 Poster: A snowHead
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we will most likely be travelling with esprit again - their formula works well for us and the kids love it. thing is we want a decent resort for us as well as we are pretty experienced and like high mileage skiing. we did st anton last year and found that now our 5 yr old is venturing onto the real slopes a bit (ie outside of ski school) we really struggled to find some nice easy slopes for him that were near the resort. all the blue runs were bordering on red.
will we find the same in Val (despite being experienced skiers we have only been there once 6 yrs ago and didnt have kids then so looked at the resort from a different viewpoint. we cant remember mcuh other than the skiing was challenging) will there be enough easy accessible kiddie skiing (solaise ?) . we are also thinking of alpe d/huez
any thoughts / comments
also anyone stayed at the exprit accomodation in either resort ?
thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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esprit last year to Le Praz for the 3 valleys worked well for us. The ease of using the gondola system works well with younger children and you can get lots of mileage in
we stayed in Chalet Nelly
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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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Alpe d'Huez has the most green runs of any resort I know (as opposed to flat runs where you risk grinding to a halt and then having to pole the rest of the way). Not quite so great for blues, but if you take the "scarey chair" there's a huge area that's almost deserted that has lots of easy reds. However watch out for sunburn - even though the sun didn't show once while I was there I still suffered some of the worst sunburn of my life, something the resort is apparently known for.
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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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I thought AdH was great last March for my 6 year old, who is blue-run-venturing-to-red-runs standard.
When you say Val, do you mean Val Thorens or Val d'Isere? (I assume not Val Cenis)
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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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Taking your lad skiing in Val D'Isere is likely to be a bit of an expedition, requiring at least one big lift up and another down, as you won't want to bring him down any of the pistes into Val D'Isere. Not the sort of place where you can just pop out for a quick potter around. It wouldn't be my choice for a 5 year old - I don't know AdH but all those green runs sound about right for giving him that vital sense of mastery.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I don`t know @ `Val` but ADH is perfect for 5/6 year olds. As someone pointed out above there`s a huge area consisting of decent greens just above ADH itself. The slopes are very wide and gentle. I can`t think of a better green area in Europe or Canada. They are accessed (from ADH) by gondola and a number of drags. The drags can be avoided with ease. There are also quite a few blues - not to mention numerous easy reds. The resort is also very accessible.
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| horizon wrote: |
When you say Val, do you mean Val Thorens or Val d'Isere? (I assume not Val Cenis) |
Val Gardena, Valloire, Val di Fiemme, Val Brembana, Val Badia, Val di Fassa, Val Bialas or maybe even Vail?
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davidof,
I'm sure that backhojo, is referring to Val-d-isere, if that is the case with young kids NO. They (also you for that matter depending of course on your ability) are unlikely to be able to ski the horrible natural halfpipe down into "Val", its is a blue on the piste map but on a cold, icy, snow baron day it is more like a difficult red. Cannot remember the name of this run but I am sure others will be along shortly who can tell you, but it is the only way back to the resort without taking a lift.
I would definitely sway towards ADH for your needs, wide shallow home runs which get progressively harder the higher you go.
Consider Les Arcs it would be perfect IMHO from what you have described.
Whatever enjoy I love seeing little kids on the piste, but that run in Val may put them off for life.
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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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If you want to ski in Val D' with small kids, stay in Tignes. Plenty of Esprit choices there, we found Le Lavachet good. Not Esprited Alpe D but were there witha 5 and 8 year old last new year, great greens for littl uns (although ours are skiing reds and the odd black (in Selva for the blacks mind you which doesn't really count, although I think older child did Fang at St A the previous year). It's really catching this abbreviating lark, off to La P at NY, then Mrhfn in Jan and T at Easter 
Les Arcs with Esprit would also be good.
BTW "scary chair"? Is that the one that goes through a tunnel?
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My first ski trip with my children was to AdH and it was perfect. The town is situated at the bottom of a high valley, the skiing around the town is easy and close to the accommodation which is ideal for kids, as you go higher up the valley sides the skiing becomes more challenging and suitable for mums and dads. Can`t comment about Esprit we self catered with the kids doing ski school in the mornings, and were able to go home for lunch which again was ideal.
I have visited Val a couple of times and while it is great for grown ups would not be my first choice with kids.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ghost Dog,
The real Scary Chair is the up and over in Val-d-isere, other resorts claim to have scary chairs, but they are tame by comparison including the one in ADH, can't remember it going through a tunnel but there is a claver junction at the bottom of the valley. Just had a look at the piste map I think the one you are reffering to is the "Alpauris"
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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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Kel, the ADH scare chair goes through an underpass under the altiport runway
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| Arno wrote: |
| Kel, the ADH scare chair goes through an underpass under the altiport runway |
Yes it does I remember now, near were all the Camper Vans are parked up.
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You know it makes sense.
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indeed - how many resorts can boast a ski lift that goes over a trailer park and under an airport?
back to the point - the proliferation of green runs next to the resort probably makes ADH the better choice. might be worth looking at Vaujany too - always gets good reviews for kids, has a bit more charm and has good access to most of the ADH domain
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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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thanks for all your advice. i was indeed referring to Val D'isere.
Here's my thinking. My son is only just venturing out of ski school and onto the slopes and will probably do it for only a couple of hours once or twice in the week. Perhaps we can manage by taking him up on the lift and then riding the lift back down. As he gets older and more experienced then the tricky run home in Val will be more of an issue. so perhaps best to go to Val this year and then other resorts in future years ?
the issue is that we are pretty decent skiers and like a challenge but are not keen on of piste. will ADH keep us interested enough for a full week i wonder ?
maybe staying in tignes (as suggested by Ghost Dog) is the best compromise. We have skied in les arcs / la plagne a lot in the last few years so prefer to give it a miss. Same applies to 3 valleys which we can probably ski without a piste map !! also le praz is very low and its hit and miss whether there is snow down to resort level - thinking of kiddies sledging and skiing back quickly to pick kids up etc.
mmmmm. decisions...decisions...!!!!
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