 Poster: A snowHead
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As I post in the chalets/accomodation forum we're preparing a "road trip" of about 11-12 days of skiing trying to taste some of the best freeride spots.
The first option is to start in verbier and finish in la grave, doing verbier-chamonix-la clusaz-la plagne and la grave. I know all of this except the lasts 2. Espace killy and 3vallées not an option.
We're thinking in if is worth to do a day or two in ADH, L2A or serre chevalier or is if better to spend all days in this region in la grave (maybe there're an option in bad weather).
The second option it go to eastern switzerland. I never skied there, so more questions in this area. We're thinking in Engelberg, flims-laax, andermatt and davos, and if it's worth to drive 1-2 days to montafon (or if is better to plan another trip to st.anton-montafon-ischgl)but we don't know if there any spots better.... And how many days spend in each place....
The final option will depend on snow conditions, and the option not choosed will be in our schedule for next years, so all advices in all places will be helpful...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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AlTom,
I have a done a few of the places you talk about, namely, Engelberg, Andermatt, Verbier, Chamonix, LP, LG and SC, inc L2A and ADH.
I think you might have to reign in a few resorts as you will spend too many days travelling.
If you want to target Switerland, I'd bracket Engelberg and Andermatt as you can get between them in a hour.. so if keen, you needn't lose a day, but you will be messing around with Hotel/kit check-in so you'll probably get a late start. Then you head east to Laax and then onto Davos. That is a nice compact trip with maybe a max of 2 hrs on the road... I think that will work quite well even though you change 3 times, the distances between them aren't long and you could be on the slopes by lunchtime or before if you are organised...and a bit lucky...
The French trip is less good as although Verbier and Chamonix are very close, and La Clusaz isn't far, it is a distraction, ditto LP. I think the choices of resort are great but it will likely take you 3 hrs (min) to get from Chamonix to ADH/L2A etc. So I would do Verbier, then allow a morning to get to ski in Chamonix and then travel to LG and allow for a day off for that. Once in LG, use that for a base to get to the other resorts... SC is 30 mins over the Col, ADH down the hill and up again and ditto L2A. If you ski LG, the hill can easily shut so you will want to do SC, ADH and L2A on those days...and don't go to SC on a bluebird day as we did last year....as BC had the whole hill with thigh high fresh to himself as he tells it... I know, I know.... but it is a long story...  ...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have done a few road trips and over the times you are talking about we think 2 moves are as much as you want to do...
Although, it is fun to chase the snow... I think you might want to commit to a hotel and a stay..because you don't want to be rushing around trying to find one as that eats up time.
Engelberg is worth 3-4 days if you haven't been there and the glacier is open, Andermatt is 3...... and the rest divided how you like, maybe 2 for Laxx and 3 for Davos.... just as a general idea.
For France, I'd do 5 days between Cham and Verbier...however you like, and the balance in LG as you have 3 other resorts to discover...
Just an idea..
Although it is a great idea to see many places in one hit, I'd save them up for the next year... this is our 5th year doing things like this and a couple of things we have learned is to take a rest day for a journey over 2 hrs..as it will eat up to much into the skiing anyway..and you need a rest if going for that time, and if you just leave all the dates open you have to hunt down hotels on the road which takes more time and you spend a lot of money on day passes as you aren't sure how long you'll stay....so we book up at least 2 hotels and only have to find one at the most on a move day. This allows us to change our mind during the trip for whatever reason.
Out trips this year will be, Zinal and the valley, Arolla and the valley and Verbier/Chamonix. We aren't that far from the Grand St B and can even do La Thuile and the Rutor if we want to as it will be a hrs or so drive from out hotel..which we haven't booked yet....!!! 
For LG, we stay in the Castillan in LG and look to pick off the others according to weather as LG is normally the 1st to shut. I then bug out to go the LP for a few days...
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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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the distances between them aren't long and you could be on the slopes by lunchtime or before if you are organised...and a bit lucky...
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Or, opt to do the transfer in late afternoon on the last day of your stay. You'll then have more time in the evening to get organized before hitting the slope of the new resort the next morning.
Ski hard in the morning, early lunch and a couple run back down. Throw everything in the car and hit the road in late afternoon. How early you need to set off depends on how difficult the driving is (and how much daylight remains). If the transfer is only ~2 hours, you'll be in your room before dinner. Maybe even time to stop by the drinking holes to inquire about the best snow...
I'll second the advice of not transfering too much. Minimum of 2 days in one resort, 3-4 would be better for even getting a good sampling of even a small resort. Plus, the constant moving would really wear you down.
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JT, Thanks thanks for all this advices.
I skied before verbier, cham, la clusaz, and L2A, so if we'll ski these places maybe not necessary the "discovering" day in the resort... go directly to interesting parts (Col des mines, couloir creblet, montfort backside, starway, mt gele if opens...etc....or brevent couloirs, pas de chevre....etc...), but my mate haven't ski as much as me in the alps and he wants to discover many places (I'm trying to explain him that verbier-cham-LG are enough, and as you said in LG area there are other resorts for bad days weather). I like yout point of view...
The option engelberg-andermatt-flims-davos.....mmmm...  it sound very very good, I never skied there and this year I think the conditions are really good!! Are there other resorts that you think it's worth a visit???
Other aspect I don't mention is that we're only 2 people and we have a little van that it's enough to sleep 2 people perfectly, not equiped to stay 10 days but enough to sleep well 1 night....maybe the transfer day.
Finally the days maybe will be 19-31th jan (not definitive)......if someone is there maybe we can do a day togheter (or at less a couple of runs) an learn some itinerary......
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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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AlTom,
We never made it over to Laax or Davos but know Andermatt and Engelberg well. This year we are concentraing on the south west Valais but we want to see Davos another time. As I said, I try to keep the travelling reasonable so we are staying around Zinal, Arolla and Verbier.....with a day or so in Chamonix as we are passing that way.
The only thing we have booked is the chalet in Zinal for 6 days and then we head over to Arolla for a scout and we need to get upto Mont Fort as well some time. We head out to Chamonix on the 18th to meet up with some people then will go from there. When we move to the Arolla valley we will need a hotel but I think at this time, it should be ok to chance it. We have cars so can stay down the valley if need be.
Apart from east Switzerland which I haven't really explored, you have some top resorts, I thought we might look at what the Aletsch offers which is on the way through from Andermatt to Val d' Anniviers but I have the 3 places sorted now so don't want to put that idea .....and Saas Fee valley into their heads..ha ha
I think LG with the option to visit Serre C, ADH, L2A is a nice contained trip in itself.... if you wanted to tack La Plagne onto that, then that is about 3 hours away.... but it would take care of about 12 days quite easily. As you know you can have to wait out a storm in Le Grave so you'll want to ski the others whilst waiting for Le Grave to be safe....
Sounds like a great trip..whichever resorts you do. This is the way we have been going for a few years now.....
Trips include Monterosa and Cervinia; Chamonix, Courmayeur and Monterosa; Engelberg, Andermatt and Val d Annivier. East Switzerland is next so am researching some places now...Laax looks good, so there and Davos and maybe St Anton, or head further south into Switzerland..... haven't decided yet..
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JT, I think about the same as you that the area valais-cham valley it's enough for a 11-12days, and also that LG-SC-ADH-LDA is another trip.
We initially thought in the first option, starting in verbier, and as we've to return to catalunya, LG it's in the way back home (not exactly in the way, but not far away....) so we thought that's it's a good option to spend the last 3 days there. Really the way from my home to verbier by car is Manresa-Perpignan-Montpellier-Valence-Grenoble-Albertville-Val d'arly-Chamonix-Verbier.......So we thought in do verbier-chamonix and then in the way back "stop on route" depending on the conditions.
The "problem" for the second option (eastern switzerland) is the distance from catalunya as only one of us (we're 2) have driving license, and maybe it's a too long way for one person. But, finally, all will depend on snow conditions (and if it isn't this year will be the next one...)
Another thing is skiing in chamonix for us mean freeride (pas du chevre, glacier argentiere, envers du plan, glacier rond, couloir des cosmiques, couloir ENSA, and a long etc, etc...) but I don't know if the snow depth is already enough to ski all (or much of them...) these things, or will be already in late jan. And finally, we're only 2, so a private guide will cost a lot of money but I don't have experience in fill "collective" guidings (A guide in cham and la grave will be necessary for us as we don't know enough the terrain, and for attempt this type of stuff without enough terrain's knowledge is worth it)....How do you think about it?? Will we ski more with a private guiding than collective guiding??? Which dates you're in chamonix?? Maybe (if you're thinking in this kind of stuff) we can share a guide??
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I can see that from where you travel from, start in Verbier, end in LG can make sense.
It depends how much you trust your skills. I think Envers, for example is ok on your own if you are used to this stuff.... but I haven't done Cosmiques etc so think they need to be guided. Also, I don't know if people will mix their groups .. but you8 could always ask at the guides office if anyone wants to taljk about it.....but you might find that these are not run or the mill off piste routes.... you don't really want to take people you don't know there as that can spoil the day.... it might be very hardc to match up skill-sets....
We, for example, will have 3 peeps that we would have to abandon for the day if we wanted to do that sort of stuff. It does sound good to me tho..... we could swap mobiles to see if we will be in the village at the same time and maybe pick off Envers or somewhere... but I can't answer for the others at this stage...
I think you could make a reasonable fist of it in LG unguided if you stay on the classic routes.... but it isn't something you can recommend,,you have to think you can do it...not take a strangers word for it....
AFAICT atm, we should be in Chamonix on the 18th but they will be our first turns and I doubt we will go too mad....and I know that Chamonix isn't the place to start if the snow is good because things will tempt you....but we will just be getting out legs in.
Have a look at the Trips section to see if anyone else is going to be around.... I thought there were going to be a few  in LG late Jan....
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jeje......really.... take the aguille du midi cable car isn't the place to recover the ski feelings.......  Maybe we'll do one day with a guide to attack hard stuff.....
When we decide more exactly the places and the dates in each place, I'll put here, but now in mind is leave on 19th evening, so start skiing on sunday 20th but I don't know where  ..... You will be in cham only the 18th or more days??? We've a lot of flexibility so we can change a little the plan to do some turns together and if the turns can be in the envers better.......
About La Grave, I've in mind do the first day unguided in the classic routes to "familiarize" to the area and only attack some places that we can see and examine from classic routes, then make a harder day with a guide to attack couloirs that may need rappels, steeps, or need a good knowledge of the terrain, and the third day unguided repeating the best spots and doing things that we can learn the day before with the guide....
about accomodation, do you know in chamonix valley some accomodation as for example the bunker in verbier....type youth hostel, or "auberge"???
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AlTom,
Ok...
Regarding Chamonix.... I'd post a thread looking for accomodation.. you could PM Smallzooker as he knows a few peeps as he lives there.
You should pop by his shop opposite the Midi CC anyway.
We travel down on the 18th ski the 19th in Chamonix and then need to be in Val d Annivier on the 20th. After that we play it by ear.
If you want to know about Verbier, Parlor runs a chalet there.
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JT, AlTom, In Chamonix cheapest place to stay is Gite Vagabond. 14.40 Euro per night. It is fine and if you go half board the dinner is nice well it was last year anyhow.
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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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AlTom,
We have to be in VDA for the night of the 20th, so if the snow is good, we will probably ski Chamonix that day. Can't promise atm as I can't say what the others will say. Also, we have a friend arriving from Auz on the 20th.... so will need to meet up with him ....
Maybe swap mob numbers and see how the days pan out....
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