 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi @Steve Angus and other regulars, very good to see you are still posting great reports in this thread!
You may remember a few of my posts 2 years ago when I was in TvD for the closing week.
The entire area was open and because of the perfect snow conditions we were able to ski down to Les Brevieres and even to ski Vallee Perdu. Amazing, so late in the season.
Last year (mid-may) I had a nice off-piste week with a friend, but poor visibility the whole week.
Anyway, next Saturday I will arrive with my fam again for the closing week, but despite the good snow I noticed that the area is only partially open... 
All slopes up-to and behind Aiguille Percee are closed. Also Val d'Isere area is not fully open.
Is there a specific reason for that? A bit disappointing, but I'm glad there's still a lot to ski with this fresh snow.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Steve Angus, likewise, rarely comment, but great to catch up and read your daily updates. Enjoy reading and hearing the insights to resort life and all things happening locally. Hope to ski with you one day when we next visit. Enjoy the summer and look forward to the summer 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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@Gnoe, Money. The same happened last year, despite Tignes promoting “Spring Break” very heavily, but with limited success. There is of course a reduction in the price of the lift pass. To be honest, despite the fresh snow (and there has been more overnight) the slopes on the Brev side we’re getting pretty patchy.
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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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@Steve Angus, thanks for your thread again this year, it's great to hear your family news and read the on the ground updates - makes me feel like I'm there!! We had a great week out there last week and it was nice to see you on the mountain, even if I've never spoken to you. Had hoped to grab you for a lesson, but was all booked up, but next time for sure (hopefully next year)!
Have a good week with the SCGB - I could insert a Monty Python reference here  - and a good rest over the summer, and look forward to reading your next installments!
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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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| Ski lots wrote: |
| @Gnoe, Money. The same happened last year, despite Tignes promoting “Spring Break” very heavily, but with limited success. There is of course a reduction in the price of the lift pass. To be honest, despite the fresh snow (and there has been more overnight) the slopes on the Brev side we’re getting pretty patchy. |
Yes sad but true you confirm my impression. It seems that the area is struggling for years to find an attractive program for the closing period. They must be intensely jealous of the Dutch Week in ValTho that is succesful for some decades now.
All efforts I have seen in the closing week (in 10 years I've been there 5 times in the final week) seem quite useless, like a drop in the desert.
I noticed there's a program this year with fancy DJ's, but at quite expensive individual ticket costs. A passepartout for the week is "sold out". I don't believe that TBH, and would eventually consider it if that was for a reasonable price. So with these individual tickets, who's going there now? It's not only party people in the resort! For fans it is more interesting and convenient to visit the DJ's in bigger and better party places. I don't think that the current offering attracks many people, that are required to make a break-even.
I also think/feel that Tignes and Val d'Isere spaces are more acting like competitors than teaming-up with a decent game plan. Or maybe it is simply incompetence and a team focussed on (tight) budget rather than planning something really interesting (for a diverse audience) to pull more folks to the resort.
Well, I'm going to see how it will work out. I'm there for skiing so partying until late would reduce my effective hours in the morning snow 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Steve Angus, I recall Rab saying he was finishing the ski season with SCGB and was expecting them to want to ski from the first to last lifts.... enjoy!
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Thanks again Steve for all your posts. Yes I do like to read about your lunches. And if my grandchildren are going to learn to ski backwards, I'd better join them in your sessions!!
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@Gnoe, there is a big Dutch TO that brings in a large number of folk in the last week “Family Jam”. I’ve been told that they are not happy about what is available, especially as their own website implies that everything is open.
Covid apart, we have been here until the last for about 15 years, notwithstanding global warming, what is available has become less attractive.
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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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| Ski lots wrote: |
| @Gnoe, there is a big Dutch TO that brings in a large number of folk in the last week “Family Jam”. I’ve been told that they are not happy about what is available, especially as their own website implies that everything is open. |
Yes I know the FamilyJam and have been there with them for one of the closing weeks (I'm Dutch). But it is not a serious number compared to the folks that go to the Dutch week. And these are families with younger kids, so not really interested/time to go to Nina Kravitz or Paul Kalkbrenner.
| Ski lots wrote: |
Covid apart, we have been here until the last for about 15 years, notwithstanding global warming, what is available has become less attractive. |
You mean the number of pistes in the final weeks is becoming less attractive? Two years ago it was all open including VdI, so I trusted this would be new policy to make the area more attractive.
I think it is a bit poundfoolish to close some interesting zones just for this last week, certainly higher places like Col de Ves and Aiguille percee.
But longer ago, it was only 'higher' Tignes that was open in the last week. Since several years, parts of VdI and connections like Tommeuses seem consistently open untill the end.
Maybe that inconsistency in the openings make things unpredictable and people/families that plan longer ahead don't want to commit to something that is not guaranteed. For the Dutch week, the entertainment program is an almost guaranteed succes. And that is what attracts many people and they are consequently committed to book year in and out.
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Steve - thanks again for all the posts this year, making me want to return next year after a few years away!
Earlier in the year you mentioned the new bus station was causing all sorts of havoc, has that calmed down over the season or is it still chaos?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| michebiche wrote: |
| Steve - thanks again for all the posts this year, making me want to return next year after a few years away!... |
Same. Been a fair few years since I was in Val (or Tignes) and despite promising that we'd explore countries outside of France for skiing, I have an itch to return based upon so much feedback proving why it's an amazing place to ski.
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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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| michebiche wrote: |
Steve - thanks again for all the posts this year, making me want to return next year after a few years away!
Earlier in the year you mentioned the new bus station was causing all sorts of havoc, has that calmed down over the season or is it still chaos? |
Our experience in mid March was just as bad as the reports... tried to mitigate by booking Alpine Fleets door to door service which failed to show to meet either the inbound or outbound coaches (they refunded the costs). The Train Rouge was already overloaded with skiers (in bound) and staff (out bound) so couldn't get the 3 x coach passengers on-board let alone get our luggage on. So had to walk with the luggage and of course the road is quite busy (no footpaths). There's quite a bit of the development of the resort I'm not so happy with (migration to superluxe $$$ and leaving a lot of 'regular' folks behind) but this ranks as one of the poorest decisions / implementations yet (did share these comments with on the resort survey too).
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@Steve Angus, wishing you a more relaxed downtime than last year! 
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You know it makes sense.
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The bus station
The town no longer owns the land that the old bus station was situated on which is why it’s moved.
We have a close view of the new bus station and have been watching how it has developed since the introduction last summer.
Last summer it was a complete disaster for people coming up the valley from Bourg as the bus would arrive on schedule 5 mins after the red bus departed up to town, as the buses in summer are only every 30mins and stop completely at 1900 this caused people to walk and push luggage up the Le Cret path to town often as there was very little info posted.
Not ideal on a hot summer evening with luggage and children, but thought it would get better.
Start of the season (Nov,Dec,Jan) the new main building was still under construction but the town promised the new location was great.
It was mayhem.
Buses from Geneva, Lyon,Bourg, Bens Bus, Alpine Fleet would arrive and passengers with luggage were competing with skiers finishing and the fallout from Folie and Rosée Blanche.
YSE managed to secure a separate “voyage vacances ” to meet guests on a Sunday eventuality, while the YSE staff shuttled the luggage of all the guest to the various chalets. This probably started some improvements but not enough.
Enterprising locals quickly worked out the bus schedule and for between 20 or 40 euros would offer to transfer you up town.
A large amount of skiers finish in La Daille due to Santons and Face not being open or a sensible option for many skiers, add in the recent Val d’Isere marketing and messages promoting downloading at the end of the day.
It’s not unusual for queues to form for the buses in La Daille up to town and if you try to get on at the new Gare Routière good luck.
Eventually after a few weeks the bus co-ordinator realised that ever third bus had to be diverted to clear the waiting passengers at the Gare Routière
Clearing snow off the bus station and surrounding paths was apparently never thought off and planned this season either.
Gradually as the season progressed come late March some small changes were made (after a few council meetings with lots of clipboards at the bus station)
More buses specifically for holidaymakers arriving with luggage and some updated signage. but it’s still a disjointed difficult experience when arriving in town for a lot of people, but by March the pavements were at least clear for luggage movement.
April the overcrowding at the bus station at the end of the ski day was still occurring unfortunately, especially when the buses from Bourg arrived in town.
By now someone should have worked out that coach A arrives at a certain time with x amount of passengers with 80% needing transport up town.
The other ‘success’ is the bus between Val and Tignes. It is so popular at the end of the day it often has to leave people behind causing a few unhappy people.
To sum up our bus station viewing we hope enough people have filled in the surveys to improve the service as it has looked miserable for a lot of people.
One way to get around the bus problem is to just stay in La Daille and start and finish your day there
Looking forward to the heat of the summer and watching unsuspecting people trying to sit on the black metal cladded benches at the bus station in shorts 
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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@Steve Angus, another brilliant season of info from you.
Thanks again for the greatest SnowHeads thread
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