 Poster: A snowHead
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dennisp, fair enough, apologies for the 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well it is nice to see this thread again! While it is back on page one, has anyone got anything to report on the new Pleney lift that caused so much speculation in the closed season?
At least once a year I like to make the cross-PdS trip from Champoussin to the far side of Mont Chery at Les Gets. Pleney was always a massive bottleneck and, of course, we can't really physically get there before the 10 o'clock rush. WIll it be any better this year?
As far as the Swiss side goes, the new Pointe De L'Au lift linking Champoussin to Crosets is up and running and very nice it is too - it is faster, shorter and more comfortable than the rickety old thing it replaced (the pylons for which are lying on their side in the snow nearby, like dinosaur skeletons, which in a sense I guess they are). We were a bit worried that the budget didn't allow for detachable chairs, but there is one of those moving floor things instead so the chair isn't going that much faster than you are.
With the recent eight- and six- man chairs at Les Crosets, and the six-man Bochasses at Champoussin/Morgins, the Swiss side no longer feels like 1970, although it is still far quieter than the French. Come on over and try it!
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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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sanman, agree that the new lift is very nice.
The new Pleney lift has been going well - although to be fair we have only skied down to that level in Morzine once this year, no walking up the stairs which is always good in my book.
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I went up in super chatel yesterday was lovely and pretty.... today foggy up there. Moderate risk of avalanche, and quite a fair bit of snow today. 
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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shep, do you know reason for them not replacing the lift from Les Crosets? Seems a huge break in the circuit to me the track around from the Mossettes is a pain IMHO
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Hey guys and gals, a few qs if you don't mind.
1. Where (bars/restaurants/other) will I be able to get a decent wifi connection for some skype/FaceTime calls to my wee un while I'm
away?
2. I'm only here for 3 days skiing so thinking of booking a 2 hour private lesson late morning on the first day with ESF (cos it's cheapest?) are these guys recommended? Do they speak English?
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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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shep, when I was in Morzine for a weekend last year I was shocked by how quiet the Swiss side was so it doesn't surprise me on the lift pass sales issue.
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Heck of alot of snow here last night!!
(chatel)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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do you know reason for them not replacing the lift from Les Crosets?
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I was told the reason the old one was taken out was that the owner of the land on which the base station stood decided to build apartments on it instead.
As to why it has not been replaced, I attended a meeting last year about the new Pointe De L'Au lift, and the need for a better link from Les Crosets to Champoussin was mentioned as probably the next thing to need attention, although there was no specific proposal at that time. (The meeting was all in rapid-fire Swis French but I got the gist of it). Nobody likes the present trail around the side from Mossettes which is a nightmare from 2pm onwards.
stevew, [quote] don't be
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shocked by how quiet the Swiss side was
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just come more often and bring your friends! I'm pretty sure that if a liftpass sold in Morzine gets used in Switzerland there is an arrangement whereby a payment is made across. This is because there are several independent lift companies all working under same PDS umbella.
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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 go over to the Swiss side a lot. Either from Super Chatel down to Morgins and up the other side or (more often) from Pre La Joux over to Lindarets, up French Mossettes and down to Les Crosets. Apart from the French Mossettes lift (which can get very busy at peak times as nearly everyone coming from Avoriaz, Ardent or Chatel who heads for Les Crosets uses it) it is usually not too busy and there is a choice of three fast high capacity lifts from Les Crosets or you can nip round the side to the Ripaille drags. Loads of nice skiing - Planachaux is great for working on fast turns (if the mud is covered!). It does however get a lot of sun (which is often nice) but can turn it into a bit of a slush-fest late season.
One of the things I really like about the PDS is you can get a bit of variety easily and if you know the way (and are so inclined) you can cover really big distances.
Lunch a bit expensive though!
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You know it makes sense.
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sarah, Certainly long ones but I don't recall them as being especially steep. I think Chalet Neuf is steeper or even the Chermeau one below Super Chatel or the Onnaz going up towards Barbossine.
Is Caotina the chocolate mix that goes in hot milk? Some of our bunch go for that. Top venue the restaurant overlooking the bottom of the Ripaille drag.
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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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sarah, we found that Caotina now do a "dark" chocolate mix too not sure how it works when it has milk in it anyway, but my wife pronounced it very good
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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sanman, I will look out for it, thanks
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| sanman wrote: |
| I was told the reason the old one was taken out was that the owner of the land on which the base station stood decided to build apartments on it instead. |
Thanks for the info, I bet he's a popular chap in the area now.
When I was saying quiet on the Swiss side I didn't mean the Le Crosets sector, more the Pointe De L'Au to Morgins 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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Yes a lot of people "pass through" Champoussin and Morgins on the circuit but there are some good local runs and off-piste, worth exploring before you head home. There have been two new lifts in the last two years and there does seem to be a little more traffic as a result. Not that we want too much of it of course!
There is general disgruntlement locally about the lost link but you're talking about families who have been annoying each other for generations
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thread bump...with a couple of questions on St Jean d'Aulps, which I'm thinking of visiting for a day trip during half-term week (we'll have a car with us). Firstly, how's the parking...do we need to be there very early? Hoping the queues will be better than the rest of PdS that week.
What's the best kind of day to choose weather wise? I understand the pistes can suffer on warmer days so I'm guessing cold and clear. How much tree cover is there in the area?
Re: the two long 5km red runs...how 'red' are they? Will have a couple of perfectly competent but slightly nervous intermediates with me who won't like anything too steep/narrow/bumpy.
I'll also have teenage boarders, so any flat bits to avoid?
Most importantly...where to have lunch?
Thanks all.... 
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head_like_a_rock, Plenty of parking but you might end up with a bit of a walk to the bubble. I wouldn't worry about the weather too much - if the circuit is open it is worth having a go.
There are trees most of the way round the circuit and some nice bits in between them on the La Grande Terche side.
The two long runs are genuine red I would say but not difficult ones. There are a couple of places where they go a bit flat and not being a boarder myself I'm not sure how much slope you need to be able to keep going. I would guess it is doable with a couple of stops for a walk.
Lunch at the top of the chair out of La Chevrerie is good and after you get to the top of the last drag before the run down to the bubble you will see a restaurant down below you on your left (the run goes past it) which is excellent but small (and not always open). Best suggestion is to get there early and scoot round the circuit making a booking at the little place and then stop for lunch there the second time. If it is full stop at the one top of the chair. If you want lunch in LGT La Licorne, the second restaurant to the left from the bubble arrival is OK - good Savoyard fare served up by a Brummie called Richard. You need to book in half term week. I'm told pizza in the village is OK.
Its well worth a visit but you want to avoid the first drag at the top of the bubble at ski school time
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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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DJL, great info, many thanks.
Next question...
The Dixie Bar in Morzine is our preferred venue for all the essential rugby/footy viewing (unless anybody has a better suggestion).
However there's a poorly time lunchtime kick off I need to see on our final day on the slopes, Saturday 22nd, and I don't want to come back to town early.
So...anybody know of a bar in Avoriaz likely to show the BT Sport Premier League matches? Bit of a long shot this one I realise!
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Hi guys - I'm sure this has been asked a few times before, but what is the best route to PDS (Chatel)? Google suggests doing a left a Dijon and then going through Switzerland, is this wise or is sicking with France a better option.
Going next Saturday so will be busy everywhere!
Thank you...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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mcboz, yes this is the way we always go, off the autoroute and over the Jura and down into Switzerland. Will need a Swiss Vignette though which you can buy at the border crossing or send off for from Swiss Travel Service in London. There are a couple of recent threads asking this same question recently I will find them and link them as there is more useful stuff in them.
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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 a free day pass to PdS, which we plan on using this week. We'll be coming over from Grand Massif for the day, and are looking for recommendations as to where to head for, park, etc., please.
Our aim will be to see a bit of the area, ideally sticking to blues or reasonably easy reds. We've never been to PdS before, so everything will be new to us.
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You know it makes sense.
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So your best bet coming from the gm, is simply to park in les gets and ski les gets / morzine for a day. If you like blues and easy reds, there is easily enough there to keep you entertained for a day, and you'll find free parking as you come into les gets from the taninges road just after the first roundabout, well signposted. It's very close to the chairlift as well. If you like totally empty pistes, but a little more red coloured, keep to the left hand side of les gets and park close to the mont chery bubble. But there is only really one or two blues there, it's more reds and blacks...in fact forget I mentioned mt chery it's a myth, it doesn't exist.
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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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coddlesangers, thanks for that. Any particularly pretty runs that we shouldn't miss?
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Poster: A snowHead
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sj1608, seems a shame to blow a free PDS pass (a Haute savoie discovery voucher with your season pass?) on just Morzine/Les Gets. If I were you, an alternative would be to continue thru LG and park up at Ardent. Bubble directly into Avoriaz area, you could do a nice and easy micro tour of Avoriaz, Les Crosets (see the Wall, nice view of the Dents du Midi), Chatel, etc. You'd want an early start if you're not terribly fast.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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under a new name, thanks for the ideas, and yes, it's with the season pass.
I have a feeling that your itinerary will be a bit ambitious for us as I am definitely on the slow side! And with the changeable weather at the moment, I'm not too impressed with PdS's 'if you get stuck somewhere due to weather, it's your problem'. A total contrast to Grand Massif, where they take responsibility for getting you back if they close lifts.
We like the idea of venturing a bit further, so think that we may park at Ardent and aim for just Avoriaz and les Crosets. If we're doing well we can always extend it, or drive back to Les Gets and go up from there, as it's on the way home.
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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 wonder if any of you PDS regulars can help me please. We are staying in St. Jean d'Aulps next week, staying Sunday-Sunday hoping to avoid some of the traffic on Saturday. We usually drive over to Ardent to ski Avoriaz for a day or two but have never been at half term before. Does the Ardent car park get full at half term?! i.e. do you have to get there early?
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Hawkeye, we are never around at half term but judging by other pretty busy times eg NY - then I would say yes, get there early.
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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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Hawkeye, yes get there very early, I was at the Ardent car park at New Year and Easter and I can only imagine half term is worse. On the busiest days they close the road up to the car park just near the Lac parking, they make you park there and then get a bus up from there. If you can get up to the car park, it is chocka and there are people parked all up round the road to the Goat Village behind the car park so it's a very long walk to the lift. I really would go early and have a nice coffee when you get there
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Pamski, sarah, thank you. Thought as much!
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Hawkeye, drive 3/4 of the way up to Avoriaz and park opposite the fromagerie where the piste crosses under the road.
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Hawkeye, that is a very good suggestion of shep, - its a nice easy ski back there as well, as the run back down to Ardent can get a bit hectic.
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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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shep, secrets are only secret when only one person knows them! 
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sj1608, I must admit that I've never had a weather related stranding incident in the PDS. It's usually obviousl enough what the weather is going to do that you don't get yourself into that position (unlike, e.g. Monterosa).
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FAQ
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Usually like you PLJ-Lindarets-Fr Mossettes-Crosets, I like it over there, well except for Ripaille drags ('do not fall off, do not fall off, do not fall off'), is it me or are they some of the longest with steepest sections drags anywhere?
Ended up in the supermarket in champery last summer buying a huge bag of caotina and stuffing it in my rucksack 
Also hope he is ok 