 Poster: A snowHead
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Had a great day Sunday by using the three valleys express in Orelle to access the area as I was staying in nearby 'La Norma' for a few days. Super easy to park in Orelle for free next to the lift. No real queue to buy a three valleys pass or to get on the gondola. Got on the Gondola about 9.30am and was in Courchevel 1850 by 11.30am including a drink stop in Meribel Mottaret. Did a few of the Courchevel runs before having lunch and skiing back to Val Thorens. Drink at the top of gondola in the fourth valley and back down to my car by 4pm. 50 km of slopes skied and
40 km of lifts covered in really good snow conditions (apart from the soft moguly runs around Mottaret). Great day out and well worth it for a day if you aren't staying in the three valleys area. Legs were in bits though!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I do like the Maurienne Valley because of the French feel but have never skied from Orelle over les 3 vallees.
Good to hear that a trip over to Courchevel and back is easily achievable in a day.
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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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I did that about 10 years ago, was a cracking days skiing.
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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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It is a good trip, but I always feel a bit nervous about possible lift problems. More so when skiing Orelle from 3 Valleys than vice versa, because there is only a single chairlift out. If the lifts fail, or get closed unexpectedly, it is a 90 mile taxi journey to get back  - although there will probably be lots of other people in the same position!
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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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We skied over from Le Praz to Orelle and were certainly in the orelle valley at about 1045. If there are no queues you can across even from the bottom of courchevel and back very quickly. Think we were tracked at about 62km and 10-11000 metres vertical that day.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just looking at the journey on a satellite view on my ski tracks app. Seems an incredible amount of ground to cover when you look at it like that. It was just under 16,000m vertical. Did do a few extra runs though. I don't know what's more remarkable - The amount of ground I covered, or the amount I paid for lunch in courchevel.
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Current record is step on lift at 9am and be at Bel Are at 10:32
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| ecureuil wrote: |
| If the lifts fail, or get closed unexpectedly, it is a 90 mile taxi journey to get back |
That's part of the fun!
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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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| srobbo wrote: |
| ecureuil wrote: |
| If the lifts fail, or get closed unexpectedly, it is a 90 mile taxi journey to get back |
That's part of the fun! |
The thought of missing the last lift also ensured my other half kept going full pelt all day instead of faffing about and taking a thousand pics 
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| garethjomo wrote: |
| Super easy to park in Orelle for free next to the lift. No real queue to buy a three valleys pass or to get on the gondola. |
and some days the car park can be full with a 3 hour queue to get to the pistes.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@davidof, about 3 times a year for example when all the Maurienne resorts are closed through lack of snow and there is only one show in town. Queue is for lift passes not to get on the slopes.
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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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The Orelle valley is I think still something of a secret to 3V tourists. Possibly because it is quite a trek from Courchevel (though as others say, easily do-able) and seems a bit out of the way on the map? Certainly IMO some of the better skiing in the 3V, albeit the top lift (Bouchet) is rather slow... Had a week in the 3V in Feb half-term, and spent a fair bit of time there away from the crowds...
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| alti - dude wrote: |
| @davidof, about 3 times a year for example when all the Maurienne resorts are closed through lack of snow and there is only one show in town. Queue is for lift passes not to get on the slopes. |
queue for lift passes and to get on the lift and to get down in the afternoon
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You know it makes sense.
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Made the trip - LaTania - Orelle several times last week.
Gutted could not do zip wire - as que far too long.
My tip for return journey to LaTania would be to jump off the Pas du Lac at the first station, walk around lift towards restaurant, ski to Loze chair which shuts at 5pm then drop down black, cant remember what its called then blue to ski lodge for a vin chard (or pint)!!
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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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The reds in Orelle (if done in the morning) are definitely up there with the best runs in the 3V. By the afternoon they can be very bumpy as people start to return to the 3v express. Most people who head up on this lift in the morning head straight into Val Thorens so they can often virtually untouched in the mornings. My first day in VT over easter I will head straight over that way when the lift opens and hopefully try the zip wire too which I haven't done before.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Last EoSB @admin talked to me into a high speed blast across the 3V - had lunch in Orelle, popped back into VT, and he decided at 2.20pm (by the carpets in the centre of VT) we could / should ski to the far end of Courchevel and back. We did - to the bottom of Courchevel Moriond, and made the Cote Brune lift back into VT with 5 mins to spare - my legs were in bits! Great fun though. I reckon @admin could have done it a good 15/20mins faster without me too - impressive stuff 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@fixx,
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he decided at 2.20pm (by the carpets in the centre of VT) we could / should ski to the far end of Courchevel and back
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Wow, that's zooming...and good use of elbows in lift queues. 
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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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@intermediate, fortunately no lift queues! Mid April, glorious 
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