 Poster: A snowHead
|
We have friends arriving in Geneva after 8pm on Sunday, and were wondering about a day's skiing somewhere en route. We have driven through La Clusaz but never skied there. I'm sure that it will all be green, driving through, but no doubt there is still good skiing to be found. What would be the best recipe for some good skiing, to get a feel for the area, and a pleasant (but not cripplingly expensive) lunch?  I also wondered about Le Grand Bornand. I had intended to go to Combloux but too much of the area is closed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
If you go to LGB better to drive up to Le Chinaillon and ski the Maroly sector for the best snow.
We've skied both La Clusaz and LGB and generally La Clusaz has had the better snow. La Balme is the highest part of the area but I like the Etale/Merdassier sector which has reasonably priced restaurants - try Dahu in Merdassier. Here's a link to the webcam in the Etale/Merdassier sector, looks good:
Click this
There's also a nice restaurant on the main street in the town called L'Outa.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
pam w, We went to La Clusaz for half-term when it was hot and hadn't snowed for 2/3 weeks. Very nice, almost all French, resort with increasingly difficult and north-facing skiing as you make your way from the RHS of the piste map to the LHS. Beauregard is a lovely sunny spot that keeps the snow surprisingly well but is more beginner/intermediate. L'Etale and L'Aiguille are higher, steeper but can be icy in the mornings. La Balme is the best area for keeping the snow - some runs remained in the shade the entire day in February. It's also the place to go for off-piste - we hired a guide and skinned over into the next valley and the one beyond that (I think there are ten peaks/ridges in a row for the energetic). However, as far as I can remember La Balme does not have any good restaurants - Cret de Loup has a nice one although it may not be that good value.
PS. At the bottom of the Combe de Bellachat (far left of the map) is the Lac des Confins where on the 27th April they have this:
"An exceptional, end of season event watched by more than 5000 spectators. For the waterslide event, 150 brave participants will attempt to cross the Confins lake on anything that slides but doesn't float! To end the day on a high note, the USO's - Unidentified Sliding Objects -, crafts that compete against each other both in terms of humour and imagination, attempt to achieve the impossible water-snow sporting record. "
Our guide's brother won it last year on a monoski achieving something like 100m (if someone could confirm that I'd be grateful as it still seems impossible to me!). Our guide tried it on cross country skis. He achieved something like 20m but that included three somersaults.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
La Clusaz would be good for the day. Best snow on La Balme excellent views from the top of the lift.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Thanks all. Sunday's forecast doesn't look too good - might go over tomorrow when we can see the views.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
As has been stated, La Balme great (and the view from the top of Mt Blanc is fantastic). I also liked the bumps at the top of L'Aiguille. L'Etale, Merdassier and Beauregard I found less interesting. The Fernuey area connecting L'Aiguille with La Balme can be quite nice, too.
As for lunch, I brown bagged it for the week. The restaurant at La Balme just looked like a soulless self service place. There were several swank looking places on the main slopes below L'Aiguille. The Telemark Cafe on L'Etale looked nice, but they threw us off their deck for having the temarity to eat our sandwiches while consuming the beverages we bought from them. The one day we eat at a restaurant was at a place at the bottom of L'Etale Telemix lift (we had none skiers). I don't remember the name, but it was really good and not too expensive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
| they threw us off their deck for having the temarity to eat our sandwiches while consuming the beverages we bought from them. |
well, fair enough, they do have notices. There's one at our local which states "consommation obligatoire sur la terrasse". My son said he'd be going there on his honeymoon....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I know it's their right. I also know that because of this, we (two of us) did not eat there the next day with our significant others, which would have been a fairly large bill.
We were the only people on the deck, and we had bought beverages. As it was, we went and sat just in front of the deck and finished our sandwiches after we were told we couldn't eat there.
So yes, fair enough. And fair enough that we decided not to give them our custom in the future as a result. If it is a wise policy on their part is another question entirely.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
a place at the bottom of L'Etale Telemix lift
|
Could have been the bizarrely named U'Fredy - nice food there
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| marmalade wrote: |
| Quote: |
a place at the bottom of L'Etale Telemix lift
|
Could have been the bizarrely named U'Fredy - nice food there |
That's It!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
pam w, See my Long Holiday thread. Might be worth stopping off in La Giettaz too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
marmalade, thanks. Yesterday dawned so grotty (after gorgeous weather Friday and Saturday) that we couldn't even see our own chairlift, which is only about 150m away, so we decided it was not a day to explore a new resort. Instead we drove down late to Geneva and drove back up in a blizzard, late last night. Once or twice I had to stop the car because visibility in the driving and windblown snow was nil! Luckily it was so late there was nobody much on the road and our snow tyres did a good job, though we did pass two cars fighting to get chains on. It seems LC might have to wait till next season now as we have visitors (beginner skiers) for the rest of this week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
