 Poster: A snowHead
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Sometime during New Year week I'll probably use the extended Alpe d'Huez pass to take my family to Serre Chevalier and Les Deux Alpes for a day each.
I haven't been to SC but I know it's made up of several villages along a valley. What's the best place to stop and take the lifts from, considering we'd prefer to do mostly scenic blue and red runs, and to minimise the drive if possible?
Obviously, I'm not that interested in nightlife, great restaurants etc etc - we won't use them!
It's more simple with LDA, and anyway I've been there.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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horizon, the first place to stop is Monetier, at the bottom of the Col du Lauteret, as soon as you reach civilisation, turn right towards the ski lifts. You can join the rest of the ski area via the Cucumelle, a long red piste. Plenty of scenic routes through trees etc.
Alternatively keep going to Villeneuve to ski the central Chantemerle/Villeneuve area, and perhaps part of Briancon too.
We will be there that week too if you fancy a SnowHeads meet 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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The place with the big car park, gondola & the nicest public toilet in France - Villeneuve?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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fatbob, nice new loos at Monetier now too.
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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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Whatever you do, DONT go on one of those coach `day`trips organised by your rep...Hire a car!
We stayed in ADH many years back, and thought it would be nice to see SC on our extended pass.
However, after a somewhat late pick-up (& begrudgingly watching everyone else going up the lifts) we eventually arrived in SC late morning/ nearly lunchtime, whereby we were told we would be picked up at 4pm.... DOH!
All the same we still got a good half days hard riding under our belt, in what I consider to be one of the most awesome and varied ski areas in the alps!
All the villages are worth a look, and you should be able see the whole area in a day, no matter where you start!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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horizon, there are itineraries marked on the back of the piste map, with coloured signs on the pistes so you can follow it. Tends to skip all the lift queues, and lets you see a large part of the area in a day too.
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A couple of hints/tips:
The (free) bus service from one end of the valley to the other is excellent - so it's perfectly feasible (and great fun) to bus to the far end from wherever you are staying and ski back to where you started from.
Briancon has a lovely old town - with walled ramparts, narrow cobbled streets and some very nice looking restaurants (though we haven't eaten in the old town). Well worth an hour or two - especially if it's snow covered.
All in all, Serre Chevalier is excellent - loads of great tree lined runs, high mileage skiing, excellent cruising overall - and we loved it as much as Espace Killy, Paradiski, 3Vs etc. Skied there at easter 2 years ago and found it surprisingly uncrowded compared to Espace Killy at peak times.
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I would personally ski from Briancon - Monetier. Getting a flavour of the areas as a whole.
Got to incorporate the Cucumelle (link between Monetier + Villeneuve, Yret (top of the resort at approx 2700m) and through the trees down to Serre Ratier.
piste map is on there: http://www.serre-chevalier.com/
If you like spending more time in skis than on the sun terraces, I would suggest doing going from Monetier > Briancon in the morning, and Briancon > Monetier back again in the afternoon. If you give up and get too tired, there is always the bus to easily get back to where your car is parked or the bus to whisk you back to ADH.
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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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hi horizon
I'm off with my family to ADH new year week and fancied a day with the family to Serre C. Will I have to get the extended pass to get the free day and how suitable is serre c for early intermediate skiiers.
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ianwatkins, I think you should get a day included with your 6 day ADH pass. If you head for the slopes above Villeneuve there is plenty to keep an early intermediate happy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you stop off in Monetier, make sure the lift link to Villeneuve/Chantemerle/Briancon is open before buying a pass.
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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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thanks for the info, i see from the webcams there was some snow at ADH last night - roll on 26 Dec but I will have to make do with the metro snow show on Sat for now
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bad_roo, he won't have to buy a pass if he already has a free day, just change the place to start skiing from.
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You know it makes sense.
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Hmmmm.....tough choice as to which ski area to ski if the links are closed. Choice of between Chantemerle or Monetier for me.
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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 most impressive views are IMO from the Monetier sector - the car parking is ok, and as Helen Beaumont, says they haven't half done up the loos, showers etc at the bottom near the caisses. Very swish for a ski resort. As for runs, take the Bachas chair then the Cibouit up to the blue Pas de L'ane. From the Cibouit chair IIRC takes you up to a view of the Dome de Monetier that is truly breathtaking. A real WOOF WOOF moment. The blue run down is a nice schussy one, and the red is good fun in good snow with gullies and little mogully bits. Another brilliant view is from the top of the Yret chair - a bit of a more of a stiff red, and a testing black down to a big open run that takes you down through a lovely wide blue.
The snow is usually better at this end of the resort. The Bachas resto is OK for grub, and as Helen Beaumont, said in another thread there is also the Peyra Juana [sadly never been].
Parking at Villeneuve can be at several places - either be at Pontillas - that is a big old gondola, which when you get out, you ski down to the Frejus chair about 200m, then take this up to a big old bowl with greens and blues and,,,draglifts  However, you can get over to the rest of the sector by one drag.
There's also parking reasonably near the Casse de Boeuf chair in around Pra Long shops then up round the little one way system towards Le Bez village. These are just car parks, so no loos particularly nearby but you do get the joy [which my DH loves  ] of getting changed in the car park. However the Casse de Boeuf takes you up to a good point in the system that allows you over to the Chantemerle sector. The run down is a black, but you can chair it down from there.
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Poster: A snowHead
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MarjMJ, Sorry I'm confused, your saying they have done up the slightly run down looking building that houses the toilets, caisse and restaurant in Monetier? if so that is fab news.
Best snow christmas week last year by far was on the Yret red.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Christopher, there is a new building there as well as the old one., althought that is soon being renewed too. They have already built the new kitchen for the Halte Pré Chabert. The loos, showers etc are in the new buildings not in the old one. Fantastic for those of you who leave after skiing for a late flight from Turin. They were all open when you were there at Christmas, but the old ones were still open too I think. There are two ski shops there too.
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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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Helen Beaumont, Yeah I used one of the ski hire shops in the new one thats if the new one is the one with the doctors at one end and a sort of village hall style room at the other end. I always used the toilets, which were frankly pretty wrank in the old building. I wasn't aware there were toilets in the new one.
Have to say I wouldn't eat again in the self service restaurant at the bottom unless the food has changed with the new building, as the food was awful.
Cheers for the information.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Christopher, yes that is the same building. lovely new loos in the new one, nasty rank ones in the old one.
Restaurant is (or was) under the same ownership as Bachas. We don't eat in there often,if we eat towards the bottom it is always at Peyra Juana, but I wouldn't say it has ever been 'rank'. Plat du Jour is usually delicious. They are both up for renewal of their tenders soon, so lets see what happens when the new kitchen opens. Bachas is also being extended and refurbished.
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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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Helen Beaumont, problem with the Pre Chabert restaurant was that the food resembled fast food, so much salt and poor quality cooked in vast quantities. The prices I seem to remember weren't quite the same as fast food. I know for a fact that Bachas sells Tartiflette and I dont think the Pre Chabert does, therefore they may be targetting different markets under the same ownership. That was the only time we eat anywhere near the pistes in an attempt to save pennies. Instead eating out only in the evenings to save staying in a small appartment all evening. Annoyingly I forget exactly, which restaurant it was. I believe it may be called le caribou, however that could have been one of the ones we wanted to go in but never did. But a traditional French one (I'm sure thats about 100% of them  ) behind the church was very nice.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Christopher, duie to circumstances beyond my control, I didn't eat there at all last season. Caribou is OK, but it is not the best one. Aquisana at the bottom of the same street, next to the cash machine hut is the nicest.
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We ate in Aquisana last March - was a bit of a curate's egg - lovely atmosphere, and some nice bits, but not outstanding. We recognised the owner from another place he had in Le Bez. I think he's Swedish?
We had a great time eating in - all those interesting sausages and fab steaks and tourtons etc to try...We really like the old butcher shop in the village.
As for Bachas resto have only limited self to chicken and chips type food, so perhaps we should be aiming for Peyra Juana - do you have to prebook, as I thought there were only 20 covers or so?
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duie to circumstances beyond my control
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'Nice' understatement Helen Beaumont, 
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MarjMJ, he is French, his wife is Swedish, hence the Swedish influence on the menu. We eat in a lot too now, but have our 'favourites' we have to visit occasionally. MarjMJ, Peyra will be busy, always, although they have extended last season and have a terrace when the warmer weather comes. Sometimes you have a long wait for a table, and I hardly dare say it, but sometines if you are regulars, they will squeeze you in . We rarely wait more than 10 mins or so.
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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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horizon,
All the areas have good skiing at the level you require as stated above.
If it is really cold on your trip as it can be at that time of the year Monetier tends to be the coldest bit as it is north facing and higher up the valley. Equally it may well be the least crowded and have the best snow, particuarly if it is warmer or the snow is not abundant.
The Frejus sector of Villeneuve is not one to hang around in particularly if there are new year crowds as it has the worst lifts. (low capacity tows and slow chairs).
Agree with Helen Beaumont, the plat du jour at pre chabert is often really good and very reasonably priced even if the rest of the food is uninspiring at times.
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Helen Beaumont, Good tip on Peyra Juana. The pull of the slopes is usually greater than the pull of grub at lunchtime, but one day, one day...
Agree with T Bar, about the Frejus sector - though that big wide green is very flattering if you want to practise tricky little manoeuvres...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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MarjMJ, they serve lunch until quite late, we often leave it until about 2.30 or even 3pm. Then just have a light meal in the evening. We'd just left Peyra when Julian was hit by the other skier.
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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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Helen Beaumont, you are throwing temptation our way...
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horizon, It is quite a long drive from ADH to Serre Chevalier, though certainly do-able.
You'll almost certainly see another side to the place on one of our days in March (Montgenevre is a lot closer).
A pity you won't be able to go over to experience La Grave while you are in LDA. Perhaps our group will have to do a La Grave holiday in the 2010-11 season.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks everyone for the info - will print this and take it with me.
snowball, yes yes yes to the La Grave holiday. LG and Alagna/Gressoney are the major free-ride areas I haven't been to in Europe.
As for Serre Chevalier, I'm quite keen on getting my son and parents to see other ski areas and SC looks good for next season's destination (unless we go to Austria). We'll be driving, which should make things easier.
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