 Poster: A snowHead
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We are in the process of buying a studio in Champagny en Vanoise. Its a village we have loved for many years, but not visited recently. (We saw the studio in Residence Le Centre advertised for sale, know the building well, so have gone with the purchase, despite not visiting in person - a bit risky, I know).
We are interested to know if there are other Snowheads (or others) who own in the village, what may have changed in the last 7 years since our last visit, and any other info about the runs back to the village (snowmaking now?), restaurants, facilities etc.
We'll be renting out our studio once we complete on the purchase, so any others who have information about renting out (cleaning, laundry, key-holding/keysafes, etc) would be appreciated too. We have somebody in mind to manage it for us, but are wondering what might be involved in doing it ourselves - pros, cons, pitfalls, advice...
Hopefully we'll be there in the next couple of months - really wishing for some snow!
Cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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See reply on other thread.
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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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Hi, I know this is an old thread but I am looking for next Feb and came across a nice apartment in this town online. I am really struggling to work out where it is relation to La Plagne, even google maps has not explained it for me! Is this a good village to set up base in, I am concerned as I am not a confident skier so need somewhere where I can get a lift back if runs too difficult. Any advice gratefully received
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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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@warbis66, there's a gondola up/down from Champagny, so no need to ski back to base. The red down to the village can be a bit tricky, so probably best not to. At the top of the gondola, there a a couple of nice wide and fairly gentle blues that you can lap using the Borseliers/Eterou lifts. They are also usually very quiet. There is a restaurant there too with a sun terrace and great views across the valley. If you want to venture further afield you can head up the Rossa lift to get access to more blue runs, or up another lift and then over the back into the main part of La Plagne. I think it's a good location, it's one of my favourite parts of the area to ski and usually the quietest too.
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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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Is there any skiing in the actual village?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@warbis66, I don't think so, but it's only 10 minutes up in the gondola.
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Excuse my ignorance (usually ski in NOrway) can you use the gondalas if you arent on skis, as in, can you use as a foot passenger, if you wanted to explore other areas
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@warbis66, yes, you can go on the gondolas without skis, but I am not sure it takes you anywhere useful - to get over into Plagne Centre you'd also need to use chairlifts and be on skis.
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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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You can ski right down to Champagny when conditions are good.
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@Canuck, yes - but it's a tricky red run.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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No skiing in the village. If the snow is good you can ski back down, but that is rare. Foot passengers can use the gondola. I was there last week and it was the quietest part of the resort.
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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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@warbis66 - Champagny (in my slightly biased opinion, cos I love the place) is great location - you can get in La Plagne "proper" using the Verdons Sud or Quillis chairs and back to the top of the gondola (for the trip back to the village, as others have said) via a number of blue runs from the top of the resort (like Lavasset from Roche de Mio). On Sunday, we made it to the Vanoise Express to Les Arcs in an hour being on the first gondola of the day from the village,so despite seeming to be far away from the main resort area, you can get about a lot. As others have said, its often quieter, and in my view, much more picturesque on the Champagny side.
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Thank you; is it any good for rubbish skiers!!! Family all ski anything whereas i like to pootle on greens and easy blues, is that an option
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You know it makes sense.
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@warbis66, Champagny is at the southern end of the La Plagne ski area. There is a gondola taking you up from the village at 1250 metres to the main skiing area of the Champagny sector at 2000 metres.
From the top of the gondola there is easy access into Plagne centre via the Verdons Sud lift and also up to Roche de Mio, Belle Plagne and Plagne Bellecote via the Rossa lift, then the Carella or Quillis lifts.
It is easy enough to get back into the Champagny sector at the end of the day with easyish blue runs down from Roche de Mio, the Verdons Nord lift, les Blanchettes lift, the funiplagne gondola and the col de forcle draglift.
There are 2 runs back into the village, both red runs and both can be difficult at times. You can also take the gondola back down to the village at the end of the day
Mont de la Guerre is a beautiful long run down from the top of the Verdons Sud lift but is only open when the snow conditions are good and there is plenty of natural snow. It can be tricky towards the bottom but there are a number of tracks to avoid the more difficult bits.
Le Bois is usually open from early January until early April and has plenty of snow cannons on there so it is open far more then Mont de la Guerre. Again it can be a tricky run down and can be a mixture of icy track and slushy snow, usually more of a challenge than a pleasure.
There is a small nursery area at the bottom of the gondola for beginner lessons for the infants and a slightly bigger one at the top of the gondola.
If you fancy trying out cross country skiing there are plenty of tracks (about 25kms) at Champagny le haut which is a 10 minute drive or 15 minutes on the free local bus. There is the only artificial ice climbing tower in Europe up there as well if you are feeling energetic, they sometimes host a world cup ice climbing event in early February, this year it was on the 4th and 5th Februaruy.
I think it is a good village to set up base in, maybe not if you are after manic nightlife, but there is plenty of reasonably priced accommodation and enough good restaurants and bars to keep you happy for a week or so.
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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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There's only one green run near the beginners area (from the Eterlou lift) but quite a few easy blues. In particular the 3 blues under the Rossa lift are great confidence building runs.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Thu 9-03-17 11:00; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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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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warbis66, as you can see from his moniker, skichampcouk knows what he's on about coz he lives there for much of the season.
Champagny is a lovely friendly village with quick easy access to La Plagne proper. You can also go the other way to Courchevel - bus or car.
An excellent place to stay.
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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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sounds fab, think we will go with it
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