 Poster: A snowHead
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We are planning a day trip from PdS to Grand Massif area over Xmas period. We are snowboarders that are not keen on black or mogul runs, and will be going by car.
Could someone please recommend where to conveniently park the car, where to ride, have a lunch and what we should rather try to miss out on?
Many thanks student
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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student, why are you doing that? I'm not sure I'd bother myself? Is the PDS too small for you?
GMs not that much different and has rather more drag lifts - although I'm sure that'll appeal to you boarders... 
If you must (and the links're open), I'd park at Morillon - it's closest to PDS. Don't know any GM restaurants that I'd recommend over many in the PDS - although I confess I know the PDS rather better. Still don't understand the motivation...
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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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under a new name, I am doing it because I get to visit PdS a fair bit (about 6-7 weeks each winter season) and I do get some free day passes with the PdS pass. Also just exploring the surrounding resort should be fun, I hope.
I don’t mind the drag lifts, not sure about the missus 
Would you suggest other resorts that are more fun for a day?
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student, a change of scenery will do you good, why not?
Big car park at Morillon base, I don't remember many drags, mostly chairs including a huge 8-seater at Grand Vans, it doesn't take long to get right to the top of Flaine with it's views of Mt Blanc, then you could play for a while in the bowl before making your way back via Les Carroz or Samoens. or you could even try the 14km Cascades run down to Sixt where you can catch the bus back into the lift system, but that gets a bit flat in places, not always ideal for boarders.
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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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under a new name, ye gods man, Chill!
She fancies a change from the PdS and so has asked a straightforward question about parking and food in the GM - why on earth demand an explanation about her 'motivation'?? If you take out the first and last sentances from your post and it's helpful, but in all honesty Luigi has done it with more grace.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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When we used the free days, we parked up at Morrillon and entered the Grand Massif from there. And at the end of the day did the Cascades down to Sixt and got the free bus back to the Morrillon carpark. From Les Gets etc. that must be about the most convenient place to start from. Only real inconvenience was the need to swap a day for the PdS passes for ye olde worlde non-handsfree passes.
No idea where we went, or what restaurant we used, but we did keep drinking Vin chaud at the bottom of les Cascades until the bus came.
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Which resort in PDS are you coming from as it might make a difference to which of the GM villages are best placed for you.
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From Morzine for convenience Morrillon is certainly the best option.
If you want to get more direct (closer) to Flaine itself you can drive through Les Carroz and park for free at Les Molliets which is a massive car park right by a chair lift. Go to Flaine and you will have to pay for parking, but personally i would say getting to Flaine from Morillon is going to be almost as fast by lifts as it is by car.
The area is well worth a visit, not pretty but good skiing.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Thank you for all the helpful comments, looks like we are going to park at Morillon and explore up from there.
andy, what other resort did you visit with your free passes? Did you go to any of the half price (further a field) once?
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ianbradders, we are coming from St Jean d’Aulps, about 10min down from Morzine
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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student, just grand massif. All we did was exchange 1 day from the PdS 6-day pass for a 1 day GM pass under the reciprocal agreeement they have. But you have to do this in the ticket office, and they give you a 1 day pass (of the old style, on a string).
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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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andy, sorry I have assumed you have had a season pass, with which you got three free one day passes for the near by resorts and three half price passes for resorts further out. I wasn’t aware of the other scheme; that will be useful for some friends who will come to visit us.
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student, yeah dunno if they still do it, but you certainly used to be able to swap 1 day from a 6day pass. We did, but this was a few seasons back. It's worth it just for a change of scenery. I would guess that Pras de Lys (etc.) are also on some kind of agreement too?
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You know it makes sense.
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student, OK, fair enough, a reasonable request then! (I'd do/have done the same in your situation, just for variety & fun). Morillon is definitely the easiest car parking to get to and reasonably easy access into the system. The GM should be fun - I think it may have better off piste potential than a lot of the PDS - although I haven't (completely) verified that. Just seems to get less tracked out less quickly.
I still can't recommend a resto - in the same way that I can in the PDS or Cham (not that my opinion is that important) - but I have eaten in a little place by the Carroz gondola - I'm afraid only identifiable by red chequers either on the shutters or curtains. To skiers left of the lift station. It was good. Also a pleasant enough lunch in a little place to skiers right as (I think) you descend from Tete des Verds. Haven't yet encountered anything to compare with my PDS favourites tho'.
Otherwise, if you have good snow (i.e. fresh and safe) I'd recommend Praz-de-Lys/Sommand. It's closer, I think you get free days and when I went it was as quiet as quiet can be. Again you may find a few drag lifts but...
Or there's always Chamonix...from St J d'A it's not much that much further on. Or the Aravis. Loads of possibilities. To be fair, unless PdL/S appeals (it's a little closer) GM's a good plan.
red 27, uh? Someone randomly posts suggesting it's more fun to spend part of a day of precious (generalising) holiday time to drive 1hr each way to ski an area much like the one they're in and you think it's unreasonable to ask for a little more information or what they want to gain from it?
Patient, "Good morning Doctor, I'd like you to cut off my leg."
Doctor, "Certainly Madam, which one? You know we do have a two-for-one offer on surgery at the moment?"
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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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under a new name, I was planning Chamonix and LaClusaz for our February and Easter trips, so if you have any recommendations feel free to pass them on.
I may have a look at PdL/S too, if there is enough time
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Poster: A snowHead
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I'd suggest heading a little further from Morillon up to Samoens. Free car park and big new(ish) cable car right up into the system without the (potential) hassle of snow-covered roads - and a bit closer to Flaine than Morillon.
And IME yes there is more opportunities for "between the pistes" runs in Grand Massif that in PdS - just watch out for the gouffres in some parts of the system, you *seriously* don't want to end up in one of them.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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student - personally, I'd head park at Samoens and head up to the main Flaine bowl for some full on carving action.
"Epiciere" - just on the run on the same name - is superb. So good we had to wait for lunch to go down before tackling desert 
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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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RobW, I may be wrong but dont you have to go through Morrillon to get to Samoens ? I think from Morzine you take the D902 back towards le autoroute blanche and cut off onto D907.
I agree that grand massif express is great from Samoens but remember the really slow chariandes 2, 2 manner to get higher up.
student, i have never been there but people rave about a restraunt off cascades where they collect you on a skidoo if you ring a bell on the piste. Do a search for lac de gers, downsides is you end up in sixt with a short bus ride back to samoens or morillon and this piste is off quite a lot.
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student, personally I'd see what happens with the snow as that may affect where you drive to. I've skied many seasons in the GM - I'm very fortunate in that my folks have a chalet in Verchaix, just across the valley from Morillon. If the snow's half decent there's some good skiing up from there, or indeed some great runs from Samoens (you can drive up to Samoens 1600 too, with free parking). Samoens is only 5 minutes further along the Giffre valley from Morillon, with Samoens 1600 being about 10 minutes more (you turn off and go up the hill just before you get to Samoens itself). However from Morillon base it'll take maybe up to an hour to board your way over to the slopes in the bowl above Flaine should you so choose, depending on your speed, and if it is windy La Lanche chairlift will be closed which is the link from Morillon over to Flaine.
If the snow's a bit iffy, or you're after higher altitude (above tree-line) off-piste then I'd drive directly up to Flaine. It's only 45 minutes drive from Morillon so would probably only add 35 - 40 mins to your drive from Portes du Soleil. Parking isn't free but you are immediately up high in the snow bowl itself, with runs such as Serpentine (off-piste gulley off the side) and Mephisto being great fun.
Whichever you choose have a great time! There's no drag lifts (from memory) in Morillon, Samoens or Les Carroz apart from the debutants slopes, but there are a couple above Flaine (Grand Balacha 1 & 2) and the odd other one in rather more inaccessible places.. There's some good skiing to be had up there - I'm very envious of you heading out so soon!
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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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student, I agree with those who've said the restaurant halfway down Cascades is good, I've eaten there a couple of times. The pancake-like flatness of the run is a bit of a killer though. I hope never to do it on skis again cos the poling half-kills me, though at least I felt I'd earned my meal! I think boarders are lucky that they can just unstrap and walk in comfy boots on flat bits!
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student,
From the PdS, no point parking anywhere other than the Morrillon cable car. You could drive to Samoens or Les Carroz, but that is extra driving time (ie. wasted skiing time) and does not give a significantly better starting point than Morrillon.
What to do?? If the weather is overcast or snowy, don't bother going to Flaine, but stay in the tree lined areas above Morrillon or Les Carroz. Have lunch at Les Molliets restaurant.
If it is sunny, hot foot over to Flaine and enjoy the many pistes in the bowl. If you are up for off piste, many options in that bowl, or in the Gers bowl (but requires a horrible drag lift to exit - perhaps best avoided). I strongly second the previous recommendation of Epiceire restaurant if in Flaine. On returning to Morrillon, follow the crowds out of Flaine to the Grand Vans peak, then up to the Tete du Saix peak, but rather than taking the Perce Neige blue run (turns into a push path), drop into the Molliets valley and take the Molliets chaire chairlift - from here, a non-stop ski down to Morrillon 1100. Either take the cable car down from M1100 to Morrillon Village (700m), or ski if conditions allow.
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Thank you everyone for all the comments and recommendations. I am very excited to visit the GM area now, it sounds like its going to be fun.
I need to go get couple of hours of sleep now, before I leave for PdS.
See you all there
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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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student, over more time, what are you looking for re Chamonix? Always happy to share opinion. Have little specialist knowledge on La Clusaz except I had my first powder experience there in 1985 on a Uni ski trip - very fond memories.
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