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Tignes - Christmas - Practical Questions

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
The three household bubble rule is going to make a traditional Christmas for me and my GF impossible fand we both have to take the whole Christmas/New Year period off. My immediate family consists of 5 households and while arguments are still ongoing about how to square this circle I feel that the easiest thing to do would be to bow out. I don't actually want to catch coronavirus and I don't fancy massive queues so I'm not that keen on going skiing in Austria or Switzerland but I would be quite tempted by some mellow day tours around Tignes. The plan would be to drive down and stay in some more pleasant self catering accomodation than your average shoebox apartment. We already have touring gear and sufficient avalanche knowledge to know how to play it safe although we haven't done a lot of touring. What are the pitfalls in this plan?

Austrian Alpine Club Insurance, presumably this isn't affected by coronavirus?
Car insurance, I haven't looked into this yet, is this likely to be void if France isn't on the safe list?
Accommodation, is any going to be available? Any good suggestions?
Tignes itself, any inside info as to how they are likely to view tourers using their pistes to skin up?
Snow, I'm sort of banking on a bit more falling between now and then, if none does fall then we won't go

Thanks
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
rambotion wrote:

Tignes itself, any inside info as to how they are likely to view tourers using their pistes to skin up?


I doubt they'll care, there won't be any downhill skiers.

I know Weathercam loves it but skinning up ski pistes is not really the essence of ski touring. Why don't you go somewhere a bit more pleasant then the blot on the landscape that is Tignes.

Don't have an accident.
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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?
davidof wrote:

Why don't you go somewhere a bit more pleasant then the blot on the landscape that is Tignes.
.


+1
Why not so somewhere with .. you know ... nice looking buildings.... vegetation ... a soul.
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@davidof, I get that but there are some reasons that it appeals, I've never skinned further than an hour or so from the pistes before which makes a closed ski resort seem like a reasonable stepping stone to bigger things, I already know the area fairly well, there should be some accommodation, and being at 2100m there probably isn't going to be a walk to the snow line, and finally, if the snow is still at very low tide then a closed piste generally takes a lot less snow than a natural mountainside to be enjoyable. Bearing that in mind, if you have any better suggestions I'm all ears
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Yeah, Tignes wouldn't be my first choice ...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
If the resort hasn't opened then there may not be any pistes! In places the cannons will be a good pointer, but elsewhere it could be just untracked snow.

If planning to return after 1 January, check validity of European cover with your car insurer.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Also no avi control
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@rambotion, I think that you would need an IDP (driving permit) and probably a Green Card from your insurer as of 01/01/21. My guess is that there won't be a shortage of accommodation at Xmas.. I've used Airbnb, Tignes.co.uk , Agency Roc Blanc and Tilt/Panoramic for apartment rentals.
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@Extremophile, why would avvy control or the lack thereof be an issue?

“We already have... sufficient avalanche knowledge to know how to play it safe”
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@Davidof,
"I doubt they'll care, there won't be any downhill skiers''

Wasn't touring banned in the last lockdown? Do you know, has it been this time in the Tarentaise?

The EHIC will still work after 31st if you arrived before, until you go home.
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@rambotion, the pistes might not look very much like pistes. They might not have put the markers back up, and might not be doing much in the way of piste bashing. Someone who knows Tignes well will know. The idea of going to France is an appealing one - but perhaps somewhere lower, where you can go ordinary walking or, if there's snow, snow-shoeing, might be more enjoyable.
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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.
@Snowbikers, according to local radio, it’s permitted this time ...

While I’m happy about that, the logic (overall) escapes me.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Ski touring is authorized up to the 15th December by a directive from the sports ministry, I assume it will be extended.

For suggestions, I would wait before making any firm plans due to the snow situation, probably somewhere with tree skiing if it snows between now and Christmas.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@rambotion, Loads of accommodation being advertised on the Tignes seasonnaire FB page. Suggest you post on 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:
@rambotion, Here's the latest from Tignes, currently you can skin up Genepy but not Double M

https://m.facebook.com/100379271906313/posts/107401144537459/?sfnsn=scwspwa
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I'm pretty sure pistes will be bashed. They will want to safe the snow. No stones as well.


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 28-11-20 15:04; 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
Skinning up closed pistes may seem straight forward however I think you also need to consider the avalanche protection that normally takes place before pistes are opened.

That is a risk that I feel should be taken into account. It's something that in normal times is easily taken for granted.
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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?
chocksaway wrote:
@rambotion, Here's the latest from Tignes, currently you can skin up Genepy but not Double M

https://m.facebook.com/100379271906313/posts/107401144537459/?sfnsn=scwspwa


yes good point, watch out for local regulations.
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under a new name wrote:
@Extremophile, why would avvy control or the lack thereof be an issue?

“We already have... sufficient avalanche knowledge to know how to play it safe”


Famous last words though, especially as you edited the last bit of the sentence which read ''we haven't done a lot of touring. What are the pitfalls in this plan? ''
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
A few thoughts:
- Insurance, does it cover your medical costs if you catch Covid and need treatment abroad ?
- FCO travel advice. Currently up to Dec 2nd the FCO advice is against all non-essential travel, which would violate most insurance policies. After Dec 2nd this should be OK, but I'd wait to check the details. AFAIK most insurance policies refer to FCO advice, and not to any other 'safe list' or travel corridor, but you should check the policy
- Travel within France. AFAIK you'll still need a valid reason to travel within France (which would include driving to Tignes), though this is due to be lifted on Dec 15th
- Choice of where to go. I'd be a bit wary of Tignes as, if heavy local restrictions are applied, you've a fair way to travel to somewhere else if there are lighter restrictions. That said, in France if you want to go high to get a decent chance of snow at resort level, then you're going to be a fair way up valley. On this point, I'd be more likely to go for Les Arcs
- I'd also check if your insurance policy says anything about skiing on closed pistes, as some may explicitly forbid this. This could be a grey area, but I'd be happier from an insurance point of view of being off-piste, rather than on a closed piste
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@viv, Strange advice. Tignes is only about half an hour's drive from Les Arcs, and higher, so more chance of resort level snow.
As far as I know a closed piste is classed as off-piste for insurance purposes.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The Facebook post from the Marie specifically advises using the Genepy run to gain access to the Glacier area. Therefore I don't think that run would be classified as "closed".


(I almost typed "using Genepy to get higher" but thought better of it)
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

a closed piste is classed as off-piste for insurance purposes

a moot point, I think. Many policies exclude anyone "skiing against local advice" and skiing on a closed piste is just that. I would, whatever insurance I had, and as well as keeping my fingers crossed, also buy Carré Neige locally. Though if they're not selling lift passes, they presumably won't be selling Carré Neige either.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
GeorgeVII wrote:
The Facebook post from the Marie specifically advises using the Genepy run to gain access to the Glacier area.

Maybe they are keeping the top of Double-M for race training for a bit longer and don't want people skinning up through that.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
I agree with Pam. I have followed a guide down a closed piste but I would never assume I will be able to claim on insurance. The piste might be closed because it is known to be dangerous. They might even be setting off avalanches above it.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
davidof wrote:
....Ski touring is authorized up to the 15th December by a directive from the sports ministry, I assume it will be extended.....


Aaaaahh but did she really say ski de randonnée was allowed ???
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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.
@Kenzie, Think I'll have to offer a different view - If a piste has been previously open, ie poles in place as per the regs etc and is subsequently closed with barriers/markers it is not off piste.

To quote one off piste instructor (I'm sure you will know him) if I kill you off piste I will be judged by my peers and experts as to whether I am negligent. If I take you down a closed piste and you are killed I am going to jail!

Topic arose when we did Trois Murs only to discover Sache had been closed by the men in black. So we went off piste amonst the trees.......
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Quote:

if I kill you off piste I will be judged by my peers and experts as to whether I am negligent. If I take you down a closed piste and you are killed I am going to jail!

Rather well put!
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