 Poster: A snowHead
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Managed to nab some cheap flights to Grenoble for 8th March... now looking for a resort to suit intermediates - one nervous one, and two confident.
I like groomed blues, hubby likes groomed reds, friend can ski anything - I'll ski reds as long as they are wide and smooth and not too busy.
Hubby prefers bigger resorts as he doesn't like to repeat runs too many times
Snow sure would be good, and we'll be hiring a car at Grenoble, but would prefer to have ski in/ski out if possible.
We went to Carroz/Flaine at New Year and that was great for lots of nice wide blues. We've previously enjoyed Sella Ronda, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Tignes, La Thuile and as well as some smaller places like Les Touissire and Grand Bornand but that was when we had little kids.
Thinking Alpe D'Huez might be a good option? but I am a bit worried its more red than blue? also thinking maybe Sestriere/Sauze D'Oulz
Anyone got any feedback on those or any other ideas?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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L2A would be my choice, though the piste grading can be 'interesting' to say the least.
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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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L2A unfortunately is the only resort Ive ever disliked, cant even remember why as it was 25 yrs ago - but I know I hated the top of the funicular and the long green
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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In that case then Alpe D'Huez looks a good choice. I think even the the greatest L2A fan would agree the long green (Demoiselles) is possibly the most horrible ski run in Europe and why most people catch a lift down but there is now a blue down to the town level.
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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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St Francois Longchamp would be my suggestion. It looks a bit further but it’s an easy drive.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lots of choice in the Isere, my own personal rating of Isere resorts is : ADH, Les 7 Laux, Villard de Lans, L2A, Allevard, l'Alpe du Grande Serre, Chamrousse, St Pierre de Chartreuse/St Hughes, Autrans/Meaudre, Lans en Vercors, Gresse en Vercors, St Hilaire, Col d'Ornon, Grand Plan, Barioz, les Coulmes
of that list the following would be suitable: ADH, Villard de Lans, L2A, Chamrousse
I would look at Villard de Lans if the conditions improve although it is more or less open today. Stay in the town and use the ski bus to access the slopes.
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Keep an eye on the webcam if VdL is chosen.
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Try Chamrousse. For the described requirements it’s a perfect fit.
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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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Do any of these resorts in particular get rammed with locals at weekends?
Grenoble has some rather appealing flight prices.
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Chamrousse is great from personal experience, I agree with a previous poster that for some reason I din't like L2A as much as I thought I would.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Bens Bus serves all the Tarentaise resorts from Grenoble so maybe La Plagne or Sainte Foy. Even easier with a car, it's onlyb2 hours to La P
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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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Looking now at Valloire, Valmorel or maybe even Sestriere - am giving up on Alpe D'Huez as can't find decent accomodation except in Vaujanay and that seems a bit faffy
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St Francois and Valmorel are one and the same. They are on opposite sides of the same mountain and are linked. St Francois is the easier drive as the motorway to Italy runs past the bottom of the hill. Traffic on the Valmorel side can get congested - though possibly not so much in March.
The skiing on the St Francois side is more open too with more options for getting home at the end of the day.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks altis - will take a look there - hadn't heard of that till now
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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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@skimummk, I'd view your choice of Sauze d oulx as particularly good for a huge amount of piste at gradient you aim for. Very good to cruise around and also give the extent which the more advanced skier wishes to cover.
Also Val Cenis to offer similar. There's many choices of very good blue piste right from top to base there, allowing all levels to ski the majority together. Plus some more challenging areas for the advanced.
Both of them have very good food at reasonable cost to eat out too.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Valloire would be a good call
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| ski3 wrote: |
| @skimummk, I'd view your choice of Sauze d oulx as particularly good for a huge amount of piste at gradient you aim for. |
but not good in terms of Grenoble airport, he'd be much better going to Turin
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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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We have already committed to Grenoble - Sun-Sun - but have booked an overnight at the airport on Saturday night so that we can travel up to 3 hours comfortably without having to rush to get to the airport for 9am
This will also allow us to book Sat - Sat accomodation as especially in France I know it can be difficult to get Sun-Sun
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Valmorel/St Francoise would def suit what you are looking for. Valmorel village is a lot prettier if a little further to drive, check out Sunweb as ski pass is included and they go to most of resorts mentioned in this thread.
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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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Yebut St Francois is SW facing and stays sunny late in the day 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I would recommend Valloire too. It has the kind of runs you are after plus it's nice and quiet on the piste, minimum lift queues and its a nicer traditional village resort.
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I haven't been to many of the resorts nearest Grenoble. However if you are willing to drive to Sauze I would suggest considering Montgenevre as well. NB I am a fan of Les Carroz and Flaine too!
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Follow your hunch of ADH. There should be pots of accommodation via Home Away/Air Bnb and via P&V as French Half Term will be over.
You're bang on with it.
It would suit you very much.
I know ski resorts are Marmite but there are a few left fielders described and a few that I don't think you would enjoy anything like as much, with their lesser size, mileage, lift network.
ADH has acres of improvers terrain from fast, wide greens that will really flatter you, to wide sunny blues, Marcel's Farm, a fun improvers snow park. Plus if your confidence grows The Sarenne black would not be out of reach for you and it is spectacular up there with long flat rest points on the run.
It has Folie's, good bars and restaurants.
I like the place a lot.
I like Valmorel, the Grand Massif, Les Arcs (can't say the same for La Plagne zzzzz), La Rosiere and the 3V immensely too. I discount Chamrousse every time as it looks small and L2A whilst an option is frustrating with much of the easy runs up on the Glacier
From Grenoble, for transfer alone, ADH must tick all your boxes.
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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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How about skiing Alpe d’Huez whilst staying in Oz en Oisans? Better linked that Vaujany, but cheaper accommodation....
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Can anyone comment on transport options from Grenoble to Tignes?
I am interested in going on weekdays (Friday to Monday actually) which tends to rule out the shuttle bus services.
Google suggests 2hrs by car and 4hrs by the various shuttle services.
Many thanks in advance.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Middleagedskier wrote: |
| How about skiing Alpe d’Huez whilst staying in Oz en Oisans? Better linked that Vaujany, but cheaper accommodation.... |
true, and a two stage gondola into the main ADH bowl. only thing is the run back is red at the start and i think has an annoying short steep bit followed by a long flat bit IIRC
or stay at the back of ADH in eclose and take the chairlift over the ice track to the bergers chair
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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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I'd recommend AdH for your requirements of altitude, size, range of pistes plus it's probably the shortest transfer to a big resort. Vaujany is quiet but the 2 stage cable car takes you to 2800m faster than anything out of AdH itself and you've then got access to the whole resort. Oz en Oisans is also a good shout for even faster access to the main AdH area.
Skied Villard de Lans for 3 years when the kids were young. Transfer could be under an hour from Grenoble airport which is appealing. However it is relatively low altitude and it's not extensive. The town is a proper old mountain town but you either need to get the bus as davidof says, drive up to base station or stay in apartments there.
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No one has mentioned Serre Chevalier so far, 2 hour 30 minutes from Grenoble airport and likely to have some of the best snow conditions in the area as it is at a reasonable altitude and predominantly faces North. AdH is a little higher but almost entirely faces South which in my experience has a hugely detrimental effect on the quality of the snow especially as you start to get into spring. Serre Chevalier is also one of the bigger resorts in the Ecrins so should have enough mileage to keep your husband happy
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You know it makes sense.
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We stay in L'Eclose. I like it there. There is lots of apartment choice
Bergers chair is no hassle and I love watching skidding cars round the ice track.
Walk into town at night is easy and you have the perfect balance with the shops/restaurants there
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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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| Yellow Snow wrote: |
We stay in L'Eclose. I like it there. There is lots of apartment choice
Bergers chair is no hassle and I love watching skidding cars round the ice track.
Walk into town at night is easy and you have the perfect balance with the shops/restaurants there |
The chair access to Bergers has been replaced by a, much faster, walk in bubble, as indeed has the small chairlift up from the tourist office. In the next couple of years, as I understand, the aim is to replace the Huez bubbles and the old "lobster/yoghurt pots" that go from the tourist office to the DMC, with similar linked in systems that will replace some of the resort navettes.
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