 Poster: A snowHead
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Linds and I are planning on hitting the slopes next weekend and we're presently searching for a good deal. Snowcoach have availability in three of their half board hotels:
Club Hotel L'Aigle in Valmeinier
Club Hotel Alpazur in Val Cenis
Club Hotel Terminus in St Gervais
Can anyone give any info, in particular on the resorts (in additon to the web sites), but also the hotels?
Cheers! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Michelle, there are two threads with recent postings on St Gervais: here and here. The second thread has a link provided by DG to an Independent article. As you'll see, most people are enthusiastic about the place. Your post implies you might be going just for a weekend: in which case its train link from Geneva Airport might be a distinct advantage. Enjoy you're trip, wherever you end up!
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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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Thanks laundryman for directing me to those. A weekend? No, we'll definatly be going for a week!! 
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Michelle, family friends took my daughter on a Snowcoach holiday to St Gervais last year and she had a thoroughly good time. I think they stayed in that hotel, but I'm not sure. Nearby Chamonix and Megeve have such great skiing, so I think it beats the other two offers.
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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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David, we are actually going to fly with them rather than use the coach.
Val Cenis looks quite close to the Italian border (Mafia etc) and the snow is not so good there at the moment. It certainly looks easy to ski into Megeve from there also the hotel has a jacuzzi and a steam room 
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David Goldsmith, Is St. Gervais linked to Megeve, in terms of not getting your skis off? I know Chamonix isn't and seem to remember looking down at Megeve from the top of a lift at Les Contamines and thinking it would not take too much to link them up either, but I am not an engineer or a French land owner.
It's been many years since I skied the areas between Geneva and Chamonix and expect there have been many changes some of which could be considered improvements.
CP
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CP, Yes, in answer to your first question. If we have a day out in Chamonix (from Megève), e.g. for Vallée Blanche, we get the taxi to drop us in St. Gervais to save on the fare. It's two bubbles to the top of Mt d'Arbois followed by a long cruise to the Megève 'plateau' and (if the snow's ok) the dicey Calvaire run into the village.
There have been numerous plans to link Megève and Les Contamines. One was a funicular through the mountain from Côte 2000 to the point where you mention looking down into Megève. That was abandoned following the Austrian disaster. Then I heard talk of a series of low level links linking St. Nicholas de Veroce to Les Contamines. I think that would be dodgy at either end of the season. The latest I've heard is back to Plan A, but with a cable car from the Altiport up to the ridge. I even heard that work would start this summer, but I've heard those kind of noises for 10 years, so I'll believe it when I see it!
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We've done it! Ended up booking Val Cenis 
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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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Too late to give advice then!
We spent a week at the Club Hotel Alpazur with Snowcoach....excellent hotel, good food, friendly staff and great guided skiing. You'll have a fab time.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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| Quote: |
Val Cenis looks quite close to the Italian border (Mafia etc) and the snow is not so good there at the moment. It certainly looks easy to ski into Megeve from there also the hotel has a jacuzzi and a steam room
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Eh? Multimap.com doesn't put either Val C nor Valmeinier close enough to the Italian boarder for that, and they're not where near close enough to Megeve (short of an hour or so's bus ride)?????? Or am I (or multimap) missing something?????
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Linds, take Scrabble with you. Michelle needs the practice...
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You know it makes sense.
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Manda, I think Linds must have been referring to St Gervais: to be honest, I'd never heard of the other two areas, and I like to think I know my way round the Mt. Blanc region!
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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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laundryman, jeez I hope so - if not, people staying in Val C are going to be very dissapointed (re: proximity to Mafia & Italy)! But if I find either village on my rounds of Mt-Blanc I shall be sure to let you know
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Tue 1-02-05 18:43; edited 1 time in total
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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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although there was a link to Megeve
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We're talking about St Gervais, right? (Not Val C). On the piste map the link from St G to Megeve looks bog easy (laundryman, ice et al please confirm/disprove). In any case I'll let you know next week! 
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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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Manda, Yes talking about St Gervais. Let us know about the link may be a possibility for another trip
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bloody hell, you all suck the spontaneity out of your ski trips don't you ? Yes, it's a blue or green or something down into Megeve, you can use the cable car if you really want.
I leave the house in the morning not even knowing which station I'm going to half the time, you lot have the GPS coordinates for the ATM's 
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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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Linds, the link's really easy as it happens, unless you want to ski into the village itself. Even that's rated at blue, though I think (unusually for Megève) it's seriously under-classified, especially as conditions there are often dodgy. Anyway, I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun in Val C. Enjoy!
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ise, you betcha. I have nothing better to do with my day. But I'm still working on the ATM GPS. Does anyone have a link to the relevant site?
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ise, believe me, I could write it!
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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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ise. Would you mind if we went to the left of the rock and took the second turnstile? Three isn’t my lucky number… Darn it, we’re not going to be anywhere near Megeve.
Speaking for myself as a fairly new skier, who hasn’t had the years of experience on the slopes as your good self, I use this site for information. Picking sH's brains, rather than relying on what the tour op's say. Certainly, since snowHeads began, my knowledge of all aspects of skiing and the slopes has improved immensely.
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| I leave the house in the morning not even knowing which station I'm going to half the time |
Lucky you. I still want to make sure that the places I go don’t scare me too much. That they aren’t beyond my ability. That’s where you lot come in.
Thanks for your advice.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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| My advice is relax, chill out and take it as it comes |
You haven't seen me ski
It's not that long ago that I was a quivering wreck at the top of... Milton Keynes.
All of the helpful and good-humoured advice that was given would not help to calm... In fact, I vividly remember Gregory disappearing past on a regular basis bless him , saying: “I’m on my 14…26….34th run now Michelle! Have you been yet?”
Thankfully, due to lots of perseverance and help from other snowHeads, I can now happily ski from the top of MK without having to put a turn in, in the first 5mm.
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| As a rule of thumb, if SnowCoach, Crystal etc go somewhere it's not going to be hardcore. |
What is hardcore? It’s all relative. Last season, I thought the nursery slopes at Soldeau were very steep. I am mightily impressed with myself that I was able to ski a red at Val d’Isere at Christmas. Very ungainly - but I did it. Had I had gone to Val D last season, the gradient off the top of the nursery slope would have scared me rigid!
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| Surely part of the point of travel in general is discovery and seeing something new? Sometimes not knowing much about where you're going is the point. |
I totally agree with you ise! But at this moment, I want not to be pushed too far beyond my abilities. I think you might have gathered that I lack confidence. As a matter of interest, how were you when you started? It’s very difficult for those that have never felt the fear to understand it.
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| Another rule thumb, or correction to apply when getting information from other English people, would be to interpret intermediate as "likes to ski a lot of blue and red runs and cover loads of distance" and experts as "likes to ski a lot of blue and red runs and cover loads of distance and do a couple of black runs". |
That makes me a beginner and Linds an expert, then…
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Michelle, how do they get those coaches to fly?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Well Jonpim, it was like this... only the coaches seem to have been mislaid 
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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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k11ngy, Did you nearly kill yourself because you didn't take lessons? Val Cenis is a great place for all levels and you will most certainly build your confidence up there. If you have had lessons, then maybe have a couple of hours of one-to-one lessons to get you going again. If you haven't taken any lessons, then definately have some, otherwise you are going to continue to risk yours and everyone elses lives!!
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Wed 10-12-08 14:15; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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k11ngy,
Yes it is................I believe it has the longest green run in the alps @ around 12 or 13km...........its a killer on the legs if you are still in plough mode'.
Not sure about the esf lessons though as they were basically follow the leader & our gropup was slow in progressing after day 3 as there were a couple of people who were really struggling with it, so ended up not really bothering on day 5 & 6.
VC is also supprisingly good value ( evenn dare I say , cheap ), which was a pleasant supprise.
Also, can vouch for snowcoach at VC, very good outfit although not sure I would agree with grading of Hotel as it did seem a bit 'tired' ( still okay though).
Cheers
Mitch
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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