 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm a confident piste skier looking for a week long holiday with an off piste course. I'll be solo for this trip and wanting to ski with a group.
I've found two potential options - one in La Plagne with the Ski Gathering (https://www.theskigathering.com/ski-holidays/off-piste.php) and the other in Flaine with Ski Club of Great Britain (https://www.skiclub.co.uk/holiday/learn-to-ski-powder/).
Does anyone have experience of either company and would recommend? I haven't skied at either La Plagne or Flaine before - so open to recommendations on which is the better of the two. My only concern with La Plagne is it is later in the season and the accommodation is in one of the lower villages so snow conditions may not be as good.
If anyone has come across similar types of holidays with other companies or in other locations let me know!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I don't know anything about the companies. But in terms of resorts: Flaine has excellent off piste, but unfortunately all it will take is the access to Gers bowl to be closed (which they have low threshold to do if any kind of avalanche risk), and your options could then be much more limited (they will still find stuff to do, but the great off piste in Flaine is all about Gers bowl).
La Plagne has almost limitless off piste and regardless of conditions there will be options
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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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Never heard of Ski Gathering, SCGB are well known. Both say 'local instructors', I'd be much more confident the SCGB would have good people with good English. I also note SG states four hours on the first four days - why?
The determinative factor for me would be the number upon the holiday and how robustly anyone without the required ability is dealt with. There's nothing worse than spending a week waiting for someone to pick themselves up again (or be the person constantly at the back). The bigger the group, the better, so your group is more equal. If someone turns up who clearly has overstated their ability, I would have confidence SCGB would deal with them.
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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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| Grazer wrote: |
| My only concern with La Plagne is it is later in the season and the accommodation is in one of the lower villages so snow conditions may not be as good. |
How later?
As peanuthead said there is plenty of off piste in La Plagne including some big lines that I haven't done but that a guide/instructor probably would.
I wouldn't be too concerned about where the accommodation is - you will only be starting out from and skiing back to there.
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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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@peanuthead, I did a week's off-piste in Flaine and we only did a single day in Gers. It's good, but it's not the only option. @Grazer, I did my course with the UCPA via action outdoors, just tot throw another option in there. There were 6 in my group, til my friend dropped out as he was struggling, leabving just five - me and one brit, and thre french skiiers. THe instructor (Denis Roget) was French but spoke excellent english. He was as ESF instructor who'd been subbed out to run the UCPA courses all season
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Grazer, unlike other SCGB courses, at Flaine they always use the same instruction team led by Diane Moreau and Yann Westercamp who are excellent. The SCGB also have a very good dedicated chalet. In my opinion these two factors make the SCGB’s Flaine courses much better than SCGB’s other offerings. As said above the Gers bowl is the highlight of Flaine’s off piste skiing but there are many other off piste opportunities which Diane and Yann are very familiar with.
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I have skied off-piste in both Flaine and La Plagne with the UCPA and I have also skied in La Plagne with Oxygene's Steep and Deep twice. La Plagne and Paradiski has an incredible amount of varied off-piste areas, it is just vast and wonderful. You have some absolutely epic descents from the Face Nord Bellecote, there are loads of variants from various couloirs and the Moyenne Face Nord. I have skied some of the very best powder of my life during April in La Plagne. The Steep and Deep guiding was superb and La Plagne is an epic off-piste destination not to mention Les Arcs which is also superb. If you go to La Plagne ask if you can ski Les Cable, that is really something, I needed my brown salopettes for that one!
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@JayDub, sounds great, but OP is looking for an introduction to off piste
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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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@Layne 15 - 22 March. Probably ok for that time of year but maybe slushy pistes in the afternoon.
@nbt - Thanks, will also look into UCPA.
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@Grazer, should be a great week - enjoy.
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