 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hello everyone. I'm looking for advice and information about skiing off piste in La Plagne.
We went there this year and I stayed on-piste and between-piste because I was skiing with my daughter. But we're going back next year and I'd like a couple of half days off-piste.
I shalln't claim to be any more than competent and I am not a huge fan of touring. Does any one have any ideas to get me started?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Les clés de Paradiski by Didier Givois is a good coffee table book.
Snowcrazy presents a lot of his adventures here and on something called facebook.
There are guide companies and ski schools who run off piste guiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
ESF and Oxygen both provide group off piste lessons/guiding in la Plagne
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Ask for Boris at Oxygen. Sorry cannot remember is last name. We have used for Face Nord Bellecote guiding and has been excellent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@henzerani, just to be clear, are you looking for recommendations for a guide - or routes?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The French tend to pack as many posted on to the mountain as they can to compete in the km stakes. Espace Killy and the 3V do this as.much of the rest - lots of runs in the same bowl etc.
La Plage isn't renound for its off piste but it offers as much as most French resorts apart from. Those that really specialise in it like Cham and La Grave. I seem to remember there's some cool routes from the top of the Bellecote Glacier (ice cube these days) right down to the lower slopes Below. I'm sure a local guide will advise you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Layne, guides, lessons, snowHeads - someone to come with me. I don’t consider myself clever enough to go alone and no one I ski with is interested in going off piste.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@Jonpim, well I am a firm fan of Espace Killy but my needs are not high. I’m embarrassed to say that I’m not very good in powder so what I’m really looking for is steeps and tracked out bits. I found some between-the-piste stuff this year but I’d like someone to show me the stuff I can’t see from the lifts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| henzerani wrote: |
| @Layne, guides, lessons, snowHeads - someone to come with me. I don’t consider myself clever enough to go alone and no one I ski with is interested in going off piste. |
Given your profile I would suggest using the suggestions above to go out with a ski school or guide for a couple of mornings.
Whilst it's possible to meet up with others on here they would probably expect you to have avy gear (bleeper, shovel, probe) and to have a reasonable degree of competence.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@altis, thank you for the threads. Many of the links are still good. My bad for not going back far enough 
@Layne, thank you. I thought I'd included a lot more in my opening post. I have a strong recollection of mentioning some ski schools and guide in Val d'Isere, but it isn't there.
I have skied off piste quite a bit -3 courses with tdc, half a dozen private lessons and also guiding with Total Ski. I had a bit of a bad experience last time I went guiding which shook my confidence, so I think I'd like to go with a school this time. But my experience is that very few schools can fill courses at this time of the year and there's the danger that if they do there's a bit of a mixed ability. I think that is what happened with the guiding last year - the girl (as in under 1 that I went with was very, very, very, good and I couldn't keep up. Then they did that tail end Charlie thing of wait for me to catch up but not for me to rest, which made my advanced years tell even more!!!
Anyway, the suggestion I made of skiing with other snowHeads was more if anyone wanted to share the cost of guiding or lessons, although I do have my own shovel, probe and tracker.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| richjp wrote: |
| I assume your post is very much tongue in cheek. |
He was.
To be fair I skied 3V and I wouldn't say it got tracked out much more or less than Paradiski.
There seems to be an assumption these days that all the main ski areas get quickly tracked out. And in a way they do but on the other hand the more you know a place and/or the more you are prepared to do a bit of sticking/walking out, etc, the more things open up. If that makes sense. Paradiski certainly has many gems I have discovered and many I haven't... yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Bennyboy1 wrote: |
| Ask for Boris at Oxygen. Sorry cannot remember is last name. We have used for Face Nord Bellecote guiding and has been excellent. |
If that's the Boris that I know from Val d'Isere, that is a very good recommendation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
I would say I’m a similar level to you and I did a fab half day “intro to off piste” or similar with the SCGB in La Plagne last March/April. It was actually run by Oxygene and had 6 people on it with a fab instructor whose name sadly I forget; might have been Julian.
I then joined an Oxygene Steep and Deep day (having been passed competent by the instructor) which was amazing and terrifying in equal measure. The others on it had full on 120 waist skis (I was on a pair of rented 89mm Chams) and 4 of them owned places in La Plagne. They spent most of the morning telling the instructor where they wanted to go next and I just about managed to hang on their shirt tails and not kill myself, especially tree skiing which I hadn’t done before. The S&D group had clearly become a way for them to get guiding at a bargain price and it was a bit too full on for me; I’d think twice before going back on it.
A previous year I’d had a great time with Youri from Reflex ski school; there’s a thread about it kicking around somewhere.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@swoafs, thanks for that. I have just emailed Reflex. They felt it unlikely to have a group that week.
But I shall also get in touch with Oxygene.
What you said about cheap guiding is interesting , I’d worked out a group lesson it is probably cheap than paying for a guide.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
As well as the easier stuff there is one whole side of a mountain for the really tough stuff: the Bellecote North Face. In case that looks small: it is nearly a vertical mile top to bottom!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Steep and Deep with Oxygen is a great way of finding out more about la Plagne for sure. It opened up a whole section of runs that I hadn't been aware off. I think the guide usually takes the groups ability into consideration and will do the best he can for them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@swoafs, you skied great we were sad not to see you again!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
In all seriousness, I prefer group adventures, the instructor holds all the keys and will never go beyond the ability of the weakest members, sometimes I get pushed by others and need to up my game and occasionally/rarely the boot is on the other foot! Being stretched is one of the best ways to improve; being out of my comfort zone while knowing I would not be here if the instructor was remotely concerned frequently rewards me with some of the best days.
Yes the group you skied with has done lots of steep and deeps and are happy to talk about options with the instructor but we never loose sight of the fact that this is a group lesson! Furthermore we book in the full knowledge that the standard may be high or low.
I hope to ski with you again!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re Steep and Deep with Oxygen, recognise they are limited to group capability but do they ski the more fun /tougher off piste like Bellecôte North Face or will I need to hire a guide through the burea.
I normally ski at La Grave every year (so into off piste) but the kids are now old enough to want to come on hols with me so off to La Plagne for a week in Jan and need to get my steeper off piste fix. Keen to avoid shelling out for a private guide if I can find a guided group at a higher standard to ski descents like the North Face.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
You will be taken to the best places that the groups abilities allow - the only exception is no glaciers so in La Plagne that rules out the cul du Nant - but there is not enough time to do this itinerary anyway
Assuming the snow is good and the bellecote bubbles are running and the group is reasonably fast you can expect to ski the petit face nord at a minimum, i’ve Skied the Canadian & cairn couloirs from the top in S&D group lessons but is is certainly rare
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Thanks Charliee, appreciate the intel that sounds encouraging. Might do a few days of Oxgyen S&D plus hire a private guide for a couple of days to try and get a few more steeper descents covered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Had a great Off Piste lesson with Youri from Reflex Ski School last year right after a big snow dump, taught us a lot about the Off-Piste in La Plagne. Transceivers etc provided
Oxygen also not a bad shout.
Sounds like you don't want to go without a guide, but there is plenty to with or without an instructor(if feeling brave!) if you know how to access safely, depending on snow conditions etc;
Under the gondola, through the trees down to Montalbert is good fun when the visibility is bad but the snow is good.
To the left of the Adrets lift through the trees, just be careful of the stream at the bottom.
Take the Becoin lift and ski down the blue until you hit the black to your left Morbleu. This spent most of last year closed, so either side of that black is a shed load of fun and mostly untracked powder. The right hand side of the black is the most fun, just don't go too far to the right away from the black piste poles as there is a stream. You end up on a fairly flat track, follow this to the bottom of Envers where you can ski to Plagne centre and repeat (This was one of our favourite loops during the snow days last year)
From the top of Becoin take the drag lift Cretes you can ski off to the right and down the black étroits this can be fun depending on snow conditions.
Alternatively, from the top of the Cretes drag lift, ski off to the right and remain as high as possible traversing round the mountain and come down the opposite side of the valley to Becoin. Ski with caution, there was a few nasty cracks last year though, but was lots of fun the previous season as it's barely touched.
From the top of the Cretes or even from Becoin, if the conditions are good you can ski anywhere off to the left there, just be aware there are a few dips you may be walking out of if not careful.
If advanced - the couloirs off the Grand Rochette
From the Grand Rochette again take a left and head down the black Rochette and head off the left of it, the ridge can be quite fun and gets the heart going, you can go off the left of the ridge in a few places but it is quite steep, stick to the ridge and ski off to the right to rejoin the black.
Underneath the Roche De Mio lift into Bellecote, this can be access from two routes off the sources red run.
Further down the sources you can hike up to the wooden bridge of the Via Ferrata, this is one hell of a view of La Plagne. Even if you don't ski from it, it's worth the walk to walk back down. You can climb down under the bridge, and ski the Couloir- this is possibly the scariest thing I have done to date though.
Of course, from Roche De Mio under Carella or anywhere to the right of 'brown trouser ridge'. There is a fair few routes from Roche De Mio, just I advise you to be extremely careful and approach these with someone who knows where they're going.
Plenty more mini routes over L'Arepette too.
And of course, the well known Face Nord Bellecote, St Jacques etc!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
@Snx, Thank you for that. I need to sit down with a piste map and go through all that.
And, apart from me, this is excellent advice for anyone wanting to ski off piste in La Plagne.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@swoafs, sorry to tease. I fully understand what you mean. You end up as a newbie or guest in a group and then find yourself outside your comfort zone as well as holding others up.
I find this whole business of how good I am very confusing. I mostly feel competent on steeps or on open ground and I know I’m a slow skier and inexperienced in powder. But then, all of a sudden I find myself managing very well in deep snow or falling far too often in something I expected to be fine on. Last time it was down to fitness of all things. I’m not a fitness freak but it is the one skiing thing I can do all year. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@henzerani,
As mentioned above I would not hesitate to book Steep and Deep with Oxygene. I had an exceptional week in April a few years ago and an epic three days in Feb half-term until poor conditions and illness put an end to it As stated above where you go is determined by the ability of the group. You could also consider ESF.
I also believe I skied with @Charliee, at Feb half-term with Oxygene. I would not consider doing any off-piste without a guide or local unless I had already skied it plenty with a guide and knew the area and the conditions super well. You will not be able to access the really exceptional routes that Paradiski offers without a guide or highly proficient local (or similar.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
