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La Plagne Beginners Areas

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Greetings all.

We're heading to La Plagne in mid January and will have a couple of absolute beginners in tow.

I'm thinking I'll spend a couple of hours on the Saturday afternoon when we arrive just helping them practice some of the basics before they start Ski-School on the Sunday.

My question is this - which beginners area within La Plagne has the longest run/longest free lift? Clearly no point buying a half day lift pass for a couple of hours with absolute beginners.

I learnt in La Plagne last year and used the Plagne Centre button lift near the Le France building, but found this quite a short run even as a beginner.

Any pointers welcomed - we're staying in Plagne Soleil.

Cheers,

Chris
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
If last year was your first year, then I suggest you'd be better off teaching them how to put their boots on and stand up, and then going for a beer. I bet you can't really remember how to ski, and as for 'teaching them the basics' - I suspect you'll do it all wrong.
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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?
James - I thought someone might say that!

I have, however, been continuing to learn all through this year, spending a small fortune on it in the process so feel I can competently get them going down a 100m or so on a beginners run.
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I kinda concur with James the Last.
By the time you arrive, check in, un pack, trudge to hire shop and battle the queues, get back and get ski gear on and head out the daylight will be fading quickly.

My advice is don't rush into things with the newbies.

Try taking them a walk around the resort. Explain the different lifts and slopes, let them watch others, teach them to read the piste map and compare it to the actual mountain.
They are likely to be excited to just to see the resort, let them explore the village on foot and get a feel for the place.

Which village and accom are you staying in?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
We're staying at the Sun Valley in Plagne Soleil
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If they can do a 100m beginners, they'll quite likely find the ski school boring. If the instructor doesn't (he won't...) like their style, then they'll quite likely find it frustrating.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
chopkins13, get their gear sorted out, have a mooch about find ski school meeting point for the next morning so there is no stress. If they have a nightmare under your guidance on Saturday afternoon it may leave them uptight and overly nervous about Sunday. Get them to ski school all ready to go Sunday and let them enjoy it starting the right way. You and they have probably waited a long time in anticaption of what hopefully will be a great holiday so I reckon patience for a few more hours is the way to go for absolute beginners.

BUT if you do decide to take them out there is only one "beginners area" really in La Plagne in terms of what you are referring to which is the green run under the UCPA down alongside the Terra Nova Hotel. I don't think the lift is free though but will stand corrected. Be mindful of then getting stuck and having to trudge back upto wherever you are staying or park the car. One thing guaranteed to upset complete beginners is getting knackered, hot and bothered with sore feet and legs from walking in ski boots!!

edited - Which Ski School are you using?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I'd agree with posters above - get the rental gear, get used to it, move about a bit. An excellent exercise is just putting one ski on and scooting about a bit. No need for any lifts, or trudging, and it'd be a laugh, leaving you plenty of time for the beers. snowHead
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chopkins13, I've just remembered the small telecabin lift from Plagne Centre up to Plagne Villages/Soleil is free. It is marked as TELEBUS on the interactive Paradiski Map. However the only two pistes to ski down are both blue, one of which (Bergerie) would drop you down to the Bergerie lift so you wouldn't be able to get back to the Telebus without walking, and the other I think is the bottom section of Mira which I don't think is suitable for absolute beginners just trying to get a feel before commencing lessons.
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http://www.laplagnet.com/lifts/ski/options.html

Beginners Lift Passes & Free Lifts
The free lifts are as follows:

Plagne Centre - Telebaby
Plagne Villages - Le Biquet
Plagne Soleil - Le Solü
Aime la Plagne - Aime la Plagne
Plagne 1800 - Praconduit
Belle Plagne - Belle Plagne, Croets
Montchavin - Montchavin, Sucette, Plan Bois
Les Coches - Patinoire, Le Petit Sauget
Champagny - La Bergerie
Montalbert - Montalbert

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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks for the comments guys and girls. I think I might just take your advice on this occasion and give it a miss and just have a wander around. I didn't know where I was going for my lesson last year and it was a bit stressful as I was 15 mins late.

Jirac18 - they're doing ski school with Oxygene. I used them earlier this year for a couple of private lessons and found them really good.
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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.
Yes they are good. My wife and kids have used them in group lessons that last two years and their skiing went from absolute beginners to very competent on blue and ok on red in no time at all.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Can any of you knowledgeable snowheads tell me the name of the Piste and lift that is closest to the Terra Nova Hotel in Plagne Centre?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Melezes comes up to Terra Nova on the low side from 1800, Bergerie goes up towards Bellecote from just below Terra Nova, the telebus goes upto Plagne solieil and villages from the high side of Terra Nova and there is a chairlift right from the back door of the hotel up the green past UCPA to just above the Gondola station but that doesn't have a name on the piste map if I recall.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
jirac18 wrote:
Melezes comes up to Terra Nova on the low side from 1800, Bergerie goes up towards Bellecote from just below Terra Nova, the tele bus goes upto Plagne solieil and villages from the high side of Terra Nova and there is a chairlift right from the back door of the hotel up the green past UCPA to just above the Gondola station but that doesn't have a name on the piste map if I recall.


Boulevard ...I think.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
boredsurfin, You are quite right....was racking my brain but as soon as I read your post it was right there! Very Happy
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
jirac18, It is indeed Boulevard, I just double checked on the font of all La Plagne knowledge
http://www.perso-laplagne.fr/Remontees2.htm#Boulevard
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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?
spent many happy hours up and down boulevard with my now 7 yr old over last two years! She even did her first little jump on a wee ramp some boarders made on the right side just off piste Very Happy
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boredsurfin, that lift site: absolutely brilliant. New to me.

But chopkins13 has alterted me to an odd problem: how do you find out which are the free/beginner lifts?

Now, it of course may be that i'm just stupid/blind, but it does seem awful hard to find.
I can't find anything on the official La Plagne site
The piste map is no help.
If you take jirac18's helpful list, only the Belle Plagne chairlift shows up.
Some other lifts of similar name are on the map (eg Plan Bois), but they're not the free lifts.
And not even boredsurfin's superb lift site lists the free lifts, many of which are "moving carpets" (conveyor belts).

So, not really helpful for beginners at all.
Seems odd.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Not much use from here but the free lifts fly a flag (royal blue) I think.
Jonpim, wow, I am surprised you haven't come across http://www.perso-laplagne.fr before, the forum is very good and also has an English questions section. ( Google translate is your friend for the main site)

Another useful lift site is this one http://www.skiplan.com/bulletin/bulletin.php?station=la-plagne&region=alpes&pays=france&lang=en
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jirac18 wrote:
http://www.laplagnet.com/lifts/ski/options.html

Beginners Lift Passes & Free Lifts
The free lifts are as follows:

Plagne Centre - Telebaby
Plagne Villages - Le Biquet
Plagne Soleil - Le Solü
Aime la Plagne - Aime la Plagne
Plagne 1800 - Praconduit
Belle Plagne - Belle Plagne, Croets
Montchavin - Montchavin, Sucette, Plan Bois
Les Coches - Patinoire, Le Petit Sauget
Champagny - La Bergerie
Montalbert - Montalbert

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Sorry to hijack but I'll be in a very similar situation in a couple of weeks. We've got a couple of beginners with us staying in Les Coches. The above shows Plan Bois as in Montchavin but isn't the base actually one of the 2 chairlifts out of Les Coches?
Also I can't find the free Les Coches lifts shown above on the piste map?

They still need a pass to get through the barrier of the free lifts though?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Snow Hound, I'm not to sure that list is accurate, The Montalbert lift is NOT free as far as I know, but the Grangette lift in Montalbert is free, it is not equipped with a pass reader or barrier. Also the Grenouilles and Ecole lifts in the Montalbert sector are free but not on that list.
Generally speaking each village or area in La Plagne has one or two free lifts for beginners.

Not for beginners but.....
In fact one can ski from Aime 2000 down to La Plagne 1800 without needing a pass to get back again!
Similarly it's free to get up to Plagne Villages 2050m and so you can ski down to 1800 for free (using the free Navette busses and/or pedestrian lifts)
You can ski from Villages at 2050m or Aime 2000 down to Montalbert for free (but you can't get back again!)
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Im not sure of the names, but every village on the la plagne side has a free lift, magic carpet in Bellecote, chairs in Belleplagne and Plage centre, button in Plagne soleil etc. There are also some free connecting lifts between villages, however you must have a lift pass to use them when carrying skis.
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landlockedpirate, I didnt know that we have never ever had our passes checked using the Telemetro with or without skis similarly the pots up to villages or on the buses.
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boredsurfin, I am also not sure about the list but is copied from the website link. Maybe it needs updating?
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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jirac18 wrote:
boredsurfin, I am also not sure about the list but is copied from the website link. Maybe it needs updating?

I've asked on Person Plagne if there is a definitive list anywhere
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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.
boredsurfin wrote:
landlockedpirate, I didnt know that we have never ever had our passes checked using the Telemetro with or without skis similarly the pots up to villages or on the buses.


With the hands free pass in your pocket, you didnt realise you were being checked Little Angel

There are usually 2 queues during the day, 1 for skis and 1 for walkers, but in truth if its quiet the lifties couldnt give a monkeys.Bellecote is the only place I have seen it enforced most of the time.
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