 Poster: A snowHead
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This is a trip put off from last year.
We like a leisurely holiday so drove via the tunnel. Very easy on the document front, uploaded all that was needed, I did print everything as well but not shown, passport stamped and away.
Fog meant the journey down to Troyes took a bit longer but arrived about 1500 local.
Unnecessary in a ski forum I know but I love Troyes.
Apart from a school person error with my sat nav, I made the Troyes Hotel a waypoint so when I hit continue it took me back up to the motorway where we got off so went back a bit.
Anyway, arrived at fantastic apartment, Amaya. Its on the slopes, has a nice pool/spa and is fairly new. The only downside is its a 5 min bus ride into town or a (all be it lovely) 25min walk across the slopes.
Les Saisies is so nice, loads of easy runs and most arrive back at the same place. The people are fantastic, very tolerant of my rubbish French. We have only heard a couple of English voices.
The weather has not been so good snow/rain low cloud mostly I grabbed a couple of snaps on Sunday when it was nice but mainly a bit dull for photos.
Its nice now so off for a walk !
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Glad you're enjoying it, @harrim51, but I confess to being astonished that anyone with sufficient use of their legs to ski would take a bus up the road from Amaya to the village centre!  Take a ski down the Planay - long blue scenic piste - to Bisanne 1500 and take the brand new (I've never seen it....) gondola back up, and wave at my old apartment. That's the only gondola in the Espace Diamant. If it's around lunchtime, can recommend the restaurant "Le Refuge", right beside the piste a few bends above the the gondola station.
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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 @pam w,will do. Only when we walked back with a load of shopping from town was it a bit of a pain.
here are a few more snaps...
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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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Oh we're heading here in March. Do keep the snaps and updates coming. Have you had lots of fresh snow today?
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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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@carettam, Snowing all last night and most of the morning.
Went on the mountain twister,
Good fun for 6euro.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The new Legette 6 seater ulift is a big bonus. It now starts the other side of the main road with the piste finishing through an underpass, with another underpass from the bottom of the green run and a short rope tow back up.
It used to be a 400m walk (or bus ride  .) to swap sides.
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| Quote: |
It used to be a 400m walk (or bus ride .) to swap sides.
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Or perfectly doable on skis, of course....via the
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| harrim51 wrote: |
Thanks @pam w,will do. Only when we walked back with a load of shopping from town was it a bit of a pain.
here are a few more snaps...
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Loved Les Saisies/ED when our kids were younger. We always stayed in apartments in the center rear of this picture, just below the treeline...they are sneaky ski in/ski out! And rather cheap, because, I think, they are at the end of the ski bus line...but if you can find the goat paths in and out you're laughing...we eventually skied out the area, more or less, and the crowds at the main lifts at the base of Bisanne wore me down after a while (of course we were tethered to the school breaks...)
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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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| Quote: |
the crowds at the main lifts at the base of Bisanne wore me down after a while (of course we were tethered to the school breaks...
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Yes indeed - didn't ski there in the busy weeks! The self-absorption of some Brit skiers amuses me when they expect "unknown" French resorts which don't figure on the UK tour operators' schedules to be quieter.
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My visually impaired daughter looking like a new species...
What you get when you turn to the dark side...
Another FANTASTIC day in Les Saisies. The people are so nice, I was expecting a little, I don't know, "shortness", as UKers, as the governments seem to be helping bent on annoying each other.
Thanks again Pam Le Refuge was fab! I bet you miss this place  We will definitely be coming back, I love the walking trails and so many dogs!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm not a fan of the dogs.... but glad you enjoyed Le Refuge and the family are enjoying Les Saisies - despite the bruises. Yes the people are indeed nice, as are most French people in places where they don't have to put up with large numbers of British visitors who can't be bothered with even the basic courtesies.
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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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Did you use the ski school there?
I'm looking at ESI and wondering whether group lessons or private would be best for a couple of 4yo? I think they'd enjoy the group aspect in terms of friendships but lessons likely to be in French. Private not much different, pricewise.
Anyone have recommendations for instructors that are especially encouraging of youngsters and speak good English?
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@carettam, we always used ESI - they did have an option for very small groups (4 kids) called "mini teams" which was more expensive, obviously, but well worth it. In my experience language wasn't an issue - at 4 years old, it's not really about technical explanations, and all the instructors will speak enough to be friendly and smiley and encouraging. If your 4 year olds are complete beginners I would hesitate about group lessons, as they start in the little "snow garden" and there's rather a lot of standing and shuffling around waiting your turn. If they can snowplough already, and would be out on the slopes, I think larger group lessons would be fine, though private better, if affordable. The ESI had a maximum of 10 in a group.
As for instructors, Stephane is lovely - he speaks quite enough English, though he takes every opportunity to revert to French - I used to look at it as both a French and a ski lesson. He worked with lots of my visitors, from a lad who'd broken his ankle leaping off a wall two weeks before his ski holiday (Stephane whisked him round in a ski wheelchair thing at breakneck speed) to a very nervous and neurotic elderly lady, who disliked skiing but thought he was lovely.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks for all the info. I was looking at mini kids or the medium size lessons 7, i think). The kids are complete beginners, so likely to be lots of snow garden shuffling.
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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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Hi- in espace diamont for the first time- it’s great! Any favourite places for lunch?
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Poster: A snowHead
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@carettam, I think the EFS group lessons were very big, 17+ with two instructors on the slope. The kindergarten ski area was very good. It was mostly French in resort so I would guess majority French children. My daughter (adult) had a couple of private lessons for snowboarding and her instructor spoke good English. Stephane was very good with her as she is visually impaired, he did ski lessons as well. Not sure if it’s the same Stephane as Pam used, I think I saw two on the mug shot board.
Just beware that there is a few areas that they ski in/meet so check out the one nearest to your accommodation.
Have a fab time, we did.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@harrim51, nice to see your photos. We have also stayed in Amaya and loved it. Did you ski over to Notre Dame etc?
@pam w, the walk over the piste from Amaya to the resort centre is pleasant but if you finish skiing at 4:30 and have a cup of tea before going for the walk it is dark by the time you get to town and the snowploughs are on the piste so walking back over the piste in the dark isn’t that practical particularly with a couple of heavy shopping bags. If one wasn’t skiing all day of course the walk would be enjoyable.
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FAQ
