 Poster: A snowHead
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Morning all,
Thought i'd start up a thread ahead of next season.
We have just booked an apartment in Morzine for January, 17th-26th. Flights from Bristol mean we can fly after work on a Friday, and get back late on a Sunday evening meaning we'll get an extra 3 days skiing compared to a regular 1 week holiday, so 9 days skiing in total for us.
Has anyone got any experience using Ski Republic? Their prices seem very cheap, but is the equipment not great as a result? I remember a few years back when they first came to the market they had problems with vandalisms probably from locals due to undercutting on prices.
The girlfriend will be on her 2nd week of skiing, so looking for any good recommendations for ski schools? Assuming not ESF?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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cant help you with any of the above.
My question though for the on the ground hardcore local/regulars.
Ive now booked our ski trips for 2019/20
Morzine xmas and new years weeks. Chatel feb half term either of which im not concerned about for conditions. However Easter 2 weeks holidays we'll be in Avoriaz, whats the snow hold like up the top there on an average year(if there ever is an average year, but yiu know what i mean)We love april skiing for the off piste corn snow
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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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It's normally great the last couple of years in April (and June), so we're due a crap one.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@swskier, If you want a rental rec, either FB Sports or All Mountain Rentals. Cut above the rest. Probs not as cheap as Ski Rep, but you really do get what you pay for...
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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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| WindOfChange wrote: |
| It's normally great the last couple of years in April (and June), so we're due a crap one. |
the last 2 years have been gud uns for all of the Alps, what about the year before the last 2, that was a dry one 16/17? was tgat diabolical on northfacing higher slopes in April? are there many accessable north facing slopes in Avoriaz? ive only ever skied the PDS once it was a good few years ago and i wasnt as adventurous back then,
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Mother hucker, checked my photos and april 17 was warm and dry, until the 29th when it dumped 40-50cm....chances are you'll have decent piste conditions at a minimum.
Getting really crowded now for VTT in LG with a 20min queue to get on chavannes express all day. But the lounge music festival has been on this week, with free entry gigs. Really liked Fat Badgers (disco funk) and Chromatik (jazz and hip hop). Below is the ground work they have been doing reshaping the area on the bowl side of the Perrieres lift. Huge amounts of rock and pipes getting moved up the mountain.
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@swskier - British Alpine Ski School in Morzine did a great job for my kids a few years back.
https://www.britishskischool.com/BASS_Resorts/Morzine
For other PdS regulars - we are going again this NY to Avoriaz; we were last in PdS (in Avoriaz also) four years ago. Looking forward to it already - Has much changed in terms of new lifts, runs, etc in that time?
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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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Just seen online, that ski passes have a 15% reduction if booked before September 30th. A sizeable €110 saving for myself and the other half on our 9 days. Takes the daily cost down to £32 each, which is pretty reasonable imv.
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| swskier wrote: |
| Just seen online, that ski passes have a 15% reduction if booked before September 30th. A sizeable €110 saving for myself and the other half on our 9 days. Takes the daily cost down to £32 each, which is pretty reasonable imv. |
Thanks for the reminder 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| swskier wrote: |
| Just seen online, that ski passes have a 15% reduction if booked before September 30th. A sizeable €110 saving for myself and the other half on our 9 days. Takes the daily cost down to £32 each, which is pretty reasonable imv. |
Here is the link: http://www.portesdusoleil.com/tarifs/bons-plans/saison.html
Kids under 12 are free when purchasing an adult season pass for EUR 774.
Offer Child season package - 12 years:
Child season package under 12 years (born from 01/01/2008) free for any simultaneous purchase of a Portes du Soleil adult package (20-64 years old) from 774 € / CHF 904 until 30 September 2019 or 871 € / CHF 1017 until 15 November 2019.
The adult must be one of the two direct ascendants.
To the OP you should be fine in Easter in a normal snow year but in a bad year then there are the north facing slopes in Chatel and also loads of great mountain restaurants to pass the time 
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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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Glad to see the free kids passes are back, it’s going to be a shock in a few years time when I have to start paying for them.
All our holidays and weekends up until the end of March are arranged, just waiting for Easter flights. The summer was nice, but already started counting down the days until the season opens.
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was anyone lucky enough to score one of the 5000 half price season passes? do they do that every year?
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You know it makes sense.
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@Mother hucker, first time I’ve heard of it. Some friends got them though.
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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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@under a new name, its a great saving. ill be keeping peeled for next year
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Ozboy, I've clicked the link, and it's taken me to season passes only. I can't find a link to shorter durations. Do you have a link to that?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Anyone on here doing the season out in PDS?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Les Gets/ Morzine local pass 15% discount if prebooked before 30/9.
Les Gets/ Morzine season local pass 40% discount if prebooked before 31/10. Payback is 12 days at web rate, 11 days at walk up rate.
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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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| chatel_seasonaire wrote: |
| Anyone on here doing the season out in PDS? |
not the season but will be 6 or so weeks out there. Theres plenty of folks posting here who live out there
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Mother hucker, I got one, as did Mrs WoC and 4 of our friends.
We went online at 7:55 on the morning they went on sale at 8:00.
I had registered on SERMA, Chatel and La Chapelle Abondance portals, and had a browser open on each.
The SERMA website crashed on the dot of 8AM, I managed to get pass no 0001 from Chatel, and soon after that site went south.
Our friends went on the La Chapelle d'Abondance site to get theirs.
We looked the following day, and the offer was still available, so I guess it took a few days before it sold out.
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@WindOfChange, it was a great deal for a great ski area. Its still a good deal with a free pass for my daughter with my season pass.
do you ski out there in April? if so hows it usually hold up on the north facing higher slopes?
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@Mother hucker, The April €495 pass works out the same as the current offer once you add in the child pass which is currently free. Great deal if no kids.
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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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@Mother hucker, As we live here, we board from the first openings ( Late Nov / Early Dec) right through till the last knockings (late April). We extend a couple of weekends, as you get free passes for 4V (Verbier) and Altesch Arene with your season pass (sometimes you have to ask for them as they do not always give them to you automatically. Go to the caisses in Lac de Vonnes to get them) so we do a weekend or 2 in Verbier before it opens here, and this year we did a weekend in Altesch at the end.
But April here is normally good, we go up via PLJ / Linga ( occasionally Ardent if meeting friends in Avoriaz).
Even though Super Chatel closes a week before Linga & Avoriaz, there's usually still plenty to go at.
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@Ozboy, i dont feel like ive missed out then.
@WindOfChange, do you want my verbier tickets or are they specific to the lift pass?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Mother hucker, Thanks for the offer, but they write the number of your PDS season pass on them, so unfortunately they are non-transferable.
I was quite attentive when they were issuing the day tickets at La Chable (4V) & Betmeralp (Altesch), as I was thinking of giving my unused ones away, BUT they did cross reference the voucher against the PdS pass on all 5 occasions I used them last year.
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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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wheres my best bet for feb half term? im in morzine xmas and new years weeks, avoriaz easter holiday weeks. Ive never skied in the Alps feb half term. Im concerned about the lift queueing and packed pistes, which resort seems to handle it best?
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@Mother hucker, I'd imagine New Year's week is just as busy as half-term.
School holidays are, indeed, busy weeks but the lift systems are much better at managing them than, say, 25 years ago.
If really concerned, go somewhere a little more obscure in e.g. Italy.
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You know it makes sense.
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| under a new name wrote: |
@Mother hucker, I'd imagine New Year's week is just as busy as half-term.
School holidays are, indeed, busy weeks but the lift systems are much better at managing them than, say, 25 years ago.
If really concerned, go somewhere a little more obscure in e.g. Italy. |
we have PDS season passes, so buying additional passes for feb half term aint feasible. just wondering if one resort is better at getting us up the mountain in the morning than the others(ie known bottle necks and the like) i aint fussed where we stay in feb just want the easiest option. ive skied in the PDS in the past but it wasnt with kids so skied non busy times
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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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Just booked our lift passes ready for January. €624 euros for the two of us for 9 days skiing, makes it even more exciting. Just ski hire and some lessons for the girlfriend and we're all set!
Looks like i'm on for a short break in March too, Wednesday to Sunday, but not 100% sure where we're going yet, so can't take advantage of the cheap passes on that one unfortunately!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Mother hucker, I can only speak from staying in Chatel as half term which did not seem very crowded as the skiers were quite dispersed over a vast area. If you start by taking the Pre La Joux lift there are generally no queues. Experienced some queues at Linderets trying to get over to Avoriaz or Mosette but I believe this will be better this year with the new lifts allowing you to get to CH bypassing Mosette.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Mother hucker, if the snow is good La Chapelle Braitaz is often not too bad
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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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@DJL, i see youre Chatel based. Do you tour? if so whats the touring like from out of Chatel?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Mother hucker, ahh, season passes. hmm, OK, well, I don't really think things are that bad... I wouldn't choose 1/2 term if I had the option but if you are that way constrained.
Only issues, really, IMHO, are tight spots like returning back to Avoriaz end of day from e.g. Chaux Fleurie. It'll be busy, sugared up, bumpy, etc. not much you can do about it.
Unconvinced that any of the core PdS stations are particularly advantageous.
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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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@Mother hucker, can’t help on the touring front but I have seen some skinny lightweight types heading up from the restaurant at the Col du Braitaz.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Mother hucker, At half term we normally go from La Panthiaz bubble, then head over via Torgon, Chalet Neuf, Morgins ...
Theres lots of drag lifts, and we board, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Like @Ozboy, says PLJ is normally ok too, and there's soooo much parking there now you can get on the hill even if you are a late riser. Since PLJ / Linga was linked to SC via the Gabelou and PdS lifts, the ski busses are not as rammed as they used to be, even at half term.
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@Mother hucker, I have seen tourers in March around Torgon and Braitaz sector and is a great area to avoid crowds as the infrastructure is older / slower which is not a bad thing and offers a lot of skiing which is not well represented on the piste map. As per @WindOfChange La Panthiaz bubble just after La Chapelle village is a good starting place to explore the above as well as Super Chatel and Chalet Neuf sectors. If staying in Chatel village then Super Chatel works and avoids the drive.
PLJ has a lot of parking which stretches about a km(?) down the road but it fills up quickly at half term and suggest you arrive before 9:30. The tip is to park adjacent to the the PLJ lift and not bother trying to find a park further up near Pierre Longue. Once you are up PLJ chair you can link across to Plaine Dranse and Linderets in one direction or to Linga and Super Chatel in the other. You can ski back to the PLJ base station at the end of the day.
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@Ozboy, @WindOfChange, we really have to stop recommending La Chappelle/Torgon to people. It'll end up like Avoriaz at this rate!
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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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@DJL, @WindOfChange, a typically crowded week day in Feb... nah won’t end up like Avoriaz as the ‘Piste Dangereuse’ sign at the bottom of Morclan or the steep Onnaz button will scare off the punters.
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I skied for a morning last season between Xmas and new Year around the area and saw 2 people in total, not including those working on the lifts. Admittedly the weather was awful, so most were indoors, but considering it's supposed to be one of the busiest time of year it was ridiculous. Having said that I lost the will to live on some of the lifts and the only reason I've returned since is for the Cafe Gourmand at the L'Escale.
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FAQ
