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Resorts around Grenoble

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi all, looks like I'm going to have a weekend off in Grenoble next week and I'm going to try and get a couple of days skiing in!

Does anyone have any good pointers for the resorts in the vicinity?

Chamrousse and Villard de Lans seem the nearest and look like they should have more than enough piste for a couple of days but I'm a bit worried they might be a bit low (especially with the warm snap that seems like it is coming).

Does anyone have any experience with the Transaltitude buses from Grenoble Gare up to the Alp d'Heuz and Les 2 Alpes? It seems very reasonably priced.

The other option of course would be to try to find accommodation in resort somewhere but it seems thin on the ground via booking.com

We're potentially a group of 5 so I guess a private chalet could work also (if anywhere does just weekends)
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Try Les Sept Laux.

You do realise that Grenoble is not a tiny city and if the snow is half decent there will be lots of people heading skiing.
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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?
Yes of course, that is one of the reasons I asked here, are any of the resorts better or worse for queues? Thanks for the tip re 7 Laux, would you say it's a better bet than the ones I have listed?
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Alpe de Grand Serre is very nice too. Chamrousse is the nearest and most accessible though. It overlooks the city.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Schnee42 wrote:

Does anyone have any experience with the Transaltitude buses from Grenoble Gare up to the Alp d'Heuz and Les 2 Alpes? It seems very reasonably priced.


Yes, used Transaltitude when travelling to Alpe d'Huez. Good value as you say. Book online, download ticket and show the driver. I've never done it as a day trip though, for which I believe there may even be a bus and lift pass deal which is worth checking for.
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Fast buses are about 90 mins but if you luck out it can take an hour more. Cheap as chips Happy
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I have skied both Charmrousse and les 7 laux and rate Les 7 laux better.
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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!
Would you recommend it over the slightly longer trip out to Alpe d'Huez or Les 2 Alpes?

I was thinking they might be slightly less busy on whatever of the weekend days is changeover day as they are more week long destinations with international tour operators but I could be way off the mark of course!
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Saturdays are always lovely and quiet here in L2A, Sundays can be busy though. Grenoble folk only really come up in numbers if there's a big dump.

Forecast to be warmer for the next week with little or no snow so I'd head for a higher resort.
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Claude B wrote:
Saturdays are always lovely and quiet here in L2A, Sundays can be busy though. Grenoble folk only really come up in numbers if there's a big dump.

Forecast to be warmer for the next week with little or no snow so I'd head for a higher resort.


+1 I know a number of Grenoble based recreational skiers and Sept Laux seems to be their favourite, rarely visiting AdH or L2A. A bit like Nevis Range in Scotland, most won't drive 45 mins past Glencoe to get there so it can be much quieter.
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johnE wrote:
Try Les Sept Laux.

You do realise that Grenoble is not a tiny city and if the snow is half decent there will be lots of people heading skiing.


750,000 residents in the greater conurbation, according to my son.

Les 7 Laux, Chamrousse etc were rammed today. Very hard to find any parking in Chamrousse and les 7 Laux was worse. At least Chamrousse is a through road so there is some traffic flow.

Queues to buy lift passes in Chamrousse, queues to eat, queues to get on lifts



I wasn't downhill skiing so it didn't bother me too much but a quiet January Sunday it was not. What John says is quite right, if the snow is good, the nearby resorts will be full - or at least the well known resorts. I don't tend to drive up to the Vercors or Alpe d'Huez this time of year because 2 hours in a traffic jam getting back is not fun. Also there is a lack of snow in the mountains surrounding Grenoble at this moment which limits choice to the bigger ski areas.
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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.
Sept Laux particularly Prapoutel will be busy at weekends but Pipay is normally a little better. Pipay is a very tiny resort but is better for us than Prapoutel which is not a pretty resort but does the job. It WILL get busy though. If you can go on weekdays out of school hols it is much better. It is more a "French Local" resort so you won't get your tourists so much, as it is not as well known. Certainly not adviseable for a holiday as there is nothing to do outside of skiing.
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The transaltitude buses can be a good option for ADH or L2A. Quite a studenty vibe with a really early start though...

We were in L2A this week and would also recommend going Saturday and avoiding Sunday. Anything sunny has rather poor snow at the moment, with stones etc appearing. L2A is probably the best resort in this regard as it is mainly north facing. I guess that the snow is worse at ADH, although I don't have first hand experience. Small resorts might be a little grim if there is no more snow...
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You know it makes sense.
Thanks for all your replies! All looks a bit grim weather wise at the moment doesn't it. Sad

Will the really high spots of ADH and L2A really be suffering that badly if it stays warm all week? I'm not looking for off piste powder, just decent piste action. Do they have snowmaking up there or do they not bother due to the altitude?

Re the buses does anyone know if they are likely to sell out? If so how far in advance should I book?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Schnee42 wrote:

Will the really high spots of ADH and L2A really be suffering that badly if it stays warm all week? I'm not looking for off piste powder, just decent piste action. Do they have snowmaking up there or do they not bother due to the altitude?

Re the buses does anyone know if they are likely to sell out? If so how far in advance should I book?


where are you staying?
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Probably in central Grenoble, there was talk of staying up in Villard de Lans but I don't think we're going to pursue that now due to the weather
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Schnee42 wrote:
Probably in central Grenoble, there was talk of staying up in Villard de Lans but I don't think we're going to pursue that now due to the weather


Ok fairly easy to get to the bus station. Beware that Grenoble is not a particularly safe city so be careful with any kit or possessions, esp if you look foreign. You can get around quite well on the tramway with skis. You should be able to turn up and go for the buses, they lay on extra buses depending on demand but reconfirm with the driver that you are coming back the same day

Personally I'd leave it to the last minute to decide where to go. The Vercors lacks snow and it will be too warm next week, ditto alpe du Grand Serre.

If the snow is ok I'd do l'alpe d'Huez and les 7 laux but check the webcams, resort piste openings during the week etc. Saturday looks sunny, if you want a risk book l'alpe d'huez for Saturday where the lift pass is 29 euros online, but you have to book before Tuesday midnight. Sunday, with snow... rain? Maybe you want to be somewhere with tree skiing - where les 7 laux comes in. (In an ideal year you'd go to St Pierre de Chartreuse and rip it up in the trees Japan style). Chamrousse gets hammered by bad weather which gets funneled between the Vercors and Chartreuse and hits Chamrousse head on, it often is shrouded in cloud when all around it clear, so avoid Sunday - but you can decide that Saturday night.
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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?
Thanks very much Daviof! That is all amazing info, really appreciate it.

One more question if that is okay, I'll be renting equipment for this but do most of the hire places have some storage lockers (or will they at least store your shoes!)? Silly question I know but I've not done the day trip on a bus thing before. We could of course rent a car but it feels like more hassle than it is worth (particularly as the bus and ski pass combi deals are so good).
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davidof wrote:
Schnee42 wrote:
Probably in central Grenoble, there was talk of staying up in Villard de Lans but I don't think we're going to pursue that now due to the weather


Ok fairly easy to get to the bus station. Beware that Grenoble is not a particularly safe city so be careful with any kit or possessions, esp if you look foreign.


Perhaps a little unfair Madeye-Smiley Never had any trouble in over ten years of visiting/living here*. We certainly did our share of exploring the less salubrious areas at night too.

Certainly nothing like as dangerous as growing up in the UK felt!

*OK, so one friend had a knife pulled on him, and certain elements of the community can be less sympathetic to women going for a night out.. Oh, and that time a friend got chased down the river by a pack of feral dogs, but I digress!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Schnee42 wrote:
Thanks very much Daviof! That is all amazing info, really appreciate it.

One more question if that is okay, I'll be renting equipment for this but do most of the hire places have some storage lockers (or will they at least store your shoes!)? Silly question I know but I've not done the day trip on a bus thing before. We could of course rent a car but it feels like more hassle than it is worth (particularly as the bus and ski pass combi deals are so good).


I once arrived in ADH with the bus and was totally unable to find somewhere to leave our stuff. Maybe there are ski lockers now, but who knows. The local shops were somewhat unsympathetic to our cause, and only outright bribery saved the day. Next time I walked to the bus station in flip flops! Happy days...
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Schnee42 wrote:
Thanks very much Daviof! That is all amazing info, really appreciate it.

One more question if that is okay, I'll be renting equipment for this but do most of the hire places have some storage lockers (or will they at least store your shoes!)?


Hire places will keep your shoes. I doubt they would let you leave much else.

Oh given the snow take the ski insurance.

This is the Alpe d'Huez webcam, currently looking ok. http://alpedhuez.roundshot.com/bergers/

You might get a smattering of snow at the end of the week at altitude. Otherwise very much spring skiing - cold hard pistes in the morning, turning soft and sticky in the afternoon.

These are the 7 laux webcams

http://www.les7laux.com/index.php/fr/menu-webcam.html

The snow should hold up ok because the nights are very cold and there's only about 9 hours of faily low sun.

Les 2 Alpes is also a possibility of course.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
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Hi all, seems like the snow is holding up okay so far on the webcams (although we all know they lie sometimes!)

Re resort choice again, I'm going to be with a rather mixed ability group, from me who is happy on most reds (as long as they are not super icy) but at heart is a lazy easy piste cruiser right down to some absolute beginners (who I've told to get a private lesson between them).

Does ADH still have a free lift for the debutantes?

7 Laux looks nice but looking at the piste map it seems to be a little red / black heavy maybe?
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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!
7 Laux always is late getting snow and I check the webcams daily as it is my nearest resort. It is one place that gets a bit of snow then is gone as quickly as it falls. If you are wanting somewhere certain of snow then go to maybe Deux alpes or similar. 7 Laux is also a little small, which means it gets busy at weekends and on holidays.
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L2A has a few free lifts. Snow good here. Forecast good for Saturday but wet Sunday with freezing point of around 1900m.
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We went up to Les Sept Laux on Wednesday (2 days ago) - I may be wrong but get the impression that the snow holds up better there than at Chamrousse in the warm spells (like this one). I've skied at both many times - and like them both. It was fine when we were there - despite the 13 deg temps! Especially at the top of the resort - there was decent snow on-piste (didn't venture off piste though). Sept Laux is a good station - good mix of pistes and plenty of fun runs. The unpisted black at the top (Vallon de Pres) was open but we (myself and 9 year old) didn't try it. Not too busy either given it was School half day - car park virtually empty with people (locals) staying away no doubt because of high temps.
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I think we're going to do L2A based on it being a bit more sheltered from the sun (piste aspects). Does that sound like a plan or is ADH much better (cost is the same)? The more gentle runs being up top in L2A appeals as our group is of rather mixed ability and I'm thinking the snow will be better.

Does anyone have a good recommendation for gear rental shops near where the buses drop (Bergers in ADH and Mi Alpes in L2A?
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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.
Springlike in Alpe d'Huez today. Still plenty snow to resort level, softening early in the sun, good skiing.
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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
Should I be worried about the wind picking up tomorrow, some forecasts seem to be saying it might get a bit blowey up top.

If it does is ADH a better bet?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
The Jandri is always fun in high winds


http://youtube.com/v/IQFt0aazfuE
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