 Poster: A snowHead
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Got a chance to go to Flumet in 2016. My son and I are both intermediate skiers. I've read somewhere that you need a car?? What is it like for ski-ing and how easy is it to get around without a car. I am a mid forties female and my son is 16. I assume we would fly to Geneva. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. 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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welcome to Snowheads, @DYNAMOS5. I know a fair bit about Flumet. The actual village of Flumet is NOT convenient for the slopes loosely known as Flumet which are part of the large Espace Diamant area. So yes, if you stay in Flumet village itself you definitely need a car - though it's not far. But there are a lot of better places to stay. You can fly to Geneva or chambery but either way you would need to hire a car to get to the area or take an expensive taxi ride.
What about dates? Best to avoid the new year and French school hols. From first weekend Feb to first weekend March.
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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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There is a free bus from the centre of the village to the lifts, where are you thinking of staying ?
The bus timetable is here.
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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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I would add that the Flumet pistes are the lowest in the Espace Diamant (or at least, I think that's the case) and the lifts are not the best. One, the Seigneur drag, is one of the fiercest in France. It's very long, very steep, goes in and out of the woods, which makes visibility tricky, has no easy way down if you fall off and, because the bottom section is low, often a mix of old snow, mud and tree roots. For those who fall off, struggle through the forest and make it back to the bottom of the black run (which is often unpisted) and can't face trying again, there are (infrequent) buses to Crest Voland but really, there are much better places to stay. The Evettes Chair has to be one of the slowest in the world.
On the upside, the Flumet pistes are rarely crowded....  It's skiing like it used to be, before it all became smoothed out, easy, anonymous and homogeneous!
Am I being a little hard on Flumet, I wonder? The village is interesting - some very old buildings, but can be a little dour in winter, down in the bottom of the valley.
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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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Haha is this for real PamW? Any minute I expect the troll to come out from the bridge!! The skiing sounds right up my street and by the sound of it there won't be many others there. Lovely.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Absolutely real, @andy1234, Google "teleski Seigneur " on Google.fr
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@pam w, thank you, your description really spoke to me. It reminded me of some of the route descriptions you come across for itineraries. Like the one on Snowheads for the rarely skiable route from Meribel Altiport to Brides Les Bains. As a result we managed this a few years ago and it was a lovely, tranquil, if not to say challenging achievement.
Getting back to your point, some of these old teleskis are great aren't they and its interesting to find webpages documenting them. It appears the Seigneurs one is 43 years old - Chapeau!!!
One day soon I hope to visit the Espace Diamant to experience it for myself when the snow is good and extends to the bottom of the valley at Flumet.
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when the snow is good and extends to the bottom of the valley at Flumet.
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it generally does - but because it is comparatively low, and quite a way from the higher (not to mention faster and easier) lifts Flumet isn't the best base for a holiday, especially early and late season. And the Flumet lifts close weeks before the Saisies lifts at the end of the season, regardless of snow cover.
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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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my experience of Flumet over the last 10+ years of skiing in and about the Espace Diamant is that its either bulletproof blown snow, or heather hopping/shut  I've yet to ski the Seigneurs and the bottom of it always looks dodgy. One day...
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Well, between us we can't be said to have oversold Flumet, can we? That's what you come to Snowheads for, @DYNAMOS5, the kind of honest local knowledge you don't get in a brochure.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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@pam w, and @skinutter, probably no job offers but you might be good for an après ski beer though? In similar vein, in case I have over sold the Meribel-BLB route, just to say I still get the odd twinge from the hyper extended thumb where I went flying over some fallen trees on that route. As always, you leave the piste at your own risk!
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did someone say beer  Probably won't be there until late season (usually Easter week) though with it early next year might try for a couple of weeks.
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You know it makes sense.
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I'll be around for much of the season, bar the four weeks French holiday madness.
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