 Poster: A snowHead
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Just trying to finalise a late booked Easter family holiday - week starting Sat 4th April. Considered somewhere high and purpose built but in the end we keep getting drawn back to a catered chalet holiday.
We like good food, and want space to relax and don't need any nightlife!
We don't necessarily mind having to take a bubble up and down to the snow I suppose (we've skied at Morzine at Easter for the last few years which is very low and certainly no resort skiing!).... Easter skiing is for us, as much about sun and a holiday as it is pure skiing but I'd like some good advanced skiing and if there is spring off-piste so much the better!
Found a couple of options in La Tania (on the piste - if still operational?) and Courchevel Le Praz (5 mins from lifts)...
Thoughts ladies and gents? What is the skiing like at Easter and prospects for this year given current snow and piste conditions? Are we mad or will it be fine?
cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have never stayed in La Tania, but have stayed a couple time at Le Praz at Easter. A short walk gets you to the telecabine then it is straight up the hill. On one Easter trip we were able to ski back to Le Praz (Jockey IIRC was good). On another it felt a bit incongruous walking to the telecabine station in full ski gear while every one else was in shorts. The skiing in Courchevel was good as was the rest of the 3Vs (with the exception of Meribel which was foggy and warm and damp)
And remember the factor 50
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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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Thanks johnE - sounds like the expected answer - might be possible to ski but not guaranteed but possible to use telecabines perfectly happily in that event (and ok access without being too much of a schlepp)...?
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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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la tania seems to keep the home run open pretty well, even in last years poor snow.....
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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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OK, that's good to know kitenski since the chalet is at the top of the village close to the piste and would only really work if you had the piste otherwise a bit of a schlepp to the lifts!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Think I'd go for La Tania. It's not as pretty as Le Praz, but the connections are better to the rest of the 3V-easy hop to Meribel, and the runs back to the village are likely to be easier if it gets icy-my experience of skiing down to Le Praz are that the runs can be quite hairy by that time of the season-being shady and reds/blacks they were steep and icy and/or mushy/frozen mush.
Chalets are much more ski in ski out in La T. Folyeres (the blue run down) has snowmaking-i reckon they keep that piste open to the bitter end. For what it's worth-I'm grabbing a cheeky week based in St Martin on 28th March. I fully expect mush at the end of the day.
Either way, you can always grab an end of day beer in the sun and deckchairs at the Bouc Blanc at the top of the La Tania gondola-top up the goggle tan-a very congenial spot indeed! 
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Thanks Perty - I like your thinking. If the skiing down to La Tania reliable then going to go that option for the ski in/ski out option and access to Meribel and rest of the 3V as you say.
cheers
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@MaxiMac, we're in La Tania at the moment, staying at the top of the village near the piste. Nice location, and very easy to get into the village proper. What I would say is that the posts are only in ok shape at the moment and the temps are hurting them, so if you book you should probably expect to be walking down to the bubble rather than skiing down the piste. Clearly Easter I'd a long way away, and I'm sure the pisteurs in La Tania are used to eking out their able, but if you start from that position then you won't be too disappointed.
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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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@MaxiMac, I just looked at the piste map and noticed a new chairlift taking you out of Le Praz to the same point as the telecabine from La Tania, so I suspect it makes no difference where you stay.
@Perty, I have never seen the words "pretty" and "Le Praz" in the same sentence before
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When they replaced the Foret eggs (tiny 1960's gondola) with a new chairlift, they moved the topstation to just above the La Tania bubble so you can see Dou des Lanches and schuss across to it for access to Meribel or ski 2mins to the Bouc Blanc chair for access to Courchevel 1850. The only 'benefit' to Le Praz is you can get a direct gondola to Courchevel 1850, but then you have to walk 400yards through 1850 to get to the main lift station so 99% of people would prefer to ski. Also I think there are more buses from Le Praz. Not convinced that Le Praz is the prettier village though 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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La Tania. The blue should be kept open in that week. Easier than the runs down to Le Praz
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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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@ChrisWo, they have kept the blue open every year down to the Gondola, no reason to expect any different this year.
this is from April 23rd 2005, look at the depth they build up on the slope.
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Thanks all - it's giving me some confidence that the La Tania piste will still be there and given that and the location and wider 3V access have gone for La Tania chalet option! Can't wait...
Now anyone around and fancy some spring off-piste that week? 
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You know it makes sense.
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no reason to expect any different this year.
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Well, except maybe that 2005/6 was a generally very cold winter, with snow-cover durations higher than average across most of Europe.
The chalet host where we were staying last week has been in La Tania for the last 4 seasons, and was making comparisons with early April snow levels in previous years. Having said that, the blue did seem to be in fine shape - I'm not saying the pistes will all be gone, I'm just saying you're in for less disappointment if expect them to be...you can only be pleasantly surprised!
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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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Hi, can I jump in this and ask about the runs into Le Praz?
We have stayed in La Tania the last week in March last 2 years, always ben able to ski back to the chalet and love it but in a slight panic because my preferred chalet had gone I have booked a chalet in Le Praz for this coming Saturday (lured by a hiot tub sauna and steam room for £450!)
Now panicking as I hadn't realised there are no greens/blues into le Praz. I am a fairly nervous skier, I'm more than happy on the blue in to la Tania but I usually avoid reds.
Am I going to be able to get back into resort or will I need to take the gondola?
Thanks
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Renside, take the telecabine down or even the bus from 1600. It is easy and straightforward. Lots of people do it.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Red from 1850 is still skiable I did it yesterday still looks like good coverage down no bare patches. It's a bit steeper higher up but wide plenty of time to get turns in. It's also soft so tends to be slower. If you can do the blue into la Tania I would think you can do the red
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