 Poster: A snowHead
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Having heard great things about it for years, I'm finally seriously considering heading to La Grave for a week (or a long weekend maybe) at the end of Feb / early March. It looks like I'll be heading out on my own as none of my mates are wanting to venture so far 'off-piste'. Obviously I'll need a guide and therefore was hoping to hook up with a group/others when out there to share costs, etc
Does anybody have any recommendations of ski packages/tours I can look at joining, or alternatively accomodation with guiding included? I'm on a bit of a budget as have already had 2 ski hols this year 
Im a pretty competent skier on all terrain (50 weeks + experience) - would consider myself to be intermediate/advanced in terms of off-piste skiing but certainly not an expert. Have done a couple of week long off-piste courses and have enough confidence to take on most descents, but I have zero experience in touring/skinning/rope work.
A quick google search came up with 'skiers lodge' which looks great, but will be on the expensive side once lift pass, flights, transfers, single occupancy are included. Has anyone been here before to vouch it is worth the £?
Looking forward to any advice all te SH's can offer . . .
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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PinballWizard, Been going to Skierslodge for 10+ years. I am probably biased -- but IMV well worth the money. The metric I use is to measure the cost in terms of the amount of turns I make on good snow. Skierslodge works out cheaper this way than any other ski trip I make.
The skiing is all lift served - but they will tour if you want too, expect to walk a bit tho. You do need to be fit, and LG does not take any prisoners --- it is all (bar a tiny piste at the top) offpiste - the snow will be what it is.
Do a search on La Grave on here and you'll find loads of stuff; for example http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1470629&highlight=grave#1470629.
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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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another vote for Skierslodge
i also use them as a benchmark (eg is a week's heli skiing really 5x as good as skierslodge?)
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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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| Arno wrote: |
another vote for Skierslodge
i also use them as a benchmark (eg is a week's heli skiing really 5x as good as skierslodge?) |
I imagine the answer is no.
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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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snowball, correct!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Another vote for the Skiers Lodge, we use to stay with Pelle when they were in Ventillon up above LG, that said I've not been with them for the past ten or so years even though I know Pelle well, after the skiers lodge we'd base ourselves in the Edelweiss for a few days before upping sticks and touring staying in huts, but it was always extremely flexible in that if La Grave was full on then we'd stay in LG and ski there.
Now I base myself in Serre and if conditions are good pop over to LG as and when, like last year, and doesn't get much better than this
http://vimeo.com/38917618
Skiers Lodge is such a good place as an intro to LG, and if only doing one week a year etc it is simply the best!
And if LG is shut due to conditions they will go out of their way (road trip) and you'll end up skiing in many other and varied locations.
Great concept and still the best !
This is an ancient diary still up in cyber space and nothing to do with me anymore, twas a sort of "blog" before the word was dreamed up, either from 1999 or 2000 can't quite work it out http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gavin.baylis/lagraveframe.htm
and then still one of the all time classic vids Babylon - La Grave 2001 - Simon Bedford from Weathercam http://vimeo.com/37009823 before the days of YouTube etc
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Hi!
Well I guess I may be the only one who never went to Skier's Lodge...
I've skied La Grave many times, with private guide (Boris Debeaune), pre-arranged guided group (Snow legend), and random guided groups (Maison des guides de La Grave).
I stayed at the Castillan and Eidelweiss hotels, prefer Castillan.
As to guided Skiing, it depends what you want and your budget. There is no doubt that if you are a good off-piste skier, i.e. done it for years, have all your own gear and know how to use it, then you get the best experience one-on-one with a guide, or 2 or 3 max plus guide. That way the guide can see how the group behaves and take you off into the wilderness for some really cool stuff, not that any stuff at La Grave is un-cool  Bigger groups limit what the guide can offer.
If you're new to off-piste and want a bargain, then I would go to Les 2 Alpes and do the ESF off-piste week (around 460€ incl lift pass & gear). I've done this often and the skiing is absolutely great. They usually do a day or 2 at La Grave, but there is so much more to do in that area, it's really a great way to get into off-piste cheaply.
In any case, when conditions are good, the area around La Grave, St Christophe, etc. is really special! I'm off there tomorrow!
Ciao,
bob
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