 Poster: A snowHead
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This is the resort report feedback thread for homphomp's report on La Clusaz:
La Clusaz (March 2006)
Please feel free to add your comments, or a report of your own.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Think I would do La Clusaz one day. Drove there twice but couldn't persuade the wife to give it a try as the weather wasn't brilliant.
So 130km La clusaz, 72 Euro for 2 B&B per night. 5 day ski pass 116 Euro per head, accommodation next to chairlift, no transport. Evening meal 50 to 70 Euro for two.
The Dolomiti Sellaronda I just did has 510km piste, 58 Euro for 2 B&B per night, 5 day ski pass 169 Euro per head (peak season), accommodation 1 mile to local chair lift, own car transport. Food slightly cheaper as seldom needed to spend over 50 Euro per couple on evening meal.
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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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saikee, That pass price is for the 220km of the full Aravis area (La Clusaz and Grand Bornand) it's only 105 euros if you just want to do the 130kms of La Clusaz.
We did have our own car with us...we just chose not to use it so we could indulge in a glass or two!
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homphomp,
Same for Dolomiti the 5-day 169 Euro price covers 12 regions of the entire 1220km piste in Dolomiti but we skied only Sellaronda which only have 4 of the 12 regions. We could go cheaper by buying Selva-only pass too but that would stop us going round the Sellaronda circuit which must pass through Alta Badia, Arraba and Canazei.
Think you need to drive a few miles down the road to ski Grand Bonand or leap into a ski bus.
I just feel funny about the place as I must have passed it through three times in Winter and at least twice in the summer. It is OK to get to from Annecy side or via Grand Bornand but it is a hellish place to get to from the Flumet side.
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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 was in La Clusaz in March 06 as well with three mates of mine. We stayed in a friends appartment in a chalet for free which was very nice! Flew into Geneva and picked up a small hire car to get to the resort and get around. Very handy - did the alternating nominated driver thing for the evenings.
Plenty of ski hire shops. Lift passes and ski hire were well priced. Some excellent food places - certainly no complaints there. Resort was a little quiet at night. I suppose because we were there toward end of March. But we weren't bothered - nightlife wasn't very high on the agenda.
We had plenty of snow while we were there and the whole resort was open until our last day when we had hoped to investigate elsewhere. Found we couldn't leave the village in the direction we wanted to as the roads were blocked by avalanches.
Definitely a winner with me and something for everyone. One of our group was a first time skier and he had a fantastic time thanks to a couple of hours of really reasonably priced tuition. Another one of the group had me thinking he was a snowsport god before we got there as he's done a fair bit of boarding and skiing but I think the hills in Sweden where he had been previous must have been flat. But he came on a treat too with some tuition. Some very challenging (for me anyway) blacks which were made even harder by copious amounts of snow.
Lift system on the whole I thought was pretty good. Nowhere seemd overcrowded. Everyone seemed very friendly. Very few English were there when we went and I got a chance to show off my French.
I would definitely go there again.
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Just back from my first winter trip there having hiked and biked in the summer. Had a great time which was helped by the fresh snow last week. However yesterday and today it was raining up to 2,000m which led to some pretty soggy conditions and has washed away a lot of the snow on the lower slopes. Grand Bornand yesterday afternoon was looking very sad low down.
Today we were in La Balme and at one point the vis cleared and we had some fantstic skiing in 20cm of damp powder. We went with Paul's out fit Karibuni which we would recommend highly. A great lodge and a super team of people with a really cool ethos. www.karibuni.co.uk.
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Off to La Clusaz at then end of Jan for a long weekend. Looking forward to it even more now. 
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Hello,
Just back from a 3 night break in la Clusaz, went Wednesday to Saturday - Cheap flights to Geneva and the dates suited our babysitters, Mrs Hairy and I travelled and left our 2 junior hairys at home 
Anyway, we loved la Clusaz. Very nice, small town feel, very french, nice variety of slopes to keep everyone happy, very good food. The locals have a real pride in the place and their 'champions' which gives the place a great buzz.
Hire car organised through www.holidayautos.com (thanks helen beaumont). Thanks also to J2Dave and graviteski for all their advice which proved absolutely invaluable for me as a DIY virgin.
We flew out at 7:00am from Manchester on the Wednesday morning, we ski'ed wednesday afternoon, thursday, friday and saturday morning. Flew back from Geneva at 5:00pm. This felt like a weeks break and worked really well for us.
We stayed at the Alp' Hotel which was absolutely fantastic - it wasn't cheap at 690 Euros half board for 3 nights for us both but the rooms were beautiful, it was bang in the centre of town and it had a pool and jacuzzi which we enjoyed each night. The included evening meal consisted of 5 courses of what can only be described as heaven on a plate - starter, main, cheese trolley, desert and coffee. We didn't feel the need to eat anywhere else on an evening which we usually do when half board.
I cannot speak too highly of the Alp' Hotel or its friendly staff - it was verging on luxury without being in the least stuffy, and did I mention the food  . They were also the only 3* hotel in la Clusaz prepared to quote us for a 3 night stay, all the others quoted the price for a week.
My wife progressed nicely with plenty of gentle, confidence building greens and there were more than enough challenging reds for me.
We had pre-booked private lessons for my wife with ESI Sno Acedemie. They offer 3 x 2hour private lessons for 188 Euros and my wife really came on. Her instructor, Fred, got the balance just right between pushing and confidence building.
The lift system gets a bit of stick but we found it fine, although admittedly it was quite a quiet period when we visited.
The snow was a bit light on the lower slopes (as is the case across most of the french alps) but the snow making and hard work of the pisteurs kept most of these slopes very ski-able.
We will definately ski at la Clusaz again, in fact, I am already dreaming of our romantic break to la Clusaz in January 08  .
Hairy Boy
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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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Hairy Boy, great report. Sounds like an ideal break. We have just enjoyed an aperitif with our Belgian neighbours followed by dinner at the local restaurant, just over the road, with a three generation French family at the next table. Vive les stations familiale! It's been snowing here today (and no doubt in La Clusaz, too, as we tend to share the same weather). We are near La Clusaz, but haven't skied there yet. Will give it a go when the snow is better in March, it sounds well worth a trip.
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Hairy Boy, good stuff - sounds like you had a great time (made a note of the Alp' Hotel for future reference - in case Mr and Mrs Gravite are full!). Looking forward to our next trip... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Cool, We are off there this weekend for a 3 day stint, looking forward to it (hope it snows) - will post when I get back.
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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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La Clusaz 25th to 29th January 2007. Had a great time. Overall the snow cover was excellent but by Sunday afternoon it was getting a bit icy and then horrid porridge lower down where they had the snow cannons blasting out seemingly continuously). Monday spent tmost of the day off-piste around La Balme where the snow was much better. However, the final run down to the bottom of La Balme Gondola was very, very rocky.
Nightlife great, Caves du Paccaly (sp?) and Bachal bar (gorgeous barmaid  )
Stayed in a catered Chalet run by Sam and Dave of Gravite. Great Chalet, great food and nice folks.
Would definitely go again and only 1hr 20mins from Geneva.
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You know it makes sense.
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Hairy Boy, I would recommend Restaurant Bercail for great vin chaud (big breakfast bowls of vin chaud). The restaurant is on the main piste going up L'Aiguille and sits just below chez Arthur Restaurant.
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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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Did La Clusaz over 9th-12th Feb, enjoyed it although Friday was like skiing on carboard / ice, but it snowed Sat and Sun so was much better half way up the slopes, stayed at Hotel Beauregard which is just off the slopes, near the button lift, for once the resort was very well sign posted. 1 hour 10 taxi from Geneva.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I really enjoyed the resort but my wife and kids felt the blue runs were quite challenging and more like reds in other resorts.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Might have something to do with the time of year and the weather possibly......
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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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Hello
We are going as a family to La Clusaz for new years 2015. We have a choice between 2 hotels - either Alpen Roc or Carlina. Can anyone recommend one over the other - both are 3 stars but we would like to know which is likely to be more comfortable, better rooms and better food. Does anyone know these hotels. Sorry for the questions but we are a mixed group of skiers and non skiers. Thanks !
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| CSC wrote: |
Hello
We are going as a family to La Clusaz for new years 2015. We have a choice between 2 hotels - either Alpen Roc or Carlina. Can anyone recommend one over the other - both are 3 stars but we would like to know which is likely to be more comfortable, better rooms and better food. Does anyone know these hotels. Sorry for the questions but we are a mixed group of skiers and non skiers. Thanks ! |
I dond't know the hotels but I'd look at proximity to the lifts and the town. La CLusaz is lovely but some hotels are in incovenient places and you could end up lugging skis about quite a bit if you're not careful
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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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Don't know either I'm afraid. I'd look 'em up on Tripadvisor if I were you.
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I have only 3 days experience in the area, which appears to be very nice, that said I've never seen rain like it for 3 days and nights! I left La plagne to spend so time with some friends in the Grand Bornand and on the 3 day we all left and went to La Plagne. La plagne had received 60cm of fresh snow and The GB had turned to slush. For me its too low, but it does look nice.
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| cameronphillips2000 wrote: |
| I really enjoyed the resort but my wife and kids felt the blue runs were quite challenging and more like reds in other resorts. |
Absolutely agree, and I've said this loads of times elsewhere. Great nursery/green stuff for the noobs, excellent reds and 'purple' blues for the accomplished skiers. Nothing much for the inbetweeners.
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FAQ
She'll catch her death 