 Poster: A snowHead
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I've decided that I can't wait for retirement (hopefully early in a couple of years) to get more skiing in. I'm toying with the idea of doing about 8 weeks next year. Probably a week pre-Christmas (perhaps PSB again). Then it would probably be 3 weeks straight after New Year (need to get back for my daughter's 18th on 31st Jan), leave it to the masses for a few week and then 4 weeks from mid March and back just before Easter (my daughter would come out for the last week or so). It would be L2A as I've a few contacts there and know the place well. Season pass is under 700 euros and hopefully I'll be able to get an apartment for a decent price (owners can still rent out the peak weeks). Hopefully work will OK this. Anyone done anything similar, pros/cons?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Claude B, Sounds great, but if i was doing 8 weeks, then L2A would be the last place i would choose. Why not pick somewhere that gives the option to ski somewhere else for a few days? L2A is limited in my opinion. Can you still ski at Alpe D'Huez on that lift pass, and if so for how long?
Wouldnt somewhere like 3 valleys, Paradise Ski be more suitable?
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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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Claude B, 8 weeks . . . find a friend or three, come over here and hire a small RV and hit the Rockies. With a bit of knowledge and ingenuity (PM me if you like or just ask questions on here or TGR) It would be a proper road trip to remember.
Or choose somewhere like BsM or Innsbruck or even Moutier as a base and spread your wings from a more Euro trip.
edit: Just had a thought! Talk to a TO that you like the look of and see what they will offer for a multi-location 8 week package?
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Claude B, I do the off peak thing in Chamonix. Plenty of accomodation options plus lots of varity with away days to other resorts on the pass. It's great only skiing when it's not busy.
The big challenge is having companions with similar abilities and ambitions. The first couple of seasons I stayed in shared houses for that reason.
Have fun.
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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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I haven't done it and can't help with L2A but as an apartment owner who gets bookings or uses it ourself Christmas/New Year, the 4 weeks of French half term and maybe another week later in the season I would jump at the sort of deal you are after. Lots of people will have no rentals for the weeks you are looking at and I'm sure something will emerge.
Note to self - how do I manage to get 4/5 weeks in Jan, 4/5 weeks March/April and still keep my job?!
Sounds a great plan. Good luck.
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Ta, it will definitely be L2A, I know several people who live/own there which will help with skiing companions also and hopefully getting an apartment. I also like the place. Can visit ADH, Serre Chevalier, other Milky Way Resorts, La Grave and some smaller ones on the pass (not sure how many days at each).
I get 6wks 3 days leave, +1wk leftover from this year and I can also buy some extra too.
Daughter has already thrown a spanner in the works as she doesn't want to ski at Easter next year as she'll be too busy with A levels. We'll probably need to go somewhere at February half term now. Hmmm.
It could also be a rehearsal for a full season the next year if early retirement plans work out. 
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Claude B, I think that sounds like a great idea and there's plenty of skiing at LDA - there was a great season blog a few years ago (swirly?). I have skied many seasons in an area with 185 kms of piste and am not bored yet. Season lift pass €360 or thereabouts. I always come home for the French school holidays - I just don't do lift queues. You will certainly get some good accommodation deals.
I would much prefer to spend a winter living in LDA than in somewhere like Meribel, that's for sure.
From what I've read about your daughter, she's a motivated and well organised sort of person - she could study in the Alps. What could be better?
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pam w, Trouble is that A level timetables change next year from exams in January and June to just end of year exams in May/June. She could go and do some studying but it would probably be a bit pointless as I don't think she'd get much skiing time. She needs really good grades for the course she wants to do so will have to work very hard to get them. It's her A2 year too.
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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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Claude B, only she can organise how she wants to do her work, obviously. But she shouldn't be studying all day and evening at Easter, so long before the exams - she'll burn herself out. Study 9 - 12. Ski 12 - 3, study 4 - 7, then relax for the evening. 6 hours solid a day - better than 12 hours of bashing head against a brick wall.  Nothing like skiing for reducing stress.
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| Ricklovesthepowder wrote: |
Claude B, Sounds great, but if i was doing 8 weeks, then L2A would be the last place i would choose. Why not pick somewhere that gives the option to ski somewhere else for a few days? L2A is limited in my opinion. Can you still ski at Alpe D'Huez on that lift pass, and if so for how long?
Wouldnt somewhere like 3 valleys, Paradise Ski be more suitable? |
I'm fairly certain that you're very very wrong
(Yes pam w, it was swirly ^^)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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clarky999, wow, that was 2008! How time flies.
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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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clarky999, Whats the link all about?
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Swirly's season thread (L2A), on here. Seems to me there's enough to get at for multiple seasons, let alone 8 weeks!
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You know it makes sense.
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clarky999, having been i was bored after 1 week, let alone 8. The resort claims (although a lot of people say it feels much smaller) 225km, but a lot of lower down stuff is often closed. Im sure that Claude B, will have a great time, but i would choose somewhere else as a base.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Ricklovesthepowder, Claude B knows the resort well. Most people who really know it rate it quite highly - and there's La Grave, too. I've only spent 3 weeks in all there, and some of that was with intensive instruction and some in the summer. But I only feel I've scratched the surface. But some people get bored more easily than others. I think I have a very high boredom threshold; I've now been incarcerated indoors with an injury for over three weeks and am not bored yet.
I must have skied some of the runs in my ski area several hundred times - but it's never the same twice.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ricklovesthepowder, when skiing do you only enjoy the 'traveling' aspect? Do you get nothing from the feel of performance skiing, the interaction of ski on snow, rebound, pop and float? 'Cos that gets better the more you ski each run, the more you get to know it, where you can open up, or jump off the side, etc. I enjoy pistes more and more on subsequent runs, rather than them becoming boring.
Also, with 8 weeks on snow, we can assume the OP will improve his skiing quite a lot, which will inevitably lead towards offpiste... By which point 25kms of pistes are preferable to 25,000kms... That season thread seems to show a huge amount of terrain, kms of pistes is only one way to measure that.
I haven't skied there though, so could be talking out my back bottom.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sun 3-02-13 18:51; edited 2 times in total
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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've already skied about 11 weeks in L2A so know a little bit about it.
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Since the OP is talking of splitshift 4 x 4 weeks he could do a 4 week road trip in the Rockies and 4 weeks at L2A
I'm with clarky999, I love hitting the same run repeatedly, getting to know it and where it challenges me to improve my skills. I also like getting to know the people of the area rather than just some bar staff. I can't see that a month or a season in L2A would be any hardship or boring whatsoever.
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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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Claude B, I have friends who might let you their studio on that basis - it's in the Waala opposite the climbing wall and near the Belle Etoile chair. Pm me if/when you're interested.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Claude B, The Salzburgerland Superski pass season pass only cost 554 Euro if bought before the 6th December and the Tirol Snow Card which runs from 1st October to 15th May only cost 670 Euro. Both give you way more options and skiing than 700 Euro for a season in Les Deux Alpes! Try and get out of your comfort zone once in a while! Carolyn in Niederau does some good long term lets all inclusive!
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I think I'll still stick with L2A, there are a lot of advantages for me. I've been considering buying there too.
Lizzard, I'll be in touch. Pretty sure I'll be doing it but need to decide on the exact weeks. Yes I know the Waala, Charlotte used to live there didn't she?
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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8 days in L2A is too much, let alone 8 weeks!
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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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Claude B sounds fabulous, wish we could manage to sort out something like that ourselves. Two companies to appease though might make it difficult.
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Claude B, sounds fab, good luck with the boss call today 
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You know it makes sense.
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Full steam ahead 
I guess it's an advantage of working for a very large company. The Programmes I'm managing at the moment are likely to have finished by then so who knows exactly what I'll be working on anyway.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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hammerite, I shan't be there at Christmas/New Year or over the half term period. She doesn't want to go at half term now and would rather join me during the school Easter holiday. Easter has always been her favourite time to ski. She'll be 18 then so can fly out to join me and drive back with me. She'll just have to juggle A levels revision.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Claude B, ah ok, sorry re-read your OP thought you said week before Christmas, Christmas and New Year.
If she goes more for the skiing and less for the holiday then as Pam says some evening study might be possible. That said I don't think a week off studying and having a holiday would be too harmful that far out, everyone needs a break.
Although my A-level revision shouldn't be taken as a model for success (quick flick through my work folders on the bus on the way in to school on the morning of the exams). It's no surprise that my best result was General Studies which required no revision at all.
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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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Claude B, Enjoy!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Well things are coming together quite nicely. Thanks to Lizzard,s help I've sorted accommodation out. I haven't seen it yet but it sounds ideal in a great location and I will get to see it anyway at Easter. Season passes need to be paid for by mid December, it was 635 euros this year. Looking at the finances I think per weeks skiing the costs will be very reasonable. Living costs on top obviously.
Season Pass includes: 10 days in Alpe d'huez, 3 days in Serre Chevalier, Puy St Vincent, Montgenevre and Sestriere, 1 day in Flaine, and some access to la Grave when link is open, One entry per day to the pool and ice rink. There are also a few "little gem" resorts around which only cost a few Euros a day. Will be plenty to keep me happy.
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FAQ
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