Valmeinier - any ideas?

A snowHead

Hi folks - not sure if above spelt correctly, but it is close to Valloire. Anyone been there/recommendations for restaurants/bars etc., and is it a family or livelier type of place?

Thanks in advance snowHead

A snowHead

Went there in mid 90's and it was just being developed. The access to Valmorel was a pain then and just a series of up and overs which could be a chore if that is what you do every day. The village didn't really have any meaningfull skiing itself so that was our chore allmost. I also don't recall anything in particular about Valloire ski-wise either. They would have to have changed it beyond all recognition for me to even look at the resort again and no, I wouldn't go back.

We went with Snowcoach and the club hotel was also another story. I just hope a lot of water has passed under the bridge

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I went with my school about 14 years ago so its a little hazy... Embarassed

I'ts linked to Valloire via Valmenier 1500, which is the more traditional of the two villages. 1800m is the higher and more modern with a crescent of resort buildings making up the village with some hotels, appartments and also a small selection of bars and shops. I think i stayed in the L'aigle - rooms were fine, views great up and down the valley.

Its a very sunny area which has its plus and minus points...I was there in March and at 1500m the link runs to and from Valloire were a fair bit worn but no doubt nowadays there is a mile of snowcannos to sort that out.

Some good runs which are true to colour but equally it is a good place to learn too I'd say. You can get to Valloire (much bigger, true town and I think has a weekly market up the main street) by car in about 20 mins. Lift system is moden, main lift out of 1800 is a detachable chair and there is a gondola or two in Valloire.

Personally, would say its a family place more likely to hear french voices than english (not sure that is a bad thing personally Laughing

)

Cheers
David

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I skied one day there with some chums who went by coach. Having had a most entertaining day previously I was so hungover I had to stop after a couple of runs and snooze in a deck chair (I guess it was sunny?) until about 14h00. I don't recall much about it but I don't think my chums would go back. Well, they certainly haven't since.

Looking at the piste map it seems more extensive than I recall - I think we took a very strange bucket lift across to Le Crey de Quart.

skinutter, they haven't paid their solar subscription in a few years so it's not sunny anymore I'm afraid Twisted Evil

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I was there in Feb / Mar 2005 with SnowCoach and I still can't remember the sort of detail skinutter manages Shocked

Valmeinier is made up of villages at 1500m and 1800m - I stayed in 1800 and ventured to 1500 only to get the lift across the valley towards Valloire. As such, I can't give any details about the village of 1500 - although it certainly looked a bit bigger than 1800 which is a collection of modern buildings around the bottom of 2 chairlifts. One lift is only a few hundred yards long and mainly provides the altitude needed to reach the run to 1500 (which sounds silly now I've read it). The other (a 4-man, I think) goes higher up the hill and serves more runs.

At 1800 there are 2 'home' runs - a green which was horribly icy and smothered with ankle-biters most of the while (I picked the wrong week rolling eyes

) and the 'slalom' which is a red run and was just about the limit of my abilities Embarassed

(I'm better now, honest). The runs above 1800 and over towards 1500 are generally long and not terribly interesting - typical cart-track affairs where short turns are a must - although the long run from the top station was nice (IMO). Most mornings the SnowCoach 'leader' ventured over towards Valloire which is a bit of a slog as you have to cross the valley (on a chair from 1500) and ascend the ridge on a series of chairs and drags (including one very long double drag which spat me off more than once Embarassed

).
Once you reach the top of the ridge above Valloire, there are loads of varied runs both above and below the treeline. I didn't make it all the way down to Valloire as my ski-skool was in Valmeinier in the afternoons and I had to head back at lunchtime. However (and this is third hand so may be unreliable) I was told by one of my ski companions - an elderly but very decent skiier as far as I could tell - that the descents into Valloire itself are 'steep and always icy' so I was sort of glad I didn't make it all the way down there.
There are several bars & restaurants in Valmeinier 1800 and a few hotels but most accomodation looked to be appartments. Finding a decent lunch was easy.

Overall, I would say it's a decent place to stay unless you're looking for hundreds of km of piste - there seemed plenty to keep several very good skiiers in my hotel happy for a week, including mucking about off-piste at times - which of no concern to me, of course!

Edit: JT's comment above about the link to Valmorel being a pain is very true - there isn't one! Laughing

I guess he means Valloire.

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JT, skinutter, David Murdoch, Red Leon, Thanks all! Very useful feedback snowHead

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Yes, quite right, I did indeed mean Valloire.

I would add that skiers were able to be taken down by coach to Orrelle for the back way into Val Thoren, but not for beginners, I'd say and there were a few resorts down past there towards Italy that were visited. Its a long way up and down from the valley to Valmienier 1800 so this would not be feasible more than once or twice in a week max

After all it is free

Anniepen, we have an appartment in Valmeinier 1800 and have skiied there several weeks.

You did not mention what standard your party is but I would say it would not be a resort for complete beginners. Although there are a number of green runs on the Valmeinier side of the valley, with the exception of the last bit of the run from the top into 1800, they are all narrow farm/cart tracks (I have walked them in the summer). The ski school is ESF and English is not that widely spoken. If you have a couple of weeks under your belt or more than there is plenty of skiing with a claimed 150km of linked piste, most of it easily tackled by intermediates.

If you just want to cruise around there is plenty and for a bit more challenge, there is a good long red from the top going down to 1500 and a few blacks over on the Valloire side, probably the toughest under the detachable 6 pack chair linking 1500 to Valloire, but nothing that I would call 'really hairy' and as said above, there is a fair amount of easily accessable of piste.

This summer they are building a sports centre which I believe includes an indoor swimming pool at 1800 and then that is the last of the development - speaking to the locals they say that no more planning permission will be granted.

It is very much a family resort with very little that could be considered lively in the way of night life and very French although at weekends a few Italians pop across the border. The tour ops are trying to market the resort here in the UK, in Holland and in Sweden so that may change.

For restaurants, our favorite is La Glisse but as said above, as long as you are not looking for Michelin star cuisine, try any of the restaurants - you don't have more than about 6/7 to choose from anyway in 1800.

The links below will give you a general idea of what to expect, piste map etc.

http://www.valmeinier.com/
http://www.valloire.net/

SHello, Thanks for this. A friend is looking at buying/leasing property in Valmeinier for their small TO operation (they already operate in a number of other French resorts) and they specialise in family-orientated holidays. Their research suggests it may be a suitable venue for them, but it's great to hear from people on the ground (or people who HAVE been on the ground there!). Thanks again snowHead

Help!!

Valmeinier - any ideas?

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