 Poster: A snowHead
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I've been there a good few times before, and yesterday we'd been ski-touring in a valley on the backside of the resort, so after the tour I drove around out of the valley up to the resort as my daughter had never been there.
I often say if Carlsberg / Walt Disney produced a ski resort this would be it straight off the cover of a chocolate box 
Saint-Véran, is the most elevated commune* in France and in Western Europe, and is the third highest village in Europe, at 2,042m and is classed as one of the most beautiful villages in France, and dates back to well before the 1700's.
*commune is Churches / Schools and Marie etc
The ski resort links up with Molines en Queyras lower down the mountain and with that is quite a large area, plus the ski pass (not at all expensive) also has Abriès, Ceillac en Queyras, Arvieux, Aiguilles and Ristolas and is a mecca for snow-shoeing and cross-country.
But where they excel is out of High Season, in the past (pre covid) they use to discount the lift pass for the last three weeks of the season, and during the week, like yesterday it's just not busy.
This is where I was when I first experienced the Retour D'Est back in 2013 and Abries is often the epicentre of it.
Obviously, the big negative is getting there, but if you drive then it could so be worth it. It's circa 90mins drive from Serre Chevalier.
We always say when we're there that we should have booked a gite, as in the past that's what we used to do.
We went up to the Front de Neige (picture above) at St Veran yesterday and 3 drinks €9 and there was still corduroy to be had and we saw only 5 people in the last hour or so that we were there.
In fact we saw more groups of snow-shoers than we did skiers!!
And in the Summer its even more beautiful 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Interesting maybe we will check it out when we are next that way. I wonder if it is more beautiful than Bonneval Sur Arc.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Weathercam, looks great, and some decent price gites knocking about too.
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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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Looking at the Poma lifts I'm reminded of British tourists taking the mick out of Poma lifts ("thrown away by the Swiss or Austrians") when I worked near Bormio once upon a time. The Italians were perfectly happy to use them - even pairs of schoolchildren on one button!
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I've been there is the summer it's certainly very attractive and a place I'd love to visit in winter. A bit of a different sytyle of building and setting to Bonneval which is in the valley whereas St Veran is on the side of the hill. Bonneval you're more surrounded by peaks St Veran you have an open outlook.
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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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Thanks for that. Thought I'd check to see if there was an aire de camping car; in fact there are two, one at Saint Veran itself and another down the road at the Molines lift.
Might check it out in a week or so if the rain continues, half the price of other high level resorts.
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What a beautiful place that is. I have only been there in summer, hiking.
One of the most authentic valleys of the entire Alps.
And if you're there, watch out.
A retour d'est is predicted for the coming days.
When it comes, make sure you are in neighboring Abries-Ristolas.
Because of its location directly on the border, next to 3800+ high Monte Viso, it can get up to 2 metres of light fluffy snow in 36 hours.
And 15 km further west (Saint Veran) only 40 cm, instead of 200...
Explanation about retour d'est plus video via the link
https://www.wintersport.nl/weblog/bericht/5100/retour-d'est-uitgelegd
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Hoping it will never be revived TBH. We've visited a couple of times and it should remain (relatively) untouched.
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@Hells Bells, #metoo. I was there a couple of years ago. Very pleasant. Love the valley.
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You know it makes sense.
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It's beautiful, we need to go and ski there, as we have only been in the summer.
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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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Wow just found in that feature above that I linked to another article to one of the initial trips (ten years ago) we did there, which outlines more or less the same descent we were after doing yesterday, which I could not remember.
Bit like watching a film, and you then realise half way through you've seen it before 
Skiing dementia anyone?
https://www.stylealtitude.com/picdufonddepeynin.html
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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@Peter S,
Interesting, just comparing these two lifts =
Cassettes chair at St Veran: 1800 pax/h, D+ 450 meters
BEAUREGARD 1: 650 pax/h, D+ 455 meters
The advantage of a teleski is much easier and cheaper to maintain and able to run in higher winds. Less power consumption.
Disadvantage : limited range of terrain, harder to exploit in the summer (can be used for carts, bikes). Harder for beginners to use. Less passenger comfort.
You'd probably want one person to run a teleski and probably 2 for a chair so similar in personnel costs.
-- edit
Just thinking of the sad tale of St Pierre de Chartreuse. Back in the day it was an excellent spot for safe freeriding on mega power days (well except for small cliffs and pot holes). In 2006 the resort and regional tax payers made a huge investment into a six man chair in what was once a very snow sure bowl (Combe de l'Ours). Today it lies rusting in the wind and the ski area is looking at selling the ski lifts. Covid then three seasons of no snow plus a 600,000 euro bill to service the lift have killed their dreams.
They would have done better getting out of skiing progressively in 2006 - which is what a consultancy firm employed by the government told them.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Slightly selfishly conflicted about seeing the Queyras getting so much love on here - it's supposed to be a secret, even to the French! Tho, since Covid it's noticeably busier of course. Foreign voices are still super rare, save for a few Italians.
We go every New Year for xc touring, Davidof's tour to the Col Agnel is always our first Big Day and can be done off piste on nordic touring skis and the descent from the col to refuge is usually dreamy powder. Then a fab schuss down to the car park. Props to Davidof for doing it on super skinnies without skins. Clearly a honey badger.
Another superb day is nordic (or alpine) touring up from St Veran to Caramantran (3000m) and then more powder skiing back to a beautiful xc track beside the river back to St V. Tho you usually need crampons to do the summit(s) of Caramantran.
The snow is defo weird and usually very different to whatever's going on in the Northern Alps.
I'd say it's a good destination to get into ski touring, nordic or alpine. Can also be amazingly cheap, so we're planning to stay there for at least four weeks a year once Mr BP retires.
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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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@Badpanda2, you are doing a lot of publicity there.
It is what the French would call "enclavé" (isolated) which it is but they think Briançon is "enclavé" too and for someone from Paris it is the back end of beyond. However it is well known to the people who live in the region as is the Italian side of the border.
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Ooops, you're right. It's pants, don't go there.
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