 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi All. Finally booked something, only this coming weekend in the above but better than nothing. And it might snow this week!
I have seen a few pointers from Jedster on the area and ski school but any advice re things to do/avoid, places to eat (as self catering, yeah right) etc would be gratefully received.
Trip is family in nature and short so dont worry about the nightlife aspects. Will look to book a private lesson for our 6 yr old.
Thanks in advance
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 2-04-22 21:36; 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
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Have fun and fingers crossed for snow tonight/tomorrow. In any case it looks like they have been snow making like mad so there will be a decent amount of piste skiing and it will be REALLY quiet (although I guess there is a risk that people will be driving from Megeve, St G in search of snow).
Where are you staying? If you are not in Hameau du Lay and have a car then I would tend to drive to the Gorge telecabine and park there. (bit easier than the parking at the Lay telecabine). If you haven't got a car then the bus is absolutely fine but I'd go to (and particularly from) the Lay tele (more frequent bus service). Like I say I'd expect it to be really quiet so you shouldnt have to worry about queues but the only bottlenecks we find in busy times are the teles from the valley just ahead of ski school meet times - if you have hoardes from the rest of EMB then try to go close to first lift or a little later.
On eating, my favourite places are actually on the mountain but may be snow dependent (at the moment the roselette area looks shut and the two restaurants there are great, also really like the bar at the bottom of hauteluce tele and there is not much snow over there). The restaurant on the col between hauteluce and les C is pretty good too. In the village most places are fine but our preferences are Ty Bretz (burgers, galletes, crepes), Marmotte (traditional restaurant under the O de la Bouche) and the O de la Bouche itself (best but expensive by Les C standards). If you are "self catering" do consider the two pizza takeaways - the one on the way into the village from St G (raise parade of shops near Le Husky) is good but the one in the old piste basher outside O de la Bouche is excellent - you need to book your slot though because he gets really busy (although again, I'm sure it will be very quiet in Les C after 6PM).
Let us know how it goes
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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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@jedster, thanks, we are all looking forward to it. Hopefully it will be neige forte and cold as predicted today and Thursday then blue skies for when we are there.
We are staying at 189 Route du Plan du Moulin 74170 Les Contamines-Montjoie which is near to Mermoud Sport Ski rental place if you know it. I am told you can walk to the telecabine nearby but we will have a car so will use it.
Have managed to book a ski lesson for our youngest on Sat morning with the ESI as you recommended on a previous thread.
Do the mountain restaurants and the others for that matter take credit cards or is cash king?
Thanks for all the tips and will get a report done at some point.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I know where you are. It is definitely walkable but there is no pavement on the road so not that much fun carrying skis with children at the end of the day when the lifts are shutting and the carparks are emptying. I'd drive too. You can drive past the Lay tele and stop there if the car parks look sensible and carry on to the Gorge tele if not.
I've not actually stayed in that area but you may fin that the best walk into the village centre involves heading down to the river and across a footbridge which is just below the village square. Otherwise you can walk back down the road to the road bridge near Tasmania Sport and the Ty Bretz, you pass a bar and pizza place before you get there too but I've never been to either (bizarrely).
As I remember the only place that doesn't take credit cards is the Auberge de Colombaz (only accessible off-piste - highly recommended but probably not in these snow conditions and you need to book)
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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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@jedster, you were spot on about the pizza place outside Bouche. Thought we'd chance our arm at 645pm as place looked dead and the village seemed quiet but he was booked up with orderr until 730pm, not bad for a hole in the wall outfit, must be good. So with 2 ravenous children in tow we ended up at Le Totum which is essentially next door to us. Dead as a dodo but food was good and very welcoming despite my O level French.
Snow fine having had that recent fall and a few more pistes open than before, pretty chilly and a bit windy up high but actually colder in the valley than up on the slopes.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I must finally pop into Le Totum when I'm out later in the month.
Glad the skiing was OK for you. Hoping that the snow starts to build from here
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Just adding to my threads
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Avoid the cafe/resturant at the top of the Gondola (owned by lift company). 2nd the Resturant at the col, not cheap but nice. Also 2nd the little place at the bottom of Hauteluce.
Sorry the best place you need to put on your touring skis - Refuge des Pres
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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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Might see you there sunday 
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@Idris, sorry, the title "this weekend" refers to my earlier trip to Les C in 2017. I was just resurrecting this thread to maybe use it to arrange meeting up with some other SHs I was talking to on another thread. But if you are there from Sunday 10th April , it would be great to see you as that's when we'll be there all being well.
Anyway, whats the beef with the cafe at the top of the Gondola (you mean the one at the first stage of the Montjoie gondola?), something against the lift co. or is it just not good?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I used to like the Roselette resto but that was a while ago now.....
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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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| Jonny996 wrote: |
| Just adding to my threads |
Following on that. (Have been quiet for a day, went to Liverpool to support daughter's concert, and away from the laptop I use for Snowheads).
Anyway both, we will be arriving StG afternoon of 10th. At the moment we are watching the weather forecasts to decide whether to get a week's lift pass, or choose by the day. We will certainly try LesC if StG skiing not so good (to be fair, we would normally go at least once in a week anyway). I am hoping to be able to PM on my phone (I prefer computers!)
@Jonny996 certainly up for an evening in the pub, or for that matter a meal together one night. My wife may be taking things easy (she has a back issue which she keeps hoping will go away - and to be fair, is not too bad when skiing - so may not want to ski every day) and might be happy to meet someone else with a similar attitude. And daughter will ski with anyone.
@Idris to be fair we tried the little place at the bottom of the Hauteluce gondola on @Jedster's recommendation, and found it to be small and unpretentious but honest straightforward food. Haven't yet got into Roselette. And Refuge des Pres is on our list, on your recommendation, for the summer. To some extent we are happy with lightish lunches anyway, just because restaurant food in StG village is so good. (And honest, we do try to self-cater at home part of the time).
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@j b, @Jonny996, thought I would ask as it sounds you know the place well. We might head to St G to the pool and/or ice rink for an evening. Are there any restaurants you would recommend near those?
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You know it makes sense.
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Ice hockey is a great evening out. As for resturants. Cheaper end le etteral for pizza, expensive end la gilleta for steak
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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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@Jonny996, perfect! Thanks.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@ster, I don't think we have had a bad meal anywhere in StG. As @Jonny996 says, for a pizza l'Eterle can't be beaten, and Le Galeta is definitely the pick of the restaurants for traditional Savoyard food as well as having a wonderful grill.
Another favourite of ours is Bistrot Serac - they grill their (excellent) meat on site but everything else is prepared in the Michelin-starred kitchen of the parent restaurant, all at 29 euros for 3 courses. And if you want high end cooking, there is of course the main Serac or the almost as elevated Ronde de Carotte.
The centre of the village with most restaurants is 10 minutes walk from the ice rink, but rather more from the swimming pool. We've not experienced the ice hockey yet, they are not every week since the team's home matches rotate between StG and Megeve.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@j b, cheers. I guess we’ll hop back into the car if we eat in St G village. Actually I didn’t realise they had an ice-hockey team, we would have been thinking of just going to a public skating session. Maybe we’ll get a chance to see them, but they’ve got some sort of semi-final this week they’ve got to get through first.
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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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@ster, easy enough if you are in the car. There is parking around the main square, or in the underground carpark leading from it. I would have thought you will find spaces without problems in April, a bit tighter in French half term.
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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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Another vote for Ty Bretz here - excellent food and Camden ale!
Also recommend L'ours noir; they do really good off-the-wall pizzas, plus interesting beer. Not only that but owner Davey is a great ski instructor.
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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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@Leonard Smalls, it seems to stay open quite late. As we’re arrive late on a Sat night (probably 1030pm) would they still be doing food then and could you take kids there at that time, or is it more a drinking bar? Failing that maybe a takeaway?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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My worry is the weather next week, won't have any problems finding decent food. The way the temperatures look, it might be a bit of a gamble buying whole week ski passes.
(We will be prepared for a plan B with hiking boots and maps, and timetables for visits to Chamonix or Geneva).
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@j b, just checked there is 130cm of snow at 1880m and 150 at 2450cm, can't see that all disappearing next week and looks like a brief colder snap over the weekend
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@j b, weather I can't control, food I can.  . And hopefully with the expected top over the next few days it will last for a least another weeek as @kitenski, says
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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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@kitenski, @ster, even if there is the snow depth we would prefer to ski rather than swim through it.
I keep hoping the weather forecasting experts on the forum can come up with good news.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Well if thats the case, any info if there is any paragliding trips in Les C. Who/where/how much/how safe?
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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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Don't know about LesC but there are a couple of companies operating in StG. Seen them in action both winter and summer.
Tourist information is your friend.
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It's surprising how fast a decent depth of snow can disappear at this time of year. @ster, if you go paragliding, expect it to feel a LOT colder up there.
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You know it makes sense.
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| j b wrote: |
Don't know about LesC but there are a couple of companies operating in StG. Seen them in action both winter and summer.
Tourist information is your friend. |
Ah at last found a half decent website. I was expecting the usual poor continental effort. Seems to spell out everything pretty well and seems not unreasonably priced (at least compared to the Swiss outfit I was looking at a few weeks ago).
https://itinerair-parapente.com/
Bu if anyone has actual experience of them I'd be interested to hear about it.
@pam w, at least something will be cold if not the slopes
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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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On our way now , T2 at Heathrow is pleasantly quiet. Got here early enough if it wasn’t but not many here all this afternoon.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Skiing was excellent today but with this heat I’m not sure how long it will last
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Good news @Jonny996. We arrived earlier this afternoon to find the town summer-like. We’ll certainly give it a go tomorrow, will decide over a pizza whether local or LesC.
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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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@j b, just be warned that the gorge uplift was closed today, so the Mont joly lift was busy, empty when up also car park was manic
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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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No complaints about the snow in Les C today. Got a bit sugary at the end of the day but was very good early on.
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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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| Jonny996 wrote: |
| @j b, just be warned that the gorge uplift was closed today, so the Mont joly lift was busy, empty when up also car park was manic |
Its closed for the season now I think.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Has anyone skied up in LC last few days? Is it worth it in this heat
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@Jonny996, we’ve just finished there today. It gets sticky around about 1-2pm or so so we head down, but I thought its been holding up petty well the last few days and with the depth should be ok for a few more days, most of it is open. Its absolutely dead, no one about, the odd tiny queue at the gondola first thing then nothing.
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@Jonny996, went yesterday. Did circuits off Tierce first, snow was actually reasonable. Then Hauteluce, perfectly skiable. Then big mistake, had lunch. Afterwards it was too heavy to be fun. We headed down to download on the bottom gondola and were waterskiing in places.
Currently thinking of heading that way again tomorrow for what may be our last ski. This time we will keep skiing as long as the snow lets us enjoy it and delay lunch. Look out for a bloke in a blue jacket and red rucksack (me) shepherding a cautious wife in a black jacket down the slopes while daughter in white jacket is bombing off into the distance.
Another option is to head over to Cote 2000, we found the top section skiing really well on Tuesday.
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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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Have fun for your last day, @j b.
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Cheers, will look out for you JB if we head up
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