Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Val Cenis - Drive up to the resort

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
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
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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.
latest report
 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?
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 !
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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.
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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.
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
It is one of the easiest resort drives we have done. It is a gentle climb up from the motorway. There are a few bends but no true hairpins or steep sections. It is not precarious. Probably takes 20 minutes max. I have not been there at half term so don't know how busy it will be. If you need to escape from the crowds you could always spend a morning at Bonneville sur Arc..a gentle drive further up the valley.

We tried a few mountain passes in that area in summer (the ones that are closed in winter) and they were a lot hairier Toofy Grin Laughing
latest report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@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?
snow report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
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.
snow report
 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.
@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?!).
ski holidays
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@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.
snow conditions



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy