Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Half Term : Really. How Busy Is It? (Please be nice)

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We are going to La Plagne on Saturday. First time at Half Term and all I ever hear are horror stories about crowds for lifts, on-pistes etc. We went to Tignes at Xmas and thought that was busy, but manageable. How does it compare?

Seasonairres always give it the big "Oh I dont even put my skis on at half term". Well nor would I if I was 21 and was there all season and could pick and choose based on conditions, crowds, hangovers, conquests from last night etc.

What do you think?
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
As politely as i can put it, Have you ever been to Tescos the weekend before christmas??!!
ski holidays
 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?
Peter Leuzzi, I was there (in LP) for the first few days of half term last year and it was far far worse that xmas or new year. In fact next year when we are tied to half terms we are considering Canada rather than our own place in France - THAT is how bad it is. Most people I know who live in the resort of are seasonnniares just do not go out

Either beat the lift queues and hed off first thing or head out later and ski through lunch when it will be quieter.
snow conditions
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Peter Leuzzi, not that bad, really. It's busy, but rather like the cries of "no snow" when there hasn't been a dump for 24 hours I think that busy pistes are overstated (here).

I don't doubt there will be bottlenecks and at half-term I have had to wait what seems like forever for a chair lift, but in my opinion there's a view that skiing is all about the perfect powder day with not a soul around. Sometimes skiing is like that, sometimes it's not. It's still worth being there when you can be there. Skiing with the family is great, too. I assume that's why you're going at half term!

My main grump over half-term is the inflated cost that TOs charge.

So, in short, there will be more people and yes you'll probably have to sort your timing out, you may even have to book in a table in the evenings. But while you have children in school (or while you're a teacher < guess you could be!) then holiday times are going to be limited.

Don't worry, it'll be fine. Busy, but fine!
snow conditions
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
i agree

Mrs sev112 and i did a half termer in france 4 or 5 years back and were pleasnatly surprised how reasonable it was given all teh naysayers

Enjoy the buzz, but just be careful and look out/around a bit more than normal on busy pistes
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
I have to go at HT because we both teach. In Flaine and the GM it's really not too bad depending on where you are - I've had pistes almost to myself. But then I know the resort and I know when to be where. It's still busier than Easter but then, on average, the snow is better.
latest report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
We have never been skiing in HT before but go to a lovely quite resort that only has 2000 beds so we hope it aint that bad...fingers X
snow report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Peter Leuzzi, We have skied in La Plagne at half term for the last few years, yes it is the busiest week of the year in one of the most popular resorts in the Alps.
However, with a little planning and a bit of thought it's not a problem. The big lift junctions (Bellecote primarily) are best avoided and with planning are easy to avoid.
Best to start out as soon as lifts open OR after ski schools have set off. Then plan to ski through lunch, the French (around 85% of the total visitors) all stop for lunch from 12.30 to 2.30, it's like someone throws a switch and the pistes are deserted. BUT at 2.31 they all head for the nearest lift and huge queues form, do not try to leave the Chamagny area after 2.30! Be high at 2.30 so you can ski down without needing lifts, if you do the drag lift network has the shortest queues.
Get it wrong and you will be in huge queues - but fast moving queues. Last year half term actually seemed quieter than the year before.
ski holidays
 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.
Peter Leuzzi,
Pictures from last years half term



latest report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads



ski holidays
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I'm wondering if some people have cancelled holidays because of the snow drought. We drove home today, so weren't skiing, and we didn't ski yesterday, either, but I thought the resort seemed pretty quiet, given it's Paris holidays. Normally there's a dearth of parking spaces, at our apartment and in the village, in peak weeks but there was acres of empty spaces (mind you, the lack of snow contributes to that, too, as every space is available).

The best tips are to ski through lunchtime and/or get yourself into a ski school with lift priority. wink
ski holidays
 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.
Quote:

snow drought


Scary thought! Is it really that bad?
ski holidays
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Boredsurfing wrote:
Then plan to ski through lunch, the French (around 85% of the total visitors) all stop for lunch from 12.30 to 2.30, it's like someone throws a switch and the pistes are deserted.


Agreed - when I did my season in the peak french weeks, I'd head out at 11:30 and be off the mountain from 14:30 - dunno how I'm going to manage being a punter in a couple of weeks time in 3v..
snow report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
johnnyh wrote:
Quote:

snow drought


Scary thought! Is it really that bad?


Yes, from what I gather about Austria at least - although it seems the same for most of the Alps. There's been much less snowfall than usual, and much higher temperatures than usual. Pistes will rpobably be fine, but this has so far been an awful season snow-wise.
snow conditions
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Busy Half Term piste in La Plagne Montalbert today Very Happy
snow report
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Huge lift queues this one is in Champagny today
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Huge lift queues this one is in Champagny today
snow conditions
 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?
More empty pistes, I think this is near La Roche Laughing
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Quick, look theres a cloud, hopefully bringing tonights promised snowfall snowHead
Quiet pistes in Montalbert village.
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
It can be awful, and exacerbated by the fact that the French don't queue, and lifties in France don't make any effort to fill chairs or gondolas when resorts are busy. Worst case is when British half term coincides with the Paris and Rhone-Alpes holidays. Skiing through lunch is a very good idea.

Canada's not immune, either - Whistler gets big weekend crowds, and we were there for the week of President's Day on our first visit in 2007. The mountains weren't too bad but you couldn't get a table in a restaurant in the resort for love nor money.

This year, we specifically booked to avoid it - which is why we left last Saturday just as the hordes descended.
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Quote:

the French don't queue

depends where you go, perhaps. They certainly queue in our neck of the woods - though there's only a few days in the year when they ever have to. Apart from the Parisians, who can be pushy and impatient, they are generally pretty good queuers, and considerate with kids. The worst behaviour I've seen in a French queue was actually perpetrated by the only Germans I've ever encountered in the surrounding resorts. Their boorishness stood out a mile in otherwise very well behaved queues - especially as the queues were really pretty short, and there was absolutely no need to push and shove and shout and be objectionable.

reports from the folk staying in our apartment this week suggest that it's much quieter than usual - though they've been more focussed on the fact that their lad has a spiral fracture of the tibia. I do think quite a few people have not bothered with their ski holiday this year.
snow conditions
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
pam w, +1 with your first para.
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Agree with pam w about Espace Diamant - mostly very friendly people. One exception was when we hit a freak pile up at a drag in CV and there was a fight! Fortunately we'd just got on the lift so observed from a distance.
We've skied at half term for the last 5 years (not long to go now) and usually hit a couple of big queues in a week then learn from our mistakes and take avoiding action. It's nowhere near as bad as we feared, but obviously looking forward to going at off peak times in a couple of years.
snow report
 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.
Chris Brookes wrote:
We have never been skiing in HT before but go to a lovely quite resort that only has 2000 beds so we hope it aint that bad...fingers X


La Rosiere ? Laughing
ski holidays
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:

we hit a freak pile up at a drag in CV and there was a fight! Fortunately we'd just got on the lift so observed from a distance.

AW, Wow! I've noticed some quite big "yoof" groups at CV - I think there are a couple of holiday hostel places there.

I've just come back from a French lesson at which we looked at quite a bit of vocabulary round queues and queueing. Our French teacher is delightful - and very good. She did say that she was astonished a few days ago to see a queue being formed by just two women - she said only the Brits could make 2 people into a tidy queue!
ski holidays
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Pam - I was queueing at the lift pass office in les saisies and one booth was open. I was the next to be served and had waited 5 mins. My lift pass stopped working mid way through the afternoon so I was desperate to get it fixed and get back to my son who was waiting on the other side of the road. Then another lady came along and when the second booth opened she pushed in front of me and went to that booth. I thought she was quite rude. I think in England some one would have said "you go" to me or there would have been the nice automated system you get in post offices. So your new vocabulary might come in useful!. Smile
snow report
 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.
Quote:

this has so far been an awful season snow-wise.

Oh, behave. I did a season in Serre Chevalier once when it snowed on Hogmanay and then didn't until the following winter. Skiing occurred all season nonetheless. Latest news ..... THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SNOW. We've had 15 to 20 centimetres this week and the pistes are fine. The offpiste is predominantly pants, but how many half term skiers are actually capable of doing it anyway?

Quote:

the French don't queue

B0llocks. I work in front of a queue - I see them do it all the time.

Quote:

lifties in France don't make any effort to fill chairs or gondolas when resorts are busy

Big hairy b0llocks. They were doing it all over the hill this very day. I saw them.

If you want to avoid half term crowds:
- make intelligent use of your piste map and don't ski the obvious routes along with the rest of the sheep
- ski over lunch and go home before 3pm
- read the insider resort reports. This one, for example: http://www.2alpesnet.com/snow_report.php?id_snow_report=4791
snow report
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Lizzard, don't spoil their game.
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I was a lazy back bottom seasonnaire in La Plagne and I still skied a bit at half term.
snow conditions
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Lizzard wrote:

Quote:

the French don't queue

B0llocks. I work in front of a queue - I see them do it all the time.
Quote:

lifties in France don't make any effort to fill chairs or gondolas when resorts are busy

Big hairy b0llocks. They were doing it all over the hill this very day. I saw them.


Which hill?

My experience of French lift queues is limited to the 3V, Espace Killy and Paradiski.
snow conditions
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
ajrduff, so you've been to three whole resorts and you're an authority on French skiing? Laughing Laughing
snow conditions
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
PS. It's belting down with snow here at the moment. Cool
ski holidays
 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?
Quote:

you've been to three whole resorts

3 whole resorts which probably have the lowest percentage of French skiers of all the hundreds which exist.
latest report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
i can concur that lifties in the three valleys are poor and making any attempt to fill the chairs. we ski as a group of just 2 and use the "single person" lift line when there is one due to the many many empty places on the chairs. I have also experienced this lack of willingness to fill chairs in many other french resorts. it almost became laughable by the end of the week as we woudl often find ourselves on a 6 man on our own. we started to wonder if we had some dodgy BO !!
it really sad when you cant even go on a chair lift without your mates and wait at the top for them in the interests of getting the queue moving along !
maybe lifties should get performace realted pay based on the the number of people they uplift per hour - that would get them out of their little huts and encouraging the filling of empty seat !!
PS I am not having a go at all lifties - they are always polite and helpful especially with the kids but they do need to "up their game" on this aspect of filling seats
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Lizzard wrote:
ajrduff, so you've been to three whole resorts and you're an authority on French skiing? Laughing Laughing


Didn't say that - and I'm sure that there are examples of smaller places where the problem is less severe due to smaller crowds. But the places I mentioned are among the biggest, and at all three on crowded days I observed the same thing: lift queues that were one pole plant short of a fight, and lifties doing nothing whatsoever to speed the process.

And over twenty years of holidaying all over France, I've never seen them form an orderly queue - they tease us about it!
snow conditions
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
pleney haut from the webcams, reminds me why I go at Easter Smile

snow conditions
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I've got a somewhat broader experience of large french resorts at least and while I have nothing bad at all to say about french queueing, I do agree there is rarely any push from lifties to fill the lifts efficiently and very little apparent interest in it from the majority of customers either - maybe the french would rather wait than miss out on chairlift chat?

So as the week is nearly over how was half term for you? Hell-on-snow, or suprisingly-civilised?
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Schladming was very civilised. Bit of a queue (5 minutes) if a little late and caught the morning rush, also at key bottlenecks around lunchtime, and busyish on some of the home runs at the end of the day. Apart from that ie most of the day and most everywhere, no significant queues or crowds.
latest report
 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.
Just back from La Thuile. No queues to speak of on either the Italian or French side, other than when we had a lie in and headed out just as the ski school hoardes were ascending from the chair out of town. We went to the gondola instead and waited a whole 4 minutes.

The ski hire shop and supermarket on arrival day were many times worse than anything encountered thereafter!

Anecdotal evidence from checkin-queue-chatter suggests no queues in Cervinia, Serre Chevalier or Claviere either.

Memories of La Plagne in the Parisien holiday period in 1994 are finally fading...Smile
snow conditions
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
My impression is that this last half term was quieter than usual because reports (whether right or wrong) of poor snow kept quite a lot of people away.
snow report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy