 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello Snowheads,
I've decided to bite the bullet and do my BASI L1 in December. I can only do the week before Christmas, due to work and other commitments, and this has left me with a choice of BASS in Morzone or Snowskool in Meribel (as the only two providers that have availability at the moment for that week).
Has anyone here used either of them? Any recommendations or cautionary tales?
At the moment I'm erring towards Snowskool in Meribel, mainly because I suspect snow conditions may be better - and being next to VT might be helpful if snow doesn't materialise early season. That said I don't know either resort so this is a bit of a leap of faith.
Thanks in advance
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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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Meribel higher peaks good chance of better snow, Last few years for snow before Christmas Morzine has struggled
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@flangesax, thanks, but I'd already checked them out and their L1 course is the week before my dates.
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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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I did a L1 with BASS but at the end of 2014. They actually ran the course up in Avoriaz (Higher altitude) as it was the very end of the season and the Morzine slopes were closed.
BASS were great, I imagine if the snow is ok in Morzine pre Christmas then BASS would run the course on the Morzine slopes and not up in Avoriaz as the BASS office is in Morzine centre which is where I guess you will do the class room stuff and video reviews at the end of each day.
Warmsnow correctly points out that Morzine can struggle for snow before xmas but as I say, BASS would deliver the course up in Avoriaz if the snow is terrible.
Morzine might be a shout over Meribel as lots of shared transfers available, also lots of cheap accom before Christmas. Chalet Sherpa with Jolly Good Holidays has a give away deal on B&B before xmas
http://www.jollygood.com/Morzine/W_Prices.html
Either training provider should deliver a great week as they are delivering a BASI product by BASI trainers so each week should be equal if you know what I mean. Avoriaz will deffo have snow that week.
Good luck and enjoy. Ski exam/courses can sometimes seem stressful at times. Remember you will ski better with a smile on your face 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@zignzag99, you don't really need great conditions for L1 as you're dealing mostly with basic technique and how to impart that to novice skiers. A lot of people do L1 in snowDomes.
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@admin, but anow would be useful. Surely?
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There would probably be enough coverage on any nursery slope, either natural or man made.
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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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@flangesax, week before Xmas in Morzine? Not necessarily enough of either!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@kitenski, thanks, but they aren't running on the dates I can do.
I've checked out every course on BASI's calendar. The week before Christmas is the only week there are courses where I also have the availability (due to work and life). The two providers above are the only ones offering the course that week as a standalone (another provider said they might, but it would depend on how many places they fill on their gap course).
I did consider doing it indoors, but the ones near me are full and if I go elsewhere in the UK it means trains / hotels etc, so I may as well go to the alps (like I needed any persuasion!). I could wait until next summer - I suppose - but I don't want to!
So my question really is just whether I'd be better in Meribel or Morzine - it's not sounding like it really matters. 
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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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@zignzag99, look at accom + transfer + lift pass costs then decide!
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@zignzag99, The course will be very similar which ever training provider you choose. Both courses will be fab and delivered well (They have to be as they are BASI courses and not BASS or SnowSkool courses). To sort of demonstrate this, the trainers delivering the course won't have BASS or SnowSkool jackets on... even if they normally work for BASS or SnowSkool. The will be wearing BASI gear, delivering a BASI product.
As suggested maybe figure out which resort works out best for costs. For info: Did you see that BASS had a training week running leading up to the Level 1.
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You know it makes sense.
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@zignzag99, For what it's worth - I did my L1 with BASS in Morzine in March this year. It was hard work, but I really enjoyed it. I can't compare it with Snowskool, having not done anything with them, but would happily recommend BASS. For what it's worth, we spent a fair bit of time skiing up in Avoriaz, but also covered ground in Morzine and towards Les Gets.
I had been booked on with ICE in Val D'Isere at the beginning of December 2015, but the course was cancelled due to lack of numbers. I did end up having an excellent extra week's skiing with five mornings of technical teaching with ICE though, so all was not lost. 
If you do decide to go to Morzine, have a look at Chalet Damo. They offer (or they did - I'd guess that they still do) a 30% discount to BASI candidates (One of the owners, Nigel, is an L2 and he's happy to talk through the technical stuff).
Good luck with it all!
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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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I did a course (not BASI 1) with BASS Morzine the week before Christmas 2 years ago, when the only runs in the PDS that were open were 6 in Avoriaz. It was fine, we used those 6 runs all week, I learnt lots. As others have said, you don't need much piste at all if there's lots of technical input - after all, a dome is only one piste, and a very short one at that.
I believe Rude Chalets and Rude Lodge offer either Basi or Bass discount.
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