 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello,
Can anybody give me some advice on this ski area? We are looking for a mixture of a fairly lively resort (nothing too hectic as I'm in my late 30's )  and good skiing
Our friends are based in Samoens, so maybe something close to there?
Many Thanks,
Carl
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I would rate it 7/10 for beginners, 8/10 for intermediates, 7/10 for advanced skiers.
Some decent off piste.
It's not massively high, so places like Morillon and Secteur Molliets can sometimes be slushy (or even closed in the case of Morillon - though this isn't a problem, there's a gondola out of the village and it will be OK further up).
Samoens and Les Carroz are both pretty and very French villages, and each also has a quick gondola out of the village; and you can ski back to Les Carroz (where we always stay when we go) via a blue (Lou Darbes) or easy red (Les Timalets). In Les Carroz you can stay very near the gondola; I've never stayed in Samoens but you have to gondola down and I don't know how close to the gondola there is accommodation.
Vercland and Flaine are not as pretty (F;aine is downright ugly) but are high, and there is some good skiing in the bowl.
Sixt is irrelevant.
The lifts are plentiful and quick and the queues are not bad at all, French half term excepted.
On mountain prices are pretty good, and there are some nice restaurants (we like the Blanchot above Flaine and the Molliets cabin too).
Some tree skiing.
Highly recommended.
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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 been to Flaine twice in the last 5 years and found it to be a great place to ski. It's underrated in my opinion - many people are put off by it's subjective ugliness at first glance, but the architecture, Bauhaus style, I think, has apparently won awards. Anyway, for skiing Flaine has great access to all areas of the Grand Massif being located in a 'bowl' so many of the runs converge at more or less the same place. You mention Samoens which is worth a trip over to, as is Sixt. Some good off piste too, if you're into that. Snow coverage is pretty good, and when there wasn't too much of the white stuff back in January 2011 (my last visit) the pisteurs did a great job overnight, in ensuring what little snow (comparitively) there was, was groomed well for the following day. A few bars in Flaine, but not that many by comparison to other resorts. If you're transferring from Geneva, it's closer than 3 valleys and Espace Killy as well. I'd recommend a trip there.
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I did a season in Flaine. You mentioned a fairly lively resort, and unfortunately it's not... There's only a couple of bars worth talking about, nothing on the mountain comes close to the best you've seen elsewhere and there's definitely nothing post apres-ski. There's a couple of very pleasant restaurants but mostly people tend to head back to their hotels/appartments after skiing.
Samoens and Les Carroz are both a lot more traditional as mentioned above, and as such benefit from a few more places to eat and drink after skiing.
The skiing itself I found really good, I've done seasons in some pretty big resorts and didn't feel limited at all, especially getting to know the off-piste, Gers is the famous area but I much preferred the cliffs above Aup de Veran. There's a way through them - make sure you're shown it the first time! I got on really well with the ski schools when I was there, some really passionate guys, and one of the instructors came 2nd in the Verbier Extreme one year if you're up for a real challenge...
Accom-wise, be a bit careful about how close you end up to the pistes. There's quite a few complexes (Montsoleil, Golf) where you'll be reliant on shuttle buses back from town at night, which can take a very long time to arrive at certain times of day. On the other hand, they're cheap because of it.
Well worth a look if you're more into skiing than partying.
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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 don't think any resort in the GM would really attract the party crowd. We rented a place in Les Carroz for a couple of seasons and really liked it. It's the only "proper" resort in the GM with season long pistes down into the village. In Samoens you have to get the gondola up and down each day. The town itself is very attractive though, and probably has more going on in the evening that anywhere.
Morillon village is low and the runs back down to it rarely open-you have to get a gondola up to Morillon Les Esserts for the bottom of the pistes (which are lovely there). I think Les Esserts would be just too quiet-mostly purpose built apartments. Flaine-well, those in the know have just given you a description of the non existent nightlife. The skiing is good over there (as it is everywhere in the GM). The links over are seamless.
Les Carroz has some nice restaurants, a few bars (though I got the impression that most people hung out in the glamourously named "Le Marlow"). I believe it does have a nightclub, but not sure how lively that gets. It really is a classic family resort...St Anton it ain't! It's an attractive place to stay though, but if you do go I'd recommend chosing your accommodation carefully, as some can be down the back of the village in a big area of apartments. Le Milk Hotel-piste side-is a really nice place to stay just above the village, the owners are very friendly and the grub is excellent.
The skiing above Les C is really lovely, lots of trees.
The Gers bowl (which tends to open in mid Jan) is great and the Auberge/Gite de lac de Gers at the bottom is worth the trip and the poling to get there.
They claim 265km of pistes. There aren't, especially if you knock out the runs below 1100m which rarely open. However, we are advanced skiers with off piste tendencies and really enjoyed our 2 seasons renting there.
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| Perty wrote: |
Les Carroz has some nice restaurants, a few bars (though I got the impression that most people hung out in the glamourously named "Le Marlow"). |
We always drink in the Point Noire next door to the Marlow, where every third or fourth round seems to be on the house. Last time we were there (2/3 weeks ago) I ended up insisting on paying for a round of B52s because I felt bad about all the freebies. Of course, I was then roundly ballcocked by my incredulous mates.
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