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Val Thorens closed to seasonaires

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Due to the lack of snow cover Val Thorens (Val Thorens, Les Ménuires and Saint-Martin de Belleville) is closing its slopes to local skiers. If you have a season pass or are one of the following groups: resident, season worker, an employee of other three valleys ski area or a ski club you will not be able to ski from the 27 December to 1st January 2016.

This is what the mayor Andre Plaisance had to say:

«Pour offrir la meilleure qualité de ski à nos clients qui nous font confiance, tout en préservant leur sécurité sur les pistes, nous sommes contraints de prendre des mesures de restrictions de la fréquentation de notre domaine, Compte tenu de ces éléments, la semaine du jour de l'An s'annonçant chargée en termes de remplissage, la Commission municipale de sécurité demande à la population locale de ne pas skier du dimanche 27 décembre 2015 au vendredi 1er janvier 2016.»


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 24-12-15 9:36; 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
What about ski instructors? Don't they fall into one of the categories?
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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?
So unfair, mind you I heard that "may" be the case here too.............
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stewart woodward wrote:
What about ski instructors? Don't they fall into one of the categories?


I suppose not.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Never heard of that before. Will they be offering partial refunds? I have a season pass for Les Arcs this year, not because I'm here all season but because the number of weeks I'm planning (probably just over 4) just about tip me over in to season pass territory rather than individual week-long passes. Being forced to sit out days because they are prioritising visitors who are here for a week at a time would be a PITA (and a breach of contract?).
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I have a punter seasonnaire pass from S3V (Courchevel) available for rent at very reasonable rates Toofy Grin

Of course as they've put photos back on the passes this year it might help if you look a bit like me Little Angel

Or just get a red jacket, black helmet and goggles and chance it... wink
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@rob@rar, a VT instructor I was talking to on a lift last week said they did the same thing last year. Effectively declared the resort full and stopped issuing passes to anyone that didn't already have one, i.e. ski clubs/punter buses from resorts with no snow.

I suspect they are well within their rights for season workers as they get discounted rates - probably in the T&C's somewhere. I don't think they'll restrict anyone who has paid full price for a season pass (as you have in LA and I have elsewhere in the 3V).
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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!
They did enforce it last year and it is within the terms and conditions of reduced rate/preferential passes that if there is a lack of snow then priority will be given to tourists who have paid the full whack. At the moment it is a polite request but the reduced forfaits can be blocked if need be.
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Is it really going to make a difference to the snow cover?
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Ricklovesthepowder wrote:
Is it really going to make a difference to the snow cover?


I assumed it was to reduce crowding with limited slope opening and a busy week.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Sign of how bad things are if the this is happening at the highest resort in Europe.
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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.
It is to reduce overcrowding during one of the busiest weeks.
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 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
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
Around 90% of the VT lifts are open at the moment. Sounds like they are trying to limit de-pisting and overcrowding from bussed-in folks at lower resorts.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Seems the papers have got a bit excited:

"Nous déplorons la déformation de l'information par Le Dauphiné Libéré. L'avis municipal est très clair sur le sujet : nous demandons simplement aux locaux ( = habitants de la vallée des Belleville, pas les Savoyards) de ne pas venir skier dans la mesure du possible. Il ne s'agit en aucun cas d'une réservation des pistes pour les voyageurs puisque tout le monde pourra venir skier à Val Thorens.

Bonne soirée,
Thibaut - Community manager Val Thorens."

(taken from the VT FB page)
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Yup even the French press can get over excited. It was only ever a polite request. And I'm not sure how many of us with these forfaits want to ski at the moment anyway! We've been going up simply for a couple of runs and a morning coffee in the sun. They're managing the pistes really well and it's not stupid busy this week but next week will be much busier.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
rob@rar wrote:
Never heard of that before. Will they be offering partial refunds? I have a season pass for Les Arcs this year, not because I'm here all season but because the number of weeks I'm planning (probably just over 4) just about tip me over in to season pass territory rather than individual week-long passes. Being forced to sit out days because they are prioritising visitors who are here for a week at a time would be a PITA (and a breach of contract?).


The Belleville valley did the same thing last year for a week or so. It didn't, and doesn't apply to the Courchevel and Meribel Valleys, as it is the Municipal council which has made the request, not the lift companies.

In terms of T&Cs, I would think it only applies to season passes bought at preferential rates (e.g. resident's passes)

Also, as Steph says, it is a "polite request" rather than something which we be enforced (we think)
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@steph, @Patch, that sounds very sensible.
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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?
I'm more worried about rumours of closing a resort after the New Year if there's no decent snow!
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@Weathercam, Heard that again today from a different source.................. Mad
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Might be one of the really low down ones but if temperatures stay below freezing they can keep them open with cannons - unless they run out of water
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alti - dude wrote:
Might be one of the really low down ones but if temperatures stay below freezing they can keep them open with cannons - unless they run out of water



Have you seen how low the lakes are at the moment across the 3V's. They can use the river water as well though.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Snow is on the way ...
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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!
Same thing has happened here in Morzine/ Avoriaz although I understand it's a request not a demand. To be honest anyone who wants to go up there with the snow/ ice and the hoardes needs their head read
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Alpe d'Huez made a similar "request" last year, although strangely enough I have not seen it this year.
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This made the BBC WS News today. The resort manager was quoted as saying abut 8000 fewer skiers will be on the limited available slopes and that should make things better for visitors. A couple of locals interviewed seemed reasonably happy with it - assuming that come January it will snow and they can make up for lost time then.
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I can't see the problem with it- if you're local you can ski all season- why go out and smash your skis up in the crowds? I don't bother with NY week anyway
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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.
Nadenoodlee wrote:
I can't see the problem with it- if you're local you can ski all season- why go out and smash your skis up in the crowds? I don't bother with NY week anyway

I guess some seasonnaires may have family come out to see them, and were probably hoping to ski with them.
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 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
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
@Nadenoodlee, what about people who have a season pass but aren't local? I have no problem with a resort discouraging locals, especially if they are on a discounted season pass, from skiing this week because the conditions are bad. But a blanket ban for season pass holders seems wrong (not that I think that's what has happened?).
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
It's not a ban- just a request. If they were going to be picky they could stop just the season local passes not the season ones.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
If they can afford to come visit in NY week they could just buy a few day passes if that was the case @sugarmoma666, but as is clear it's a request not a demand
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
From what I've heard no one is banned from skiing no matter what type of pass you have.

The Marie is just asking that those workers, residents etc choose not to ski during the peak weeks to help relieve some of the pressure on the limited snow/pistes.

I hear it's been suggested in the 3Vs and PdS this season.

I guess that the assumption is that if you have a "season pass" then you are some form of worker, residents, seasonaire, non tourist!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quite frankly I don't want to ski at the moment anyway. Last week was ok but now there are loads of people skiing what snow there was off the piste and its just ice. Most of my neighbours aren't bothering either as we have all season, but my heart really goes out to those on their weeks holiday I can't remember a new year week like this for years.
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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?
As of today, it is still only a request on behalf of the St Martin council for locals with discounted passes. And they are only talking about the Belleville Valley not the other two valleys. Any such request for the other valleys would have be taken by the respective conseil municipals. Saint Martin has no say over the discounted passes bought in other valleys.
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Swissie wrote:
Quite frankly I don't want to ski at the moment anyway. Last week was ok but now there are loads of people skiing what snow there was off the piste and its just ice. Most of my neighbours aren't bothering either as we have all season, but my heart really goes out to those on their weeks holiday I can't remember a new year week like this for years.


I feel the same. We skied two weeks from the 13th to the 26th. We saw conditions degrade, and then car after car heading up to the few places that had snow - I was grateful to be leaving.

Tortured myself with an 18 hour drive to Norway - recuperating still, but then plan to chase some snow up here in Norway...
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