 Poster: A snowHead
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Has anyone got any experience of the ski schools and leaner slopes around Flumet, Belcombe, Crest etc etc?
Looking for lessons but don't want to be tied to one location (La Clusaz) for the whole week this time.
Quite fancy trying somewhere new and the piste map looks to suit the childrens level of skiing.
Any advise?
Thanks
Lisa
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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lisach, I know the area well, but La Clusaz is not part of the Espace Diamant. Where will you be based. I would recommend Les Saisies, and the Glisse Passion ski school, for children and beginners. Far better snow quality and more slopes to choose from, for all abilities. Notre Dame 1350 would be the next best bet. Flumet is closer to La Clusaz but it's low, and snow quality could be an issue. If you identify exactly what you're looking for, and when, I'd be glad to help. If it's half term, no time to waste in booking lessons. And they'll probably need to be private, unless the kids are going to be OK in a francophone environment.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| lisach, I know the area well, but La Clusaz is not part of the Espace Diamant. Where will you be based. I would recommend Les Saisies, and the Glisse Passion ski school, for children and beginners. Far better snow quality and more slopes to choose from, for all abilities. Notre Dame 1350 would be the next best bet. Flumet is closer to La Clusaz but it's low, and snow quality could be an issue. If you identify exactly what you're looking for, and when, I'd be glad to help. If it's half term, no time to waste in booking lessons. And they'll probably need to be private, unless the kids are going to be OK in a francophone environment. |
Thanks Pam, we are based close to St Jean-de-Sixt but like to be mobile so driving down to your neck of the woods isn't an issue. La Clusaz can get a bit busy and yes we would prefer Private Lessons as the group ones all seems to start at different time and different places, nightmare! Manigod is another option as it was very good there last year.
How long would it take to get to Les Saises, we would perhaps do 2-3 Private there.
Regards
Lisa
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According to Via Michelin it would take 47 minutes, though would depend on weather especially over the Col des Aravis. Les Saisies offers a much greater choice of learning slopes, especially if lower snow is a little dodgy. You would drive up through Notre Dame 1150 (the old village) and 1350 (Mont Rond, the main centre) but although 1350 has some nice learning slopes the main blue run down from the top is a bit tough in places for early improvers - though a super run. In Les Saisies kids in classes can go up one of the main chair lifts and have lots of easy runs - much more fun than just round and round the nursery slope. Friends who had kids in private lessons last week were thrilled that they were doing skiing backwards on their third day, and having a ball.
Would recommend Glisse Passion, independent ski school, more flexible than ESF. They have an OK website, click through from the lessaisies.com website.
One big advantage of Les Saisies is that, except in the peak periods, you can park right at the top of the nursery slope, at the ski school meeting place. It's more of a struggle in the 4 peak weeks, of course - which is why we shall be away from here by Friday.
More experienced skiers would probably do better going up to the top levels of Notre Dame de Bellecombe, from 1350. Lift linked from Les Saisies, but a bit of a hike for small kids.
When are you thinking of visiting? The ski schools will be getting very booked up.
It's snowing hard today; things should be great for half term. All runs are open at the moment.
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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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Hi,
We ski from flumet and use Flumet St nicholas ESF for private lessons.
The 1st year, 2006, kids were 8yrs old used ski school but struggled in the groups due to their non existent french.
There are 2 instructors who speak english and we use one of them for our private lessons.
When the snow has been poor lessons have started at NDB or les saisies
Unlike previous years the ski school is quite efficient at answering emails and you can confidenlty organise your lessons this way.
For us the biggest advantages of Les Saisies over the rest of espace the chairs as opposed to buttons.
Our youngest, 5yrs old this year, is capable of getting down most of the blues and some of the reds but most of the buttons in flumet/NDB are too vicious for her to use.
Les Saisies certainly caters for a wider range of abilities but the narrower tree lined runs on the Val d'arly side are worth experiencing
We will be there 7th - 17th March
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scotkiwi, welcome to snowheads, 
| Quote: |
For us the biggest advantages of Les Saisies over the rest of espace the chairs as opposed to buttons.
Our youngest, 5yrs old this year, is capable of getting down most of the blues and some of the reds but most of the buttons in flumet/NDB are too vicious for her to use. Les Saisies certainly caters for a wider range of abilities but the narrower tree lined runs on the Val d'arly side are worth experiencing |
You are absolutely right - some of those drags are horrible, and I wouldn't want to put a 5 year old on them. They toss grown women around like rag dolls! But many of the drags in LS are very benign (I should know, I can only do really easy drags on my snowboard!). But we love the tree lined runs in the Val D'Arly, not least because they're practically empty, out of the high French season. We sadly saw very little of them (or of the bottom run down into Hauteluce) last year, because of the poor snow. We hope to get down to the Val D'Arly later this week - gotta try that new Cret du Midi lift in Praz sur Arly.
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