 Poster: A snowHead
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As the subject suggests, Can anyone give me a rough ranking for the Blue pistes in Les Gets?
I'm skiing with two beginners, who have skiied 2/3 times before but are very nervous skiers. I'd like to be able to focus them on the blue runs after a few laps of the greens but wanted to plan which run would be the easiest to start and work them up accordingly.
Gentiane looks relatively gentle but narrow, so i'm thinking this would potentially be classed as a green if it was wider. As its at the top of the mountain I think this would be a great first blue to give them confidence with their skiing and to make the mountain less scary to them. I appreciate I'm basing this from Google street (ski) view and in reality could be much steeper.
So if anyone can help, it would be great to have a list, with easiest to hardest, to plan their progression with?
I've briefly posted this on the Les Get thread under the Snow Conditions forum, but thought it better suited here.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The blues around the Croix chairlift are all wide and good ones to start from, there are multiple ways down so you can pick and choose, it is basically one very wide piste.
If you do the run down to the village I would take the right hand option when it all flattens out as the bottom section is much wider and less busy than the left hand side that goes closer to the Chavannes chair .
One I would avoid initially with nervous skiers would be the one that used to be a red from the top of the Ranfoilly. My sister also always hated the blue Bruyere, first it goes very flat and then she hates the drop down to the Folliets lift, two runs merge together and it is often busy.
I also like the blue on the front of the Mont Chery side, it is usually very quiet over there too if they aren't keen on other people around them.
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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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Thanks @mah
Do you have any experience on the Bleuet and Choucas (into Morzine) runs?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
I also like the blue on the front of the Mont Chery side, it is usually very quiet over there too if they aren't keen on other people around them.
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+1
Mt Chery also has more challenging pistes for any confident skiers in your group. The quietness, compared with the main routes, advantageous to nervous skiers.
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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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| Quote: |
The blues around the Croix chairlift are all wide and good ones to start with, there are multiple ways down so you can pick and choose, it is basically one very wide piste.
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Absolutely agree stay around here to build up confidence and then maybe try Violette but before it gets chopped up. Only when you are happy they can do these I would try Bruyere as although it is mostly fine as muh says the problem is just before the foilettes lift when it gets steeper and sometimes icy and intimidates anyone nervous. They have over the years widened it at this section and there is now an 'easy route' down but it still causes difficulty.
If they make it down Violette a number of times I would say another one would be Reine des Pres which you can ski across to at the bottom of the Violette
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Good advice above so far.
The only greens are 64 and Indiens. 64 is easiest so start lapping this one and build up to the blues around la Croix....skiers left here (gentiane) starts out very flat and gets ‘steep’ as you reach Chavannes mid station. Just stay left towards magic carpet / beginners area. Build up confidence to try other runs here.....the variable terrain / gradient allows beginners to gradually pick steeper lines / turns.
Indien is fine, but avoid B8 and B9 kids runs that twist around trees unless there is fresh snow and they can control turn speed.
Other nice blues are Violette which brings you into the bowl, head across to the Rosta lift and left to longish Reine Des pres, one of my favorite runs still for cruising and working on technique.
Would not advice going up the Ranfoilly to the start of Gentiane (longest run in the area). The top is steep, and the track over to Nauchets is narrow and needs speed in places, crosses several lift landing zones etc.
Also in the bowl is Renardiere, turning right at top of Grains d’Or. I haven’t skied it since they re-shaped it last summer, but should be suitable.
Another nice quiet one is Bluet / Cyclamen. Reach it by turning right halfway down Violette. It’s a new quiet wide piste thru the forests, has a flat part in the middle, and joins a narrowish track right at the end.
I would avoid skiing Gentiane all the way down to the village, you can download in the red bubble. Unless there has been fresh snow, the middle section stays icy in the shade all day, the very end is steepish and it gets busy.
You have to show them Mont Chery..... the only blue Ourson can seem steep for beginners, but it’s very wide and quiet.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Thu 9-01-20 10:29; edited 1 time in total
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| Binked wrote: |
| Quote: |
The blues around the Croix chairlift are all wide and good ones to start with, there are multiple ways down so you can pick and choose, it is basically one very wide piste.
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Absolutely agree stay around here to build up confidence and then maybe try Violette but before it gets chopped up. Only when you are happy they can do these I would try Bruyere as although it is mostly fine as muh says the problem is just before the foilettes lift when it gets steeper and sometimes icy and intimidates anyone nervous. They have over the years widened it at this section and there is now an 'easy route' down but it still causes difficulty.
If they make it down Violette a number of times I would say another one would be Reine des Pres which you can ski across to at the bottom of the Violette |
Was Reine des Pres previously a green?
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| Quote: |
Was Reine des Pres previously a green?
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It has been a blue since I started going about 6 years ago!
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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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Thanks for all the suggestions! This is great stuff to plan route they'll enjoy and build confidence.
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One minor thing I overlooked is if you take them down Bluet - Cyclamen, it arrives at QG restaurant junction. So there is no choice but to ski down to the village from here, but at least you've avoided the icy middle section of lower Gentiane ....also restaurant on skiers left here is often overlooked....in front of the lake, and gets nice evening sun. Staying left at this piste junction is definitely easier (ie lake side, not QG)...just stay as far left as you can until back at Chavannes Express.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There are some good ski schools in Les Gets.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| There are some good ski schools in Les Gets. |
We are only going for a weekend, which will mean only 2 days of skiing. So ski school not an option with timescales. I've advised them that a private lesson would be beneficial, but they are happy to be led by me and my OH as its a kind of social thing as well.
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| polo wrote: |
| One minor thing I overlooked is if you take them down Bluet - Cyclamen, it arrives at QG restaurant junction. So there is no choice but to ski down to the village from here, but at least you've avoided the icy middle section of lower Gentiane ....also restaurant on skiers left here is often overlooked....in front of the lake, and gets nice evening sun. Staying left at this piste junction is definitely easier (ie lake side, not QG)...just stay as far left as you can until back at Chavannes Express. |
Thanks Polo!! They enjoy the social/apres side of skiing so this is a great suggestion for the quiet restaurant!
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You know it makes sense.
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I'd definitely agree with what others have said about not taking them to the top of the Gentiane run from the Ranfolly lift. It can be really tricky and would definitely put off nervous beginners. Reine de Pres is a good run if they are ok going down Violette to get there. The only word of caution I would add about Violette is that it crosses/ meets up with a number of other pistes in the bowl, with skiers heading in various directions to different lifts often at inappropriate speeds. Choucas is a long road. It's a pretty run through the trees, but it's fairly boring, and when we were there last week it was hard and icy. Finally If your friends do want to ski to the village from the mid station, they might actually find it easier to do a tiny bit of the red (Orchis) and then cut along the route through the trees back on to Gentiane. This cuts out the steeper bit of Gentiane just past the Telebar du Mont Blanc which is often littered with fallen beginners.
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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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@mah, haven’t they opened a new even more gentle one to get to the bottom this season? Sure I saw something about it.
@Roscoe, stick them in a 2hr private lesson first thing in day one and you go off and ski about and plan some routes.
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Poster: A snowHead
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For skiers who struggle on blues, I would absolutely suggest an early 2 hour private. Should give them more confidence too, and they can practice a bit what they learned while with you.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Nadenoodlee wrote: |
@mah, haven’t they opened a new even more gentle one to get to the bottom this season? Sure I saw something about it.
@Roscoe, stick them in a 2hr private lesson first thing in day one and you go off and ski about and plan some routes. |
@Nadenoodles That's a good shout! I'll have a look at a private lesson for them now. Anyone know of any good instructors?
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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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You can always come back to the bottom via the red bubble lift. I often do this because I'm a fair weather skier at best and a lazy blighter. I think the bottom of Meleze has been given a little blue alternative run down to the Perrieres car park.
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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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My sister and cousins used LGS for several years, they all rate the instructors highly.
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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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This year Cyclamen starts from part way down the Gentian piste below the Nauchets lift. Do not take nervous beginners down this section but take them down Violette and take a right turn part way down to join Cyclamen.
To emphasise what @polo, said once you get to the end of the flat section by the lake stay as far left as you can. Today the pitch straight on got mogulled and caused problems, the next piece of piste skiers left was much easier and the last piece was very suitable for beginners.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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https://snowmediazone.com/the_zone/showphoto.php/photo/42644/title/img-20200112-162814-burst001-cover/cat/500 
First attempt at posting picture. Today late afternoon.
This is the last pitch of Gentiane into the village. Left side of picture is skiers right as you approach.
Left of picture - normally unpisted - bumps and bare earth today.
Section to right - main piste - Mogulled
Vieux Chene draglift
To right of drag - piste served by drag - much better condition
Just to right of tree in foreground the "Passage Facile" which traverses along the snowline in front of the trees before making a sharp right and traversing back. [img]img-20200112-162814-burst001-cover/cat/500[/img]
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