 Poster: A snowHead
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We'd never really heard about this area as a ski destination before - we've skied in nearby Les Contamines and Grand Massif, and spent many summer holidays in the region. This year, in anticipation of having a more family-oriented trip in 2024 as 'useful grandparents' to a 2-year old, and based on recommendations of @pam w and others, we have come to Les Saisies. We've been delighted so far. My wife, a good skier for decades, has knackered knees and is 78, and feared it might be a walking rather than skiing holiday. The drive here was like we've been doing for years. Overnight stop at Ibis Budget Dole Sud was fine, (Buffalo Grill nextdoor), only spoilt by Brit in big SUV waiting right outside hotel door in the morning, engine running, so 'the wife' didn't have to walk 10 metres to the car  . Stop at Carrefour Sallanches for the big shop. We grabbed some lunch, and decided to eat it in the supermarket car park. With a magnificent view of Mont Blanc. On the drive up through Megève and beyond, we could feel a weight lift as we left the shouty Brits behind.
We have a small ground floor studio apartment here, the balcony opens straight on to the snow, but Carrefour Montagne is 5 minutes walk. It was pretty busy on arrival day, but the estate agents had it all sorted. We also collected pre-booked skis from Piccard Sports - very well organised and friendly. In fact everyone's been friendly. We spent Sunday and this morning doing various straightforward pistes, as suggested by @definella and others. But best of all, we'd booked a private lesson this afternoon, partly as a bespoke introduction to what is quite a large ski area, and partly as a confidence-builder for my wife. Sophie at ESI (the 'blue' ski school) was brilliant - she took us around for 3 hours on pistes which were exactly what we needed. She and her husband run a farm at ND de Bellecombe so we learnt where the summer pastures were, and about local cheese-making. We're the only UK car in the car park here.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sounds great, @caughtanedge. So glad you have found it good so far - it's always a bit dodgy making recommendations. You won't find many "shouty Brits" (or many other Brits of any kind) up there. Most of the ski instructors, and pisteurs, are "local", which helps add to the friendly atmosphere. I hope your wife finds her knees can cope. I shall be asking myself the same questions in a few weeks, though we're not in Saisies until the first week of April. It's a bit late, really, but the grandchildren won't hear of going anywhere else!
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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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Forgot to say, the snow is great, and Sophie from ESI said that every major lift here i.e. to the top of a hill, has at least a blue from the top, which is useful to know. And Crest Voland is pronounced 'Cray Voland' 
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Yes, no chance of getting up somewhere and only having a scary way down. Generally Les Saisies has the best snow for miles around. The lower areas down in the Arly Valley are less reliable, because lower, and there are some long and/or scary drag lifts, but it's usually lovely and quiet down there, in the trees.
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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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What are the lift queues like? Reports from all over of much bigger queues and more crowded pistes than you'd expect in January.
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Not more than a few minutes wait really, but slightly busier than I would expect for an off-peak week. I wonder if it's the release of pent-up demand because of the bad conditions over the last month or so, combined with this area's reputation for reliable snow? Pistes in general are not busy - some almost empty. It was pretty busy in the village on 'changeover day' last Saturday, and seems quite busy in shops etc in the evening. But I don't know what it's normally like here in the last week before the vacances scolaires start.
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There have been reports of really big queues and some scarily busy pistes from some big resorts - so that doesn't sound so bad. Difficult to know the reason but the week before (and the week after) the vacances scolaires are fairly busy, I suppose. And Les Saisies has added a lot of "beds" in recent years, with the new upmarket apartment developments - and of course they've invested quite a lot in lifts. When we first bought our apartment, in 2002, the only link was to Crest Voland - the link to Notre Dame was agreed, and promised, but didn't exist for the first few years. If you venture down the (very pleasant) blue Planay run to Bisanne 1500 and the new gondola, and are looking for lunch, do try "Le Refuge", just beside the piste a few hundred metres above the lift. That's where our apartment was. Lovely family who run the restaurant, and have made a go of it despite the Covid difficulties. Their garlic chicken is a favourite of my grand-daughters.
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Great to hear it's going well, @caughtanedge 
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| If you venture down the (very pleasant) blue Planay run to Bisanne 1500 and the new gondola, |
We did! Sophie took us down there - a great confidence builder for nervous knees, and very pleasant. V. nice gondola, and we like the alternate red and black seat cushions, especially on chairlifts, so when you turn round to see where it is, you know exactly where to aim your backside!
Will definitely try Le Refuge. Sophie also recommended the Chalet Mignod near Les Saisies which looks interesting.
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| pam w wrote: |
| , do try "Le Refuge", . |
We're on the terrace now for a chocolate stop. Lovely. Very sparkly snow today.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@caughtanedge, We loved going to Espace Diamant (staying in Les Saisies) -- very varied terrain even if many runs are short. Fabulous views off the "top" ridge. Only drawback is lower altitude for Flument/Crest Voland/ND de Bellecombe means some runs were slushy or not open if weather isn't cold. however the "core" Les Saisies ticket will entertain most people for a week.
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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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We couldn't get into Le Refuge last year in Feb- ate at La Table d"helene just at bottom of run instead, first on right- fantastic value and well- cooked meal- went back several times! (We're chefs by the way!)
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That's a new one since I sold up in Saisies, @Pierresel. Sounds good.
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You know it makes sense.
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I feel l should be reporting in more detail, but I've been re-reading the trip report by @denfinella which is pretty comprehensive! Snow conditions are really good, although I noticed a few small brown patches low down in Crest Voland today. Lift queues never more than a few minutes. There are loads of prepared and signposted walking routes here, with and without raquettes, and lots of people walking - more than we've seen anywhere else. This was one of the reasons we came here - OH wasn't sure she'd be able to ski. But she's skied each day so far - we had a confidence-boosting 3 hour private lesson with Sophie at ESI, who showed us a wide range of blues and greens. There is a lot of skiing here, picturesque tree-lined pistes, and more open, wider pistes. Views of Mont Blanc keep popping up, rather like the Matterhorn does in Zermatt! There seems to be lots for kids here - it certainly presents itself as a family-friendly destination. Another reason we came here was to check it out as a possible destination in 2024, with us as 'useful grandparents' to a 2-year old. We're now trying to work out how to arrange that for 2 'grandparent couples' plus son, d.i.l. and grandson. The studio apartment we're in opens straight on to a sort-of piste, with cross-country skiers, dog walkers, baby-sledge-pullers etc passing at all times.
We really like this place!
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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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Don't worry about detailed report, @caughtanedge. Few of us can emulate denfinella's fantastic piste-by-piste resorts. General impressions are useful too! Les Saisies is very much a family resort, and an overwhelmingly French one, and French grandparents are very often along for the party. There is a good range of accommodation (except hotels, very few of them, except the very nice but expensive Calgary) and I personally much prefer self-catering for family parties. There are a couple of lovely big family gites at Bisanne 1500 (just behind Le Refuge) both of which I have reserved for our family holiday the first week in April. That side is south facing - not really ideal for April! But it's where all my grandchildren unanimously wanted to go.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@cardweg, because with the lifts topping out at approx. 2000m it is going to be mega slush fest by the end of March regardless of what the current snow depth is, which isn't outstanding compared to other resorts anyway, 1.1m at 1900m according to their website
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ESF's nose was (rightly) out of joint
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Debatable
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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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why haven't you mentioned les Saisies on my March thread?
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Although I shall be there myself the first week of April I would never recommend Les Saisies as being "snowsure at the end of March" which is what you asked for. If you were going at the beginning of March, immediately after the French hols, I probably would have done. Saisies does have the best snow for miles around and people are still bussed in sometimes, but it might be the best of a bad lot and in a poor year the lower parts of the Espace Diamant (Crest Voland and the Arly Valley) will be in no better shape than, for example, the lower slopes in Megeve. Though the aspect of the Arly Valley skiing means that it is likely to be in much better shape than Combloux, where the skiing faces the wrong way!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks @pam w, please don’t think I was being grumpy, just a little friendly banter. You make fair points, as usual 
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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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Fair enough @rambotion, my only knowledge of the area is from that period in the early 90s when it seemed to have more snow than most other places, albeit that was February holiday time.
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We've had a week of great snow here in Les Saisies, and sunny weather apart from yesterday. Some brown patches are appearing where they've pinched snow from nearby to top up the pistes. I don't think it will be so good next week as temperatures have risen a bit and there's no significant snow forecast.
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You had the best week so far of a not-epic season @caughtanedge.
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