 Poster: A snowHead
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The story:
We are a group of 7, six of whom are progressing in years and need / want some very specific things! Here's the list:
A high(ish) resort so there is a good chance of decent snow mid to late March
Plenty of blue's and green's to get around the area on skis.
Plenty of gondala's / cable cars etc as 2 of the group don't ski but like to get around the mountains and meet for lunch and go for walks.
Groomed walking pistes to keep the 2 walkers entertained for 2 weeks.
Ski in / out accomadation - more on that in a mo!
So thats the main list. Country really doesn't matter.
For the last few years we have stayed in a fabulous appartment in Alpe D'huez, 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom with plenty of space and right on the piste. The appartment is perfect, ADH is almost perfect.
The two niggles are:
1) To get outside of the main bowl area you need to ski a red or 2. One of the group is finding that a struggle as his health isn't what it once was. He's absolutely fine poddling round all day on greens and blues.
2) To get 2 weeks mid March means one week clashes with the end of the school holidays as we have to de-camp before the Tomorrowland festival. The queues this year on that week were much longer than anyone liked.
So I had a brainwave and thought what about Courchevel 1850. It's high, big area with lots of greens / blues and loads of appropriate lifts. Then I looked at some accomadation. Wow! I thought our budget was reasonable till I looked there (£6k PW for a self catering appartment or chalet of 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms with ski in / out and easy access to a gondala for the walkers). It is about 20 years since my last visit to the 3 valleys.... It's changed a bit I guess!
Anyway, ideal would be 8th/9th March 2025 for 2 weeks somewhere that ticks all those boxes.
Any suggestions on resorts welcomed and if you know of some accomadation that fits within the remit too, thats a real bonus!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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1. Courchevel 1850
2. Tignes
3. Lech
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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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@ciderinsport, you could look at Couchevel 1550 / Village or Couchevel 1300 / Le Praz. Both linked by gondola to 1850 and probably quite a bit cheaper.
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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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Courchevel 1850, The most flattering, wide and well maintained pistes I’ve come across in The Alps.
If too pricey, Courchevel Moriond (1650) and Courchevel Le Praz (1300) are great alternatives.
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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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As a different take - you might like to look at Corvara in Alta Badia. Doesn't meet your altitude requirements but the Dolomites are very good at keeping their pistes well prepared.
It's in the middle of a blue run paradise and a few gondolas leading out of the area (and connecting to others too). Bus connections to other local villages as well for the non-skiers.
Walking trails seem to be available - see here: https://www.altabadia.org/en/winter-holidays/off-the-slopes/winter-hiking-alta-badia.html
And Italian food too!
There's a guy on YouTube who posts videos of that area who's got a bit of a fan club on here too:
https://youtube.com/@UstariaPosta
If you look at some of his videos over the last few years you can see what the conditions have been like.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Don't know if it meets all the requirements re walking etc but Cervinia may be worth looking at.
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Definitely worth looking at Courchevel 1650. I’d advise against Le Praz as it does sound like any of you would enjoy the ski back down at the end of the day..a tricky red run at the best of times. There is a decent bus service for the walkers that can connect them to the gondolas in the other Courchevel resorts so they can explore the mountain area, though it’s not the cheapest for lunch and sadly, with the Cable car to the top unavailable, pedestrians can’t travel over the top to Meribel as they used to.
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@Perty, they could take the vizelle gondola up (from verdons top station) to saluire and it is a short walk to the top to get the gondola down the other side to meribel.
i did this several years ago with my then wife, and our 2 year old at the time when we stayed in meribel on holiday, and had a non skiing day over to courchevel, ex missus wasnt keen on the telepherique, even after doing a season in the 3v's!!
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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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@terrygasson, Technically you can yes, but you’re not supposed to (when I was travelling about the area by lift with my broken arm, it was made clear that pedestrian access via that route was not permitted). It’s quite a hike too.
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The OP is looking for next season and they are promising the Saulire cablecar will be fixed.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Wengen maybe? Certainly would suit the walkers aspect.
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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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| Perty wrote: |
| with the Cable car to the top unavailable, pedestrians can’t travel over the top to Meribel as they used to. |
Not via the Saulire Express but they can still get to Meribel via La Tania. Loze is a designated pedestrian lift which would take them to the Meribel Altiport area. That's a great area for walkers; fair chance that much of the golf course will be exposed by then so they can walk the course plus all the forest trails that are round there. In fact, I'd say there's probably more to do in that area than if they download to the Chaudanne.
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My recommendation would be Corvara. There are 3 gondolas serving different areas which would allow your non tiers the opportunity to travel to meet you all for lunch and get them out of the town. Whilst natural snowfall may not be great mid/late March (this year is phenomenal btw), they manage the snow superbly. The Alta Badia plateau fits your brief perfectly with beautiful blue runs stretching in every direction that will flatter most. Have a look at the Altabadia website for accommodation ideas. I can't comment re walking I'm afraid. PM me if you want any other guidance on the area.
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You know it makes sense.
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I think Le Praz would work pretty well if you accept that it's not ski-in/out but gondola in/out instead. Easy bus links for the walkers, a proper village and bus links down the valley so they can explore Bozel etc too. The skiers could rent lockers in the Alpinium (the gondola station) so that's a pleasant walk to and from the apartment for them too. Most accommodation is around a 200m walk from the Alpinium.
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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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| SnowMonkey69 wrote: |
| My recommendation would be Corvara. There are 3 gondolas serving different areas which would allow your non tiers the opportunity to travel to meet you all for lunch and get them out of the town. Whilst natural snowfall may not be great mid/late March (this year is phenomenal btw), they manage the snow superbly. The Alta Badia plateau fits your brief perfectly with beautiful blue runs stretching in every direction that will flatter most. Have a look at the Altabadia website for accommodation ideas. I can't comment re walking I'm afraid. PM me if you want any other guidance on the area. |
Does Corvara meet the requirement of lots of easy slopes?
We visited last month, I loved the place, but my less confident wife/daughter loathed the slopes. By mid morning the Piz Boe and Col Alto home runs are tricky to say the least.
But a Snowhead then recommended Colfosco .... heaven 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks all, I'm on the case!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Courchevel, Lech & Wengen all good options as mentioned. Zermatt trains link well to many areas up the mountain but might not have the variety and extent of greens and blues 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?
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| ciderinsport wrote: |
To get outside of the main bowl area you need to ski a red or 2. One of the group is finding that a struggle as his health isn't what it once was. He's absolutely fine poddling round all day on greens and blues.
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I'm not sure that's strictly true:
To get to Auris you take the Alpauris [scare chair] then either the Louvets or the Fontfroide chairs then take the Pré-Rond (if doing the Fontfroide) then the Col
To get back from Auris you take the Auris Express chair then there's several Blue options back to either the start or the mid-point of the AlpAuris
To get to Villard Reculas, which is nearly all blue, take the Signal Chair then either of the blues off the back.
To get back from Villard Reculas, take either the Villarais chair or the Petit Prince poma and then Marcel's Farm (green)
The only place that you can't easily do is Vaujany, which is all blue above the Villette-Montfrais gondola (Vaujany itself requires a red and a download or a black, but there's nothing to ski there apart from them)
To get to Vaujany from the top of Les Jeux chaur, take the Boulevard des Lutins, then a short red stretch of the Poutran, then the blue Variante Poutran then another short stretch of the Poutran, then the Champ Clotury poma then the Champ Clotury and the Chevreuils to the bottom of the Alpette gondala. Alternatively you can take the Poutran gondola down, get the new, short, Eau d'Olle funicular, which gives you enough height to ski to the bottom of the Alpette. At the top of the Alpette, take Chalets [blue].
Getting back requires a download: take the Clos Giraud chair then download on the Alpette Gondola, ski through Oz station (they keep the road through the village snow covered these days) to the Poutran gondola, which takes you to the main Alpe d'Heuz bowl.
Having said all that, if the temperatures are high, the best snow is likely to be on those reds you are trying to avoid, but they are also likely to have hard packed or icy sections that your friend will hate. Auris in particular has a tendency to be sugary because a lot is south-facing.
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