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My first Post, info on La Thuile please

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hello everyone. I'm skiing La thuile, for the first time in Feb half term and would really appreciate some specific info on the pistes. My partner, who is a beginner, would like to go over to La Rosiere for at least one trip and it looks like she could ski a blue run all the way into the village, but is there an easy route back? I'm an intermediate so i guess i would be comfortable on red 7 back to La Thuile but would it be a reasonable or safe, to put a beginner on it? Thaks in advance for your help.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
richlott, A big welcome to snowheads.

An intermediate should mange red 7 with ease. Red 6 into the town is trickier, but a lovely run. By the end of the week red 7 should be managable by your partner. The only problem with a La Rosiere trip would be the short red off the top of the Fort back towards Italy. It is called Bouquetin and is reasonable steep in places. It is not wide, but neither is it a track/path. It has lots of bends in it so someone that is struggling can run wide onto a flatish bit on most bends and have a breather. A lovely run IMHO. The blue run direct to LA Rosiere town is very easy, but does crosss several pistes, so take care.

Perhaps type Thuile into the forum search facility, which should bring up lots of info. Dont type in Rosiere as the word has been somewhat devalued by an ongoing "joke"
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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?
Thanks Frosty the Snowman.

That info will be a great help. I've been looking around the site for a while now and am aware of the "La Ros" joke and am prepared for a bit of vitriol, if it turns up! That said, the main info that i've found on the site has been very welcome.

If anyone has anything to add, especially best runs, things/ places to avoid etc., i will be equally grateful.
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richlott, similarly, a big welcome to snowHeads.

Other than being able to say you have done it, why do you wish to go over to La Rosiere? I'd say there was plenty in La Thuile to keep a beginner and intermediate content for a week (assuming conditions are OK). The restaurants are better too on the whole.

Frosty the Snowman is correct about Bouquetin (I agree, it is a lovely run), but depending on the nervous/confident state of your partner it can become busy (you will be there at half term) and is fairly fast with the early section little more than road width. I have seen reasonable early intermediates approach it with less than carefree abandon. Is your partner a total beginner or has some experience already ben gained?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Marcus, But for the intermediate (when partner is in ski school) what better day than From the top of the Fort chair:
Choucas
Mouflon
Les Lauzes
UP EUCHERTS EXPRESS
Renard and over onto
Tetras
Rouvinettes
Fontaine Froide
Pannini and a hot Choc, and head back. Very Happy
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how many KM of pistes are there in la rosiere and la thuile combined?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Christopher, 150km combined

Frosty the Snowman, agreed, absolutely Very Happy But, our new addition specifically asked about taking a beginner over and their general outlook would need assessing first IMHO.

And I'd add a rum to that hot choc Razz
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Christopher, 150 km
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Which village is better to stay in? La Thuile or La Rosiere?

for self catering appartments and easy access to the pise
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Christopher, it is a tricky one. The Col is a great area to ski, and most of it is Italian, that said if the link is shut then often so is much of the Col Area. I love to lunch in Italy, but do like the sunny, pleasent, and friendly small town of La Rosiere. La Thuile has the shorter transfer.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Marcus, the reason skiers from La Thuile visit La Rosiere is to get some sun and warmth. La Thuile can be very cold, I'd also dispute that all the resturants on the Italian side are of the standard of La Rascard, Lo Reindet and a few others and are all better than the French side, they aren't, there are some awful joints, far worse than anything in La Rosiere.
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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.
Christopher, there is a large block of self-catering apartments right by the main gondola in La Thuile, directly across the road from where the run down ends.

It is a quiet village, and I thought it pleasant enough, but it isn't a party place.
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
David, lets not let another new poster here be put off by er what shall we say could be "over enthusiastic" advice that has the potential to becomes hostile. You have a vested interest in La Rosiere and I have no problem with some of your advice in spite of the potential clash of motive for providing it.

In fairness I did make a mention of the conditions. I also think think there are one or two places in La Rosiere worth considering stopping for food. But, as I said, on the whole I think La Thuile is better and certainly better value for money.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Thanks David, Marcus, et al for your advice.

To answer you, Marcus, the reason for the trip over to La Rosiere will simply be because it's there and so that she can say that for the first time she has skied in two counties in one day. As for me, i'm just a big kid, and if there is a slope, i want to ski down it. I am quite stupidly excited and have been since the day we booked.

One other question, if you don't mind? Black 3, is it as stupidly difficult as a 70% gradient suggests?
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Is it just me who think that La Thuile (the village, not the slopes) is actually really ugly?

From the base of the gondola when I first arrived from La Ros, I looked around and thought it was a fairly ugly little place. That huge block of flats is like something from a slum suberb of Manchester. La Rascard was its saving grace.

I was only a day visitor to La Thuile, so don't know if there is a "really nice bit" that I missed, but the bit around the base of the gondola does not compare to La Ros in any way.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
magic_hat, I wasn't overly struck by the place to be honest from an aesthetic point of view.

richlott, sorry, can't help on Black 3 but I'm sure there'll be someone who can. And nothing at all wrong with your reasoning, was just curious. I quite go along with your excitment - we're off to 3Vs on Sat and it's my first time there, so also getting highly charged about the prospect.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
[magic_hat, La Thuile was a coal mining town until the 1960's so it's not exactly picture postcard, although it is now getting some well deser[], ved improvements, there are some nice old buildings in the old town, and as well the apartment blocks near the gondola there are a few military barracks in the town, it's a centre for the Alpini regiment. richlott pista 2 & 3 can be very tricky when it's icy and yes the gradient is 77% at it's steepiest, there are some variants which enable you to miss some but not all of the more interesting sections. The easier black piste into town is pista 5 from the Chas Dura Express chairlift which links with pista 6, this is where most of La Thuile's snow cannons are located. b]Marcus[/b for your information and future reference my advice is not given to promote my business it's in reponse to a question about an area that I obviously know better than you do. Just in case you haven't worked it out yet another reason that skiers from La Thuile go to La Rosiere is that La Thuile loses it's snow earlier than La Rosiere.
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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?
Black 3 has a rather unpleasant steep usually icy narrow part near the top and there is no way of avoiding it once U are on it. It often has skiers "stuck" on this bit.

Black 2 has various step bits that can be avoided with by-pass type parts.

The blacks are not that difficult are they are usually groomed, but can be "icy"ish.
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David@traxvax wrote:
[magic_hat, La Thuile was a coal mining town until the 1960's so it's not exactly picture postcard, although it is now getting some well deser[], ved improvements, there are some nice old buildings in the old town, and as well the apartment blocks near the gondola there are a few military barracks in the town, it's a centre for the Alpini regiment. richlott pista 2 & 3 can be very tricky when it's icy and yes the gradient is 77% at it's steepiest, there are some variants which enable you to miss some but not all of the more interesting sections. The easier black piste into town is pista 5 from the Chas Dura Express chairlift which links with pista 6, this is where most of La Thuile's snow cannons are located. b]Marcus[/b for your information and future reference my advice is not given to promote my business it's in reponse to a question about an area that I obviously know better than you do. Just in case you haven't worked it out yet another reason that skiers from La Thuile go to La Rosiere is that La Thuile loses it's snow earlier than La Rosiere.


are you going to say a positive word about la thuile?

because from your opinion it sounds doom and gloom. I wouldnt want to have an investment in a resort that is in a ski area shared with a town with poor cuisine, that is deserted, ugly and losses it snow.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
To be fair there is a lot truth in the description by David@traxvax who I have never met. I have accessed from both side at least twice in winter and also a few times in the summer.

The skiing area in La Thuile is bigger and there is more scope to go around for the skiers with shorter queues. The town does look industrial to me and the road leading to it from the Aosta Valley is no comparison to the tree lined systematic hairpin bends in the French side.

It is really significantly colder but that is possibly if one is returning to the French side late in the afternoon the connecting chairlift is very exposed, ridiculously slow and seemingly excessively long, making the journey quite miserable. This is of course a big contrast to find a bit of warmth when one can catch the sun on arriving the French side. One does get the feeling that there is more skiing to be had after more or less packs up everything.

I myself like La Thuile more but I did not find information from David@traxvax inaccurate. I have not ate much in the French side but I quite enjoyed every lunch I had in the Italian side. Food is a bit a personal thing I believe.

From my experience I have seen poor snow on both sides but would agree on average the snow is softer, more and better in the French side, even though there is seldom anything wrong in the Italian side.

I don't think there is any point arguing about which side is better because either side would not be sufficiently attractive to the skiing public without the other side. The place is unique in winter in that the Petit St Bernard Pass, linking the French with the Italian, is not open to the public and only the skiers are privileged to cross the two countries freely at this point. The No 7 piste, at 11km long and among the longest, is on the part of the pass itself.


Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 3-01-08 9:48; edited 1 time in total
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saikee, A fair assessment I think. Certainly one without the other would severely restrict the interest for skiers of reasonable ability upwards. With some notable exceptions, many of the pistes in La Rosiere are insufficiently dissimilar to hold much interest beyond a few days IMO.
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Agreed, but imagine the 1v, Le Un Alpes, Lech without Zurs, Tignes sans Val. The sum is greater than its parts.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Frosty the Snowman, indeed. And there are probably some snowHeads that can recall exactly the resorts you've listed Laughing
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A big thank you to everyone who have offered advice.

As a newby i was aware that the mention of La Thuile or, more especially La Rosiere, can spark a lot of comment that is not exactly unbiased- be that pro or anti- but i have to say that the info received has been most helpful. It would be a shame though if the "joke" becomes more important than the information offered.

Marcus I hope that you have a great time in the 3v's, i was there a few seasons ago and had a great blast.
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richlott, We took our five year old there last year and thought it was probably one of the best resorts we have visited. lots of variation and as you say there is always the chance to go to La Ros if you want to.
From memory you can ski into France and out again without trekking all the way; the very long drag lift back is at least very easy.
You can always get back to La Thuile in the gondala for the first couple of days and then enjoy run 7 (and 6 later on). Run 7 has the advantage of accessing some of the best restaurants in the area and is for the most part a nice cruise.
for us, the runs back were only a problem when busy; I would suggest avioding them in the rush hour until you are confident on them at other times.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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richlott, thanks for that. As long as the link over the San Bernard pass is open, I'm sure you and your partner will have a great experience of two diverse, but complimentary terrains and La Ros does have a remarkable snow record which is what it's all about snowHead
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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.
Just to show the difference: Today La Rosiere is being lashed by gale force winds with ony 3 short drag lifts open wheras La Thuile is fully open.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Quote:

From the top of the Fort chair:
Choucas
Mouflon
Les Lauzes
UP EUCHERTS EXPRESS
Renard and over onto
Tetras
Rouvinettes
Fontaine Froide
Pannini and a hot Choc, and head back.


Frosty - Don't suppose you know which piste numbers those runs equate to?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
ajpaul, The Pistes in La Rosiere are names, not numbered. The trip is from the top of the Chardonnet chair coming from Italy.

Here is a cracking pdf piste map of The Espace San Bernado (5MB) on which you can follow the route.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Frosty - cheers for that Very Happy
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Nick W Thanks for that. It is always good to know where the best restraunts are.

The plan so far is to Ski Red 7 on my own and then, hopefully, towards the end of the week, and as long as my partner is feeling confident, for the two of us to ski it. Mind you, with a couple of Drinks inside her Black 3 backwards, on one leg and singing the Italian Natioal anthem is not out of the question!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Frosty the Snowman wrote:
Just to show the difference: Today La Rosiere is being lashed by gale force winds with ony 3 short drag lifts open wheras La Thuile is fully open.


Just looked at the La Ros website - the Fort is listed as having 130 km/h winds!!! That's some wind!
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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?
Agree with Frosty about the red from the top of the fort. It's narrow and twisty and often congested, just the kind of thing to freak out a nervous beginner.
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richlott, Nick W mentions the long drag lift back (Bellecombe 1) which you need to take to get away from the bottom of Bouquetin and I would just add that it is indeed long and if your partner were to fall off there is not an easy ski out for an inexperienced skier especially in the middle, so I would want to be absolutely sure that she was competent with drag lifts before taking her down the blues which run parallel (Faisan) (but which unfortunately are not adjacent).
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Nick L, truffaut Thanks for the advice. I'll see how she gets on during the week and if she is looking confident and the conditions are perfect, we'll give the run over to La Rosiere a try.
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We're off to La Thuile for the Feb half term - of all times. Having some trouble contacting the ski school for the beginners in the group (not for myself, you understand!).

Is it just the one ski school in La Thuile, and is it true that they don't operate on Sundays? That's what they seem to have told us, but since our last email to them in early December they've kept complete silence Sad

Any tips on contacting them or getting some absolute beginner instruction on the Sunday? Or have we blown it?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
paulio, welcome to snowHeads. i can't help you on this one, but I am sure someone will be along shortly to assist. You could try sending a PM (private message) to David@traxvax, as he is the "local" and seems to know more about the resort than anyone
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
paulio, welcome to snowHead s

David@traxvax has a chalet in La Rosiere so I imagine may not be intimately acquainted with la Thuile ski schools.
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At this rate they're going to end up driving to Courmayeur for their lessons instead, completely defeating the point of going to a supposedly beginner-friendly resort!
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http://www.scuolascilathuile.it/
0039 0165 884123

Give them a ring. I believe another snowhead had difficulties booking lesons during peak periods.

Also consider contacting http://bluski.com/

BLUSKI.COM HAS MADE 1 POST, IN THIS THREAD (CAPS LOCK rolling eyes ) http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=584178&highlight=#584178
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