 Poster: A snowHead
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Advice and info please.
We are thinking of driving up to Valmorel for the day one day later this week (probably tomorrow or Thursday).
Have read DavidYacht's review and recent discussion on Valmorel or Cervinia. Have looked at resort site, but still unsure about a lot of things:
Where to park? Le Crey or in town?
Where to start - which lift?
Where good places on mountain for coffee/hot chocky?
Where good place for lunch?
Best runs? Runs to avoid?
Any advice greatfully received. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Jonpim, I did once drive to Valmorel for the day (called in on my way home) and to be honest I cannot answer any of your questions - it all happened without thinking about it. We drove, parked, hired some kit and went skiing. Sorry it was so simple I cannot remember anything about it.
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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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Jonpim I did my season there (although that was 12 years ago) so can't advise on parking or lunchstops since they may have changed - although if you take the full pass that allows you over to St Francois Longchamps there used to be a cracking pizza restaurant just over the Valmorel/St Francois boundary - on the map in this link http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Valmorel/pistemap_full it's the restaurant by the Lauziere lift over on the far right hand side!
From what I remember your best bet is to take the Altispace chair which is the main lift out of the village and departs from the mountain end of the main street, I think its a bit of a faff starting in Le Crey. If you're decent intermediates and the snow is good you'll probably cover most of it in a day so head up the Altispace and you have most of it in front of you. Don't remember anything to avoid, I can't remember exactly why but we used to love heading over to the Lauziere (again only poss if you have full area pass to get back on what were rather long slow pomas0.
Sorry to be a bit vague but might give you an idea if no-one who's been more recently comes along! Enjoy!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Last time I was there was 2010, on mountain food is generally better over towards St Francois Longchamps as said above. I recall the reds down from Lauziere being quite good. Don;t bother with Doucy as there is nothing interesting down there as far as I remember.
It is possible to ski from Le Crey when the snow is good otherwise park there and get the bus to the centre. The Altispace is definitely the place to start the main resort and you can ski most of it in a day. The runs down from the Madeline are usually quite good. Nothing springs to mind as a run to avoid.
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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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Thanks guys for all your excellent info and advice.
It seems we have decided on Thursday - really looking forward to it.
Looks like there are a few tree sections - we like going through trees, and Thursday might be a bit cloudy
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Altispace out of the village - park in main Valmorel. Lauziere is lovely (if open) with great views of the Matterhorn. We used to like Le Prariond restaurant (near Valmorel) - blue to get to it, large sun terrace but nice also inside with log fire if snowing. Food really good & waitress service but that was about 10 years ago. Enjoy - we loved Valmorel.
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@Rockette12, I never realised you could see the Matterhorn from Valmorel. I will look more carefully next time I am there
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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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There is a restaurant with a nice terrace ?alpage? At the top of the Altispace.
There is a self service and waiter service restaurant at the bottom of Lozere.
I would second, up the Altispace and heading toward St Francoise de Longchamp.
There are some nice cruisy reds and blues over there.
Skiing off the top of Lozere is probably one of the most challenging runs. Probably too dodgy to do the off piste.
Priamond is a choice spot for a sundowner and ski home after the lifts have closed.
Plenty of parking in the town, a short walk from the ticket office and Altispace.
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Aint SnowHeads wonderful.
Ask about a resort that hardly features in most skiers repertoir and back comes superb info - thank you all.
And like @johnE, never thought you might see Matterhorn from Valmorel - will look out for it if weather favourable.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I've always wanted to see the Matterhorn (dunno why!) - can't believe I spent a season there and didn't know that!!!!
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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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@skismurf75, I've just had a look at Valmorel and the Matterhorn on Google Maps,
As the crow flies (presumably a straight line) its about 100 kilometres between the two, and you go over La Plagne, which is higher, and i've never known anyone suggest we could see the Matterhorn from here.
I wonder if our fellow snowhead could be mistaken . . . 
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You can deffo see the Matterhorn from the Pointe de Méan Martin (3330m) which is not so far away near Termignon.
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You know it makes sense.
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@altis, ok, but the top lift in Valmorel only goes to 2403m, and the top peak (if you decided to climb up) is Le Cheval Noir at 2832m.
Not surprising no one in Vamorel has seen the Matterhorn.
And if you look up Pointe de Méan Martin you will find it in the Vanois National Park, beyond Val d'Isere, nearly 50km from Valmorel. 
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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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Well, our day in Valmorel was a resounding success, despite the rather unfriendly weather.
Most forecasts had suggested a sunny day rather like yesterday, but we arrived to find the town immersed in mist. Hey ho.
Parked in car park 8: eight hours “gratui”. Walked up to the lift office – very friendly and quickly sorted. Then across the road (snow covered) to Restaurant Pizzéria for a coffee and croissant . If ever there was a restaurant mis-named it was this one. Name would suggest all about pizzas. Far from it - indeed don’t think there was pizza on the menu – this was French with a capital F, which also stands for Friendly. Superb.
Then out into the mist – looked rather miserable. Up the nearest lift: Altispace (as advised), a two section chair.
Then - great joy - as we started on the second section. we came out of the mist into glorious sunshine. As long as we stayed above about 1800m it was glorious.
Few people, pistes in perfect condition, excellent lift system. We made it right over to Langchamp.
As the day went on the cloud slowly rose, and we gingerly headed back to Valmorel, taking a well-earned rest (and psychotherapy) at a wonderful place just above the Pierrafort gondola called Altipiano (on the piste map). Coffee and a scrumptious Apple Crumble Tart.
Then nice easy run down to Valmorel in the gloom that got much easier when trees appeared either side of the piste.
Great place. We will be back.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Great to hear you had a good day Jonpim! I must go back one day.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Bump
Well, we did go back. Today. Superb.
And this time no cloud: just wall to wall blue sky and sunshine.
One minor change: the car park now charges. Our fee was 6 euros for 9am to 5pm.
Our restaurant was still lovely. We sat with coffee and croissants watching the Altispace queue build and disappear.
Then we never met a queue all day. We went everywhere, and everywhere was lovely.
Huge amounts of skiable off-piste-between-piste.
One word of warning: the black run off the Riondet drag involves 2 walks along a "road", and then needs some fresh snow or some sun to soften up the bumps - we went a bit to early (explains why no one else was anywhere near the place )
The Lauziere chair also involves a long road to get to (no walking if you keep the speed up) but is well worth the effort. It doesn't look much on the map, but is actually a long chair over a superb bowl full of gorgeous soft snow.
We came back via Les Lanchettes: another good decision. No one on it, and it it took us straight back to a well longed for beer.
All in all, a wonderful day.
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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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And it's a very pleasant place in summer too. Spent a great week walking there about 15 years ago with a few different lifts open each day. Topped off ( or bottomed off) by the Tour De France coming along the valley floor one day.
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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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@Jonpim, The Matterhorn can be seen from the top of Le Cheval Noir - I saw it when I was there a couple of weeks ago. La Meije can be seen too. Not sure if The Matterhorn can be seen from any of the lifts/pistes.
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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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I am amazed that such an excellent resort so close to Moutiers - closer than any of the other major Tarentaise resorts - features so rarely on this site and elsewhere. And i can well imaging it is a very pleasant place in the summer too.
Interestingly: we didn't hear as many English voices as here in La Plagne, but certainly a lot of Germans.
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