 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all
I am organising a trip to France or Austria for mid-late Jan. 2013.
Two of my friends are relatively new to skiing, not total beginners - roughly three days of skiing each - but still learning and building confidence.
Are there sufficient green and easy blue slopes for skiers at their level in Val Thorens?
Should we consider a different resort? I just want to avoid a situation where we find ourselves in a resort ideal for some skiers but too challenging for others.
Thanks in advance!!!
D
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think Val Thorens is great for beginners - I did most of my early learning there and there were certainly plenty of non-threatening options.
Absolute beginner slopes are right in the centre. After those (doubt your friends would need them) there are the 2 Combes, Roc, Flocons, and Combe de Thorens long greens for building confidence which are very easy to access. Gentiane is a very lovely wide cruisy blue for practicing turns of different radii as well. Lots of other blues as well for exploring as they progress.
Edit: detailed piste map here: http://www.valthorens.com/pdf/plans/ski/Plan-domaine-ValThorens-2011-2012-BasseDef.pdf
Basically loads of really nice runs for beginners just right of the centre. Your friends would be very well catered for.
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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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Dof, make sure you get some recommendations for the best tuition for your friends - that makes much more difference than choice of resort.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks guys, that's very helpful.
Fixx - just curious, what time of year were you in Val Thorens? I've read on a couple of sites that, as all slopes are above treeline, when it is extreemely overcast Val T is difficult to ski. We will travel in mid-January and this could be an issue for some of our group although perhaps I am micromanaging this!
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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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I was there early Dec and late Jan. I don't remember being in overcast weather in Val Thorens, though was in Les Menuires, which was a bit lower. If you're on piste, there aren't trees there anyway, so makes little difference 
As a beginner, overcast isn't fun anywhere, but yes, trees along the piste do help, which you won't have in Val Thorens. In terms of things to worry about though, I'd look for quality of slopes, quality of instruction, and and good apres-ski much higher than trees in case of bad weather. Especially for beginners, the most important thing is to enjoy the holiday.
And with good instruction as pam w says, it won't matter if it's overcast, the instructors will know where to go and how to provide viewing references.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Dof, if your holiday is at a time when the weather has been rather warm, and the snow lower down slushy or non-existent (perfectly possible in January, though not very likely), you'll be jolly glad you chose Val T. I have driven up that long valley with practically no snow until right up in Val T. If it's perishing cold and blowing a hooley, then you might wish you were somewhere lower - but that's the lottery of picking a resort.
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Spent last week cycling around there, as we have an apartment in VT.
In the Morning it was 20 degrees in St martin de bellville, 14 degrees in les menuires and 6 degrees in val thorens. That shows the temperature gradient that altitude gives you. So the biggest plus point is that you are more likely to have decent snow there than anywhere else, particularly at the ends of the season.
The other plus points for beginners are that there are plenty of Blue runs that would easily give a weeks worth of skiing and parallel reds where more advanced members of the party can meet at the bottom.
I may be in the minority here but I find ESF great. All the instructors I have met have been very competent, friendly and speak good English. Book them into Morning lessons and them meet them for lunch and afternoon skiing.
With regards to low light levels, I hate skiing in low light levels wherever you are. Maybe as it is so high you get overcast days more often but I haven't really noticed this. Generally the Alps as a whole gets hit by low fronts or high pressure at the same time.
The only downside is that VT is a bit soulless and if you don't ski it would be pretty pants for a week. Cycling in the winter there isn't really an option 
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Book them into Morning lessons and them meet them for lunch and afternoon skiing.
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+1
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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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pam w, +2 - works perfectly, you get to ski everything you want in the morning and get good and knackered, then mess about on easy slopes with them in the afternoon.
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Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond, looks like it will be either 1) Val Thorens 2) Les Duex Alpes
or 3) Ischgl but, for me, Val Thorens is the most appealling.
Happy skiing!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Dof, VT vs Ischgl, completely different prospect!
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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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Totally agree with what fixx is saying. Some of the blues he mentions are incredibly unthreatening (if I was feeling uncharitable I would describe one or two of them as 'flat'). Perfect for beginners.
Another highlight is that for most of the greens and blues you'll encounter in the first few days of learning, you'll be riding magic carpets and nice new luxury gondolas, not chairlifts or drags.
The only real problem I would highlight is that the magic carpet accessed nursery slopes in the town centre can carry an awful lot of through-traffic. I was teaching soon-to-be-3 Piehole Jr there back in May (he finally did his first proper turns on the very last day of the season!), and it was occasionally slightly scary having people brush past us going as fast as they dare. Again, this is a consequence of how flat some of that terrain is and 'good' skiers and snowboarders try to absolutely spank it to avoid running out of steam. I found myself taking my snowboard off and walking A LOT on the times I've been boarding there rather than skiing.
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Hi Dof, I've skied a fair bit of the 3V and stayed in VT. VT is great propect; it's snowsure, good atmosphere in town, and there is something for everyone in terms of the pistes. We went with a bunch of beginners and they loved it! Big wide pistes, lots of blues, but still plenty of more challenging terrain for the more advanced riders to cover over the 3V. The only problem I can think of with VT is that its altitude, whilst making it snowsure, means that it is often quite windy and this can mean that the exposed pistes get very icy (same issue with a lot of high altitude resorts). However, as others have said, instructors will take lessons in the best conditions they can find, which means the class might ski down the valley to Les Menuires if its a bit knarley up in VT. Hope that helps. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Dof, to be honest I wouldn't recommend Ischgl to you, I've been and its more suited for intermediates. Its also very expensive unless your staying in one of the other resorts such as Galtur (where I stayed) or Kappl but there it would involve a bus ride to get to the Ischgl ski area and its always packed in the morning, not something I'd like if I was a beginner.
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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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VT isn't cheap, but I would have no hesitation in recommending it as a resort for beginners and skiers at higher levels, it's my favourite resort. Yes, it is a bit exposed if the weather cuts up rough, due to the lack of trees, but it is snow sure and you can get low-light everywhere - that honour isn't reserved for VT and at least in VT most of the pistes end up in the centre so there is very little chance of getting lost. The Deux Lacs loop around is an ideal confidence giving run for a beginner looking to try out their first greens - I love the place as it is where I learned to ski and there were few beginners as nervous as me.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Dof, Mid late Jan the snow is generally good most places so Val T does nto have much extra to offer from that point of view. Bad weather can screw up anywhere but being above the tree line can be particularly bleak so you can get unlucky form that point of view.Near beginners do not have have the advantage of being able to ski the whole three valleys.
It is high and folk can occasionally suffer from altitude problems and it has the worst scenery of any resort I have visited.
Those are the down sides the upside is that most people enjoy skiing anywhere with good snow and youare likely to get that together with appropriate slopes at VT.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Dear all
I've said it before but many thanks for the advice, all very helpful.
I am now looking at apartments in VT, considering going a little over budget and staying at l'Oxalys. Has anyone stayed there? Online reviews are all positive and location seems ideal. Plein Sud is also an option.
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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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Dof, I stayed in l'Oxalys in April this year as a first time attendee on the eosb. I was sharing a self catering apartment there with other  , and I was impressed with the standard of accomodation. The place has good facilities including a top notch (but pricey) restaurant, swimming pool with sauna and spa area, and a most useful ski hire shop in the basement with ski in/out access from the back door next to the boot room. I would certainly recommend it as a decent place to stay.
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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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Yes, I've heard good things and obviously ski in and out is always great.
Also looking at Montana Plein Sud
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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 all, sorry for hijacking this thread but it seems better to just add to this rather than create a new thread. If I've breached posting etiquette please forgive. Does anyone have any recommendations for ski instructors in VT? We went to Tignes last season and TDC (on the forum's recommendations) were excellent. Similar recommendations for VT would be much appreciated!
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