 Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone been?
Crystal offering a self catering deal incl lift pass.
For me:
Short transfer
Less brits
Somewhere new
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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It featured on threads entitled smaller isere resorts I recall. Friends of ours have been there several times and enjoyed it. Probably best to go mid season (feb) as I don't think it is that high.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I was there with my sister and her son last Easter and had an enjoyable week teaching on mostly friendly red runs in fresh snow. While snow had been very thin on the ground prior to our visit, it dumped on arrival day and hardly let up for the next 3 days.
The positives far outweighed the negatives, depending on your group structure - age, ability and thirst.
The TO packages are hard to beat due to the free lift pass and kids' discounts.
Transfer is about 1.5 hours from the far side of Grenoble, the airport itself is tiny and crowded.
Accommodation is cramped, there were 3 of us - 1 in double bed, 1 on sofa bed, 1 in bunk room - but any more and it would have felt crowded. But that's French apartments for you. But we had our own balcony and amazing views of the surrounding landscape to savour over a cold beer or glass of wine.
The resort has a couple of shops so self-catering shouldn't be too much of a strain. Further retail outlets and a wider choice of restaurants exist in the bus-linked 2 other villages in the ski area.
Skiing was fine, depending on your level. The blacks were enjoyable and the off-piste/tree skiing in good conditions is worth a punt. Short runs, quite a few drag lifts, especially lower slopes and up the Men's Olympic Downhill. A big plus for some is the relatively short runs, meaning a vin chaud is never far away.
The 1750 apartment complex is fairly well spread out but with a regular bus service. However, you could end up doing a lot of uphill walking in ski boots to get home. But there are a couple of bars near the bus stops. We were lucky to have the chair lift directly opposite us.
Very much a family or mixed ability group ski area with limited night life (Chamrousse 1700, I believe 1750 and 1650 are better). Wi-fi thin on the ground, although the main restaurant advertises wi-fi, I couldn't access it for some reason.
All things considered Chamrousse was good value for money, in that it was my nephew's annual ski trip and it cost nothing for him except adult under-occupancy supplement. But would I go there for my main trip of the season? No.
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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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Anyone know of any BASI affiliated Instructors or ski schools in Cahamrousse please.
Got some friends who are going and were asking about ski school for their kids
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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SIRUP,
Only ESF i'm afraid and as it's a very French resort they haven't got a clue about customer service.
We are the ski school and if you don't like it then go back to where you came from is the attitude.
Compared to ESF in the 3 vallies for example they're decades behind.
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Oh that doesn't sound too good. They have already booked their holiday aswell. Thanks though jimmjimm
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SIRUP, I suggest you have a look at Charlotte Swift's website - easiski.com. Charlotte is a British ski instructor working in Les Deux Alpes. She knows (and likes) Chamrousse and I think from previous comments she might know some instructors there. You can send her an email - address on her site - or a private message from here (top right of page).
Don't be too discouraged by the incredibly sweeping negative comment made by jimmjimm. All is not lost. 
If you go to a small French resort with no manners and the assumption that because they are French they have no manners either, you are likely to have your expectations realised. Never heard anything so daft. I spent months each year in a small French resort and have encountered friendly and good service.
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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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JimG2009,
Cheers, I would be taking wife mother and 5.5 mth old baby, so it sounds like it might fit the bill for an easy going week.
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johnboy, I have skied there a few times, mostly late season. We always had a ball and found the ski school superb. The last time we were in a group being led off-piste and the care and attention to detail could not have been better.
It is very French and the accommodation was "economical" to say the least. But that's no different from anywhere to be honest in my experience in France. I think it helped that we all spoke French to varying degrees from bilingual level to "survivor but I'll get there" level. The instructors we were with did actually comment on the fact that it was easier to work with us because of that.
I liked the fact that it was not overrun with any particular nationality, there was a very pleasant live and let live atmosphere. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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johnboy,
Here is the link to the previous thread on Chamrousse, if that helps. Good luck.
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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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I would be taking wife mother and 5.5 mth old baby
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johnboy, that sounds a great formula for a holiday. You went to Crest Voland and enjoyed it, didn't you? so I should think Chamrousse would suit you well - not so for people hooked on ski factory areas. 
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w,
Yes, been to Crest Voland twice. 1st ever ski trip in 1992 and then took Mrs JB there in 2001 for her first time. If it is like Crest Voland I would be more than happy. Usually go H/B, but reckon self catering would give more freedom this time. Grandmother happy to babysit, and maybe experience a wee bit of skiing.
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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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self catering would give more freedom this time.
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I'd agree that - with a little baby you need to be flexible with your mealtimes, and have all the timings under your own control. And I wouldn't leave a littlie in a hotel bedroom when everyone was down in the dining room. Not because of any daft ideas about people abducting them - just couldn't bear to think of them being very upset, with nobody there.
Glad to hear grandma is going to do a bit of skiing too. We had my mother on one of our trips - she prepared lunch for those of us skiing - all in lessons - then I did the evening meal to give her a break. Worked brilliantly. She loved watching the little ones skiing, and sitting in a café drinking coffee and eating cakes.
Our 10 year old did complain about grandma's snoring but a 5 month old won't mind!
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Poster: A snowHead
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pam w,
" If you go to a small French resort with no manners and the assumption that because they are French they have no manners either, you are likely to have your expectations realised. "
I agree and you would rightly deserve same. But what has that got to do with anything.
If you go to a small French resort with impeccable manners and you are treated as an inconvenience then there is a problem.
The poster asked about lessons for kids in Chamrousse.
As I holiday there frequently with my family,I gave my opinion on the service offered by the ski school
based on several experiences there.
I love the resort and for adults the school is fine, but for my 9 and 4 year old who don't speak french, the treatment from ESF is well short of what I'd expect.
As you have no experience of the school or resort in question, I fail to see how you can comment,
or does the fact that you have fifteen thousand posts to your name somehow make you an expert on all aspects of everything.
If you have knowledge on a subject, by all means post a comment, but if you don't, then don't.
SIRUP,
Tell your friends to book private lessons for the kids, however even by pre-booking and paying in advance,don't be surprised when they get there if the school say that there aren't any instructors,as happened to our friends.
If they have teenagers,there's no problems as they can generally tag along with the adults.
Do you know which part they are staying in as there is no kids school in Recoin 1650. Roche Beranger 1700 and bachat boulad 1600 are better for beginners.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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as it's a very French resort they haven't got a clue about customer service.
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jimmjimm, that was what you said. You can't expect to get away with sweeping pejorative statements like that, which is not about your own experience at all.
You know all about all very French resorts? If so, by all means post a comment, but if you don't, then don't.
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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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pam w,
The comment I posted was about the ski school in Chamrousse.
Which is what the poster was asking about.
But hey , well on the way to sixteen thousand.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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hi johnboy I thought I would reply to your post too. I was looking at Chamrousse last year as our criteria was somewhere nice and cruisy with lots of blues. Chamrousse, Valmorel and Les Saisies were definitley in the running. I ended up chosing Valmorel over Chamrousse becasue on the piste map it seemed to have more skiable blues and I must admit, for what we wanted skiing wise it didnt disappoint. I went with crystal and basically they were crap, but hey ho! lol, just dont expect anything from them. I chose them because they were the only tour operator to go to valmorel and they also had a discount on lift passes. we went self catering, it was about 2 and a half hours from Geneva airport. we never used the ski school so cant comment on that.
I did post a large report with pictures on Valmorel if you are interested and would be happy to give you any info you need. I was also helped by a fellow poster who kindly typed out which pistes to ski and which lifts to take to be able to ski over to Francios de Longchamps and back to our apartment.
best of luck, I am busy looking for next year but it is like looking for a needle in a haystack lol. I dont know what I want. Thought I had decided to go for Sauze Doulx but then read conditions were erratic. need to save some pennies first though. lol
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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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jimmjimm, are you saying I invented your quote? You should be more careful.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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johnboy, i went to Chamrousse for my family ski trip last feb (2adults 11yo and 15yo), lovely resort overlooking grenoble. the queues were very busy at the main lifts but this was due to half term and fantastic powder and sun conditions. Its not a particularly challenging area on piste, wuth there is some great off piste through the trees and the off pist in general did not get very tracked out.
We stayed with snowtrex and got a taxi from grenoble (prebooked). With snowtrex, get a free lift passes and the rooms are good size - two seperate bedrooms. We have done a few snowtrex deals and always works out very good. self catering is easy, well stocked shops.
The views over grenoble on a clear sunny day are breathtaking.
Would I go back to chamrousse? - yes definately, but not during feb scool hols.
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...... also, kids had lessons with ESF and the instructors were great and made friends easily as they tried to have full english classes when possible.
No rudeness at all in the resort, the place was very friendly indeed - which i find to be the norm. I am terrible at french, but I try a bit with a smile and have never had a problem with teh "rude french" - quite the contrary !
You get what you give.
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FAQ
Might be worth a search - I'd do it for you but am rubbish! 
