 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi All
We will be based in Menthon St Bernard this winter (Jan-April, 2023).
Family of 2 adults and 3 boys, aged 9, and 10s.
The boys speak french and will study at a local lycee - no school on Weds.
I’ve been so busy getting all of the necessary practical details in place that I haven’t had much time to concentrate on what we will actually do for 12 weeks. Of course Wednesdays, and weekends, we’ll be skiing - La Cluzas is the closest best option, but given the February Holidays in France, I imagine we’ll want to venture out and explore the region on a few overnight trips - needless to say, I think skiing won’t be our issue.
Question:
To those of you with kids and who know the area, are there any kid centric options on offer?
Futbol/Soccer, ski clubs for locals, sports clubs, robotics, social group activity for young ones…?
After a life time of work - this will be my first winter in the mountains… I imagine that skiing 3x/week will keep us plenty busy (between school work, and skiing, and hopefully making a few friends)- but are there any kid centric options on offer? I don’t think occupying our time will be too difficult, but I don’t know the area very well - - any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
AJ
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Menthon St Bernard is my favourite place on the lake. I have no idea about kids clubs - there's one of those very French "holiday club" places on the lake. Lots of sailing in the "Club Nautique" there - the French are very good at teaching kids to sail. Other activities there too - I once saw kids at what appeared to be a music camp. Delightful little groups of young musicians were dotted around doing their thing.
La Clusaz is very close but Praz sur Arly (Espace Diamant) and Megeve (upmarket resort with lots of mink coats and access to St Gervais etc) are not too far for a day out.
Endless lovely walks when the weather cooperates.
Big parapente area too, though maybe conditions aren't often right in winter.
Have fun!
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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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And leftfield, if you like touring, Areches-Beaufort. And, of course, loads of places everybody has heard of.
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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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Thank you for the well wishes!
I am looking forward to exploring..!!
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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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Menthon St Bernard is my favourite place on the lake.
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Mine too (though I've never been there in winter, it's gorgeous in the other three seasons). Sorry, I have no kidcentric information, @US_EU, but I hope you have a wonderful time.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@US_EU, When I was staying in La Clusaz a couple of years ago with some friends my friends were keen players of indoor lasertag, and one time we visited this place in the north west suburbs of Annecy situated on an industrial estate at 520 Rte des Prés Rollier, 74330 Sillingy: https://www.lasermaxx74.fr/lasergame-annecy
I don't know if that's something the boys would like, but maybe worth asking them. 
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I know Cran Gevrier has a ski club that organises day trips to different resorts on a Saturday
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Must be a cool lycée, my son has just finished that stage of his education and had a ton of homework and certainly wasn't "skiing three times per week" or having 2 hour lunchbreaks.
When it is busy you can try Seythenex. Be careful if you go to le Semnoz - there is one road up and down and you can get stuck in mega traffic jams. The Espace Diamant is not far.
I doubt they'll be doing much sailing in the winter, or anything much on the lake tbh. Maybe by April but the French tend to live by the seasons.
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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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these are all GREAT tips - - Thank You!!
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@davidof, I think it's the adults thinking of skiing 3 times a week when the kids are in school!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Or maybe skiing with the kids weekends and Wednesdays? Saturdays are quiet on the slopes but tend to be very busy on the roads, especially Christmas, New Year and the 4 week French school holidays. Sundays always busy on the slopes - and the favourite day for locals to come and ski before and after a long lunch.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| @davidof, I think it's the adults thinking of skiing 3 times a week when the kids are in school! |
I've just read the ages again, 9 and 10, I thought the whole thing sounded un peu chelou... école primaire not lycée; une autre paire de manches and why they get Wednesday off. So they won't be too busy although skiing them 3 days a week may leave them a bit knackered. Most ski clubs will have filled their quota by now but worth contacting anyway.
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@US_EU, Menthon is a great spot - we lived there for 3 years in the very early 80s when I was your kids’ age.
Re non-ski activities in the winter there is a football club there (up on the ‘away from the lake’ side of the main road, no idea if they play right through the winter though… Similarly there is/was a tennis club, on one of the roads heading down to the lake, but all outdoor courts still last time I went past so maybe one for the spring.
La Clusaz, Grand Bornand/Chinaillon all easily half-day trippable (we pretty much learned to ski at Col de la Croix Fry (it wasn’t linked to LC back then).
Day trippable ski areas are too numerous to mention, though traffic will be the big challenge.
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You know it makes sense.
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@US_EU,
The Tarentaise resorts are all day tripable, just keep a weather eye on the expected traffic on Saturdays.
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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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@US_EU, Love Menthon SB.
The Chateau is amazing and then the beaches (nice in April), and Talloires, the paragliding.
Such a great spot.
I first worked near Annecy in 1987, and more recently worked a few Summers opposite Menthon SB in La Thuile, and know plenty of people who ski out of there as a base.
Most of the locals went for day trips to Le Sambuy or Semnoz, but a couple of them had a place in Chinaillon so went to LGB quite a bit and also Manigod was popular.
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Poster: A snowHead
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On weekends you might want to avoid La Clusaz and head to La Sambuy.
That's because contrary to, say, Tignes or Val Tho, the Aravis resorts (La Clusaz/Manigod, LeGrandBo) are quite busy on sunny Saturdays - because of the proximity of Annecy. And traffic getting out of there is a pain.
Being in Menthon you're therefore better off in the Bauges.
For sailing, I think local clubs more or less close over winter - when kids all switch to snow activities. i.e. my son's club basically splits training in a Fall and Spring phase.
Oh, and I think Semnoz still does a pay-by-the-hour ski pass, so if you just have 1/2.day it can be worthy.... probably except on Wed afternoon where all Annecy kids head there!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| davidof wrote: |
| pam w wrote: |
| @davidof, I think it's the adults thinking of skiing 3 times a week when the kids are in school! |
I've just read the ages again, 9 and 10, I thought the whole thing sounded un peu chelou... école primaire not lycée; une autre paire de manches and why they get Wednesday off. So they won't be too busy although skiing them 3 days a week may leave them a bit knackered. Most ski clubs will have filled their quota by now but worth contacting anyway. |
I'm the one who is knackered... I'm barely able to stand, and find myself looking forward to Mon-Tues-Thur-Fridays, when the boys go back to school and I can lie down or soak in the tub..
They? They can't get enough.. and are loving living here. (as am I)
Thanks to you all for the input.
Best wishes
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