 Poster: A snowHead
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Credit where credit is due and all that I just had to post to say how fantastic Val d'Isere/Tignes is, it has taken the crown of favourite resort from my long standing champion Les Arcs. I'm so glad I decided to ignore my inner wimp and go for it - I had feared impossible steeps and terrifying runs home, but in reality we all, including an absolute beginner, had a great time and would return in a heartbeat.
Any other Val'D addicts out there?
Highlights:
Sheer scope of runs, despite the reputation there are acres of fast easy cruising nicely broken up by the occasional, perhaps unexpected  , challenge. Fast lifts too.
Fabulous snow conditions, we had sun, we had snow, we had cold, we had warm, I never found a run in bad condition all week. Then we had the saturday of powder, a full foot of glorious fluffiness!
Apres Ski - ok so it was the downhill week, but there was something on every night in town, markets, street fairs, torchlit descent, ice karting, blowup surfboard racing, music concerts....
Suprises:
Runs home are actually not that bad, at some point I obviously did graduate from being a nervous intermediate without noticing  I can see how they could be nasty in worse conditions, and the flats at the bottom are TEDIOUS, but everyone bar the total beginner (inc 3*1 weekers, 2*2weekers) was skiing home no problem. PisteM is actually rather enjoyable and very much a normal red.
Trolles into Tignes must be the easiest black in the world, which makes the val -> tignes route unexpectedly easy rather than the expedition I was expecting. I was doing 360s down it and our 2 weekers were straightlining it to try and get the speed for the aeroski - can anyone explain how this is a black in a resort that thinks the start of verte is suitable as a green? Or for that matter that the bottom of santons is a blue?
Empty pistes - Noticeably less busy than other resorts I've visted at the same time of year, unexpected and impressive.
Downsides? The prices, oh god, the prices - next time I'm bribing the chalet staff to do me lunch and not take a day off! Also an noticeably high number of rude/incompetent folks - never a good combo! I saw more than one collision take place where one guy is stationary on a wide empty piste and got taken out from above without so much as a sorry. Several people skied over the backs of my skis, or cut me up while I was doing regular controlled parallels - disconcerting to say the least, especially when the runs are not that busy! I understand when it is busy, but when it's not? Why would you not just leave more room?!
Recommendations:
YSE - superb catering, amusing brochure and coach blurb, can't do enough to help attitude, discounts everywhere for staying with them and really quite competive pricing.
La Luge - always looks closed so easy to get a table  Very friendly staff didn't even wait for us to ask before translating all the more complex menu items into english - for val not badly priced and very high quality.
We will DEFINATELY be back...especially now I've found out you can offpiste from Tignes to lesArcs - and then use your free day in LArcs lift pass - that has got to be tried!
aj xx
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yeah, it's nice here isn't it. 
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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'm glad you are recommending val d'isere...can't go skiing until 4rd week in April (stupid job preventing holiday Jan to end MArch then boyfriend has exams)....hope there will still be snow by April 19th! Especially on la face! Chalet is catered with wine, so hopefully will avoid all these prices you talk about!
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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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a.j., brilliant post. We were similarly bowled over. I think that sometimes big name resorts perversely attract a lot of reactionary slagging as if their reputation is some kind of a challenge or a slight upon the merits of smaller lesser known resorts. Both "big name" resorts I have visited - Zermatt and Val d'Isere have more than deserved their reputations and in both cases exceeded my expectations. I must declare an interest in that in 2006 I bought a 1 bedroomed sale & leaseback in La Daille ( the unfashionable but oh so convenient for the skiing bit of Val d'Isere).
I am not a stranger to inverse snobbery myself and was almost put off Val by the incessant eulogizing about it (and Whistler) of a friend of ours while we were skiing in Sauze.
Like a.j., given Val's reputation we were amazed at the quantity and quality of long runs of all ability ranges not just knarly blacks. When you add in the altitude, the apres, the off-piste and the brilliant tuition available you have a heady mix.
The downsides are at least as well known - the prices, and these are irrefutably eye watering but with a little guile this can be minimised by looking out for the many happy hours etc.
I am sorry to hear that you encountered rudeness, we expected to but didn't. We are taking 2 of our daughters with us and if anybody totals one of them by recklessly skiing into them from above as you describe I fear I will do a David Banner. We are going for 2 weeks from March 15th ( ) so I will report back afterwards.
KateF, don't worry about the snow, we had a great week last year between April 21st and 28th. The sun was scorching but we could still ski down to La Daille at the end of the week and conditions on both glaciers were perfect.
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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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a.j., Did you ski the top of Trolles? Normally very bumpy then joins the easy piste near the bottom.
Santons, like many other pistes in Val that access resort level, are in the upper range of thier piste grading.
Val d very special resort, I try and visit at least once every season.
KateF, Powder skiing in April/May last season and nearly all the runs were skiable to resort level
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Dunk wrote: |
| a.j., Did you ski the top of Trolles? Normally very bumpy then joins the easy piste near the bottom. |
Good point, and god no, it looked suicidal, with lots of yellow/black warning (<!>) at the top, which seemed to be their version or 'no really this is as black as black can be' double diamond type signage (and was appreciated) but I don't understand why they mark the bottom section as a continuation of that run rather than as a seperate red run, possibly even blue. Suits me mind, keeps it nice and empty
aj xx
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a.j., You were lucky with the conditions. Try VD when the snow is less than perfect and you will find what an awful place to ski back to it is, especially on the Le Daille and Bellvarde areas. Busy pistes, loads of loony skiers, sky high prices, an almost total lack of panoramic scenery etc etc. I find the huge flat area above Le Folie Douce just too flat, and the flat areas on top of the Solaise a similar pain. The area at the top of Belvarde and at the top of Toviere are simply dangerous, and we were there in a quiet week. God knows what they will be like for the next 4 weeks. A few crucial lifts are too small and old (I believe some are being replaced this summer), and the Val Claret (yes I know it is Tignes) is a nightmare bottleneck with skiers al approaching at high speed to cross in different directions. It also has a poor lift to link back to VD.
Great skiing yes, but then so have a lot of places. I felt like a component in a production line, and like Tignes, it is not a place I shall rush back to.
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
a.j., You were lucky with the conditions. Try VD when the snow is less than perfect and you will find what an awful place to ski back to it is, especially on the Le Daille and Bellvarde areas. Busy pistes, loads of loony skiers, sky high prices, an almost total lack of panoramic scenery etc etc. I find the huge flat area above Le Folie Douce just too flat, and the flat areas on top of the Solaise a similar pain. The area at the top of Belvarde and at the top of Toviere are simply dangerous, and we were there in a quiet week. God knows what they will be like for the next 4 weeks. A few crucial lifts are too small and old (I believe some are being replaced this summer), and the Val Claret (yes I know it is Tignes) is a nightmare bottleneck with skiers al approaching at high speed to cross in different directions. It also has a poor lift to link back to VD.
Great skiing yes, but then so have a lot of places. I felt like a component in a production line, and like Tignes, it is not a place I shall rush back to. |
Seconded.
Val d'Isère sucks. Please, stay away. Do yourself a favor,go ski somewhere else.
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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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Totally agree that Val D'isere is up there as an excellent resort. BUT KEEP IT QUIET MORE BRITS MAY GO THERE!
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kezzy1966, I don't think you could fit any more Brits in if you tried?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Heading to Val in a few weeks - any recommendations for ski school ? Prefer group lessons (mostly for the make the most of the day 9am starts) Monday to Friday but would like a school with good English speaking tuition and small groups. Skied with Evolution last year and while they were good with a small group, I didn't think they were outstanding on the tuition front. Lots of the usual lean into the front of your boots stuff but mostly follow my leader all over the mountain. Confident red run skier but still rubbish at the moguls and LOATHE icy runs.
Have only skied Les Arcs and Val d'Isere so far - rubbish snow in Val last year in early Feb. Icy as hell and it snowed all week so lots of sliding across icy patches straight into snow drifts ..... whumpf ! We pretty much gave up by 3pm every day due to visibility and sheer terror. First time I have resorted to taking a lift back down the mountain. Previous 4 yrs in Les Arcs - found it more reliable for snow and lots more runs to finish the day with.
All recommendations re lessons gratefully received.
Cheers
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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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We booked BASS but they actually outsourced to ULTIMATE from tignes. Ultimate were good fun, and groups no larger than 6, but I think you are looking for something more indepth - for that I'd suggest the development centre? Not sure if they do groups though...
aj xx
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