 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all. I'm looking to repeat my annual road trip to the French Alps and need some company to lighten the transport costs. Did it last year to Vaujany skiing Alp dhuez and it cost just shy of £500 each all in inclusive of lift pass but that was with 3 of us. Can manage up to 4 of us in the car comfortably and plenty of room for luggage. The more there are the cheaper both the transport and accomodation costs will be but if it was just 2 of us I still expect to manage it for under £650. Exact location is open to negotiation but it's definitely going to be self catering to keep the cost down. Traveling on Friday 24th to Dover from the north west and happy to pick up anywhere reasonable in the way or meet at Dover. Everything else is open to discussion and could possibly shift the date to the week after if I had to buy that's school holidays so the prices go up accordingly. I'm a fairly advanced skier but happy to ski with all abilities on or off piste.Get in touch if your interested.
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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'm from the other end of the country in Devon, but I could be interested. Looking for a cheapy as none of my usual group want to commit to a trip this year. Have you anyone else lined up to join you?
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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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Hi Paul nothing concrete yet but it's doable with 2 people for well under £650. Had one other enquiry so far and there's plenty of time left to arrange this and no shortage of accomodation. Just checked online and there's stating to be some serious discounts show up. For example accomodation and lift pass in the Grand Domain for £119 each! The lift pass normally costs £216 so that's super cheap.
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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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I normally organise our trips so it would be nice to let someone else do the spadework and tell me where to be and at what time. Like I said on the other thread, earlier in the month is better for me but could try and switch weeks at work for the 25th.
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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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I work shifts and can only manage to get away either W/C 25th or 1st April and would prefer to avoid school holidays so 25th works best for me. Currently the places with plenty of availability and therefore discounts look to be Grand Domain, Valloire & Valmeinier, Les Sybelles which are all around the Haute Savoire region so nice and easy to get to. Might find some other areas drop in price as we get closer to the date.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Was your Vaujany trip last year with Snowtrex? I looked at that, as I love the skiing around Alpe d'huez. My wife used to ski but has just lost interest in it. We have been twice before with Snowtrex when she hasn't skied but has used the 'free' skipass to get up the mountain in either a cable car or gondola and sampled the local fare while I charged around the mountain.
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No last year was with sunweb but I have used snowtrex more than once and they are both super cheap and in my experience very reliable. You get exactly what they advertise which at times seems too good to be true for the money. Alp dhuez is coming down in price slightly and I saw one in la plage yesterday for under £300 if there were 3 of us but the accomodation would be a little snug. I've been to valloire and valmeinier quite a few times and it's a really nice area with a decent variety of slopes and the prices are very reasonable at the moment so plenty of options and you don't have to pull the trigger till very close to the date so plenty of time yet. It's going to be about £600 for transport split between however many travel plus the accom and lift pass so even with only 2 it's possible for under £500 each unless you want to go to massive resort. If we get 3 of us then anywhere is possible!
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Interested. I'm senior skiier so may not meet your profile but I'm happy to peel off when I need to .
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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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| Richdl wrote: |
| Interested. I'm senior skiier so may not meet your profile but I'm happy to peel off when I need to . |
I'm 61 fit and active, but have been known to act younger!!
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61, the new 45!
76 but still racing my Laser, but more sensitively.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm 53 and not always so fit and active but can usually still get around the slopes for a week although I suffer for it when I get home. Happy to ski as a group or have some solo time whatever suits. Had another snowhead with me and my son last year who was well in his 60's and we stuck together all week no problems. I'm sure we can all be young at heart but for me it's mostly the ski and not the apre I'm going for although don't get me wrong I like a beer and the red wine even more 
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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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Sounds good. I love to be in the mountains. Good exercise, good company, perfect.
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Just to flesh out the very lose original plan. I usually leave on a Friday afternoon from "up north" heading for Dover and pick up anyone vaguely on the way to Dover. I try and get on a ferry that lands in France about midnight so exiting Dover anywhere 9-10pm and then it's an all night drive to resort which might sound a bit hard core but it's manageable even if I'm the only driver. In resort anywhere between 7:30 to 9:00 am and straight on the slopes for the day. Bit of a slide, lunch, and a beer or 2 then a gentle slide back to resort. Check in to accomodation and sleep. I don't usually ski on the following Saturday although it is possible but I usually don't fancy the drive home after a full day on the slopes but both our arrival and departure are negotiable especially if someone else fancies taking on some of the driving. Usually get the ferry home around 18:00 so back in the UK about 18:30 and toddle off home. The extra day ski pass on a Saturday isn't included in the package price but pick the right resort and Saturday passes are 1/2 the price of any other day so it's well worth doing. As I say that's my usual plan but I'm open to negotiation if it sounds a bit extreme and is a deal breaker.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
76 but still racing my Laser
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Good quads then. 
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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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So now have permission for a week’s ski in March. 63 reasonable intermediate. I have been watching this post for the last few days and would be very interested in exploring the possibilities of joining you. I’m a bit new to all this social media thing so may have a bit of trouble staying with the conversation but I’ll do my best. Quite happy to share some of the driving.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Things are sort of falling into place here. As I understand it we have interest from Lancashire, Kent, Devon & Wiltshire. I'm in Devon and could get to Wiltshire and we could then rendezvous with Lancashire on the way to .....or in Kent!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Last year I picked up in Woking on the way through as Mike who came with us lived Devon way. He left his car on a suburban street on the outskirts for the week with no problems at all.
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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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As I see it Whitstable is pretty much en route to Dover from Blackburn and vice Versa. I’m just off the M4 if there is somewhere to park in Whitstable it may work that Paul picks me up and we if pos park at Whitstable with Richdl. Does that make any sense?
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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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Yes that sounds fairly sensible and we all set off together from Whitstable. Just out of interest how much gear are people expecting to bring especially ski's as I can fit a huge amount in with 3 of us but not as much if it's 4. The length of your ski's as well if you know off the top of your heads as anything over 180's might mean getting a roof box for on top as they won't fit inside at an angle with 4 of us.
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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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I will hire skis as no longer own skis so just 1 bag and maybe boots although I’ve been hiring those as helps out with weight on flights. That will slow me up getting to slope on the Saturday under your time plan but I can always either catch up with you on the snow or just chill out until we check in.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I usually take at least 2 or 3 pairs so if you have your own boots you can use a pair of mine on the Saturday. I think all of my usual ski's have rail bindings so pretty adjustable to different size ski boots. I was bit of an eBay ski hoarder a few years ago and still have some I've never even tried out yet !!!
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So... resort choice...
I'm heading out on a similar trip the previous week and trying to work out where to go. Valloire, or rather Valmeinier, seems to be ticking a lot of boxes for us. It's reasonably sized, reasonably high (Valmeinier at 1800m) and reasonably close to GVA (~2hrs drive).
I was wondering if you have any thoughts as to where to stay? As I read the piste map, there only seems to be one, seemingly rather low, lift that gets you between the two areas.
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I have 164 skis and usually pack boots in my case but probably better to pack them separately and use a smaller case.
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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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| cardweg wrote: |
So... resort choice...
I'm heading out on a similar trip the previous week and trying to work out where to go. Valloire, or rather Valmeinier, seems to be ticking a lot of boxes for us. It's reasonably sized, reasonably high (Valmeinier at 1800m) and reasonably close to GVA (~2hrs drive).
I was wondering if you have any thoughts as to where to stay? As I read the piste map, there only seems to be one, seemingly rather low, lift that gets you between the two areas. |
Hi I have skied that area for several weeks both from the Valloire and Valmeinier side. I have been as late as the second week in April on a year with very little snow and the link has remained open between the two always. Have stayed in Les hautes de Valmeinier right at the top of The village the last 2 or 3 times and it's very much ski in ski out. Typical small but functional self catering accomodation as you would expect in France but the skiing has always been excellent and the prices super cheap on snowtrex and sunweb. Might well end up there again this year yet myself as if none of the really big resorts come down in price it's by far the best budget ski resort on the market in my humble opinion and not usually over run by Brits.
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| Richdl wrote: |
| I have 164 skis and usually pack boots in my case but probably better to pack them separately and use a smaller case. |
Hi Richdl 164 will fit down the middle of the car easily and separate boots and smaller bags make for a more fun game of Tetris packing it all in. Would prefer not to have to put a roof box on if I don't have to if only for the fuel economy side of it.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks @rolyyyyyyy, that's encouraging.
It's over 25 years since I skied in Valloire, and it was in January so much more reliable for snow.
I'm looking at a few places across the area, in Valmeinier 1800, Valloire Centre and out by the Verney's lift. Each have their bonuses and my favourite changes every time I look at them, but I'm going to need to pull the trigger soon. At least I've got it narrowed down to the Maurienne Valley now from the whole of the Alps - lol 
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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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@cardweg, I spent quite a bit of time in the mid 90's in Valloire the first couple of weeks in January and didn't go back for 20 years but nothing much had changed in the village. Same bubble car up the Setaz but some much better and faster chair lifts on the mountain and slight extensions to the ski area in both Valloire and Valmeinier.
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Probably obvious to say but when booking a lot of ski self catering the places are tiny and also impractical (i.e. seating) for anywhere near max capacity. This is more critical for adult only groups and arranged groups. I was in the Grand Massif/Morillon earlier this year and a studio for two was cramped but also with the minutest kitchenette, whilst the one bed (upgrade) was still tiny but manageable for two although only by sleeping in different rooms.
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You know it makes sense.
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Ok everyone this is definitely looking like it's going to happen so it's time to firm up the plan and make the leap forward from being interested to definitely going. I have more interest that places now so please pm me your mobile number and we can set up a what's app group and make this a reality. Cheers for all your interest and as always great to chat to fellow snowheads on this or any other topic 
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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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If anyone is reading this thread and thinking it's too late and you've missed out get in touch because it's looking like we have a second vehicle going if there are enough of us to need it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Still too late to reach out?!
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FAQ
