 Poster: A snowHead
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What's the worst rat run anyone's experienced ??
I'd nominate the run off Solaise in Va' D'Isere at the end of the day. Like trying to ski down your highstreet during the sales.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The bottom of the OK at La Daille is just as bad, or the last bit down to Val Claret at Tignes. Slush moguls covered with tots in helmets. And that last bit down to Meribel is just as bad. As for the last bit to Les Menuires...
Maybe that's it. It's the last bit where it is most crowded and slushy and difficult to avoid trouble whatever the resort.
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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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Wengen the blue run from the bottom of the bumps lift to the top of the Innerwengen chairlift, too much walking by far, then the narrow section of the same run just as it comes into the village, tiny tots doing snowploughs being run down by idiots who think it's clever to race back to the resort so as to be first in the bar
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The home run in Soll. It's impossible to ski all the way down without stopping and having to squeeze past people.
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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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And I've just thought of Ours down to Mottaret. Its flat too.
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The road at the end of...oh, sorry. The Solaise in Val d'Isere gets another vote from me.
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there is a blue down into Les Manures (spelling intentional) that is the only run home. not very nice when you're tired, learning and desperate for a pint.
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NickW, I'll second that one, full of inconsiderate tossers going too fast  !
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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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Oh dear, our place for the Jan hol is on the solaise, here was us thinking that was good.
From personal experience, ermm, the one in meribel valley that leads in to thte higer village - quite possibly Ours into mottaret, but then agan maybe not. It comes down from the val thorens side and leads into the village *up* the valley if you see what I mean. No piste map handy so I have no idea whather that's the one. Anyway when we skiied it (Xmas 2001/2) it was blue ice for the whole wiodth (20 metres plus) and for about 150 metres long, and absolutley *packed* with adults and kids weaving in and out depsite the lack of purchase
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Down to La Daille. Trick is, sweep right through the trees and come down towards the funicular rather than the actual bottom. Slightly more bearable. I have to say I have become slightly less patient with the ski instructors who have saved that gem of a run for their 30 migit followers unitl half four on an icy day. Mind you, guess they don't get too much of a choice if they are finishing there. Sharpen your poles for ski school kebab.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I find the run off the solaise to be lovely. Get a beer on the sun deck up top and only leave when they are closing the pistes. Tis pretty quiet then.
PS to answer the question - there is a run in Avoriaz that is really dull and practically flat from one of the areas off to the right (he said helpfully).
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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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The road from the city centre to the quayside in Newcastle anytime after 4.30pm.
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PauPaul Mason,
Newcastle centre to quayside is child play because all the rats are inside.
I am glad Val Thoren/Les Menuires to Meribel got mentioned a few times. There were thousands at closing time. The rats did not disperse but were all standing at the bottom of Merbel Mottaret too. Lost the wife there and missed the last chair lift back to Courchevel.
So anybody thinking of ditching the partner this is the place to do it NATURALLY.
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You know it makes sense.
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There is nothing to compare to the Marielle Goitschel coming down from the Meribel side towards Val Thorens. It's a black but at the end of the day there are about 5 novices/square metre side slipping and snowploughing a perfectly decent piste into sheet ice 
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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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We've discussed it before but the bottom of the Luc Alphand (aka the Piste Olympic) in Serre Chevalier (Chantemerle) is carnage at the end of the day. A wide, flat, steep black, criss-crossed by greens and blues and sometimes with handy obscuring mounds of snow from the snow cannons to aid visibility 
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Poster: A snowHead
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The run off the mountain at Argentiere at the end of the day. This is particularly true when snow conditions in the Chamonix valley close the other ski areas and everyone converges on Argentiere. There is only one run off the mountain, and what makes it particularly bad is the mixed abilities coming down. There are groups of indifferent skiers who clog up the slope and perform 'unexpected manouvers' while at the same time speedy skiers flying through. This makes it a real task to keep an eye on the skiers that you're passing while watching the slopes above for approaching flyers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Le couloir at Alpe d'Huez is pretty much the only way down from 2700 to 2100 but is fed with people from the high capacity DMC gondola, a 170 person cable car and all those people who've just come down the tunnel run from the glacier. The crowds are awful (and I've never been in peak season!) and the snow is always really churned up. Early in then day when people aren't on their way home it's a lovely run.
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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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I second Chris Bish, trying to get from the Toviere to Val Claret late in the day is a pain. For some reason the slush here seems to kill my legs more than anywhere else.
Coming down from the Solaise is much less crowded by choosing Piste L or the Germain Mattis.
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Stay high up as long as possible, go to a bar, then ski down in the twilight when the lower slopes have emptied. Perfect.
Regretably, in the 3 V catching connections puts paid to that and really spoils a good day out.
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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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Happy Valley in St Anton gets my vote. Full of people going too fast without regard for others (I suppose that could apply to most of the other runs mentioned).
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I'd second Happy Valley. How about the Vallee Blanche?!
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The bottom of the Grand Montet, i nearly crapped myself!
Getting off the Grande Motte in Tignes. Seen some massive accidents at weekends there during my season there.
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| Kit Wong wrote: |
| I'd second Happy Valley. How about the Vallee Blanche?! |
The choke point for the Vallée Blanche is at the start: the knife-edge arête leading from the Aiguille du Midi, that you negotiate roped up and preferably with crampons. But at that point, you're fresh and full of anticipation, so it's not like those slushy crowded runs at the end of a long day.
Although much of The VB is easy, some parts are daunting, so you don't get hordes of beginners. The number of people on the best days is limited by the availability of guides I would guess (mortals would be mad to attempt it without a qualified local guide, IMO). The guides prevent people from going fast, having clients disappear into crevasses not being good for business. 
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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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| Quote: |
The choke point for the Vallée Blanche is at the start: the knife-edge arête leading from the Aiguille du Midi, that you negotiate roped up and preferably with crampons. But at that point, you're fresh and full of anticipation, so it's not like those slushy crowded runs at the end of a long day.
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Not if you go from the Italian side. There's no choke point, then. 
You're right about the rest, though.
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I'll offer up the bowl at Scheffau, skiers coming from virtually all directions heading back to the lift back to the Brandstadl restaurant. It's an ever so slightly uphill queue for the lift as well so there's beginners doing the 3-steps-forward 2-steps-back walk being cut up by those who should know better carving them up in the queue. Add in to that those cutting across the lift lines to get to other lifts and a swarm of gromits being shoved under the rope barriers to jump the line and it looks total chaos at lunchtime.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| skanky wrote: |
| Not if you go from the Italian side. There's no choke point, then. |
I'd like to give that a go one day. I spent a couple of days at Courmayeur last December (when the snow on the other side of Mt. Blanc was pretty well non-existent) but never thought about the VB. [Sorry for drifting off-topic]
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