 Poster: A snowHead
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Hiya looking to get away the week before christmas (solo) and found a rather good deal with UCPA. £480 for 1 week in Val disere including lift pass, equipment hire (wont be needed!!), breakfast, lunch and dinner, insurance, acomidation and 5 days of half day instruction.
Just wondering if anyone else has had a trip with UCPA and if so how was it? also seems very cheap for a resort like val disere as i know a weeks lift pass there is about £150 -£200.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Try searching the forums. There've been numerous posts about the UCPA on here in the past, mostly positive, although you need to be happy with youth hostel-style accommodation and a general lack of privacy in most places.
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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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max.makinson, you might find that that centre has separate rooms, though that would be a very expensive option for a solo traveller.
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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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Hi Max
I have been to UCPA Val D'Isere with action outdoors about 4 times now. The centre is basic - although they refurbed their showers last summer and will undoubtedly improved something again for this year. Expect to share bunk rooms with between 2 and 5 other like-minded travellers and get into the 'communal living' sprit of self service buffet, clearing your own table and making your own bed fairly quickly. The Centre is just 5 mins walk away from the Centre of town and even closer to the Morris. It is just off the main drag up to Le Fornet and has a bus stop right outside to pick up lifts from Laissant or Le Fornet and has easy access to the back of the nursery slope within 30 yrds. The staff are really friendly, the food is really good french country cooking (expect meat / fish / salads and a really good cheese board) and the instruction / guiding very helpful.
I've travelled there on many different routes - even done the overnight coach a couple of times (and always say never again after each journey!) but if you are booking with Action-Outdoors you get the Saturday night dinner and accommodation included in the price and can get your lift pass / equipment sorted early and meet up with most of the other brits and sweedish guests before most other guests arrive the next morning. If you are planning the off-piste course they will supply a qualified guide and all the safety equipment you need.
I hope the low-down has helped and that you now feel better about venturing out on the piste solo. I love Val D and will defo be planning a week there myself again this year - have fun.
Sare P
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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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sarep,
i really fancied this trip and was getting really excited about it until i saw it was only for adults upto the age of 39 
its the first time i have felt tooooooo old
Is there any other companies out there that do similar for over 40's
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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andybabes, from what I've read elsewhere the age limit is not hard and fast, especially in quieter weeks. I'd suggest calling the company and speaking to them
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I'd suggest calling the company and speaking to them
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and say "like" a lot 
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yeah, s'right that, innit
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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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cool
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sweet
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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DO IT DO IT DO IT! UCPA are great, I never get sick of saying this! I've stayed at the flaine and deux alpes ucpa's and will be going to the les arcs and tignes ones this season. Great food, great atmostphere, great teaching! LOVE IT!
x 
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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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Ooh - looks good - thinking of going the 26th December as have enforced holiday time
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Spoke to chap at work today who goes UCPA every year. He says he sees people every year who are "very obviously over the age" (and he's late thirties so has at least some idea what we +40s look like).
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You know it makes sense.
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I've stayed at UCPA a couple of times (La Plagn & Flaine) with the Uni ski club,
I found the accommodation at La Plagn very good (probably the best I have had on a uni trip and included ensuite (although tbh thats not exactly a lot of competition!) Better still it was right by the lifts and ski in ski out (which was rather handy!)
Accommodation at Flaine was a lot worse, (standard hostel room with 4 people sharing and communal showers.)
In both cases the included food was fantastic, really good quality and tasted great (which was a huge surprise as I tend to have high standards for such things).
Both hotels had a nice communal area with sofas etc to relax after skiing (and pre pub).
Lessons were a real mixed bag, (think the first time the instruction was shocking (in my group at least), but the guy we had in Flaine was very good (though that may just be because he was great as a guide showing us safe off piste routes!)
Seeing this thread has got me thinking about looking at ucpa for my trip this season, particularly as it offers everything included (which should be useful for trying to convince some of those friends who keep saying they'd like to try skiing sometime to come along.) Like the idea of getting the morning to go blitzing around the resort, then spend the afternoon with the new skiers (and get a chance to crack out the old instructor skills)
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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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the_fatadder, Flaine UCPA does double rooms too, at a small supplement
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Poster: A snowHead
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the_fatadder, There's two centres at flaine so choose carefully.... I think Les Lindars is the ex club med - it is a good mix of twin en suite with quad en suite - much better than the average UCPA.
andybabes, try calling the guys at action-outdoors. I think that UCPA are less strict on the age limits for non-french clients (the host ofr the Action-outdoors 'hosted weeks' i know is over 40! They may be able to negotiate you in.
Good luck
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm 42 and have been twice now to ucpa. Chamonix and Serre Chevalier to do the off piste courses. They don't seem bothered and I certainly wasn't the oldest. Be prepared to share a room with up to 7 others (7, nineteen year old norwegian students can make you feel very,very old)
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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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Guys, I have used UCPA many times. I love their system and agree with the over 40's rule. It gets bent if you can ski decently...and don't look like a walking heart attack! Have a look at www.free-me.com as I am organising a discounted group new years trip to Flaine for £595 INCLUDING RETURN TRANSPORT (even have a flight option). Sorry for the plug, but acontents above are correct and UCPA is a great venue, with well paced lessons.
Let me know soonest
Don
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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or very very young....But the rooms at Flaine are only for 4 so not too crowded and I 'll have a good group of english speaking mates and solo travellers. Some are very close (possibly just over) the age limit. Looking forward to it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just out of interest, who do they use to teach, local French instructors?
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beanie1, UCPA have their own staff for most teaching, you can see them all over the resort. Not sure about the off-piste courses.
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nbt, what qualifications do they have?
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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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beanie1, AFAIK they are either fully qualified or working towards it - UCPA is one of the organisations which are allowed to take on trainee instructors? I'm basing this on half-remembered thasds from many years ago
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Hi
i stayed at Tignes ucpa last year and i am 46 even though i don't look it haha, its no problem being older just call action outdoors,
it really depends on how you feel, they don't have age police patrolling around.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm going to 3 different UCPA centres for 3 weeks in March.
I'm going to have tuition in my first week. But no sure whether to have tuition for weeks 2 and 3. My second week will be in a resort I don't know Val d'Isere and the third week is in Serre Chevalier, a resort I know well.
Can you turn up and book yourself into lessons and pay the extra for tuition? Or does it have to be organsied when you book up your stay.
The lessons are for a adventorous intermediate.
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FAQ
