 Poster: A snowHead
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Okay I know I know but I still haven't booked and now Courchevel is off too (sorry Chrisb!). We are now 99% sure that we'll book Chalet Blanc in Les Gets - I just have a funny feeling the location is not as good as it's represented. Has anyone been to Les Gets who knows the distance between the lifts? This is the description of the location of the chalet:
The chalet is about 8 minutes' walk from the lifts at La Turche, and you can ski back to within 250m. It is about 7-8 minutes' walk from the village centre, and for your added convenience we provide complimentary transport to and from the ski-hire shop on Sunday afternoon.
We have a number of children in our group so I'd like to be sure (as there is NO bus stop near the chalet) that we are not actually on the other side of the village or that all the other lifts are on the other side of the village, we are just close-ish to the La Turche lifts.... Are they useful to beginners?
Any advice MUCHLY appreciated! 
Mirjam
PS Here is a link to the whole description http://www.skiactivity.com/property.php?id=475
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brian
brian
Guest
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Mirjam, still looking eh ? 
Hate to be the bearer of bad news but La Turche is up a pretty steep hill and as I remember it a fair distance out of the village centre. You might be able to run down it in 7-8 mins to the village but the kids in particular would be a lot longer walking back !
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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've stayed in the La turche area in les gets. 7 min walk my back bottom! More like 15 mins in ski boots and carrying gear. However with some creative off piste (read skiing through peoples gardens) we almost skied back to the chalet once 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Oh no.  Thank you.
Mirjam
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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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i lived in la turche which was a looong way away, just to clarify.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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No need to panic - its not that far - and also the Navette - the free bus can take you wherever you want to go.
Can i suggest that you go into the Les Gets website www.lesgets.com and click on village. You can then download a plan of the village which shows where everything is and also the timings for the Navette.
Stayed at the Hotel Alpages last year - its on the road up to La Turche.
If you have beginners you might want to ski back to the centre of the village or come down the Chavannes bubble rather than ski down the blue run (Vorosses) to La Turche.
If you want to ski down towards the village then you can ski right across the top of the piste and then walk down the road past the Hotel Crychar which cuts the distance in half.
Or - Ski Activity usually uses Delavay Sports which is right at the foot of the pistes for ski hire. You can leave all your skis and boots there overnight so that you dont have to walk backwards and forwards with all your kit. We did this last year and it was easier than taking our kit back to the hotel.
Oh - and this was with a 6yr old and a 3 yr old
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We stayed right at the top of the la turche area, so we could ski down to the lifts http://www.chaletfinder.co.uk/viewproperty.htm?pid=28430 so we did have ski in ski out (admittedly it would have been grass skis for the first few days, but I can't control the weather*) but I can confirm that its a fair hike up from the village to the lifts at la turche (especially in the evening at night after a drink or several.) I would suspect it might be easier to walk to the lifts at the centre of the village, than up the hill - especially as they're both described as 8 minutes away. Maybe skiing back down to La turche at the end of the day.
I'd always recommend trying to find a ski shop, close to the pistes, which has storage facilities for your gear - it saves all that tiresome ski boot walking, even if it is only 250m
*Not yet... but one day... <Manic>
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I'm not exactly sure where your chalet is as there was no map on the link - however if it's in between La Turche and the village you would have various options, thinking of the children/beginnners in your party. The buses, though not that regular, do go up to La Turche.
If the children are having ski lessons, you will need to get them to the bottom of the Chavannes lift area where ESF and all the other ski schools normally congregate. Lessons start at 9am or 10am in the morning, usually 2pm in the afternoon.
La Turche button lift goes up to the top of the Les Gets bowl; you can then ski a blue down to the bowl (or a blue or red back down to la Turche). From the bowl you take Nauchets chairlift up and then can ski a blue down to Chavannes where all the ski lessons are. The lifts open at around 9am. This trip takes between 30mins and an hour depending on age and ability of skiers and co operation of lifts and queues. I myself do not think this is an option for beginners.
The short cut by the Hotel Crychar is excellent if you are close, as you can ski in 1 minute down to Chavannes, but not sure where you are exactly.
It sounds as if you would be better off using the ski shop in the village centre to leave your skis and boots; then you can walk in snowboots to and from your chalet. (and easily do a bit of apres ski drinks/skating/shopping without needing to go back to your chalet to leave your skis etc). You can't then ski down to La Turche as you will want to leave your skis at the shop ready for the morning..I would imagine the children would find this much easier to cope with, and it would give everyone that gentle 'warm up' I read about on another thread.
I hope this is helpful - but you will have to decide if it suits you! I am currently resident in Les Gets, so if you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
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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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| ropetow wrote: |
No need to panic - its not that far - and also the Navette - the free bus can take you wherever you want to go.
Can i suggest that you go into the Les Gets website www.lesgets.com and click on village. You can then download a plan of the village which shows where everything is and also the timings for the Navette.
Stayed at the Hotel Alpages last year - its on the road up to La Turche.
If you have beginners you might want to ski back to the centre of the village or come down the Chavannes bubble rather than ski down the blue run (Vorosses) to La Turche.
If you want to ski down towards the village then you can ski right across the top of the piste and then walk down the road past the Hotel Crychar which cuts the distance in half.
Or - Ski Activity usually uses Delavay Sports which is right at the foot of the pistes for ski hire. You can leave all your skis and boots there overnight so that you dont have to walk backwards and forwards with all your kit. We did this last year and it was easier than taking our kit back to the hotel.
Oh - and this was with a 6yr old and a 3 yr old |
This sounds great, thanks. I hadn't realised the Navette DOES stop there, the info/blurb says not applicable! That makes it all easier. And we can leave our skis in the centre. So there is hope! Thanks again!!!
Mirjam
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| snowzebra wrote: |
I'm not exactly sure where your chalet is as there was no map on the link - however if it's in between La Turche and the village you would have various options, thinking of the children/beginnners in your party. The buses, though not that regular, do go up to La Turche.
If the children are having ski lessons, you will need to get them to the bottom of the Chavannes lift area where ESF and all the other ski schools normally congregate. Lessons start at 9am or 10am in the morning, usually 2pm in the afternoon.
La Turche button lift goes up to the top of the Les Gets bowl; you can then ski a blue down to the bowl (or a blue or red back down to la Turche). From the bowl you take Nauchets chairlift up and then can ski a blue down to Chavannes where all the ski lessons are. The lifts open at around 9am. This trip takes between 30mins and an hour depending on age and ability of skiers and co operation of lifts and queues. I myself do not think this is an option for beginners.
The short cut by the Hotel Crychar is excellent if you are close, as you can ski in 1 minute down to Chavannes, but not sure where you are exactly.
It sounds as if you would be better off using the ski shop in the village centre to leave your skis and boots; then you can walk in snowboots to and from your chalet. (and easily do a bit of apres ski drinks/skating/shopping without needing to go back to your chalet to leave your skis etc). You can't then ski down to La Turche as you will want to leave your skis at the shop ready for the morning..I would imagine the children would find this much easier to cope with, and it would give everyone that gentle 'warm up' I read about on another thread.
I hope this is helpful - but you will have to decide if it suits you! I am currently resident in Les Gets, so if you have any other questions, feel free to ask. |
Thanks Snowzebra, that's really useful information. I will take it along with me if we go! I think we will indeed use the ski shop so it should be okay. May I ask one question, if you look at the picture of the chalet from this angle, does it look familiar?
http://www.rocketski.com/skiing-france/Les-Gets/Chalet-Blanc.aspx
Mirjam
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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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If that's the chalet, then grenier a ski is at the bottom of the road up to la turche. It would be *much* easier to walk into the village!
Here's a map, its the leftmost red dot. http://www.grenieraskis-sports.com/uk/access.htm
*edit* obviously, when I say leftmost, I mean the one on the right. 
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Thanks again! I'm really confused now because the two chalets look identical, but on the other hand they don't!!! How bizarre. The links definitely both link to a Chalet Blanc in Les Gets built by the Blanc family who are carpenters but the pictures, also internal pictures, are slightly different.  Thanks though!
Mirjam
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You know it makes sense.
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Did Ski Activity tell you its the chalet above Grenier a Skis ? If thats the one then you will be fine - i wouldn't have described it as being in La Turche though !. Sometimes tour operators give chalets a different name to their actual name for reasons known to themselves. The Ski Activity website says central location 200m from the slopes - so its not up in La Turche
The Ski Activity coach actually unloads everyone about Grenier a Skis as the coach can't get any further along the road as the road narrows.
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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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Mirjam, I'm not sure whether your pics are of the same chalet.. I know the G a Skis - it's on the road into town, an easy walk to the lifts & centre..maybe ask the company exactly where the chalet is .. either way, as you say, you're probably best off using the ski shop.
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Poster: A snowHead
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The Ski Activity website seems to have two chalet Blancs - one called Chalet Blanc and one called Chalet Blanc sc. The pictures of the interior and the description of the location seems to differ on both properties so i suspec that there are two chalets.
As said previously - give Ski Activity a phone and ask exactly where it is on the map. The postal address would be useful.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Does anyone know if it's possible to ski down to the Perrieres Express chair from the bottom of the La Turche drag?
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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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Yes, it is marked on the piste map "Les Trembles" a blue. Can be difficult to spot, as you come down Vorosse look across to the drag and head to the right of it there's usually some fabric fencing to slow you down and guide you.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Timc, thank you very much
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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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Also worth pointing out that later in the season that run tends to be minging, and is one of the first to melt.
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FAQ
) are beginners or just off beginners so creative off-pisting isn't really an option. Thanks for your reply!
