 Poster: A snowHead
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Looks pretty likely that we will be able to get away for up to 18 days on holiday from the 9th May. Is anything actually open in the French Alps in the way of lifts (to ski or to access high alt. walking?) and are there any people about and shops open given that its just after the end of the season?
We'll be out with our 1year old, any tips on some places to visit etc (insider recommendations etc) we are seasonal visitors to france to ski and love the mountains etc so any suggestions etc would be really welcome.
Cheers
David
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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 can tell you that everything will be shut in Les Saisies! However, the low altitude places such as the Hauteluce Valley should be looking very pretty, with flowers proliferating, though tourist facilities will often be closed. High places (eg Col de Joly) will still have melting snow and be a bit of a miserable option, especially for little ones. I would recommend low altitude walking, and enjoying the flowers - would be a better bet at this time of year. There are a load of gites in Hauteluce, which is a traditional village in a very beautiful valley, lots of traditional chalets, chapels, dominated by Mont Blanc. You might even find some cows with bells on, maybe a little later in the month. The Beaufortain in general would be a good place, because of the pastoral nature of the landscapes, and broad leaved forests which should be lovely at this time. Good luck.
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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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Les Deux Alpes was excellent last week and I'm sure will be great through to the end of May.
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The usual answer:-
Tignes/Val D'Isere, Les Deux Alpes, Chamonix. You could try one of the Swiss (Interlaken, Zermatt) or Austrian (Kaprun, Hinterux) resorts as well.
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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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skinutter, Bourg St Maurice is a great spring/summer base, and unlike most resorts doesn't die a death when the season's over. The funicular keeps going all year round, too, to get up to Les Arcs, with the shuttle taking you up to Arc 2000. Easy access to all the surrounding mountains/resorts too...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| PG wrote: |
| The funicular keeps going all year round, too, to get up to Les Arcs, with the shuttle taking you up to Arc 2000 |
I didn't realise that, I thought it was winter and summer only.
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If you visit a ski resort to walk (or ski, I suppose), make sure that you don't pick the one week of the year when the lifts are shut for maintenance. As you might guess, I speak from bitter (mildly irritated, actually) experience, fortunately in Kitzbuhel, which is not too high.
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
| Les Deux Alpes was excellent last week and I'm sure will be great through to the end of May. |
apart from being closed in common with every other French ski domain from the 8th May.
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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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davidof, we're due to go to Serre Che to sign our contract for the new apartment, hoping it's delayed until June now as most of the hotels are closed.
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| Helen Beaumont wrote: |
| davidof, we're due to go to Serre Che to sign our contract for the new apartment, hoping it's delayed until June now as most of the hotels are closed. |
I was in Le Casset last mid-May - we had to go to Briançon even to find a bakers that was open. I think Easiski said that Les 2 Alpes reopens mid-June.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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all you people recommending the french resorts, they are all shut IFRC.
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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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Maybe best to look at the Austrian or Swiss glaciers
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| gregh wrote: |
| all you people recommending the french resorts, they are all shut IFRC. |
Is Tignes shut in May?
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You know it makes sense.
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skinutter was asking about places to be round and about the Alps. Not particularly ski-ing, as far as I could see. The resorts are closed (very) but lots of "real" places are open, near the mountains for walks and visiting. Obviously the big places like BSM but also smaller ones like Beaufort and even smaller ones like Hauteluce. The ski resorts are positively gloomy at this time, all brown grass, or slushy snow, and the general end of season grot. Down in the valleys, spring is springing, and there are still loads of mountains to visit and walk in. Forget ski resorts.
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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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| rob@rar.org.uk wrote: |
| gregh wrote: |
| all you people recommending the french resorts, they are all shut IFRC. |
Is Tignes shut in May? |
yes I believe so.
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Poster: A snowHead
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skinutter, OK so France is shut - but I seem to remember pollitcl talking about Tahoe being open till at least 30th May (and Mammoth possibly all year round). Time for a late deal on flights to California/Nevada?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| pam w wrote: |
| skinutter was asking about places to be round and about the Alps. Not particularly ski-ing, as far as I could see. |
Time to check that prescription 
"Is anything actually open in the French Alps in the way of lifts to ski"
The answer is, between the 9th of May and June. NO.
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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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? The reason I mentioned BSM for May, is that skinutter added "or to access high alt. walking" in the same sentence! (Whose prescription are we checking here?  )
But as davidof quite rightly says, this season there is no lift-accessed skiing from the 9th of May in France...
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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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| PG wrote: |
| ? The reason I mentioned BSM for May, is that skinutter added "or to access high alt. walking" in the same sentence! (Whose prescription are we checking here? ;-)) |
but what are we, bobble hatted ramblers or hardcore skiers? Ok ok don't answer that!
BSM would be a sound choice, I've holidayed in Peisey and la Plagne in the summer and both were pleasant as would the other suggestion of Cham. I think both the Grand Montets lift and l'Aiguille du Midi should be shut for maintenance from the 9th May - when Grands is not closed, "skiers" do still use it in the late spring even though the ski domain is not pisted or secured and it is normally possible to return to the mid station for some weeks to come.
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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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skinutter, I should think BSM would be ideal for you. You should pm PG, to see about his apartment there.
Helen Beaumont, Be sure to pop in and say hi when you're over signing the Contract! BTW I found that the dates (which I took to be contractual) in the Compromis were extremely fluid!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi Guys....
Thanks for the responses - much appreciated!!! Yeah to be clear I know that most of the ski resorts will be shut down and that I guessed it would be a ghost town until summer season gets underway. We are travelling with a 1 year old, so the idea was to mainly walk (and push his chair) on some easish terrain like we did back in November when we went to Chamonix for a week. I doubt we'd be able to ski even on a glacier due to the 'logistics' of looking after the wee one BSM is a good suggestion will keep that in mind.
Cheers
David
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skinutter, why not visit one of the lakes? Annecy, Geneva, or similar?
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