Resort Z

A snowHead

Every mountain range has its resort X. A solitary lift on some deserted mountain col that leads to some hidden backcountry stash. Or so the teasers would have us believe.

It is no secret that the Isere mountain ranges have suffered, and continue to suffer, from a lack of snow this year. Our local Resort X is shuttered. Resort Y we've skied this year and it tends to get busy, not that hidden it seems. So today we decided to head to pastures new. Resort Z

It is principally one very long and steep drag lift. About 350 meters of vertical. With one main piste and some tree skiing. First point positive, you can ski direct from the car

much appreciated by junior. At the bottom of the pistes is an army "nissen" hut that has been relooked with wood cladding in "traditional" French alpine style. It serves office as both a restaurant to sell lift passes. Vin Chaud 1 euro anyone?

The lady behind the bar informed us that Junior, as a strapping 11 year old, would need an adult pass. 6 euros.... chacun. She informed us. "en liquid". I placed some coin in this alpine Charon's bony hand.

This was going to break the bank.

Now our criteria or cahier des charges for winter holiday skiing is: snow, no traffic jams and no lift queues. The last two were assured but with the resort covering 1350 to 1700 meters vertical it remained to be seen whether it had enough snow cover. The lift was pretty steep, 50% it said at the bottom but the steepest section is actually 62%, not the steepest I've done, that is the Col d'Ornon with a section at 75% but quite tiring on the legs.

At the top an immediate right leads into an untracked bowl but junior wasn't keen, he prefers pistes and trails. So we tracked across to the main piste where we skied through the trees onto a powder field. Again untracked.

with views over the Combe de Savoie and lac du Bourget with its many Saturday flights waiting to land in the poor weather. As the pilots say "hard right after the hospital and if you can't land its straight on to Geneva!".

although the powder at 1700 m was still good at 2pm by the time we took this photo the wind and warmth had begun to make it heavy with a small crust.

Finally some more adventurous kids joined us on the powder field and built this kicker which junior was eager to try

one of the boys was doing 360s off it.

After the top slope there is a sharp right and traverse and a little bit of a wall

then straight down to the cafe

So a hill, a lift and some fresh snow. What more do you want on a gloomy Saturday afternoon?

Only black spot, wife's car's brakes gave up on the drive down the hill. I'd mentioned to her a month before they didn't seem right and she should go to see the garage about them.

A snowHead

@davidof, lovely report. I'm only glad, given the last sentence, that you both lived to tell the tale! Shocked

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@davidof, Excellent. Keep these reports coming.

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Resort Z

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