Poster: A snowHead
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Happy New Year All
Have start thinking of skiing now that Christmas and NY is over. I am going to Val Cenis this year and am driving. Can somebody let me know what the mountain road is like up to the resort as have never been there before - from Google maps it doesn't look too bad but it doesn't always tell the story.
I have driven to quite a few resorts before and would rank Zinal/Grimentz as being the worst drive up and places like Samoens, Chamonix, Morzine as being the easiest.
Any information gratefully received.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The resort is right by the main road up the valley. There's a noticable rise in the road after Termignon but, normally, there's no problem. If there's been a significant dump then you may have trouble with the last 100m to your door. Depends where it is - same as anywhere really.
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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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Agree with @altis - easy drive up, not normally much traffic. Come off motorway at Modane - motorway all the way from Calais to Mondane and main valley road is about 15km. Like any road, a big dump of snow would make it a bit of a challenge but it's not a big windy road up like some. Enjoy the trip !
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Probably one of the easiest resorts to access. As Altis says, it`s all valley floor, apart from a short rise after Termingnon. When will you be there ? I am there last week of Jan, and 7th March, if you fancy a meet/beer/tea. You will enjoy the empty slopes, lack of queues, and good value . Restaurant Ranova on the mountain is excellent, as is the one up beyond the dog area on the pass, whose name escapes me. At Termingnon, the restaurant by the bottom lift, on the left as you come down, is great value. Bonneval sur Arc at the top of the valley is well worth a visit for a change of scene; one of the most original mountain villages in France, and superb but limited skiing up to 3000m, with fun unpisted blacks at the top. Lanslevillard is very quiet after dark, almost deserted, Lanslebourg less so, but not party towns for sure. Have fun.
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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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Thank you for the responses, very helpful. We are there at Feb half term (unfortunately no choice with a teacher in the group) so I suspect the slopes will not be empty.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@cham08, I think that you will be surprised how quiet it is compared with resorts near Geneva, unless you have visited the Maurienne before. Where are you staying?
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We are staying in Balcons Le Haut. I chose the resort in the hope it would be quieter than the main/well known resorts but with every country on half term in the same week we will see how it goes. Thanks again for the information.
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@cham08, when we were in Val Cenis ( Easter hols 2 yrs ago), the only queues we experienced were for the vieux Moulin bubble and the chairlift at the top of it. The restaurant at the top of the Vieux Moulin lift was also very busy at lunchtimes - it is the most accessible mountain restaurant but not the best one. Arpette on the Arcelle run is very good if your kids are able to ski the red run next to it. Relais du Col restaurant is also excellent and felt like the back of beyond when we were there (maybe not at half term?!).
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@cham08, We have been there at half term and Easter for the last 5 or 6 years and, fingers crossed, the queues are nothing like the usual suspects. we took some friends last year who had been Morzine and 3 valleys regulars at half term. they were knackered after 2 days as they had skied as much in that time as they had done in the whole week elsewhere at half term. The only real queues are usually the Gondola up from Lanslevillard early and lunchtime as well as the mid mountain chairlift mentioned above but then they are only 5 mins, maybe 10 max. Plenty of terrain to spread out into. As others have said, the drive up is straightforward and you tend to avoid the worst of the traffic heading into the Tarantaise. The last couple of years we have headed in the direction of Bourg avoiding Lyon and cut through from Annecy to Albertville. a bit more scenic and you tend to be avoiding most of the traffic. Enjoy and we'll maybe see you out on the slopes. We'll be with MGs who have been there for over 25 years and you'll see their groups skiing ion the afternoon, now with the ESF 'guiding' us which means finding the best bits of the mountain.
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