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[email protected] February 21st 06 11:36 AM

Resort recommendations
 
Hi,
starting to think about next season, would welcome some resort
suggestions that meet the following:

- ideally in france, but definitely drivable from uk
- village location, not concrete resort
- reasonably snowsure and open at least one week before christmas
- good for advanced beginners / intermediates
- inexpensive!

We'll book independently, so package not required.
all ideas welcome!

cheers
mark


@elgy(nati-spam).org.uk February 21st 06 12:28 PM

wrote:
Hi,
starting to think about next season, would welcome some resort
suggestions that meet the following:


May I suggest you buy one of the guide books to skiing, such as the Good
Ski Guide and visit the various web sites such as that run by the
skiclub of GB. Reading these reviews can help while away the summer
months waiting for the snow to fall and certainly helps whet the appetite


- ideally in france, but definitely drivable from uk


All French resorts are drivable, but I would only rule out Isola and
those in the Pyrenees as being impractical. Serre Chevalier and beyond
may be difficult if the Col du Lautaret is closed. You may also like to
consider the Aosta valley in Italy, but my one early season experience
of this area was that it was very thin on snow

- village location, not concrete resort


Many of the mega resorts have smaller outlying villages and indeed
towns, such as Morzine, Bourg st. Maurice (connected by lift to Les
Arcs),or Chamonix. Brides Les Bains links to Meribel by lift. Does Val
D'Isere count as a concrete resort?

But if you are looking for a genuine village based ski area then places
such Le Grand Bornand, La Cluzas etc will be ideal - and being further
north than the large areas they are a shorter drive from the UK.

Personally I would ignore those in the Massive Central, and possibly
those in the Voges

- reasonably snowsure and open at least one week before christmas


This year, I beleive, Le Grand Bornand open on 17/12/2005. Many if not
most of the resorts open the week before Christmas. There is a greater
risk that the village resorts will be short of snow. After all you don't
choose to build your village where there is over a metre of snow on the
ground for 6 months a year.

- good for advanced beginners / intermediates


- inexpensive!


Skiing is rarely inexpensive, but if you choose one of the smaller
resorts, such as Le Grand Bornand or La Clusaz you should have a
reasnoble price


We'll book independently, so package not required.
all ideas welcome!


Over all I suggest Le Grand Bornand.

John


cheers
mark




Walter Wright February 21st 06 02:03 PM


wrote in message
oups.com...
- ideally in france, but definitely drivable from uk
- village location, not concrete resort
- reasonably snowsure and open at least one week before christmas
- good for advanced beginners / intermediates
- inexpensive!


You just described La Rosiere.

Walter



Walter Wright February 21st 06 02:07 PM


"Walter Wright" wrote in message
...

You just described La Rosiere.



Sorry, I could have been a little more helpful there.... take a look at
www.larosiere.net

Walter



Sidheag McCormack February 21st 06 02:49 PM

Walter Wright writes:

wrote in message
oups.com...
- ideally in france, but definitely drivable from uk - village location,
not concrete resort - reasonably snowsure and open at least one week
before christmas - good for advanced beginners / intermediates -
inexpensive!


You just described La Rosiere.


Do you think it satisfies the "reasonably snowsure" for before Christmas
criterion? Where to Ski and Snowboard "average snowfalls wouldn't do the
trick" but is a bit ambiguous - it isn't clear whether it's saying LR is
good because in practice it gets more than average snowfalls, or just that
it's a great place after lots of snow, but to be avoided otherwise. We went
to La Thuile once and loved it, it would be interesting to stay the other
side.

We're trying to solve almost the same equation this year, except that we
don't insist it be France and won't be driving (train would be ideal to
salve our environmental consciences, would consider flying). I'm thinking
maybe Val Thorens, though that might be too "concrete resort" for some.

Incidentally, if anyone's reading who helped me with recommendations for
this season, thank you again! Most people recommended Flaine, and that's
where we went, and it was a great choice. Convenient in all ways, and both
the skiing parent and the parent-and-toddler had fun. Not pretty, but that
was OK given its other virtues. (For anyone who remembers the discussions
about swapping lift passes: we just bought day tickets, and alternated days
between us. Since we were getting up in leisurely fashion and having the
first part of each day as a family, we also got the cheaper 11.30-onwards
day passes most days!) Our toddler was 2 years 3 months old at the time,
and although he loved the snow he was very definite that he didn't want to
ski this year - I think he was probably a few months too young anyway, even
by French standards. Here's hoping for next year!

Sidheag
DS Colin Oct 27 2003




Ian Blake February 21st 06 03:23 PM

On 21 Feb 2006 03:36:13 -0800, "
wrote:

Hi,
starting to think about next season, would welcome some resort
suggestions that meet the following:

- ideally in france, but definitely drivable from uk

Learn about the trains.
- village location, not concrete resort

I can not think of a snow sure village, but some low resorts are on
pasture land so less snow is needed.

- reasonably snowsure and open at least one week before christmas

The only resorts that are snow sure before Christmas are the resorts
that offer glacier skiing eg. Tignes. (Concrete)

Fortunately in most resorts they are not fully booked before Christmas
so you can inspect the conditions before you decide to go.

Some of the high resorts Tignes, Val Thorens aim to open several weeks
before Christmas but they will not be fully open. Several years ago
I went to Les Arc 2000 the week before Christmas. As I arrived I
needed new ski poles (Accidentally left mine at home). The first shop
I entered told me to go away they were not open yet. Fortunately the
second shop could help. That year there was no shortage of snow. The
first week was used to set up the resort. Day 1 (Saturday) only 2 Arc
2000 lifts were open. Sunday 3 lifts. Monday back to 2 lifts.
Tuesday 3 lifts. Wednesday 4 lifts. Thursday all lifts except the
drags and two chairs. Friday no change. Up until this point not all
the pistes were marked. Saturday all lifts were open more pistes
appeared and the pistes were properly marked. The best ski holiday I
ever had. Empty pistes, no lift queues, quiet cheap restaurants
(temporary menus)

- good for advanced beginners / intermediates
- inexpensive!

Not that snow sure but when they designed the last purpose built
resort they finally realised that the cheaply erected buildings such
as those in Les Menuires or Tignes look awful. So Valmorel is
entirely built in the inauthentic wood clad style that is popular
today. Nice place. Inexpensive

Arc 1950 is only a few years old and is very nice too. It is snow
sure, but expensive.

Ace February 21st 06 05:00 PM

On Tue, 21 Feb 2006 15:23:32 +0000, Ian Blake NoNotMe@NotAnywhere
wrote:

On 21 Feb 2006 03:36:13 -0800, "
wrote:


- reasonably snowsure and open at least one week before christmas

The only resorts that are snow sure before Christmas are the resorts
that offer glacier skiing eg. Tignes. (Concrete)


Tignes le Lac is far from being a concrete resort. Val Claret is, I'll
admit, but le Lac is quite pleasant with something of a village feel.
Ish. As is le Lavachet, just a bit further down.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

Walter Wright February 21st 06 05:18 PM


"Sidheag McCormack" wrote in message
...

Do you think it satisfies the "reasonably snowsure" for before Christmas
criterion? Where to Ski and Snowboard "average snowfalls wouldn't do the
trick" but is a bit ambiguous - it isn't clear whether it's saying LR is
good because in practice it gets more than average snowfalls, or just that
it's a great place after lots of snow, but to be avoided otherwise.


I've been to LaRos 5 or 6 times in the last seven years, although admittedly
never before Christmas. I know one of the senior ESF instructors there, and
he's always telling me that the resort has never failed to open on time due
to lack of snow.

We went
to La Thuile once and loved it, it would be interesting to stay the other
side.


Definitely one of the major attractions of the resort is being able to ski
over into Italy for the day, or even just for coffee or a decent pizza.
Anyone with more than about 3 or 4 weeks of skiing under their belt would
probably find LaRos a bit too limiting on its own.

Walter



Brian McIlwrath February 21st 06 06:52 PM

Walter Wright wrote:
: I've been to LaRos 5 or 6 times in the last seven years, although admittedly
: never before Christmas. I know one of the senior ESF instructors there, and
: he's always telling me that the resort has never failed to open on time due
: to lack of snow.

He has a short memory! It failed to open on time (whatever that means -
resorts tend to have a target "if possible" date) in December 2004 (as did
Les Arcs just opposite - and other Tarentaise resorts) - all were delayed by
at least a week due to no pre-Christmas snow (at all!) until mid-December.

The Older Gentleman February 21st 06 08:10 PM

" " wrote:

All French resorts are drivable, but I would only rule out Isola and
those in the Pyrenees as being impractical.


If you mean "in one day", I'd agree. That said, the new motorway link to
Toulouse (via that new Millau bridge) means that the French Pyrenees are
*just* accessible in one driving day, given the right car[1].

[1] Something farking fast, and with a cavalier disregard for speed
limits.

--
Trophy 1200 750SS CB400F CD250 x2
GAGARPHOF#30 GHPOTHUF#1 BOTAFOT#60 ANORAK#06 YTC#3
BOF#30 WUSS#5 The bells, the bells.....


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