 Poster: A snowHead
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Booked to go to La Bresse on the 28th Dec and now need a plan B, due to lack of snow. We are all beginners (5 Adults and 1 6 Years and 1 4 Years), would staying near Grenoble be a good idea?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@louiscrow, why La Bresse, I mean, it's low and tiny.
Anyhoo... there is some skiing around Portes du Soleil, Chamonix, Grand Massif. No idea about near Grenoble. But there isn't a great deal of snow and there isn't any in the sensible forecasts...
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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L2A is OK, was there today......
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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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Hi Freerider, Picked La Bresse as we went there in Feb half term. Only took 5 hours to drive too and as we are skiing virgins loved it, thanks for the info really appreciated. Montana We have a crossing booked early on the 27th. I will take a butchers at the web site, lucky enough we can cancel our hotel. We want somewhere easy to get too for 5 Adults and 2 young children. Anywhere in the Alps that's near to a ski run, hire and lessons.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Did Ardent to top of Linga in PDS over lunchtime and was fine, if a bit hardpacked. Amazed at how many people are still replying on Solutions Room to New Year requests. Normally Zero by now. Very quiet this year. Good luck @louiscrow, hope you find something.
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Sorry Kenx is L2A Les Deux Alpes ?
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| louiscrow wrote: |
| Sorry Kenx is L2A Les Deux Alpes ? |
Yes, it's a very commonly used abbreviation. 
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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VAT .?
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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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20%
or with Ice
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| under a new name wrote: |
| VAT .? |
Val Thorens I would guess.
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You know it makes sense.
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@louiscrow, I am amazed you found it at all!
Probably you shortest journey next is Portes du Soleil or Grand Massif.
Accomodation is going to be trickiest, I imagine...
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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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| under a new name wrote: |
Probably you shortest journey next is Portes du Soleil or Grand Massif.
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Bravo!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| louiscrow wrote: |
| Hi Freerider, Picked La Bresse as we went there in Feb half term. Only took 5 hours to drive too and as we are skiing virgins loved it, thanks for the info really appreciated. Montana We have a crossing booked early on the 27th. I will take a butchers at the web site, lucky enough we can cancel our hotel. We want somewhere easy to get too for 5 Adults and 2 young children. Anywhere in the Alps that's near to a ski run, hire and lessons. |
Just looked where La Bresse is...in the Vosges Mountains, ahem Hills...tops out at 1366m...no wonder there's no snow this early...really only good for daytrippers/last minute bookings when conditions are good or French families on a real tight budget for February when everywhere in the Alps is rammed and v expensive.
There will likely be some availability in the many resorts with marginal conditions...I suspect it'll be tighter and you'll pay more in the highest most snowsure resorts. Check out the usual accommodation websites Travel Republic, Booking.com, Chalets Direct Solutions Room...don't be afraid of haggling/making offers to suppliers in that last one, they can be flexible with late bookings.
French providers such as Maeva & Odalys sometimes have good offers...French brokers Ski-Planet & LeSkiduNordauSud are good for deals too...though these are usually Sat-Sat only.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| KenX wrote: |
| L2A is OK, was there today...... |
But I heard that queues were nigh on hour to get up, and that's for this week, next few weeks will be crazy there.
Fifteen or so years ago we drove up there in New Years week from Grenoble way with my nieces, car parking in LDA was so bad we drove back and skied Sept Laux
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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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Thanks for all the info all really appreciated.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Tignes, Val d'Isere, La Rosiere, Les Arcs (and presumably La Plagne) all have a decent amount of skiing at the moment. Sainte Foy too!
Certainly not good conditions by any means, but probably among the best around at the moment.
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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 if it fits your plans, but I know Erna Low (the tour operator) have unsold self-catering apartments in Les Arcs 1950. I'd guess they are having trouble selling them for New Year week with the current conditions, so making them an offer might result in a bargain. Snow conditions in Les Arcs are not too bad, with complete piste coverage above 1800m at the moment. Arc 1950 will have ski school, equipment rental and pistes literally on your doorstep, with plenty of terrain for new skiers.
Good luck!
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Hi Rob,
Thank you.
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If you can cancel at no cost,@louiscrow, that might not be a bad idea. Could you switch to Easter, which will almost certainly be better. More snow, fewer crowds. Areas with decent snow will be super busy.
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Unfortunately not, Daughter Exams! 
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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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I think La Rosiere would be good if you are all beginners. It is a very family orientated resort and one of the first places we took our kids skiing - in New Year week several years ago booked through Peak Retreats. I don't know about current snow conditions but it appears from a post above that there are runs open.
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@snowymum, a lot of La Ros is south facing. That's usually good in typical conditions, especially when the winter days are short and you'd expect temperatures to drop in the shade. But with current snow conditions and the forecast temperatures north facing slopes are much better than south facing slopes.
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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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As others have said PdS (Portes du Soleil) is a good option, with (on the French side) Avoriaz the best option for snow, Les Gets the best for families and Morzine a good compromise (proper village like Les Gets and free bus connections to Avoriaz).
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You know it makes sense.
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@Weathercam, how can they open up sectors mainly for Club Med?
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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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@Pamski, because Club Med has well over a 1,000 clients (though I've heard only 700 for the forthcoming week) and employs a huge number of ESF instructors.
To get Club Med to come to Serre a new lift was put in Pontillas (top lift in the pic above) that links into the Frejus sector which is a great beginner intermediate area. And they have to get them up the mountain as well as down.
You can see it on the various settings on our cam in the link below and the tiny strips of snow for them.
Should also add that many locals refer to the Pontillas lift as "Pointless" as it does not really serve a purpose apart from transporting Club Med, and us as it's our closest lift!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Weathercam, Only queues are at Jandri first thing and friends using it have said it's reasonably quiet atm, I've walked straight onto Diable every day since opening. Bit of a queue for glacier t bars and signal but nothing really bad.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Queues next week will be a lot worse and NY worse again. If determined to ski at new year I'd book lessons to get lift priority. High north and west facing slopes best.
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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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@pam w, will be interesting to see how busy it is next week as the French tend to be en famille over Christmas. I was having a hot chocolate trying to thaw out after my bike ride this afternoon in a very French bar we frequent and the owner reckons many will stay away next week, as here in Serre it is very French and there is an above average proportion of second residences etc
But do agree about 26th onwards 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Let's hope so, @Weathercam. But last Christmas was crazy busy here on the few pistes open because although conditions were awful (much worse than now) they were the best in the area. Just fetched stuff from my car and watched a basher doing his best with our run (south facing and drops to 1500m). Reminded me of some paint jobs I've done where poor preparation means the brush keeps pulling paint off poorly primed base. They'll need a pallet knife rather than a piste basher by the end of next week. The north facing runs look a lot more convincing.
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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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Cancel and switch to the French or Swiss Alps. Somewhere like Tignes or Zermatt.
Bookings are down -10% on last year during Xmas-NY, so it should be easy to find somewhere if you surf / ring around.
Try Igluski, to start with.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@rob@rar, conditions in La Ros are actually surprisingly good at the moment. Haven't been up yet myself, but my other half was up with some of my staff the other day and they were very pleasantly surprised. Picked-up quite a bit of fresh snow from that wee fall the other day. Usual Petit Saint Bernard weather-funnelling effect most likely.
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@stevomcd, that's good to hear.
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Just back from Alpe d'huez. About 20 pistes open and some of those down to the main town (particularly Bergers) are struggling. Above DMC 1st station, piste snow conditions are really nice but this was with the resort pretty much empty. Although the town is quite high, a combination of South facing and a high proportion of runs being below 2500 m meant very limited skiing. We had a day away in L2A and with more runs at higher altitude, they had more open and in better condition.
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
| @stevomcd, that's good to hear. |
It is indeed... as I'm on my way there tomorrow.
I regularly do xmas week and have found that you need to book somewhere thats at around 1800m to get the best chance of decent conditions.
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FAQ
Have you got flights booked for 28th? This is a non-standard date so you might struggle to find accommodation willing to offer a week from Monday - Monday. However, if you would be willing/able to vacate on Saturday or Sunday if necessary, you might be able to find something / somewhere suitable for beginners, WITH snow, and reachable from Grenoble. Post a message up on 
Good Luck
