 Poster: A snowHead
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Just booked a 3 day break to Tignes april 14-17th, staying in Tignes les Boisses. I was wondering about the suitability of the runs there for us. We are low Intermedates having done a few hours lessons and practice at Xscape, 1 weeks Ski school in Pamporovo Bulgaria, and a couple of days in the Sierra nevada. We are pretty confident skiing blues but have only tackled a few short reds. I ski parralel pretty much all the time but my other half has a lingering snowplough. Any advice welcome (I have heard the grading of slopes differs massively from resort to resort)
Regards,
Rookiemark
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I don't know too much about the particular runs around les Boisses, but my experience of the Espace Killy is that it has a good range of runs to suit all levels. You'll be fine.
I know I'll be flamed for saying this, but I don't think that you should be too concerned about your lack of skiing experience: I've seen several skiers enjoy black runs with less than a week on the snow. After a couple of lessons on a dry slope, my wife successfully tackled a red on her first day in the mountains - and that was in the days of difficult straight skis. Unless conditions are challenging (ice, deep, fresh snow, poor coverage, poor visibility), a well-held snowplough will keep you out of danger on almost all pisted runs - certainly on greens, blues and reds. You might need to go slowly, and you might feel a little intimidated, but you'll be safe. The biggest danger is that fear might stop you from properly using the skills that you do have.
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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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Rookiemark, are you staying with MountainSun in the Melezes? We did that last year. I had done a part (due to crap weather) week in Serbia, that's all. You will both be fine in Tignes. You'll need to get the ski bus up into Le Lac as the lifts/runs to Les Boisses probably won't still be open. The stop is almost opposite the Melezes and I think it ran half hourly from around 8.30. The chalet staff will tell you. It drops you in a turning circle behind the Maison de Tignes & you go up the steps to the side of that building. You can also get another bus along to Val Claret where, right at the end, is the funicular station.
The first thing I would do is to find the Rosset, a free short chair beginner slope in Le Lac quite close to the Maison de Tignes. Perhaps take a run down this if you feel like it as a warm up, then go off to the left of it (facing up the slope) and down the beginner slope Lavachet (served by a button lift) and under the road tunnel at the bottom to the Paquis chair. At the top of this join the lower section of "Piste H" and take this down into Val Claret. It is a nice wide gentle blue which finishes where the free beginner Bollin chair is, if I remember correctly. There are cafes there, and it's quite close to the funicular, at the top of which is a large cafe. I found this route very accessible as a nervous novice, so would give your other half a nice confident start. I personally found the blues on the glacier tough because I wasn't really ready for them, but I suspect you'd be absolutely fine. The one they took me down as being the easiest was Rabotch, which is quite short and leads to a chair going back up to the funicular top station.
Well, that's Tignes from the perspective of a novice who went there but I'm sure others with more knowledge will be along. A good person to ask for more detailed info, and through whom to organise a lesson if you want to is Stewart Woodward on here. He's an ESF instructor in Val Claret. Also, if it's the same as last year and you're in the Melezes, you'll find the staff incredibly helpful, and because they were fairly quiet one of them came out and skied with the others in my group, showing them around the area.
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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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Rookiemark, I think that Butterfly would normally be right about the lack of cover down to les Boisses that late in the season, but with the exceptional dumpage we have had in the last 2 weeks and another large dump currently expected Monday, this season you may well be lucky and be able to ski in the village - where there are some nice easy blues IIRC.
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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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Butterfly, Yes we are staying in the Melezes, thanks for the advice Im sure we'll have a blast.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Rookiemark, We loved Melezes when we went on boot camp. We took 4 newish skiers with us and Tignes was very suitable although the runs down to Les Boisses weren't open.
Have a good time.
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Hi guys I may be joining Rookie Mark on this trip and was wondering how long the transfer times from Geneva to Tignes are. The snow cover looks great for the last skid of the season.
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Dave Canski, the transfer, if I remember rightly was around 3 hrs in the Melezes minibus - bit of of a flog, but worth it! They had supper waiting for us at the chalet when we got there. On our last day we had time for tea/cake/shower before leaving for Geneva around 5pm.
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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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Butterfly, Thanks for that. I hear they have free wine with the meals !!
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Dave Canski, free wine not on the "special" deals, but the house wine is fine and cheap.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Dave Canski, Dave I can cofirm there is free wine with dinner .It says on my booking confirmation "a late supper on the night of your arrival and a three course dinner with free flowing wine on the subsequent two nights – also breakfast and afternoon tea with cakes each day"
There is a bar in house and I beleve 1 next door.I Know you like a little drink after skiing Dave  I beleve there is also a free bus into Tiges for a greater selection of bars and resauraunts. stops Just outside.
Hope you can manage to join us Dave It would be great to meet you.
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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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Rookiemark, Oh, lucky you. When we went on the Atomic Boot camp for £99 we expeced free wine but were told it wasn;t available on the cheap deals.
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| Rookiemark wrote: |
| Any advice welcome (I have heard the grading of slopes differs massively from resort to resort) |
Tignes can be a bit of a surprise, with its quite severe piste grading, but there is plenty of everything for everyone. Check out the snow reports on Snowheads to see how we are doing. The free bus to Tignes le Lac runs until midnight, so plenty of opportunities to sample the nightlife - check out the Mountain Echo (FREE local rag) for what's on when you are here.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Kenzie, Thanks for that mate
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Poster: A snowHead
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Rookiemark, really working on it mate. Only take up on the offer so far is from an ex and that just wouldn't do. Would it ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Free wine on the April trips, but lift pass extra. Free lift pass on the Boot Camp, but wine extra. I'm going April 25th-28th. 
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