 Poster: A snowHead
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off in 2 weeks - anyone who's been got any tips ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Stayed in Valmeinier last half term.
Fairly crap village (can't speak for Valloire itself), but a great skiing area. Much more sensation of scale and travel than it looks on paper. I really recommend this area (do a search to find me raving about it elsewhere). What do you want to know about?
If I had to pull some pieces of information at random out of my brainbox, I would say that the Combe Orciere, which I have almost certainly spelled incorrectly, is a quite beautiful run, and a little more involved than its blue rating suggests. The Grand Choulet, from the top of Valmeinier, was massive slushy moguls when I did it - hilarious. The Armera is pretty, tree lined, but busy.
Erm, there are some donkey farms near Les Verneys and you can eat donkey sausages and donkey cheese at the local shop there.
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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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I stayed at L'Aigle in Valmeinier a few years ago. Very small resort with limited skiing and little in the way of nightlife. The snow cover wasn't good so we had to get a coach to Valloire every day, which is larger with far more runs. We also went to Val Thorens on a day trip.
It was OK, but I wouldn't rush back.
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Ski area seems pretty good to me - was there last weekend just for a day - doesn't seem to be particularly challenging but lots of good motorway runs and the area is way bigger than many people think.
Not stayed there - Valmeinier does seem small. Valloire is much bigger with a number of restaurants but not sure what nitelife is like.
If you stay in either, you can easily get the 3v Express from Orelle into 3V - not sure what it would cost but last weekend I was charged EURO 12 to upgrade my 3V pass for a day in Valloire
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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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I was charged €25 to upgrade to 3V pass, but let's not confuse folk's here it might be easy to get to Orelle, but it must be the best part of an hour's drive down the mountain road to Orelle. The Apres-ski is very low key I was there last New Year, went into the Irish Bar at 10:30 and it was empty on NYE
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Kel - you want to try the peddle on the right hand side of your car as it's the go button. There is no way it's anywhere near an hour - I could do it in less than an hour on my bicycle . . . . . .
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alti - dude,
What are you on about, Peddle is what Gypsies do 
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Its 35 mins to Orelle, we do it all the time....
IMHO good ski area, low key apres ski in both villages, although 3 devils and the bowling ally bar both get busy in Valmeinier esp when there are groups of brit students in the village. No coment used to be good but seems to have fallen from favour with the locals. Grand Plateau is all above 2000m and holds snow well as do the north facing slopes of Setaz. Valmienier side is sunnier but the bowls above the village can be great in fresh snow with lots of pretty easy off piste. L'estminet restaurant is the best in Valmienier and Chez Fred is the best in Valloire, although the Fondue Barn is also good. In Valmienier there is also a great pizza place called San Marco tucked away in the upper village, there are a few seats where you can eat in....its the best pizza I've had outside Naples and they also do good and very cheap pasta dishes.
At the moment there is lots of snow obove 2000m and its in pretty good nick, low down they are using the cannons to keeps things in shape. There is enough up high to maintain good on piste conditions until the ned of the season although I nice big dump to freshen things up would be nice....nothing on the horizon though.....
Both Valloire and Valmienier are noticebly cheaper than the 3V, Tarantaise or even Serre Che. Large Beer is E 4.50 pizza in a mountain restaurant about E 7-10, and mains in the evenings E 9-18.
Hope that helps a bit!
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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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According to Google maps it's 26KM from where I was stopping in Valloire to the 3V express at Orelle. Most of this is mountain roads with a fair number of hurpin bends, then after this you have to get through St Martin D'arc, which if I remember right was a bit of a pain. Assuming of course that sev112 would want to be making the trip to Orelle at the same time the local's would be going to work, then the roads would be busy, personally I'd leave an hour for the journey.
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JimSearle,
Fair enough You obviously know the road much better than Me.
However I do not agree with Chez Fred being the best place to eat, we tried it twice and wasn't impressed either time (particularly remember the €24 duck dish, or rather 1/4 duck breast dish, I kid you not) Montagne Magique was my favourite place to eat by some margin, excellent home cooked local fair run by man & wife team.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Kel - have you ever seen the rush hour in St Michel or Orelle? If so, let me know as it would restore my faith in the existence of the Dodo . . . .
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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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Restaurants are a preference thing i suppose....
Im sure the magret du canard was E 18 when I wast last there a few weeks ago.....but not sure enough to disagree strongly 
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Just returned from 10 days in Valloire. It hasnt snowed there for some time and high winds earlier in the week have left many pistes hard and icy. Off piste mainly windswept and crusty unless you time the sunny slopes just right.
It was bigger then expected and also busier then expected.
Skiing on Valloire side the best especially combe orciere and off piste from the grand plateau drag.
We enjoyed our meal in chez fred but there are plenty of other good places to eat.
Driving down the mountain takes about 30 mins from Valloire and then 5-10 mins to the orelle gondola which is right on the main road.We drove another 15-20 mins up the valley for day trips to Valfrejus and Val Cenis which are closer to the Italian border, had lovely fresh snow ,fewer people on the slopes and were cheaper to ski!
We also went to Les Karellis which you can see from Valloire but takes 45 mins or so to get to.
Equally close are La Norma and Aussois and probably some other small resorts. IMO it would be much more fun to visit some of these for the day then pile into the 3v's which will also be busy,cost you more and has had similar weather to Valloire lately.
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You know it makes sense.
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| JimSearle wrote: |
| Restaurants are a preference thing i suppose.... |
Agree entirely, but do try the Montagne Magique if you haven't already.
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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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My eldest has just come back from school today with a letter regarding the S2 school ski trip next year - Valloire. He's been on 5 ski holidays already and is getting into fun park/freestyle. Looks pretty decent from website. Is Valloire a decent enough ski area? Certainly looks absolutely fine for a bunch of school kids.
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Poster: A snowHead
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boabski,
Would say Valloire is an ideal venue for a school trip, in so much as it doesn't have the temptations that major resorts have, which your son may well be tempted towards.
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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 wonder if can pretend to be a school kid that i will have a better trip ......... hmmmmm
dont think i can manage any "temptations" these days - i tend to limit myself to apple strudel midmorning !
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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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He will also like the snowpark which has good jumps and rails and a serious halfpipe. Don't know if this would be inbounds on a school trip though!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| sev112 wrote: |
i wonder if can pretend to be a school kid that i will have a better trip ......... hmmmmm
dont think i can manage any "temptations" these days - i tend to limit myself to apple strudel midmorning ! |
Let me explain, I am guessing that the school trip will be with a TO such as ski-bound. They also go to places such as Les Menuires, ADH, Tignes etc. I for one would have felt un-easy letting my kids go to such places on a school trip. I went on school trip's more years ago than I care to remember, but sneaking out after final room inspection was the norm then. My point is, if this kind of tom foolery still goes on, as I am sure it does, the kids won't find much to occupy their mischievous minds in Valloire. Think 14 year old kid (and yes they would get served) & Yeti bar, not a good combination.
BTW the halfpipe in Valloire is awesome.
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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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Kel, I'll second that about the halfpipe in Valloire!
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just back from Valmeinier today - 5 days of highly varied but excellent skiing, inlcuding 2 powder days and 2 beatufiul days of sunshine. My 2 friends from geneva who ski every weekend say it was the best snow/skiing of the whole season - luck of the draw no doubt.
Very good ski area, absolutely empty
Limited nightlife (or daylife) in Valmeinier, especially when you are limping following a nasty wipeout early one poweder morning.
So great when there is snow and youre not injured; less so when it isn;t or you are.
Thanks for the hints all - the Elan restuaruant in P&V at 1800 was very good indeed.
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sev112, keep quiet about it, there's a good chap. We don't want it to get busy 
Well chuffed you had a good time. Little diamond innit?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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paulio,
Absolutely - very very good.
I had a pretty serious wipeout early on day 2 - pretty much couldnt walk, but could still ski We ski'd 5 days and still didnt get over to the far side of Valloire
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Nice to hear you enjoy your time in La Maurienne... where the locals ski and where the off piste is often better than on the other side (Tarentaise).
As recomended above, if time/money/transportation permit push to Orelle via the "Nationale" road (direction Modane, Haute Maurienne, Turin). The village is well depressing with no sun at all for most of the year but it is where you will get the cabins (to left of national road whne heading towards Italy and parking lot to right) and then chairlift up to Bouchet. It is the highest bit at 3200ish, and when you are done with it, pass onto the other side towards Val Tho (rosael chairlift).
Some mentioned Combe Orsiere. Start from the roterieux at the top at the top and then veer towards your left. you will catch some nice off piste and will link with Orsiere much lower. Some pick it up from the top of Crey du Quart.
Enjoy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Volklwaffen - think saying Orelle doent get sun at all for most of the year is stretching it a bit. I was sat in full hot sun at the bar at the bottom of the lift a few weeks ago and again last week. Granted we dont get any sun in December down the hill but I'm regularly having a G&T on my balcony in the sun from mid Jan after a day's skiing . . . . .'
The ski area which is up the hill gets sun all the year round.
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FAQ
and we then become a family of 4 for our family trip 
might even get a good deal 