 Poster: A snowHead
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Very very very excited as finally booked my trip away this year with the other half, to (as the title might suggest)... Tignes le Lavachet. Woohoo!
I've never been to Tignes before or the Espace Killy. Just looking for some advice really on accessing the area from where we are based and whether there are any particularly good circuits to do or routes to take. I've already googled the biggies (le Face? Sache? not sure.... :S just picked up on things I've read!) As a generally confident red run skiier, happy on nice blacks but hate ice and very very narrow slopes what are the thoughts on doing these two runs with the O/H? From looking at some youtubey type videos they look doable but I'm aware that video doesn't often convey the true sense of the beast! I'm also aware that snow conditions are always going to have an impact but taking the snow to be nice what are the thoughts?
Where we're staying is a chalet called les Tavaillons; anyone stayed here? It's meant to be only a couple of hundred metres from the chaudens and paquis lifts I am told so Is this any good in terms of starting location? I have have a look on piste map but can't really tell where we might be and just looking for some recommendations really. (will post pics and my own review when we get back)
Any other good tips are always welcome! Any cheap lunch recommendations or good places to stop off would always be helpful as I know the resort is meant to be pricey! Are there any decent bars in le lavachet for eve trips out?
Thanks in advance 
edit - Also wondering about prices of off piste ski guides or lessons as well if any good recommendations and ideas on cost?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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FiFi_Trixibell, unless you're going this next week, you'll need to book up lessons very fast - if there's anything left - it's peak time and the ski schools will be very busy.
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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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FiFi_Trixibell,
I will try and answer a few of your questions;
1. Les tavallions is approx 200 m easy walk from the Paquis & Chaudane lifts.
2. The paquis lift gives easy access to Piste H(Blue) and Val Claret or Trolles(Black) and Le Lac
3. The Chaudanne lift gives access to Le Breviere area(blues&reds).
4. The sache may not be for you if you hate narrow steepish slopes with lots of moguls.
5. Le Face is generally better in the mornings than the afternoon but is normally icy.
6. Bars in Le Lavachet - T.C's, Scotty's, Le Brassero to name a few good ones.
Checkout the Tignes interactive piste map. Les Tavallions is a chalet at approx 4 o'clock from the bus sign in Le Lavachet.
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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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Thanks for the tips steve, very helpful across the board. I wasn't aware of an interactive map - I'm going to head off and hunt for it now!
I'm hoping to be able to push myself this holiday and continue to improve as last year in particular I felt like I managed to come on a lot in terms of my confidence. When I first started I pretty much resembled a pyramid on skis and would stay there regardless of what the terrain around me was doing and couldn't get near a red run! Needless to say I've learnt to parallel properly the last few years and can now ski somewhat more dynamically shall we say! I'm hoping I can get out onto some steeper terrain and make progress again whilst not scaring myself past the point of no return! Obviously have no idea until I get there and see things with my own eyes but I will ususally give most things a go and if it's particularly difficult I just generally take it easy and try not to think too much!
| pam w wrote: |
| FiFi_Trixibell, unless you're going this next week, you'll need to book up lessons very fast - if there's anything left - it's peak time and the ski schools will be very busy. |
Thanks for the tip - I shan't be looking at ski school (if that was what you meant) as I I've always just done a few private lessons with a private instructor and am hooked on this, having found the benefits for me far outweighed group lessons. So I guess more specifically recommendations for private instruction is what I'm after or someone who I could get a little taste of off piste with as I feel I want to start broadening my experience a little. Unless you did also mean that everyone will be booked up in general!!
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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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Hi
I can recommend Ultimate Snowsports for private lessons. English company and very good.
My tips on runs: Do the runs down to Le Daille in the mornings. Fantastic in the morning horrible by late afternoon, chopped up and busy.
Do the Face (in the morning) its not too bad and really good fun if your confident.
Le Sache is IMV a lot tougher than the face as it is almost off piste.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There's a pisted black run called Trolles near where you are staying, which is one of the easier black runs in Espace Killy. See how you find that - if you can ski down it fairly confidently/easily then you will be OK on Face. I agree with what everyone else says - do Face mid-morning when it's not yet too icy/mogully. It has one very steep section but if there's snow on it, it's not too bad.
On the piste map, in general if it is a dotted black line, it's unpisted; if it's a hard black line, it's pisted (although Epaule du Charvet & Silene are the exceptions, they are always very mogulled). Sache is sometimes pisted. Most of the pisted blacks are approachable, some of the unpisted ones are very difficult indeed (and some are quite easy), but the majority of them you can appraise from a nearby lift or run.
Sache is an easy cruise, with a few easy moguls, for about 80% of its (considerable) length. The final section can be anything from easy (if it's just been pisted), to truly enormous moguls, to what feels like sheet ice. I saw someone fall a _very_ long way down it once, as I was side-slipping slowly through the trees at the side of the piste. There's an 'escape' run as a right turn off Sache before you get to that section, but it's very often shut for avalanche risk, and you have to decide whether to take it before seeing what the bottom of the run is like. One thing to do is ask at the top of the Aiguille Percee (top of that lift and the Marais lift - find it on the piste map) what it is like. There's a blackboard up there, and they often put a notice on it. I've seen "Le Sache - tres difficile, seulemont tres bon skieurs" and I've also seen "Sache - beautiful condition, just pisted". By the way, you come off Sache onto the last section of a red run. This is often very icy indeed and can be quite a tough finish.
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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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FiFi_Trixibell, You can ski "end to end" across the map and back no problem. Ski down to 'brev 1st thing to warm your legs up. Bubble back up. Down into Le Lac then Aeroski up. Across to Marmottes express. Down 'Face . Up Solaise then across the solaise bowl to Glacier? chair. Then take the "up & over"chair. This takes you into the Fornet area. Ski down to Signal then Bubble back up and then ride the chair and final tow right to the top of the Passillas glacier. You can retrace your route or ski all the way down to the road in Le Fornet and jump on the bus. Get off in the centre of Val d'isere or stay on until it stops in Le Daille. Back up the Le Daille Gondola to the Folie Douce. Beer time!!! From there a short ski back to Tommeusses and then Trolles. Voila...your home.
Grande Motte can be done via a tour of the Tignes "bowl". Simples!
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GeorgeVII - fab, thanks (and others) for that. Been assessing the piste map again this evening and starting to make some plans about where to go on the first couple of days until we get the gist of the area so some of what you have suggested makes sense! Will have another look next time I get the piste map up and see how it looks. Getting excited now!
Was reading up on the Tignes site about lift passes which we're planning on buying in resort. Does anyone know where we can buy these as we opted not to get them through Iglu. Are the queues going to be massive on the sunday we arrive (have always just bought from the TO in the past - why I don't know, as discovered the price difference today!)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Lavachet better these days used to be called by a name similar.
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FAQ
