 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hey all. We're a group of mixed ability skiiers, but most of us are pretty green - would Serre Chevalier be suitable? We're thinking of going right at the end of January - any experience on snow conditions around then would be much appreciated too 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
YES!
Serre Che is a great location for noobs, IMHO. Plenty of great cruising pistes, and a very, very good ski school too;
http://www.ski-school-connections.co.uk/
Can't recommend these guys highly enough. Davina and team are utterly superb. Great balance of fun and progression.
It's not the liveliest of towns, as in not really a place to dance on the tables in your ski boots, but if you like great food, great skiing and great fun, Serre Che's hard to beat!
Oh, and you need to earn that first beer at the bottom of the Alphand......
Well earned by CT663, on Flickr
Top of Grand Serre by CT663, on Flickr
Yours truly, about to drop in to the tracked out mogul fest on the left of the shot!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Cheers Carlos  And last week in Jan, good for snow? Mid March is a possibility too, but more likely the former.
Oh, I tend to fall down mountains on my bum - every beer is earned!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I've done both Jan and mid-March in Serre Che. Top pic was a March trip, bottom was a Jan trip.
March is usually fine for snow, but can get HOT! It's a really sunny resort, and you may find that some of the lower slopes are slushed out towards the end of the day. Best to download from on high at that point. Above the mid-stations (Serre Ratier, Aravet etc) the snow stays good, and the piste team do a SUPERB job of keeping everything tip top!
In January, snow is almost always better, but can still be super sunny! (See above!) Only the really busy slopes get tracked out, such as the Alphand. Overall, though, there's great snow every time I've been in Jan, and just one day of new snow can give you lots of fresh to play with in the woods (Assuming you're up to that!)
When it snows, many people stay down in the valley, thinking the weather's closed in. But, see above...Up above the clouds it's awesome!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Thanks again man - appreciate the advice. Have a virtual beer on me 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
howie, Hells Bells, will probably be along in a moment to add to this but here's my 10p.
Snow is falling already in Serre Che so I would expect that it will hold till Jan. As Carlos the Slackal, says it IS known for being sunny, and so plenty sunscreen is always a bonus. I would also +1 the 'nice cruisy pistes' and you also get the added advantage of treeline skiing in the event of the weather closing in and it being snowy. Have had some great days up at Monetier on the lower slopes skiing in new powder with nobody around but us. Bliss Generally the snow is better at the Monetier end of the resort as it is the highest point. Some great blues, reds and blacks at that end, and a nice new mountain resto at Bachas. Lots of fun to be had round Ratier in the Chantemerle sector.
There are few if any of the d word in the resort [drag lifts that is] and on the whole they've been upgrading the lifts so quite a lot of the creaky backside skelper lifts are now gone. At the end of Jan, and in March I'd expect you to experience no queues at all [except if you hit the Pontillas gondola when the Club Med folks are uploading en masse which is usually 9.30 and 2.30 in the day].
We first went to Serre Che over 15 years ago when I was a very nervous beginnery/low intermediate, and we have gone back pretty much every year since then, sometimes twice. Still not skied everywhere either yet.
For ski schools should you wish them I'd put a vote in for Gavin at Ski NewGen. http://www.skinewgen.com/resorts/serre-chevalier/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
howie, I think my friend MarjMJ has already said most of it. There are still some drags, but you can avoid them without missing out on anything. Many of those 'backside skelpers' (love the analogy M) have been replaced with high speed chairs. I've been going there for at least the last 12 years. Loved it so much we bought somewhere.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Thanks everyone, I best get booking
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gavin at New Gen+1
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Gavin at New Gen +2!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
I love Serre Che, but be careful about your route home, we brought a beginner there a couple of years back, took the run home (think its called the Bez? Busy, icy, and not for learners, hurt herself and that was the end of her holiday.
Love serre che tho!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Differnt venue, but we had a lady fall over and hurt herself in Bregenzerwald one year.
So we took her to hospital in Bregenz and they fitted her our with 1/2 cwt. of plaster. around her chest and arm.
When she got back to her regular doctor in Darmstadt he said there had never been a break there and someone was having a bit of a joke!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| Quote: |
At the end of Jan, and in March I'd expect you to experience no queues at all
|
depends when in March - French school holidays for the first two weeks, best avoided if you have the choice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| DrLawn wrote: |
Differnt venue, but we had a lady fall over and hurt herself in Bregenzerwald one year.
So we took her to hospital in Bregenz and they fitted her our with 1/2 cwt. of plaster. around her chest and arm.
When she got back to her regular doctor in Darmstadt he said there had never been a break there and someone was having a bit of a joke!!!! |
This is not uncommon in all ski resorts, the standard of medical care ishiguro and miss to say the least, and the default is stick it in a plaster
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
