Which UCPA for 2016?

A snowHead

Hi all,

Starting to look at plans for next year all ready.

The last two years a small group of us have done the full time courcse at the UCPA Val D'Isere and really enjoy the UCPA formula.

We've also enjoyed taking the Eurostar + TGV (or sleeper) to get to Bourg Saint-Maurice.

However, it's definitely time to mix things up and try a different resort and ski area. So (ruling out Tignes also) UCPA have centres in the following resorts.

Chamonix
Argentiere
Flaine
La Plagne
Les Arcs
Les Deux Alps
Serre Chevalier
Val Thorens
Les Contamines

Does anyone have any experience of the UCPA centres above?

Or could help us decide based on the ski areas, we're all intermiediates looking to improve with tuition.

Many Thanks

A snowHead

Out of those I've been to Chamonix, Flaine, Les Arcs, and Val T and by far the best resort was Val T. Chamonix was amazing but the bus thing was a killer. The best UCPA was at Les Arcs, the food put to shame some french restaurants I've been to here in London. As a resort Arcs was good, varied runs but no apres apart from at UCPA which was fun. Flaine as a resort was ok but was bored by the end as there wasn't enough snow for off-piste. Flaine itself was quiet but again the UCPA had fun things to do like a disco, quiz night and a poker night. Argentiere might be worth looking at if you want to go to Cham but you'l be quite far from some of the other mountains which would be a shame if you missed. Val T had everything for me, the resort was excellent with the possiblity of going over to the different areas in the 3Vs. Centre was good and apres was ok. I still want to try out Serre Che but haven't managed it yet.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Thanks for the advice, I've heard Serre Cher has a pool? Which sounds pretty good!

Our instructor last year really reccomended Les Deux Alsps also...

Ski in/out (or close to that - is probably preffered). I've done the bus to the lifts thing in Livigno, but I imagine it's much more of an effort in Chamonix...

VDI kind of has it all really (even though the centre is supposedly at the lower end of the UCPA standard) but three consecutive trips to the same place is probably too much.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I've not stayed at the Serre Che UCPA but have seen it and can confirm that it has an outdoor pool of a decent size. The centre itself is very very close to the bottom of a couple of lifts.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I have been to Chamonix, Argentiere, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Val Thorens, Tignes and Val D'Isere. I will try to help - I do off-piste courses so I do not know the pistes very well in these resorts. Cham and Argentiere - great for big mountain off-piste skiing ,lots of faffing on buses and trains, I would not go here for on-piste skiing. La Plagne and Les Arcs both have great cruisy blues and reds. The La Plagne centre is superb, ski in and ski out as is Les Arcs (well you walk a bit to ski out.) I do not really go out in the week, but the apres is pretty limited (from what I have been told.) Both are easy to get to using Eurostar. Val Thorens is an excellent centre with very good staff. It is really well managed and run. I really like the design and layout of the place. It is pretty much ski in and ski out with great slopes and an excellent snow record. Val Thorens has excellent bars for apres ski in the town and on the slopes. If you want to go there in the evening it is a trek up the slopes and through various apartments - but some very good bars, and some good restos too. You can get the Eurostar to Moutieres and then the bus to the centre - so transport is very simple. I hope this helps.

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@JayDub, @Gainz, Many thanks to you both.

It looks like Val Thoren definitely fit's the bill, would be relatively snowsure in early Jan and with easy access via eurostar. The centre also looks like like a bond villains lair, which can only be a good thing.

Serre Che looks like an option also.

Have googled a little about L2A and it looks like that'd work for us also, but potentially not as accesible via train?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

+1 for both Val Thorens and Serre Che centres. Both are pretty new, with smaller dormitories, and close to the lifts (Closer than the Val D'Isere centre I think).

You're not going to get the most riotous après ski though. VT centre is a couple of km outside the resort and SC is just a fairly quiet village, although the bar opposite the centre has quite an entertaining post ski disco. With SC you get a full area lift pass. In VT you're limited to the Val Thorens area most days, but you get a couple of full Three Valleys extensions and you can buy extra days for twenty odd euros. It's not a big deal though, the instructors know how to get the most out of the valley!

With Serre Chevalier, if going by plane, I'd fly to Lyon rather than Grenoble. It's ever so slightly further, but a much nicer airport. Not sure about transfers.

After all it is free

L2A UCPA is in a good position 5 mins walk to Diable lift and near loads of bars, etc. See their groups around the mountain a lot and also over at La Grave. Was talking to Serge who runs it just before the end of the season seemed a pretty decent guy.

By train to Grenoble and bus station is next door to train station, local buses just under 6 euros each way. I was on one this morning Happy

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Sorry for the hijack, but does anyone know when the 2015/2016 dates and prices will go live?

snow reports

@leggyblonde, On action outdoors it says July, only the family weeks are live currently.

http://www.action-outdoors.co.uk/activities/winter/skiing/alpine-ski/dates-prices

Thanks

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You know it makes sense.

@leggyblonde, Last year I think they went on sale around September.

@Claude B, L2A looks like a solid option also.

Looks like we're down to a shortlist of

VT, L2A or Serre Che

Thanks all

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Quick update (as I imagine people search older posts on here for advice - as I do) and thanks to everyone Very Happy

who chipped in above last year. We opted for Val Thorens and it was an excellent choice, I can't really reccomend it enough. The centre is excellent, the tuition likewise, the weather was appaling but it kept the slopes quiet and our instructor knew how to get the best out of the valley. I was also impressed by the atmosphere in the UCPA - being a trek to the village people socialised in the bar and the nightlife and activities in the centre were on the whole pretty decent.

It really is ski in, ski out and perfect for skiing back to the centre after a couple of apres drinks in the village. We're not the kind of group that are partying every night but the Swedish contingent showed us some great bars in the village, in terms of nightlife there was more than enough to keep us entertained for a week.

The food was very good, maybe not quite up to the standard of Val D'Isere, but VT is a much bigger centre.

The rooms are very comfortable with ensuite showers and sinks, the toilet is shared between two rooms. Shared toilets apart, they are on par with basic standard hotel accomodation (i.e excellent value for what a week costs).

I feel like there's still way more to explore there, but inkeeping with discovering new terrain and following the great advice above we're thinking of trying the UCPA at Serre Chevalier in late January this year. Getting there by train looks a little more complex but viable.

Thanks all...

Help!!

Which UCPA for 2016?

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