 Poster: A snowHead
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27th November is Wedding Anniversery, so we'd like to hit the slopes to celebrate.
With flights from Belfast-Geneva perhaps there is an opportunity???? Where to go? Tignes? There website states The Espace D'Killy opens that weekend, but how much is generally open???????????
Anywhere else????
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Tignes best bet. Although the PSB will be in LDA...
Have done Tignes early and mid November with varying results. Some years only the higher runs open some years ski down to Val Claret. We always stayed in Vd'I at the hotel Mercure as not very much else open. Always had fun though.
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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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David Murdoch,
Is Vd'I open at that time of year????
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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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johnboy, Not for skiing I don't believe. We used to drive round to Tignes. But I believe it has more bars, etc. open.
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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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Opening weekend can be hit and miss, generally they try to open some decent sking in Val D'Isere and Tignes, hence calling it Espace Killy opening weekend
Some pics from 2 seasons ago opening weekend here:
http://community.webshots.com/album/102824417qDewYW
cheers,
greg
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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johnboy, Not stayed there. You will need to drive up the hill (20 minutes or so) to get to Tignes. Make sure you have chains with your car (just in case).
But - looks like a good price ! Have fun and let us know how you get on.. 
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To be fair, you'll spent most of your time up the glacier as it's the only place where the snow is likely to be wide and deep enough for enjoyable skiing. Val Claret on the Tignes side has the quickest and easiest access to the glacier - so if Val C is open on the first weekend, I'd say you're better off staying there - less wasteage of time getting to the snow, that way!
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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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| Manda wrote: |
| To be fair, you'll spent most of your time up the glacier as it's the only place where the snow is likely to be wide and deep enough for enjoyable skiing. |
To be fair though, you've actually never been to the premiere neige weekend in the Espace Killy though have you? So, it's fair to say you've no idea what the snow's going to be like.
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I don't think Manda ever claimed to have been there. The point made is perfectly valid - over recent decades snow reliability in Val d'Isere in late November / early December has been very variable. Therefore, assured access to a good glacier is a big advantage.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I've been researching hotels etc. including the Val Claret but I can't get anywhere that is open. Maybe this is a bad idea...
Any other ideas on where we could go to that will have snow and can be reached relatively easily from Geneva?
If all else fails Mr Johnboy will end up taking me to the Harbour Bar in Portrush as usual!
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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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CAN SOMEONE RECOMMEND A CHALET OR H/B HOTEL IN VAL CLARET PLEASE, IT SEEMS THE ONE I MENTIONED EARLIER DOESN'T OPEN TILL 10TH DECEMBER
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Mr and Mrs johnboy. These are the lifts that will operate in Zermatt that weekend:
http://bergbahnen.zermatt.ch/e/fahrplan/winter/kleinmatterhorn.html
It's about 3.5 hours from Geneva, with a scenic ride around the Lake of Geneva (just catch the train at the airport station to Brig or Visp) and the mountain railway up to Zermatt. But if you decide to go there, make sure the rail connections work. I can advise further if you want to think about it.
Just a thought. It's always a fantastic place to visit, because the village operates 12 months a year.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks David, I'll check it out. 
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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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I'm pretty sure that the Diva and the Vanoise are open at Tignes
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Wed 21-09-05 16:45; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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P.S. The other two ski areas of Zermatt - Sunnegga/Rothorn and Gornergrat - will also be operational from that weekend, if there's snow on those slopes. You can find the timetables on the same site - check menu at left of page.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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See you at home Mrs JB,
Cheers David
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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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ise, To be really fair, that isn't premiere neige weekend. 
johnboy, I think we stayed in the Mercure in Vd'I as it was the only place open. Driving round isn't too much of a chore as the roads are hardly busy! You shoudl find Le Canyon pizzeria, Le Danoise, and a couple of other bars open in Val D'isere. No idea what's open in Tignes.
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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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| Quote: |
I don't think Manda ever claimed to have been there. The point made is perfectly valid - over recent decades snow reliability in Val d'Isere in late November / early December has been very variable. Therefore, assured access to a good glacier is a big advantage.
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Conversly if the weather is bad as it frequently is early season assured access to the trees at Val d'I could be seen as a good thing whereas one will always be able to get to the glacier on the artificial not to mention the Pissallais glacier. Swings and roundabouts really advantages to either.
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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We're going 2 weekends later (the week before teh premiere neige if I have counted correctly). And yes, had a happy couple of days last year on the Leisseski,
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Bit of confusion over the 'Première Glisse' or 'Première Neige' which is used to refer to the official opening weekend of the Espace Killy (Nov 26th this year, subject to conditions) as well as the World Cup 'Première Neige' Criterium a couple of weeks later.
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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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I never went near the glacier when I went to opening weekend, plenty of skiing around Val D'Isere.
You get "opening weekend" deals, look on the tignes and Val D'Isere websites. This is what we got in 2003.
HOTEL BRUSSEL'S 2 3 STAR
FROM 28/11/03 TO 01/12/03 FOR 3 NIGHTS
for 3 adults and 0 children
CHAMBRE TRIPLE Pour 3 pers
3 JOURS AU PRIX DE 2 JOURS
CHAMBRE PETIT DEJEUNER + 684.00
TAXE DE SEJOUR + 9.00
3 SKIPASSES ADULTS FOR 3 DAYS 0.00
3 LITS SEPARES 0.00
----------------
Total amount : 693.00
Deposit : 693.00
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| PG wrote: |
| Bit of confusion over the 'Première Glisse' or 'Première Neige' which is used to refer to the official opening weekend of the Espace Killy (Nov 26th this year, subject to conditions) as well as the World Cup 'Première Neige' Criterium a couple of weeks later. |
I think that's because they used to be the same didn't they? The races seem to have slipped a couple of weeks over the last 10 years.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| I don't think Manda ever claimed to have been there. The point made is perfectly valid - over recent decades snow reliability in Val d'Isere in late November / early December has been very variable. Therefore, assured access to a good glacier is a big advantage. |
I've been every year for the last 15 or so, I've not noticed much variation personally, the webcams might look different. Later in December was a bit hopeless the last couple of years IIRC.
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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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As far as I can recall the race has always been in early December. I've been going to Val since 1970, and the phrase 'Premiere Neige' has always referred to the race by the ski community, though the tourist office may have used similar phrases to launch the earlier opening of the lifts.
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Just on this snow reliability thing, the key snow drought years were in the late 80s, when things were sometimes desperate until mid-Feb. I'm not sure how often the Premiere Neige races have been cancelled since then, due to snow shortage, but they are quite regularly run on a strip of artificial snow down La Daille etc., with things pretty scratchy beyond.
The launch of the Salomon ski, which I attended in 1990, was switched to Saas Fee from Val Thorens due to a desperate snow shortage early that winter (from memory it was 30 November, or thereabouts).
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You know it makes sense.
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
I'm not sure how often the Premiere Neige races have been cancelled since then, due to snow shortage, but they are quite regularly run on a strip of artificial snow down La Daille etc., with things pretty scratchy beyond.
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One that I recall being cancelled. I can't recall any purely artificial courses either for that matter.
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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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Twice I think, including the year before last.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Bad weather has cancelled it though, storms and blizzards, what a couple of times ?
BTW, the Diva as mentioned variously is really good but it opens pretty late, I *think* that for the first weekend they've not been open on the Friday night before. The Vanoise is my current favorite personally in Tignes and much as I love Val 'm hard put to recommend anywhere to stay, maybe the Mercure at a push.
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brian
brian
Guest
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johnboy, if the train doesn't come together, Zermatt is easy enough by car.
Straightforward 2.5 hour drive from Geneva to Tasch, phone ahead to one of the Tasch garages, they taxi you up to Zermatt in about 10mins and arrange a wee electric milk float taxi to pick you up and take you to your hotel. We did it less than 3 hours airport to hotel on a Sunday evening in January.
Parking costs 6 or 7 CHF per day outside, more in the garage. Taxi up is 30-40 CHF each way depending on day or night.
We used Taxi metro http://www.taxi-metro.com/ and they were fine.
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