 Poster: A snowHead
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Organising a trip with 7 experienced skiiers and 7 beginners at the beginning of March. It's a group of friends in 20s and early 30s.
The 7 who have skied before are going for the full 3 valleys pass.
For the beginners which pass would you recommend:
1. Les Menuires & St Martin
2. Belleville Valley - is it possible to get a week long pass? I could only find it by the day.
3. 3 Valleys
I'm leaning towards 1 or 2 as think it's unlikely they will get the use out of the other valleys - but would appreciate any thoughts!
One key point is availability of lively après ski/ slope side bars. Are there any good places in the Les Menuires/St Martin area? Folie Douce type places would be great - does anyone know if you can access the Val Thoren Folie Douce if you only have the Les Menuires/St Martin pass?
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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Are the beginners taking lessons? Might be worth asking the ski school which pass would suit.
Which resort will you be based in? Above Les Menuires, just below the top of the Sunny Express chair Chalet du Sunny has a DJ in the afternoon, and a bit of a party atmosphere but I’m not sure what time it finishes. In St Martin it’s very quiet. However, the Pourquoi Pas bar down the side of the church has live music from about 6pm on Tues, Thurs and sometimes Sunday and a nice (but not lary) atmosphere.
You do need a VT pass for the Folie. There is a bus back down the valley to Menuires and St Martin, but you can’t take skis on it from VT to Menuires- so you’d need a taxi home if you skied there. Pedestrians can get up there by chairlift I think.
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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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Beginners - Definitely #1 only
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Beginners - Definitely #1 only
The Only way to access The Folie Doosh on skis from LM with a LM only pass is to ski down the black Goitschel piste and after your Apres, ski down through VT and then onto the VERY flat Boulevarde de Cumin, and then walk up into LM (if the Doran lift has closed).
An inexperienced skier, with a Belleville Valley pass, could catch the Bouquetin Funitel down to the FD and either get it back up or ski back to VT through town and onto the the dreaded Cumin.
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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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You can access Folie Douce with LM lift pass - take Mont de La Chambre lift or Bruyeres gondola (depends on where you are staying) up and then you traverse over towards VT and down - there is a red you need to get down but its not too bad although will be busy late in the day. The way back is down Plein Sud and then the long flat Bvd de Cumin all the way to LM. For the beginners it depends on how "beginnery" they are. If total beginners then LM and St Martin probably enough in terms of area, but even after 4 -5 days some of them might have progressed enough to want to do a little more. Its 1 - 2 lifts up to 3 marches then the blue grand lac/pelozlet to the St martin express than you have a host of blues down to Meribel which they might be pretty chuffed about if this is their first holiday. Via Toungette you can then easily get back to Plattieres to top of 3 Marches and back down. Also for après, all other resorts beat LM I'm afraid, so they might want to be able to sample some. In terms of cost, I don't think 3V pass is that much more but depends if that's important v the flexibility and range it provides
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for all the replies!
We are staying at the foot of Le Bettex chair so quite low down below LM, and it's first ski holiday for most of them (some have done 1 day on an indoor slope in the UK). They will be having group lessons, probably in the mornings.
It sounds like option #1 is probably the best but some may want to get the 3V pass.
Do you know if it's possible to get a 3 valleys extension for one day? (e.g. last day if weather nice and feeling up for a trip into the other valleys?)
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Not sure about 3V for one day but you can get specific resort passes for the day. Last year the adults all had 3V but the kids didn't. We skied over to VT and bought the kids lift passes for the day (about €40). Great day!
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I think prices are as follows:
6 day Les Menuires / St Martin adult pass = €239 (or €229 when two people buy together, single payment). 1 day 3V extension = €36.
6 day 3V pass = €300 (€290).
So if only going out of Les Menuires / St Martin for 1 day, the local pass and a 1-day extension is slightly cheaper (and you can save on the extension if the weather on say the last day is poor). For 2+ days it is cheaper to get the full 3V pass at outset.
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If the beginners are taking lesson with ESF Les Menuires, then they could get "6 morning (or afternoon)+ restricted domain ski pass" package. The restricted domain ski pass works out to be 85 EUR for 6 days as price difference, which is really a bargain compared to a 6-days LM/SM pass at 239 EUR. I've emailed the school a month ago regarding which chairlifts this ski pass cover, and here is what they replied:
SKIPASS FOR PIOUPIOU GARDEN, CHILDREN AND ADULT BEGINNERS
Valable sur / Vilid on :
Télésiège Tortollet
Télésiège Bettex
Télésiège Doron
Télésiège Menuires
Télésiège Rocher Noir
Télésiège Reberty
Télécabine Roc des 3 Marches
Télécabine Masse 1
Télécabine Bruyères 1
Téléski Village
Télécabine Saint Martin 1
Télécabine Saint Martin 2
Don't bother about full day lesson there - it is the same instructor for the morning and the afternoon with the contents repeated, only different classmates. And there is no packaged deal available for full day lesson with the restricted domain ski pass.
You should be able to get 1 day extension at the lift pass office.
I've also checked with Prosneige ski school in LM . They don't have any package deal available with restricted domain ski pass, but they are happy to offer a discounted 6-day LM/SM pass at 185 EUR instead of 239 EUR.
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@rosycheekfox, that sounds like great advice for beginners, I didn't know that pass existed.
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