 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, I'm off to Chamonix early Jan. There are 3 of us, 1 intermediate skier, 1 intermediate snowboarder, 1 advanced snowboarder.
We will arrive midday Saturday and was wondering whether to spend the afternoon at les planards.
do you think this would be possible or would it be too limited for us?
thanks
Mark
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Pretty limited and needs snow down to the town to be open, albeit that it is permanently in the shade so keeps what snow it gets.
Why would you not head up Brevent or Flegere?
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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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harryspotter, there's one run. Why indeed would you not go up Brevent?
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the two of us who are intermediates, are pretty basic. Last time we stayed in Chamonix we spent all the time on the greens up les praz. We dont want to do that agin, I think we could cope with easy blues. I was thinnking of going to Les Houches for a couple of days, or maybe le tour. Any suggestions
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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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harryspotter, the green up les Praz is a golf course. Do you mean Flegere? Or Le Tour? in that case, assuming the snow's OK, yes, Les Planards (or Le Savoy) would probably be fine for a weekend.
We like Les Houches as much as we do because it has very good mountain restaurants (Le Terrain, La Taniere, Les Vieilles Luges). I think you'd probably like it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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The Green runs at Flegere would terrify most second day skiers and boarders.
I would head to Le Tour. It's blues are much easier and you may even enjoy the reds after a couple of days.
If your group found Flegere tough, they aren't really intermediates.
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Ah, sorry, I take it all back, there are green runs at Flegere. Can't say I ever noticed but we don't go over there as often as we maybe should.
The only tricky thing if you arrive midday is getting kit & passes sorted out (the time taken shouldn't be under estimated) - and then Le Tour is about 15-20 minutes drive away whereas Planards or Savoy are in Cham itself.
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Mark
Les Planards would probably be a waste, you can get a half day ticket at Le Tour its worth the 20mins.
Go left off the top chair (skiers right), there is an easy blue, piste de la Arve. If you are OK on that then further right is a slightly steeper blue, if ok on that then right off the chair is an easy red.
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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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The long blue that goes from the top of Les Autannes lift to the bottom of Tele de Balme is a lovely warm up, if a bit flat at the top so carry as much speed as you can. The roller coaster ride through the forest section is superb fun. Once you feel a bit more acclimatised/confident, riding this run down the mountain road into Vallorcine is great too. There is also a nice restaurant at the bottom, next to the level crossing.
Le Tour was made for beginner to intermediate skiers and boarders and there are some great powder fields for those wanting a bit of soft stuff. Its in the sunshine (Plannards is in the shade) and the views up the valley are stunning.
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another vote for Le Tour
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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harryspotter, Why are you going to Chamonix. Strikes me that there any many many better resorts for a group of your standard. Avoriaz would strike me as a good choice for starters.
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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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Hi Thanks for all this advice. One of my friends booked the break as he was going to go by himself and as he went to chamonix last year he thought the better the devil you know. I think there could have been better choices but its done now so we need to work with it.
My initial thoughts were to spend 2 days at les houches then onto Chamonix/le tour.
I suppose my concerns are
1. Easy slopes for me and my mate and harder ones for the more advanced
2. we wont have a car so will need good bus travel..
3. I am a skier the others are boarders so less drag lifts and flat bits the better..
We are staying in south Cham. Near the Aguille D Midi station. Knowing this, wheres best?
Thanks
H
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There is nothing wrong with Chamonix for all but the earliest intermediates. If you go out to Le Tour (Balme) then the bus service is very good & the off piste down to Vallorcine should keep the more advanced boarder amused. There are 2 drags on the Balme that I can remember but you can avoid one by not skiing the couple of runs it services and avoid the other by continuing back down and round to the top of the Le Tour bubble again. Can't speak about the buses or drags in Les Houche as it wasn't on the MBU pass last year (politics) and whilst I've skiied it more than once in earlier years anything over 12 months old fades into a fog for me.
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You know it makes sense.
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midgetbiker, I hear that the buses now run from Le Tour all the way to Les Houches with an enforced change in Chamonix. There has been much thought and discussion about how to make them better for this winter (they were perfectly fine in previous years, many of our clients don't bring a car).
Few drags in Les Houches, better mountain restaurants, certainly worth a look.
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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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under a new name, looking forward to a few days down at Les Houches myself this season, now that it's back on the MBU, 12 days and counting till kick off 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Staying where you are, you are right next to the bus station so it will be super easy to get to all the slopes without a car - esp in Jan when things are not so hectic.
Les Planards is just a little nursery slope and one red run so I don't think that you would get the most out of your first afternoon. I would recommend you head up to Brevent (there are buses that go up there every 20 mins or so) There are a couple of blues at Brevent and, if you find you have time you can always ski across to Flegere (all on blues also) and easily get the bus back. Did you try Les rhodedendrons for a little apres when you were last there? Its across the road from the Flegere bus stop and sometimes has relaxed live music around 5ish.
I agree with the others that Les Houches and Le Tour are ideal for your group also.
bertie bassett - I have to ask - why bash the holiday that someone has already booked???
CP
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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To save time, you can now collect/get your ski passes from our Airport Transfer Check-In at Geneva. Also, book your ski hire and save 55% on resort shop prices. Save time, get sorted, and be out on the slopes straightaway! 
Andrew
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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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Hi. Thanks for all this. I kind of said to my friend that I may go for a few days and then he came in the next day saying that hes all boooked up. Very impetuous. Unlike me, It took me at leas 100 hours to find a feb ski holiday with my family to Madonna in Italy.
He would prefer to go with someone and he was going to go with another mate but he has hurt his wrist, so cant make it. Hopefully he will be glad of the company.
Just had a look at the piste map, it was le flegere we skied last year I remember the green trappe trappe!!
We tried what I thought was a blue but it was so much harder than the green I think we must have hit a red.
I have skied blues before years ago in Andorra and Bulgaria, but I never felt they were difficult, whereas the run In Cham last year seemed to me too hard. Do you think I went on a red or are the blues in Cham so much harder than the other places I mentioned?
Didn't go to Les Rhodedndrons, We stayed near a bubble lift last year, up a steep hill. There was also a nursery slope near, I think it may have been savoy. Outside the hostel was a little hut that served beer so thats were we went for a drink then walked to town for food. Might look out for rhodedendrons this time.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The blue to the right of the Index lift is as steep as many reds in many resorts. Le Tour is much easier.
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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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Got another question whichmight sound a bit odd.
I arrive on Sat, go to a ski hire place get boooted up, Do I walk around with my ski boots on now? Do I get on the bus with them on? My friends suggested wearing normal boots carrying the ski boots then packing my normal boots in a rucksack during the day, I dont fancy skiing with a paid of hiking boots in my bag. Last time we had the luxury of a car. What do you do?
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most people bus to the slopes in their boots.
and there is nothing wrong with a bit of apres in you boots
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harryspotter, I think you stayed in the hostel beside the Brevent lift, with a little bar opposite, round the corner form our apartments.
Umm, to and from skiing, yes, I'd keep my boots on. It's always fun when you wake up fully clothed and still have your boots on with fuzzy recollection of leaving Le Tof/Choucas at 04h00, kebab stains on your ski pants and no idea how you got home. Still, makes getting ready for the next day easier.
But I wouldn't walk from Chamonix town to les Praz in ski boots. You may need to work out a rucsac'ed shoe plan. Ah, no, you're staying cham sud. OK, no worries, boots on in morning, bus to slopes (or walk up to Brevent, wherever) home, change, walking boots there after.
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