 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Snowheads
Thanks so much for all your help with the big decision regarding which resort to choose for our first ski /snowboard trip as a family. Well we chose Morillon in the Grand Massif and had a great time(in spite of picking up a vomiting bug somewhere on the way? Top tip, take hand sanitizer for using after the loos on the way down to the Alps-the service station toilets often had no soap and no hot water).
Anyway, there was great snow cover and we had a really handy comfy apartment with ski in ski out facilities-ideal for grumpy tired little people.
The snow continued to fall while we were there so that made everyone happy!
Good points- great location-Morillon 1100 very well placed and well designed-everything in walking distance. Good lifts linking up well with other Grand Massif resorts. Beautiful views and friendly feel. Tourist office offering free hot chocolate most nights and human table football on one night-pefect for our son. Sledge run near the lifts-ideal for non skiing little ones. The tuition we had privately was great, especially Kimberley who got the old man snowboarding-we had to hire her again at the end of the week because the 12 year old was so fed up with his incompetent parents and wanted to do jumps and red runs-next year we'll take a friend who can keep up with him! Very friendly intersport hire place who even fixed our son's snowboard even though it wasn't one of theirs.
Bad points-limited green runs-obviously one doesn't want to stay on the greens for too long but the nursery slope was one run and the only other one was the 5km Marvel-gorgeous but what about in between for tired five year old beginners?Also I resented paying £11 per day for my 5 year old to go up the nursery drag lift-other resorts nearby(Sixt for one) don't charge for debutants.Also the same old story of pricey cafes but the supermarket wasn't too bad.
On the whole a great first timer resort-we were happy to let our children out and about-the 9 year old went most mornings on her own to the bakery to buy the bread and practice a bit of french.Because it was only 1100m it was very warm and pleasant for the children-the bleakness of the higher lift areas gave us an insight into what a higher resort might be like! We would be happy to go again and may also try neighbouring Samoens as the instructers said it was ideal for beginners.
Thanks for all your input, and wasn't the Snowboard cross at the Olympics last night fab?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Bad points-limited green runs
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you will be hard pushed to find a green as good as Marvel anywhere. The blues and reds here are a small step up so its a good place to progress. Once you are on these you should be able to head to the other parts of the ski area such as Flaine which is an Intermediates piste cruising paradise.
Glad you enjoyed it.
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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 are right about Marvel being great-we loved it but we just found it quite long for a first venture for a five year old fresh off the nursery slope. Mind you-she may have been fine-we planned to do it on the last day but lost the whole day due to the dreaded bug.  And it's a great run to practice parrallel turns!
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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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he service station toilets often had no soap and no hot water
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I'm surprised at that - I find the main aires generally have both. But did you stop at the little "picnic" aires? Those toilets aren't very nice. We only stop at those in the summer, when they're great for quiet picnics. If your vomiting bug was on the last day it must have been something encountered a bit later - wouldn't take 6 days?
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Yes-picnic aires were our stopping places as we try not to spend too much money and taking the kids into the big ones is an invitation for trouble! Also as there are six of us the first victim got it on the day we got there and we all succumbed during the week. What fun. I did bleach the taps and door handles in the apartment for the next people before we left!
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snowjoker, My 3 year old loved Marvel last year - a picnic stop in the trees half way down helped. By our last day she did top to bottom without stopping at all. We did two days on the nursery slopes in Sixt last year - we did have to pay for the debutants pass for our 5 year old (3 year old had her free Grand Massif pass!) We stay in Samoens every year - the nursery slopes are good there but only one drag lift would allow us to share a pole with the 3 year old who refused to go up alone 99% of the time. 
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Samoens is definitely a good option that I would recommend (taking the 5 year old there for Easter) although there are no decent apartments on the slopes (at 1600) that I know off. It just means taking the Grand Massif Express every morning but it is pretty quick anyhow.
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