Did you know: if you type in an entire snow report on an iPad, and just before you submit, you need to search for a link in another tab, your entire report will be GONE when you click back? Typing this for the second time.....
Resort: Les2Alpes
Country: France
Author: Elvo
Date: 15-21 December 2012
Our holiday: 5 ski enthusiasts looking for snow.
Basics : Drove there in 2 cars from Belgium. 1000km, a 10-hour drive. 40€ x2 x2 for péage. No issues with traffic jams, perfectly cleared roads.
Lift system : We were there the first week the resort was 80% open. Vallée Blanche was still entirely closed though. We could see the odd Pistenbully working and the odd pistier coming down, but that was it. The 6-person chair which runs parallel to the Jandri Express 2 was also closed, which is a shame, because it's AWESOME. We mainly used the new Diable, Bellecombes, and Jandri Express.
The new Diable is a 6-person chair with a bubble every 6th ...thing. Which is nice if you need to come down because you can't see 5 metres in front of your skis.
The terrain : The top part of L2A, the Glacier, is really friendly and easy. But cold. Signal is THE place to be if you like to go fast, it's also the only piste with a continuous good gradient to it.
Everything between Glacier and Toura is awesome. Everything between Toura and Crêtes is very steep-flat-steep-flat. Then there is Crêtes, which is easy, but it's basically a crest, and everything between it and the village is super steep. Taking the white eggs or Diable down at the end of the day is a reality sometimes.
There is a new piste next to Diable called Vallons. Coverage can be poor sometimes, bumps may occur. But that's why it's a red. It ends at 1650, where our hotel was, so we ended up using it often. The lower part is narrow and winds around the mountainside, bringing you back to the village.
The snow : Plentiful. Fluffy. We got dumped upon the first few days. So much so, that I needed to go rent some 100mm rockered pow skis to glide over the crud instead of getting caught up in it.
During the nights with the snow dumps, the good people with the Pistenbullies made sure at least one half of all major pistes were prepped, leaving the other half powdery. It was very much appreciated.
Off-piste : Plenty of opportunities, no doubt. But not my thing. I did see people with mega-rockered, ultra-wide skis have the time of their lives though.
The resort : L2A is long and narrow. The tourist office and everything that's important, is in the middle near the Jandri Express. The pool is there as well. It's free, and open air. Quite the experience, swimming while getting snowed on.
One little quirk: it was the week before the first week of the Christmas holiday, so everywhere we went, literally EVERYWHERE, we ere being served by a very 'green' saisonnier who had to ask 'the other guy' how to work the cash register, etc. Every establishment was gearing up for the boatload of tourists which we saw making a very fine traffic jam as we headed for home.
Food : We stopped by Toura for lunch every day. It is pricey, but top notch. We went to the pizzeria with the red neon whirly thing in the Avenue de la Muzelle 3 times, the food wa good, as was the wine.
Accommodation : Les Myosotis, a roomy 6-person apartment. No complaints whatsoever.
Costs: 340 for lodging + ski pass. 40€ x2 x2 for péage for 2 cars. 150ish per person for food.
Conclusion: Good value for money, that's the first trip of the season done then.
During the 1.5 days the snow let off and the sun poked through, we made this little video clip:
elvo, welcome to snowHeads! We were there that week too. Snow was really great but you did well to make such a good video. You picked the only day it was sunny!
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?
elvo, welcome to snowheads. very informative report - your 340 for accommodation and ski pass was good. If you lunched at Toura every day and still only spent €150 on food you must be good housekeepers. Great place for an early season visit. An impressive video too.
Great post I was one of the ones who was snaking there way there for the Christmas week! really can't complain not too many delays at the lifts and some lovely sunshine that week but glad not to be there over New Year. Had some great fun at the Windsor Pub and some brill food and atmosphere at the Tribeca.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I'm heading to L2A next week. Does anyone know if it's possible to ski off piste down to Venosc. I need to get down there before the gondola opens.
Thanks
You can walk it, but it's nasty and muddy at the moment.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Kirky,
And the warning signs say things like "rope yourself to the guide".
Seriously - it's not possible - although there are signs that people have done so earlier in the season
After all it is free
After all it is free
maggi wrote:
elvo, welcome to snowHeads! We were there that week too. Snow was really great but you did well to make such a good video. You picked the only day it was sunny!
I was there that week too and agree the snow was great but I recall most days having periods of blue skies between the whiteouts
We ate at Toura a few times too and agree the food was very good. It wasn't cheap but the portions were enormous so we tended to share things after the first time.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
We were there that week too. Snow was really great but you did well to make such a good video. You picked the only day it was sunny!
