 Poster: A snowHead
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We nearly always ski in the PDS, but this year (thanks to a good deal) we're booked an early pre Christmas break to La Roserie. We've hired a car as it's much cheaper than booking a transfer.
We're now panicking (slightly!) about the drive as it is far higher than where we usually go. I'm presuming that the road up is kept clear of snow??!? Does anyone know if it's kept as clear as the drive up to Avoriaz? If so then we've nothing to worry about 
Thanks for the wisdom
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
I'm presuming that the road up is kept clear of snow??!?
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Well, yes, they try, but when it's snowing hard it can get pretty snowy in between passes of the snowplough. Provided you have chains, and know how to use them, you'll be fine. Are you hiring a Swiss car with snow tyres? If so that'll make a big difference and will make it less likely that you'll need to put your chains on.
Have you sorted out where the car will be parked? The local roads and drives will not be as clear as the main road.
You'll be able to check the weather as you are leaving (snowy, hopefully!!) and if it looks as though you might need chains, make sure you know how to put them on before you leave the comfort of the car park. Take a big plastic bag to kneel on when you are putting them on, and to put them in when you take them off and if you only have a smart ski jacket, be prepared to get it messy. If it's snowy, stop at the proper chain places - don't wait till you lose traction on a hairpin bend.
The real bummer is when you have a week with no snow, then struggle with chains to drive out 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 have always found that the road is kept open as far as La Rosiere. You will need Winter tyres / snow chains. I can't say if it is similar to the road to Avoriaz as I haven't driven there
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abondancefan, The road up to the village is usually ploughed but you can be caught out by a snowfall, so be prepared to use snow chains, there are a number of areas on the route for chaining up. You will almost certainly need chains around the village as the roads are not cleared in the village.
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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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Thank you all
Are snow chains difficult to put on? I've never done it before.
Once we're in the village can we park up for the week and just walk around?
I'm now more nervous about the snow chains than the snow
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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In practice there's normally an inverse relationship between cost and difficulty. Although if you're only going to put them on once a year you might prefer to buy cheap.
There is nowhere in la Rosière that cannot be reached from anywhere else by walking. Although the depths of vieux village to les Eucherts might be a bit of a trek (but it's a nice walk through the forest).
Practice, don't be nervous, is my advice.
DJ
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I drove up to La Ros last year and the roads were clear.
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abondancefan, there are quite a lot of videos on youtube about how to put on snowchains. Where are you hiring the car from?
justatheory, the roads are cleared more often than not - it doesn't snow all the time! But if you arrive in a heavy snowstorm, then it follows that there is likely to be snow on the road, perhaps quite a lot. When that happens the police will sometimes be stopping people at the bottom of the hill and insisting that they put chains on. No chains = no go.
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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 realise my comment wasn't particularly helpful and that just because the roads were clear for me, it doesn't mean they will be clear for the OP. I just got excited there was a question about something I have some experience of (there aren't many!)
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abondancefan, as Pam says there are some good videos on the internet to help with snowchains. The drive up to La Ros is no worse than Avoriaz but for some reason it's the only mountain road that (so far) has made me feel ill. If we go that way again I'll make sure I'm driving 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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I once went to La Rosiere by coach. There was a LOT of snow and the coach had to stop, well before Bourg St Maurice, to put chains on. The drivers took forever to get them sorted and gradually all the kids who initially were not allowed off to play in the snow, prevailed upon their parents. My daughter had a bar of chocolate, thankfully in a sealed wrapper, which had completely melted in the coach overnight. I suggested she put it in the snow for a bit and she was fascinated how quickly it solidified again.
The chains were on all the way up to La Rosiere. It was that first cheap week in January and the traffic coming down the way was stationary for miles and miles. I was glad we were going up.
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We've had two January trips to La Rosiere in 2011 and 2012. The first time we drove. Not too much of a problem going up, but once in the village I had to put the chains on to get to the chalet. Pretty unpleasant task in sub-zero, and I couldn't do it with gloves on.
We had two dumps during the week, the second a couple of days before leaving. Driving back down was pretty hairy round the hairpins, even with the chains on. 
We took the transfer coach the next year!
As others have said, they do clear the road, but if there's a dump before you leave, then it will be interesting.
As intermediates (happy on reds and most blacks), we really enjoyed the skiing in La Rosiere and La Thuile, especially as it was so quiet on the slopes. No queuing for lifts at all.
The only downsides are that there are a few draglifts in La Rosiere, and the link to La Thuile is via a very long, shallow, draglift that takes around 8 minutes - take liner gloves!
We used to go to PDS as well. When the snow is good, then the skiing there is great, but we went one January when all the runs in Morzine were closed, so everybody was forced up to Avoriaz, where by the afternoon all the runs had turned to crud. We've gone for higher resorts recently, like La Ros.
Off to Tignes this year
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You know it makes sense.
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| NeilMeredith wrote: |
there are a few draglifts in La Rosiere, and the link to La Thuile is via a very long, shallow, draglift that takes around 8 minutes - take liner gloves!
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And a good book 
Have a great time in Tignes - you won't look back. The EK is amazing.
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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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Pretty unpleasant task in sub-zero, and I couldn't do it with gloves on.
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I always do it without gloves and it is, indeed, unpleasant, though I always enjoy it, in a masochistic way, as it means it's snowing - which is not to be sniffed at if you are hoping to go skiing! I have got quite slick at it, and get them on before my fingers freeze. But it really is worth practising. As NeilMeredith has noted, chains can also be necessary going down (which is more dangerous).
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Poster: A snowHead
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I was so excited to be in the mountains for the first time that the long drag lift to La Thuile didn't bother me in the slightest, the weather was horrendous too! I smiled constantly for a whole week, I probably looked a bit of a loon.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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justatheory,
We've all (well, mostly) been there. The drag never bothered me either and that having been to La Ros 3 times! It is a little exposed there for sure.
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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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La Roz is a magical place, you can't just drive there . . . You must put on red ski boots and click your heels together three times.
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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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| abondancefan wrote: |
Thank you all
Are snow chains difficult to put on? I've never done it before.
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Practice at home.
I take a few pairs of Blue Nitrile gloves, you still have the feel for what you're doing but you don't get clarted. An old jacket is good to put on as your arms will be inside the wheel arches. Something to kneel on like a plastic sheet or old mat is good too. Have a torch and hammer with you, torch because it's always dark when it's time to put chains on and the hammer to repair broken chain links.
Edit
I've just noticed that you're flying and hiring, in that case watch videos on youtube, take a few plastic bags, to kneel on and stick your arms in to shield your clothes, still take nitrile gloves (they weigh nothing) small torch still, hammer - if all else fails use wheel brace or a rock.
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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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abondancefan, torch is an excellent idea, having had to put chains on in the dark before now, but if you can make it a head one.
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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 can't do it even in surgical gloves - too fiddly and don't keep you warm. Plus they can get caught in the linky things. I tend to just go for it quickly. Baby wipes are good for cleaning up - and big bag to stick the filthy things in when you take them off. I also have a kids beach spade for clearing snow away from the wheels - but there's a limit to how much you can take on the plane with you.
Hi-vis jacket and head torch make you feel very professional and safe!
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Have just driven up to La Rosiere this evening. No snow on the road apart from the circular road at the top around Chalet Perdrix/Papillon etc.
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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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| Quote: |
Have just driven up to La Rosiere this evening. No snow on the road apart from the circular road at the top around Chalet Perdrix/Papillon etc
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oh well, that's all right then!
It's worth pointing out that a road that has just been snow-ploughed will still have snow on. Just less of it.
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I dunno, you try and help...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Well I'll be doing my homework on you-tube before we fly.
Can get several pairs of nitrite gloves from work (thanks for that tip). Possibly a really old cagoul type thing as well to keep our clothes clean.
We fly early in the morning so I'm thinking we should be ok with the light but I'll pop a head torch in if I can find one. Not sure about a hammer though....
We're flying into and hiring the car from Grenoble airport. There is no mention of winter tyres or snow chain hire on the hire car page (hertz I think through auto-europe). Is it likely this can be bought local as an extra? Is it likely to be a standard winter thing. Failing that I guess we can buy some from a supermarket on the way. Sounds like we're going to need 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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I drove up to la Rosiere last year at Feb half term. The drive up the mountain is fine, I cannot remember any scary moments looking over the side of the cliff! It was also well cleared upto the village. The village is slightly more tricky and will require chains or socks.
If possible find a way of practising putting chains on before you get to the mountain. You will thank yourself on time well spent when you get there.
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I will be doing this run nearly every week as of Saturday. Thank god I will be getting some lessons on how to use snow chains...
Slightly unrelated but how far is the average transfer time from Geneva to La Rosiere. Obviously mother nature has a say in this...
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You know it makes sense.
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parkesy, in a minibus - 3hr, clear roads, non-peak traffic
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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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| parkesy wrote: |
| Slightly unrelated but how far is the average transfer time from Geneva to La Rosiere. Obviously mother nature has a say in this... |
3 hours is fairly safe in average conditions.
There are a couple of pinch points that can really hold you up in both directions.
1) Leaving GVA and getting across the border.
2) Through Annecy and along the West shore of the lake.
Either one of those on a bad day can easily cost you a good half hour. You might also find it a little chewy at the other urban centres/junctions, depending on the time of day and time of season - Ugine, Albertville, Moutiers, Bourg.
So make 3 hours your target time, and don't be surprised if you only just scrape inside 4 hours on occasion. Especially if you stop for your guests to stretch their legs and grab a coffee/go for a wee.
I'm sure someone will be along in a minute to point out that Google Maps says 2.5 hours and therefore you can beat this by a quarter of an hour.
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