can't wait to get back out there in the winter - and we have a cheeky summer roadtrip planned for June as well to take in the glacier for a morning!
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Thanks for the update. Sounds like things are getting back to normal (well as normal as can be).
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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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@Steve Angus, always love your honest and real reports. The press are desperate to sensationalise everything present.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Steve Angus, great to get your positive update from France and to hear you’re all doing well.
Good luck with travel to and from UK in September, hoping that quarantine will be lifted by then.
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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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What are the peoples views on Val d'isere as a resort for beginners / early "intermediates"? Historically Val has always had a reputation for being a bit tough for beginners but feels like in recent times its made a lot of changes to address that. The top of the solaise area from memory is great for starting out & building confidence, and there are quite a good few green runs to explore at the top of the bellevarde area.
Reason i'm asking is my wife is a very is a nervous beginner and we are considering Val as our next trip (pandemic permitting!). I think she'd like the rest of the resort but i'm just trying to work out if i'm being optimistic as place where she is going to be able to progress. Previously we've done Courchevel which went down really well and great skiing for her level. I've skied EK many times it's my favourite resort so i feel a bit biased but it's easy to forget how challenging things are when you start out.
Views and advise welcome!
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@Russeh,
Skiing down to the resort can be tricky and she could take the lift down where necessary. Easy stuff on Solaise, in Fornet and in the Big Bellevarde bowl. Plus lots of accessible stuff in the Palafour area and elsewhere over the ridge in Tignes. So plenty of beginner and low intermediate pistes to ski. I would not be too concerned.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Russeh, generally speaking, I think 'very nervous' and 'Val D'Isere' don't sit well together.
But I think if you know the area really well, are a good judge of varying conditions through the day, how busy certain pistes might be at different times, etc, then Val D could be OK for a very nervous beginner / early intermediate.
As you say, the top of the Solaise/Madeleine area is good and has been has been made much more beginner friendly in recent years. Progression onto and through the early intermediate stage a bit more challenging but there are possibilities. Comparing the 2 places you mention, I'd say Courchevel just has the edge in that respect. Choosing between 3V and EK a nice problem to have. 
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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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Val is wonderful for beginners and early intermediates but they need to be careful about skiing down to the valley. The verte down to La Daille is OK but it is too easy to miss the correct route and find yourself having to cope with a red run.
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Poster: A snowHead
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The Solaise area amongst others such as Bellevarde have excellent beginner or early intermediate slopes how ever it can be very miserable up there if the weather is bad. I think we have to remember that beginners can spend a lot of time standing around.
There is not much in Val for beginners lower down so I would not say it is ideal in that respect.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks, good to get a sense check and it sounds like i'm not way off piste on this (pun intended!)
Yeah i think we could manage things. I've already set expectations about returning into the village e.g. she'll download backdown which she's happy to do. I think we'll start over at Madeleine and take it from there. As you say PeakyB, its the progression thats the tricky bit but i reckon she'd do ok around the bellevarde bowl.
I can't recall what it's like between VD side and Val Claret, the blue into Tignes is easy but i can't remember what the connecting runs is like.
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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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^^^^ yea what most of my estimeed and fellow SH's have said really. Val gets a bad rap for beginners but bearing in mind there are free beginner lifts too and the new Solaise magic carpets etc I think Val actually is darn good for beginners now. Courcheval is a 'progression dream' though really so you can't compare from that side of things!
Just one thing though Russeh when you say "I think we'll start over at Madelaine and take it from there." Madelaine is NOT the best green run for beginners etc... however there aren't many other options! Actually I think (as long as the person is strong turning to the right and therefore good on their left foot) then walking down the steps atop the Bellevarde after exctigin the Olympic... then skiing the Collet BLUE to Grand Pre is the best option.... when they get to GP then the greens up there are lovely.... and they are building a new resto at bottom of Grand Pre (probably not for this Winter coming but next though!). However lots of the greens even in Val and blues need a fair bit of local knowledge - think the green at the top of the Borsat chair - that would be a black for most resorts most of the time - however there is a path that people dont always know is there as an 'escape route!'
Also the connecting runs between Val and Val Claret are OK but the Borsat route generally is nicer and less busy!!!!
But generally the other advice above is very good from the others!
MAIN BIT OF ADVICE though is DOWNLOAD wherever she can - dont be tempted to ski down to the bottom!
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Thanks for the detail@Steve Angus. Yeah i've often found the piste clarification in Val hilarious, i think the last time i was there i came down a green with giant moguls on it, that might actually have been the one you mentioned under the Borsat chair. 
Beginner is such a variable term, my wife can snowplough, link her turns and control her speed from the top of xscape. Although is less confident on the top half of it, she's taking lessons here every couple of weeks hoping that we can get her to some sort of basic parallel as that's really going to help her progress. We will without a doubt be getting tuition for her when we are in resort.
I've got a mental note that Madelaine is very similar to the snow-domes in steepness but longer, it's also easy to get to and back again without being over committed which is important to her. As you say though, not too many alternatives.
Where are the steps at the top of the Olympic? There is a steep ish bit just as you exist which i don't think at the moment she would thank me for! if there are steps to bypass then that sounds like a good option to avoid anything that would rattle confidence.
I'll never take her anywhere which i haven't already checked out in advance or she's already done with an instructor.
Totally with you on the downloading comment!
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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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@Russeh, Come out of the Olympic Gondola and take an immediate 90 left. There's a metal staircase at the corner of the building that drops you near to the exit piste from Loyes Express. Normally got quite a few pensioners on foot heading to the Bellvarde Resto. Same steps are handy for the trudge to the Cairn off piste route. But that's a secret 
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| Russeh wrote: |
Where are the steps at the top of the Olympic? There is a steep ish bit just as you exist which i don't think at the moment she would thank me for! if there are steps to bypass then that sounds like a good option to avoid anything that would rattle confidence.
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At least it's not as steep as the short pitch from where the top of the old cable car (prior to the Olympic Gondola) used to be......which was well above the current station.
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@chocksaway actually now i've thought about i think i do remember where they are but though it went to some toilets or something. Anyway for my side of the trip i'm looking forward to exploring off-piste maybe i'll have to check out the Cairn route. I take it you still have your pad in Le Lac chocksaway?
@Old Fartbag yeah actually i was watching a video on VD a few days ago, i didn't release the old Olympic run use to start much further up than where it does now. That was quite some time ago though wasn't it, 80s maybe?
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| Russeh wrote: |
@chocksaway actually now i've thought about i think i do remember where they are but though it went to some toilets or something. Anyway for my side of the trip i'm looking forward to exploring off-piste maybe i'll have to check out the Cairn route. I take it you still have your pad in Le Lac chocksaway?
@Old Fartbag yeah actually i was watching a video on VD a few days ago, i didn't release the old Olympic run use to start much further up than where it does now. That was quite some time ago though wasn't it, 80s maybe? |
Yea he still has his place in Tignes I believe unless he's just sold it! The Cairn can also be reached by 'right and around just above the top Olympic lift station too' - thats my preferred route.... just be careful in the Cairn - it gets well skied but can be dangerous especially the traverse in!
The Olympic Games start hut is still visible up high!!!! But the Olympic gondola was put in at the start of this century a good 10 years after the Olympics were here!
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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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| Steve Angus wrote: |
The Olympic Games start hut is still visible up high!!!! But the Olympic gondola was put in at the start of this century a good 10 years after the Olympics were here! |
You almost certainly know Aaron Cassells from NI.
When I was on a lesson with him (probably mid 90s, when he worked with Snowfun)), he showed me that when he raced, where he took the jump from (and landed), after pushing out of that little hut. It was quite sobering to see how far he would have gone in the air. I think he said he was racing on old school 220s.
I was there in '92, about a week (maybe 2) before those Olympics. They were helicoptering the snow onto the newly finished Face, to build one of the jumps. The weather and snow were wonderful that week and the resort was very quiet, as everybody seemed to be avoiding it...possibly because they thought it would be swamped.
We stayed at La Daille, so as to be near the newly installed Funicular, in order to be whisked up Belvarde in a few minutes - but it didn't turn a wheel, which IIRC was something to do with changing its propulsion system to something that actually worked! 
Happy Days.
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We got a late deal for the Olympics and had a great time. Plenty of skiing and a bit of spectating.
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FAQ
