 Poster: A snowHead
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Official Resort Opening and Closing Dates
Aussois: from December 14, 2024 to April 11, 2025
Bessans: from November 1, 2024 to April 6, 2025 (Nordic) and from December 21, 2024 to April 6, 2025 (Alpine)
Bonneval-sur-Arc: from December 21, 2024 to April 25, 2025
La Norma: from December 21, 2024 to April 11, 2025
Val-Cenis: from December 14, 2024 to April 21, 2025
Valfréjus: from December 21, 2024 to April 11, 2025
One pass to rule them all
Haute Maurienne Vanoise offers access to its 350 km of alpine skiing and 200 km of Nordic skiing in a single package: the pass’partout.
This pass is offered to all holders of a “6 days and +” package purchased in one of the six resorts. An offer that includes unlimited skiing at the resort of purchase, one day of skiing in each of the other resorts in Haute Maurienne Vanoise and unlimited access to all Nordic areas.
177 euros per week or much less
Since the six resorts do not have the same strategy or the same prices for ski passes, the cost of this pass’partout will depend on the resort of purchase.
In Bonneval-sur-Arc, the 6-day package costs 177 euros for an adult (born from 1961 to… 2012), 144 euros for a child (born between 2013 and 2019) and 167 euros for a senior (born from 1950 to 1960).
But it is possible to pay significantly less in Aussois and Val-Cenis, two resorts that have opted for dynamic pricing. A practice that allows very attractive prices to be offered during off-peak periods and for those who plan their stay in advance. In Aussois, the 6-day pass from the opening on Saturday, December 14, cost only 83 euros for an adult (price on September 20).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wow - some incredible pricing there @davidof. The ski areas deserve to be better known in the UK - Mrs MA and I stayed at Val Cenis and had a brilliant time with a great value 6 day area pass (Eskimo Pass??) a few years back. We had a car and visited most of the areas. Some great skiing, on very quiet pistes. Excellent value accommodation too.
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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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Absolutely should be better known, but let’s keep it a secret 
We had a fabulous week of guided off piste there a number of years ago. Basically the same format as the SOPiB: going to whichever resort had the best snow each day.
For anyone who doesn’t know this valley runs from Orelle (the very far right hand side of the 3 Vallée) past the tunnel du Frejus (to Italy) and up through the Parc Nationalde de la Vanoise to the other side of Le Fornet in Val d’Isere.
It’s a great area for adventure, family holidays and off piste.
Also, Probably the only place a normal person could afford to buy a second ski home as much cheaper and quieter than the largely parallel Isère valley.
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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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Absolutely should be better known, but let’s keep it a secret
We had a fabulous week of guided off piste there a number of years ago. Basically the same format as the SOPiB: going to whichever resort had the best snow each day.
For anyone who doesn’t know this valley runs from Orelle (the very far right hand side of the 3 Vallée) past the tunnel du Frejus (to Italy) and up through the Parc Nationalde de la Vanoise to the other side of Le Fornet in Val d’Isere.
It’s a great area for adventure, family holidays and off piste.
Also, Probably the only place a normal person could afford to buy a second ski home as much cheaper and quieter than the largely parallel Isère valley.
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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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@rickboden, I really wanted to go to Maurienne Valley this coming March as someone (maybe you) recommended Upguides in another thread. I enquired with them by email but they are "unlikely" to have the group guiding thing this season apparently. The chap I was emailing (Sylvain) suggested a book private full day guiding. I am travelling with my piste skiing wife so half days suit better. I ended up booking with Snoworks again. Somewhere new would have been great.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| sbooker wrote: |
| @rickboden, I really wanted to go to Maurienne Valley this coming March as someone (maybe you) recommended Upguides in another thread. I enquired with them by email but they are "unlikely" to have the group guiding thing this season apparently. The chap I was emailing (Sylvain) suggested a book private full day guiding. I am travelling with my piste skiing wife so half days suit better. I ended up booking with Snoworks again. Somewhere new would have been great. |
That’s a shame. Yes we went with Upguides and it might well have been me who mentioned it somewhere as I think the value is very underexplored especially firm an off piste. Skiing perspective . I originally booked a trip to go as a solo skier in a group of Swedes. There were lots of Swedes going with UP Guides then as the person running the company was a Frenchman married to a Swedish lady and they lived half the year in Sweden and half the year in France if I recall correctly. I wanted to go both for the adventure exploring somewhere new and for a Swedish immersion course to improve my Swedish (my wife catboden is Swedish)
It was somewhat ironic in the end from the accommodation point of view as a group of Swedes had taken a small hotel for themselves where there were no spare beds and an English friend of mine came along with me. We ended up in a hotel along with a Frenchman who was part of the group. My English friends spoke no French and the Frenchman barely spoke any English and I ended up as the pigeon translator in the middle.  It got especially difficult when the Frenchman started talking politics and kept wanting to discuss the rise of Marie Le Pen.
Anyhow, despite the bizarre dinner conversations we had a great weeks Skiing.
I have to say, I wouldn’t recommend having a guide for one day on your own there as a good solution and you will probably be better off with Snow works.
If your wife doesn’t ski at your level Have you considered Skiing with Club Med? Their prices include group lessons or guiding and your wife could Ski with a group at her level and get instruction as you go with a guided group if that was a priority for you. It’s standard format for all guests to return to the hotel for lunch every day so you could ski in the afternoon with your wife if you wanted to. They always appear expensive at first look but as they are all inclusive including lift, pass and lessons it’s worth taking the time to do a proper comparison. They are not at all exclusively French and there is always an international group at each level for non-French speakers.
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Just a bit more information, the railway line will reopen in the first half of 2025. So the terminus is St Jean de Maurienne rather than Modane with bus transfer onto resort, like last year. It is only one stop different and only affects resorts at the head of the valley: la Norma, Val Cenis, Bonneval sur Arc etc.
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@rickboden, thanks. I’ll get to Maurienne Valley one day and will check out Club Med.
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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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@rickboden, I don't blame you not wanting to get into politics. It is Marine Le Pen btw. Or Marie Antoinette depending on which he wanted to talk about 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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HMV Season pass purchased (€418)! We have visited the valley in the previous two seasons as well as quite a few other spots but it will be our main base this year.
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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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| MAthert wrote: |
| HMV Season pass purchased (€418)! We have visited the valley in the previous two seasons as well as quite a few other spots but it will be our main base this year. |
Good for you. What a great price for the whole season.
I would be very interested hearing about your experiences especially which of the resorts are the best to live in, nightlife, facilities, etc.
Enjoy
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While off from opening but it looks like Bonneval will get a bit of a dump over the next week.
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You know it makes sense.
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FAQ
