 Poster: A snowHead
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Does anyone have some recommendations on lesser kown French resorts?
Ive done most of the main regions and some smaller ones - Valmorel, Valmeinier/Valloire, Les Sybelles - but am interested in finding some information (from people that have skied them) on real lesser known French resorts that are driveable but with good links, height, mileage. Ideas would be Les Saises, Les Contamines, Val Cenis, but obviously am open to ideas for a March trip this year or next year. There isnt a lot of really good info around on these that I can find.
Charm is a bonus, but not essential as Ive stayed in Le Corbier which is like an inner city sink estate with Gallic skiing charm and warmth thrown in.
If you could help comments would be warmly appreciated
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Conrad Bool, When in March? After middle of the month is better, as the French school hols will be finished. I know Les Saisies very well and Les Contamines moderately well. You should be able to find a lot on both resorts if you do a search on snowheads (which can be easier via Google).
What do you want to know? The websites are reasonably informative and there is a French forum called lessaisies.org which has a section with infinite numbers of photos of the resort.
Les Saisies is reasonably charming - low-rise, low key. But still a ski resort (as is anywhere worth visiting in March, really). Lovely scenery.
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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 cant find hardly anything on Les Saises but what I can find looks really nice - although slopes don't seem to go that high
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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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| Quote: |
slopes don't seem to go that high
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no, they don't - 2000m. There's a small part of Les Contamines which goes higher - not significant, really. Both resorts have an excellent snow record.
Have you seen the Les Saisies website?
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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've been impressed by Le Praz de Lys/Sommand (visible from Mont Chery, Les Gets) on the couple of occasions I've skied there, plenty of skiing for a week, huge "in-bounds" off-piste on a powder day, some nice motorway skiing and very quiet outside of school hols. Not that high though, but the PdL side (at least) holds the snow well into April.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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And Megeve is so close.
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And Megeve is so close
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to what? It's not very close to Le Praz de Lys, though it is very close to Praz sur Arly, part (like Les Saisies) of the lift-linked Espace Diamant.
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I cant find hardly anything on Les Saises
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you need to spell it correctly - ask for Les Saisies, in title or thread, and you'll get around 900 hits. Try again. 
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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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Always had a hankering to ski at Correncon/Villiard de Lans as I spent a lot of time there in the summer in my climbing/potholing days.
So convenient for Grenoble flights! It’s not a huge area and so I suppose I am leaving it for the years when I feel less adventurous. As it’s limestone right up onto the tops I would assume that there is no off-piste at all (lest one makes a rapid descent of an open pot)? Anyone know more about the area?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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JanA, Villard de Lans is low enough that there are trees nearly to the top, the lower pistes are cut through the forest. I didn't get the feeling there was much off piste.
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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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Have a shufty at St Foy
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I can highly recommend les saisies. Pam what condition are the slopes at the minute in les saisies. Conrad there is no better person to get info about les saisies than Pam w as she lives most of winter there. 
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You know it makes sense.
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| rjs wrote: |
| JanA, Villard de Lans is low enough that there are trees nearly to the top, the lower pistes are cut through the forest. I didn't get the feeling there was much off piste. |
the locals would kill me if I mentioned the Pourton.... damn damn I've done it now.  Otherwise the locals prefer Corrençon: pas de la balme, de fer, des chaudières etc.
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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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Station Monts Jura - its a 30 min drive from Geneva and has several separate areas (Crozet and Col de la Faucille are both nice, and have just about enough for a days skiing each - not sure if you meant somewhere for a week though...).
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Poster: A snowHead
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polo99, I'm not there, but my niece and family are. They've had a good week. snow cover is excellent (best of the season, so far) though, like everywhere, it's been a bit warm at times this week. They've been enjoying the new chair lift to and from Crest Voland - the drags were a bit tricky for the boarders, especially the lad.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oh great, thanks Pam. still haven't booked anything apart from flights just keeping options open at the min, my two top choices are les saisies and valmorel but as they are not far from each other, conditions will probably be the same at both x
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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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Thanks Pam, I've found some good stuff on the resort......looks lovely. I want somewhere inescapably Gallic. The search for the unknown resorts has interested me for ages ever since a French lock forward from Grenoble that played for my rugby club butted in a conversation amongst the ski heads of us at the bar and gave a shrug of his shoulders and said along the lines: "you Anglaises know nothing, we keep the best and prettiest places to ski to ourselves"
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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davidof, raise you ten, and see you (poker speak)
Chazelet 
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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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We have skied the Maurienne valley resorts and can recommend them. They have a pass (search for Eski-mo) that allows access to your 'home' resort plus three or four others for one day each which was a great way of adding more variety in the smaller resorts. Val Cenis is quite high up and has some open runs but the villages are just one street affairs so don't expect much other than skiing.
Aussios, Val Frejus and La Norma were places we managed to visit and enjoy using the Eski-mo pass. This keeps options open but you do need a car!
Val Cenis is reasonably high (2800m top) and had decent snow to the 1400m base (from memory, don't flame me if I get the heights wrong!) when we went in March a few years back.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Would it be alright to mention Le Grand Bornand.
OK, I won't then.
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