 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello everyone.
Looking to take my wife and daughter (14yo) skiing for the first time over the Easter holidays. Looking at 28/30 of March for a week.
I can Ski, but they have never been before so definitely need a magic carpet beginners area.
Is late Mar/early Apr too late in the season?
Currently looking at Val Thoren at the moment. Seems to tick all the boxes. I would like some nice scenery for the wife first time though and I have been told Val Thoren might not be the nicest.
What are your thoughts? Any suggestions?
Many thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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VT would give you the best conditions. And the large beginners area right next to the village would be ideal. The place may not look "traditional alpine village" but the 3V is a stunning area with views for miles.
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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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For March/April we tend to go to Avoriaz, which has easy tree-lined skiing areas (Super-Morzine & Lindarets). There's an absolute beginner's area in the central village, and a learner drag behind the Falaise apartments, with Proclou below it, a nice long green run once the drag becomes a drag.
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@paul9619,
Welcome to  .
Val Thorens will have the snow but you're spot on about it not being attractive, particularly for beginners who have less opportunity to get out of the area.
To be honest at that time of the year you don't need to go really high.
Anywhere that is moderately high with northish facing slopes will be fine.
I will be going to Nendaz at the same time, the nursery slopes are at the top of a bubble and have good snow at that time of year and the views are stunning.
That is just an example though there are many other places.
Val Thorens had excellent reliable skiing but there is no denying that it's s dump to look at .
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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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Many thanks I’ll take a look at the suggestions.
Looks like I’ll have to go the week after now so 6th April for a week. Hopefully that won’t make to much difference to the snow levels.
Key thing for me is that they enjoy it so we can keep going every year
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@paul9619, April 6th should be fine in any of the big Tarrentaise resorts, including Val Thorens. Unlike some of the other posters I think the scenery around Val Thorens looks beautiful, but Les Arcs is bette rwith magnificent views across to Mont Blanc
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I am off to Les Arcs next Saturday for a week. Only skied in Zell Am Zee to date so looking forward to it.
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@paul9619, I'm off to Les Arcs tomorrow and will be there until the 31st. You will have a great time. It is a very good ski area.
Where are you staying?
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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 am going with the military, staying in the UCPA.
Have a good time
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As others have said you should be fine in early April. Les Arcs is a great ski area as well.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sod the scenery - you’re there to ski! Val Thorens is perfect in April. I’d choose it in a minute over Avoriaz or Nendaz (sorry but too much of the skiing is low  ). Les Arcs/La Plagne also good with lots of ski in/ski out options which is a winner (especially for families).
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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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| BobinCH wrote: |
| Sod the scenery - you’re there to ski! Val Thorens is perfect in April. I’d choose it in a minute over Avoriaz or Nendaz (sorry but too much of the skiing is low ). Les Arcs/La Plagne also good with lots of ski in/ski out options which is a winner (especially for families). |
Not for beginners it isn't too low
Height Tracouet 2200m height Val Thorens 2300m
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| T Bar wrote: |
| BobinCH wrote: |
| Sod the scenery - you’re there to ski! Val Thorens is perfect in April. I’d choose it in a minute over Avoriaz or Nendaz (sorry but too much of the skiing is low ). Les Arcs/La Plagne also good with lots of ski in/ski out options which is a winner (especially for families). |
Not for beginners it isn't too low
Height Tracouet 2200m height Val Thorens 2300m |
And how do you get down at the of the day? I suppose you can take the lift but that’s not my idea of fun. Most of VT skiing is in the 3000m to 2300m range. For Nendaz the range is 800m lower. That’s significant in April.
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You know it makes sense.
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| BobinCH wrote: |
And how do you get down at the of the day? I suppose you can take the lift but that’s not my idea of fun. Most of VT skiing is in the 3000m to 2300m range. For Nendaz the range is 800m lower. That’s significant in April. |
Depending on where you are based in VT you may well have to take lifts to get back to your accommodation.
You will also have many more people sharing your lifts and piste in VT which for beginners is not a lot of fun.
(I'm not trying to knock VT by the way it works for a lot of people but if scenery is part of the pleasure for an adult beginner it would be pretty low down my list of places to choose. Yes it's got good reliable late season snow but it is busy and pretty ugly.)
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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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@T Bar, the point is that the range of high altitude skiing is much bigger in VT for a beginner / intermediate IMO. The Tortin lift in Siviez is excellent for beginners but they can’t access it on skis so would need to take the bus. I just think VT is much more convenient than Nendaz. I don’t have anything against Nendaz - Plan de Fou is one of my favourite runs in the 4V’s but again tough for a beginner. And the choke points in Nendaz are worse than VT...
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Poster: A snowHead
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Not done VT (or any of the 3V) but have been a few times late March/early April in the Alps and have always had decent conditions, if a little slushy come the afternoon.
Alpe D'huez was great at that time of year and La Plagne was also a great area, vast enough to not get bored of runs.
We're actually taking our kids for the first time at the start of April but we're heading to Andorra. Great ski school, smaller resort (Arinsal) and works out cheap. Snow *should* be still fine but we don't need acres upon acres of the stuff. Brilliant beginner's area
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 19-01-20 14:52; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| T Bar wrote: |
| Depending on where you are based in VT you may well have to take lifts to get back to your accommodation. |
And the run down from Folie/Plein Sud is not a pleasant piste for beginners either if it's warm.
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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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| SnoodlesMcFlude wrote: |
| T Bar wrote: |
| Depending on where you are based in VT you may well have to take lifts to get back to your accommodation. |
And the run down from Folie/Plein Sud is not a pleasant piste for beginners either if it's warm. |
Yes this is a good point if you stay at the top of the resort and want to ski back. Not so relevant if staying at the middle / bottom like Oxalys.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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That is quite funny but I spent a season there and can’t say the “scenery” was a negative point. It’s high Alpine and the view of the West face of the Peclet glacier is captivating IMO. More importantly the piste skiing in the 3V is unrivaled and VT is the best base IMO.
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| paul9619 wrote: |
Hello everyone.
Looking to take my wife and daughter (14yo) skiing for the first time over the Easter holidays. Looking at 28/30 of March for a week.
I can Ski, but they have never been before so definitely need a magic carpet beginners area.
Is late Mar/early Apr too late in the season?
Currently looking at Val Thoren at the moment. Seems to tick all the boxes. I would like some nice scenery for the wife first time though and I have been told Val Thoren might not be the nicest.
What are your thoughts? Any suggestions?
Many thanks. |
Considering you have novices with you it might also be worth considering somewhere a little quieter than Val T for a first time. One of the things in my experience that's most off putting for the "older" beginner is crowded pistes which can be an issue in the 3v.
A few years ago i took beginners for a late season week in La Foux D'allos - a village at 1800m in the Espace Lumière domain. We'd never been before but got lucky and it worked very well with good and very quiet pistes for beginners and a big enough area for the more experienced.
You'd need to fly to Nice and drive (2.5hrs), and for us flights for 4, 2 bedroom apartment (50m from the lift), ski passes, group lessons for 2 and car hire came to €2k. Restaurants in the village and on the mountain an order of magnitude cheaper than the more well known resorts. Accommodation was booked via Sunweb with lift passes part of the deal.
On the flip side it is a quiet village and much more local with limited English spoken so may not be best suited if you want a lively resort.
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@Beakyshark, +1, busy pistes is the biggest turnoff for learners. Flaine potentially, Obertauern where we are going (2 adult 1 week skiers in our party of eight), is also high and good for the purpose.
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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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| BobinCH wrote: |
That is quite funny but I spent a season there and can’t say the “scenery” was a negative point. It’s high Alpine and the view of the West face of the Peclet glacier is captivating IMO. More importantly the piste skiing in the 3V is unrivaled and VT is the best base IMO.
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Thing is anywhere in the alps can look OK in Fresh snow and sun , look at the resort in the picture and it is still no beauteous object. The unrivalled piste skiing in the 3V is utterly irrelevant to two beginners and only partially relevant to the skier who accompanies them . They need quiet snow sure nursery slopes with a few easy pistes to progress too. Attractive scenery is a bonus wooded slopes if the weather is bad is a real plus.
I am not saying they won't have a good time in VT , people who can be bitten by the bug can be bitten by it anywhere , but if they are put off by busy nursery slopes bad weather and indifferent scenery VT may be a let down.
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Fair points. Bad weather is of course possible but less likely in April. The height of VT means less freeze / thaw which will help a beginner for whom ice and slush tend to hinder progress.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| paul9619 wrote: |
Hello everyone.
Looking to take my wife and daughter (14yo) skiing for the first time over the Easter holidays. Looking at 28/30 of March for a week.
I can Ski, but they have never been before so definitely need a magic carpet beginners area.
Is late Mar/early Apr too late in the season?
Currently looking at Val Thoren at the moment. Seems to tick all the boxes. I would like some nice scenery for the wife first time though and I have been told Val Thoren might not be the nicest.
What are your thoughts? Any suggestions?
Many thanks. |
Been Boarding no earlier than the end of March for years and never had a problem not even on the so called lower resorts. Most will stay open into mid april and some longer. Don't buy the usual "higher is better" mentality, it is what keeps people going to mega resorts which usually cost more and have no charm.
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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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T Bar,
How can anyone describe the scenery in Val Thorens as "indifferent" - particularly for first time visitors to the Alps?
4 lots of beginners have visited us over the past 3 seasons and all, without fail, were in awe of the scenery - and only 1 of them got higher than the top of Cascades Chair. In other words the majority marvelled at the scenery from a relatively low (mid mountain) viewpoint.
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everyone seemed to have missed out Tignes to include VDI.
High and great skiing
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You know it makes sense.
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@BobinCH, +1
My vote would be for VT in April. Snow sure, great beginners pistes, ski-in ski out.
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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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1. Val d'Isere
2. La Plagne
3. Val Thorens
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Bergmeister wrote: |
T Bar,
How can anyone describe the scenery in Val Thorens as "indifferent" - particularly for first time visitors to the Alps?
4 lots of beginners have visited us over the past 3 seasons and all, without fail, were in awe of the scenery - and only 1 of them got higher than the top of Cascades Chair. In other words the majority marvelled at the scenery from a relatively low (mid mountain) viewpoint. |
Anywhere in the alps can scrub up well with fresh snow and bright sn.
Chuck in overcast skies and VT can stand in pretty well for a set of a gritty realist programme about deprivation amongst ugly tower blocks in benighted postindustrial blight Britain.
(Actually working in such an area I can assure you that in good weather it is scenically more impressive than VT.)
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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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| BobinCH wrote: |
| Whitegold wrote: |
1. Val d'Isere
2. La Plagne
3. Val Thorens |
Val d’Isere for beginners  |
Seven free beginner lifts.
Two free beginner nursery zones.
Twelve green bunny trails.
Twenty-four blue runs.
Nice and high, delivering firm snow in warm April.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I see a lot of advice for high altitude resorts in the usual FR suspects, but really the OP said 28/30 March, which should be pretty good anywhere.
Personally I can't stand the French mega resorts at the best of times...each to their own.
If you've got first timers/beginners then go to Austria, great ski culture, mostly unpretentious, good instructors and a patient/effective approach to teaching....they're all born with skis on their feet. Choose one that's beginner friendly with a long season, and there's loads of them. Scenic villages are a given.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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It's not that late season. Absolute beginners don't need much. A bit of snow, a couple of easy lifts but lots of hot chocolate/brandy/sunshine/whatever.
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@Bergmeister,
Chill, I wasn't trying to belittle you're friends and am glad they had a great time.
The original poster was concerned about the aesthetics for his family.
VT is great for many things but I think few skiers who visit many resorts would put it high up their list of places with charm , which is not to say you can't have a great time but there are an awful lot of other resorts in the alps where a beginner can have just as good a time and are a bit easier on the eye.
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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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Val d'Isere and download at the end of the day would be lovely. I would prefer it as a beginner over VT
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