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Celiac & skiing

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
One of our ski group is celiac and has varied experience with gluten free food while skiing. I know you could self cater but she sees herself on holiday and prefers to eat in restaurants/hotels etc.
The best food she has found was covara in sella ronda (we didn't venture far from covara due to mixed abilities of group) but found some really good GF food on the mountain. The hotel Col Alto went to great length to provide excellent food aswell every night.
She generally struggled VT in the 3v although we did have kitchen facilities and could have been better organised ourselves.

What's other peoples experiences any recommendations or horror stories, trying to find places to go next season for the group.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
It's not the same - but similar - My Daughter is Vegan and finding a hotel and mountain restaurants, is a nightmare.

Before booking - I go with Crystal - I speak to them, email the hotels directly and scour Trip advisor for info and feedback.

FWIW. The Langley Hotel in Tignes Lac was excellent. The year before, the Hotel said they'd cope - but didn't.

We got a list of Restaurants from Google that coped.

The same procedure might work for 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?
Haven't tried eating out much in 3v recently, just went back to the apartment for lunch during the EoSB.

L'Elephant in Le Praz does GF burgers and everything else on their menu is labelled as to whether it is GF or not.

Aosta valley often has polenta on the menu, never seen GF pasta offered in restaurants.
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We've skied in PDS the last 2 years with a friend who is coeliac, and she found it very hard, most days she took her own packed lunch with her. This worked because as a group we tend to go for more of a snack type of lunch anyway, and with a bigger group it's not so obvious that someone is actually picnicking. She finds it much easier to eat out in Italy, apparently they are more aware of gluten free. Breakfast and dinner were ok because we self catered.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Other half has gluten intolerance. She can eat a little, but some things do kick a reaction off.
She does not play the entitled card & deals with meals in her own way.
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Niece came with us a couple of years ago, being coeliac and at the time vegan ( Shocked rolling eyes ). I think there were restaurants around Monterosa doing GF pasta?

Otherwise it was lucky that she likes chips ...
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Gored, gluten intolerance is not the same as having coeliac disease though. I don't think anyone is playing the entitled card here, just making sure they do not become seriously ill.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@WASHOUT, Italy is an order of magnitude better than any of the other alpine countries at providing coeliac-safe gluten free food, everywhere. If the group is happy to go to Italy, I’d stick with that. @rjs, my experience of Italy is that they don’t alway advertise eg GF pasta on the menu, but they almost always have it and they will certainly have/make something suitable. Apparently this is because they consider it self-explanatory that they will cater for coeliacs.

France always involves a lot of research, and a certain amount of risk. VT I always found places on the mountain but there’s almost nowhere in town. Tignes is the opposite - nowhere on the mountain but loads in town. Austria I’ve found it’s never an issue to find a half-board hotel to cater for you, but almost impossible to find anything on the mountain - although, I haven’t been in a few years, so maybe things have improved. Norway was also very good.
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@WASHOUT, She has my sympathies.

My MIL has coeliac disease, and she has suffered badly once or twice at restaurants (in Scotland) due to lack of knowledge on the part of the waiting staff and/or kitchen.

Partly this is because there are people who remove gluten from their diet for lifestyle or perceived health reasons, and as a result there are restaurants who dont completely separate everything (surfaces / utensils etc) and think its ok if there is "a bit of wheat dusting" or whatever.

Not sure they would do that if it was a peanut allergy.........

As a result, we tend to take her to the places where we are certain that they deal with it correctly.

We always ask, and if the waiting staff seem a bit on the clueless side, always get the manager to double and triple check if its somewhere new, as the impact can be severe.

I know that there are coeliac forums and websites for sufferers (where they can get lists of gluten free foods in UK Supermarkets etc) and it might be worth her having a look there as well as here.

I think the biggest issue in the Alps will be persuading the waiting staff that its a disease and not a lifestyle choice - that is tricky in the UK, never mind in a foreign language !
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Hells Bells wrote:
@Gored, gluten intolerance is not the same as having coeliac disease though. I don't think anyone is playing the entitled card here, just making sure they do not become seriously ill.


other half has all the symptoms of coeliac but without the positive test. She tried the test, they asked her to repeat it & she could not force herself to do it again due to the suffering.
So while she can manage something like a pita bread at home, a sauce when eating out can kick her off.
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Quote:

Otherwise it was lucky that she likes chips ...

But even then, our celiac would need to check that the oil was only used for cooking chips , and nothing else, because of contamination issues.
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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.
@Gored I have seen what happens if she eats gluten and trust me she is not playing the entitled card!

Italy does tick the boxes, we are trying cervina for a week before xmas hopefully they are on same level as sella ronda.

She had to ask the waiter in one restaurant is he sure this is GF pizza as it takes just like real pizza.
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@oldfartbag could you tell me more on the hotel Langley in tignes, that could be a good option on a future trip.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Gored, she should still avoid all gluten 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:
WASHOUT wrote:
@oldfartbag could you tell me more on the hotel Langley in tignes, that could be a good option on a future trip.

Of course.

It is Scandinavian owned - and a very different vibe to French Hotels I have stayed in.

My Daughter emailed them directly and we but her dietary requirements on the Crystal invoice.

On check in, they immediately signalled they were aware of her Vegan Diet and that the kitchen staff had been informed. The Lady said that they were very used to having Vegan requests and so always had that option.

When we went for Dinner - again the staff were already aware of her Veganism.

There was limited choice due to a fairly set menu....but the food was excellent and my Daughter always got enough to eat....very different to our experience at the Cachette (Arc 1600) when run by Belambra.

IMO. If you ask them about the dietary requirements - they should give an honest answer.

The Good

Really helpful staff
Good Food
Relaxed atmosphere
Excellent shower
Comfortable bed
24 hour reception
Shops all within easy reach

The less Good

The ski racks had no locks - but bringing the skis to the bedroom was not a problem
The bedroom was on the small side - but well laid out
The Shower room was just panelled off with opaque glass, so a little "intimate" - not an issue for us
The Ski Hire in the basement was a bit erratic with its supposed opening hours - though this is unlikely under the direct control of the Hotel
There was a reasonably short walk (3 or so minutes) to the lifts - but it was downhill and could be a little tricky, if the footpath had become icy
You had to book your Dinner time

Overall

I really liked the place and would go back in an instant....though, with Crystal, this year the prices have gone up (compared to The Diva, which is usually similar) and the availability is less.

Personally, I was just happy to find somewhere that my Vegan Daughter could get fed. She brought some snacks with her - and we mostly had lunch in our room. We always bring a travel kettle.


Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Mon 7-08-23 10:16; edited 1 time in total
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
There are Langley hotels in a number of resorts, and imagine they may all be good for dietary requirements - https://www.langleyhotels.eu/

Have stayed in the Tango in VT - was certainly excellent for vegetarians.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Ricky B wrote:

Have stayed in the Tango in VT - was certainly excellent for vegetarians.

Vegetarianism is easier to accommodate. Veganism is a whole other world of pain eg. No Pasta if made with egg. No Pizza with cheese. No buns or cakes if made with egg. No milk with cereal or hot drinks; no butter with bread; no croissants unless vegan; no desserts made with with egg, butter or cream.
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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?
One of our skiing group is coeliac and has occasionally had difficulties but really rates the dolomites.
Often specifically labelled gluten free items on the menu and a first class gluten free pizza on the mountain whose location I will look up if anyone is interested, but I'm abroad on my phone just now.
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In St Anton in January I had half board at the Hotel Schwarzer Adler and they were truly excellent at making everything gluten free. Exceptional food and service.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Any more reports from Austria?
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@WASHOUT, Literally every decent 3* and up hotel in Austria will be able and happy to accommodate (also to eg vegan and other dietary requirements), plus the salad bars are amazing as standard. Worth informing them in advance, but it won’t be an issue at all.

Lunchtime on the mountain may be harder; I don’t really know enough about that to say though.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@clarky999, I see many huts have allergens marked on the menu inc gf
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I remember being given Kaiserschmarrn once, for my main course at an Austrian mountain restaurant, when i said that I was vegetarian..!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@Ricky B, people often have Kaiserschmarrn as a meal. Not dessert.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
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While skiing with an Italian coeliac friend I was told that northern Italy was so good for gluten free because there is a much higher than average incidence of coeliacs in the local population.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Gämsbock wrote:
@WASHOUT, Italy is an order of magnitude better than any of the other alpine countries at providing coeliac-safe gluten free food, everywhere. If the group is happy to go to Italy, I’d stick with that. @rjs, my experience of Italy is that they don’t alway advertise eg GF pasta on the menu, but they almost always have it and they will certainly have/make something suitable. Apparently this is because they consider it self-explanatory that they will cater for coeliacs.

France always involves a lot of research, and a certain amount of risk. VT I always found places on the mountain but there’s almost nowhere in town. Tignes is the opposite - nowhere on the mountain but loads in town. Austria I’ve found it’s never an issue to find a half-board hotel to cater for you, but almost impossible to find anything on the mountain - although, I haven’t been in a few years, so maybe things have improved. Norway was also very good.


+1 for Italy, we go there a lot and it's very unusual to come across even a small place that won't have something and the legal labelling is good. Even a small coffee shop will normally have GF cakes.

France kind of hit and miss, I've been ill a couple of times after being fed 'gluten free' food in France even in a decent restaurant once and some coffee places won't have GF cakes, sacrilege !

@WASHOUT If going to Italy you can also look at the Italian Ceoliacs association website which certifies restaurants/bars etc and offers a short term membership allowing you to search an area, it's a belt and braces job as most places don't get certified but is handy. There is an app. The logo appears on the menu of certified places.
https://www.celiachia.it/
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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.
My wife was diagnosed coeliac about 10 years ago and it's not easy for her in ski resorts. We usually spend Easter as a family in Belle Plagne and self cater but we do use Hu.Ski for the majority of our meals. Not quite a hotel or restaurant as your wife prefers but perhaps worth looking at as they have a good selection of GF meals. We have used them since 2017 and it certainly takes a bit of the chore out of self catering.

The are based on Bourg st Maurice and deliver daily in the nearby resorts. I think the deliver further afield in France on certain days.

https://hu.ski/shop-food/?text=&category=&dietary=gluten%20free&tag=
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