 Poster: A snowHead
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Just back from a week in Tignes Le Lavachet - my first visit to Espace Killy and hopefully not the last. We went with Ski Olympic who were excellent as ever.
We had 4 and a half days of superb weather, one afternoon where it just got too snowy and windy and one day skiing in fairly flat light. Throughout, the snow conditions were just great with a welcome top up towards the end.
I'm a pretty average intermediate skiier and found the EK area ideal for my level. I imagine it's even better for advanced skiiers and there seemed to be lots of opportunity for off piste. Possibly not so great for beginners, especially on the Val D'Isere side, where some of the greens seem more like blues and one of the blues we took down to Le Fornet had some unusually steep pitches. Having said that, the pistes in the "tranquil" areas are good and wide and had excellent snow.
Some runs that I found memorable for different reasons:
1. Trolles (black) down to Tignes le Lac - I'm not great on blacks, but I really enjoyed this run. It builds up steadily in difficulty, so I was able to work my way into it quite happily. We did it at lunchtime so it was fairly quiet. I noticed in the afternoons it got very busy, so wouldn't fancy it then.
2. Santons (blue) down to Val D'Isere. Just awful. It's a narrow U shaped mess that just seems to go on for ever. Probably the worst ski run I have ever done. We were quite unlucky, as the damn thing was only open for about 2 hours the whole week when we happened to go down it.
3. Face Olympique (black) down to Val. I'd heard about this and I'd seen it from a few angles, so knew I was going to find this tough going. On our last day, the sun was out and we'd had fresh snow the day before, so if I didn't do it in those benign conditions, I'd never do it. It was indeed steep and long and my quads were burning at the bottom, but I got down it in control, even if somewhat inelegantly! I made one mistake, which was to dither about the first turn on the steep bit just after a level part of the run. I ended up doing a lengthy traverse until I ran out of piste, ending up on some hardpack. So, finally I had to point my skis down the hill  and go for it. Something of a heart stopping moment for me!
4. Arcelle (red) from the top of the Manchet express in Val area. Whilst the rest of the group were cruising up and down the Madeleine, I decided to head down the Arcell as it looked fairly short on the map. It was anything but! My quads were soon complaining (bit too soon after Face maybe?), but it was a really great long run.
5. Pissaillas (blue), Moraine (red), Cascade (red) in the Val glacier area. Nothing particularly special about these runs, except that at the time I did them, it was one of those weird periods when everybody else seems to have gone skiing elsewhere. Three runs all to myself!
The chalet was in Le Lavachet, close to a bus stop and you could ski back to the same bus stop at the end of the day. On the one day when we finished early, we took a walk up to Val Claret and back over the lake. I'd read quite a few reports saying how ugly Tignes was and that Val D'Isere was a nicer place to stay, but IMO, if you're ony really interested in skiing then Tignes is just fine and has better options for getting back at the end of the day.
My wife made use of the pool/spa centre at Le Lac, which you can get into for free with a lift pass. Apparently it was pretty good.
In all, a superb week  [/list]
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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NeilMeredith, sounds good.  Congrats on tackling Le Face.
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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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NeilMeredith,
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I made one mistake, which was to dither about the first turn on the steep bit just after a level part of the run. I ended up doing a lengthy traverse until I ran out of piste, ending up on some hardpack. So, finally I had to point my skis down the hill and go for it. Something of a heart stopping moment for me!
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we have all been there i think, stood with ski's pointing across the fall line, know in year head that correct thing to do is get some momentum and put a turn in, but with Your heart pounding and your toes gripping the inside of your boots and every other fibre of your body tells you that pointing the skis down the hill and getting moving is something you can't do.
thanks for the TR.
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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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| NeilMeredith wrote: |
3. Face Olympique (black) down to Val. I'd heard about this and I'd seen it from a few angles, so knew I was going to find this tough going. On our last day, the sun was out and we'd had fresh snow the day before, so if I didn't do it in those benign conditions, I'd never do it. It was indeed steep and long and my quads were burning at the bottom, but I got down it in control, even if somewhat inelegantly! I made one mistake, which was to dither about the first turn on the steep bit just after a level part of the run. I ended up doing a lengthy traverse until I ran out of piste, ending up on some hardpack. So, finally I had to point my skis down the hill and go for it. Something of a heart stopping moment for me! |
I've definitely been there, the first time I did it! The steep bit was sheet ice
I found the easiest way is to ski the narrow bit, then don't stop! Just hang a left and get into a rhythm down the steepest section, then you get a breather before the long steep.
Congrats on doing it, I only managed the bottom half in December.
Nice TR too.
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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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I've only done Santons once, and it was a bit like how I'd imagine skiing a bobsleigh run to be. At least no-one was on it at the time.
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Piccadilly, as a snowboarder I didn't mind Santons, well the top half at least. As long as you get a relatively clear run it's wall to wall and a bit of a laugh. It's further down where it widens out a bit that people seem to change rhythm and turn on the bottom that's a problem. Once this happens there's often small bumps, wouldn't really call them moguls, that bounce you about a bit and random turning peeps trying to catch you out that spoils the fun. Then there's the long cat track out which i must admit to luge-ing a few times lying on the board which probably isn't the most controlled method. 
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Thanks for the report. Sounds great.
I am going on Saturday - Cant wait!
Having never done a black run before, which one do you recommend as a first time black run?
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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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raybey1,
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which one do you recommend as a first time black run?
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Well, I only did the two I mentioned. I did look at a couple of others but they were naturals (ungroomed), so too steep and bumpy for me.
Of the two I did, Trolles is the easier, but I've been on easier blacks in other resorts. If you choose to do it, then do it in the morning or very early afternoon. After about 2:00 PM it seems to build up a lot of traffic as it's the only run back to Tignes le Lac from that side of the valley (many people come back down in the Aeroski gondala).
Do not do Face as a first time run - far too sustained in my opinion.
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rogg,
Yes, the snowboarders on Santons seemed to be enjoying themsleves. Much better terrain for them.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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First black? What about Pramecou? I did it in almost zero visibility, and frankly the chair ride was (slow and unpleasant enough) to make it a black, but the run itself was a doddle. Or Leisse? Another run that's not very black. Top half of Sache (but come off on the red).
| NeilMeredith wrote: |
rogg,
Yes, the snowboarders on Santons seemed to be enjoying themsleves. Much better terrain for them. |
Very funny!  Half of the run is completely flat. A lovely run, IMO, but not if you have to pole home.
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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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| Quote: |
Or Leisse? Another run that's not very black
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depends how recently it's been pisted. Can be a very easy black or quite mogully and tricky.
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James the Last,
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Very funny! Toofy Grin Half of the run is completely flat.
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Yes, sorry, I imagine the last part is less than ideal for boarders!
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You know it makes sense.
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| raybey1 wrote: |
Thanks for the report. Sounds great.
I am going on Saturday - Cant wait!
Having never done a black run before, which one do you recommend as a first time black run? |
Trolles is a good shout, it's mostly blue-ish and there's an escape route if you decide you don't fancy the final steep pitch.
Leisse is another good recommendation. I've never seen it mogully in all the many times I've skied it, but you never know.
Descent is also a lovely and not difficult black, but you may have to take care on the very top part, which can be icy. Those two are on the glacier.
Rhone Alps off Solaise in Val D is fine as well, it's not really much steeper than Piste M - but there is a trickier narrow section. The steep bits are all fairly short as well.
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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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Leisse was my first ever black last year and found it fine; easier than many reds I've done!
Last week it had scary looking moguls at the very bottom however a lot of people had gone off piste around them so they were easy to avoid
it was also nice and quiet in the mornings.
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Poster: A snowHead
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MCL, More to do with the marketing claim of a black run on a glacier - however it used to be steeper.
The scary moguls are still there at the bottom!
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