Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi any one been here in half term before? Booked flights to Geneva for the 15th and come back on the 20th. Looking at the accommodation still available there seems to be quite a bit there still. So im thinking it might not be the resort that interests the majority of Had Term daily skiers?
Im going with my 15year old daughter, both of us more into off-piste than on and the Valley Blanche is on the bucket list.
If you've been or know the area well where would you think best to base the accommodation? I stayed in Chamonix central for three nights last year (USPA) but thats the extent of my time in Chamonix.
thanks in advance
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I'm sure there are plenty of Chamonix locals who know the ins and outs of accommodation better than I but we ski Chamonix most half terms. It's still busy but it is a little different to some resorts as it seems to me to have less package trips and is also more spaced out, in that the individual areas aren't connected. That said it has its reputation as he alpine capital of the world for a reason. The VB is amazing but not overly difficult skiing wise. If you stay in Chamonix itself you can walk to Brevent which ties in with Flegere and the train goes to Argentiere (GM) and La Tour so quite simple to get around (plus the buses of course).
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@bigtoe, it’s not generally stupidly busy at half term anyway, the lift infrastructure copes. What you don’t want to have to do is queue for list tickets so buy online if you can ....
We are fulle but our apartments are just below the Brevent bubble so many of our guests apend their entire holiday there - it links to Flegere.
So I would tend to look somewhere withn easy walking of Brevent and with easy access to a bus stop.
Bear in mind Brevent is up quite a steep hill!
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@under a new name, many thanks
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Many thanks @RobH2017,
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
If you want to minimise travel hassle, then I’d consider staying either a)close to brevent, as advised, b) in one of the blocks next to the savoy slopes (drag lift to top, walk to brevent, or ski down and get bus to Argentiere), or c) in Argentiere, where you can be very close to the Grands Montets lift.
The train is a bit inconvenient - although the journey is nice, the stations (apart from vallorcine) aren’t actually particularly near any ski lifts compared to the bus stops.
Overall I’ve never had much of a problem with lift queues at half term apart from the Flegere cable car and the le tour gondola at ski school rush hour or when it is on slow-running mode as is the case half the time nowadays it seems. Both the brevent and Grands montets bubbles are high throughput and minimal delay.
|
|
|
|
|
|
@snowdave, thanks for that, found a place in Argentière . Couple of mins walk from grand Monet bubble apparently .
|
|
|
|
|
|
@under a new name, @snowdave, I'm staying in Passy this week and had a great time on Sunday driving out to Argentier and then on to Le Tour in the afternoon. Got to Argentiere before the parking was crazy and also managed to park the truck at Le Tour.
If I want to ski Brevent/Fleglere tomorrow (Thrusday 21 Feb), will parking be an issue? What's the best strategy for driving there?
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
If you can get a space at the bottom of the planpraz bubble, the lift queue will likely be much shorter. I think you have to pay, whereas parking at the bottom of the flegere cable car is free but the lift is a bit of a pain in the bum first thing (small capacity plus rather a lot of people currently)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks for the quick, helpful reply @hollando, Hopefully waze can get me to that car park at planpraz.
What a week we've had .. and it's not over yet!
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
@bpirkle, I’ll Second @hollando, recommendation. Get to brevent by 915 and you’ll be fine. Flegere is likely to be a nightmare particularly downloading at the end of the day.
However, don’t try and be clever and ski the home run from brevent, it might look skiable at the top, but you’ll be picking rocks out of your skis all evening afterwards.
Overall I’ve been amazed at how quiet it is. Zero queuing at Grands montets, and only a few mins for the chair at le tour at its worst.
In case anyone is interested, there’s now free snow tubing at the GM beginners area. Slightly random timetable of opening and closing (ie it’s when they feel like it) but great fun, and special snowtube hooks so you can ride the poma lift in them!
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@snowdave, Cool, we're up and nearly ready to head out so should make brevent well before 9:15 ... seems the parking is 2 euros for 2 hours .. bargain.
Looking at the piste map there are some black runs from the top of Le Brevent ... labeled c . bozon .. are these just steep? or are they bumped up? Any info greatly appreciated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
normally most of it is bashed, but some steeper variants are left unbashed. You ware always given the option not to do the most intimidating bits
The page in the link below gives some good info on snow conditions, which pistes are open and which have been bashed (little green piste basher symbol denotes the run has been groomed)
https://www.chamonix.com/snow-report,89,en.html
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
The bozon piste is nearly always pisted will be today almost certainly well worth a blast
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Thanks! In the car park at the bottom of the brevent telecabin ... Clockwork
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
It is quiet without Parisien half term. Had Chamois at GM to ourselves this morning. La Tour this afternoon for some variety.
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
We didn't hardly wait in any queues at either Brevent or Flegere today which meant lot's of vertical in a short space of time. By 2pm Catie (12yo) and I were shot and couldn't handle anymore of those long red/black runs down to the Cornu chair so we headed over to Le Tour for a couple of runs to end the day.
I had a longing look at the cable car heading up to Le Brevent and considered having a go at the bozon black but that was a cheque my legs couldn't cash by then so we bailed.
That car park at the bottom of the plan praz telecabin was excellent .. we got there right on 8:45 and it was filling up but there were loads of spaces. It cost me 6 euros in the end which was well worth it.
|
|
|
|
|
|