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Which area? Paradiski or 3 Valley's?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi all,
Working the winter season and I have the option for my lift pass. Paradiski or the 3 Valley's?
Would be grateful if anyone could offer any advice? BTW Off piste is no.1 priority for me.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
What a great problem to have. Can't imagine you'd be disappointed by either. I'll put a vote in for the 3V, but only cos I've skied there loads and went once to La Plagne years ago.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Where are you based to have that option Bozel?

Andy
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[Yes, anderoo, a good question. Access does influence the decision.
But maybe richieski has the option of a job in either resort - then the question would be which company and where in the resort will he be based?
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@richieski, You'r just bragging. If off piste is the number 1 priority then why are you bothered about a lift pass?
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I will be based in Aime, so will have to travel to either but my employer has offered me the option of either. Not sure how long it will take to get to either etc.
Lift pass required as i do not have touring equipment. Plus i also like a play in the parks when cond are poor off piste.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Aime is the turn off to La Plagne, part of Paradiski. The 3V is a fair bit further to drive to
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Have skied at both and although the snow was brilliant at Paradiski when I was there (dumping all night and powder skiing I had only ever seen on videos before) I would get the 3V one. Its bloody massive and has every kind of terrain you can think of.
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@richieski, given you have the option of two areas, convenience wins for me. better the two hours you do ski than the two you don't...
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@richieski, Go for the Paradiski pass as it will be at least a 40 to 50 minute drive each way between Aime and the three valleys. It's far easier to travel into La Plagne from Aime (maybe about 15 minutes to Montalbert or 20 minutes to La Roche) and it means you won't be stuck in traffic jams on the road round when it is dumping down with snow and you could be enjoying the powder.

There is also a bus from Aime to the La Plagne villages and it would be far easier to hitch a lift if you needed to so you have the option to have a drink or two after skiing.

The off piste isn't bad in La Plagne either but don't tell anybody because most people think it's just an intermediates resort. wink


Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Mon 12-10-15 9:19; edited 1 time in total
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^^ + 1 La Plagne gets tracked out much slower than the 3V's.
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@richieski, definitely Paradiski. From Aime, you are less than 20 mins drive to both Montalbert and Montchavin, which are at opposite ends of La Plagne. So you have a choice of two easy start points depending on which part of the domain you want to ski that day. From Montchavin you are also just one lift away from the Vanoise express that links you into Les Arcs. And there is some excellent off-piste in La Plagne.

To get into the 3-valleys you are looking at more like a 40 minute drive each way. The more time you spend driving, the less time you spend skiing.


Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Mon 12-10-15 9:05; edited 1 time in total
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No brainier, bearing in mind La Plagne is often called
Aime La Plagne due to the resort being built above the village. Drive up to the Montchavin side and you've got the Les Arcs link.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Definately get Paradiski. I did a season in La Plagne 10 yrs ago. Huge area, less busy than 3V and off piste gets tracked out much slower than 3V. From Aime you are only 10-15 mins drive up to the relatively new La Roche chairlift.
Also as I remember with a season pass we got 2 free days in 3V, 2 in Espace Killy, and a couple in smaller resorts around the area such as Pralognan.

From Aime you are about 40-45 mins from 3V. I can't imagine doing that everyday without it becoming a PITA.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Paradiski, you don't say what work you'll be doing but if you're trying to fit skiing in between work taking perhaps an hour out of your day to get to the 3vs and back will become a PITA, then assuming your entry point would be somewhere with free parking you're looking at Brides so add another 50 minutes return to get to the main station and then start skiing.

On "Powder days" unless you get up really early you'll be at least an hour behind the locals, whereas Paradiski, 15mins to the Centre of resort!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Credentials for this reply: 12 weeks in Paradiski, 9 weeks in 3v

Paradiski gets my vote, numerous access points, OP enough to keep you in pow happiness in either. Uplift in Paradiscki really swift these days. Can't comment on the parks though, not my thing.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
In terms of size, I have a book called 'snowboarding the world' which describes the rideable area of both as follows: paradiski 34000 acres and 3V 28000 acres. So whilst the 3V may have more piste, based on this you could say that Paradiski would suit you better, but it is slightly splitting hairs as they are both huge and you'll have a fantastic time in either, so I'd go for the most convenient.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@spcsnow, Converting your areas to British units gives Paradiski an area of 136 km^2 and 3V of 112. I wonder where these figures come from? They do not appear in any statistics I have ever seen nore do they appear realistic. Does 'snowboarding the world' quote the source?
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@johnE, No, it doesn't quote a source, nor does it give figures for every ski area which suggests they have got the figures from somehwere and not just guessed or tried to work it out. A couple other areas are: Espace killy 12355 acres, Serre Chevalier 10984 acres. PDS - area not measured. I'm curious to hear others thoughts on the validity of these figures, perhaps someone who knew the boundaries of the areas well (and has a lot of time on their hands) could try and work it out on google earth.
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For years everyone has quoted miles/kms of pistes as the comparator for resort size but this year I've had a couple of people start to quote acres.

I've always assumed the miles/kms come from the lift companies/tourist office and were a bit of bragging rites and everyone know show long a miles/km is.

The cynic in me thinks they may have now moved to acres as for 3Vs for example "twenty eight thousand" sounds a lot more than 600km/373miles as no-one really knows how big an acre is.

The other key thing to these stats. using miles does anyone know how far they actually ski per day? one group I was out this who "were really on it all day/everyday 'cos we're hard core experts" and who worshipped with God called GPS recorder averaged less than 50 miles a day on their weeks holiday!
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Quote:

as no-one really knows how big an acre is.

0.4 hectacre
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Hi @richieski, might be worth also comparing lift pass prices in case budgets help you decide. I think 3V is in the €1000 ball park and no early-bird discounts that I could ever see. Paradiski is around €600 if you get in there before end of Nov.

HOWEVER, if you get a genuine employment contract and take that to the ski pass office in resort, I think the price in Paradiski drops to around €400 (can any previous seasonnaires verify?) but you may give up your swapsie days in 3V/EK/StFoy - bear that in mind if you definitely want to use them all, as they would add up to more than €200.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@bobski62, he says his employer has offered him the option of either. For that reason I'd guess budget isn't an option.
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@marcellus, I suspect the move to "acres" is motivated partially by your suggestion but also because the NA that's how things are done and if you want to attract the dollar...

The "standard" Circuit of the PdS is about 80kms and should easily be managed by a group of competent red run skiers in a day with a hearty lunch and a couple of refreshment breaks.
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bobski62 wrote:
Hi @richieski, but you may give up your swapsie days in 3V/EK/StFoy - bear that in mind if you definitely want to use them all, as they would add up to more than €200.
There are no swapsie days anymore - the scheme has been cancelled as of this coming season.
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under a new name wrote:
@marcellus, I suspect the move to "acres" is motivated partially by your suggestion but also because the NA that's how things are done and if you want to attract the dollar...

The "standard" Circuit of the PdS is about 80kms and should easily be managed by a group of competent red run skiers in a day with a hearty lunch and a couple of refreshment breaks.


so 52.8 miles then.. I wonder how many acres of skiing that is ?

My point is/was that even with that, you have to smile when PdS publish that they have 404miles of piste* then that will take your "competent red run skiers" 8 days to ski every mile assuming they can do it without repeating any mile of any run and then some skiers say "I can't go to xyz resort as it only has 300miles of piste!!

is a yank acre the same as a UK acre?




(*Source; Where To ski and Snowboard 2014)
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
richieski, another vote for Paradiski.
From Aime you can drive up to La Roche (free parking by restaurant) or Plagne Centre (free parking at base of Bergerie lift) in less than half an hour..
(Not so easy finding parking in Plagne 1800.)
Or you can drive along to Bourg ((15 mins) and take the funicular up to Les Arcs - i think the free parking at the base of the funicular has been changed to 2€ for the day.
Espace Killy is another 40 minutes up the valley - not good for every day driving, but worth it for the odd day, and you might get a couple of days free there, depending on what type of Paradiski pass you are given (seasonaires pass seems not always includes the extra free days)
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bobski62 wrote:
Hi @richieski, might be worth also comparing lift pass prices in case budgets help you decide. I think 3V is in the €1000 ball park and no early-bird discounts that I could ever see. Paradiski is around €600 if you get in there before end of Nov.

HOWEVER, if you get a genuine employment contract and take that to the ski pass office in resort, I think the price in Paradiski drops to around €400 (can any previous seasonnaires verify?) but you may give up your swapsie days in 3V/EK/StFoy - bear that in mind if you definitely want to use them all, as they would add up to more than €200.


Yep sounds about right. IIRC it was about €360 in the 12/13 season. Really good value. I had colleagues in the 3V and it was more expensive just for Meribel, with no discount at all for the whole area pass.

EDIT: we also got the 2 free days in 3V and EK on the Paradiski seasonnaire pass, though not sure if they still do that. Plus a discount at La Ros and I think Sainte Foy, though we didn't get up there.


Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much on Mon 12-10-15 15:09; edited 1 time in total
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
From Aime its 10 mins up to Montalbert (once you know the road) free parking and then 7 minutes up the new Gondola into the ski area, and then some of the best tree skiing in the area back down to Montalbert at the end of the day.

So obviously get the 3valleys pass Madeye-Smiley
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Hi @FastCarver74, I read that as having the option of working in either, but you may be right and it's the option of getting a pass in either... @richieski?

Hi @Raceplate, I think that after intensive lobbying by Snowcrazy (thank you Chris!) they may have brought back the swapsie days for seasonnaire passes only (but not the regular week-at-a-time ones). I may have also seen a comment on this season's website saying 2 days in EK and 3 in 3V available for swap.


Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Mon 12-10-15 22:23; edited 1 time in total
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@bobski62, fair enough if you're right. Can't actually remember where I read that the swap scheme had been cancelled - on here I think? Would make more sense for it to apply to season ticket holders only. Seem to remember that the 6 day scheme was to be replaced by a Savoie "super pass" that allowed you to choose your area each and every day but I can't see any mention of it on the lift company websites so it could well be scrapped. Also seem to recall the proposed price premium for "flexibility" looked ridiculous so maybe common sense has prevailed Very Happy
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Yes, I think you are right @Raceplate, it was on here - but looks like enough people complained and the lift company actually listened...

A Savoie pass would be awesome! I am quite tempted by the same idea in the Aosta valley, where you can get a reasonably-priced season pass that covers all the valley and its tributaries: Courmayeur, Pila, Champoluc, Cervinia (and Zermatt) all thrown in. Just need to get that proper season sorted out first. Same deal, say, if you were based in Bourg or Seez to ski La Ros, Paradiski, EK just seems so overdue.

If the idea has fallen through for week passes, I guess there is still 'Ski a la carte' to fall back on. Most people I know who have used that have given it the thumbs up.
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Paradiski would get my vote, didn't do much offpiste but it looked good for when the conditions were right, if La Plagne is known as an intermediates resort, this would make 3v a beginners resort, I found more challenging piste skiing in Paradiski than I did in 3v, lots of unpisted itineries and genuinely black unpisted black runs, not the bland, groomed flat, boring black runs of other resorts.
Much cheaper to eat on the mountain in Paradiski too
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@tangowaggon, I just looked at the piste map for the 3Vs again and noticed that the Couloir Tournier is marked as an itinerie and the Grand Couloir is about as tough and steep as any black you are ever like to meet. I have peered down the Tournier and cannot imagine anyone skiing it.
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Quote:

I have peered down the Tournier and cannot imagine anyone skiing it


You mean the one down the Meribel side from the Saulire cable car? Can be a bit thin snow cover at the top but once you've picked your way around any rocks there it is a very pleasant ski. If you can ski the Gd Couloir in control then the Tournier is fine.

On the original question, I prefer the 3V but would agree that convenience trumps that.
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Quote:
Grand Couloir is about as tough and steep as any black you are ever like to meet

I'd love to think that was true as I've skied it twice solo in chopped up powder on skinny ski's in the late 90's.

The reality is I am not Glenn Plake and the GC is within the reach of us mere mortals . Very Happy Skullie snowHead Laughing

But we digress. There is a lot of excellent off piste in Paradiski and convenience wins the day.
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I wonder why the alternative choice to Paradiski was 3-valleys, rather than Espace Killy Puzzled
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
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Jonpim wrote:
I wonder why the alternative choice to Paradiski was 3-valleys, rather than Espace Killy Puzzled

Good question. There's not much in it and if you are talking off piste...

I was still opt for Paradiski because of the convenience and I like the area/off piste. But still a valid question.
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@jedster, OK I saw the rocks, lots of them.

If I was staying in Aime, I would plum for the Paradiski every time. There is even a bus from Aime to La Plagne for those days when you do not feel like driving.
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@Jonpim, possibly because the employer has work in both the Paradiski and 3V, but not EK. So they don't want them going off to Val d'Isere for the day when they may be needed in Meribel later. I don't know obviously, but just a suggestion.
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