 Poster: A snowHead
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been told Valloire is pretty good, but i hate being ripped off in France...is it worth it ??
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Okay but I prefer Val Cenis.
What are you looking for?
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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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what do you mean 'ripped off'?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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France is not cheap...i go to italy usally... champoluc for a beer and a wine same price as here in halifax !! went to courchavel about 8 years ago and was paying 5 euros for a hot chocolate... = ripped off
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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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@yorkshirelad, it's not courchevel (but it's not Halifax either ..ow much?  ). Donkeys years since I was in Valloire but it was a more reasonable place pricewise than say Val d'Isere or Tignes. If you like italy stick to it, or maybe Austria, if you don't want to pay French prices. there's plenty of places as good or better than Valloire
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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also need an area that has some walking etc for a couple in our group who only ski 4 days..... and we need plenty of bluey runs, our little group like champoluc due to the cost and the walking availbilty, although not hard snow shoeing they do like to walk for a couple of hours...eat and drink and stagger back to hotel. rest of us are easy with the lowish level of skiing,
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@yorkshirelad, How about Wagrain, Alpendorf, Radstadt, Schladming?
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| Quote: |
went to courchavel about 8 years ago and was paying 5 euros for a hot chocolate... = ripped off
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Yes, Courchevel is very expensive but the question is about Valloire....
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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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I haven't found the cheaper French resorts any more expensive than the resorts I've visited in Austria and Italy, certainly in terms of lift pass and accommodation prices.
Some of the Tarentaise resorts are a different matter.
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Valloire, is known locally as "The little Val d'Isere" due to it being based around a fairly traditional alpine village with some nice restaurants, great scenery and a church... you do need the alpine church. The village is at 1400 meters with the skiing on the east side of the village. It is close to the Italian border so can pick up "retour d'est" weather patterns as well as benefiting from Northern French Alps weather.
From the village skiing is on two linked mountains. The Setaz area which is north and west facing and the Crey du Quart which is west and south facing. So you have some choice on where you ski depending on the time of day. From the Crey du Quart you can ski down to linked Val Meinier and its North-East and South-West facing slopes. Runs are typically not steep but long with lots of opportunity for 1000 meters of vertical. For example of the Crey du Quart or the Grand Plateau you can ski directly to Val Meinier for 1100 meters of vert. Over in Valmeinier you can ski from the top of the Gros Crey (2612m) to the bottom of the resort at around 1480 meters. The head of the Valmeinier valley is completely unexploited (you could fit another ski resort in here if you wanted) if you want to ski tour, the cherry on the gateau being the 3150 meter Mont Thabor. Cross country is limited but there is scope for snow shoeing or even walking at altitude, for example along the plateau de la Sea. There are some nice mountain restaurants but it is easy to get lost if you are walking and not skiing. There is a microbrasserie (Galibier beer). The lift system is satisfactory for the size of domain. Around 150km of skiing.
Skiing would suit intermediate to advanced intermediates - it is a resort of big red and blue runs. There is a lot of between the pistes skiing, which is more or less safe and a lot of dangerous off the back stuff, for example down from the Crey du Quart.
Unlike the big Tarentaise resorts you won't get tear gassed if you park in the wrong place and you don't have to sell your kids into slavery to eat out or buy a lift pass, or park, or even breathe.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Eating out and drinking in town are definitely cheaper than in the big French resorts. Eating out on the mountain is better value though not necessarily cheaper - there seem to be more family/proper restaurants rather than canteens, so the food isn't cheap but better quality than I've had in a lot of big resorts. Downside in terms of costs are the supermarkets if you're self-catering, there are only a couple of 'metro' sized shops with eye-watering prices. It's a very French resort so suspect a lot of people bring most of their food with them and don't rely on the shops here.
Skiing-wise I'd echo davidof's comments. The piste skiing probably suits intermediates. There are a lot of gradual winding blues without interesting features. On the flip side there is a lot of promising off piste (though not in great shape at the moment) and as a more family oriented resort it doesn't get tracked quickly.
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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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| Queequeg wrote: |
It's a very French resort so suspect a lot of people bring most of their food with them and don't rely on the shops here.
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There is a big Carrefour at the bottom of the mountain at St Michel if you are travelling by car and can stock up en-route.
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| davidof wrote: |
| and a lot of dangerous off the back stuff, for example down from the Crey du Quart. |
davidof I noticed a couple of slides on the Valmeinier side of Crey du Quart last week. Is it particularly notorious or just requires the normal precautions? It's listed as an HP route on the Cybervalloire site for example, though they do seem to suggest it is prone to slide.
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You know it makes sense.
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Davidof... great info, thanks, just need to find out if theres any easy walks and its on
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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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@davidof, thanks for taking the time to write this. We’ve never considered it up to now but will definitely look into it. We’ve spent the last 5-6 February HTs in France (alternating between La Tania and Val) but we are off to Austria this year as we all fancied a change. Some of us should really make the effort to look past the normal suspects in France as there are quite a few gems around.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Queequeg wrote: |
| requires the normal precautions? |
As you say, just the usual precautions.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@yorkshirelad, We spent 2 months up the road at Les Verneys a few years ago and walked quite extensively. Apart from the paths alongside the river back down into Valloire there are also paths all the way up towards Col du Galibier though the road will be closed at Bonnenuit. Best with racquettes beyond there.
There are also steeper footpaths on the hillside west of the village leading up to Le Poingt Ravier which has great views over Valloire. These paths lead up from Les Verneys or direct up a steep ascent from town, I think you can also walk up the road. THe first two might be heavy going after fresh snow but make a 2-3 hourplus round walk from town starting up the river to Valloire, there are a few cut downs by the stream at La Serroz.
Download maps.me on a phone which shows all the paths but not contours.
As far as skiing is concerned I found Valloire had too many cat tracks for my type of boarding and I spent most of my time on the middle mountain. The town itself is nice and compact and always had events on.
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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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Lots of great walks. We were there last year and really like the town and atmosphere. The skiing is perhaps the weak point, oddly. I found myself lapping the red/black runs off the main gondola from town. I'd go back for the ambience. I found valloire a good value, too.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Many many thanks to all...
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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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@yorkshirelad, as to "ripped off" -- I assume you meant "value for money" -- just to expand on that...weekly pass prices were in the bottom 50 percentile, I'd say. The lift infrastructure was fine, though there are a couple of slow chairs. Accommodation seemed about average for France; ski rental too. IMO the restaurant scene was quite fine, though I wasn't impressed with on-slope options. One thing that stood out to us was how friendly everyone was. The locals were very proud of the town, and rightly so. It's a gem.
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