 Poster: A snowHead
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So last year my daughter and I did the 3V in March. We stayed in Brides les Bains. We skied Courchevel, meribel, la masse Val thorens Orelle and also did a day in Paradiski. We LOVED it. Tons of high speed ripping and a healthy dose of off piste. According to our ski tracker app we did 55 vertical kms in 6 days (the daily gondola ride down to Brides was not included in the total descent). Day 6 was a bit of a grind. Unfortunately it was warm and the conditions were only great on north facing slopes above 2000m. As a result I am thinking that I should return this year for the last week ofJanuary to hopefully enjoy mid winter conditions and relatively deserted slopes. Val d'isere is still on the list and really there is so much left to explore especially lower down assuming conditions will be better.
While doing research for this year's trip I have been thinking that a change of venue might also be nice. Places like PDS St Anton Zermatt etc seem to be viable options. I guess my fear is that after having skied the 3V that all else will be disappointing. It ws especially nice to explore a new area each day and travel by lift and ski over multiple valleys day after day.
If you have skied the 3V and other resorts in Europe I am curious to hear your recommendations for our next trip. We are expert skiers with extensive racing and instructor experience. To me a blue run is a GS training slope. Steep chutes, bumps, powder and trees are also a blast. Basically I just love to ski regardless of piste difficulty. Apres ski is a bonus but not required...a pub with good beer on tap is just fine.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 25-01-20 20:33; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Any of your alternatives would be great. I am a regular 3v skier, and spent a season there 10 years ago and head that way regularly. Nowhere is a big for sheer extent and accessibility.
However, we do ski elsewhere.... At the end of Jan, you will hit one the quietest parts if the season. Val d'Isere might be a good option. Also the PDS. Oh..and St Anton....Zermatt ticks the boxes 😄.
At that time of year however, it's a nice idea to look at resorts with a good amount of tree skiing (slopes below about 1800/2000m) as the really high resorts can be horribly cold, with stormy weather closing the lifts on a bad day (Zermatt can get very stormy).
I've not been, but the Dolomites might be a different option. I know they are some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Other SHs will no doubt be along soon to point you in the right direction. I'm not sure about the rules on off piste there though...in some parts of Italy, it's unlawful to go off piste, or to go off piste without a guide and without the right kit.
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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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Go to Val d'Isere. If you loved 3V you will not be disappointed. I prefer Val to the 3V. It has one of the best lift systems in the alps, the ski area is huge with lots of lift served off piste and some cracking piste runs (OK, Orange and The Face are particular standouts)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| xtr wrote: |
We are expert skiers with extensive racing and instructor experience. To me a blue run is a GS training slope. Steep chutes, bumps, powder and trees are also a blast. Basically I just love to ski regardless of piste difficulty. Apres ski is a bonus but not required...a pub with good beer on tap is just fine.
Cheers,
Colman |
St Anton and surrounding resorts, Stuben, Warth, Lech, Zurs will suit you fine, extensive off piste plus loads of pistes and official itineraries
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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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Everywhere that you mention are options. I must confess that I've never skied the 3Vs, although friends who live in the PDS who have say that the 3Vs, from an on piste point of view are a little boring and staid... 
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| Quote: |
| So last year my daughter and I did the 3V in March. We stayed in Brides les Bains. |
I stayed in Brides once. I found the gondola ride up a bit of a schlep but it doesn't sound like it bothered you. Anyway suffice to say you can do a lot better in terms of access to the slopes.
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| I guess my fear is that after having skied the 3V that all else will be disappointing. It ws especially nice to explore a new area each day and travel by lift and ski over multiple valleys day after day. |
I went to the 3V's quite a lot when I first started. It's hard to beat for cranking out the mileage and "travelling". That said my first choice these days is Paradiski. But I've been to ADH, Tignes/Val and a few smaller places. Also I've done a bit in the Arlberg. I don't think you will be disappointed going to these places. But you may end returning to the 3V's subsequently. I have to say having been keen to try new places the first few years I can see the advantages of knowing a place.
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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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@Bergmeister, lots of pistes, if boring, mean lots of boring pistes...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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+ 1 for Espace Killy, possibly including a day trip to St Foy, if conditions there good. St Anton would be my next choice.
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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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Definitely try Val d'Isere/Tignes. As experts, you will love it.
I'm significantly more crap, and I love it anyway!
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Thanks for all the replies.
I had not considered the Dolomites but they sound fantastic as a touring destination but maybe a bit mellow for us. I have checked and the Val D pass allows for a day at 3V and Paradiski so if we want a change of scene, a lack of terrain will not be a problem. St Anton also sounds like a good option and has the steep reputation similar to Val d. PDS would be lovely too but deciding where to stay is daunting. Zermatt is likely off the list for now...cost and weather.
Ultimately the best choice is going to be the resort with the best snow and weather that particular week. Seeing as predicting that is unlikely, are any of the options generally cheaper than the others? As noted above, we stayed in Brides last year. Not ideal I know but it was a good value engineered solution. It was a good jumping off point for a day at Paradiski and we also drove to Val Thorens one day in order to have a full day there without the ski commute. Doing a road trip is what we are used to anyway.
So in summary, what PDS resort? What village in Val D is cheap and quiet at night? What village in St Anton is cheap and a good location if you have a car?
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You know it makes sense.
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| intermediate wrote: |
| + 1 for Espace Killy, possibly including a day trip to St Foy, if conditions there good. |
I've wondered about doing that. How practical is it without a car?
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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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PDS - Chatel
ValD - Tignes les Brevideres
St. Anton - no idea 
My personal choice.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@xtr, experts on the Arlberg/St Anton are less likely to look on a 3 Valleys thread so you might want to set up another thread or run a search relating to those areas for that information.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@xtr, It's cheaper to stay in places like Stuben or Warth to ski the St Anton area.
What is your budget, I've stayed in Stuben for the past few years at Easter time so can perhaps recommend some accommodation.
There are some pics and videos from recent years on my blog:
http://greghilton.co.uk/easter-skiing-at-stuben/
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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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Quieter areas in Val are La Daille, Fornet and Laisenant. They are at either end of the village, a short bus ride away.
As said, in Tignes, Les Brevieres is charming and quiet, but it's right down the mountain so it's a gondola ride up in the mornings (not a problem, but it takes a few minutes longer to get up to the main resort level).
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| Quote: |
@Bergmeister, lots of pistes, if boring, mean lots of boring pistes...
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Yeah but that is a ridiculous accusation to throw at 3V - runs like Combe de Vallon, Combe de Saulire, the main runs of Cime de Carron and La Masse, Jerusalem, Jockeys, Jean Blanc are all stone cold classics on a par with anything that say EK has to offer and I like EK!
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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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And that's just the obvious classics before you call on any kind of local knowledge
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
| As said, in Tignes, Les Brevieres is charming and quiet, but it's right down the mountain so it's a gondola ride up in the mornings (not a problem, but it takes a few minutes longer to get up to the main resort level). |
Cracking ski down "sache" at the end of each day though 
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@Layne, very true!!!
LOL at pistes being boring in the 3Vs
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@Layne, to late and to early in the season that can be a problem - but, yes very nice. 
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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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| under a new name wrote: |
| I must confess that I've never skied the 3Vs, although friends who live in the PDS who have say that the 3Vs, from an on piste point of view are a little boring and staid... |
Why is it that in the land of the internet "i've a mate who says....." is always followed by a load of dangly bits.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Why is it that every time I say lady's front bottom and dangly bits, something completely different appears?
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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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Lots of flat outs on pistes in the 3V. Sure there are some bangers but fortunately a lot of the terrain means you don't have to stay on piste and can still find relatively safe skiing. Unfortunately despite multiple visits I barely know the name of any piste.
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3V's is rubbish. Please all go and ski somewhere else 
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You know it makes sense.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| Quote: |
| lots of pistes, if boring, mean lots of boring pistes... |
Jesus!! ... What, exactly, do people want if they find the entire 3Vs boring?? That's totally preposterous  . Surely it's only the Warren Miller cliff jumping, back flipping types who could fail to be impressed by the sheer scale and diversity of the area - as opposed to surely the majority of recreational piste skiers/average Snowheads??
I'm really intrigued. Would someone please:
- Explain how it's boring.
- Give me examples of some non-boring ski areas by way of comparison. |
***Don's safety helmet***
Actually I kind of get what the origional comment was about, it's (massive generalisation) but the area is mostly wide, pretty easy skiing, pretty "samey", not a lot of unpisted itineraries.
Not to say it's not an enjoyable place to ski and I have had some great on and off piste runs in the area and Grand Couloir is very good!
It was a fantastic area for our kids to learn to ski in and as they developed really feel like they have travelled around a big area and achieved things.
But due to it's marketing and the folk it attracts it does a very good job bashing and smoothing pistes.
Places like St Anton have more and longer, tougher itineraries IMHO as an example of "less boring" runs
The runs quoted below IMHO are all "fairly easy", in fact looking on the website for Courchevel the tag line appears to be "wide open spaces" which is hard to argue with!! Jockeys is an absolute blast to ski, especially after fresh snow.
| Quote: |
| Combe de Vallon, Combe de Saulire, the main runs of Cime de Carron and La Masse, Jerusalem, Jockeys, Jean Blanc are all stone cold classics on a par with anything that say EK has to offer and I like EK! |
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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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| Quote: |
not a lot of unpisted itineraries
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that's fair although there are some. I just don't find them very important - if I want ungroomed snow I'll ski off piste. Simple.
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The runs quoted below IMHO are all "fairly easy",
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That's another thing I don't really get - any groomed run that isn't icy is easy. What distinguishes a good piste to my mind are things like snow quality (altitude/elevation), interesting variety of gradients/turns, views, atmosphere, to some extent length.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| emwmarine wrote: |
| Why is it that every time I say lady's bottom and dangly bits, something completely different appears? |
Because you're being rude and vulgar.
| emwmarine wrote: |
| Why is it that in the land of the internet "i've a mate who says....." is always followed by a load of dangly bits. |
Just because you don't like someone else's opinion, doesn't mean it's not true.
OP gave a profile of who they are, what they're looking for and in particular,
| Quote: |
| my fear is that after having skied the 3V that all else will be disappointing |
I made a comment, based on perceptions related to me by many skiers (including my own wife), some who've done seasons in the 3Vs. I would offer a personal opinion but I haven't been there. Given the marketing of the area, the perception is clearly not one that the operating companies want to change.
I merely wanted to point out that there are other areas, more or less as big (by k'metrage) which some would suggest had a wider variety of piste skiing and would, therefore, for skiers of the profile given, be no disappointment at all.
@mountainaddict, note, I mentioned pistes. I refer you to companies' own marketing. Of course  the whole area can't be boring. Where with snow and mountains is?
@Bergmeister, 600kms, in and of its own right is not a recommendation.
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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'd agree that Meribel can be a little samey, but Courchevel on it's own has so much variety and is a fantastic ski area, with every box ticked IMHO. I fail to see how anyone can say this area is boring or staid!
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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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| jedster wrote: |
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not a lot of unpisted itineraries
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that's fair although there are some. I just don't find them very important - if I want ungroomed snow I'll ski off piste. Simple.
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The runs quoted below IMHO are all "fairly easy",
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That's another thing I don't really get - any groomed run that isn't icy is easy. What distinguishes a good piste to my mind are things like snow quality (altitude/elevation), interesting variety of gradients/turns, views, atmosphere, to some extent length. |
When I was a lad, blacks got all mogulled up and fun, now they are mostly all bashed and lose some of the fun!! I do like what some USA resorts have done in grooming half the width and leaving half the width to mogul up !!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Went to 3V and stayed in VT for the last week of January this year and was a touch disappointed...although mostly down to the conditions. Had a couple of days where it was a whiteout and couldn't really get out of the valley, and on the days that we did there was sadly little in the way of new snow. Even if you're heading off piste (which I'm led to believe is pretty good) poor visibility could be the limiting factor. The other downside was that it was crazy busy, having been to VT and La Plagne I can't understand why it's the latter that comes in for abuse about queuing time...guess it must just be down to the time of year that I've visited.
But shirley you know all that and, as an expert skier, surely you've been further afield than the 3V anyway? Or are you one of those interloping other side of the pond types? 
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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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| SnoodyMcFlude wrote: |
But shirley you know all that and, as an expert skier, surely you've been further afield than the 3V anyway? Or are you one of those interloping other side of the pond types? |
If this question was aimed at me, then yes, I've skied in a fair few locations, all sides of the pond!!
http://greghilton.co.uk/skiing-diary/
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@SnoodyMcFlude,
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having been to VT and La Plagne I can't understand why it's the latter that comes in for abuse about queuing time...
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Based on my experience of spending a season in LP and two off-peak trips to Meribel and VT: LP is generally quieter and *much* quieter outside of peak times - but it has some nasty bottleneck lifts where you can get stuck for 45-60 mins if you time it wrong in a peak week. On the otherhand the 3V lift system is more efficient at distributing people around the resort effectively. I think that the one really long queue tends to stick in peoples minds more than 10 mins at every lift.
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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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Must admit I recall 3V feeling a bit boring, not much to look at is main gripe for me, that style obviously suits many though so if it works for you then enjoy !
Now Mr McFlude, about that interloper comment....
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| essex wrote: |
Must admit I recall 3V feeling a bit boring, not much to look at is main gripe for me, that style obviously suits many though so if it works for you then enjoy !
Now Mr McFlude, about that interloper comment.... |
Really? How long did you spend there and importantly what are you comparing it against?
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