 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For 60-70 Euro you get get a whirlybird over to L2A and ski the easy slopes high up!
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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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AdH has some free slopes and a reduced (price, area) beginners pass so don't pay full price for a complete novice even if it's really snowy.
There's a swimming pool and ice skating, spas and bars, as well as trips to L2A as @Corduroy suggests (road, as well as helicopter).
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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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Thank you, but is it any better at LDA?
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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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@feefee, I was there for a week before Christmas. It was not busy, as I sure it will not be for your week. If your sister is a complete beginner there are a couple of free lifts and they do always maintain at least some part of the beginner areas with artificial snow. The sports centre in Alpe d'Huez would do credit to a fairly large town in the UK and they had allowed free admission to the indoor pool during the daytime , I am not sure if the same applied to the outdoor pool and the ice rink but I suspect so (you have to pay for boots on the ice rink). There are tennis tables, squash courts, climbing walls, indoor cray golf, massive fitness centre all in the sports centre. Definitely take you hiking boots, a good walk is to "the point" (top of a big triangular slab of rock that overlooks Huez village and Bourg d'Oisans), flat walk to it but you can continue down to Huez village and either walk back up (300m vertical) and the path cris crosses the last 4 road bends but you do not need to walk on the road, or you can catch the free resort bus back up. You could continue from Huez up the Sarenne valley, not sure if you can get as far as the restaurant at Combe Haut where although you are a couple of k's up the last part of the Sarenne run out you walk on the opposite side of the river. In my opinion anyone who can ski a steep blue, low level red that is with another competent skier should have no particular problem with skiing the Sarenne providing they access it from the Marmottes lift. (This is completely my opinion and you will obviously have to make your own evaluation  . Have a look at Claude B's LDA postings but I would say there are probably more actually pistes open there. The bus runs there one day a week, Wednesday I think.
With an attitude like this "we will have a good week whatever the conditions" you definitely will, imho it's a privelege to be in the mountains and, again imho, the resort is doing everything they can to try and get that. (there was 10% off lift passes too).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@skitow, that's great to hear thank you, I'm sure we will ski but nice to have alternatives if the conditions really are that bad!
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| feefee wrote: |
| Thank you, but is it any better at LDA? |
Well Charlotte Swift (Easiski) posted on facebook that 61% of the LDA ski area is open. I guess you won't be able to ski back all the way down to the town and will have to download the last bit, but that's no big problem.
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@Alastair Pink, You've got 2 skiable routes back, the Valentine black and the blue run, all man made snow. I haven't been up for a few days due to a cold but will do so later today. Always skiable here from 2600m to 3600m though with the snow on the glacier perfect.
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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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Thank you very much, any idea what it's actually like in ADH at the moment? I'd like to do as much there as we can with the option of going to L2A if needed.
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lots to do, nice town, outdoor pool is gorgeous. nice cafes and places to wonder, you will be fine
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thank you, the plan is to hit the nursery slopes on day 1, get my sisters ski legs going, then all being well get lift passes and do as much as we can, all easy stuff! if we have to go hiking then we will, looking forward to it anyway 
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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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I honestly think your worrying unnecessarily but I'm not there so don't know!
Outdoor pool is a real nice experience...but men do need tight swimming trunks (speedos or shorts), no loose fitting shorts.
Lots of sports in the sport centre but you could do a lot back home.
A few shopping centres, quite a big town so you can spread those over a couple of days.
...and yes you could go walking but I seriously believe there will be enough open to ski all week even for a beginner!
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Thank you we will make the best of it whatever! I'll let you know how we get on, just adding swimming cossie and walking boots just in case 
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You know it makes sense.
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Actually, there`s a fair amount open (got back yesterday). Can`t pretend it`s brilliant but the resort has worked hard to keep as much open as poss.
So:
- the glacier is open and in good nick (as is the Sarenne all the way to the bottom);
- Les Rousse (red run connecting DMC2 to top of the Montfrais run - Chamois is/was open but should be closed)
- Belvedere (Dome de Rousse down to DMC2)
- Bartavelle (Dome de Rousse down to Les Rousses)
- Chalet (the Montfrais run)
- the Alpette (into Oz)
- Couloir (DMC 2 to DMC1)
- Jeux (DMC to ADH)
- Petit Prince (top of Signal down to Villard Reculas)
- Vachette (Marmotte 1 to ADH)
- the red and the black from Marmotte 2
Didn`t venture over to Auris - looked grim.
No lift served off piste. Probably no off piste at all.
Slopes quieter than usual.
Not brilliant but throw in some long lunches and there`s enough to keep you occupied for the week.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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@johnE, Yes I think it would be a bit icy down there as it is on the side of Sarenne valley. I am no climber but I am pretty sure it would be beyond dodgy in the winter 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There is a craft beer shop in Les Bergers shopping area which does tastings of the local beer if you feel so inclined!
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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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My youngest is heading to ADH on Saturday with the school. Really is looking pretty patchy (like most of the Alps). We are heading off to Saalbach same day where it's tanking it down just now and he is majorly jealous. He is a decent skier so should be able to cope with where the instructor takes them.
Can you ski back to village at present?
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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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Yes, you can ski back. Very cold over the last few days so snow cannons have been on.
Bizarrely it's been snowing half way up the mountain but when you reach Huez village the snow disappears again!.
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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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@howiet, An inversion layer with snow, sounds interesting
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Jonty thank you for the update, looking forward to it now but secretly wishing we were off to Austria! Oh well we are going and it'll be great! Thanks all for your input
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To answer your original question, treat @Claude B to a meal and he'll keep you entertained all evening 
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Ha but I think he is in L2A?
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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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| Quote: |
men do need tight swimming trunks (speedos or shorts), no loose fitting shorts
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Excuse my ignorance, but why do you have to wear budgie smugglers and not the kind of loose swimming shorts that are now more fashionable?
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| Tatman's Tours wrote: |
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men do need tight swimming trunks (speedos or shorts), no loose fitting shorts
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Excuse my ignorance, but why do you have to wear budgie smugglers and not the kind of loose swimming shorts that are now more fashionable? |
Because you are in France and it's a French, strictly imposed, rule. The French do not need proper justification for making rules. 
When you try and ask the reason they usually go down the "hygiene" route ie because swimming shorts look a, bit, like boxer shorts you might be going swimming to wash your underwear, although £4 to wash your boxer shorts seems a non-starter to me, besides you might have worn your budgie smugglers all week, not being able to afford a pair of boxer shorts as well..........
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@skitow, I suppose that makes some sense - guarding against the "spur of the moment" swim, using urine-soaked boxers as trunks.
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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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"Tatman's Tours"
Yes maybe, the only solution though is to "shrug zee shoulders and wear zee budgies". There was a Russian, I think, guy who was having none of it in Alpe d'Huez last week, he did not get as far as the end of the locker room and despite shouting very loudly in several languages, apart from French  , he did not get to swim as he refused to buy any of the overpriced budgie smugglers from the vending machine.
Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of that rule the pool in Alpe d'Huez is extremely clean, and breaking another rule, not leaving "poolside" from your cubicle with your outdoor footwear on, is strictly enforced, in fact putting your shoes on the floor whilst you struggle to shove your basket in may result in a tap on the shoulder Oh and sometimes they also strictly enforce the "shower before you swim rule too". Presumably it all saves on the amount of chlorine or whatever that they need to put in.
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| skitow wrote: |
| Oh and sometimes they also strictly enforce the "shower before you swim rule too". Presumably it all saves on the amount of chlorine or whatever that they need to put in. |
Yep, I got pulled up on that rule too. The lifeguard was blowing his whistle and shaking his head as I tried to enter the pool without showering!
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You know it makes sense.
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There must be a genuine reason for the Budgie Smuggler rule. I've been to zillions of French pools on summer hols and have observed my kids breaking height limits and age limits as well as performing outlawed activities (bombing, running etc) without comment. Only the "Smuggler" rule gets reliably enforced. I was told it was to minimise the amount of sand that gets into the pool to potentially clog the filter. Not sure how that applies in ADH in winter, though!
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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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It's ok it's me and my sister, we don't wear budgie smugglers
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FAQ
