Poster: A snowHead
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I'm looking for any recommendations for a smaller French resort for Easter 2012. Just fancy something different (and cheaper) having visited most of the big league places over the last decade. Went to Chamrousse two years ago, so something similar is what I'm looking for. The main criteria are skiing convenience (ski in ski out) and relatively snow sure for week commencing March 30th next year. 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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Puy St Vincent, Villard de Lans, Maurienne valley.
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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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Les Contanines
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Saint Martin de Belleville
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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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Yes to Les Contamines. Also Les Saisies - considerably bigger area, 175km linked, fair bit bigger than Chamrousse, though as late as that some lower parts of the domain might not be too great - some seasons fine, others not. Les Saisies and the top areas of Notre Dame de Bellecombe and Praz sur Arly should be fine. If you're looking for something smaller and more obscure, Areches-Beaufort. Terrific off piste, so they say (I wouldn't know) though can be hazardous.
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If heading to the Maurienne try St Sorlin D'Arves, part of the large Les Sybelles area, the other resorts are less traditional looking.
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Quote: |
Les Sybelles area is very large too
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Indeed - just had a look at it. 310kms - ginormous and scarcely on the very limited radar of the average Brit skier.
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pam w, Getting a little more popular I think. When I went in 2006 & 7 some of the UK TO's were just starting to include it in their brochures. Although there are 310km of pistes none are very difficult and the lift system wasn't the best (although improvements have been made since I believe). A lot cheaper than the more well known resorts though.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I'd recommond La Clusaz / Le Grand Bornand, but only if snow was good. Easter is pretty early this year so they should be OK, but I'd be loath to book too far in advance for these places as they are not all that high.
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Quote: |
I'd be loath to book too far in advance
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Agreed - and there shouldn't be any need to book much in advance, there should be plenty of choice unless snow conditions are really bad - if it's like last season then April will need very careful thought.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pam w wrote: |
Quote: |
Les Sybelles area is very large too
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Indeed - just had a look at it. 310kms - ginormous and scarcely on the very limited radar of the average Brit skier. |
Shitey lifts apparently though.
Just also to say: Valloire. Yeah I know. I know.
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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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Dare I mention La Rosiere?
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paulio wrote: |
Shitey lifts apparently though. |
I have only skied Le Corbier but the lifts there were fine.
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You know it makes sense.
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one of the problems with super fast lifts is they deposit super large numbers of people at the top. In smaller places you are likely, outside peak times, to have entire pistes to yourself.
There are loads of options - but a last minute booking would make sense.
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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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Les Gets was great at the end of march a few years back when me and the missus went. Not too busy, manageable area but with access to PDS.
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Poster: A snowHead
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on the whole, I think I'd want to be based a bit higher than Les Gets in early April.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Val Cenis: http://www.valcenis.com/domaine-skiable/plan-des-pistes
125 km of piste; skiing between 1400m and 2800m so relatively snow sure; unspoilt valley; on the road to the Col De L'Iseran - closed in winter - so no through traffic and presumably very quiet; part of the ski area is in Italy.
We have never skied there, but after driving through in summer, have added it to our 'to do' list - the lift system and piste map look quite impressive and it has a big vertical. There is also a smaller French resort, further up the road towards the col de L'Iseran which is very rustic and unspoilt - unfortunately, its name escapes me at present.
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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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mountainaddict, I think the place you're thinking of is Bonneval. It's a great off piste ski from Val d'Isere but does require a heli back because of the huge road distance between the two. Bonneval had decent slopes of its' own in a neat settting inside Vanoise National Park. It would be a nice excursion from Val Cenis.
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Bonneval is further up the road from Val Cenis. You can ski all the small resorts in the Haute Maurienne including those 2, using car or bus, using a special skipass which is amazing value. Val Cenis is the best and I also really like Valfrejus, though it is the furthest to get to (above the Frejus tunnel). Lots of great off-piste in the area.
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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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Hywel, Montalbert la plagne part of the paradiski. Good snow sure conditions are main run down to the village was open until the 24th April last year !
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Thanks for all the suggestions, had looked at Valloire and St Sorlin, plenty of options to look at.
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Hywel, "relatively snow sure" surely, by definition means one of the bigger resorts.
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under a new name wrote: |
Hywel, "relatively snow sure" surely, by definition means one of the bigger resorts. |
Not at all.
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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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Quote: |
"relatively snow sure" surely, by definition means one of the bigger resorts.
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nope.
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Ste Foy, but don't tell anyone!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We were looking at Ste Foy the other year, thought it looked rather good. Will have investigate again once boys are older and skiing.
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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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We have booked to go to Les Sybelles (St Jean) for Feb half term as seemed to fit out requirements... Will report back in a few months!
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do you class Montgenevre as small if so the Obelisque are at the Italien end of resort offer a selection of new and nearl;y new apts with more or less ski from teh door
i went Easter 2010 and had fresh snow alternate days
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You know it makes sense.
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Small village can also mean small ski.
I recommend Montgenevre as small village, BIG ski as you get the Milky Way on your doorstep as well as the possibility of skiing Serre Che and several other resorts. Montgenevre is 96 on the price index, making it below average in cost.
Otherwise Puy-st-vincent ranks even cheaper but with more limited skiing.
Have a look at the following list for the cheapest resorts in France:
http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/features/rpi-2010-51-resorts-where-you-can-save-money-/
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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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Quote: |
Small village can also mean small ski.
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by no means always - some small French ski villages are linked into skiing areas bigger than almost anywhere else in the world, but not well known. eg the Espace Diamant has more lift-linked skiing than Kitzbuhel. And sometimes places with big mileage do have a fair number of pistes each indistinguishable from the next!
Anyway, the OH is looking for something similar to Chamrousse. Just 75 km of piste there, I think. Plenty for a week for many skiers - many of us don't feel cheated if we do the same piste more than once.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Bonneval is certainly as snow sure as most of the big resorts and more snow sure than some, but it is a very small area, it is not ski in ski out but much of the accommodation looks very close to the access lift. I have skied there twice in April and had wonderful skiing on both occasions with snow of the same quality as Val Thorens accessed about 40 minutes away via Orelle down the valley, which was much more crowded but has a much larger area.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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skihog, Ssssshhhhhhh!!
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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've always fancied a trip to Bonneval. Our season lift pass gives us free ski passes for days in St Francois Longchamp, Pralognan, Orcieres 1850 and La Bresse Hohneck.
We might get round to one or two of the closer ones this year - had some good feedback from SHs on Pralognan last year but the snow conditions meant long trips weren't really worthwhile.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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pam w,
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I've always fancied a trip to Bonneval.
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It's a great little place to visit , an attractive old village (though with one or two more modern uglier bits) and stunning high mountain scenery amongst the glaciers. If you can plan the trip though I would go when the weather is warm as it is almost all high skiing above the tree line with no enclosed lifts. Snow is generally good as well as getting the Westerlies it also often gets some of the stuff spilling over the Italian border. If you enjoy x country Bessans about 5k down the valley is well worth a visit as well.
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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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the world is just full of lovely unexplored places to ski. Some of them not far away. Life is too short ......
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pam w wrote: |
the world is just full of lovely unexplored places to ski. Some of them not far away. Life is too short ...... |
On topic but a long way from you I visited St Veran http://www.saint-veran-queyras.com/ this summer a stunning place, highest traditional village in Europe and a place I would love to visit in Winter as well. The summer walking was wonderful bit of a drive though from Monetier where we were staying.
Would fit some of the OP's specifications though ski in ski out would depend very much on location I would guess.
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T Bar, mmm, looks lovely. Might be fitted in on a trip down to Genoa, to see our son, which takes us through the Fréjus tunnel.
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pam w, Saint Veran is a fair bit south of the Frejus tunnel. You would probably best go down to the coast to include it in a trip. On a brighter note Bonneval and the delightful Haute Maurienne is very convenient indeed.
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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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St Sorlin d'Arves in the maurienne valley was excellent last year in April,Easy uplift to 3 V via Orelle for an away day if you have a car
Regards Mark
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