 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Rach, a very warm welcome to snowHeads!
If nervousness of gradients is holding you back, you might gain a lot of confidence by getting some well-explained instruction. Over in Courchevel the Supreme Ski School, which is run by two of the most experienced Scottish instructors in the Alps - Kenny and Sue Dickson - could be worth contacting. Apparently they're spreading their operations to Meribel and La Tania. I know them both personally from way back, and I reckon they'd sort you out some skill-boosting lessons. This is their website.
Have a great trip!
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WOW! 
How helpful! Thanx guys!
You are spot on re. my "issues" - I am nervous of gradients! Really daft I know but I just worry that as soon as I turn, the milliseconds I spend pointing directly downhill I'll gain too much speed and speed off over the nearest cliff!!! hee hee!  I know its daft! But its just how it is!
Sue & Kenny's prices look fairly reasonable and I think I'll trek over to their patch and get a couple of 1-1 hours. Money well spent I reckon!
Bored at work so will tell u an amusing story:
Last yr in Val, boyfriend "reckied" a green run (originally named "Verte"), a lovely long run so I thought, yeah, I can do this, lept of lift and headed a very bloody long way up mountain. Got off lift and they was a near-vertical (?maybe!? was paralysed by fear at this point to remember accurately!) drop to the start of Verte. Got down that - took 1/2 hour sidestepping. Got to green run and the first 500m was ace - easy nice gentle. Went round corner and saw the next section and thought "oh poo-poo". This set the tone for the rest of the whole xkm of the piste - spent about 4hours crying (I know, I know, but i was scared - really scared, and there were vertical drops off the sides of the piste!) and sidestepping down the side of the bloody hill to the annoyance of boyfriend who is very good skiier! Thankfully, before the sun set, we managed to side step to a lift and I went down by cable car! Oh my god! What an 'experience'!
Its all very annoying more than anything else cos I know I cand o it, just am underconfident at skiing! And I want to get onto more runs!!!
Ok, best do a bit of work.
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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 didn't actually say "Oh poo-poo" by the way, I said "Oh poo-poo". poo-poo souns a bit bloody daft!? 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi Rach69, welcome to snowHeads!
There's a little bit of 'greenery' in the middle of Val T. There's even a short slope roped off for beginners only, right in the centre of town.
But,  if I was U, I'd do everything within my power to progress onto blues ASAP. Group lessons, private lessons or 26 vodkas, whatever it takes (as long as u are still standing).
The thing is, see, greens are really only meant to be to find your feet on, to learn how to snowplough turn and stop, they don't generally go anywhere too interesting. Once u have mastered those basics, u can really consider getting on with the blues and the whole mountain opens up to U. There are sooo many good blues in Val-T and around it. You really can go to the top of a mountain and ski down it... even if it does take all afternoon!
Go on, U can do it 
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Rach69, it's been a few years since I've been there but you will be fine. Some of the Greens at Val D are not suitable for complete beginners or the nervous and it's high time they got re-graded... I don't recall any such issues with Val Thorens.
There are nursery runs right alongside the village and some very long, quite easy Blues for building confidence on - ask for advice when you get there. These runs can get crowded at peak times but early January you should be fine (unless of course everywhere else is shut and are bussing the tourists to Val T! But that's unlikely).
A lot depends on snow conditions and Val Thorens is very high so almost always has some of the best piste conditions around.
Don't worry and do take some lessons (couple of hours personal tuition will do wonders for you) as soon as you get there - the instructors can show you the most suitable runs on the day. With good snow and good instruction you will progress quickly.
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We did Val Thorens last year and Val d'Isere the 2 years before. There's little comparison on easy runs. Remember the 'green' in val 'disere at the top of the Boursat express, the there's nothing as steep as the top of that at Val T graded below red that we found. The Val T greens are very flat, too flat in some places when the snow is falling, and I don't remember any really difficult blues either. Our friends ski there every year, the little one was happy on the greens at 2 yrs old.
The good thing about Val T though is that the lessons will cover the main easy runs as they're central, not like Val 'd where the runs are so spread. Any of the runs from the lower lifts are reasonable, the scary bits are higher up.
Have fun , beware it could be very cold, so many extra layers, so you stay warm.
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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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I hate Verte with a passion, well the bit from the restaurant downwards anyway. I'm sure it's been discussed before. Awful, awful run.
Val T is a different kettle of fish altogether. Most of the greens in Val T are pretty flat to be honest. You'll probably find it difficult to get any kind of speed up. Just about all of the blues are really good runs and I can't remember one which would fall into the purpley blue category. Particularly recommended are the blues around the Cascade and Moraine lifts. If the snow is good down to Les Menuires then one of my all time favourite runs is the blue from the top of Mont De La Chambre down to Les Menuires. The run is called mt de la chambre, it's a wide open long run with a very nice gradient just about all the way. The run back to Val T is a blue called Pluviometre. It can get a little crowded late in the day and it's a little flat and narrow in a couple of places, but that won't be such a problem if you are on skis (I board, so I'm not keen on flat and narrow).
You can criticise the 3V for many things, but wrongly graded runs wouldn't be one of them IMO. Great place for beginners or for gaining confidence.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Prosneige in Village Montana did a good learn to board package for a mate who went with us last year. There were good reports of them on a few webpages so he went with them. They did a nicely priced package (can't remember exactly how much) of hire, lessons and lift pass for the week. I was pretty impressed with how much progress he had made by the end of the week. As I say though that was boarding lessons, I'm not sure how the skiing lessons were, though I only remember reading good things about them. The Val T website is very good and has links to the ski schools.
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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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Like Lager, I was going to recommend Pluviometre. It is pretty similar to (for example) Genepy at Val D. and it does go nice places. You need to upgrade to blues with a nice instructor. Time on skis will soon clear up your fear of declivity. All in all, I think you will find Val T nicer as a comparative beginner than Val D. A resort with greens that cut up into mogul fields is a bit intimidating. How did you get on, Rach69, with that nice green at the top of Solaise? Madalene, I think it is called?
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You know it makes sense.
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Well in that case you are just going to LOVE Val T and might even get over into the next valley to try some of the runs down to Mottaret. The nice thing about the Trois Vallees generally is that the higher you go the more demanding it gets, so you don't end up committing yourself to runs that are too challenging for you. Downhill from Val T and towards Les Menuires there are plenty of nice well-graded blues of Madaleine (however you spell it!) type. I think you will find with the excellent snow your confidence will build quickly and you will be thrilled at the places you can go. Belleville, incidentally, lives up to the first part of its name - it is a very beautiful valley with a variety of stunning scenery. I will be back there in February. Only 63 days!
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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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Cool Chris - hope you have an ace time!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Now where's Ian Hopkinson when you need him. He's more of your level Rach69, and so should be able to give you the rundown on Val T. We were there together this Easter.
David Goldsmith's suggestion is fine except for the fact that with your Blue-and-Red phobia you are never going to be able to get to Kenny and Sue unless you drive round.
But, as others have posted, Val T greens are almost level with more walking than skiing. Val T blues would hardly rate Green in Val D, so you should actually have a great time. I bet you are doing reds before the week is out.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Vic & I haven't sorted where to go 26th March - 9th April yet (another 8 weeks are booked / definitely planned  ) so perhaps VT would be a good idea for us then.
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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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' be great to see you there (I have a less embarassing mobile phone now) 
Although you're not winning yourself any friends with statements like:
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another 8 weeks are booked / definitely planned
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Rach69, nothing to do with Val Thorens this, but just to reassure you a little (I hope!) about 'freezing' (not from the cold)...
My oldest son, now 21, didn't start skiing until he was 16, and was terrified of any sort of gradient - he got stuck dozens of times, took me an hour to get him to move about a yard once! At the start of his second year I persuaded him to take a lesson with fellow snowHead and instructor easiski at Les 2 Alpes (remember Edward, Charlotte?). It was a turning point. His confidence grew from that point on, and now he'll set off down a steep black without a second thought. That will be you, before you know it, Rach69!
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Let us know how you get on. We'll all be reporting in on our experiences soon..... once we get some snow anyway!
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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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Rach69, if you want to meet up while you're over here then PM me - I'm here for the season. Plenty of suitable slopes for you.
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FAQ
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