 Poster: A snowHead
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Morning
Newly registered member of Snowheads & my first post.
I'm arranging a weeks trip & planning on staying in St Gervais (buying the Evasion Mont Blanc pass) or Samoens/Morillon/Flaine (buying the Grand Massif pass).
We are a group of 4 boarders & 4 skiers, who do blue/reds, with very little off piste.
Will be going for the first week in March so hopefully conditions will be ok.
We like spending the days touring round rather than just doing the same runs over & over, so a large area is a must (we've been to Portes du Soleil for the last 2 years)
I ski so a bit of flat ground or draglifts are ok for me but clearly not for the boarders - can anyone provide info/experience of boarding in these regions please?
Thanks
Jim
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I haven't skied either resort, so can't offer any advice : but welcome to SnowHeads… 
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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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Welcome to snowHeads 
My nephew used to board with us while we skied in the Grand Massif. Did not see so many boarders at Xmas/New Year this time, not sure why. My Mum even commented on it. Lots of varied terrain to keep you busy, a couple of jam parks etc, if you check out the piste map online you can spot them. If you are on a board, might be best to avoid the 14km Cascades off the top of Flaine to Sixt, unless your mates with ski poles will sling shot you. It is a lovely trip down but there are quite a few flat bits. Can't comment on St Gervais, sorry. Apres not hopping in Les Carroz, so might want to ask people about that if it matters to your group?
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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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Not much flat ground in the Grand Massif, only one blue run - Portets, comes to mind. It's an easy one to avoid.
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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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As a snowboarder I would say providing your friends are not beginners draglifts shouldn't be too much of an issue. Of course worth checking with them, and if they say it is an issue compare the piste maps.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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What he said. It's not a lot harder to learn to ride a drag lift on a board versus on skis. If they can't ride them, then learning ought to be a priority.
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I would say the Grand Massif and Evasion Mont Blanc are quite similar types of ski areas. Lift system, flat bits, altitudes (Grand Massif goes a bit higher), terrain, scenery... So not much to choose between them for a boarder.
Both have a few tricky drag lifts and flat areas.
The EMB ski area is much bigger but more disjointed than the GM. Staying in St Gervais gives direct access to the largest of three areas (which in itself is a similar size to the GM), but getting to the Portes du Mont Blanc side requires a bus across Megeve, and you'd need a car to get to Les Contamines.
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I vote for GM
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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've very little experience of EMB to compare with GM, but much more on both ski and board within GM.
There's nothing there, GM, to trouble boards with very few flats generally, and nearly all covered by chairs at least.
Pick to stay on the snow and walk out to lift is Morillon 1100 Les Esserts for pure convenience. Good home run acces and decent mileage to reach furthest extreme in Flaine bowl. Small and fairly quiet though.
Or Flaine itself for staying on snow right in centre, couldn't be better acces and has more to do after piste closure.
The whole area is very connected so that you don't feel it's slog whichever of the four villages you are staying in as it's mostly skiing / boarding rather than trying to connect one bit to another, if that makes sense.
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Grand Massif is good .Very few runs to avoid if boarder . All linked beautifully and can certainly tour around all of 4 huge areas 275kms of great pistes/off piste too.. Portet down to Les Mollietts is now much improved as long as you go for it at the begining but The Arete is still a bit slow, a long shuss, depending on conditions.Agree the long Cascades is a bit hard for boarders and skiers sometimes !!.So much more dont need to do it.Would say much better than St Gervais as a lot of fiddling getting to lifts etc
Have you got accommodation ? Chalet Esprit is available self catered in Morillon. Have a look www.alpsinstyle.com some great offers this year.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks very much for all the replies, some very useful information.
GM seems on the face of it to be a really good option.
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