 Poster: A snowHead
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The snow is gone here (northeastern US), so I’m looking towards next season to keep hope alive. I’m gonna spend the whole season bumming, and any help picking a resort would be appreciated. I’m an advanced skier/snowboarder and here’s what I’m looking for in a resort (in order of importance).
1st – Change of scenery. I want to get out of North America. I want to use the metric system to measure snowfall and learn how to say “first tracks” in another language.
2nd – Terrain. Okay, so not all groomers are the same, but they’re pretty damn similar. I’d like a place where I can get powder, hairy backcountry runs, and trees.
3rd – Comrades. I’m going alone, so I’ll need to find some folks there who are handy with a transceiver and who want to explore the backcountry with me. I figure at the beginning of the season I’ll hire a guide to show me around, but I won’t have the money to do that every day.
4th – Overcrowding. I don’t want to spend all season waiting in lift lines and I want to be able to find fresh pow a couple days after a big dump.
5th – Price. I have some money put aside for this and I’ve got months more to save, but if the place is jaw-droppingly expensive I might have to.... work.
So far I’ve found a few resorts that stand out:
Chamonix: Does is live up to the hype? Overcrowding? Price? Vertical drop!
La Grave: Would I be able to find people to ski/ride with? What do you do when the lift shuts down? How does it compare with Cham?
Happo One: Yeah it’s crowded, but apparently they still get you uphill in a hurry and the Japanese never venture off-piste. Plus the powder’s supposed to be killer and Japanese chicks are rumored to dig western guys  But will I find folks to explore the high avalanche-risk areas with me?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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thradash, welcome to snowHeads 
Add Verbier to your list of possibilities.
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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 Elizabeth!
I just checked out the Verbier web page and it mentions that you have access to 5 resorts (Verbier, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon, La Tzoumaz). Are these lift-linked, or do you need to take a bus?
Speaking of linked resorts, under what conditions can you ski from La Grave to Les 2 Alps?
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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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thradash, welcome. It's not the necessarily thetrendiest place in the world these days from a bumming POV but the possibilities aren't bad. Check out the PDS. BTW, I speak as someone who'll be marketing apartments in Chamonix next year...
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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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Thanks David!
I'm afraid I'm exposing my ignorance, but what's PDS? (And were you talking about Verbier or Chamonix?)
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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 did wonder if you;d get that reference - PDS = Portes Du Soleil, a big lift linked are covering (I think) Avoriaz and Morzine amongst others and spanning France and Switzerland.
La Grave - as far as I'm aware you'd have to be pretty dedicated to spend a season there. the village is tiny and there's really only the one lift. It may be better to consider staying in Les Deux Alpes which will offer a more rounded experience as it;sa larger village
Another option worth considering is somewhere in the Tarentaise Valley - Tignes la breviere wil give you access to the espace killy, while stillbeing far enough down the valley to make it feasible to try trips down to Les Arcs etc., or Bourg St Maurice whic is a real town with quick access to Les Arcs (via the funicular) and bus links to many other resorts -plus there are a few locals around *(such as Snowcrazy) who you may be able to hook up with.
http://pistehors.com is an invaluable resource if you;re considering backcountry skiing in france
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David Murdoch,
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I speak as someone who'll be marketing apartments in Chamonix next year...
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Best get some advertising in on the bottom line of your posts 
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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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nbt - Thanks, I'm checking out pistehors now! Have you ever been to serre chevalier? I've been told it's pretty close to les 2 alps and la grave. Is this near the Tarentaise Valley?
DAVID SNELL - thanks! Will I have an easier time navigating Switzerland as an english speaker? My impression was that everybody who interacts with tourists regularly will happly speak english, but if I'm living there I won't have a concierge.....
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i've been to Serre chevalier and really enjoyed it. La grave is about halfway between Les Deux alpes and Serre Chevalier - SC is over the other saide of the pass from LG though.
It's quite some way from the Tarentaise valley - this image may give you some idea
http://www.francetourism.com/practicalinfo/regions-pics/sport-ski-resorts-map.gif
Grenoble to Les Dex alpes is going to be about 90 minutes drive - Serre Chevalier is hidden under the Legend
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Is this near the Tarentaise Valley?
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Only in summer. However, the Tarentaise is expensive and overrated compared with the Grande Galaxie so you're not missing much.
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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've been to Serre Chevalier, L2A, Tarentaise valley resorts quite some times now.
L2A: Have worked in L2A and can tell you it's one of the most lively resorts I've ever been to. Can highly recommend it to you, however, I found the skiing area itself rather small. But I haven't tried La Grave and that's something not to miss as I've heard. Also near to Alpe d Huez which is another fab ski area.
Serre Chevalier: Briancon: friendlier and has a larger ski area and also fab off piste through the trees (and it's not crowded on an average), however it can lack snow sometimes, while at another year it's great (this year it was one of the best places to be at in the French Alps). Good sun record though. But it doesn't have much nightlife. The old town is very nice though.
Tarentaise:
tignes: fabulous skiarea, some nightlife (Val dísere has quite nice, but expensive nightlife as I've heard, full of British)
3 vallees: the best skiarea ever been to. SO so so huge, you'll never find something like that in USA. Quite crowded however sometimes, not cheap, but great nightlife in ValThorens
la plagne: large, beautiful area, not much nightlife
Le corbier in the Maurienne Valley. Not crowded at all, large area, boring nightlife
Flaine: quite large ski area, impressive snow record even though it's very low. Not too crowded, should be able to find a lot of powder Not inspiring nightlife.
Why don't you check for Italian resorts of Selva Gardena e.g.? Or Austrian resort of Mayrhofen in the Zillertal for example? Austria is very nice to be. Zillertal is huge and has the fab glacier of Hintertuxer, so always snow there.
Hope this was a little helpful
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