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!)

Courcheval 1550 - The lowdown

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hey everyone,

So, what's the lowdown on Courcheval 1550 at the end of January?

I'm not asking for magic ball stuff here but usually is there decent snow conditions at that height at the end of Jan? is it normally an icy slopes because of height/wind or is it normally a relatively safe bet? Also, are there decent lifts there to get higher or is it a bus job to the lifts? (please say no!!!!!).

Also, what's the nightlife, restaurant scene etc like?

Many thanks in advance my friends!

NB
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Decent conditions in 1550 at the end of Jan is just about as good a guarantee that you can get. I suggest you look at a piste map to see the lifts: bubble directly into the main lift complex in C.1800.
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?
I’ve been for the last 3 years to the Courchevel valley in January, and the year before in late March, and there’s never been even a whiff of a problem with snow down to 1550.

The main piste from 1850 and 1550 is hugely wide. I don’t think I’ve ever known it really icy, apart from where it constricts at the very bottom as it goes through a little chicane to drop down to the gondola station. Generally more of a hassle in spring or hot days if you don’t like spring snow as seems to soften quickly and becomes heavy going, but I've never known it thin on any of my trips. The 1550 gondola is fast and short and goes straight into La Croisette (the main hub of 1850) where you can pick any of the other three gondola's going up. Look at the piste map on courchevel's website.

Not a huge amount in off nightlife in 1550. Couple of bars and a few eateries. The creperie under the gondola is pretty good for a cheap 10-12 euro ish lunch. There’s a cheapo baguette/sandwich shop next door if you want a cheaper lunch. Across the road is a nice little traditional restaurant (forget the name)– usually a few locals in the garden having an apres beer.

There’s a bar just along from the creperie which is ok but the only time I went in there (circa 5pm) it was pretty quite – just two of us, one other bloke, and Nicky Clarke (of Hairdressing fame) propped up the bar having a Guinness. Was ok for a quite pint – I’ve vague recollection of seeing they had signs for live music in the evenings so it might be livelier at night but my memory is a bit vague.

Across the road and left round the corner (heading down the hill) is a little bar called The Bar – tiny little place. Can be very lively in there for après / happy hour on some nights. If you want to get hammered on drinks offers and the best chance of a livelly crowd in 1550 this is your best bet. I seem to recall they had drinks offers most days. Just found them on Facebook, here http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bar-Courchevel-1550/181250194236

Further down the hill past The Bar is a restaraunt on the left (big glass windows from memory but I forget the name) where we once walked in, were seated and then ignored for 20 minutes (not even given menus or offered drinks). We promptly stood up and walked out of so I can't comment on the food but you can guess my opinion on the service!

However you can easily get the free bus to all the other Courchevel resorts for nights out so don’t worry. For a nice meal my money would be on heading to 1650 and going to L’Eterlou or the place next door, or La Tania for La Taiga. Ski Lodge in la Tania also very lively on live music nights. Not been out much in 1850 other than Kaliko’s happy hour so can’t really comment much but I’m sure others can add.
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
The snow in 1550 when we skied there in March was not snow any more, it had returned to it's non-frozen state. I think it's called sludge.

2 mins up the mountain however everything was rosy Very Happy
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I have often found the run from 1850 to 1550 to be an icy death trap at the end of the day. But I would say that I am a wimp!!
snow report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
The gondola from 1550 to 1850 is fine, as busy as most really.

The run from 1850 down to 1550 is fine.

As for night life, its fairly limited but there are a few bars kicking about, better to go up to 1650 on the free bus but bear in mind that 1650 isn't 100m above (as in up the road) from 1550, its across the valley.
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks everyone some great advice there. And thanks Gazzza for a very comprehensive answer!

NB
latest report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy