 Poster: A snowHead
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Been looking at this resort for a few years now but never ended up going. Can someone tell me about it. I like long blue red runs with lovely views and a very high bit. Also the longest black in the alps is here called the Sarenne? Should it be a black or a red, is it over classified? Also when is the best time to go here?
Cheers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ricklovesthepowder, Great place. Loads of blues/Reds and also plenty of easy greens running back into the resort. There are also tougher, and in some cases very tough like the Tunnel, runs higher up. La Sarenne is only difficulty right at the top which can be avoided and is pretty flat and can be fairly bare at the bottom. Many of the runs are south facing so it can be slushy late on. Having said that I went at Easter 2008 (which was very early, late March) and it snowed every day.
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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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Sarenne is a bugger for two hundred yards, and then an easy cruise. Bits of it are quite flat, if you're a boarder you'll want to be capable of keeping a bit of speed up for the last bit.
It's a good resort, and best to go early season before the sun knackers it. But there's a really high chance of them closing lifts when the wind blows. I've spent two days there with nothing above 2000m which makes it very very limiting.
Long blue/red with lovely views and a high bit? Zermatt AHEM.
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there is lots of info if you do a search but i think you'd enjoy it unless you were unlucky with the weather as paulio says.
the key is to avoid skiing the main bowl above ADH as much as you can - the runs are quite good but it is always miles more busy than anywhere else. i ski the area a lot and usually access it from Vaujany. if you want a funky little place to stay and don't care about nightlife, it's well worth checking out. the skiing there is mostly north facing so the issue with the runs getting trashed by the sun isn't such a problem
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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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Ricklovesthepowder, we've been for the last 4 years and will be back in January, PM me if you want any specific info but its a great place to go and there are some lovely quiet runs as ARNO says and some great off piste to with a bit of hiking  as ARNO's pic will show
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cheers for the info guys. Can anyone recommend any good catered chalets to stay in? i have been to L2A and the ski pass covers here for 1 day but we never went, although we should have. Probably going to go in febuary, but avoiding the school hols. If you were me where else would you recommend given the criteria? Dont fancy italy though. 
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La Maitreya, Vaujany - fantastic chalet - they pick you up and drop you off from the lifts each day, and do airport transfers themselves.
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Sarenne is a fraud - most of it is along a road at the end and barely a green. As Mr Technique says the first part is a bit tricky but then quite easy. The Tunnel is a different story. Shares the same start but then gets much steeper. I really like the resort. Not pretty, but very functional with runs to suit most tastes.
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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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welshskier, heard a lot of people say that aswell. sabreboy, Not a bad price that actually. Think i will go to Alpe D Huez this year, looks good. 
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| welshskier wrote: |
| Sarenne is a fraud - most of it is along a road at the end and barely a green. |
That's a little bit harsh / overly negative... The Sarenne is a very very enjoyable run, and it's black for a reason - the top bit is pretty nasty, you'd certainly not want to take a naive intermediate down it, and it's true that it flattens to a gradient more typical of a blue but there *is* about 7 miles of it, with no way of getting off it, and as far as I remember no pubs or anything.
But it's a really enjoyable run in good conditions with lovely scenery and that.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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^^^ indeed - anyone expecting 18km at 35 degrees needs to think about the geometry
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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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There are 21 bends cycling up and it was a lot quicker coming down - other than that can't help
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I spent 4 days in ADH in Easter 09 after my usual Flaine trip in Feb. I was helping a number of beginners so didn't get to ski around that much and the Easter snow was cruddy apart from at the top. The beginner's / improvers area is superb - one of the best I've seen. My over-riding impression of mid-mountain runs, though, was a lack of wide runs - the mountain is quite rocky in the "middle", no natural bowl which I'm used to in Flaine. However I didn't get to Signal or over to Vaujanay so maybe I'm unreasonably biassed. It all seems a tad spread out and takes a while to get places, especially if you want to keep meeting up with others of less experience. The top section is good but takes an age to get to. Lower Sarenne closed while I was there but top section OK, well apart from the very top part which is a bit tricky. Avoid the Tunnel unless you're a good black run skier (I'm not). I got to the start of it (the access tunnel) but renaged.  However, I can still see the overall attraction of ADH but I prefer the GM.
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You know it makes sense.
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Can any of the ADH regulars advise on expected drive time to GVA - Sunday evening, mid January?
Thanks,
SM
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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 geneva? Why would you fly to geneva if your going to this resort? Lyon or Grenoble are your best bet. From resort to geneva I would say it is 3 hours minimum.
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Poster: A snowHead
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shockingmoment, 2.5 hours. LYS and GNB are certainly closer but GVA is totally doable
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Ricklovesthepowder wrote: |
| To geneva? Why would you fly to geneva if your going to this resort? |
Perhaps if you live near a convenient regional UK airport that only has useful routes to Geneva, thus substituting a long airport transfer this side for a perhaps shorter one on the other side.
Not everyone lives in Redhill and goes charter from Gatwick to Chambery you know.
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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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We did a trip to ADH (oz) flying into Geneva, and took train to Grenoble and bus from there.
Very good links and relaxing traveling.
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Apologies for hijacking the thread.
I know its not the nearest airport but the flight times are the most appropriate.
Thanks for the info. Suspected 2.5h but.....
What's the traffic usually like on a Sunday early evening, mid Jan, back to GVA?
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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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Great resort - esp good for mixed ability groups, the beginners area is superb.
Lots of good off piste too from the Pic Blanc - a few couloirs down the front heading back to the resort, and lovely runs off the back with a heli pick up.
Sarenne is very good - hardish at top but a cruise most of the way ........ my 7 year old son did it on his 4th day of skiing - no falls either.
We stayed in Escapade with Ski World - cheap and cheerful, location not as good as they make out as it is right at the bottom ...... yes, near a ski lift but a very slow one !!
Also been with Crystal a couple of times all pretty similar. Nightlife pretty good too - we liked the Pacific Bar in particular down in the older town.
Try to stay as near the top of resort as possible - ideally a short walk from the main DMC lift / Rond Point area. If you are over the other side in the Bergers area it can feel a little isolated in evening - but the new lifts up to the Pic Blanc area are good.
Outdoor swimming pool is superb.
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| Boris wrote: |
| There are 21 bends cycling up and it was a lot quicker coming down - other than that can't help |
The run down made my old Ford Escort spew coolant several years ago. My brother is out there this summer cycling up it... he's a few stone heavier than his biking buddies so won't half feel the inclines 
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Scarpa, I know that feeling - I'm a few stone heavier than I should be
The smell of burning brakes/clutches at the bottom is unbelievable
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