 Poster: A snowHead
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| La Grave’s days may be numbered. Come 2017, the lease on the Telepherique is up for renewal and, at the moment, no one has stepped forward to take it over, which means the lift might stop running in three short years. |
http://www.powdermag.com/stories/end-la-grave-know/
Anyone a bit more local know anything more about this?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There has been rumours about La Grave financial viability for as long as I can remember.
Clearly the original lift wont last forever.
All through the early 2000s the rumor was that Les 2 Alpes wanted to buy the Telepherique and put a red piste down either valley. However the locals consistently refused to sell out. Plus the rugged nature of the terrain and risk of serac fall from La Meije didn't exactly promote development. In more recent years Les 2 Alpe's has apparently realised that having La Grave as an off piste mecca next door is a real asset to their ski domain. So 3 or 4 years ago they even helped pay to replace the cable on the Telepherique.
My understanding is that the current owner of the lift operations is getting old (age 79) so wont be renewing the lease. A combination of legal cases, legislation and local politics haven't helped the situation - plus the profits due to low skier numbers are small. No doubt there is a little uncertainty : However none of this is really anything new. From speaking to locals when we there at New Year the hope and plan seems to be that some kind of local co-operative, perhaps subsidised by local government, will take over in 2017.
If the town was a busy well oiled commercial success then it simply wouldn't be La Grave 
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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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Oh how I wish I skied well enough to be able to take advantage of such a magical place. Long may it survive.
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mmm. La Grave has been on the bucket list for some time; my dance card is pretty full this year but I'll make a point of going there next season. Just in case.
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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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Here is a bit more history of the ski area
http://pistehors.com/news/ski/comments/0824-la-grave-celebrates-30th-anniversary/
They have a difficult product to sell.
The area is quite a long way from big towns, Grenoble being the nearest. So it only tends to attract day trippers at the weekends and runs under capacity during the week (this is what Dennis Creissels told me). Bad weather, avalanche risk etc can effect its profitability. The main slopes get skied out in a morning which leaves a lot of much more serious terrain where you really need a guide and skiing skills and acceptance of risk beyond most holiday skiers. Once the main runs are scrapled they are not great to ski. It has a bit of reputation as being ski bum central, which might put off punters coming over during the week from Serre Che and les Deux Alpes. Given that it sits between two CDA (aka Cancer des Alpes  ) resorts it is possible they will absorb the area but it doesn't really fit their profile of easy, aseptic skiing. Creissels is also difficult to work with and may have put off some investors in the town.
They changed the cable on the lift not so long ago so there shouldn't be a huge amount of maintenance, it is a very simple lift to operate. The Grenoble city center cable car runs on the same system so I don't buy the "if it breaks down they are bejiggered" line. Creissels says the lift has a design life of around 50-60 years which takes you to around 2030-2040.
The market has also changed a bit. Back in the day if you wanted to ski O.P. you went to la Grave or Chamonix. These days there is a lot more information, Grenoble skiers would probably just head up to one of the local resorts rather than the trek up the Romanche valley. Locally ski touring the mountains surrounding Grenoble has taken over from the attractions of la Grave. As a case in point I live an hours drive from la Grave but haven't skied there since the 1990s. Other people who maybe skied 6 days in the past now just go up a couple of times.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 6-03-14 11:28; edited 3 times in total
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| Pedantica wrote: |
| Oh how I wish I skied well enough to be able to take advantage of such a magical place. Long may it survive. |
You do. 
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davidof, and another unfulfillable wish of mine is to be able to ski well enough, and be fit enough, to ski with you!
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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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Pedantica, well, if Lindsey Vonn is not up to it then the rest of us stand no chance
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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RachelQ, not from what I've seen/heard!
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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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altis, isn't she? 
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| altis wrote: |
| Well, if Lindsey Vonn is not up to it then the rest of us stand no chance |
She certainly isn't at the moment, thats for sure.
But I stand by what I said about Lindsey and to correct Altis I specifically said I would ski with Lindsey.
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You know it makes sense.
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Pedantica, I can't find the thread. Perhaps davidof can point you to it.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Thu 6-03-14 11:43; edited 1 time in total
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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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altis, ah. Thanks. And ditto!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Pedantica, You'd be fine  Pam W, welshskier and I got down it with easiski in January OK. Obviously by the "tourist" route and taking our time. I first skied down in 2009 when I hadn't skied that much at all.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Claude B,
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got down it with easiski
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Well, yes, but my unfulfillable aspirations are higher than that!
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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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^ Good article (relevant to the first Powder Mag link).
Off piste skiing has become much more popular in the last decade.
Certainly since I first visited La Grave in 2002 I think its has become a little busier.
Though the magical vibe still remains.
From speaking to the 50-60 year old local Swedish ski bums it sounds like LG was totally deserted during the 1980s and early 1990s. The lift was designed for sight seeing (not skiers) and apparently used to remain closed during until mid February. It wasn't until Pelle Lang persuaded some ski journalists and ski films to visit that Vallee X became known as a ski destination. But it has never been mainstream, popular or commercially viable.
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| Arno wrote: |
this makes me want to book a trip for next year... which in turn makes me wonder whether it is an elaborate marketing ruse by Pelle Lang 
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even better, join the four of us on 22-29 March for a guided week.
The four of us being exactly the same Chile crew from three years ago.
You know you want to.
(Edit: for clarification, we get a real guide this time, not the promises of Drew)
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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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| Pedantica wrote: |
| Oh how I wish I skied well enough to be able to take advantage of such a magical place. Long may it survive. |
wot RachelQ says. If I can do it, you bloody well can too !!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| Pedantica wrote: |
| Oh how I wish I skied well enough to be able to take advantage of such a magical place. Long may it survive. |
wot RachelQ says. If I can do it, you bloody well can too !! |
Thirded
You ski better than I do (or seem to at Inside Out), I've been there 4 times on the SOPiB's mainly skiing the classic routes. You'd do just fine.
And it is a magical place 
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Sadly La Grave is not on my bucket list, but on my coffin list - 50 things to do as I die
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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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Pedantica, Listen to betterinblack, Hells Bells, Claude B, RachelQ and JUST DO IT...while you're young!!
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Pedantica, you could definitely do it, and easiski would be the best person to do it with - not with an ESF guide like the chap who whisked is (very good) group past us twice.
On2Off next year?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Obviously conditions vary a great deal. The day we did it (perfect weather) Charlotte said the skiing conditions were quite difficult, compared to when lots of skiers have turned it almost into a piste (and the bottom tree/mogully bit had only very thin snow cover). No doubt it's sometimes harder, sometimes easier - you need a guide who is going to keep you going, but not overdo it. Charlotte gets it exactly right.
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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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horizon, starting a new job on 18th then off to Norway on 1 April; so La Grave as well may be a step too far!
have fun though
edit: with no Drew to liven things up, i hope you find something for Alex to mumble darkly about
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Pedantica could easily do it, particularly with easiski (though language might be something to behold if the P1 traverse is in its usual sporting state)
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
^ Good article (relevant to the first Powder Mag link).
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Interesting how close some of the phrases are in the PowderMag article, like an echo 
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We didn't do the P1 traverse - we got the lift down from the bottom station, which saved the walk down into the bottom of the valley and up the other side, carrying skis.
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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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pam w, That was P1, at 1800m. We were going to traverse to P2 but got too low.
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I'm scared of easiski
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You needn't be! Claude B, ah, OK, thanks - my geography of La Grave is lacking. But I don't remember a traverse to P1 - we went through those trees? Is there another route?
When are you back out? Going to have another go - without having to slow down to act as backstop for me?
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pam w, Setting out next Friday You?
That was no problem. If Charlotte has another trip over I'll see if I can tag along. Doing a few other day trips too, Col D'Ornon, Alpe de Grande Serre, Serre Chevalier and Montgenevre, possibly Puy St Vincent. Alpe D'Huez too for at least a couple of days.
I've only ever done that route at LG.
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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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The good thing about the traverse back to P2 is that if you are with a boarder who is making the snow look easy on his wide board you have your revenge on the traverse. They hate it.
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setting out on Thursday, Claude B, really looking forward to getting back to the mountains.
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FAQ
but much more of an adventure getting up there 
