 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
We are a family of 6 travelling for the first time to La Thuile on the 19th of Feb for a week. We are 4 adults and two kids aged 7 and 11. Non of us are expert skiers and normally enjoy skiing blues and a few easyish reds. To give you an idea of experience we have been skiing around 4 weeks previously. We were wondering how difficult the reds are in La Thuile? It seems that the only way down to the village is via a red or the gondola and ideally we'd like to ski down but are not too sure how bad they are. A number of people have stated that the reds at La Thuile are really often more blue, is that the case?
If any one whose been could let me know which the easier reds are that would be great. We'd also fancy going over to France but again I'm not too sure if that would he possible for the kids and less confident in our group if its all reds.
One last thing, La Thuile doesn't seem to have had much snow of late, is it fairly week covered with Canons? I'd hate to not be able to ski!
Any advice would be great.
Thanks
Steve
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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stevebuk, I went to La Thuile in 2010. On the whole it is a very easy ski area. The blues are really quite flat in places and most are basically just longer lift-served nursery slopes. The red you mention (red 6 I believe) is a lovely long run through the trees back to the resort. It's great in the morning but can get quite chopped up in the afternoon, not steep at all as I remember. The very long red 7 from the back of San Bernardo area is quite flat in places and definitely a very blue shade of red. The piste markers in La Thuile very helpfully give you the steepest gradient of that run at the top. Most of the blacks are fairly easy too, I'd only really describe blacks 2 and 3 down to resort level as true blacks. The short black right in front of the gondola is proper steep too (37).
If you ski over to La Rosière be warned that there is a tricky icy red (51) and the two longest drag lifts in the world on the way back.
I would recommend red 17, it's wide and smooth and there's a great 'hippy' mountain hut halfway down. The steepest red I can recall is 7b over on the san Bernardo side, red 10 is slightly steeper than red 9 (both from the same lift).
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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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Totally agree with above post, the reds are more purple than true red, the 6 and 7 from top to bottom either side of the top are lovely and cruisey, while the French side is steeper and icier, also most of them end up on the same red to the bottom of la ros which ends up very busy and boring cos you repeat it so often.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| queen bodecia wrote: |
stevebuk,
If you ski over to La Rosière be warned that there is a tricky icy red (51) and the two longest drag lifts in the world on the way back.
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I agree that the drags lifts ( side by side ) are long but they are pretty much flat and no corners to negotiate, so don't let the thought of them put you off going over to La Ros.
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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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stevebuk, Sorry just noticed it was your first post so welcome to 
You should be fine for snow, the Italians tend to be pretty good with looking after the pistes even when the snow is a bit thin and/or man made.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I suggest black 3 for entertainment. I worked there for a while and said to the boss I skied it on the way back, before I got any further he interjected, for F sake you were not with any clients?
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Came back from La Thuile two weeks ago, the pistes are in fantastic condition. We skied there first in 2004. It was our first trip and as part of a group with an instructor we did most of the reds and travelled over to france. We were scared for most of the time though! Since then we have tried lots of other places in France and Canada. We felt they had flattened out the mountain when we went back this year as the scary reds from 2004 were a piece of cake!
Pick a good weather day to go to France as it can be an awful trek in poor visibility or high winds. The difference in conditions between the two countries is amazing - loads more snow in France but very bumpy pistes. The way back is not so bad, only one long drag (pleasant in good weather) as you can then ski down the back of the mountain and take another chair to get back.
It's a great resort for confidence building and the current snow conditions and Italian piste bashers make the red runs very manageable for early intermediates.
Have fun!
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Thanks guys for the great information, can't wait!
Regards,
Steve
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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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Red 7 is very dull.on the bottom half as it follows the road. Get to the top of the mountain an the reds back VIA 6 are a great way down
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Steve, you will have a great time. The pistes are well groomed, and most importantly, fairly empty.
The blue runs are generally very easy, and in fact, too flat, except for number 14 which has an unexpected little drop in it, which is easily doable though.
The reds vary greatly, and both of the red runs into the village have their moments. Red 7 is long, and at stages very boring, but at the start there are some challenging bits, and again, just before the village, where it crosses over black 3, and everybody seems to miss the route, and ends up on black 3 for a short bit. Of course, if you do not try it, you will miss out on a fun beer at the Roxy, and a good lunch at the Maison De Neige, where you get dragged up to the Maison by snowmobile.
Red 6 is shorter, but also has some challenging bits in it, near the Arnouvaz lift, and thereafter.
As advised above though, nothing is impossible, and my girlfriend managed both comfortably, after 4 days of skiing.
The trip to La Rosiere does involve one or two little challenges, and in particular the red number 51 on the way back, to get to the drag lifts. If you want to go to the French side, you must do so at the first available opportunity, as the weather does prevent the crossing, a lot of the time, as Jules indicated.
I have no doubt that you will have a great time, and will ultimately explore all of it.
Going back for my third trip in March!
Gerry
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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stevebuk, You will have a great time the reds and blues are almost the same, as for skiing back to resort I would take red7 as 6 can be tricky or get the gondala back.
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