La Chapelle d'Abondance (PDS)

A snowHead

Thinking about putting together a DIY trip to La Chapelle d'Abondance (end of Portes du Soleil) as I've found some very cheap accommodation.

I know it's a small resort (on it's own), and pretty low altitude (1000m-1700m), but there are a number of different lift pass options available to open up a much larger area.

Anyway, has anyone been or stayed there? And more importantly does anyone have any info on transfers from Geneva to La Chapelle d'Abondance?

A snowHead

I stayed there a few years ago for a 4 day long weekend trip. It's a lovely little place. It has it's own very small ski area on one side of the valley and on the other side is the link to the rest of the PDS. There is a free bus that goes along the valley which we used one day when it was getting late. We skied down to Chatel and caught a 5 min bus ride back. We also had a car and drove to Pre le Joux which gave decent access to Avoriaz.

There is loads of skiing all along the valley and it can take a fair bit of time to make your way along (depending on your level), and we found the car really handy to access different sections for each day. Again the bus does operate, but is a little less convenient.

There will be loads of transfer companies that operate from that area as PDS is a real favourite for short trips given it's relatively short drive from Geneva.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@mikeycharlton, There's usually a reason for accommodation being very cheap.

In this case, one might be that you are a bit of a schlepp from the skiing proper. If you don't mind that...

I doubt anyone actually "organises" transfers from there but you're on the route from Chatel so I can't believe you can't organise drop off and pick up.

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My friend stayed there last year for a long weekend at his mates chalet. He is a strong skier and with waste deep powder never skied anywhere else. says he had a great time and that there is a lovely hut to lunch at too.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@mikeycharlton, transfers no problem try either Magic Transfers or Professional Transfers, both will take you from Geneva to La Chapelle. They have a lot of work to and from La Chapelle as it's right next to Chatel.

You've got two areas of skiing in La Chapelle, not linked to each other. But one, Panthiaz, is linked to the wider PDS circuit via Super Chatel and the swiss side resorts of Torgon and Morgins and on into the whole area. The other 'standalone' area, Cret Beni, is small but pretty empty, even in peak weeks. I don't know it well enough but there's some good off piste down there too.

Then from La Chapelle you can drive or take the bus into Chatel and take your pick of starting from 4 different points, all with parking nearby. Or you can take the bus to them. Easy. La Chapelle to Chatel by car about 7 minutes, to Pre la Joux the furthest skiing area about 15. No problem.

Not sure what else to tell you. La Chapelle is a really nice little place, some good restaus, a few bars and the Fer Rouge micro brewery which has really good IPA and good food!

Generally La Chapelle is pretty cheap compared to other places, it's not a warning sign.

Ask away if there's anything else!

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But don't confuse it with Abondance, which isn't linked with anyway. Nice cheese, though not as good as Beaufort.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@pam w, good point about the confusion over Abondance and La Chapelle d' Abondance, 2 different places though not very far apart.

I prefer Tomme myself.

After all it is free

I don't like any cheese that doesn't come hot, ya know Tartiflette, fondues, pizzas are all yum - raw cheese smells like feet... especially Rouculons...

Anywho, La chap gets a bit of a bad rep - i think it's perfectly cute myself. Yes, it's a slightly more obscure place, but that's because it's a great secret. Me and Mr Mountain Addiction quite often head to the Panthiaz, and even more often over Cret Beni (not linked in) Beni is great for us for a midday ski whilst on errands snowHead

Linking in to the wider PDS is a little more of a phaffy than I'd like, but in a ways that is also good as it keeps a lot of people away, everyone else seemingly wants to get everywhere fast - so if you want to just enjoy skiing and aren't fussed about how many uber miles you're clocking it's excellent - some cracking off-piste if you know where to go Toofy Grin

Alternatively you can jump in the car or hop on the bus and link in to the Vonnes or Linga or Pre la Joux (personally i just go Vonnes as it's mega easy, and for some reason people always gravitate to PLJ Puzzled

even if they don't have lessons Puzzled

)

Bottom line - if you want to SKI the PDS it doesn't matter where abouts in the PDS you start from, you can access many different points on different days and do different skiing each time on a budget from La Chap. Poifeck

@Mountain Addiction, you're on good form today Laughing

Good post, well put!

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Thanks for the helpful feedback boys and girls and apologies for the confusion over Abondance and La Chapelle d' Abondance. With closer inspection of the piste maps and google maps, I can clearly see the 2 separate areas which aren't linked.

Good to know transfers aren't a problem from Geneva too.

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One extra bonus of La Chapelle is that you can buy an Evasion skipass at a 25% discount to the PDS pass which covers 230km of pistes:

. La Chapelle d’Abondance
. Torgon
. Super Châtel
. Barbossine
. Morgins
. Champoussin (dernier appareil TS Pointe de l’Au)

You know it makes sense.

out of interest...how many km's are covered by the basic La Chapelle d’Abondance/Torgon lift pass?

And how easy is it to get from one to another?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@mikeycharlton, I’m not sure exactly how many km you get on the La Chapelle pass but there is some decent stuff in there.

Assuming you are a mixed ability bunch there is enough at the Cret Beni side for a day (you could happily do it twice in a week). This is the part that is not linked and is down a side road from the village. There is a bus linking it to the other area (Braitaz).

Braitaz is accessed by a Gondola from the main road just outside the village with a large parking area. There are two chairs (one a bit of an old fashioned 2 man, the other a more modern 4 man, neither state of the art) and enough skiing in the immediate area for half a day. Two good restaurants, one at the top of the big chair one at the bottom. Skiing not particularly challenging but there is a superb steep red run (Lynx) and a wide open “steepish blue” standard run directly under the main chair that is perfect for practicing technique. Generally not very busy.

From the top of Braitaz you can access Torgon (Plan de Croix) with a few choices of route red/blue standard. In Plan de Croix there is a big chair Tronchey taking you over to Barbossine and then onwards towards Super Chatel. You can take the first drag lift and then ski down a couple of runs to the bottom of the Onnaz drag lift where you will see a “Fin de Validite” banner. This is the end of the La Chapelle pass. If you are a confident group making good speed it would be very easy to sail straight past it.

Also from Plan de Croix you can take the small chair to Jorette above Torgon village with a steep and often icy red run down to Torgon village proper (you can avoid the most challenging bit by following a cart track down left then right.

My advice if you are in La Chapelle would be to buy your passes day by day. Maybe La Chapelle one day then a PDS and drive up to Chatel to explore over to Avoriaz and the Swiss side, then an Evasion and head over via Braitaz to Super Chatel and through Morgins to Champoussin etc. etc. maybe even a day pass for Abondance or a trip to Bernex or a day over in St Jean d’Aulps if you have a car.

Enjoy. It’s a very nice little area.. Restauarants – Clos Savoyard near the Cret Beni bottom station, Les Cornettes (take a large empty stomach!) or L’Ensoleille in La Chapelle centre and the microbrewery as mentioned. Can’t help on bars we are in Chatel and only foray forth for skiing or food (or beer in the microbrewery).

A snowHead

@mikeycharlton. Take note, @DJL, uses the word 'drag lift' a number times in his excellent description on the skiing over towards Torgon and Morgins

A snowHead

@mikeycharlton, but are they good kms?

there is a particularly excellently steep black run in Torgon.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@BergenBergen, Is correct there are some drags (and some of them are quite steep) including two you have to take to get back to Col de Braitaz from Torgon. I can’t say it makes any difference to me but I know others have a real loathing for them.

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cheers for the info DJL.

Is there a piste that runs down to the bottom of the gondola from Braitaz, or do you need to take the gondola back down at the end of the day to get off the mountain? Looking at the piste map, it doesn't look like there is one.

Am I right in thinking there is another small area even further down the road just called 'Abondance' which is also not linked (although you can take a bus there)? Presumably it still falls under the PDS lift pass, but does it fall into one of the smaller pass categories too?

Won't have a car, and am planning this trip by myself (happy on blues and reds and the occasional black).

Also, does Torgon really get upto 2300m like the piste map suggests?

And finally.....perhaps most important of all - what's the snow like in mid Jan? snowHead

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@mikeycharlton, no route down other than the gondola that I know of - might be an off piste route through fields/back gardens.

Abondance is on the PDS pass but is a completely separate unlinked area and the snow is sometimes sketchy. It is very cheap though (perhaps for a reason!) so buying a day pass wouldn't break the bank. I don't think it features on any other pass.

Top height in the PDS is about 2300m but I think the high point in Torgon is the top of Tronchey at around 1900m from memory.

Snow in mid Jan? Should be pretty decent but can be v cold. Obviously each winter is a bit different.

As you are carless I'd suggest pick an area per day and use the buses. Pre La joux for the Avoriaz area, Braitaz for Torgon, one day doing both halves of La Chapelle etc.

You could do a nice day out by going Braitaz - Torgon - Super Chatel - Morgins - Champoussin - Les Crosets - Planachaux - Ripaille - chair up the Swiss wall - Avoriaz - Lindarets - Pre La Joux and then the bus home. If you keep moving (always easier if you are solo) and don't get lost (a bit harder) you could be round the whole thing by mid afternoon.

Worth checking your accommodation is close to the bus stop.

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@DJL, iirc, hauts forts top out at 2,440m

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

cheers DJL

yep, just seen the lift prices for Abondance (l'Essert I think the area it's called) - 23euro's a day Shocked

Obviously it's pretty small. Does half the size of Cret Beni sound about right?

Not massively fussed about skiing the same 5 or 6 runs over again for one whole day if conditions are decent.

After all it is free

@mikeycharlton, where are you thinking of staying?

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Don't know it but looks to be on the main road close enough to Panthiaz. Yep, Panthiaz gets you up to Torgon and on into Super Chatel and the whole circuit if you want now thanaks to the Vonnes link.

Will be about 5 mins on the bus down to Cret Beni. Should be a bus stop very close on the main road.

The good news? You are walking distance to the Fer Rouge and the magnificent IPA Cool

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@mikeycharlton, yep the local shuttle buses are free. I'm guessing there is a bus to Abondance which is free but not certain on this, as it could be the service which goes on down to Thonon in which case it looks more like a coach and is not free.

From your accom to Abondance will be about 10-15 mins by bus.

The bus routes are a bit funny, there are different letters for each bus. Some go where you want them to and others go part way and then you have to change. Best to check the timetable.

ok, so it looks like the accommodation will only allow Sat to Sat, not Sun to Sun. Slightly annoying as flights are cheaper for Sunday flights.

Is Saturday to Saturday pretty much the norm for this type of accommodation in this area?

You know it makes sense.

Yes it is. Welcome to France and the Gallic herding instinct. You could always ski the last Saturday and decamp to a hotel in near Geneva before the flight home Sunday

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

@mikeycharlton, quite a few of the Brit run places in Chatel/La Chapelle do Sun-Sun. And in mid-Jan you're likely to get a good deal with chalet board, slope shuttle, all usual chalet perks... Just a thought.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Transit through Southend is so quick you will probably save more time than it will take to get there. Or train from Liverpool Street takes you straight to the airport.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Southend airport it is. Never been there before, but for £70 return (including luggage) for Saturday flights, it's an absolute steal. In fact it's exactly the same price as the resort transfer from Geneva.

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Managed to pick up a British Airways flight from Gatwick for £78 return (including checked in luggage). Happy days.

Can anyone tell me if the lift pass prices vary at all depending on when or how you book? I'm aware there are 3 different pass options, but is there a possibility of discount on them?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@mikeycharlton, Chatel 6 day or more passes are currently 10% off if booked online. Season passes are 25% off. Not sure about La Chapelle passes, website is not that helpful!

Your accommodation provider may be able to provide you a pass at a discount, some do and some don't pass it on. Worth asking.

After all it is free

@mikeycharlton, No, the Chatel one is not the same as any of the three you have listed. It covers the 3 main areas of Super Chatel, Linga and Pre la Joux. It does also cover the Panthiaz/Braitaz part of La Chapelle and Torgon. It's here http://info.chatel.com/the-lift-passes-prices.html

So that's a 4th option to add to your lift pass options! And all that is lift linked pretty much now.

Of your options I would not get option 1.

2. is ok but check the price difference between that and the new option of the Chatel pass as the latter gives you more miles but you lose the Cret Beni area of La Chapelle. Just checked 15E more on a 6 day pass for the Chatel pass.

3. PDS you can go wherever you like!

It's worth persevering with the accommodation provider as they often have 'white week' deals in January where they can supply cheap local passes (not PDS) which are partly subsidised by the Tourist office/mairie/lift company not sure who, but it's to attract tourism on very quiet weeks.

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that's an interesting 4th option, (so it will probably a toss up between that and option 2) but does it really gives more km's of piste? I'd be losing the Cret Beni area in La Chapelle, most of Morgins, and all of Champoussin, but gaining the 2 other Chatel areas.

Is the area shaded green on the map http://www.bergfex.com/torgon/panorama/ the option you have described?

I've only been to Morzine, Les Gets and Avoviaz in the PDS, so the other side (where i'll go this time) is completely new to me.

Help!!

La Chapelle d'Abondance (PDS)

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