La Plagne mixed group help please

A snowHead

Heading to Plagne 1800 for the first time in March and I have a few questions.
1. Will the 2 brand new skiers in the group be better buying 6 day passes or not...looks like the beginners slopes don’t need them from the lesson information available? Depends on the extent of the beginners slopes, any experience? If they’ll only need 4 or 5 days or we’re better to see how they get on, should we leave it til they’ve had a lesson?
2. At the other end of the scale, will the experienced group be better with the Paradiski pass or will the La Plagne pass be enough to keep them going with just 1 day full area....I understand the wider area might take a bit of getting to via various lifts from where we are?
3. And for the early intermediate skiers, a couple of us nervous of ledges, edges...all the usual issues - what are the best areas for us?
4. Recommendations for equipment hire for those that need it please.
5. Any other resort advice appreciated.....any pack discounts including lessons, hire, passes combinations?

Thanks in advance.

A snowHead

#1 - 6 day. I'd expect that's what the ski school would expect. The free lifts in any resort will be minimal and you might be surprised at the quick progress.

#2 - Probably just the La Plagne pass. Getting over to Les Arcs is a fair trek and one day over there will probably do you.

#3 - Don't go up the Crete drag lift. Can't think of too many other things to worry about. La Plagne has plenty of "early intermediate" terrain.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

If you're only up to doing blues, avoid Mira off the Grand Rochette, it's hard for a blue.

The blues under Rossa chair in Champagny are great for beginners.

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@skiseekers, you do get one day over in Les Arcs with your standard LP ticket.

Then if you do want to go a second time, the difference between a full pass and an extension for a second visit is less than €10 IIRC So only if you are going over for more than half your holiday (AND you know in advance) do you really need to consider the full pass.

As Layne (almost) says, if you need to go over "the other side" (in either direction) for more than 2 days in a week, you've probably booked the wrong resort...both areas have more than enough to keep experts / intermediates happy for a week

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

6 day La Plagne only will be more than enough, allowing for the one day in LA. It’ll take a while to get to/from Les Arcs anyway so I don’t think you’ll want to do it more than once, especially with the amount of skiing in La Plagne.

Plenty of nice runs for early intermediates, the ones around Colorado lift in Plagne Centre are nice enough, as are all the options from Arpettw down to Bellecote (although the last pitch can get a bit busy). Try and get out to the further reaches of the resort if you want quieter slopes. Down to Montchavin/Montalbet/Champagny are cool.

Beginners might only be on free lifts for the first day but they might progress quicker than expected and better to give them the option to get other lifts and not worry that they might not be allowed on them or down certain runs. They also don’t want to be the only ones in the lesson without a proper pass.

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4. We used this lot for our group last year http://rentalrepublic.co.uk/ Delivered and collected from our accommodation, worked out really well and would use them again.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

3. Anywhere off of the Colorado or Bergerie lifts, also anything under the Arpette lift out of Bellecote. All good for early intermediates. As someone else mentioned anything that goes back under the Rossa chair, over Champany area is good too, but getting there from 1800 might be a bit of a trek for an early intermediate.
Also from the 1800 chair there are lots of nice gentle runs through the trees down to Montalbert. So much to choose.

After all it is free

1. Full pass.
2. Full pass.
3. Stay away from the edge.
4. They're all much the same.
5. Nightlife and restos suck.

@FastCarver74, not that difficult is it? Get to Centre, up Colorado and Verdons Nord lift, down Bozelet and up Borseliers and Rossa. Plenty of sitting on lifts but not too many tricky pistes to deal with

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@SnoodlesMcFlude, I'd argue that for an early intermediate Bozelet has a couple of steeper sections, then on the way back if you head the same way, the top of verdons is a narrow track with a drop off - everything the OP didn't want! I'd recommend returning via Quillis chair, down to Bellecote, up Colosses and back to 1800 via Centre.
For my interpretation of an early intermediate (although the definition of this is subjective) I would argue that could be a pretty long round trip.
So for you it may not seem that hard, in the eyes of someone else it could be.

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@FastCarver74, as you say it’s all down to interpretation of exactly what an early intermediate is I guess, I generally think of that term as someone capable of skiing most blue runs. An early intermediate on Inside Out scale is someone that can ski most reds in good condition.

My first week skiing was in La Plagne and I skied that route without too many worries (although plenty of stops!) and would certainly say it’s worth it for lapping Rossa.

But it’s difficult to recommend pistes without seeing someone ski.

snow reports

@skiseekers, some of the accommodation in 1800 is quite a walk from the piste, and depending on exactly where you are it may be a lot easier to get the bus to Bellecote. From there you can access the Rossa area of Champagny via Les Blanchets / Col de Forcle, returning via Quillis chair. That makes the whole journey a lot shorter / simpler.

Always interested how so many seem to ignore the right third of the piste map.
For your new skiers and nervous intermediates go up the 1800 lift and enjoy the wide easy Golf slope.
Then you can ski over to the Montalbert sector, full of lovely gentle blue slopes (with elves and dragons) for the learners plus interesting reds for the more adventurous. All runs through trees so no worries about bad weather days.
Nice restaurants and bars in Montalbert. Easy journey back to 1800.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Jonpim, Question please. Is it still easy to get back to 1800 with the Evers lift closed? We're staying just off the blue run by the Melezes lift. I'm probably being dense, sorry! Though looks as if Envers might be open by first week of March (bit worried about using it though!). Also, given the current warm weather, is Montalbert still likely to be a good bet being lower? I liked the look of Montalbert and thought it might be quieter. Apologies to @skiseekers, for hijacking thread but I am a similar skier - can handle reds, but much prefer blues, nervous, hate narrow/drops and also hate busy (should like to point out here that I didn't chose the last week of French school holidays - friends had booked it before I got a chance to explain that was a mistake!). Thanks!

A snowHead

In case Jonpim doesn't see this, the thread is from last summer, I'm interested in where you have seen that Envers may open in March. The last official update was that it will not open at all this winter. (It did open for a few days in March 2018 and was shut until the summer and has not re-opened)
Montalbert will be open until the end of the season whatever the weather, as there is extensive snow making and the slopes are North facing.
Returning to 1800 from Montalbert without Envers will really depend on the snow conditions and how busy the entire domain is. To get back you will ski from the top of the Montalbert gondola down to the La Roche lift then go up that to Aime 2000 and then take several blue options to get back into the 1800 'valley'. There is a pinch point about 500 yds above the La Roche lift which can become vary icy and scraped. But also can be perfectly fine! (there is no other route on ski's and there is no bus.)
Montalbert has two webcams
http://m.webcam-hd.com/webcam-station-la-plagne/montalbert
https://laplagne.roundshot.com/montalbert/

A snowHead

@boredsurfin, thanks so much for replying. I've read loads on the forum including much of the La Plagne 17/18 and 18/19 threads so maybe I got confused and thought I was in the 18/19 thread but was actually in the 17/18 thread - sorry! That's where I thought I had read it. Can't say I like the sound of the pinch point, but guess I'll have to wait and see what the conditions are like after this week. wink

I was looking at the piste map on my phone, which was probably a mistake. I've actually made note of a lot of advice you have offered elsewhere, so thank you for those too.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@HelenS...feeel free to report back on conditions after your week away. We leave in a fortnight so I hope the spring sun hasn’t done too much damage for us.

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@HelenS, Again dependent on conditions be aware that the piste under Meleze which looks like the obvious return into 1800 gets pretty 'horrible as well as that pinch point, in the LP thread I have listed the three alternative blues to get back into 1800 avoiding under Meleze chair

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@boredsurfin, thanks again. I read some nasty stuff about the return run under Meleze and unfortunately we are supposed to be able to ski in to the chalet from that run! I think we have a chalet on what people have referred to as the 'upper road' so not sure how convenient it is to use the bus instead - need to investigate that. Is this the post you are referring to on the 17/18 thread about avoiding the run under Meleze? https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=3180786&highlight=plagne+1800+blue#3180786 couldn't see one on 18/19.

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@HelenS, This post https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=3366815&highlight

Help!!

La Plagne mixed group help please

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