 Poster: A snowHead
|
Morning
I've been reading that Villaroger isn't the ideal place to base yourself if a beginner; this is a bit of an open question and it's for a friend: but how difficult is it to get in and out of Villaroger and in and out of the Les Arcs ski domain if based in Villaroger? If you can snow plough confidently will this be enough to get you down the red run the leads from the top of the Lanchettes chair before it links into the blue that takes you into Villaroger? My friend is happy on blue runs but reverts to snow plough when things get steeper and we have the chance of staying at a chalet in Villaroger and the only stumbling block I can see is this part of the red that has to be taken on your return to Villaroger and I don't want this run to affect their confidence.
If anybody who knows the area well can give some advice it would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Will
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I stayed in Villaroger in March and really enjoyed it - mainly because the run back at the end of the day was always very quiet - not the usual mad rush. I'm a good(ish) intermediate so will probably have a slightly different take on the journey first thing in the morning compared to a beginner, but for me a lot depends on the snow conditions ( I really dont do ice or crowded pistes)! - But I certainly cant remember anything be particulary difficult - there was a very short bit of red, but I seem to remember taking an easier route just to the left of it, possibly a blue or an easier red option?
Sorry - not a huge help - but I would think if you are travelling off peak and conditions are good you would be fine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Will77, Haven't stayed there, but have ski'd down a few times. The biggest problem is that to get up high enough to drop down into main Arcs area you have to take 2 very old and very slow chairlifts - they are not detatchable ones which mean they come around quick and take your legs from under you!
As well as the red there are a couple of roads which are a lot easier to ski and cut the worst parts out.
The other thing to consider is how you would get back each day? The only way I can think of is a chair out of Arc 2000 and then drop down on Aguile Rouge to village. I think on the Piste Map there is an option marked from bottom of Le Praz lift, but that lift always seems to be closed, plus it would involve taking skis off and crossing road and a lot of shuffling to get to.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Some years ago a group of which I was one rented a chalet in Villaroger several years in a row. The first year we had three almost complete beginners with us - almost, because they had had a couple of lessons on a dry slope first. They had to drive to Les Arcs for lessons, but by the end off the first week all except one (who was very cautious and did not take to skiing) could ski down to Villaroger from the top. The only tricky bit is the very top when returning from Arcs 2000, which is a bit narrow and exposed to the wind. You do not need to ski this bit if you stay on the Villaroger side, so it could be left to later in the week. The ski down to Arcs 2000 is straightforward.
The handy thing for the rest of us was that the drive back from Les Arcs goes past the big supermarket at Bourg St Maurice, which saved the rest of us from having to make the long drive to the nearest worthwhile shop - we were self-catering. (The debutants did not share this positive opinion of this arrangement.) 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Certainly it could be done but the Arc 2000 valley (or Arc 1800 or Peisey) would be better. As a base for a good skier it might be quite interesting. I remember the run down as having some quite deep red sections high up but I probably never tried the blue way down (assuming it existed years ago when I last skied the run).
You have to remember that Villaroger is very low (1,200m) - it is not at the base of the main chairlift but down a further small chairlift. The snow down there will frequently be very thin and icy so beginners will need to go up the mountain to the Arc 2000 valley to ski (the number tells you the height). When were you thinking of going.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Mon 9-12-13 22:03; edited 3 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Thank you; this is all very helpful information.
We are looking at staying in Chalet Bonjour-Pere Marie which looks very nice and is good value for the dates that we want to go. Myself and friend are pretty relaxed regarding the slow chairs out of Villaroger and linking into Arc 2000 looks pretty easy taking either the reservoir blue run from the top of the droset chair or rhonaz blue that is half way down the violettes chair so I can't see this being a problem. Returning home was the only worry that I had which would involve the lanchettes chair out of Arc 2000 before picking up the aiguille rouge run; this top section was my worry for my friend but from what you are all saying it is not too bad  Also it looks like we could ski down to Pre St Esprit before taking the rhonaz life and linking into Villaroger on what looks like a flat blue track?
We are just looking for a relaxing week, staying in a nice and quiet place but being able to link into the Les Arcs domain. I guess all we have to hope is that there is decent snow cover down to Le Pre; but that will be what it will be.
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks snowball, it will be late February
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I just looked at the map and the village I was thinking of is Le Pré, though most skiers think of it as Villaroger. Villaroger village itself is even further down at about 1,000m. I'm not sure how you get to the skiing if you are there and I don't know if you could ski down - it might depend how much snow there was. (I can't remember if we skied to there off piste from the steep back side of the Aiguille Rouge and Grand Col, or if it was Le Pré.) Better be sure where the accommodation is.
But assuming that you will be at Le Pré it could be a nice place to stay - a lovely old small village perched on the hillside, not developed as a resort - a big contrast to the purpose built modern resorts of Les Arcs. I doubt if there is a ski (or any other) shop though, and I'm not sure how much sun it gets on its fairly steep North facing slope. (Mind you, that is also why it gets snow lower than you might think).
Last edited by After all it is free  on Mon 9-12-13 13:37; edited 4 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Ah sorry! The village we are looking at staying in is Le Pre; the chalet is situated there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
i've skiied this area in april a few times and the worst it ever got was very slushy. i think late feb will be no problem snow wise. the runs home from 2000 should be no problem either for a competent snowplougher and there are path options if a little tired. le soleil restaurant half way down is quite nice and la ferme at the bottom does a mean hot choc. villaroger is also 15 min drive from tignes les brevieres if u fancy a change of scenery, and u get a day's free skiing there as part of your les arcs lift pass. if u don't mind the 30 mins+ lift journey to just above 2000 (every?) day then it all sounds good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Across the valley from it is Sainte Foy, where I will be in early March. A lovely smaller resort. You might consider a day there too, if you can get a lift in a car to it! Much closer than Tignes. (If you can get a lift to the main Bourg St M - Val d'Isere road there are buses up to the resort).
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Will77, The red you asked about at the top of the lanchettes chair, is an easy road, & leads fairly quickly to the blue. It is a bit narrow though, & can get busy - I'd advise your friend not to rush it & let the crowds pass. When are you going there?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
Also it looks like we could ski down to Pre St Esprit before taking the rhonaz life and linking into Villaroger on what looks like a flat blue track?
|
That's the one I was trying to think of. I have never done it, so can't comment on what it is like, but everytime I have gone down that way there is a sign saying Rhonaz is closed. You will certainly have to take skis off to cross the road and it is certainly dead flat to start with, coming back the other way is, so your friend will have to walk and shuffle along.
Given how tiring that can be, I think your best bet would be to get lift out of Arc 2000
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Thanksgenepi, that's exactly the part that my friend was worried about and it's good to know it's an easy road before coming out onto the blue. Yes, we'll be taking our time and letting the crowds pass. Hoping for an easy going relaxing week at the end of Feb based out of Le Pre; we'll hit the back end of half term but such is life! We have already been in contact with a few of the ski schools about a bit of private tuition starting in Le Pre.
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Ok thanks Boris, that makes sense and by the sounds of things getting a lift out of Arc 2000 and taking the red into the blue from the top of the lanchettes chair sounds like a good option.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
We stayed in Le Pre several years ago and one of us only had only skied for 1 week. She did manage to get down from the Lanchettes chair but it was a fairly slow process. One big advantage is that's it's very quiet as most people are heading back to Les Arcs, which is better for beginners than the usual mad afternoon rush back to resort. We took daily turns to guide her down, it's a long way for a beginner so allow enough time to get back before dark! The flat blue track was always closed apart from one day when we discovered that it isn't flat but slightly uphill - unless you are great at skiing flat/uphill it's easier to walk. Enjoy your holiday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I'm not convinced I want to do either router in/out of villaroger if I was a beginner due to run narrowness. Exiting the lanchettes lift and heading towards Villaroger it's relatively narrow (perhaps a max of 2 car widths) and becuase it's a little uphill anyone coming from the top is hammering it past. The run down towards 2000 is wider but still not the best for a nervous newbie
I'd save yourself the grief and find a chalet in peisey-vallandry where you can lift up/down to the a great learner/improver area as below. it might be a few more quid but you want them to take to the sport don't you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| bertie bassett wrote: |
I'm not convinced I want to do either router in/out of villaroger if I was a beginner due to run narrowness. Exiting the lanchettes lift and heading towards Villaroger it's relatively narrow (perhaps a max of 2 car widths) and becuase it's a little uphill anyone coming from the top is hammering it past. The run down towards 2000 is wider but still not the best for a nervous newbie
I'd save yourself the grief and find a chalet in peisey-vallandry where you can lift up/down to the a great learner/improver area as below. it might be a few more quid but you want them to take to the sport don't you? |
Good advice I reckon in the last two posts.
You also need to consider how fit the beginner skier is. I have seen the runs down to Villaroger get quite chopped up and that can be very hard work for a beginner particularly at the end of the day. I think once we have been skiing for a few years we can forget how tiring the early days can be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Yeah, if the weather is even remotely warm the runs down to Villaroger can be a slushy, mogully, horrible mess. Probably a beginner's worst nightmare, especially at the end of a long day. I'd look elsewhere - Peisey Vallandry is, as described above, ideal for beginners and you could probably take a different but nonetheless straightforward route home every day of your holiday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Will77, are you sure Ski Bonjour are running the Pere Marie this year? I thought they weren't keeping it - and I've just looked, it's not on their website. I do vaguely recall seeing it on another company's website, but I can't remember whose. If you are booking through a third party I'd check...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I'll second the comments about Peisey - the Vallandry bowl is ideal for beginners and there are numerous blues which drop back to Vallandry
IMHO Peisey and Vallandry also have a few more bars and shops
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks for all the comments; plenty to think about, we are still finding Le Pre appealing though. Gämsbock, you are correct it's mountain sun running it this year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Villaroger is crying out for a little gondola like the one that goes up from Tignes 1800.
As other have said, downriding it would often be the best way home
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
if the weather is even remotely warm the runs down to Villaroger can be a slushy, mogully, horrible mess. Probably a beginner's worst nightmare, especially at the end of a long day.
|
and especially in the French school holidays. That'll be one of the Paris weeks? A beginner snow-ploughing a red run in those circumstances would not be enjoying himself.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 10-12-13 12:47; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+1 for the sound advice suggesting Peisey Vallandry as a base, unless the beginner is an especially resilient and fearless type. Villaroger may just about be OK if snow conditions very favourable but anything else would make it difficult. Being based near the centre of the Paradiski area offers many benefits. Gentle wide blue runs, tree lined skiing for poor weather, better lifts including the impressive Vallandry Express and easier home run at the end of an exhausting day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Another +1 for Peisey-Vallandry, especially so if you're looking at a chalet. Its such a faff to get to the ski area from Villaroger (and really long, slow lifts plus the same long run back down last thing day after day would get a bit boring IMO). And as other have said, conditions lower down can be quite sketchy at the best of times, its a bigger risk for complete beginners as there's no other options.
Peisey-Vallandry probably has the best selection of chalets in all of Les Arcs, plus it offers relatively quick and easy access to all the other LA villages. There's also a little bit more going on in the evenings and after the slopes close. To make the most of the ski area from Villaroger you're talking about taking 4 or 5 lifts and a good bit of skiing just to get down into the other villages. The beauty of Les Arcs IMO is that all the other villages are only 2 or 3 lifts away from each other at most, sometimes less. with Villaroger I fear you'd miss out a bit on variety of skiing, beginners would be quite nervous to get so far away from their "base".
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Also, the top of Lanchettes down to Villaroger is steep (for a beginner) but flattens out and then goes uphill, so you need to keep up some speed to get to the end of it without walking. The OP says that the beginner "gets nervous and snowploughs when it gets steep". That's really not going to be ideal for that section at all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The more I think about it the less I would recommend Villaroger.
Think what will happen to the beginner if on the first day the run down really is awful for him. He will not be looking forward to the next five days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Villaroger/Le Pre is lovely. The ski down can be interesting but providing you allow plenty of time I don't think it would be too bad. You get to stay in a village rather than a ski resort, tiny (if any) queue on the first lift, and Mutzig at La Ferme. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Are you thinking of going out by the overnight Paris/Bourg St Maurice train (with couchettes)? Unfortunately you are too late to get the cut price tickets (or any tickets on some dates), but it does give you 8 days skiing for 7 nights in resort (rather than 6 days skiing, more normal if you fly)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Will77 - I stayed in Pere Marie with Skibonjour March this year. I found them to be an excellent small friendly company to deal with. Had no complaints at all - chalet, staff and food were all excellent - especially considering we made a last minute booking so did not pay very much at all (in my opinion)! We drove from Calais which was one of the easiest drives ever as it was on a sunday.
You will have to make your own mind up about the suitability of the skiing for your group. I just remember the 2 slow old chair lifts really not being that bad at all! And as I previously said - I really enjoyed the ski back to the chalet - we always stopped in the restaurant at the bottom for a drink before heading to the chalet, we also eat their on staff night off.
Decisions decisions!! - Good luck and enjoy
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I'm in the 'don't do it' group !!
I stayed in Arcs 2000 last March and did the Villaroger run once -- I think a beginner would find it 'tortuous' (narrow in places and quite a long run), especially having to do it at the end of the day -and every day!!
Peisey-Vallandry is my choice of an alternative....
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
If the Rhonaz lift is open it leads you straight onto the blue roads going down to le Pre. If that is not running, which is most of the time, then a short walk up the track from Pre st Espirit will allow them onto the gentle track.
Personally I hate that road down from Lanches to Plan des Violets. It is narrow, full of terrified beginners and has the most rocks and stones in the resort.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
