 Poster: A snowHead
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| JDL65 wrote: |
It's also bleedin flat (guess that why low intermediates adore it!!!)  |
That's a bit of a myth based on the pistes immediately above the villages - but there are plenty of challenging pistes and good off piste if you explore fully.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| red 27 wrote: |
Local experts may have more facts, but as a regular visitor for the last 10 years I can't think of too many lift system improvements on the LP side.
8-banger Arpette upgrade was very welcome... What else? |
Arpette was 2005 and since then significant lift upgrades have been:
Plan Bois (2006)
La Roche (2006)
Bergerie (2009)
Mélèzes (2009)
Verdons Sud (2011)
Bécoin (2012)
Traversée (2012)
Bauches (2013)
Colosses (2014)
Dou du Praz (2014)
Montalbert (2015)
Envers (2016)
Crozats (2017)
Ecureuils (2017)
Inversens (2018)
Lovatière (2021)
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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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Does all that equate to more skiers? Logically yes, but is that what overall industry stats suggest? Les Saisies has lots of new high end apartment blocks, and significant investment in lifts and tidying up circulation round the resort and 3 new pistes in a completely new sector (Bellasta), but that was some years ago now and the building boom shows no signs of slowing down. It doesn't seem, anecdotally, that more Brits are skiing, so where are all these new bums on chairlift seats or in resort beds coming from?
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This was published in 2012
https://www.seelaplagne.com/please-select/la-plagne-is-the-biggest-ski-resort-in-the-world
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| Recent figures have revealed that La Plagne is the biggest ski resort in the world. With 2.5 million ski lift passes bought in a season and 53,509 beds available in resort |
Struggling to find any recent stats - figures above still shown in some places.
Also would be good to know occupancy rates - must be stats out there somewhere.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@pam w, Does all that equate to more skiers? Logically yes, but is that what overall industry stats suggest? Les Saisies has lots of new high end apartment blocks, and significant investment in lifts and tidying up circulation round the resort and 3 new pistes in a completely new sector (Bellasta), but that was some years ago now and the building boom shows no signs of slowing down. It doesn't seem, anecdotally, that more Brits are skiing, so where are all these new bums on chairlift seats or in resort beds coming from?
We've just come back from a week in L2A where there was a music festival all week aimed at Hungarians and apparently there is another in a few weeks for I think the Romanian market. There were very few Brits in resort and I think we only shared about 3 chairlifts with other Brits all week. Hungarian/Italian/French/Dutch/Belgian were much more prevalent.
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The issue with La Plagne lifts is that in many places there is no alternative. If any of Arpette, Colosses, Bergerie, Roche, Montalbert, etc etc have a problem then queues can very quickly build up, to 30 minutes or more
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The bottle necks in La Plagne in peak weeks are the worst I've seen anywhere, skiing down to Bellecote literally 1000's of people queueing to escape. Saying that the speed of lifts and capacity means it never really too long you have to wait- 20mins max maybe?
The issue La Plagne and Les Arcs(and probably all large resorts) have is the amount of dead/dormant beds in the resort, privately owned and not rented out. New hotels, developments are needed to up capacity but at the same time when everyone shows up to stay in their apartment for new year/Feb there are just too many people for the infrastructure.
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| alasdair.graham wrote: |
| New hotels, developments are needed to up capacity but at the same time when everyone shows up to stay in their apartment for new year/Feb there are just too many people for the infrastructure. |
This is where the 'Cartel' areas like the Arlberg, Ischgl and the Dolomites do better - they keep development under their control
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| Quote: |
This is where the 'Cartel' areas like the Arlberg, Ischgl and the Dolomites do better - they keep development under their control
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Don't know about the Arlberg (but we've all heard about the high price of ski rentals and the difficulties of opening a new ski school) but in what sense is the Dolomites a "cartel"? I was quite surprised - and unimpressed - by the lift queues around the Sella Ronda when I did the birthday bash - far bigger than I was used to in low season - though off that circuit things were much quieter.
New
The problem of "empty" apartments during the quiet parts of the ski season - and much of the rest of the year too - is common in a lot of French ski resorts, for sure. New Year and the February holidays can get horribly busy - I can never understand why the price of ski lifts doesn't shoot up during those weeks, when there is such high demand.
But I don't like the idea of paying to be able to jump lift queues - it's not very British, is it?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| patrick! wrote: |
| ...and of course Paradiski lets you pay not to have to queue with the plebs. |
I've only skied Les Arc in low season and never noticed the Express Lanes as the queues were always minimal...
But I'm heading back with the family over Feb half-term and I'm trying to work out if paying the extra for the full Paradiski pass is worth it just for access to these lanes (even if we just stay in Les Arc and don't venture across to LP, except perhaps for a one day "end-to-end" challenge)
Son doesn't particularly want ski lessons as he says that he gets bored with the waiting around (waiting for him?!) and he'd rather be bricking it on a black. Kind of fortunate as most of the ski schools already seem fully booked (bad omen for how busy it'll be!) Younger daughter is less confident, but I figure the boy's got a point - especially if my wife and I are willing to alternate our personal ski time for parent-daughter time to (try to) teach her all our bad habits!
So are the Express Lanes really "express", or do both the express and normal queues equally back up? Worth buying the full area pass using money not spent on lessons? Thoughts / advice?
TIA
Edit: Sorry - just seen that this is a Plagne thread, but I hope there are some folk on here with previous experience of half-term crowds...
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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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@dcw1, it definitely helps but bear in mind that they are single lane entrances through to the lift pass barrier, like a ski school lane. So if there are 4 of you, you will have regroup once through lift pass barrier. Which of course won't be easy - unless you do what some groups do and leave empty spaces on chairs so that you can all sit together. Which, by the nature of it being busy, is quite annoying. It doesn't bother us anymore because our kids are older and we want to speed up the process of getting up the mountain.
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Thanks @Layne. Having not seen it in operation, I hadn't thought about the practicalities: so does the express lane just take you as far as the pass scanner, or is it all the way to the regulated lane barrier immediately before getting on the actual lift? I suspect the former? In which case, we'll mostly be skiing in pairs, so can hopefully jostle across a bit if it's just through the scanner... (No-one likes empty seats!)
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You know it makes sense.
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@dcw1, the former.
And the placement of the lanes varies - Derby is in the middle, sometimes they are on the left, sometimes the right.
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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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Brilliant, thanks
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Poster: A snowHead
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Surely people filing in singly and jumping the queue are not allowed to faff around being next to all their nearest and dearest before getting on the lift?  I assumed it would be like a "singles line" with a specific objective of ensuring all chairs go up full.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@pam w, it only gets you to the pre loading area.
As you know the pre loading area immediately before the flip open gates is unregulated and have no lanes as such. Hence you have everyone trying to sort themselves out so that can get on the lift with the people they are skiing with. And if that means leaving a chair go half empty or even fully empty in some cases, then so be it.
The only way it could be bettered I think is by having a liftie directing people and coercing people to fill gaps. Or for people to be sensible and abandon riding the lift with their chums.
TBH, 90% of the time it's not a huge issue but certain lifts at certain times...
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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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Thread revival sorry.
I’m considering a course with Snoworks in La Plagne the week after the French school holidays finish in March 2025. Would the lift queues I’m reading about still happen in March? I’ve the option of doing the week later in Tignes. I have personally never had a problem with lift wait times in Tignes but I’ve never skied there in school holidays.
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@sbooker, Go to Tignes
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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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@sbooker, there were still a surprising number of lift queues wk beg 16th March this year, which was 2 weeks after the French holidays finished.
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@sbooker, As you know I am a regular in the area (usually Christmas) but done one HT and some late season.
If you are doing a guided/school off piste week (which I think you are) then really there will be no issue.
And the off piste is very good.
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@Layne, thanks. Makes sense. My wife will be on the pistes though……
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@Rob Mackley, at least you’re not having two bob each way.
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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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| sbooker wrote: |
| @Layne, thanks. Makes sense. My wife will be on the pistes though…… |
There is the odd pinch point but no more than that.
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@sbooker, I’m sorry to those La Plagne lovers but there are too many beds for the lift system it is always busy at the pinch points . Only two reasons to go to La Plagne and that’s to ski the North or South faces of Bellcotte once you have done these no need to go back .
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Rob Mackley, I’m pretty sure they’d venture to the Les Arcs side and do the run over the resort boundary from the top down toward Villaroger?
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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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@sbooker, Les Arcs is different not so busy, lift Q wise and not quite as bad bed wise but trying to catch up . The Aiguille Rouge sector has some great off piste in the Grand Col and off the Aiguille Rouge , S couloir amongst others , I know it very well as I face from my balcony in Sainte Foy . The point is La Plagne has very bad lift Qs at its pinch points .
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sbooker, take the Tignes option.
We have a place in La Plagne. We really like the place - been skiing there for 30 years.
But then we know the resort and all its foibles.
With our own apartment there is no rush to ski every hour of the day - we can take our time and know ways round the queues.
We avoid New Year and February/March holidays.
La Plagne is a bit like Venice: lots of people, but they all go to the same places. We can usually find quiet bits with almost empty pistes.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Jonpim, wise words
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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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Thanks for the advice all.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Jonpim,
We had a great week in La Plagne near the end of March and totally endorse what you've said. Busy in the main central areas but there were much quieter pistes if you looked for them. Of course being our first trip we had to trust our instincts to find them.
Liked it so much we're going back for opening week (14th Dec) so any tips/advice for that time of the season would be appreciated thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've been to La Plagne once, and would never, ever go back having spent an hour in a queue during a not-particularly-busy week. Compare with Tignes over *Christmas* where I think five minutes was the longest queue - and New Year little worse.
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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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James the Last, just curious: if queue was massive, why not go elsewhere or relax in a restaurant?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I've been to La Plagne around 20 times (once even at HT) and never queued for an hour. If it was a non-busy week then there must have been a fault with the lift system surely.
La Plagne has some pinch points, there is no doubt about that. But I wouldn't have gone back so often if it was such a massive issue.
And I am not sure La Plagne is particularly unique in having pinch points.
I would agree that it's a concern they keep increasing "beds", that there are limits and that despite improving the lift system I'd want them to keep a lid on it.
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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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@James the Last, For comparison I've been to La Plagne many Christmas weeks and certainly never queued more than a few minutes - New Year week probably a few 5 min queues but as others have said easily avoided with a bit of map reading / local knowledge. Or stopping for a cup of tea.
We certainly have never ever queued for an hour for a ski lift.
Colosses broke down once causing a massive stationery queue, so we wandered around to the front of Bellecote and got the bus instead, certainly wouldn't have joined the queue - there is always an alternative way or route even it it means a small walk.
Worst queue I have ever been in was Avoriaz / Morzine at half term many years ago where 3 pistes go down to one maybe 2 lifts dont remember the piste or lift names. ( it was a long time ago)
it felt like at least 2 hours we queued for but I doubt it was
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The worst queues I've ever encounterd were St. Anton on 2 seperate visits once over Christmas and once in January - a couple lifts to get up the mountain added up to over an hour most mornings. Definately a case of too many beds for the skiing infrstraucture. Thinking about it Soelden was pretty bad as well with half hour queues every morning. La Plagne has nothing on those places, though definately Bellecote should be avoided as much as possible, and there are ways to avoid it. But who am I to talk - I allways buy a paradiski pass then rarely cross la Ponturin (for queue jumping in Les Arcs).
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@James the Last, yes, badly laid out lift system with monster queues. Ok if you ski in a satellite area but not ok if you hit anywhere central.
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| Jonpim wrote: |
| James the Last, just curious: if queue was massive, why not go elsewhere or relax in a restaurant? |
There was nowhere else and no restaurant. Apart from that, great idea, thanks!
It was a horrific experience and I would never go back. I’m sure other people love the place but that was my experience!
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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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It does seem odd to write off a resort on the basis of a single, bad lift queue. That can and does happen anywhere.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| It does seem odd to write off a resort on the basis of a single, bad lift queue. That can and does happen anywhere. |
You've never been to Bansko, then 
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FAQ
