 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm thinking of doing the Warren Smith course but it's very important to me that the resort is suitable for my kids too. They're 5 yr.s old and have done 2 weeks on snow so far. Anyone in the know?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 23-07-05 10:35; 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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My kids did his course at ages 9 and 13, so you could always wait a few years.
On a more serious note there a several ski schools, most of which have kiddy lessons.
Mine had no real issues with being in ski school all day at age 5, especially once they had got good enough to ski around a few runs and turns (which yours probably have, or will have by day 2).
Talk to Warren and ask which school he suggests. There was a really nice english girl who was a regular at Altitude, I don't know her name but she was quite distinctly plump. She has a marvelous way with the smaller snowheads.
As a resort there is plenty of child friendly skiing to be done. A swimming pool in town. A cinema that shows films in english some days, toboganning friewndly slopes right in town.
It will be fine. Warren's course is fantastic. See this:http://www.snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=6854&sid=848bf400ae0802ed17b88455b4e2b5d8
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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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rungsp, thanks for that - doesn't seem like many  who've taken kids to Verbier are around right now! Yeah, they did pretty much all day skiing this year at age 4 (half day ski school and half with us) so it was really if there were enough child-friendly runs and runs to resort I was interested in. Thanks for the link - I'd read it and a couple of others here already then lost them!. Where did you stay and was it ski-convenient?
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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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We stayed in my friend's chalet. Sadly we can't go there anymore as he converted it to an ultra luxury (and I do mean ultra) chalet business.
If you have got £30k you can rent it for a week!
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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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OK no-one else knows anything about verbier and kids.
So, does anyone know what the best route driving to Verbier is?
Coming from Eurotunnel, is it best for instance to go from Dijon via Geneve and Chamonix or via Besancon and Lausanne? How long would these routes take?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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slikedges, I'm pretty certain the Geneva route is easier, the motorway is longer in distance but a much safer bet as to driveability, Calais to Geneva is about 500 miles and on the Autoroute in good weather you could do that in just over 6 hours at a push without breaking the speed limits, Geneva to Verbier is probably another 2 hours, Besancon is only 400 miles, so about 5 hours driving in good weather from Calais but you then have 2 hours at least of driving to get from Besancon to Lausane via lots of twisty roads, you would save about 110 miles in distance but probably very little in it time wise
Oh from Geneva I'd just follow the lake past Lausanne very good road and a nice view of the lake
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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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As for routes, the quickest route anywhere is going to be the one you don't get lost on
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Yes well you know the route but what about for someone that doesn't ? By the way it's been several years since I went along the road and I hadn't realised it had become so busy, I do recall that there was a nice view of the lake from the road though. I guess it might have an effect depending on what time you expect to be driving along it, if it's evening time I think I'd prefer the main road, but it's just personal prefference in the end
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Hi SILKEDGES. We often go to Valais for Ski-ing, and providing the weather is not snowy, we hang on the French motorway system to near Poligny, the go cross country over the Jura plateau to Champagnole, then on the back roads to join the main road from Pontarlier to Vallorbe at Jougne. On busy holiday weekends I have encountered bad traffic round Pontarlier, hence this cross country route to miss Pontarlier.
In bad snowy weather I wouldn't risk the bye-roads of the Jura plateau, but would the leave the French motorway system just south of Langres and head for Gray and on to Besancon, Pontarlier, and Swiss border at Vallorbe.
Last year in March between Pontarlier and Vallorbe we encountered heavy snow once past Pontarlier, which miraculously vanished once in Switzerland - Aaargh the vagaries of alpine microclimates.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| D G Orf wrote: |
| Quote: |
As for routes, the quickest route anywhere is going to be the one you don't get lost on
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Yes well you know the route but what about for someone that doesn't ? By the way it's been several years since I went along the road and I hadn't realised it had become so busy, I do recall that there was a nice view of the lake from the road though. I guess it might have an effect depending on what time you expect to be driving along it, if it's evening time I think I'd prefer the main road, but it's just personal prefference in the end |
I don't particularly know the route, it's the way to leave the country and go to the UK so I've no cause or desire to use it regularly.
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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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slikedges,
Go to Chamonix and over to Martigny IMO. The motorway down to Chamonix is about as easy as it gets for French alpine resorts. 8 hours from Calais to Cham is very achievable and about 60-90 mins over the pass to Martigny/Verbier absolute tops...!!
I haven't cut through to Vallorbe for a few years but it seemed like a long time on back roads from memory but if it looked like beating 9 hours Calais/Verbier I would look into it.
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JT, Can't agree that going via Cham is a good idea. You've got to trundle through the Cham valley and grind up Forclaz, which is highly waether dependant.
I've done 7hrs 30 from Verbier to Calais using both the Geneva and Jura routes. I prefer the Jura, becuase I'm bored of autoroute by the time I get to Besancon and the windy road throught the Jura wakes me up and once I'm at Lausanne, I know I'm nearly there. Plus it's a beuatiful road over the Jura and after Lausanne the autoroute to Geneva gets a bit dull.
Any sign of snow below 2000m and I go on the autoroute all the way. It's about 140 miles extra on the autoroute I think, but takes about the same time.
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You know it makes sense.
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Steve Sparks, I agree.
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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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Thanks everyone. Very helpful indeed. I knew there had to be a reason I hang around here. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Steve Sparks,
Might have to try that for Swiss resorts. I am very bored with the Chamonix route but we have done it in 6:15 hrs to the town from Calais which just about makes the trip bearable.... no actually, that sort of drive is not recommended... Plus you get to know what weather to expect once you get on the Geneva stretch. I normally work on the basis of two hrs to Rheims, two hours to Dijon, 2 to Geneva and the 40mins to an hour to Chamonix, including stops. I will try the Jura route when we hit the Oberland next year. Of course, weather makes you change your plans but I love to see it raining/snowing on the way, or at least about an 1 hour from the resort. But I don't mind weather upsetting my plans on the way out, I can easily put up with that. Much better than on the way home anyway..
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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slikedges, Sorry, but in my enthusiasm to talk aout driving routes I missed your first question. I don't have any kids but I know some friends who do have some! and they've been skiiing Verbier since they were 8 and 6 i think.
The main draw back is if they have to spend time on the nurseries, which are in town and a bus ride from the main lift system, which is a pain. However this summer they are constructing a new combined gondola/chair between les ruinettes and la chaux which will make access to the safe cruisy blues and reds of la chaux very straightforward.
Altitude come very highly reccomended and if you are doing Warren's course it is worth talking to him up front as his business is quite closely linked with many of the other anglophone Verbier businesses and I'm sure there may be a deal to be done. I do know that he has some former Altitiude instructors coaching with him next winter. If only I'd remembered your post earlier, Warren and I were on the same plane back from GVA to LGW last night and i could have done your bidding.
More importantly than ski schools, do you have accommodation sorted? decent ski teachers in Verbier come a penny a dozen, places to stay less so.
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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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Steve Sparks, thanks, that's kind of you, hadn't gotten that far yet! I've e-mailed Warren re: most ski-convenient accommodation he knows of, though. Do you know anywhere as convenient as is poss for Verbier? I don't fancy carrying 3 kids skis and my own too very far!
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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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Nothing to do with the thread, but I've just noticed that the smileys are moving tonight. For me, they don't usually.
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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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Helen Beaumont, is the sky spinning and are the walls moving as well?
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