 Poster: A snowHead
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Evening all. Myself and some friends have 7 days or so in Val d'Isère in 4 weeks time, we arrive weekend of the world cup. We have never been to VD before but are very excited for obvious reasons! Looking at the route maps on OpenSkiMap there are so many variations and potential oppurtunities for a couple of enthusiastic lads! I just wondered if any chaps on here had some "must do" suggestions for us - only downside is we are all more or less "mid blue to early red" skillset territory so no heros! Any advice and suggestions gratefully received.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi! If you are in the "mild blue to early red" crowd, be especially wary of the Santons and Plan M reds coming down to Val d'Isère from, respectively, Bellevarde and Solaire. They have some steep pitches (and a narrow gully in the case of Santons), and they start to chop up at the slightest hint of a crowd.
Also down from Solaise, Germain Mattis is a steep red that should also be avoided at your level. The blue "L", however, could be more suitable (despite being quite narrow in places).
So, basically, you should never hesitate to download in a gondola!
The best skiing for you will be high-up: the terrain above Solaise is rather mellow and pleasant, same for the area between Bellevarde and Tovière (including some of the runs down to La Daille), and for just about everything in the westernmost sector (Le Fornet).
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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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@userscott, 4 weeks from now is stlil early season, while there should be good cover it may be that not all pistes are open. @balso's suggestions are good
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A point on Santons, while at the end of the day it is often a nightmare, moguls, poor snow and bodies strewn left, right and centre, if you come down before, say 2pm, it can be a delight as if it is open it will be pisted every night and it is not particularly steep, it used to be graded blue. I wouldn't bank that particular run being open in early December though
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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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Yes as nbt says it will be early and not sure what is off limits with the WC on?
I have been out there a few times on trips with friends, there is plenty of scope for Mid Blue/Early red. We usually warm up with a trip up Bellevarde and Grand Pre lift with a few laps round the "green triangle" - really good to get into it. After that I would say up Solaise and the rolling Blues off the Glacier lift are must-dos for you they are great runs, and then if it's open a trip on the up and over chair to the Fornet and glacier section is a pretty unique experience too. The blues and red on the Pisallis Glacier are good carving runs to and not too challenging.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Depends where you learnt to ski, but the ValDiz run grading is generally darker than places like Italy. Somewhere that is Blue in Italy will only be Green in ValD, and an Italian Red might only be a Blue in Val Diz. So start of easy with a few greens and blues to make sure you understand the run grading. The green triangle up Belvarde is good for this.
I'd put any thoughts of doing Face out of your mind. It's a proper black, and once race prepared for the FIS stuff its the darkest of black hole blacks on the bottom half.
Every progressing intermediate I've been there with has commented on the up and over lift (Lessieres) at the top of Solaise over into the Fornet sector. You must do that IMV. Solaise has lots of medium length blue runs. Fornet has blue runs from the top of the glacier to bottom at Le Fornet, with some good (although expensive) restaurants along the way if you're into gastro-skiing. Just stay off Foret!
If you feel you're up to a day's expedition over to Tignes, it really is worth it. Up Belvarde, then to the top of Borsat, down Fresse to Val Claret, work your way around to the "Eye of the Needle" (Tichot, Gratallu, Grand Huit, Agulille Percee), then all the way down to Les Brev (if it's open) for lunch. After lunch, only one way out this season, so you'll end up at Lo Soli (top of Aguille Rouge), then down into Le Lac. Up the Toviere Gondola, and from there you can get to the Follie Douche for a bit of pre-apres (if that's your thing). Then either all the way down to La Daille and bus home, or up to the top of Belvarde and Olympic Gondola down. All do-able on blues, and you'll feel like you've actually been somewhere.
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@userscott,
Assume you mean arrival on the weekend of the Men's World Cup, so Face would be closed. Then OK/Orange to La Daille will close for race prep. for the Women's racing - this has an impact on Verte. Also take into account that Val may also host extra races from cancelled events.
That early in the season the runs down to Boisses/1800 & Brevieres in Tignes are unlikely to be open.
Which area of VD are you staying in?
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| rambotion wrote: |
| A point on Santons, while at the end of the day it is often a nightmare, moguls, poor snow and bodies strewn left, right and centre, if you come down before, say 2pm, it can be a delight as if it is open it will be pisted every night and it is not particularly steep, it used to be graded blue. I wouldn't bank that particular run being open in early December though |
I love Santons! One of my favourite run's in Espace Killy
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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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Thank you everybody for this excellent advice. I shall be scrawling the above suggestions onto a few paper copies of the piste map and trying them all out. Thanks again all.
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