Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, myself and a friend are planning a 5 day trip last week March. Flying to Geneva. Want snow sure and good apres. Any advice re resorts (shortish transfer preferred as not full week) and even places to stay for two lads?
From reading this forum, you guys know your stuff and so much experience so any advice welcomed
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Given the forecast for this weekend, you'll probably need to head high. Chamonix / Verbier are they only two high ski areas I can think of with shortish transfers.
Or Zermatt / Aletsch Arena / Saas Fee / Val d'Isere / Tignes / 3 Valleys / La Rosiere / Les Arcs / La Plagne if you can travel a bit further!
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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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thanks…guessing forecast to be hot?! Morzine was our original thoughts but think too low
denfinella wrote: |
Given the forecast for this weekend, you'll probably need to head high. Chamonix / Verbier are they only two high ski areas I can think of with shortish transfers.
Or Zermatt / Aletsch Arena / Saas Fee / Val d'Isere / Tignes / 3 Valleys / La Rosiere / Les Arcs / La Plagne if you can travel a bit further! |
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Current forecast for Morzine at village level. Freezing level forecast around the top end of the altitude range of the PDS.
I'd be looking for higher than Morzine. denfinella's suggestions are the sorts of places i'd be aiming for too. Most are only an hour or so further than Morzine anyway and worth the travel for better conditions. Tignes for example is 2100m's in the village, so pretty much the freezing level, which means all that snow in Morzine town is all snow in 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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@St_johnse, if forecasts hold, (hot and wet*) There will be +/- nothing open in Morzine (although it's still a nice place to stay to ski Avoriaz).
5 day trip (assuming sensible flight times) happily allows for any of @denfinella's suggestions, IME. Personally I'd be looking Cham or Verbier. Noting that Cham's almost certainly going to be just the Grands by then, so maybe compromise on nightlife and stay in Argentiere?
* as the great man said, "nice if you're with a lady"
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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+1 for Verbier. It's expensive but for the combination of snow, apres and transfer time it's hard to beat.
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@colmhardiman, TBH if I didn't live in Chamonix and hadn't blown my ACL, I'd be heading to the big V myself.
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@St_johnse,
If there's no rush to book, hang on & see what the incoming weather does to the slopes.
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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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thanks guys, really appreciate it... so started looking at vernier and priceeeeyyy! I know it has that reputation...
hadn't thought of holding until nearer time, is this big risk that can't get in anywhere/other issues, or reckon a sensible thing to do, ie book week before accommodation and transfers
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@St_johnse, If you want Verbier on the cheap look at the Mt.Fort Swiss Lodge hostel. It’s down in Le Chable right next to the railway station and actually in the Télécabine building that goes up to Verbier. Looks like around CHF 60 / night for a twin room incl buffet breakfast.
The 16-minute gondola link runs from around 7am to 11pm roughly so you can go out in Verbier for the evening, albeit not that late. Worst case scenario for a later night out would be a taxi back down to Le Chable. Trains go from inside GVA to Martigny, then a short hop to Le Chable. Trains run to late evening to Le Chable.
If Verbier (1500m-3300m) hasn’t got decent snow then you’ll have trouble finding it anywhere.
Mt.Fort Swiss Lodge: https://montfortswisslodge.ch/en/
SBB Train Timetable: https://www.sbb.ch/en (from ‘ Genève-Aéroport’ to ‘Le Châble VS, gare’)
SBB Saver Day Pass Booking: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/day-pass/saver-day-pass.html
I’d go for an advance Saver Day Pass on SBB. This gives you travel anywhere on the network, any time on the day in question, into 5am the following morning. Prices start at CHF 52 for one day, but may rise the nearer to the day of travel. Only available 60 days or less before the day of travel. Beware the CHF 29 price - that assumes you have an annual SBB discount card (‘abonnement’ - which a lot of Swiss will have). You can buy the CHF 29 ticket but it won’t be valid if you’re checked by the guard and don’t have the abonnement. Only downside is the ticket can’t be changed or reimbursed once purchased unless it’s very special circumstances such as a bereavement or hospitalisation etc.
Last train out of GVA to Le Chable is at 20:48 and takes 3 hours. Journey time varies from about 2h20m to 3h20m with 2-3 trains every hour.
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