 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Having a great time staying in Taninges this year to get access to various resorts and took a day out on the Grand Massif via Samoens. Was looking forward to skiing the 14km blue Cascades run, expecting a gentle soirée down the mountain. What a waste of my 45 Euro lift pass. Too much poling very little blue downhill, lots of narrow and stony track - got a few holes in my bases needing some ptex when I get back. Finishes off at a small crowded cafe and a 30 minute wait for a bus to take us back (no other way to return). Those at the back of the queue had another long wait as the bus got full very rapidly. Would have preferred spending the morning in Flaine which was excellent in the afternoon. This is just a warning to those of you just arriving in the Grand Massif, don't waste your time on this supposedly long run - according to the GPS we used it's only 12km in any case! To finish on a positive note the rest of the area was very nice indeed and rightly deserved a visit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Hmmm. You should have researched on here.
And what were you doing trying to ski it in the evening?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Absolutely correct, just didn't occur and lesson learnt. Probably would have been more interesting in the dark 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I've never tried Cascades and unlikely ever to bother after what I've read about it on Snowheads 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@MikeM, how did you find Taninges? I hear there's a very good sushi supplier?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
@MikeM, I did it a few years back, having been to Flaine for many times, and felt the same, posted my thoughts a few times previously. As @under a new name, says do the research first!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
IMV are two ways to ski Cascades:
1) A day long gentle ski through a quiet valley well away from any lifts, stopping to admire the view, have a picnic, find a few jumps, build a snowman etc. I tend to do this with younger son and he enjoys the day out.
2) As a top-to-bottom non-stop (ideally) hurtle, making sure you get enough speed on the steeper bits to carry you along the tracks, and carving all the tight bends to make sure you keep that momentum. I think the quickest I've done it with elder son (racer) is about 35 minutes from the top of DMC all the way down to Sixt. Best not to try this when it is busy 
I look forward to doing at least one of the above again in a week or so. But thanks for your report - I wasn't actually sure if the whole run had actually opened at all this season.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@MikeM, Much more pleasant than Cascades as ski runs, but just a risky for snow at the base, is grand cret and verlarge that go down to the vercland bubble, the runs starting at Samoens 1600. If snow is good they are fun and nearly as pretty, and no bus at the base.
@RobW, has the best approaches to cascades.
If you visit outside winter
Cascades (well the waterfalls) are superb in early spring, but that is climbing up the other way...............
anyway enough...someone may come along and say i am talking bull..................
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| under a new name wrote: |
| @MikeM, how did you find Taninges? I hear there's a very good sushi supplier? |
Drove through it every year on the way to PDS, looked liked a good jumping off point to other places and is half the price for accommodation. Where we are staying has its own (albeit small) pool and jacuzzi for the price of a small one bed apt in Morzine.
As for sushi suppliers, haven't seen one, but it does have a lake you can fish on
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@MikeM, i always wondered who stayed there, other than my plumber.
I think it's a very sound idea as long as you don't want nightlife. And gives what, 20 minute access to PDS, GM, PdLys, etc. which is no further than St Jean d'Aulps which seems to have developed a ski resort aspect of its own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
My memory of it from quite a few years ago is that it was a pleasant and picturesque run that finished down in Sixt where we had a half day of skiing deserted slopes before getting the bus back to our hotel in Samoens.
If you have to get back into the main Grand Massif area a bit inconvenient but for exploring an out of the way neck of the woods very pleasant.
It was very low season with good snow when we went though .
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@Zorrac, despite all the recent snow, Grand Cret and Velarge haven't opened at all. And we'd concur with your view of Cascades, having found not only ice but significant numbers of rocks on the lower stretches this week. The only upside was the great views which we filmed and then uploaded so that my elderly parents could 'join us' in the mountains.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| sj1608 wrote: |
| @Zorrac, despite all the recent snow, Grand Cret and Velarge haven't opened at all. And we'd concur with your view of Cascades, having found not only ice but significant numbers of rocks on the lower stretches this week. The only upside was the great views which we filmed and then uploaded so that my elderly parents could 'join us' in the mountains. |
Thanks for letting me know about Grand Cret and Velarge as I was tempted to try them tomorrow or Wed, will give them a miss and explore some of the other runs. Off to Praz de Lys again today, something about that little resort keeps drawing us back even though we've skied just about every inch many times, and the snow is particularly good before lunch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
@MikeM, I'd guess they have no intention of opening them. Doina down into Morillon village is now open, so it makes no sense on an 'is there enough snow' basis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Doina was definitely closed yesterday and is showing as closed today on GM site. Looking a bit sorry lower down and the approach to the road was described to me as a 50 metre mud walk. Shame as it is much nice than the lift down.
The Vercland runs look like a case of "can't be bothered, lets save some money".
@MikeM, If you want an easy long run with views and no polling then try Marvel in Morillon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Sorry to disagree Ian999, Doina was open yesterday.. I skied it (as did around 20 others). HOWEVER. the road is bare and muddy either side, and the last 10m to the gondola was also like a ploughed field  Given that we flew home yesterday afternoon, we then had to find some clean snow up around Sairon to clean the boots before packing them into the bags!
We did Cascades on Friday. We knew it would require some polling, so used Rob's second approach (I think we did it in 30 minutes, but started from DesertBlanc at it was very quiet).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| ian999 wrote: |
@MikeM, If you want an easy long run with views and no polling then try Marvel in Morillon. |
Will do, probably as a morning run as the afternoon sun is turning the lower areas a little bit stodgy at the moment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
@MikeM, did you not stop to have lunch in the Gite de Gers? Did you not spend the afternoon skiing a deserted Sixt?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@jamescollings, Oops I stand corrected.@galpinos, Is the Gite doe Gers open this season. Sixt is closed now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
