Reds to avoid in Montgenevre/Claviere

A snowHead

This year I'm heading back to Montgenevre. Last time I was there (5 years ago), I was just coming out of snow plough into parallel and had lessons with a great instructor at A-Peak (wish I could remember his name, to request him again - help anyone?). He took me down an easy red in the Godrans sector (Querelay) and was recommending that I could also manage the red off L'aigle de Rocher (Soureau) and the red over to Claviere. I was very nervous and chickened out of the last two.

5 years later, my skiing has come on massively in terms of technique - I'm beginning to carve down wide easy slopes, but I'm still on the nervous side, and tend to avoid red runs if possible. I'll have much more fun, enjoying the scenary if I stay on the easier pistes. However... remembering my previous sucess on querelay, I'm determined to break this fear of reds this year. Increasingly I've noticed I've been looking at easier reds and thinking - I could ski that, rather than my usual - no way! And since I know that I can ski stuff that I look at and say 'no way' (I get to the bottom and look back up at what I skied, and think - I can't ski that - but I just did!), I figure I just need to push on through and this is a great opportunity.

So obviously target one is to ski the three reds mentioned above. But what's next? Given reasonable snow conditions, which others should I seek out? Are there any in the area to avoid?

Also, what about going further afield? How hard will it be for me to ski over/around Via Lattea more generally? Any recommendations?

A snowHead

Hi @Rcav, I have been a few times and stayed in MG, Claviere and Sauze. I love the area and I think it is a great place for developing skills and confidence - I think generally if there is anything problematic on a piste here it is designated a black! The Gondrans area is great because IMV no red there is hard and mostly you are not committed to reds once at the top of the lift - elsewhere you are (basically).

Firstly I would say that snow & weather condition is a big factor - so when you are going (eg ice/corn/slush later in season) and daily snow/weather (eg when last snowed and visibility) may be the things that determine what you do and when.

Rocher d'Aigle - the main route there is a long slow old chair. It has a (?slight) feeling of exposed high mountain that I don't think you get elsewhere in the immediate area. All North facing (so think visibility/low sun and hard snow at times/brilliant snow at others Once there there is no alternative to red (or blacks)- that may work for you (or not!)... on the other hand

Colle Bercia (above Claviere) - is much friendlier IMV - mtn cafe's abound, some blues to practice on prior to #goingforit on the East West or North facing reds - you must do a red to come home though! Getting there can be done by the green path to in the valley bottom to Claviere (ie avoiding R d'A) - you will have to pole (compared to the long chair to R d'A I would say ok - others I am sure disagree). I would say this as a good first "excursion" from MG

Serre Thibaud - this side is mainly S facing and the Red, Coombe de Loup and Chalvet are SE facing - there are times when the snow here will be awesome and sometimes not, but you can have a very good look at it skiing the blues around there before committing to the Chalvet (?) chair.

Further afield - most people say get a coach to visit Sestriere / Sauze rather than ski. I would say from your description that there is plenty enough in the Monte de la Lune to entertain and challenge and wouldn't bother -if you get really confident then do the blacks in MG! Certainly the Sansicario and Sestriere reds are harder and unavoidable if you go there. I really like the area around Sauze, but i) last season there were some important linking pistes closed due to a Police investigation leaving only black alternatives - they may not be open this year (so check!), ii) they are no better than those around MontG /Clav (which I said at start were pretty good anyway!)

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

Thanks for that, @Wildsmith. That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for.

Interesting what you are saying about lifts where you are committed to a red once you're on them. I think sometimes I need that, or else I will chicken out every time. But if there's no other way down, I've got to do it and tend to surprise myself!

Any experience with the blue baisses round the back over to Montquitaine? I think it was closed most (all?) of the week last time I was there. We're staying at the bottom of the Montquitaine lift this time, and I have a friend on the trip whose skiing is even worse than mine. I know I can get him from our accomodation out to the main area without any issue, but getting him back looks like it might be more problematic. The blue next to the lift looks rather steep for him (on youtube videos). Is the other option better? Is it likely to be open (mid Feb)?

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Appreciate all this insight. We'll be staying underneath Chalvet. While I can handle anything MG will throw at me, that's not the case with the rest of my family.

We'll have a car - worth trying Serre Chevalier for a day?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

The reds I'd avoid would be the two either side of the Prarial chair at the front of the resort. Although not very long, they are quite steep, and being north facing can get very icy. On our first trip to Monty 4/5 years ago our instructor took us down there on our last session, which didn't go too well Sad

By contrast, I found the Soureau run fine. Maybe that was due to most of it being in the sun and the snow being better, but I enjoyed that one. There's only 1 or 2 short steepish sections on that run.

Sources in the Gondrans sector is a good one to try out - the red section is fairly short before it joins other runs. From the same lift you can go down the other side on the green if you decide against it.

You sound like the same sort of ability as me...

You'll need to Register first of course.

I love claviere /mg.

I went over New Years and it was just a dream. Hardly any queues and the weather was blissful.

The chalvert chair has some nice wide reds off it. I don’t recall anything super tricky over that area.

The run that used to catch me was the 93 in claviere, whilst quite wide it seemed to always have icy patches on it which would knock my confidence as I nearly came a cropper there once.

Gondrans is a good shout , watch out for the red ending at the bottom of the drag lift up there.

Enjoy!

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

Thanks for all the advice here, lots of good pointers. Can't wait to get back there and start enjoying the pistes again.

After all it is free

Rcav

From what you've said you might be better off staying Sauze/Sestriere side, and having a day out in Montgenevre on the bus even if you go with a TO.

I really, really don't rate Claviere.

@BCjohnny, can I ask why you say that? What do you think I'd like over that side?

I've never skied sauze/sestriere so have no idea what's over there, but I remember loving Montgenevre and am excited to be going back.

(Nb We've already booked accommodation, but I'm definitely interested in what else is around for other trips or day trips out from Montgenevre).

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Rcav

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Reds to avoid in Montgenevre/Claviere

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