 Poster: A snowHead
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Although Les Saisies has a good snow record other parts of the Espace Diamant (notably the Arly Valley) less so. The key problem for both the Evasion Mont Blanc and the Espace Diamant is lack of high altitude skiing and no amount of new links will solve that problem. There has been talk of a link along the Arly Valley between Megeve and Praz sur Arly for years and years. That's a short distance compared to linking Les Contamines and Les Saisies. That would tie Megeve into the Espace Diamant (though I think the former would be the main beneficiary). But would leave Les Contamines out, obviously.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Origen, The distances look about the same to me. You could build a lift up to the bottom of Bellasta from somewhere in Belleville.
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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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| j b wrote: |
Do keep us updated if you get more emails. |
Shall do. I spoke with some friends in the village and they'd not heard about it so they're off to do some sleuthing
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| j b wrote: |
Fascinating @NoDosh. I found I couldn't get beyond the first page of your link without filling in the questionnaire - it didn't actually say anything about the project. .
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I completed the survey & it does give you more info (a map of the proposed gondola on piste map) half way through the survey, they are not planning anymore pistes, just a big gondola linking the two area at there closest points
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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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@Jonny996, that got me pulling out my maps. That closest point would seem to be the bottom of the Col chair on the Hauteluce side to an Espace Diamant chairlift on the side of the valley (Bellastat). It would be a bit of a trek from Les Contamines town, or as far as I can see the entry points of Espace D, so the benefits would be fairly balanced though there might not be huge amounts of traffic.
I do see that a link from Megeve to somewhere in Espace D would be of bigger benefit to Megeve, though Praz sur Arly might then seem less like the very end of the ski area. However it would require Megeve to improve the lift connections on the Rochebrune ridge and that seems to be in never-never-land.
Ditto a direct link between Megeve and Les Contamines (presumably a two-way cable car from the bottom of the Cote 2000 chair up to Aiguille Croche but that would need updates on the Les C side too.
Anyway, I should do that survey and find out for myself.
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The Espace Diamant / Les Contamines link has been on the cards for ages - isn't that part of the reason for Les Saisies creating the Bellasta sector / chair, as a first link in the chain with such a high capacity lift?
Somewhat surprised it still hasn't been derailed by environmental concerns / protests though.
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I received that email and have completed it. My understanding is that the liason would be lift only (no piste).
My feedback was generally positive although I expressed two concerns:
1. will it just make Les C even busier in a poor snow season? That would not be attractive to me as a primarily Les C client
2. In peak periods, will queues at the Les C lifts from the valley first thing in the morning mean that we frequently are short of time to take advantage of the scope of Espace Diamant and would this issue mean that you need to debottleneck those lifts for us to get value from the bigger lift pass
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| Quote: |
will it just make Les C even busier in a poor snow season?
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I would think that a link over from Megeve would have more of an effect from that point of view.
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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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@jedster, On your point 2, there is probably a need to upgrade Douce/Grattary in Les Saisies to a detachable chair, maybe Brichou and Roche Blanche as well, or you just move the bottlenecks elsewhere.
I stopped the survey on the page where it was asking what I would be prepared to pay for a 6 day pass, I don't have an answer as I would still buy a season pass.
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| Origen wrote: |
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will it just make Les C even busier in a poor snow season?
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I would think that a link over from Megeve would have more of an effect from that point of view. |
Agreed but I don't think that is on the agenda
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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yeah - I just stuck something in for that - at the low end - even though I'd probably buy a season pass too. The area would be big but not of the quality of VdI/Tignes (which is the comparisonthey offered) so should be a chunk cheaper I think.
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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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Good point @jedster, presumably the business case for a link would be around increased numbers buying lift passes - but the limited capacity of the Montjoie gondola is already causing queues in the French school holidays.
But once up there is rarely a big problem with queues, that hypothetical Megeve link would provide a separate entry point so extra numbers could be absorbed.
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Are there ever significant delays in Belleville? Not when I've been to Les C, but that was never in the French school hols. A frequent bus shuttle service from Hauteluce to Belleville might be far cheaper than a huge new lift.
I suspect a new lift won't happen - I don't see that there's enough in it for either end, as the top areas of both the Espace Diamant and Contamines have the best snow for miles around!
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You know it makes sense.
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The Espace Diamant lift company is sending out emails with a link to the survey too, got one this morning.
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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’ve never skied the espace diamant, is it worth a day trip?
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Jonny996, absolutely! I would rate it marginally ahead of Megeve / St Gervais (excluding Les Contamines) I think for interesting runs, though the lift system is worse. It's similar sort of terrain though.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
I’ve never skied the espace diamant, is it worth a day trip?
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Yes. It's the size of Kitzbuhel and a lot bigger than Les Contamines.
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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 worry that a link between Bellasta and Belleville would just increase development in the valley. it's nice right now but if there were access to both stations some of the meadows might be more attractive as housing projects.
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Random question, but has anyone read if they will still have lockers to rent in the new gondola house in StG.
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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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@iainm, that is amusing. French communes are fiercely territorial.
It is interesting that the article refers to a proposal for a new lift on the Megeve side, that's something I hadn't heard about.
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Interesting @Jonny996, though it seems like a private campaign unconnected to the Mairie.
Last summer we sat and had a pizza outside at the Pizzeria Delizio just off the square, and noticed a group of musicians setting up opposite outside the Brasserie du Mont Blanc. It turned out to be a small "dad band" with the bassist in particular having the appearance of a superannuated hippy - but actually they played some excellent covers with the lead guitar being really very good. A crowd built up, ending up with a spontaneous decision to block the traffic (someone stole some cones from somewhere) and repurpose the road as a dance floor. It would have been better though to block the traffic at the roundabout where cars could have been diverted to the alternative route.
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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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@j b, Yes there seems to be more & more live music in the summer now, which is a positive in my eyes.
We've been here all of July & back for the UTMB weekend end of August if you are around then?
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@Jonny996, not sure what is happening, we are having to run round after ailing elderly relatives a bit at the moment. I am hoping we can get over towards the end of August though, and/or some point in September.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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I am assuming residents is perm residents & not second home owners which is a bit rich considering we all pay the same tax habitable
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Yes, looks like a lot of work on the top station given the lower one appears complete apart from cabling. Anyway, in a few days we will be out to see for ourselves.
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You know it makes sense.
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Update after a summer visit. The funicular lift is now open and in use. I had expected it to consist of two cars with a halfway passing point like other funiculars I have used, but actually it consists of a single car with a counterweight running on tracks immediately underneath the main tracks. Presumably the counterweight is set to balance a full car when empty of water.
At one point they had indicated it would open until 10 pm, but in fact the notices say its operating hours are 6 am to 11 pm all year. That is going to be good for late(ish) arrivals in Le Fayet, or early departures, especially outside the main holiday seasons when there are fewer options. They didn't seem to have completed work in the Parc des Thermes but it looked as if there would be new street lights all the way although you would have to walk along the road in some places.
The Valleen gondola straight from the station was just having its final bits of preparation: running in test mode, and getting the entry points at each end tidied up (e.g. they were painting the lines on the newly tarmacced road at the top station, putting in a fence to the pavement, and it looks like they were getting ready to surface the location of the old Bettex lift as car parking). I haven't yet seen the planned operating hours or prices (other than the free use for permanent residents reported above by @devilabit). At different points I have seen 1st September, 2nd September and now 6th September given for the official opening; the rumour seems to be that the Maire wants to find a date when he can get the President to cut the ribbon (though Macron has the little matter of a Prime Minister to sort out first).
The continuation gondola up to Bettex (now "L'Alpin") seems largely complete except for rebuilding the top station. They actually look to be progressing well with the bit for the pulley gear, presumably so they can get on with cabling as soon as possible, but the rest of the building is just a shell with a big hole in the ground adjacent suggesting it will end up quite a bit bigger than the old top station.
The other transport development is that they plan to maintain the seasonal navettes to St Nicolas all year round, which will be great for out-of-season visits; when there isn't the lift to Bettex that will enable quite a lot of walking options. With the bonus of enjoying the delights of the excellent boulangerie there.
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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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@j b, How high above the ground is the new gondola? There was some graffiti on one corner of the Route des Amerands protesting against the gondola, I'm guessing someone thought it would be too close to some of the houses.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@rjs, yes I recall seeing that. I think people in those houses near the route - not many but on that road - were very worried.
Those initial pylons are very tall, they have to be since they take the gondola over the top of the house adjacent to the start of Route des Amerands and over the top of the HT lines behind that. And I read somewhere that they used special pulleys on those initial pylons that are designed to be extra quiet. I can't tell you how quiet though, at the time when we went to investigate the lower gondola station it was the weekend and they weren't doing any test runs.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wow, just had one of my best nights ever in StG watching the UTMB
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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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Great @Jonny996, unfortunately it didn't fit with our date constraints this year.
Knowing little about the UTMB beyond its existence, I hadn't until this year realised it didn't follow the "classic" TMB route either over the Col de Tricot or through Bionassay to Les Contamines but instead went through St Gervais and up along the valley. With the roads closed off I can imagine a great party atmosphere. Assuming the bars had stocked up ready.
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@j b, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the village was busier than any of the Tour de France dates.
I’m definitely coming back next year for this.
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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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Well there were certainly lots of people for the TdF.
Will definitely think about that late August slot for next year, I think the UTMB is always the last Friday.
You should experience the Foire Agricole too, much more of a locals' party.
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On another note, I was passing the new Valleen gondola today while they were running it (for testing I assume).
By god it is quite, I mean really quite.
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Got the new Valleen gondola down to the train station this morning.
It really is a game changer, so easy to get public transport from airport to village
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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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Thanks @devilabit and @Jonny996. I had wondered why the opening was set for next weekend when French school starts this week - the answer is obviously it has opened and it is just the ceremony comes later.
That timetable (useful, thanks) says that it runs from 7 am to 8.30 pm. Is that continuously, or will it run in bursts like the old lift to Bettex in the summer?
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A gondola every 30 seconds at the moment
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FAQ
