 Poster: A snowHead
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Does anyone have any experience of this? My four year old is booked in for a week having done two at Alpe d'huez. What is the set up? How long do they spend inside/ outside? Which lift is it situated at, or is it resort level? Would you recommend it? We will have lunch together as a family so he will do couple of hours either side. Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Snowsartre, not much experience of it other than knowing where it is and also our friends daughter did a week in it when she was 3. So the main Piou Piou Club is in the resort near the campsite. It's called the Village des Marmottons and is a dedicated area not linked to, and not all that near to, any of the other skiing. So it is a bit of pain for you to come and go to and will break up your day a bit. They do also have a Piou Piou garden at Pre la Joux which is a much better location for you to be able to drop off, go skiing and pick up and continue. I don't know if they have a Piou Piou at the other main area of Super Chatel, but I don't think so.
However, I would recommend BASS for smaller class sizes and more time actually skiing rather than plodding around a jardin as you mention your child has already done two weeks of Piou Piou.
However if you want full day care for your child then Piou Piou is the only option. But I would check with ESF on the location because it really isn't convenient for you to stop skiing to make your way to Piou Piou to pick up your child to have lunch and then go back again after lunch and then go back at the end of the day. You will spend at least half an hour each time getting to Piou Piou and then going back to the skiing and vice versa if it's the Village des Marmottons location.
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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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Sarah is bang on.
Whenever our guests used Piou Piou i always recommended having full days with lunches included. You don't need to take the full week if you don't want to so you can spend some days or afternoons together as a family. But for ease and so on it's better... plus your child has more chance of making friends (and therefore feel more comfortable) if she's having lunch and chatting to people without being disturbed and pulled out of the sessions.
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@sarah, That is great advice will contact ESF and enquire about Pre la Joux, thank you 
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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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@Mountain Addiction, understand what you say but given serious food allergies don't think will feel happy to trust others. I will have to suck up the b*ll ache of collection and drop off - how far to nearest eaterie? And how far is it to walk from nearest lift to Village des Marmottons?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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see, that shoulda been in the original post, otherwise we can't give the best advice 
You can advise them of allergies, and send 'em off with a packed punch.
Will you have your own vehicle? or will you be on buses??
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@Snowsartre, if you are doing both mornings and afternoons at Village des Marmottons that will be a serious PITA for you, I really mean it. The location is very poor for skiers and it sounds as if you are without a car? Not many eateries close to there either in fact I can't think of any, may be a snack place or something, but it's out of town and not near a lift base. On foot in ski boots, Village des Marmottons to nearest lift which would be Linga at least 15-20 minutes.
If they will do Pre la Joux for both morning and afternoon sessions without lunch then that will be your best bet as you can ski in and out from there with no delay whatsoever.
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@Mountain Addiction, fair! Will have a car.
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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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@sarah, Will contact ESF and ask the question. What does BASS offer and where?
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@Snowsartre, BASS offer two hour group lessons from Pre la Joux. Small groups (can be very small out of holiday periods) and they progress really quickly up the chairlift and actually get skiing on the long green run down.
Even with a car it will be a pain for you to-ing and fro-ing to the Village des Marmottons, especially if it's a busy week.
The ESI Pro Skiing also operate from Pre la Joux, I don't know if they do anything longer than 2 hour lessons.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Do BASS do 4 year olds now?
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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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| Quote: |
Do BASS do 4 year olds now?
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Not really looking for full on lessons for two hours as he is too small for chair lifts (slip under bar).
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| pam w wrote: |
| Do BASS do 4 year olds now? |
In Chatel they do. I don't know about the other resorts.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Snowsartre, Ok if you just want snow play in a jardin then the ESF will be your best bet. I suspect though that the ESF Piou Pious at Pre la Joux won't stay in the jardin for a full week and so they will progress to a chairlift, though I don't know this for definite. Village des Marmottons has no chair lifts. If that helps any.
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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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@Snowsartre, another thought came to me overnight....ask Chatel Sensations what they offer. Reason is they have a nice private garden/learner area and they are based at Linga. So it's much more convenient for you skiing, you can park there, drop off and ski off and ski back. Also there are a few eateries around there. And if they progress the kids out of the garden it will be on to a gondola which you might be more comfortable with.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| sarah wrote: |
@Snowsartre, if you are doing both mornings and afternoons at Village des Marmottons that will be a serious PITA for you, I really mean it. The location is very poor for skiers and it sounds as if you are without a car? Not many eateries close to there either in fact I can't think of any, may be a snack place or something, but it's out of town and not near a lift base. On foot in ski boots, Village des Marmottons to nearest lift which would be Linga at least 15-20 minutes.
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Spot on. It's a poor location and we ended up taking our daughter out of the sessions for that reason.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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@sarah, contacted Châtel Sensations and it seems they do lessons for 4 year olds at Linga. We will put him in to the afternoon lessons so we can have more leisurely start to the day.
We are staying on Route de la Bechigne and I wonder how far this is from Châtel Sensations at Linga?
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Two other quick questions regarding lift passes
- which is best deal for 2 adults plus 2 children?
- will châtel passes give reasonable skiing or do we need full P d S given we will only ski in anger an afternoon each day (2.5 hrs)
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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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| Snowsartre wrote: |
Two other quick questions regarding lift passes
- which is best deal for 2 adults plus 2 children?
- will châtel passes give reasonable skiing or do we need full P d S given we will only ski in anger an afternoon each day (2.5 hrs) |
http://info.chatel.com/the-lift-passes-prices.html
scroll halfway down for family prices.
I'm going there this weekend (for a week) and am just getting the Chatel pass - which covers 130km of piste.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Snowsartre, route de la bechigne to Linga by car less than 10 minutes. Add a bit to find a parking space at Linga. But you also have a door to door bus on that route, pretty sure. Check the timetable from the tourist office when you get there.
I think Chatel passes will suffice if you are only skiing 2.5 hours each day. From the base at Linga you can go to the pre la joux sector or to the super Chatel sector (assuming snow cover allows them to open the link, should be able to soon now) and that should be enough for you.
Hope that helps.
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@sarah, That's great, thank you - is Linga well connected to the other Chatel lifts?
@mikeycharlton, intrigued by the 6 x 5hrs on that link you sent! Bon ski.
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@Snowsartre, yes it is well connected both directions now but quickest links to pre la joux side.
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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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@mikeycharlton, how was the week in châtel? Was there sufficient skiing on the châtel not PdS pass?
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| Snowsartre wrote: |
| @mikeycharlton, how was the week in châtel? Was there sufficient skiing on the châtel not PdS pass? |
Was good. Started off a bit warm with rain on the lower slopes, but got colder and snowier throughout the week with more and more of the pistes/lifts opening up as the week went on.
Only downside was that visibility wasn't great. In fact I only saw the sun for the first time on my last day.
I found the Chatel pass sufficient for a week (130km), and i'm sure you will too especially if you're only skiing 2.5 hours a day.
The whole area is linked up really well now with the new lift.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If your 4 yo already has done 2 weeks, why not try a Flocon or a 1st star at the end of the week? Rather than being stuck in a Jardin des Neige. We've done morning lessons for our son so that in the afternoon he could either "rest" (i.e. slow ski, and luge) with one of us or improve (i.e. ski with the both of us). It means we didn't ski as much as we could for the first 2 seasons, but he's now 5, has his seond star, and can ski wherever we need so we might just stop the lessons - he is basically better on moguls than I am.
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