Val Thorens

A snowHead

Thinking about a group trip to Val Thorens late Jan/early Feb 2009, on the face of it it looks an ideal snow sure venue for a mixed ability group "boys week" with beginners through to strong intermediates. Good mountain food and easy transfers being our other criteria.

Having never been there, my main concern is that various reports suggest that its height and lack of tree cover leaves it exposed to bad weather, my question is, does anyone have experience of losing days skiing in Jan/Feb due to bad weather in VT? And how practicable is it to get into other parts of the 3 valleys when this occurs?

Also, if anyone reading this post has any other suggestions of resorts that fits the above brief your comments would be appreciated.

A snowHead

It's been a few years since I last skied in VT in January, and I did indeed lose a couple of days due to inclement weather conditions. I have subsquently skied in several other resorts, and lost days there too. In summary, swings and roundabouts.

Sorry, that's not much help, is it?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

If the lifts in VT are shut then so are the links to the other valleys.

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DavidYacht,

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I remember VT Installed some gondolas, called Funivals, which run on 2 parallel wires, making them less prone to close in bad weather / high winds.

It's the best resort I know for quality / sureness of snow, but the resulting downside is that it's above the treeline, and is not the prettiest of places.

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I've been there twice now and have a lost 1 - 1.5 days skiing both times. In bad weather everything is shut and you are stuck in the valley. I would probably go somewhere a bit lower like Meribel.

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DavidYacht, that timing should be very good for snow (but don't go after the first week of Feb, as French resorts will all be busy with the French school holidays). Food on the mountain will not be great in France, on the whole, unless you are prepared to pay silly money in some of the restaurants in places like Megeve or Courchevel. It's a long way to Val Thorens. If you're flying into Geneva then Flaine is a much shorter transfer (are you doing DIY?) and reasonably snowsure. If you want a better choice of upmarket restaurants there's Val D'Isere. Italy might be better for food, though probably less snowsure. It's certainly nice to have some trees around.

After all it is free

Sorry I probably over emphasised the transfer and mountain restaurant thing, what I meant was, we are not looking for epic transfers (memories of St Moritz in the past) and we like comfortable (not Michelin) restaurants to hang out.

As a team leader of a group, you feel some responsibility if the cohort are not happy, so reliable intermediate skiing, extent, acceptable transfer times, enjoyable food, clean and comfortable accommodation are all things that make the party happy and would make me feel that I had done a good job.

We have enjoyed ADH in the past, which ticks all of the boxes, I am now putting out feelers to see if there are any better alternatives or whether a return to ADH still is best for us.

Based on Where to Ski & Snowboard our short list includes Val Thorens, Val D'Isere, Tignes, Courcheval, Les Menuires, La Plagne, Meribel, ADH, Les Arcs. France is good because we can use Exeter into Chambery or Geneva, or Bristol into Grenoble.

What I would be most interested in is whether anyone with any experience of these resorts thinks we should look at them instead of ADH and why?

I should add that we are mainly piste bashers and off piste is a low priority.

For the last two years we have successfully gone for the week before the French holidays, around Jan/Feb, which I would recommend.

We will probably look at Tour Operator deals in November/December since there should be some good offers around then.

Thanks for your posts Snowheads.

New to snowHeads but:

I've had a great time before in VT, that said if the snow or weather is bad then generally really bad, very exposed to the elements. Another option as suggested by Jan is Merribel, lots of options for nightlife covering the 'boys' week but also all the skiing potential of getting up higher into the Couloirs if the snow/weather is good.
Another sure bet in my experience is Tigne (good altitude and a couple of good nights on the pop), I've always been able to find a bit of snow somewhere no matter how grim it is.

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SkyRhino, I would agree that with beginners in the party, Tignes is a much better bet than Val d'Isere for the skiing, but less good for the "night-life" suitable for a boys' week.

DavidYacht, I have a lot of sympathy with your being the organiser since that has often been my job. It's an absolute delight to go on a snowHead

s bash and let others do the donkey-work (thanks yet again admin, elHen, TallTone and Michelle) - you should try it next season as well as the boys' week!
Are you planning self-catering, hotel or chalet?

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If your off to the 3 valleys I'd go for one of the middle valley's...Gettting to VT from Les Menuires takes no time and the lifts are more rarely shut. At an 1800m altitude is ok..downside is the center (la Coisette) looks pretty dire..but a few resurants..Meribel is better for bars the down side is the Brits....

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Val d'Isere ticks all the boxes.

Whitegold, I don't agree because of the beginner issue. I really don't consider it a ideal resort for beginners brcause the nursery slopes in the village are used as highways and the nursery slope above Solaise have to be accessed via cable car or chair both ways (for a beginner).

You know it makes sense.

DavidYacht, It is not often that I or anyone else on here agrees with Whitegold, but in this instance Val d'Isere would be a good place for a boys week!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I don't rate Val d'Isere for a mixed ability group. Yes, there's plenty of nightlife if that's important, and a large ski domain with lots of off-piste potential. But just about all the runs back to the village are too intimidating for novice skiers, and the easy terrain is at altitude on the Solaise and Bellevarde areas and therefore can be less than pleasant if the weather is bad. There are other resorts which have the same benefits as Val d'Isere without the disadvantages for novice skiers (Courchevel and Les Arcs, for example).

A snowHead

Boys week - A U S T R I A snowHead

A snowHead

for a boys week I'd suggest either Verbier or Chamonix, but please be aware of the seperate areas in Chamonix, and the fact you need to bus between them and your accomodation! Lower parts of the 3 Vallees are good suggestions as has already been made. I personally enjoyed La Plagne, it would suit your group, but has less nightlife than Cham or Verbier.

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DavidYacht, can't really helpo with your question but CAN say that I was there in early December a few years ago with my son, then 9. The wind was unbelievable, blowing grown men off the nursery slopes travelator thing, and I can still remember collecting my son from his aborted lesson - I found him clinging to a pylon!

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Thanks everyone for the advice ref. Val Thorens, I think some of your replies have answered my concerns, Les Menuires is now emerging as a front runner, with La Plagne also in the frame, neither of which I had seriously considered. Val D'Isere may come into play depending on how many beginners we have. I have done Meribel with the family but it is so British! and whilst I love the atmosphere of the town of Chamonix and the views it is just too broken up for convenience. I should add that we are a group of 40 to 60 year old's and whilst we look forward to being led astray, it is unlikely to be repeated every night!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

DavidYacht,
If you don't like Britishness avoid Val d'Isere like the plague. Home counties sur montagne.

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I agree, I don't actually like Val D'Isere but it is snowsure, and it does have much better restaurants than Val Thorens! It also has some excellent ski instruction available for beginners. But there are definitely better places; Meribel not being one of them. Many of the disadvantages of Val D'Isere, but worse snow and not that well placed for access to the 3V. Courchevel 1650 might be OK, though. Heaps better than Les Menuires. Good instruction there, too.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Have been to Val T many times and love it. However high winds can be a problem. We have lost many days to them, and on the last holiday were horrified to find that if we had got a bus from the Gare Routiere (easy to find) we could have skied in Les Menuires which was fully open! This does not seem to be made public. There was a ski school in our accomodation, and they did not tell us that we could do this. May be they own the shops in Val T!! Knowing what we now know, I think that it is a good snow sure resort, with a back up if the winds get up. We skiied La Masse, and found it to be very enjoyable (and open when Val T was Closed with high winds) plus very quiet.

After all it is free

DavidYacht, Not sure about Les Menuires, Possibly La Tania or La Praz would be a better choice in the 3V's.

margaret, one can ski directly to LM from VT, althought it is a very dull run.

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the ice perv, well yes, geographically, but I found Mottaret better for getting over into the other valleys.

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Well it is certainly better placed for the 3V than Val d'Isere! wink

I wasn't suggesting that Val D'Isere was in the 3 Valleys. Puzzled

But even a non-fan of Val D'Isere (like me) has to agree that it's well placed for excellent lift access to a huge ski area!

You know it makes sense.

I have stayed in Les Menuires for 2 years on the trot now. It is a great compromise - I like Meribel, but it is that much more expensive. VT is great for skiing in, but I am not sure I would want to stay there !

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

also consider serre chevalier (bristol in to turin), alpe d'huez, the courchevel villages, courchevel ideal place skiing wise for ability of your group. Relatively snow sure and some tree skiing on bad weather days (though ahving been there once for 3 days of bad weatehr the queues are horriffic if windy and only the tree-lined stuff is open) Lots of fantastic food (but you'll pay thru nose for the top end stuff).

I'd consider austria resorts (bristol flights are an option)

A snowHead

CarlT, Les M is still pretty exposed for a January storm, as is St Martin, athough the lifts stayed open in Les M in April when they shut in Val T in high winds this year. I would stay somewhere with some good tree lines slopes, so either of the other 2 valleys, or look further north - Portes du Soleil, perhaps peisey Vallandry for les Arcs, and Serre Che is a good call then.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Boys Week Austria

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Try Champoluc in Italy - the pistes are empty and the food is superb at low prices.

BOYS WEEK - AUSTRIA

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

i agree - austria is the way forward

i went to vt in mid april - beer and food is a rip off

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nick0861 if you think it's expensive in VT dont try Meribel or Courchevel!!!

You obviously didnt find the VT snowheads favourite of 2 for 1 beers in the Viking at 5pm to 7pm happy hour either Smile

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Val Thorens

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