 Poster: A snowHead
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A Grand Tour of the Tarentaise Ski areas. '22 - 28 Jan 2011'
6 resorts in three days plus another 6 in the next 4 days. Seemed like an interesting challenge as most of the skiing was to be off piste completing some of the better known tours of each area. With over 2000km of possible piste and an unknown amount of off piste distance available this promised to be an interesting trip.
On Saturday 22 Jan we arrived in Espace Killy (Tignes/Val d'Isere) at 9am ready for the lifts to open with the 'Ski a la Carte' card ready for use.
Starting from Tignes Les Brevieres we went up the gondola and then the Aiguille Rouge Chair before descending into Tignes Le Lac via the far left side of the Palafour off piste area. This proved to be bone shaking hard so early in the morning and not a great deal of fun, but we persevered and only rejoined the piste near the bottom.
Crossing in front of the main Tigne Lac tourist office we went up the Aeroski bubble and then descended the off piste area ending at the Val 'd'Isere snowpark and then the Marmottes Chair. This route proved to be better snow and although well tracked, more enjoyable to ski. Then up to the start of the Orange world cup piste.
From this point, we traversed right and descended the off piste area to the bottom of the Grand Pre chair. Again we found some soft snow amongst the crud which was to prove the norm for most of the day.
At the top of the chair, we crossed behind the barrier and entered the first of the classic tours of the Espace Killy. 'The Tour de Charvet'. Descending into the valley, there were patches of quite skiable snow amongst a mixture of crud, breakable crust and smooth chalky snow. The whole descent including the river bed at the bottom which was just passable without taking your skis off in one place was interesting and in the sheltered side of the valley, quite good to ski in soft but tracked surface.
On arrival at the Manchet chair we skied from the top of this chair down the central off piste area to the bottom of the Glacier Express Chair and then the Leissieres Chair (up and over chair). This central off piste north facing area proved to have some good snow although again well tracked.
From the end of the Leissieres Chair we skied quickly to the Col tow and then onto the Val d'Isere Glacier area and up the Cascade Express chair before entering the great expanse of the another classic area, the 'Glacier du Pissaillas' area pays desert.
At last we had found some untracked and in places good chalky and often sugar powder snow which was fun to ski. Taking a very safe line, whilst passing through the steeper section we arrived at the Pays Desert Tow and then back up the Cema Chair and down to the 'Up and Over' chair again.
A quick blast down the Plan Millet area and once more up the Glacier Express Chair, we skied over to the Cugnai Chair. Then up and over the back into the third classic area, the 'Cugnai Valley'. Although tracked out in the centre, skiers far left proved to have good soft snow and in places short stretches of still untracked sugar powder. Towards the bottom of the valley we needed a quick stop by the still closed refuge that opens later in the season for drinks and chocolate before skiing back to the bottom of the Manchet chair and up to the top of the Solaise.
After a quick foray into the well tracked area of Les Marmottes off piste face we arrived at the Olympique Gondola. From the top of the Gondola we crossed under the Marmottes Chair and down La Spatule off piste area which, although well tracked had good snow and with care was safe to descend even on the steeper slopes.
From La Spatule area we continued on our journey back up the mountain and after a few quick short blasts down sections of piste arrived at the top of Toviere.
Traversing across to the Campanules off piste area we descended in very mixed snow to Val Claret and a quick late lunch snack stop. About 1.45pm.
After a quick snack, we went to the Grand Motte Glacier area and across and down the 'Tour de La Grande Balme' to the Grattula Chair. This area whilst high and quite remote was also well tracked in places, but produced some good snow in the sheltered areas descending towards the Spot protected off piste zone allowing use to ski a few untracked sections. Crossing high to avoid the valley, we dropped onto the nature area and arrived at the chair.
From the top of the chair we skied quickly into the 'Chardonnet Bowl' using the nearest entrance off the ridge to the chair which was well tracked and had chalky snow higher up with softer snow as we entered the wider slope rather than climbing up to descend the true Chardonnet Couloir.
As time was running short we then crossed the pistes and lifts rapidly to reach the Aiguille Percee Chair at two minutes past four to find that it had just closed. A rather disappointing result considering the distance we had already covered that day and our plan to finish with the descent of the 'Tour Le Vallon de la Sache'. Oh well, next time we will just have to ski more quickly!!
After this disappointment we headed down to Tignes Lac through the skiers right side of the Palafour area which had greatly improved in condition since the morning when we skied the far right hand side. Then finally up the Chaudannes Chair.
As the sun had now dropped below the ridge, the off piste areas down towards Tignes Les Brevieres to the skiers left of the Aiguille Rouge, Marais Chairs and lower down towards the bottom of the Boisses Gondola had started to become very crusty and so our final descent from Tignes Les Boisses was an easy ski down the blue piste and back to the car.
A very long and hard day, but fun all the same covering a great deal of distance both on and off piste in all types of conditions. The first day of our trip had certainly matched up to the challenge that lay ahead. I hope you enjoyed reading this first part of our trip. The next days will follow shortly when I have time to write more.
Please leave some feedback after you have read this report as I normally do not write stuff like this and positive comments may inspire me to write more if people think it is worth my trouble.
I will add a few pictures of the trip to the photo section of my facebook group page.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 30-01-11 22:23; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wow - helluva day! This is the kind of day that makes the French mega-resorts the best ski areas in the world - the distance that you can travel hardly even touching a piste. Looking forward to further updates 
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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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snowcrazy, sounds like a fantastic (and knackering) day out - and that's only day one! hope the rest of the trip is as good if not better, look forward to reading further reports
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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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Plake, nbt, Glad you like the report.
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