 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi, looking at sorting out our week away for 1st week in Feb, for my wife and myself both on piste intermediates and our son who,s 9 3/4 and skis parallels on Blues but reverts to snowploughs on steeper bits, he has his 1 star badge with ESF and just missed out the 2 star this year due to the snowploughing. We like/want kids club facility for our son (as does he gives him the chance to meet and play with other kids on the holiday) as it allows us to ski for most of each day, plus we can pick him up a couple of times later in the day to ski together. I seem to have narrowed our options down to Claviere with Crystal who we've use before and Oberburgl with Esprit, I had looked at Gressoney with Esprit but it seems to be only one lift out of the village and 1 red back to it, seems a bit limited locally. What I would like advice on is the ski area, is it OK for cruising blues and reds for us and blues that our son can progress on well, I really want to get him to the stage where we can ski with him each afternoon after his AM ski school on our next holiday. Both options are coming in at approx £2200 for HB plus his kids club. Previously we have been to Flaine 5 times where we love the ski area, and this year La Plagne which we found busy and long que's on many of the lifts. Any other options with similar options welcome 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Hi I was just about to reply to your pm, but I may as well do it here.
Claviere - we loved it. Our son was just about to turn 5, and had only done up to Flocon with ESF. He didn't do lessons in Claviere, as ESF in LA Plagne had really put him off, but we did like the look of the lessons in Claviere, small groups (although not in school holiday time) and an instructor at the front and an assistant at the back. The childcare staff from the hotel would take them down to the ski school, and we watched them one morning sitting in a circle with the kids in the snow, singing songs (this was end March in sunny weather) before the instructor came for them. We did have a keen interest in the ski lessons to try and encourage our son to go, so we did check them out during their lessons though the week. All the kids in our hotel seemed to love the lessons.
Hotel was good, free bar from 4.30 until 10.30 and the selection was decent. It was quite a friendly hotel where guests mixed quite a bit, I think due to the free bar lots would sit around and chat together more, and we did see quite a few of various parties hooking up and skiing together, we didnt as we always had our son with us, but did bump into a few in Montgenevre one day at lunch. We enjoyed the food, quite British, but to be honest when half board I prefer that, especially with a wee one. On holiday (like summer hols) I like to eat out and try local food, but when half board it is pretty restrictive in choice so I preferred this. Children can have an early dinner, an adult has to sit with them, most families did this, but then think their kids went to childcare at night - ESF had a really negative effect on our son, so much that he is negative about any kind of care in a ski holiday, but absolutely loves clubs everywhere else.
Skiing, yes i think it would definitely be fine for all of you, we weren't really restricted to where we could go, and your wee one is a bit further on that ours was at the time. Lots of nice gentle skiing. Going over to Montgenevre is doable with your son, so that opens all that area up also. Wee bit of a pole punt back, but not too bad if your son is good to do that on his own, our was still a wee bit young so would run out of steam! It was a lovely place to ski, but it was sunny and quiet. We would find diff bits that we hadn't realised throughout the week, even though it is a small resort. We would definitely return, but we were spoiled as we got such a good last minute deal.
Any others questions I'll be happy to try and help.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Think it depends on what you after.
Obergurgl is in Austria and is regarded as a upmarket resort with 110km piste. It is at the dead end of the valley with the base stations start at 2000m so pretty snow sure. Its next resort is Solden about 7 miles out of the valley. It is quite mountainous and not crowded. When I asked some visitors their view on Obergurgl and Solden the impression I got was Solden is the young ones and Obergurgl is for the mature skiers who can afford a bit of quiet and space.
Claviere is very small. According to my record it has only 30km piste and wouldn't be a popular choice has it not being part of the Milky Way. Its uphill neighbour is the only French Montgenerve with 100km piste and the downhill neighbour, at the bottom is Cesana with 40km piste. From Cesana you can ski to the rest of the Milky Way of Sestriere and Sauze d' Olux. The total piste in the Milky Way is 400km and the last 3 resorts I menioned were benefited from the updating in 2006 Winter Olympic.
Having said that the Milky Way has one of the poorest links in the Alps and it is a pig's job to ski around simply because the solo link to Cesana is seldom filled with enough snow and it is likely you can to travel on a chairlift to get to Cesana. The link to Montgenerve is also poor with a difficult run at the top and a level run at the bottom. Montgenerve is fine and good for early intermediates so Claviere is still a lot of fun.
1st Feb is alright for the French resorts and Milky Way is not as crowded since it is predominantly Italian.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
You will have a much better holiday in Obergurgl. Claviere is very quiet and small. Obergurgl is bigger and reasonably lively with very good snow, and a gondola link to the higher-still Hochgurgl.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
We are intending heading to Montchavin for the easter break (his school get 1st 2 full weeks of April off each year, so finish Frid 4th). We went last year for the two weeks, and he absolutely loved the ski school there -Evolution 2, which was a major result, so we are going back for the ski school mainly!
We will drive (from Glasgow!), so will just leave it till nearer time to book accommodation probably. We might even take him out the week before they finish, just so it's that wee bit earlier. Again will decide nearer time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Claviere/Montgenevre/Cesana area (the normal Monts de la Lune ski pass) is a lovely area, much of it among trees. As saikee says, the rest of the Milky way is linked but awkwardly at Cesana which is sometimes too low for skiable snow (but you just use the chair lift in that case) - but really you will probably find enough skiing without it and you can get one day in the rest of the Milky Way on your pass (I can't remember if there is a small supplement). Incidentally it is a good area for off-piste.
Obergurgle I have only skied many years ago. I remember it as a very small area above the tree line with only a few easy runs - though I gather a new long gondola lift has linked it to Hochgurgle down the valley. I think it must be that larger area which brings the total up to 110km. But I expect you have looked at the piste maps.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gilly28, Sounds good, it the kids are happy it makes for a happy holiday for all, dont envy the drive though 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Obergurgl has lots of well prepared pistes for cruising. Very convenient village for getting on and off the piste. We don't have kids so can't comment on the ski school but if you like Flaine I'm sure you'll like Obergurgl. We stayed in the Hotel Jenwein two New Years running as it was so good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
geoffknight, We actually really enjoyed the drive! We stopped off overnight at a friends near Leicester, so managed to get a belated catch up with them, which killed two birds with one stone. We also have friends in Manchester and Liverpool so should it suit we would tie in a stopover with whoever. However this year I think the intention will be drive straight down to tunnel and stop in France, who knows though....Last season we also went via Geneva to pick friends up, which we won't have to this year, so that will save some time.
Just wish we could afford more than one trip this year.....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
Where are you off to this season?
