 Poster: A snowHead
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masmith,
1. No local pass, but you do get 10% discount for a family of 4.
2. Sorry, can't help.
3. AFAIK, the runs back to the runs back to the village are open until the end of the season.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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masmith, I thouight the place would be ok for family but was corrected by friends as it has far too many surface lifts and the run down could be a candiate for downloading by gondola.... as the black is crowded and probably glazed.
I can't tell you about the blue alternative.
Don't know about local Grimenzt pass.
Not heard of the Hotel Cristal..
This year, the temps right now are making the pistes slushy and the place has been over-run by Brits.....FFFS...!!!!!!!!!!! and it is Easter next week so..???????
Might have a better viewpoint when the next 2 weeks are over.
IMV, it is a place that needs a car... but that assumes you will visit the other areas...
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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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JT, thanks, TBH I hadn't looked at the make up of the lift network, it won't harm the little tykes though to be dragged up the hill, we had to when we were younger, and falling off is character building.
Not too keen on all those brits though, might as well head back off to Meribel (but that's a different story).
The problem with having a car is that kids will be in ski school so will no doubt be in the same place each day (at least each morning) - which is why it's unlikely we would visit any of the other areas, and if we did it could be a bit of a chore.
A useful bod at the hotel Cristal confirms that there is not a local Grimentz pass - it's the full Val d'Anniniers only, so with that in mind we may be taking stock. A rethink is on the cards.
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masmith,
I believe a friend of mine said the ski school were prepared to take the kids to another resort..so the parents followed them over... but I'd check with the ski school first..
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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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Hi, I'm organising a long weekend in March to Grimentz/Zinal and I was wondering whether anyone could recommend a good, cheapish hotel in either resort? Also, we're looking for a guide for two to three days. I see Serge Lambert has been recommended in the past - does anyone have his number and is there anyone else you'd recommend if he's unavailable?
Thanks very much
Ed
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Hotel de Moiry in Grimentz is a nice 2 star, with very good food. If you stay there try to get a room at the front overlooking the valley.
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edpyke,
Lambert, Serge (1945), VS
Sentier des Collines 11, 3967 Vercorin
Tel: 027 455 22 50, Mobile: 079 640 96 43, Fax: 027 455 22 50
Mail: sergelambert@bluewin.ch
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I have stayed at the Hotel de Moiry in Grimentz it is rated 2 stars but is very comfortable . The food is of a very good quality and is prepared by the owner chef. It is a five minute walk to the main gondola. A local bus will take you over to Zinal - this takes about 10 minutes or so and you can access the ski area by another cable car. There is an in bounds free ride area with some great powder conditions (or the conditions were good when we visited the area in March 2007). There is a long itinerary route from the top chair lift above Zinal that takes you back to Grimentz -this can be closed after heavy dumps of snow due to the usual avalanche dangers. The owner of the Hotel and his wife will arrange guiding for you - they are a very hospitable and knowledgable pair. If you google the hotel name it will come up - another thing that they did for us was to arrange ski passes -we just e/mailed our photos and they were ready when we checked in. You can also ski another area down at St Luc again reachable by ski bus that takes a little longer about half an hour.
If you like small resorts such as Andermatt, Engelberg,Disentis Alagna and the like you will like Grimentz - don't go there if you like a big Apres scene as there are only 2 or three bars. I tend to like the contrast and enjoy visits to the like of Zermatt and St Anton that have a very different atmosphere. The good thing about these less popular area's is that they are quieter so you rarely have to queue and they don't get skied out after a dump of snow.
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Some very good off-piste in the area. The Ski Club of GB have been offering off-piste holidays there for many years. I went there a few years ago and will certainly go back one day.
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JT, snowbandit, thanks very much. Off-piste with some skinning is the focus - apres ceased to be a (little) while ago! Having done Alagna and La Grave, we thought we'd go Swiss - a bit of a toss-up between Andermatt, Engelberg and Val D'Anniviers but the last won on account of its relative obscurity and some very enticing trip reports. I've not heard of Disentis - is that somewhere to discover before the national press does?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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edpyke, not much of the skiing offers the La Grave sort of challenges, but still a nice area because the numbers skiing the off piste are much fewer.
Engelberg is great if the snow is good but might be a bit limited if not - it does get skied out. I'm trying Andermatt this year - I get the impression there is more off piste there if you are prepared to walk a bit..
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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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snowball, thanks for that. Unfortunately we went to La Grave two years ago after a month's drought so didn't get to see the more interesting challenges. Spent two days in Alpe D'Huez and then it bucketed down so we returned to La Grave but had to keep to the main routes thanks to zero visibility. I look forward to hearing about Andermatt though - the only thing that's put us off in the past were stories of weekend crowds but I guess if it's just a question of one lift up first thing then that's not a huge issue.
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If I were going back to Andermatt..and may well do sometime soon, I would certainly check out Discentis at the same time. I think you can get there on the train.
On our drive through the Furka, there are all manner of little places that have escaped our national press but you need skins..
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You know it makes sense.
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JT knows Grim....use his contacts.
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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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| edpyke wrote: |
| JT, snowbandit, thanks very much. Off-piste with some skinning is the focus - apres ceased to be a (little) while ago! Having done Alagna and La Grave, we thought we'd go Swiss - a bit of a toss-up between Andermatt, Engelberg and Val D'Anniviers but the last won on account of its relative obscurity and some very enticing trip reports. I've not heard of Disentis - is that somewhere to discover before the national press does? |
Don't know about the UK press but with the German and Scandie crowd Disentis isn't a secret spot anymore. Though it is by far not as crowded as Engelberg etc.
Val d'Anniviers is really a fine area for freeriding and lift-assisted skinning. And all the skiing takes place in a really fabulous environment with all the 4000ers in the background.
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Poster: A snowHead
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edpyke, can't comment on La Grave, but Grimentz & Zinal have a very similar feeling to Alagna & Gressoney La Trinite.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nowhere near as wild and imposing as Le Grave IMV initially altho if you made a BIG effort you could get near to some of the 4000m peaks that feature on the Haute Route and therefore that would put you on the same sort of footing as Monterosa for sure, and then, possibly Le Grave but they are not anywhere near lifts and more in the region of day tours AIUI.
But its appeal is easy to spot stuff which isn't too tracked and also stuff that might just be a tad too far for people to commit to without being taken there by someone who knows so they do the sensible thing and leave it. We will make the effort to get further afield this year and then I may have a different perspective and I already have a list of classics to tick off.
rungsp, Meet up again..?
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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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JT, Excellent idea...PM me when you have your dates and I'll do my very best to make it.
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Following on from JT's comments, a tour from St Luc to Zinal to or Zermatt (or indeed Zinal to Zermatt) is on my ticklist. Amazing countryside, some proper mountaineering challenges if you want them and nothing like the crowds of the Haute Route
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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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Arno, I recall you looking at that.....  I can imagine a quick hoon upto the Hotel and over that ridge would be great...and wouldn't take that long.
or... coupled with a dive over into the 4th valley from Bella Tolla in the morning and out again and back to the hotel and over...but that would put you on that sunny south face in the PM.
Hmmm...
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rungsp, there from the 16th Jan
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ssnowman and snowbandit, cheers for hotel recommendation.
I spoke to Serge earlier and he's going to put together some ideas for a (all too brief) 3 day weekend. Thanks for all the tips - our trip's normal angle is day touring so the idea of getting up towards one of the 4000m peaks is excellent. However, if there's enough enthusiasm in the group for some hut-to-hut and the weather's good then I might ask Serge about some of Arno's ideas...
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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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Arno, I can see why you want to do that.. how long would it take..?
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JT, I'd probably do it as a week. Haven't had a look at a map but I am sure you can add bits on or take bits off to fill the time available
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brian
brian
Guest
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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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Hello brian - not seen you round here for a while! Winter must be in the air...
I'll possibly be in the area mid-Jan
those March dates are just after I get back from a couple of weeks in Canada so I'll probably actually have to show up at work 
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brian, Hi, was going to e-mail you about Jan and see if you are about.
Am thinking about Mar and VDA is a possibility but will decide later.
All I know is that I will want to ski in Mar, but where..?
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You know it makes sense.
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JT, love your 08 season pics from Zinal! We skied there a couple of times in 08 and were tempted by wide open slope down to the dam but ended up doing the itinerary down to Grimentz, both times following the untracked stuff too far left and ending up scraping our way through the thick forest at the bottom.
Didn't go last year after discovering Bruson which is a shorter drive from where I live. If you don't mind a short skin and want to get away from the crowds, Bruson is also worth a look. Obviously there are also some great tours on the other side of the valley from Mt Fort as well.
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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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bobinch,
Always had my eye on the Dam run off Mont Fort and if we can get over to Verbier this year... intention is good, never enough time.
We aim to do some of the smaller resorts upto the Italian border so Bruson is a possibilty, depenidng on where we decide to stop..
The Dam run off Sorbois is good for a good few hundred meters and depends on your entry but from that high point you can take any line you like, pretty much...and you can end up either side of the river/stream...
More than enough for a good few laps for a good few days, IMV
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Poster: A snowHead
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I live locally and love exploring the area. If you're doing something interesting on a weekend and don't mind company let me know. Happy to show you some good routes we skied in Verbier and Bruson last year.
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brian
brian
Guest
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Arno, ah well.
JT, well, now you know my dates if you're around. Summer scoped some nice lines.
bobinch, can show you some good bits in the Anniviers. Give you a shout in March?
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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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brian, good to see you back.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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brian, sounds good.
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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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| c-ellerby wrote: |
Anybody got a contact we can call to chat about the conditions over there ? Could do with a guide that we can call up and get some honest information .. rather than the tourist office telling us it's fantastic ... come !
Also, what's the recommended resort to stay in as there appear to be a number of linked resorts in this area ... Grimentz, Zinal, St-Luc etc .. I take it the higher up the valley the better ?
Jed |
You can have a look at the webcams. They're on my site (in the sig) or you can do a search for them.
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