 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everyone,
So glad its that time of year again...
Anyway, my wife and I are thinking about going back to the Three Valleys this year, because we really love the long, roller coaster style runs the likes of Combe Vallon, Creux, Jerusalem and the magnificent Cascades in Flaine.....
November though is the time for intense ski-research, so I need some alternatives! To help pad the gaps in my working day, I'd love to hear your opinions on where else (other than 3V, Grand Massif, and Espace Killy - the resorts we've been to already) we should look to find the very best long, winding pistes.
Thanks in advance!
Shannon.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Serre Chevalier has numerous long, yet continuously interesting, runs of the difficulty you're mentioning.
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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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Alpe d'Huez or La Plagne are also pretty well stocked with just these things.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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You need resorts with high tops and low bottoms.
Les 2 Alpes, Alpe d'Huez, Val d'Isere, Les Arcs, Courchevels, Zermatt are 6 for starters that all tick the right boxes.
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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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agree with Whitegold, alpe dhuez, but stay in vaujany for faster access. Very dead at night however
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Serfaus in Austria? A couple of 10Km pistes there plus other long ones 
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All manner of options outside France too.
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Davos and Flims are well worth looking at.
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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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Swirly, Agreed.
There are so many combinations of runs with over 1000m of descent.
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does Alpe d'Huez have the longest run in Europe at 16km ?
Im there Feb so will be giving it a go.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Paradiski (Les Arcs & La Plagne) would fit the bill.
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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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Renry, yeah it's a red (at the top) but they ran out of poles so used black ones instead. As you can imagine a run that drops about 2000m in 16 km is pretty flat at times.
AdH is a good suggestion but there are better things to go there for.
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| Swirly wrote: |
| AdH is a good suggestion but there are better things to go there for. |
I see you are based les deux alpe' , Please tell me, what should I avoid / look forward to in ADH?
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You know it makes sense.
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Renry, actually I'm not anymore, that was last season.
I really like AdH, in fact I think the piste skiing is better than in L2A. If you knock off the 8000m in a day from the back of the piste map it'll be a good one. The off piste is fantastic but you need to put in a bit of work for it: IMO this is the best thing about it. All the runs down to Vaujany are very good. Auris has some nice quiet stuff too. If you've done a bit of off piste it's worth getting a guide and doing something like the Grand Sablat and taking a helicopter back, much better than just taking a heli to L2A anyway, if you've done a lot get the vamos guidebook although local knowledge is useful too.
It does get effected badly by the sun: lots of east and south facing stuff so can be icy in the mornings and slushy late on depending on the weather at the time. The main park didn't look much good but that's not my thing. The Sarenne (long black) is mainly a cat track, see above post, don't get too excited before it.
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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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To cover Paradiski effectively staying in Les Coches is the way to go. In a week you could never cover the whole area but if it snows you have the trees above if not you have long tours to Montalbert, Champagny, Villaroger and if you have enough time there are also two glaciers and the ultimate off-piste experience of the North Face of the Bellecote (guided).
It's only one lift up to get to the Vanoise Express. It's three lifts to get over the Arpette to the rest of La Plagne but Pierre Blanches back is sublime. In fact in either direction the fun builds as the day progresses with sublime finishes to round things off.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| gravystuffing wrote: |
To cover Paradiski effectively staying in Les Coches is the way to go. In a week you could never cover the whole area but if it snows you have the trees above if not you have long tours to Montalbert, Champagny, Villaroger and if you have enough time there are also two glaciers and the ultimate off-piste experience of the North Face of the Bellecote (guided).
It's only one lift up to get to the Vanoise Express. It's three lifts to get over the Arpette to the rest of La Plagne but Pierre Blanches back is sublime. In fact in either direction the fun builds as the day progresses with sublime finishes to round things off. |
I'm not a massive fan of les coches myself - doesn't get the sun in early winter and then late season gets hammered - generally I've found the snow found the snow immediately around/above tends to be worse then pretty much anywhere in paradiski. on the Les Arcs side you could stay peisey-vallandry and you're right on the vanoise or any of 1800, 2000,1950 are only one lift one run away. On the la plagne side you have the 'away from the masses' charm of montalbert plus some great skiing fairly local - or if you want sunny and central then somewehre like Belle Plagne or Plagne Soleil would be my choices - or if it's chalets you're after then 1800 is rapidly becoming more appealing with the new lift.
But yes apart from that I would agree that Paradiski ticks those boxes for the original posters requirements.
Shagsa even though I'm a fan of France you definitely have to try some different countries - Cervinia/Zermatt would meet your needs as would I believe Lech/Zurs in Austria and no doubt lots of other places that I'm yet to enjoy.
Have fun!
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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 'James Bond' run from the top of Seceda back into St. Christina is 5k ish, but more than one lift to get you to the top.
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shagsa, you may like the Espace San Bernardo, the ski area shared by La Rosiere in France and La Thuile in Italy, lots of long reds, especially Pista 7 in Italy, 11kms in total. If you a fan of off-piste there is a 20kms descent from the Gran Paradiso down to Le Miroir in France, one of the top off-piste routes to be found anywhere.
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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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How about Verbier? I've been there 3 times, unfortunately a long time ago. It is a big system! If you go to the Mont Fort glacier and take it from there, you have everything - moguls, cruising, steep and deep off piste, difficult,easy... It is a big circuit, too, you can ski over to Haute Nandaz, which is a lot cheaper, like Peisey in Les Arcs. You must also ski Tortin before you die, one of the most interesting runs around. Verbier is still one of my top three, together with Paradiski, and Trois Vallees.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
You must also ski Tortin before you die,
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Should you fall the interval may not be long though.
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| Quote: |
| Shagsa even though I'm a fan of France you definitely have to try some different countries - Cervinia/Zermatt would meet your needs as would I believe Lech/Zurs in Austria and no doubt lots of other places that I'm yet to enjoy. |
I totally agree; I guess being a late starter (3 seasons of skiing) my knowledge of what else is out there is limited. But I think I forgot to mention that I've been to Obertauern in Austria too - this is a brilliant little (not that little really) resort, with a great linked circuit of lifts. Good snow record to boot!
Thanks so much everyone, keep them coming please - this is great inspiration as we move into winter. This has got to be one of my favourite parts of the season - the planning, daydreaming and the mounting excitement as you get closer to the white stuff.....
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The monte rosa area has lots of long reddish runs, and crucially (cf the Trois vallees) outside of weekends they are pretty empty giving ample opportunity to get into a good rhythm.
seem to remember reading that Davos has lots of good runs off the Parsen (sp ?) but never been there to verify in the flesh.
d
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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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Check out Les Contamines.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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gravystuffing,
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I love Montalbert especially Chalet Forperet. I understand it has had an upgrade to its cannons this season and I truly hope it gets its lifts upgraded next season.
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Yep the piste Gentil has been widened and snowmaking installed from the Forperet back to the village.
The village newsletter suggests that the Fornelet lift will be replaced next summer. Rumour has it by a 6 seater detachable chair using the existing route. The fornelet will be used to replace the ageing lift at Bauches. (All rumours of course.)
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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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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
gravystuffing,
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I love Montalbert especially Chalet Forperet. I understand it has had an upgrade to its cannons this season and I truly hope it gets its lifts upgraded next season.
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Yep the piste Gentil has been widened and snowmaking installed from the Forperet back to the village.
The village newsletter suggests that the Fornelet lift will be replaced next summer. Rumour has it by a 6 seater detachable chair using the existing route. |
Woo hoo - you lot must die of cold/boredom before you get to any sensible runs...
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You know it makes sense.
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Zermatt for the win
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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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Thanks for the input everyone.
I'm so indecisive! (Secretly I like dragging this bit out) We're probably thinking of going between mid/late Feb - early March. After a week in heavy April snow in the Espace Killy this year, I want to hunt some properly good snow conditions.
OK, so I think I've got a (not so) shortlist here...
Austria:
- Ischgl
- Lech/Zurs
- Serfaus
France:
- Les Arc/La Plagne
- Serre Chevalier
Italy/Switzerland
- Cervinia/Zermatt
Decisions, decisions...
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Poster: A snowHead
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Another vote for Zermatt. The massive vertical means you can put in some seriously long rollercoasters 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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Another Zermatt/Cervinia vote. When I was there last Xmas, I was told that the run from the top of Cervinia down to Valtornenche is the biggest single piste vertical drop in the alps (world?). May fit your bill - get in training now and see if you can do it in one pitch  . Some really nice cruisy runs there. Good ones over in Zermatt as well, although possibly not quite the sheer number as in the 3V (or Portes du Soleil). Zermatt's not a cheap place to be though.
The Arlberg is a huge area, but a bit fragmented in that you do have to get a bus to get from the St Anton section to Lech/Zurs (although you can link at least one way off-piste). I can't say anything about the Lech end as I've never made it over that far.
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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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For a really, really long run... Roche down through Tunnel to Arpette, up that lift and then Pierre Blanche to Les Coche. That's about as long as I can think of.
I so wish I was there doing it right now.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Zermatt +1
Some utterly epic ones fro right at the top to right at the bottom. Isn't the route down to Valtournenche on the Italian side the longest pisted run in Europe (although there's a 2 minute chairlift in the middle of it)?
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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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Mid/late Feb is a busy time, best avoided if you can. 1st or 2nd week of march is a better option.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Definitely the Serfuas-Fiss-Ladis area, the run off the top in between Fiss and Ladis at Zwolferkopf back down to main gondola station is at least 10km long.
There's also a very long run of the top of the Marmolada glacier (12,000ft ?) in the Sella Ronda circuit which runs down to valley level, something like 8km long?
In Saalbach thre's a quite long run down into Leogang, need to check piste map to confirm length but guessing at 7km?
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The vertical drop from the Schilthorn above Muirren to the valley floor at Lauterbrunnen is 2174m.
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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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oldsnowy, 12 km
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oldsnowy, 12 km for the Marmolada run
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FAQ
