 Poster: A snowHead
|
Trying to sort out a sneaky weekend away in March next year.
I fancy Les Contamines, but the wife and her mates quite like the sound of Megeve.
I'm telling them the skiiings limited, people go just to pose and the resort is too low to be snowsure, but think I may be making it up.
Have you been? Did you like it? Would you go again? Do I need to mortgage a kidney?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I would agree with you about Megeve having lived in Les Contamines for a year.
However, I would also discourage you from Les Contamines for a sneaky weekend too.............as it's all above the tree line it does suffer from a lot of low cloud and then there's nothing to do, no trees to seek to make it skiable.............the village itself is so quiet too that there's no attraction to spend the day there either!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Mosha Marc, If it snows the fur coat brigade will stay indoors so you get to play in the powder for a lot longer than you would elsewhere.
I was just skiing at Cote 2000 though so don't have a feel for the rest of the place.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Mosha Marc, it's certainly not "fur coat and no knickers" in the sense that I grew up with the phrase; it's genuinely fairly posh! The shopping is seriously expensive, and there are some restaurants which would cost more for one meal than most of us spend on a week's food normally. But they're not all ruinous. It's attractive (pedestrianised centre, horse drawn carriages etc) . The village is quite low - very likely to be only mucky piles of snow at village level, and the top isn't very high. I don't know the skiing well - it's mainly intermediate but some quite interesting and varied runs especially in Combloux, and with mind-blowing views of Mont Blanc. I know LC skiing much better and can recommend it. Ideal for a weekend. The skiing is probably a bit more snow sure than Megeve (where the areas are a bit scattered and some get very green). The village is strung out along the valley - I hardly ever go down there because I go up to the Col de Joly from the other (Hauteluce Valley) side. The best of the skiing is above the top of the gondola and there's a fair bit of accessible off piste. Go after the 7 March, which is when the French schools go back. There's a trip report on LC by Magic Hat, if I remember rightly. The shopping in Les Contamines is rubbish.  Just the usual whistling marmottes and stuff. No five hundred euro sets of underwear.
An alternative - just right for a weekend - Notre Dame de Bellecombe. Stay at the Mont Rond level, rather than the original village and bottom station, for the best entry into the skiing. Not much shopping there either but some long and quite challenging red runs, quite a bit of variety and very quiet slopes. Whole great piles of mountain to yourself. Tree skiing in the Arly Valley if the weather is grotty. Megeve has a leisure centre and stuff like that, and a casino (and a McDonalds!) but who wants all that when you're there for a weekend!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
What is it that attracts the OH to Megeve?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
probably it's reputation........we had clients who "simply had to go"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Megeve is amazing if it's snowy, as all the rich folk stay off the slopes. Very varied terrain, plenty of tree lined slopes, as steep as you want it to be. Decent on hill eating. This resort used to kit out their instructors in Prada ski clothes, not sure if they still do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
It would be the type of place to take someone, IMV. The skiing is flattering around Mt d'Arbois and Rochebourne, fast and cruisey. Mont Joly at 2300 is the highest. Jailett wasn't worth crossing town for when I was there.
Attractive village that used to be the domain of skiing Parisians but they may be long gone. Apre can be varied but go to the wrong place and you'll pay a fortune for a round...and I mean £28:00 for 4 beers in '87....but it was in the Jazz club with a more than decent band.
Best visited with car, IMV so you can visit othere places. Les Contamines would be a decent drive on a good day but a bit barren if the cloud is in. Les Houche is good and scenic if you take the train from St Gervais. Flaine and Les Get are withing reach with that car...as is Chamonix. So...well, worth a week where you can potter about or have the chance to tick one of two places off... The VB variants is one such, if you are feeling bored
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
JT, You can get into Les Contamines from Hauteluce so not that far. Megeve not really my scene but if you like Harrods and Knightsbridge would probably tick some boxes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| pam w wrote: |
| What is it that attracts the OH to Megeve? |
Near to Geneva, smart hotels, fancy shopping.
Anything but skiing really.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| fatbob wrote: |
| JT, You can get into Les Contamines from Hauteluce so not that far. Megeve not really my scene but if you like Harrods and Knightsbridge would probably tick some boxes. |
Never been myself
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
JT you can get from hauteleuce to contamine but there is no link from megeve either to hauteleuce or contamine.What snow bunny says is quite right if the snow is good there is a lot of very flattering sking 70 percent of which is tree lined.perhaps you should consider st gervais -links to megeve ski area short taxi/ bus ride to contamine small town with shops and thermal spa in la fayet just below it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Mosha Marc, had a week in Contamines in early March '06, skied the Megeve/St Gervais area one day, also drove to Megeve town for a look around with the OH.
Snow was best, terrain was steeper, better off-piste possibilities, limited shops in village centre in Contamines, a place for dedicated skiers. More cruisy, great views of Mt Blanc, nice traditional mountain restaurants, proper pedestrianised traditional town centre, fur coats and lap dogs in Megeve, a place for a traditional french winter holiday.
Or stay in St Gervais (small spa town with some elegant buildings) and have easy access to both and the Chamonix valley, as the mood takes you.
Only a scattering of Brits in all 3, so quite French, if that's what you're after.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| Quote: |
You can get into Les Contamines from Hauteluce so not that far.
|
Not clear what that means. If you were in Megeve it would take at least twice as long to go to Les Contamines via Hauteluce than to drive direct (which takes about 30 mins).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
You can get into Les Contamines from Hauteluce so not that far.
|
Not clear what that means. If you were in Megeve it would take at least twice as long to go to Les Contamines via Hauteluce than to drive direct (which takes about 30 mins). |
Sorry only having looked down over that backside (& the fact that you look down on Megeve Airport from the top of Les C) I assumed it wasn't that far a drive from Megeve to Hauteluce but Google Earth shows I'd have to drive through Les Saisies so St Gervais it is. Crest Voland looks like it has some nice mellow tree runs on the same.
Edited for being a fuzzy brained retard on pam w's kind correction
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sat 27-09-08 14:23; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Megeve, presumably? Yes, Crest Voland has some nice tree runs, but from Megeve a better and closer bet would be just a few kms along the Arly Valley, to Praz sur Arly/Flumet/Notre Dame de Bellecombe 1150. It is indeed very close, as the crow flies, from the top of Les Contamines down into Megeve - and they do talk about a lift, but that's been the case for ages. If you hop a very few miles from Megeve to Praz sur Arly, however, you can then keep your skis on all the way to Megeve, finishing with a long red run drop, very scenic, to Hauteluce Village. You'd be pushed to do the whole of that and back in a day though. Little time for a nice leisurely lunch at the excellent, though expensive, restaurant in Hauteluce. It would be a nice day's skiing, actually, though you'd need to be good with a piste map. The village of Hauteluce is some way from the lift to Les Contamines - a lovely drive along the valley floor, or take the rather infrequent bus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
from what i remember the skiing was very patchy down low even though we wre there in Jan. Pretty town centre with sleigh rides etc but the apres was eye wateringly pricey for a boys weekend although some very tasty ski bunnies knocking around....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Quote: |
although some very tasty ski bunnies knocking around....
|
and they were looking for high-rolling fellas, not down-and-out Brits on a boys weekend. Snow in March is likely to be better than January - certainly has been for the last five years - but nobody could call Megeve "snow-sure".
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
pam w, i might not be a high roller but im not a brit so could be considered Eurotrash and very desirable
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
pam w, skimottaret, get a room!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Buggeration, not only have they gone for the fanciest resort, they're now looking at the Mont Blanc Hotel. 
This lot have never heard of the credit crunch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Mosha Marc,
How is life on one kidney..? 
Best get out of it now and sign up for a quick trip to Scotland....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There's a shop in Megeve where you can buy pine cones for 5 euros - not even very nice ones! I don't like it much myself, though these super-swank places are good in the snow, as has been mentioned. It's eye-poppingly expensive too. I'd rather go to Courmayeur for somewhere more chi-chi - pretty, nice food, cheaper, cheery italians, not too far from GVA and there's a really great spa quite near, as well...
http://www.termedipre.it/
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
A rounded picture of Megeve in any season has to make it a hit for a mixed party. The skiing is far from limited - the third largest in terms of marked runs in France if IIRC. The Jaillet side is hugely under-rated. The St Gervais link opens up a lot of good blue runs and some challenging skiing around Mont Joly. it is fun to watch the rich at play and there are cheaper options in town if you dig them out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Les Contamines on the other hand is a good place to drive to and ski for a day but not to stay IMV.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
JT, your sympathy is touching 
What am I bid for a liver? One careless owner, 100,000 bottles on the clock!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Mosha Marc,
I think it is a good choice, as it happens, if I wanted to do something like you have in mind, it would be right up there, ie please someone else rather than myself. The skiing is lame, for the best part, as I recall...fast blasting runs but it was 20 years ago when I was there. Very picturesque in snow and the shops are entertaining. The richer clientele go there in Jan, I think, and swan around in their fur coats...or that is the cliche but they don't ski. The resort might be full and vibrant but the slopes aren't crowded.
I can quite accept things may have changed since but challenging it isn't..but it will be fine and pleasant to blast around for a long weekend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| JT wrote: |
Mosha Marc,
The skiing is lame, for the best part, as I recall...fast blasting runs but it was 20 years ago when I was there.
I can quite accept things may have changed since but challenging it isn't... |
I do like reading your posts sometimes, they are so funny
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
snowbunny, But it is true..... Rochbourne is fast and blue...ditto Mont d Arbois and down to Bettex. Mont Joly is the prize that everyone talks about..standard mogul field..!!!
Its a bombers paradise..
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Sounds like it will suit our group very well, I should never discuss these things when,
a) Outnumbered by the girls who are going,
b) Anywhere near a broadband connection, and
c) After a bottle and a half of wine.
It seems we booked it last night 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Mosha Marc, I feel certain all of your party will find what they need on the slopes and off it. It's a fact that the area is so unchallenging that plenty of the Chamonix Mountain Guides bring their groups there, when there is poor visibility in the Chamonix valley. I have seen them there over several years. Perhaps they spotted some slopes that JT missed 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
snowbunny, Nope... it is a low level bolt hole, and the only reason you'll bring a group over from Chamonix is for bad vis...as you've said
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
One word of advice, avoid the Princesse bubble at the weekend I once skied down to meet someone there at 10:30am on a Sunday and didn't get back on skis until 12:15am. Megeve is good for people watching. 