 Poster: A snowHead
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Family of 4 - all probably "Level 3" - mum 20+ weeks skiing, would say Level 4 technically, but lacking courage, dad (DH) 4 weeks skiing - can get down most reds, daughter (DD)- 10yrs and son (DS) 8yrs - both had 2 weeks lessons on dry slope, 2 weeks on snow - both can ski most reds and due to their shorter turning circles seem to be better than mum and dad on the steeper slopes!
Arrived in resort later than expected on Sunday 1st March, we were going to attempt a couple of hours skiing to get our ski legs back, but it was raining and after a long journey and early morning decided not to bother. We collected our ski kit from the rental shop and did a small amount of shopping and by then it was 5pm so the lift pass office was closed.
Our only really eventful day was the first one...
A lazy start, left the apartment at about 9.30 - it was raining and visibility was appalling so it wasn't very appealing. It was a short 50m walk up a gentle hill to the piste where we clipped on the skis for the first time. A short traverse to the lift pass office was the first thing. After not having had ski's on for a year and with the snow being deep and unpisted this turned out to be more difficult than we thought, especially for the kids. We began to wonder what we had done! By the time we had done the traverse we were all hot, bothered and the adults were definitely wishing they'd done more exercise! Arrived at the lift pass office - I only took son as we thought they might need to see him in case he was eligible for a cheap pass so DD and DH stayed at the lifts to save climbing up and down to the office. Turns out they needed everyone's photos - luckily though I everyones passports - so they photographed the photos from them!
First lift of the day was Les Gettiers. Couldn't see anything - DS complaining his goggles were fogging up and it was wet and miserable - beginning to wish we'd stayed at home. Decided to go to the beginners area above Grand Bornard - took Les Violettes - an easy green, but with loads of pole punting - kids whinging... arghhh... got to La Cote drag and then down La Sapiniere, still too flat, decided to do Les Chanterelles (blue)... no visibility, loads of snow, couldn't see the edge of the piste... son tells me to go ahead so he can follow and not to stop as he hates stopping - I do about 6 turns and look back - no sign of any of the family - oops, no thats not right - I can see DD off piste, upside down, legs twisted and can hear her screaming - where is DH? where is DS? Wait a few moments - a group of adults is standing about 20ft from DD but noone approaches her... a couple ski down to me and tell me a child is hurt.. I decided to go down and come up on the drag and ski across to her... still no sign of DH and DS. Still the adults are standing watching her, why is noone helping? I get off the drag and ski off piste to her, about 10ft and then I fall over and lose a ski - after digging about for it, I finally get back on skis and work my way towards her... can see that DH is picking DS up about 20m up the hill, why is he not going to her - she is obviously in more pain. By this time I am screaming at DH to get to her, and at the other other people who are just ignoring her. They ski down past her. DH gets to her first and manages to get her skis off, turn her around and calm her down - at this point DS decides to ski to me - not realising I am off piste and in 3ft of powder... he falls over, starts screaming. Its cold, wet, foggy - why are we here?
I calm him down with some chocolate and we sit for a few minutes to regain our composure... we all make it to the Les Arces drag lift... both kids just want to go 'home'. Its 11.30 - we've hardly skied at all, our confidence is shot - we decide to head back to the apartment for lunch, praying we can persuade them to come out again in the afternoon.
Some first morning.
It turns out that where daughter had fallen she couldn't be seen from above... so I don't think the group of adults were deliberately ignoring her, and her dad didn't know she had fallen.
Some new rules were put in place about following, going off piste, waiting etc.
We had a lovely calm lunch and the rain stopped, so we ventured back out. This time we went up the Outalays lift - DD lost a ski! luckily we were on the chair behind so were able to carry it up for her. We skied down Abondance and across Fougeres to the Chatelet lift and then headed over to the Maroly valley - the visibility was still appalling but we skied till about 4pm and then headed home. Had some hot chocolate and cake and then went to the supermarket. Had a late dinner and went to bed - the rain has turned to snow now... so we were hopeful for day 2.
Tuesday, day 2 - snow, snow and more snow... you can't see out the chalet for the snow... about 25cm has fallen overnight, and its still snowing. Once again we weren't actually looking forward to the skiing, we went straight to Outalays lift and then headed across to the Maroly area. We spent the morning skiing lovely pisted blues - we couldn't see more than 100m but hey - the snow was perfect and unlike the previous days the goggles stayed demisted. We stopped for a picnic at one of the restaurants - DH had a coffee with his, but nobody seemed to bother that we had brought our own food and drinks. The kids had a private lesson from 1-2 so we headed off to try out some of the reds around the La Floria lift. Came back to meet the kids and then headed back to Maroly so they could show us what they had learned. Even after an hour we can see the difference. We skied a few more runs and then headed back to La Floria to do Abondance and Cyclamen back to the apartment. We are all feeling more confident today, the heavy snowfall and lack of visibility isn't anywhere near as depressing as the fog and lack of visibility when it was raining yesterday. Hubby decides he needs a lesson too so we book him one for 9am on Thursday morning.
Wednesday, day 3 - clear skies! Sun cream on... decide to head to Col Des Annes. We go down La Duche which is supposed to be blue - err, no... its steep and mogully, but we manage it. We get to the bottom and the Annes lift is closed due to high winds (there are none!) so we have to join a huge queue to get back out of the valley - this is the only queue we encounter all week, but at the time it was hot, sunny and felt like forever. We ski the Maroly blues and reds and lunch by the piste then head back. At the top of La Floria we stop at the restaurant for a much needed drink, then we indulge in some chips before heading down the red Les Lanches and across to Le Trolles which is a lovely blue to play about on at the end of the day, and its an easy run back on the green Serpentine to the apartment.
Thursday, day 4 - snow again! can't see a thing. Hubby gets up and is out at 8.15 to get to his 9am lesson and me and the kids decide we will just meet him at 10. By the time we get our act together we are still on the lift at 10am so we are a bit late meeting him. Not to worry, we decide to try Les Annes again but on the way DD starts to complain that her feet are hurting. By the time we get to La Duche she is crying so we decide not to bother and head back to the apartment for lunch, but we have to stop at the Solaret for a drink en route as she is whinging so much. We get to the top of La Floria and realise she isn't going to ski again that day so hubby heads off for 1.5hrs on his own and I take the kids back - we have a nice relaxed lunch and at 2pm hubby returns and son and I head out. On the basis hubby had 1.5 hrs on his own for his lesson and another 1.5 at lunchtime it seems fair - I don't feel like I've skied at all. The littel'un and I head for La Joyere area and we had a fantastic afternoon- the snow continued but it was falling in big flakes, visibility was ok, it wasn't cold, and everywhere was so soft that we tried some 'off piste', and skied through the trees by the side of Les Trolles. I was enjoying it so much I didn't want to go back when he did - so I bribed him with chocolate on the chair lift and unlimited DS time when we did get home and he agreed 'just for you mummy' to go to do 'one last run'. It was brilliant - skiing with 1 child is definitely easier than with 2, especially as although he is younger he skis faster - so it isn't so tiring as I don't have to turn so much to stay behind him.
When we got home we decided to go back to the boot shop, while we've been out hubby has dug the car out - but we need a push from a friendly passerby to get up the hill! We aren't hopeful the shop will be able to do anything as she couldn't even bear to put her weight on her feet when standing on the floor. Turns out though that her boots were probably too big so her soles had been rubbing - they put in some thick insoles and she said they felt better - we kept our fingers crossed for the next day. Hubby decided while he was there to change his boots and went for a smaller pair.
Friday, day 5. MORE snow... DDs feet seem to be better so we decide to hit the reds today that we haven't yet done. We head over to the Maroly area and to the furthest drag lift - then down Le Fenil - its a steep red but we are the only people on it so we manage it ok. Get to the Annes chair lift - and - ITS STOPPED AGAIN - it was running when we were skiing down towards it. This is getting ridiculous. We come back up on the Duche chair and then see it has started again... so we go back down Duche and finally get on the Annes chair. It is freezing - it goes slowly through the trees, its snowing. We get to the top and we can't see a thing. Gingerly we head down a very narrow steep blue... which turns into a stunning motorway blue - it is lovely... worth the trip...
We decide to spend the rest of day in La Rosay area and ski down to La Grand Bornard on Envers. Its a nice long run - but icy at the bottom, and with such lovely snow up in Chinaillon we don't feel we want to do it again, so we picnic'd at the top of the bubble and then head up the long drag and do Col de Chatillon - a lovely blue, kids like going off piste in and out the trees so we do this twice more before heading back up Les Languieres to the restaurant that does the decent chips!
Hubby whinges all day that while his turning is better in the smaller boots his feet are sore... he gets no sympathy whatsover!
Saturday - last day skiing. Beautiful sunny day and another 20cm of fresh snow!
Daughter has a cold and 'sore ears' but we are having none of it - its the last day and nobody is volunteering to stay in the aparmtment - we dose her up with Calpol and set off.
OK? so where have we not been - we set out to do all the runs we haven't yet done, bar the 3 blacks and 3 reds we think are too steep. We go back to Les Annes as well to see what its like when you can actually see something. On the way back the kids ski along the bumps at the edge of the piste - DS falls and hurts his shoulder - takes ages for him to get up and then he is crying that he can't carry on. Oh no! but its the last day. I offer to rub in some Ibuprofen gel - he is totally against any medicines and decides that maybe it isn't so bad after all. The next run is done somewhat gingerly, but then he forgets (phew!). Daughter is still miserable about her cold, but is adamant she is going to carry on and hubby is whinging about his feet, but is also unwilling to go back. We keep skiing - I am at the back so at least I don't have to listen to all the whinging.
After lunch though we are getting cocky - we look at La Gypaete from the Chatillon drag - an unpisted red - and think - yup! we can do that. I want to do it because we haven't been to the 'highest' point of the resort yet. Get to the top of Le Lachat for the first time this week... ooooh its steep in every direction, I hate 'top of mountain' lifts because I am petrified of heights - what was I thinking? The edge of La Gypaete looks well scary - although the run is probably fine I can't bring myself to get to the edge to have a look. What's our other choice? ah - Piste 2000 - one of the pisted reds we decided was too steep. Oh well, in for a penny... suffice to say - we got down it - the kids did it brilliantly, hubby managed it ok and I was cr&p - I had lost it at the top due to the heights - it was mogully and busy and the longer I had to wait for other people to pick themselves up the worse I got - my knees were killing me as we had already skied quite a few reds that morning. Was glad when it was over.
We headed back over to 'La Trolles' as it was the kids favourite area and easy, then we did the Chatillon drag again - it was getting close to 'last lift of the hols' but the kids wanted to give up... no... too soon... I persuaded son to do one more run with me and then the others decided to come too. So we went up Languieres one last time - son and I did the red Lanches again and met up with the others on Abondance, final time down Cyclamen and we were 'home'. I would have risked one more go on the Gentianes chair, but it was 4.55 and I was worried in case I skied down but missed the lift and would have had to walk back up the hill!
It went so fast... mostly the snow was fantastic, the weather it has to be said was variable. The last day was glorious and what we had thought it would have been like all week, but in saying that if it had been that sunny the snow would have been disappearing fast - and the morning pistes would have been very icy.
My overall impression of Le Grand Bornard is that it was just enough for the week as long as you aren't an expert and don't ski fast. We went from one side to the other nearly every day and we did actually end up skiing every piste except the blacks and 2 unpisted reds. If the snow hadn't been so good we think we wouldn't have liked it anywhere near as much. Most of the chairlifts were pretty slow and the runs quite short, and although this was made up for by a lack of queues we have come home feeling like we didn't do anywhere near as much skiing as last year in the Grand Massif. I would go back, mainly because of how handy it was and because it was a cheap resort compared to the big areas, hubby thinks we'd be bored as we have 'done' it.
We came away trying to figure out how to go skiing again at Easter because the holiday was too short... but its a pipe dream, realistically, it'll be another year before we do it again. Oh well... on with planning the summer break!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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skimom, wow! After that first morning you did well to get going at all. Being in an unfamiliar resort in poor visibility is difficult - so much easier with someone who knows their way around, and can judge what everyone can cope with.
How did hubby's lesson go?
Sounds like he needs to buy his own boots. 
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I've told hubby he needs to "ask" for new boots for his Xmas this year - that way his mum, my mum and his sister can all chip in.
Hubby enjoyed his lesson and felt like he was skiing a bit better after it - but his problem is typical 'self-taught intermediate' I think - in that he has learned some bad habits that need to be unlearned compounded with his strange stance. He walks funny (like a penguin with feet at 10 to 2) so he finds it difficult to stand 'parallel' never mind ski parallel. I reckon that canted boots with custom insoles might help a bit...
he is worried about buying boots that are uncomfortable and then not being able to swap them on holiday. When he started skiing he wore my old Salomon boots which were size 8 (and he takes a 9/10) - he used them without the insoles and they seemed to fit, then when we started taking the kids he has hired boots to save the luggage, but still feels like he doesn't know how tight they should be. The only advice I can give him is that when I bought the Salomons they were really comfortable but my skiing was rubbish - my Nordicas are 2 sizes smaller and fit like gloves, always hurt for the first couple of hours of the first day and take two people to get off LOL!
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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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Was there the same week as you and looks like you missed the best day which was Sat 28/02 (as good as Sat 8/3 actually). Clear blue sky and superb conditions. Did find there was plenty even for advanced skiers as long as you don't mind going off piste a bit. Also spent a day at La Clusaz though.
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PS. Try Le Village de Lessy (http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/le-grand-bornand/apartments/le-village-de-lessy.htm) next time. Think you will really enjoy. We went as two families and we did anyhow.
PPS. Best to go outside French school holidays unless you have any reason too. The current week is a lot cheaper and the resort will be quieter although it wasn't that busy for French half-term.
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Hi XPeak,
We had no choice over dates - had to be Sun-Sun and that particular week to minimise the amount of football we would miss (both the kids play in local teams and we are season ticket holders at MK)
Shame we missed the Saturday before, but tbh in a weeks skiing we were only going to be able to get one of those Saturdays in our trip and it was nice being our last day.
We looked at Village de Lessy while we were there as we had been offered an apartment there and wondered about it for next year, but we think in the end we did choose the better option for us as we tend not to leave the apartment once we are back from skiing so we don't need the village location or proximity to bars, shops etc., and it was great being right on the piste. We also had a much bigger apartment for the same money. We only paid £600 for a 3-bed, 2 bath apartment with huge lounge area.
Take your point about the off piste - as a non-offpiste skier I forgot that advanced skiers have all those options. Maybe I have been a bit harsh about there possibly not being enough for advanced skiers, and maybe thats why we didn't encounter too many 'lunatics' on the piste. We also noticed a distinct lack of snowboarders compared to other resorts we've been to - maybe again because of the offpiste and freeride areas?
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