 Poster: A snowHead
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Just looking at the Piste map, there seems to be a very difficult drag out of Plagne 1800? And a chair that takes you onto a red run.
Save for the green in the bottom, is Plagne 1800 not suitable for beginners? Thanks
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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 2 chair lifts out of 1800. The only drag lifts are for beginners iirc. So you shouldn't have much of a problem getting out of there.
Coming back to 1800 is probably a little scary for beginners as the non-black routes involve a couple of narrow bits (bridges over roads) and at the end of the day the more experienced tend to bomb down them without much thought for the timid newbies. But those sections are pretty short and can be negotiated reasonably easily. Alternatively you can get on the free bus (navette) from e.g. Centre if you want to avoid the screaming hordes at the end of the day. They may even allow you to download on the Melezes (?) lift to 1800.
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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 should add that the slope in 1800 itself is easy, shallow and quite short so I doubt you would be staying too long there as beginners other than going up and down the easy drags. The return is a little steeper and narrower and gets bumpy late in the day. The 1800 chairlift dumps you into a learners area where there are a few drags and the Golf chairlift which is a just a short scoot - you don't need to go down the red runs there at all if you don't want to though they are pretty wide and rollercoaster like - great first thing before anyone's cut it up.
The Melezes(?) chair lift (new last year I believe) dumps you right by the new Bergerie lift which also leaves you near some pretty nice wide and easy blues, so you will probably be fine as beginners staying there.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I agree with ajl, Plagne 1800 is fine for beginners with lots of quite easy blue runs around.
The Red from Plagne Centre to Plagne 1800 can be very dodgy - when I was there last April it was a slush field and extremely busy and the blue down (a track) was closed, but as mentioned you can get the bus down.
Plagne 1800 is a bit boring (one bar) and if I had an option to stay in Plagne Centre or one of the other ones, for the same price, I'd do so.
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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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Thanks. A (presumably) more up-to-date version of the piste map no longer has a big yellow "!" by the Lovatiere lift.
It begs the question, though of how on earth do you get out of Plagne 1800 without going miles? Up 1800, traverse, up golf, traverse, Up coqs, down into La Plagne itself, and then over towards the rest of Paradiski?
Anybody have a recommendation for a tutor in 1800 - we'll have 5 absolute beginners so hoped to book for some private group lessons for them.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I think some of the ski schools that operate out of Centre pick you up in a minibus from 1800 and bring you back to Centre's beginners area. But again you can hop on the Navette and it will take you up to Centre and you can start from there. There are plenty of bus stops around 1800 so you shouldn't have too far to walk and it's only a few minutes drive.
As far as ski routes out of 1800 go, if you go up 1800 chair, then ski down to take Golf (it's not really a traverse and too short to worry you), you can then get the cable car (Telemetro) from Aime 2100 (which is the great big concrete edifice at the top of the Golf chair) which will take you into Centre. You then don't have to traverse across if you don't want to.
I can't see any lift called Lovatiere on my piste map from last year so its probably been gone at least 2 years if not more.
If you do get wandering around the place here are some places to be aware of if you are a beginner:- Les Verdons blue run from the top of the Verdons Nord chair - the top part is very wide but suddenly swings you left onto a short section of narrow cat-track. This can get churned up and bumpy during the course of the day and can be a little scary for timid learners late in the day. It opens out wide again soon after the cat-track bit and confident beginners should be fine. The top part of Levasset blue run (from Roche de Mio) goes uphill at one point so you either need speed or you will need to use the rope tow. There is also a double rope tow coming down off L'Arpette to Dos Rond headed towards Les Arcs - it's not a problem but just so nobody is surprised you know now - you may need a bit of speed to make it to the tow(s). Some good blue runs down there Pierre Blanches and Mont Blanc which are tree-lined and usually very quiet. And if you get down the bottom at Montchavin the coffees are cheaper than back in Centre. Same is true of the other end of the resort at Montalbert - the blues down that way are tree-lined again but a little narrower and more winding. Le Tunnel blue run (from Roche de Mio) has a very flat run up to it and you can guarantee that loads of people will be milling round at both ends of it. The run through the tunnel itself can sometimes have a lot of little ripples in it so it feels like an extremely tame roller coaster, but you are going so slowly it should not worry you. The blue runs above Champagny-en-Vanoise around the Rossa chair are really quiet, short, wide and easy. It's just the last bit of getting there on Levasset is very flat and will probably require poleing.
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Thanks. A (presumably) more up-to-date version of the piste map no longer has a big yellow "!" by the Lovatiere lift.
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Yeah that's gone now.
Basically there is a new chair that goes from 1800 to Centre - it's only short but from there you have a few options. We tended to go to the left and take another chair (as if going to Les Arcs) but you can just as easily go more to the centre.
There is an ESF ski school in 1800 (right beside the chairlift) and Oxygene in the Centre. There is a small beginers slope in 1800 (in between the 2 chairs - yes there's another one) which is where I'm sure your friends would start off.
It may look a little confusing on a map but there are plenty of options for beginers including some nice simple blues close to 1800 and Centre - my experience of absolute beginers is that they don't want to go too far.
I tried to look on the La Plagne piste map but couldn't even find it on the resorts website (am I blind?) and the one I did find on the Paradiski website is one of those stupid bloody interactive ones which I hate. When will resorts learn just to stick on a high quality pdf so that you can enlarge or shrink easily?
I've been on a few trips with absolute or near beginers and I would think La Plagne would be very good for them - if the choice of resort is on your shoulders you won't go too far wrong (unless they hate skiing of course!). I once went to Champery and that just put people off and they didn't want to ski. I don't think you will have such issues in La Plagne.
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Hi James.
First things first - do not worry. I was a total Newbie and you can read my simple review here-
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=60794&highlight=
In 1800 there is a small green run with a drag lift to practive your stuff before heading off.
Extracted and edited from that is-
There are 2 lifts out.
1 - The 1800 lift (boring name) - This takes you to the Golf lift (equally boring name) and a wide blue run. From here you can head in several directions. Not long but wide enough for idiots like me to improve their turns.
2. The Melezes lift - Takes you to a nice green run for Newbies near the centre (used it on many occasions) and to the Bergerie lift which takes you to lots of options and a few nice blues for us Newbies
I saw three routes into 1800.
1. The Blue run mentioned above which runs from The Bergerie lift down. It has a red bit and is a bit cut up on some days.
2. Another blue from Aime La Plagne and
3. A scary looking red which runs from the golf lift down. Whilst I nearly took that route in error due losing control I managed to sit my backside down before I went too far 
However, if you do not fancy those options just head to Centre and get the bus down. This is simple, quick (2 mins) and is really no trouble.
Hope it helps.
Mike.
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