 Poster: A snowHead
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Blewyn, guess you didn't find the Blanchot - excellent Savoyarde food and cracking wine selection. There are a number of other good restaurants dotted around town mixed with some bad ones - Like the Tex Mex!
But then it is not targetting you but rather the many young Dutch and Scandies who ski hard all day and drink all night.
Zermatt is a special place but you need $$$ to stay in a decent Hotel, lunch at Zum See and dine at the Omnia.
I've had many equally memorable days skiing VT, lunching at the 2 lacs, dining at the Blanchot and making a few shapes to a live band in the Malaysia.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There are 3 reasons to go to ValT; It's high, it's (relatively for it's height) cheap, and, er, no sorry, make that 2 reasons. Some of Blewyn more edgy comments notwithstanding, it's difficult to disagree with what he/she says. It is a dump, and it trades on it's geographical location to the detriment of almost everything else.
BobinCH, I've also had several memorable day's skiing there, cracking lunches at 2Lacs, but I've always been thankful to be able to get the hell out of dodge and back to civilisation.
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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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Dr John, can't say that I find it particularly cheap, but agree on the great lunches at 2lacs.
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Hells Bells, slope-side SC apartments can be very reasonable, hence the preponderance of young Dutch, Scandies and Brits in the place. Nothing else is, mind you....
While we're at it, doesn't anyone else think that ValT is an odd location for the second Fole Douche bar? I know it's packed every day, but how many of them are actually spending any cash? I'd have though that somewhere in the 3V with last runs down to Meribel or Courchevel would have increased the bar turnover significantly.
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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 want to go back to this point about the rain, and sitting in the rain, and being livid about it, or just being a mug.
I have no idea how anyone can despise a resort because one day a warm pocket of air came across the Alps along with some cloud and decided it was time to drop its load. That clearly is just moronic, to blame Val Thorens - no doubt it was raining at altitude across quite a wide area on that particular day, but to sit there on your chair like a bleating little kid and grizzle that you haven't saved your hard earned money to come to this vile resort 'WHERE IT RAINS' just makes you sound like a mug.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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FranzKlammer, you've got it wrong. He said he was appalled and livid and sad and let down and disappointed and throwing all his toys out of his pram because it rained in Chamonix. At 1000m. Can you imagine? That's terribly, terribly, unlucky, isn't it? You'd be cross too.
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rob@rar, - sensible response. I couldn't decide whether or not Blewyn was a troll but i think he might actually be really angry.
As to the main topic, Blewyn is sort of right in his description of VT. It is fairly drab and soul-less. I wouldn't say it is totally awful though. The terrain is pretty excellent, and it's a great base for getting to and from the 3V. Some of the restaurants are pretty basic but there are some little gems too - particularly some of the cafes up the slopes.
When we stayed there last March we ate out every lunch and dinner and had mostly great dining experiences. I'll grant you that we didn't stop for lunch in VT village itself but there are lots of great cafes close to the slopes which are all pretty accessible. We had a cracking long lunch in the wee traditional place in St Martin de Belleville (can't remember the name but some knowledgeable  is bound to correct me).
Overall, as i went there for the skiing, and the likelihood of good snow, i was very happy. Sure i'd prefer it if was a bit nicer and there was a bit more soul to the place but like rob@rar says, it's rare to get everything in one package.
PS Belwyn - where are you going this year?
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Holy raindrops, pam w, thanks for pointing that out. Drizzle at 1000m ? I'd never go there again.
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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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Reminds me of the time I went to Oman and the bloody sun wouldn't stop shining.
The amount of money I had to spend on suncream........
And that was money I had to work for.
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Dr John, SnowHeads were very disappointed with the Folie Douce , as we couldn't take over the terrace like we had on previous occasions.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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..... so we took over the Montana insetad
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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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Well one of the key selling points for VT is exactly why Blewyn went there - it's very high. Of course it's drab up there - so is Tignes. Cosy places with nice pretty chalets and trees aren't snow sure at the end of April.
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| nbt wrote: |
| Schuss in Boots wrote: |
| Blewyn wrote: |
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I'm looking forward to re-visiting VT in mid April 2011 and staying at Oxalys with the FaSB I take it you're not one on the 'paid up' group?  |
I don't even know what that means.... |
You might want to look up the SFaB (or more importantly the EoSB) in the snowEvents.... and then you might also understand why sHs are rather keen on Val T.
It may be all the things that you have said, but when push comes to shove, it has rather a special significance for a lot of snowHeads and you won't change that no matter how strongly you feel that you've paid for it to snow as part of the package price.  |
why SOME sHs are rather keen on Val T.
fixed that for you.
I'm a snowhead. I've been to VT. I've been to the EoSB. I enjoyed the EoSB part of it, but probably won't be going back until / unless it moves to another resort (or for other reasons, I've limited choices). Remember that other people are entitled to their own opinions, and not liking VT is a perfectly valid one. |
Actually, you should have corrected it to...
why SOME snowheads are rather keen on THE Val T EXPERIENCE.
But then I thought I'd made that clear in the following sentence. I was trying to make the point that it was not the resort itself but the company and ensure that a relatively new poster was informed of the history. I guess I failed.  For clarity, I don't particularly like the resort of Val T, whilst the skiing is great the resort itself is not exactly a stunner. However, I would go back to the EoSB for the great company, atmosphere and the great skiing, particularly for late season. I certainly wouldn't give all that up on the basis of the resort not being picture perfect.
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You know it makes sense.
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| pam w wrote: |
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Anyone who pays money to sit in the rain is a MUG
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some people might say that a MUG is someone who goes to a ski resort without understanding that there is a direct relationship between altitude and the likelihood of precipitation falling as rain. |
Like I said, anyone who pays money to sit in the rain is a mug. I include myself in this. It only happened once.
| Quote: |
| It rains a great deal at resort level in Whistler but that doesn't mean it's not a great ski resort. |
Yeah, it does.
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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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| BobinCH wrote: |
| Blewyn, guess you didn't find the Blanchot - excellent Savoyarde food and cracking wine selection. There are a number of other good restaurants dotted around town mixed with some bad ones - Like the Tex Mex! |
Right enough I don't remember a Blanchot, thanks I'll remember that if I ever get dragged back there in a group or something...
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| Zermatt is a special place but you need $$$ to stay in a decent Hotel, lunch at Zum See and dine at the Omnia. |
I have never dined at the Omnia !! I think my credit card would melt if I even set foot in the place  It is possible to stay in Zermatt for less than a king's ransom - last time we were there we took an apartment and never at in the same place twice (apart from Le Gitan - the double lamb with dauphinoise is legendary) and used the Alex's bar for late afternoon/early evening chillouts. In fact The Alex is pretty much my ideal hotel, apart from the HB thing...
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Poster: A snowHead
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Blewyn, can you name a resort where rain during the season is guaranteed NOT to happen?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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On this one, I agree with Rob and the rest. Rain happens. I've had several days rained off in Flaine, and that's not exactly low
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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 wrote: |
| FranzKlammer, you've got it wrong. He said he was appalled and livid and sad and let down and disappointed and throwing all his toys out of his pram because it rained in Chamonix. At 1000m. Can you imagine? That's terribly, terribly, unlucky, isn't it? You'd be cross too. |
The trip had been arranged by someone else - someone whose father actually LIVED in Argentiere. So you can understand I was more than a little annoyed that this "sitting in the rain" thing hadn't been explained. I guess not having intimate knowledge of weather patterns at 1000m in a foreign country in late March makes me a mug.....
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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rob@rar, i have been rained on in no less than La Rosiere
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| rob@rar, i have been rained on in no less than La Rosiere |
Good grief, is there nowhere safe from the urine of the snowgods?
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| rob@rar, i have been rained on in no less than La Rosiere |
Good grief, is there nowhere safe from the urine of the snowgods? |
This is what happens when you read a post but forget the thread. I was explaining why I chose VT in the first place - because it was high (no rain) and not Zermatt. I wasn't protesting about rain in low-altitude resorts per se....but if you want to chew on that particular bone, knock yourself out. I was livid with my friends (who, admittedly, I had entrusted with arranging the holiday) for having the "musn't grumble, we'll get by" attitude. We could easily have gone to a higher resort.
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Blewyn, I'm not worried about you protesting about rain in low-altitude resorts, I'm simply pointing out that this
is not a valid statement. To say that you or anyone else who skis in the rain must be a mug is to not understand mountain weather. It's unlucky to have to ski in the rain, but it does not reflect poor judgement.
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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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| jimmjimm wrote: |
Reminds me of the time I went to Oman and the bloody sun wouldn't stop shining.
The amount of money I had to spend on suncream........
And that was money I had to work for. |
I'm confused. Are you saying that one should expect rain every day, at a ski resort ? Or that the fact that Oman is sunny is covered up ?
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I like Val Thorens at Easter. But that could be because I just go self catering and ski as much as I can for as little money as possible! I'm not sure I would have booked it at all if i was the more 'upmarket' type of skier 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| monkey wrote: |
| PS Belwyn - where are you going this year? |
Front runners so far are Tignes (just because the Montana looks nice, or L'Ecran du Tignes), Obergurgl (great runs by the looks of it, but v small resort/town), Zell am See (a few days in the hotel at 2300m then the Grand...?) but I'm really drawn to seeing the Eiger and the mountaintop restaurant at Murren. It doesn't look like either Murren or Grindelwald are enough to justify a 7-day stay, so I'm thinking about staying 3-4 days at each.....
Also going back to Tignes I want to have another crack at skiing all the blacks in the area in one day. I tried it 3 years ago, starting at Le Ferret as soon as the lift opened, and I made it as far as Les Campanules by early afternoon when my legs went on strike
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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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Blewyn, do be warned, it rained on me in Murren.
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| garethjomo wrote: |
| I like Val Thorens at Easter. But that could be because I just go self catering and ski as much as I can for as little money as possible! I'm not sure I would have booked it at all if i was the more 'upmarket' type of skier |
I think VT would be ideal for that. I'd love to do that myself...and the Snowheads deal at the Oxalys is tempting......but that doesn't change anything in my review.....
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You know it makes sense.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| Blewyn, do be warned, it rained on me in Murren. |
What month were you there ?
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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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Blewyn, Most people who want to ski both Murren or Grindelwald usually stay in Wengen . In 7 days you will cover all the pisted runs in the area.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Blewyn, March, same time we stayed in VL in Wengen, whole place was shut for the day. But that could happen anywhere, also happened in Whistler. Luck of the draw. In most places you just need to get on a lift and go higher for that rain to become snow.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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French people miserable and rude?
I can only speak of the two places I've been, LDA (out of season) and La Norma, in both resorts everyone we met was very polite and cheerful.
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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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Blewyn,
I am aware that Mountainaddict and his Mrs went to Tignes a couple of years ago in January and it p****d it down.
And they were rained on again when they skiied there this morning....
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Blewyn, can't argue with Zermatt. We're there soon so will look up the Gitan. Also love the après ski on the cowhide couches and billiards table at the Alex. Think you could have done better at VT but heyho...
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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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youspurs1, they're polite and friendly round our way too, but I think they do sometimes struggle faced with the relentless boorishness and ignorance of a certain kind of Brit brat punter in the big resorts. They don't tend to react brilliantly to the "I'm paying good money and I've bought you and if you bow and scrape enough you'll get a big tip" attitude. Walking into a shop or a bar without a polite greeting, for example, is likely to get you a slightly frosty reception.
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Fair enough. We were there during the quiet week before the big Dutch party for the Queen's Birthday...
RE Zermatt book ahead for Le Gitan and have a night at the Whymperstube as well, and have a drink at Elsie's bar and a Martini at the Mont Cervin Palace bar or the bar at the Zermatterhof The fondue at Cafe Du Pont is awesome.
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| pam w wrote: |
| He said he was appalled and livid and sad and let down and disappointed and throwing all his toys out of his pram because it rained in Chamonix. At 1000m. Can you imagine? |
In a SKI resort ! A place where it is supposed to be SNOWING. Pardon me for not having intimate knowledge of France's weather systems.
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| pam w wrote: |
| youspurs1, they're polite and friendly round our way too, but I think they do sometimes struggle faced with the relentless boorishness and ignorance of a certain kind of Brit brat punter in the big resorts. |
Perhaps if their service level and general attitude was better - more like Switzerland or the US - they would find their customers in a better mood. I agree with you with regards to the friendly 'bonjour' as you enter a shop or bar, but IMHO it doesn't make that much difference.
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Blewyn, can you name a resort where rain during the season is guaranteed NOT to happen? |
Wondering if you're able to answer this...
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I've been rained on in VT. Twice, different years. I'd still go back though.
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FAQ
