 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm off to Chamonix this weekend - I'll join a guided offpiste group and my wife will be booking a private lesson. She's a blue run skier (reds are still scary)
We'll be staying in Cham itself (hotel Prieuré). I'm aware that Chamonix is not the best for beginners but there's got to be an ok area for my wife.
Any suggestion for where she should ski (Les Houches?) and for an instructor that she could book? (she tells me that she'd prefer a blue-eyed one  )
Ideally she'd prefer not to take buses but if the area that suits her best is a bus ride away I think she'd go there.
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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Almost all ski areas require a bus ride or long walk.
Be prepared to see liftlines at the valley stations in the morning.
Mrs Horizon should head for the Flegere or Le Tour ski areas.
Skiing a redrun or two will probably be unavoidable during the 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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horizon, www.evolution2.com for instruction.
We tend to take more timid skiers to Les Houches or La Tour (Balme ski area) but both are a bus ride away - but that's also because both have better drinking stops - and if you're not a big skier but like a few glasses of Mondeuse instead....
IMHO, there's going to be enough blue skiing between Brevent-Flegere (at the top of the hill that the Prieure sits on) to keep her happy with an instructor for a couple of days.
Sure, the Chamonix blues can be (or are alleged to be, I am not convinced) steeper than those in some other places but our apartment managers both ski there and they've only got about 3-4 days under their belts.
Actually, thinking about new year, our sister-in-law was up Brevent-Flegere for a few days and loved it - and she is a cautious week 2-3 skier (on Easiski's chart). Yep, that is definitely where I'd take her.
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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've got lessons booked with Evolution 2 (via their website), who come highly recommended, and were mentioned as such in the Telegraph not long back. They have lots of English speaking instructors.
I reckon we'll be starting off at the beginners area at Le Tour (La Vormaine). This will give us access to a couple of greens and a blue, with the option to move up the mountain on to Domaine de Balme as and when my group progress.
There is also Les Planards whic is easily accessible from Cham centre, or Le Savoy ditto. Les Chosalet is at the bottom of Le Grand Montets.
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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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 beat me to it
and I don;t think Les Houches is included in the lift pass this year is it? Possibly extra cost to ski there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Les Houches not included on Mont Blanc unlimited this year so extra cost.
We took a beginner to Cham pre xmas. 1st day at Le Tour greens and wide blues, and a lovely blue towards Vallorcine (don't go beyond the chair lift up to the top coz its a narrow track). Day 2 Brevent/Flegere nice blues with the odd steep bit which can be avoided by diverting.
Cham gets a bad press for beginners for no reason.
It is a bus ride to Le Tour but worth it for a confidence building day
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Les houches won't be much of an extra cost if you get MBU (prob worth it for the aig du midi and montenvers unless she's been there already) for say three days, and then Les Houches (separate) for two (or whatever proportions suit)
What a badly written sentence! Apart from that, I agree with what's been said, maybe extra points for at least a day or two at Les Houches for the nice restaurants, as the food's patchy elsewhere on the mountains. But a lot depends on the weather at the time, so I'd decide when you actually get there. Evo2 are good and I would also recommend BASS Chamonix.
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pembsflyer, "Cham gets a bad press for beginners for no reason" - yes, you are totally right.
horizon, I'm going to repeat myself. Your hotel is a short (but admittedly steep) walk (maybe 5 minutes uphill, 3 minutes downhill) from the new Brevent bubble which whisks you straight up into Brevent (oddly enough) and connects neatly over to Flegere. CMB aren't daft and have cunningly ensured that there are blue runs all along the way between the two. More than enough for 2-3 days. Actually, I hear that there is actually a shuttle bus up to the Brevent lift now - or the hotel may drive her up - it is quite a steep hill at the top...best ask the hotel/instructor.
There were no queues for it on the 2nd of January, so I am afraid Whitegold, must have been in the wrong places at the wrong times and I wouldn't think there'd be any over the weekend (book your lift pass on line or buy at Coquoz sports as there is often a queue at the Brevent lift pass office). Of course, I can't guarantee that!
Unless you are overstating her ability/confidence, I would expect her to get bored with either the Savoy or Planards slopes very quickly - but they are there as a handy fall back.
In a short weekend (you didn't say how long) I wouldn't (myself) be bothered with les Houches or buses in general unless the weather really closes in (which is forecast for Sunday afternoon) in which case LHs has good tree cover (none of the other sectors really do) - or you need a fine lunch (Terrain or Taniere would fit that bill). But then, I particularly dislike skiing on exposed slopes in bad visibility. MBU pass holders can apparently get one day at les Houches but only from the Prarion lift pass office - I haven't tried this with my annual pass yet 
Do please report back on the Prieure - they did a fine Burns supper last year, if a little light on the haggis - but I haven't heard any other reports...
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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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under a new name, that's excellent info, thanks. 5 minutes steep walk no problem, the mrs likes steep mountain walks (ok maybe not carrying skis but 5 minutes is ok).
I guess one can arrange to meet a private lesson instructor at the Brevent bubble (bottom or top). I'll contact Evolution2 and BASS.
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| horizon wrote: |
under a new name, that's excellent info, thanks. 5 minutes steep walk no problem, the mrs likes steep mountain walks (ok maybe not carrying skis but 5 minutes is ok).
I guess one can arrange to meet a private lesson instructor at the Brevent bubble (bottom or top). I'll contact Evolution2 and BASS. |
You have'nt seen the 'steep walk'!
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