 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
I made it no further than the Chaz Dura lift early in the week. One of the others made it down to La Thuile etc and reported more sheltered runs. The link was closed when we left on Firday due to the winds.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Anyone there at present to give us a snow report? Heading their on the 11th so anxious for up to date info.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Seems like some snows coming up Steve from Wednesday 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
There was a great fall of snow on New Year's Eve and skiing on 1st/2nd Jan was perfect - fresh snow, blue skies and sunshine. The snow was better on the La Thuile side. We skied Fontaine Froide (La Ros) on Friday morning and it was quite rocky so the resort could do with more snow at lower levels.. If you are going to this resort in January take a balaclava...it is freezing on the lifts when the wind blows! We had a fantastic time and were sad to leave.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Yup, top resort. Does anyone have any shops to recommend a ski service when I'm over there?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Looks as though it's snowing on the webcam.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PS, Not webcam on first page, on the the La Ros website!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Photo of La Ros taken from just above Arc 2000 today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
thefatcontroller,
Snow looks good, but it does look pretty boring from that angle
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
johnboy, it is!
I skied there New Years week.
Monday- Wednesday very very very windy and bare and icy and rocky....lots of pistes would have been closed elsewhere I am sure
Snowed New Years day- improved a lot- but as south facing this did not last as well as it should.
Italian side very much better- in almost every way (from the price and quality of the food and drink to the quantity and quality of the snow) £18 for a miserable plate of Tartiflette and a limp Salade Compose is outrageous.
Seems to be very windy (it this due to the pass?) went with 7 yr old son and really quite worried about frost nip- balaclavas and buffs/tocs essentail. Wrap up kids very very well before heading over on the longish drag to Italy (Bellcombe I ).
Gradients very tame- almost no moguls, vertical limited.
That said I had a great time and very very good for kids where we stayed (with ski esprit who did a great job with my son Ben and where we had the best Chalet hosts ever) I probably wouldn't o back unless on a child orrientated trip.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| johnboy wrote: |
| Snow looks good, but it does look pretty boring from that angle |
There's another angle to look at it from?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| edsilva wrote: |
johnboy, it is!
I skied there New Years week.
Monday- Wednesday very very very windy and bare and icy and rocky....lots of pistes would have been closed elsewhere I am sure
Snowed New Years day- improved a lot- but as south facing this did not last as well as it should.
Italian side very much better- in almost every way (from the price and quality of the food and drink to the quantity and quality of the snow) £18 for a miserable plate of Tartiflette and a limp Salade Compose is outrageous.
Seems to be very windy (it this due to the pass?) went with 7 yr old son and really quite worried about frost nip- balaclavas and buffs/tocs essentail. Wrap up kids very very well before heading over on the longish drag to Italy (Bellcombe I ).
Gradients very tame- almost no moguls, vertical limited.
That said I had a great time and very very good for kids where we stayed (with ski esprit who did a great job with my son Ben and where we had the best Chalet hosts ever) I probably wouldn't o back unless on a child orrientated trip. |
We're off on Sunday with Ski Esprit, which chalet did you stay in and any Ski Esprit tips pertinent to the resort? Been with them before to Tignes / Saas Fee.
Also did you take your 7 year old down the red into Italy, what's it like?
Thanks in advance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
stevew, Hi!
we stayed in Camelia which is in the Fere D'Eliza Chalet. Hosts Tom ad Sam(antha) both excellent.
Childcare also excellent- especially Ben , Claire, Nathan and Joe.
Tips;
1. balaclavas/ buff/toc- really very windy when we were there and the SCGB review mentions winds- so not a freak occurence!
2. Italian side much better than French as above- easy to get to Italy but child needs to be able to stay on a quite long drag lift- again can be very cold- so get them wrapped up very well - no gaps between suit and gloves, balaclava- no gaps again.......I will now always take a spare pair of kids gloves in my clothes- so the gloves are warm- to allow kids hands to warm up...
3. Avoid lunch at the Traversette restaurant (bottom of Bellete piste and bottom of Fort chair) v. expensive for lunch- ok for drinks stops.
4. Restaurant at St Bernardino pass in Italy good value- and warm after long cold chair lift. about a euro per drink cheaper than France!
5. Runs into Italy easy- the long red isd actually the road and apparantly best avoided (do not know this for sure as I avoided it!!) the other routes into La Thuile are fine and have excellent snow
6. Getting back from Italy not a problem-- but do not miss the lifts as it is a very very very very very long and expensive taxi........
7.Sandwich kiosk in Chalet Schatzi at nursery slopes sells great jambon/raclette baguettes
8 'Torchlight descent' interesting interpretation of 'torchlight' and 'descent'- but fun and possibly worth paying for!
Have fun- say hello to Claire the childcare manager- and to Ben.....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
edsilva, balaclava and helemt order of the day for kids you think? On the run into Italy I was more meaning the red from the top of La Ros to the bottom of the long drag?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
stevew, The red is fine as it has lots pf bends and you can pick a gentle line and stop on each bend if you want. Any kid with decent control and a good snowplough could manage it. The 2 drags to Italy are both still in France so to say you have been to Italy you have to ascend at least one of the drags. The red is in NO way a black. Perhaps some are thinking of a different run.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Stevew
We went in New Year week (have posted higher up thread). Our children wore a balaclava under their helmets ...they also had 2 layers under their ski clothes (long sleeved t-shirt and fleece). It was really cold at the beginning of the week especially on the chair lifts.
I think the red from the fort to the bottom of the drag lifts (bellecombe 1 & 2) would be fine with 7 yr old if they have skied before. The first Bellecombe drag is very long so I would only take your son on this if he is confident on drag lifts and the weather is good...one day last week it was cloudy and you couldn't see a thing on the second drag. If you take the first drag lift you can ski down red/blue run to the fourclaz chair and I think from the top of that you can ski down to La Thuile. Alternatively take both drag lifts and ski down easy blue to la Thuile. Take the Chaz Dura express and belvedere lifts to get back (belvedere has a sign saying only expert skiers but I don't know why??!).
The snow was really good on the Italian side when we went but you have to get up speed in places to avoid poleing! The cheapest cafe we found was in La Thuile near the bottom of chaz dura express..they sell nice paninis etc at an affordable price. The cafe at the bottom of fourclaz lift does lovely hot chocolates but very pricey!
We stayed in Les Eucharts area and found La Rosiere an excellent resort. If you have some fresh snow would recommend skiing down the red run fontaine froid..very cosy cafe at the bottom there - lovely smell of the wood burning stove and she does chocolate waffles which your son would like. However I would not take your son on this in poor snow or bad weather conditions- it can get rocky and the lift back up is very slow!
Hope you have a great time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
snowymum, thanks for the advice 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Agree about the cosy cafe. It's like someones house with a few different levels and the best food we had on the slopes all holiday!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Well all packed and ready to go .. any last minute snow reports? I'll try and post some from the phone if I can get wifi access.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
stevew, have a great time, we're on La Rosiere watch now though we don't go until beginning April, tell me all about it
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowymum, am I right (thinking about an old thread from the autumn) that you stayed in Les Cimes Blanches? If so how did you find it/les eucherts?
We are staying there, in an apartment in Chalet Igloo. I have a piste map out trying to work out the La Thuile link, I'm sure it's easier than it looks, I wish they would put little arrows to show direction of poma lifts!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lou,
The 2 poma lifts ascend towards Italy, but it is possible to get off the first drag and still get to Italy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
johnboy, aha yes 
How long does it take to get over, approx of course?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lou
Well done for remembering my previous post! Les Cimes Blanches appartment was lovely. Although going at New Year the appartment prices were very pricey so we paid £1700 for a 1 bed (children had the bedroom and we slept on 2 part sofa bed in the living area)..nevertheless it was spacious enough and the appartment was tastefully furnished and had a lovely view of the mountains. We climbed a few steps to ski out in the morning and could ski back to the door so that was a bonus! Cimes blanches has a lovely swimming pool, large jacuzzis and 3 steam rooms and a few saunas (and a gym - who would need that!) - we were not able to ski all day having a 3 yr old so it was nice to use the above facilities late afternoon.
Les Eucharts is quite quiet and not much traffic..we liked that. There is a lovely pancake shop on the bottom shop level. Also a restaurant called la grange which provided cow shaped pizzas for the children. there is a bowling alley and a small ice rink..quite impressive for a small place! The restaurant l'ancolie is nearby but we were very disappointed with it..booked for new year's eve lunch and when we turned up they refused to make us a fondue as the chef was preparing for new years eve. Waitress was a bit patronising when we asked if they did a pizza for the children - "nous sommes un restaurant"! ie. no! We basically found them rather rude so would not return.
All in all we really liked the Eucharts area. It has a fast lift up to the runs and is a lot less crowded than the other part of La rosiere..if you want to go to the main part it can easily be done by bus every half hour or on skis. There is also a nice pedestrian walkway through the woods between the 2 parts of the resort..only discovered this on the last day.
To get to Italy you have to firstly get up to Le Fort. We took eucharts express, roc noir drag and then the chairlift on the far right (can't remember its name). Then ski down the other side to the bellecombe 1 drag lift. From the top of the first drag you can ski down to the san bernando area and take fourclaz lift to La Thuile. However when we did this the visibility was poor and there were some humming electricity pylons overhead..not that scenic. We then tried the other way over which I much preferred - going up the second drag - bellecombe 2 - at the top of this you can ski down easy runs on the La Thuile side. When we went there was lovely soft snow on the La Thuile side and in the san bernando area. We only had 4 hours skiing from approx 9:15 to 1:15 (whilst children did ski school/creche) and found we could easily get over to La Thuile and back (we only went as far as the bottom of chaz dura express/top of gondola station) as didn't have quite enough time to get down to La Thuile village.
To get back to la rosiere...if you are in the san bernando area I think you can take the san bernando express and ski back to the chardonnet chair to le fort..then back down choucas to la rosiere. However the way we went was to take chaz dura express to the top of la thuile side, ski down to belvedere chair up that and down to chardonnet lift.. up chardonnet lift to le fort... we did not go at a particularly fast pace and managed to get from the bottom of chaz dura to Les Eucharts in just under an hour.
Hope this is the type of info you needed. I must say I found it hard to get any info in the resort and we had to work it out for ourselves..ok when the sun is shining but hard the first day when there was no visibility at the top of bellecombe 2.
Whereabouts is chalet igloo in les eucharts? I can't remember if you have children? If so will they be doing ESF lessons? We used ESF les eucharts and les galopins and our children seemed very happy on the whole (the 3 yr old did not fare quite as well as there were only 3 english girls in her group- 6 yr old had all english group and lovely teacher called Cindy and had a great time.
Hope you have a great holiday!!
ps. forgot to say Sherpa supermarket is a bit limited and pricey...might be worth looking at 8 a 8 in main part of resort..I think they might deliver too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Skied in La Rosiere on Friday - over to Italy - snow on LR side was hard packed, wind blown and generally pretty naff. Italy side was a foot of fresh, with virtually no tracks (we soon rectified this). Lunch on the Rascard for 8 cost us the princely sum of 90 Euros for 2 courses, couple of carafes of vino and coffees. Smashing day, apart from the run back over to France which was by now even worse, having had the wind on it all day, and had to spend the run down avoiding people who insisted on stopping in the middle of the piste just over blind crests.
Oh, and petrol was 1.61 a litre in La Rosiere 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frosty the Snowman, Sorry about that, but I was itching to tell somebody 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
any pics of the fresh Guvnor???
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
kitenski, There may or may not have been snippet downloaded onto Youtube - I'll see if I can find the link......as long as you all promise not to laugh at me
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
can confirm hard snow in la ros and good in italy but had good day yesterday but today virtually no skiing as hannah was sick last night and baddley today
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
snowymum, thank you sooo much for your help - I will be bringing your info with us! Chalet Igloo is part of Cimes Blanches, not sure whether all the same building?
Boys are 9 & 14, 9yr old will have Birthday there (he's used to celebrating them in ski resorts). No lessons planned this time so the days are our own.
We plan to bring more food next time as found the prices had increased recently when we went to Les Gets and that along with the euro 
We have sort of cow joke in our family, so Jack was pleased to hear about the cow-shaped pizzas! Roll on 2 April...
Many thanks
Lou
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Plenty of snow coming this week it seems including 1/2 a metre on Friday!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Was in La Ros all last week and in general had a good time. As stated in my original post the runs in La Ros proper were hard, however runs like the one to the Fort chair were brilliant all week. Virutally no cover off piste at all.
Did the Fontaine Froid once, top bit lots rocky then directed onto the black Ecudets, back onto red, then a track and back onto red ending with a blue ice section right at the bottom, glad I did it but didn't repeat, would love to do that section again in good conditions - only me and ESF group on it all way down! Most of the way there were rocks and stones.
Marmottes was great at top and even better at bottom but middle section was rock hard.
The Italian side was completely different full cover and lots of it, didn't really do any off piste as the bits tried were crusted but someone did say some was available if you knew where to look. Only spent 2 1/2 days in Italy as Hannah (7 year old daughter) was ill one day and the next I spent close to home when she went back into lessons so I was cnear if I got a phone call.
Had a great day skiing with Hannah on Saturday and covered most of the La Ros side on blues and a few easy reds. She loved the Forest run and it's smale bumps, dad refused some as was consious of damaging skis!
Incredibly quiet all week, mainly skiing on empty runs.
Good chalet, thanks to Matt and Ellen for looking after us in Arnica (Ski Esprit).
Worst bit? The fact that nursery drag 1 doesn't overlap with drag 2 - the main way to the Roche Noir chair for us - more whinges than xxxx from small child - just a really silly omission, I know a roads in the way during summer but come on!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
I've started packing! off to la Rosiere on saturday, looks like lots of fresh snow this week yay
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Yup, plenty! Been snowing today and happening all week! Going to be good I think feefee!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I cant wait, have read the reports etc on here and made some notes re pistes, lunch stops etc, any must do's?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Not particularly but get over to La Thuile etc ASAP, genereally much quieter and better snow over there. Poor visability up the top today it seems!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
feefee, If conditions are good, head down towards Eucherts - think it is called Fountaine Froid - great blast with good snow and a great coffee stop at the bottom served by a young lady with one of the best 'arris's in the Alps IMHO (SWMBO suggests her fella is a bit snoggable as well, but wouldn't know)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
