 Poster: A snowHead
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Must say I thought the town was a far nicer place than the other BIG French places I have been. Tignes, Plagne Centre, Les Menuires, Val Thorens, & Meribel. Thought Val d'Isere quite pleasant. It is also on level ground which getting around easier 
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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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R32, Which takes us back to the debate - Which is the worlds best ski resort?.
Answern - Whatever floats YOUR boat.
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Frosty the Snowman, It's also 'nicer' than some of the bigger (and smaller) Swiss and Italian places too ... (Anzere, Crans. Thyon, Veysonnaz, Limone ) , 'fraid looks like it's turned into a beating-up session to me. 
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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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Frosty the Snowman, was going to add that question next  .
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
Answern - Whatever floats YOUR boat
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Correct. If mildly dyslexic.
One of the reasons I didn't post earlier was because I agree with that sentiment. It was only when it was suggested that LDA has it all that I posted in the interests of balance.
Continuing with this spirit of fair-mindedness, I was going to point out the shortcomings of my favourite resort, Verbier, then I realised it doesn't have any, so I can't. Sorry!
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| R32, Which takes us back to the debate - Which is the worlds best ski resort?. |
Easy, St Antzermattler
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BGA, Exactly. I know folks that refuse to return to Verbier, and folks that love it. Thank you for pointing out my dyslexia................Stores 
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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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BGA,
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I was going to point out the shortcomings of my favourite resort, Verbier, then I realised it doesn't have any, so I can't. Sorry!
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A rich man who doesn't mind skiing back to the resort on crowded slushy runs I take it?
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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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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
R32, Which takes us back to the debate - Which is the worlds best ski resort?.
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Thouhgt you'd know this after all I read you have six chalets there 
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Swirly, Dont believe everything you read
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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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A rich man who doesn't mind skiing back to the resort on crowded slushy runs I take it?
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Plenty of ways back through the trees!
My actual preferred option is to wait at the 1936 bar until closing time, by which point everything has iced back over and I can carve back down the home run with my usual knife like precision
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Poster: A snowHead
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So that confirms Verbier is slushy.
T-bar's remark does remind me about Verbier which I skied only this March. I parked my car in Siviez for two consecutive days and witnessed some runs in that deep valley weren't skiable on the second day because the snow was too wet and disappearing fast. It was the same story in Crans Montana.
I am sure Verbier has a lot to offer when the snow is good but after Verbier I went to Cervinia/Zermatt, Serre Chevalier, Sestriere/Montgenervre/Claviere/Saansicarlo and finally Les Deuz Alps and L'Alps D'Heuz too. The snow condition at the other resorts were far better. There wasn't much snow in L2A and LDH too but the piste was nowhere as soft and wet as in Verbier, which was OK if one stayed above 2000m.
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brian
brian
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saikee, of course it could just have been that the weather got colder
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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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Verbiers home runs get a fair bit of sun and are lowish so slush is probably not uncommon. I actually liked the area on my visits though find the resort slightly faux chalet and pricey. The far end of the area has rather slow and awkward connections as well but I guess nowhere is perfect.
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brian
brian
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T Bar, no indeed. Better places not far away, imo. Mind you that's with no connections but the eye of the beholder is a wonderful thing !
However, I refuse to believe that Verbs would have inherently slushier pistes than Cervinia or L'Alpe d'Huez which are full on S facing (predominantly).
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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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brian,
Just above Sierre there is some great stuff and no faux chalets either. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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brian, logic and intelligent comments have no place in this thread. Please stop posting them
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but the piste was nowhere as soft and wet as in Verbier, which was OK if one stayed above 2000m
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That does leave you with an enormous amount of piste and off piste skiing of course. I don't find the lower runs in Verbier overly slushy, and the home run in particular is, with the exception of the final pitch, fairly well shaded by trees.
The need to be rich is also a bit of an urban myth as well. Sure you can go into The Farm or Tara's and blow £000s on vodka and champagne, but you can just as easily eat pizza and drink beer for less than you would on a night out in Leeds. I've skiied in Verbier for the last five years, and pretty much done the last two full seasons there but have been to The Farm once. It's not my sort of place at all, but does have the advantage of keeping the sloaney/city types out of the places I do like to go to.
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The far end of the area has rather slow and awkward connections as well
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True, and for people who like covering serious miles on piste point to point then the 3V is better in this respect. That's not the sort of skiing I like to do, so Verbier is perfect for me, but each to their own.
Anyway, its still better than LDA 
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True, and for people who like covering serious miles on piste point to point then the 3V is better in this respect. That's not the sort of skiing I like to do, so Verbier is perfect for me, but each to their own.
Anyway, its still better than LDA
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I must admit, i couldn't agree more. I anticipated a "bank breaking" fortnight when i was here and sure it could have been but the normal bars charge 6sfr a pint(£2.50),resturants generally no more than a large french resort(inc 2 alpes), shops out of this world, a 6km taboggan run(perfect afternoon with the kids), The highest quality of ski shops and generally a friendly place, Some of the best ski schools in europe and certainly some of the best off piste around( unquestionable fact!). I wish more resorts would aspire to be what Verbier is. I found generally in Verbier(and switzerland in general) you get a better service(than most french resorts) at a similar price. The swiss also do a youths pass-between the ages of 12-17 that i have yet to come across in french resorts. It is most definitely my european resort of choice.
But i'm only a punter, what would i know?
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letitsnow,
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The highest quality of ski shops and generally a friendly place, Some of the best ski schools in europe and certainly some of the best off piste around( unquestionable fact!). I wish more resorts would aspire to be what Verbier is. I found generally in Verbier(and switzerland in general) you get a better service(than most french resorts) at a similar price.
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I love France, probably above all countries, but when it comes to ski resorts, I agree with everything you say. One of the things that really annoys me about French ski resorts is that the food is often so manky. In the normal scheme of things, you don't expect Swiss food to be better than French, but in ski resorts it frequently is. (Of course there are a few honourable exceptions.)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Gin and Tonic in Verbier was £7.50 a pop in the normal pubs (pub with indian statue outside it?), and a bottle of beer in one club was so expensive I have put it from my mind.  LDA is so much cheaper and the skiing is comparable
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As someone that like a bit nosh on the slopes it vital that on arrival you speak to folks that know the area and cantell you where the best food is served. Every resort I have visited has alway had at least 1 stand out lunch spot.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As someone that like a bit nosh on the slopes
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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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| rayscoops wrote: |
| Gin and Tonic in Verbier was £7.50 a pop in the normal pubs (pub with indian statue outside it?), and a bottle of beer in one club was so expensive I have put it from my mind. LDA is so much cheaper and the skiing is comparable |
I agree. Right down to the lethal behaviour of some skiers on the home run, as I recall. I like skiing in Switzerland - and have found Zermatt, Saas Fee, and Wengen really delightful resorts. For me Verbier was exciting and attractive in parts, but mostly satisfactory, OK, all right for me. I know a lot of others love it, though. Each to his own. To be fair, I thought it easier to find tree skiing in Verbier. The cover has to be good at LDA before one ski down to and through trees.
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Gin and Tonic in Verbier was £7.50 a pop in the normal pubs (pub with indian statue outside it?)
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Fer a Cheval - Bear in mind of course that that will be a double, which is served as standard, and a pint of Guinness in the same place works out to be £3.50, still expensive , (<£1 when I was a student  ) but still equivalent to most pubs in London (and sadly Leeds seems to be catching up). Bottled beer in some clubs is expensive enough to make you cry, but as Frosty the Snowman rightly points out local knowledge is the key. In Verbier I would recommend asking any passing Aussies or Kiwis where to get a cheap beer. They seem to have a nose for that kind of thing
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You know it makes sense.
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Frosty the Snowman,
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Every resort I have visited has alway had at least 1 stand out lunch spot
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I agree. And, being pretty much bilingual (not to mention greedy) I don't usually have trouble sussing out good food if there's some to be had. That doesn't detract from the fact that good mountain-top food is generally easier to come by in Switzerland (and Austria) than in France, IMO.
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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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I am not trying to knock Verbier, I enjoyed it there but don't claim to know it particularly well.
I went with a group of (middle aged ) lads and we had a pretty good time we have also recently been to La Thuile, Morzine and Chamonix and for us Verbier seemed very expensive when compared with the others. If you are a punter and not in the know food and drink prices were well above average.
I think for many skiers the far side of the lift system still is a relative black mark against the resort. One of the most pleasant off piste run/itinaires we did was the one of the back of the Greppon Blanc, attractive and isolated. The lifts to get back though were incredibly slow.
Did I enjoy the place and the skiing? definately yes. The expense though meant that I returned to Nendaz with the family which was much better priced (and has better views over the Rhone valley). Lift passes for anyone who is interested are I think expensive for an adult but outstanding value for a family.
Comparing two resorts like 2 Alpes and Verbier and saying one is 'better' for me is a bit silly as different resorts suit different folks and the important thing is to know whether a resort suits your requirements. From my childrens point of view after having been in both they are desperate to go back to 2 Alpes in the winter though they really enjoyed Nendaz.
When comparing eating in different countries as a gross oversimplification I think Switzerland Austira have better valueand food on the mountain than France but at the bottom of the mountain France wins hands down, but for overall quality of eating Italy is pretty excellent. Anyone who thinks that UK prices are a reasonable comparator to the alpes goes to pricier resorts than I usually do
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Poster: A snowHead
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T Bar,
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at the bottom of the mountain France wins hands down, but for overall quality of eating Italy is pretty excellent
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Agreed!
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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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unfortunately whether singles or doubles I still drink them at the same rate
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Good work. Stay away from The Farm and Tara's though if you wish to remain solvent. Can't disagree with the rest of your post either, and you will enjoy the bowls when you get there
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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"Surrounded by other great venues like, Smithys the Avalanche nightclub and Café Brezilien, the main strip of les Deux Alpes avenue, de La Muzelle meets rue Des Vikings at the same point where we find The Secret bar, L'Ours Blanc, The Boardroom and of course Shooters bar."
In other words, right in the middle of some very serious and well-established competition. The place is currently owned by the same bloke who has the Red Frog.
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I'd love someone to open an Indian! Our last one, disapperead a couple of years ago.
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we only skied there for a few days, but being intermediates i think we may have been skiing the same slopes quite a few times if we were there for a week. There were some fantastic runs on the glacier - dome was our favourate!
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I'd love someone to open an Indian! Our last one, disapperead a couple of years ago.
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Must have left at the sametime as the "lager louts" that apprently do not go to deux alpes in droves as thy used to!!!
They were certainly in abundence when i was there-I chose the french bars to get away!!
Horses(heads) for courses i guess
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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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| ChickenDhansak wrote: |
| I'd love someone to open an Indian! Our last one, disapperead a couple of years ago. |
Me too.
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FAQ
. LDA does have its down sides, but then so do most places....
.. be interesting to see if I'm the only jerk who googled that 
