 Poster: A snowHead
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Just decided i need a 4th ski holiday and am thinking about Val d'Isere. Can anyone give me some feeback on the area and where is good for accomodation (i m looking for a cheap appartement for 7 people).
thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wacky_Jacky, Although I don't have any specific links, most of the cheap (by VdI standards) apartments will be in the La Daille part of the resort. Excellent links to the ski domain, although not so much nightlife as the main village (but free resort shuttle will take you there and back until late at night).
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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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Brilliant skiing, good nightlife. Not the cheapest resort in the world, but it has to be done. I can't recommend accom becoz the one time I stayed there was in a Ski France rabbit-hutch laughably described as a chalet!
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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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As above.
Cheap well located apartments in La Daille ... and a do-able 20 minute walk (on the flat too) from the centre if you miss the last bus back after a night on the beer.
I personally prefer staying in La Daille to the centre cos getting up the mountain is a lot quicker. And my fave area for skiing is the Fornet area (left side of piste map). Great black down to Le Fornet 
Here's a link with who i went through. I stayed in Résidence le Villaret
http://www.skihorizon.com/gb/index.asp
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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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| Chri$ wrote: |
And my fave area for skiing is the Fornet area (left side of piste map). Great black down to Le Fornet
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That would be the Foret run I take it? That was probably my most horrendous experience there!! Very icy and huge moguls but no problem for the advanced skier, which I presume you are. I have the lasting memory of looking down the moguls near the end and then some Mum and her three year old came gaily swooshing by with no problems at all!
Fabulous skiing area, plenty to do near the la Daille and the lifts from the Solaise area. Not many people go to the far left which has a glacier too (Pisaille I think it's called) which is much less known than the Grande Motte in Tignes next door, a few good runs down there to the middle area where you can then take the black down to the Fornet area which we did once or a blue or a red (which was boot deep and heavily snowing when we decided to tackle this). Or you can take a blue traversing run which takes you back to the Solaise. Some great runs from la Daille too.
Accomodation wise, you'd want to be near the central area (Solaise) if you want nightlife otherwise you can stay in some of the other areas and get the bus to the lifts you want - the bus runs very frequently and is free.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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A very reasnably priced and excellently located hotel is the Cretes Blanches ... if you can get 3 in a room prices from €40 pppn b&b
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Wacky_Jacky, might you consider Bansko?
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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La Daille is where most of the cheap accommodation is located. Good place to stay. La Daille is a good trek from the main nightlife in the center, but the walk back can be part of the fun. Val d'Isere skiing is excellent. Overall, Val d'Isere is one of the top 5 resorts in the world, imho.
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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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I actually survives the Foret run a few years back (When I was young and things didn't hurt as much) - We had skied across to it from Tignes Val Claret so were pretty knackered - Cheated after and got the bus back to La Daille before skiing home
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I must say I like the Sache run - partly because it is far from any lifts.
Fornet has some wonderful off-piste. On the glacier for off-piste beginners, but off the top of the tiny Signal drag lift there is a huge area of steeper off piste available (including the Grand Vallon) and if you go over the Col Pers from the glacier there is another big area far from everywhere which ends (if it is open) at the stunning Malpasset Gorge. Or for the very adventurous you can climb up left from the top of the lifts to the Aiguille Pers and access the same area from higher up by a very steep entry.
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You know it makes sense.
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favourite runs is the Trolles run that drops into ignes. Its an easy black when pisted and has a wonderful schuss at the end (there's a long flat at the end of the run just after the steepest section of the run). you schussss from the top and hope not to lose an edge
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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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dan100, yes, that's fun.
If you can do off-piste you must try the Tarrantaise Tour which takes all day (you need to start early and take sandwitches or you can't fit it in). You cover a huge distance of mixed pistes and off piste, starting (via Val Claret) off the back of Tignes down a spectacular valley, and travelling via the back of La Plagne and La Plagne pistes to the Bellcote Glacier and off the back of it. Then Les Arcs and down the Aiguille Rouge to Villaroger (or you might do the off-piste route around the back of the Aiguille Rouge). (Then minibus home).
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Poster: A snowHead
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Wacky_Jacky, was talking about a 4th ski holiday. I'm assuming that means he or she has only done 3 so far. In that case, why is everybody talking blacks and off-piste? Sache nearly killed me! it is a long and difficult black as far as I am concerned, and it would be an exceptional 4th weeker that found it otherwise, I think. Or have I missed something?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Aaaaahhhhh, Val d'Isere  I've got the Piste map by my bed, plastered on my wall.
I have to say I liked skiing down Verte (a green) which gave options further down of transferring to 'Coupe de Monde (OK)' which is used for competition runs (this is a red). When getting back onto Verte again lower down, there's a little section which is like a zig-zag which tends to get icy and alot of people get scared of! Due to it being narrow as well, and the fact that it then joins a steeper section when it combines with the end of "Orange" (also a red run) That's fun. Verte, also has a little tunnelled section which is a nice touch.
There's also the joy of going up in the Olympic lift - an amazing bit of machinery. The Olympic lift goes up to the start of a lot of runs. If you'd prefer to take the fenicular, then there's the "Funival" which goes up to the same place, much quicker.
Monteblanc (green) and Diebold (Blue) were nice runs too.
It got the award for best european resort in '04 (I think it was that year, or was it '05?) And I cannot agree more. It was a great place to ski. So much option.
I cannot comment on accommodation, as I was in the ClubMed hotel which ski-in, ski-out sort of thing and the end of a run... handy!
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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.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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La Daille is fine and you must take the funicular up to the bellevarde. You've got the Olympique run down from there which is great (black) There's lots of other good runs down at the end of the day and the ski-bus service is one of the best.
Didn't really like La Fornet as it's a bit out of the way. We stayed in Val proper so everything was on the doorstep.
Most of the night life is up in the main village and has a great variety. Can't remember the name of the bar with the Sky Sports but I remember it was about £5 a pint. I sure someone will mention Dicks place but we didn't try it.
The OK and Diebold (if I remember right) run down together and are more red than blue (bit of poling if you don't keep the speed up). Some of the runs up the top are less used so try them.
All in all a great area to ski. I would put it on a par with La Plagne if it wasn't for the Vanoise Express linking Les Arcs.
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FAQ
And it's better than doing the blue as the ledge on the blue is usually sheet ice after all the boarders have scraped their way down taking away any powder.
I was just wishing I could do a 4th this season 
I would if my wife didn't mind 
