Poster: A snowHead
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There are four new lifts scheduled for the French mega-domain, Espace Killy this season.
Tignes Palafour F 6-CLD Doppelmayr
Val d'Isère PyramidesF 4-CLD Poma
Val d'Isère Signal F 1-SL Montaval
Val d'Isère Cugnai F 4-CLF Montaval
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Info from www.lift-world.info
The replacement of the Palafour IMV is great news, I hated the slow twin 3(?) man chairs, always seemed to be breaking down, will speed up getting to the main runs.
Not sure why they're replacing the Pyramides drag with a detachable and not the Cugnai. Done Cugnai a few times and always enjoyed it but it was a long cold lift, seem to remember that the first bit of the run is quite steep. Only ever done Signal once when taken down an off piste bowl after traversing further up the valley towards the Col d'Isere, one of the first off piste runs I ever did in powder, but the drag is long and slow and only seems to do one not inspiring run, I assume the lift is for the off-piste.
Back to Pyramides, why replacy this with a quad, doesn't really do anything the run from up there unless I'm missing something? The Signal is the longer of the two existing drags.
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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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All these are to ski off piste- cugnai - Cugnai lift and theGrand Vallon- pyramides and signal
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The new Cugnai chair is meant to be much shorter covering only the steeper upper part of the old chair's route so probably no need for a detachable. Access will be by a new trail from the top of the Glacier lift.
They're also planning to replace the Col drag lift in the Fornet valley with a chair. Once that's done they'll shut down the old Vallon bubble.
Details of the plans were published in last November's STVI news letter here : http://www.stvi-valdisere.com/en/infos.php in the Projets : 2006-2008 section. Unfortunately the "English" version is written in French.
The other major change for the area this season is a new hands free lift pass system.
Martin
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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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Ronald, There seems to me a marked difference between the two resorts. Val d'Isere has invested alot and wisely over the past few years, as evidenced by the improvements to the le Fornet area being done this year and as reported by martinday - there are not many slow lifts on that side (Mont Blanc and Marmottes being the obvious remnants). Val d'Isere also seems to have committed significant amounts to artificial snow generation too. Tignes appears to be investing much more slowly; I am always impressed by the plans shown at the botom of the underground funicular at Val Claret, but am also impressed that year after year so little of the plans have been implemented. Sorry, this might come across as prejudiced against Tignes and lacking in understanding of ski infrastructure economics, but the contrast is striking.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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nlinesw4, That would explain a hell of a lot concerning my impression. I was Tignes based, thus always had to enter through that side and lift system. (And return)
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I think a lot of Val d'Isere's investment has been to help them get the 2009 World Alpine Skiing Championship (I think they tried for 2005 or maybe 2007 but didn't get it). The Mont Blanc and Marmottes lifts are due to be replaced in the next year or two as well according to the STVI.
Martin
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Lots of nice fast new lifts. Have a lot of new pistes been created? or will the existing ones just be even more crowded?
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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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My impression is that both resorts have invested lots of money on new and upgraded lifts. For the last few winters the bottom of the Tignes funicular has had a huge map showing which lifts are being upgraded and when over a several year period. I have not seen a web-based copy of the map.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Adrian, it used to be on the Tignes website, but like martinday found only on the french version - I don't knmow if it's still there, but they do haev a tendency to put things back but I agree with ski that there has been a lot of significant work in Tignes of late, but the updating of Palafour is long over due and I wish they'd get round to sorting the Tufs chair as well. But hey it must cost millions to do these things!
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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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You know it makes sense.
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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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tom.lorenc, yes thats the one - pity it's not in English and explaining why they don;t do things in the order of the plan.
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Poster: A snowHead
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tom.lorenc, Thanks for the link. I had in mind that the earlier dated items were not shown on the map in the Funicular, but it was 8 months ago when I last saw it. Must remember to take my camera to Tignes some time.
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