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Any one been? Looking at a week late feb or early march, mixed group of beginners and intermediates.
How's it compare to chamonix?
Many years ago now (12 or 13). It's quite low and didn't have the best conditions while we were there, 2 consecutive years, 2 weeks a time. It had great potential but too much was closed, mostly the more interesting stuff. It's not far from Les Deux Alp and Alp D Huez which is where people headed when the snow was poor.
Had some awesome times in Cham, doing crazy stuff, also had frustrating visits where everything is shut because of ice or too much snow, or a helicopter has taken out a lift!!
You pay's your money and takes you're chance .... !!!
Don't go it's the worst place I've ever been snowboarding! It is hideous, FULL of drag lifts, which for beginners are horrific, it is well known to often have rubbish snow. We also went when the snow was horrific, it was my first time and learnt to snowboard on ice, but I was close to never going again as it was that horrific.
I would NEVER go back there it sucked big time in every way!!!
[url= http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/resorts/SerreChevalier/ ]click here WTSS[/url]
Just read that review, forgot about the horrific queues for the lift lines, another reason not to go. Just don't do it! The beginners will never want to board again.
hmm. won't be going in school holidays so queues shouldnt be too much of a problem.
every video and other review I've seen really rates it. may be worth going earlier to get snow-sure.
and the UPCA centre we are looking at going with is right on the piste at villenvue
As long as there is snow you're going to love it!
I went to Serre Chevalier two years ago over New Years, and it was great - stayed at the UCPA centre too. It is right at the bottom of the slopes, really near some of the lifts to get up the hill quickly in the morning. Being a skier, I didn't really notice any problems with the lift system. Snowed a couple of times during the week we were there, despite it being VERY cold (I think -27 was the coldest it got).
In comparison, went to Chamonix (again with UCPA) a couple of years before that, and wasn't impressed. I'm not a fan of having to take a half hour bus journey to get to the lifts, and because we were unlucky with snowfall, non of the smaller ski areas were really enough to spend a whole day in, but you couldn't get anywhere else with out taking 60-90 mins (lift down as no snow of lower slopes, bus to new area, lift up). I personally much preferred Serre to Chamonix
(Mr MC posting)
Our experience mirrors that of Pikes. Ive boarded every season since 1997. SC was the worst resort and the worst snow Ive ever seen. As MC says it is full of longdrag lifts which are foul for boarders, especially novices and effectively limits the amount of the mountain you can access.
I'd keep a close eye on the snow reports and book at the last minute if its okay. Well, actually I'd go absolutely anywhere else. I've UCPA'd at Deux Alpes which is a better resort and the UCPA centre is in well positioned in town near the lifts.
I think I went in 1997, over Christmas. Quite liked the village feel and some great restaurants, but there was no snow!
Only the Luc Alphand black run seemed to be open with the use of snow cannons, and it was just ice. Snow promise from Neilson meant that they provided a coach to Les Deux Alpes everyday, much better resort and conditions.
Wouldn't bother going back to board again, doesn't compare to Morzine, Chatel, Sainte Foy etc.
Have worked there two seasons in my yoof. It's brilliant, big open powder fields and loads of tight stuff in the trees. All easily accessible. Loads of people who were working in other big name resorts came over for the day and thought the same.
You do take a chance with the snow as its a bit lower, but if you want a less commercial resort with a proper village feel (without the typical 18-30s nightlife) then it great.
As for drag lifts, you need to MTFU. You'll miss out on the good stuff in most resorts if you can't manage them.
thats more like it...
i'm quite happy on drags, as are most of the other intermediate/improvers. I like the fact the piste is right out the front of the centre and they do some late night sessions.
it sounds like they have spend a lot of money installing new lifts as well. the videos of the red runs i've seen look more like chamonix blues and the black run that finishes at the UCPA centre looks like a pretty easy red. the off-piste stuff looks awesome.
we're driving so worst case we'll head up to Deux Alpes.
>As for drag lifts, you need to MTFU. You'll miss out on the good stuff >in most resorts if you can't manage them
"Most"? By which do you mean most of the backward, under-invested european resorts? there are more resorts than I'll get to visit in a lifetime of skiing/boarding, so why would or should I waste time going to resorts with boarder-unfriendly lifts, especially one like SC with a history of poor snow? I can ride them, I choose not to have to, and there are better resorts with better snow and better terrain that is more easily accessed.
SC has a reputation for having its own weather system and the snow quality there can be totally different to other areas of the alps.
Our trip to SC was the one time I ignored my rule of "go high", for any future European trips I'll be sticking to it.
Maybe I've been jaundiced by also riding in the drag-lift free, lift-line free, aggression free, powder-filled US but I've probably ridden 20 different resorts and SC was the worst. YMMV.
Did a season there a few years ago and have been back a few times since. In terms of terrain its awesome - lots of easily accesible off piste and great tree runs. DON'T go in February - lift queues are horrendous. All other times no issues. Main issue with the place is the snow (ok, can be quite important on a snowboarding holiday :-)) which can be unpredictable as its quite far south, and relatively low compared to Tignes, Val D etc. When I did the season it dumped it down the whole time so it was the best place I've ever ridden, but previous seasons they hadn't been so lucky. In short if you get good snow and MTFU about the drags you should have a great time. If its poor snow, like anywhere, it will be pants.
Munqe-chick - I appreciate that you didnt have good time but that seems to at odds with pretty much every other review and opinion I've read. I'm looking at going earlier now to miss the french holidays so should hopefully be a good bet for snow.
I disagree with you there, lots of people have said don't! Especially as it is so hit and miss with the snow, but hey looks like you're going anyway so hope you have a good time!!!
what year did you go? i've just been looking at snow records and other than 2001 it looks pretty snow sure to me...
February 2005.
Hi. We went last January (24th-31st)and it was superb. Loads of snow, some fresh powder and whats better was no lift queues at all. Got the first lift up every morning and didnt have one bad day. Never queued more than 30 seconds for a lift and often had whole pistes to ourselves. We booked late though and bokked with igluski. Asked them where was good for snow at that time of year and they recommended it, wouldnt have considered it otherwise.
A hidden gem I reckon (if the snow is there.)
Rode there years ago, one of my first ever trips to the Alps. I thought it was fantastic. Snow conditions were pretty poor at the time (bad season generally in the Alps), but they'd made a great effort to keep the pistes in good nick. What we liked was the great, consistent gradient. Long, long flowing runs with no fannying about on flat bits (Val d'Isere, Les 2 Alpes, Les Arcs, many other places are you listening!? 😉 ). Some of the best tree-riding in Europe too. Really liked it and would go and back without hesitation.
Snow-wise, they've actually had some of the best conditions in France over the last couple of seasons. Southern Alps have been getting a lot more snow than Savoie / Haute Savoie, but equally they can suffer in a bad year. It's not particularly low either, quite a lot higher than the likes of Morzine/Les Gets.
Drag lifts? There are a few, but generally avoidable and really, what's the issue?
great resort, fantastic tree boarding in silver birch forrests
opportunity to get to La Grave , Alp d'huez , Sestriere
we stayed in the P&V appts in Villneuve, great location just beside the bubble lift, patesierre close by
Le Break does good food even if it looks a bit low rent
La Pai Mai for a very cool dinner with potatoes roasted on the embers of an open fire , good wine too
re the poma lifts, theres a few that are steep and turn corners but they are no where near as bad as some of the scottish lifts
as one STW'er said MTFU and you'll be able to ride ANY lift
do it !!!!!!
better there than les arcs or morzine if the snow is good
Drag lifts - fine on a board with the right techique...
I have been to SC, some great runs there and as Steveo says its all fall line stuff so great on a board. Briancon is a nice mountain town and Monetiers is nice to.
Worth watching for the snow though as it doesn't do well in westerly storms that hit further north and benefits mostly from the precip that comes from the Italian and Med.
Oh and I would say it is the polar opposite of Chamonix!
I recall it had good off piste, but I went on a school holiday week so it was busy on-piste, like all French resorts. Top to bottom into Briancon was good. I don't like drags and there were a few I fell off. But there were plenty of chairs - but they aren't the superfast ones in general
Is first week of February french holidays? What I can find suggests that it isn't.
been a couple of times and it was fine, don't recall that many drags TBH lots of accessible powder and off piste bits...only bit I didn't like was a skinny road back to the resort bit narrow and busy for an easy board down when you are knackered!
My mate has been and said that the pistes/lifts were not all that snowboard friendly BUT they had tonnes of fresh snow so had a great time off piste...with relative beginners as well.
I used o work in Alpe d'Huez and we took our clients for a day skiing to SC every week, as its included on your ADH / LDA lift pass. we always loved it, the terrain very different from ADH. Nice tree line stuff. And never knew it to be that bad snow wise.
<blatantPlug>[url= http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/the-book/ ]The Ink is barely dry[/url]</blantantPlug>
I went 20 yrs ago, i thought it was fantastic, you gotta learn how to use the drag lifts sooner or later so go there and learn, its easy, i think its the best off piste boarding ive done.
Went about ooh 7-10 years ago.
Start of the week was ok... then it snowed. It snowed lots and it was utterly brilliant. Was with an instructor who took us to loads of off piste stuff and had one of the best 'boarding holidays ever (in Europe).
Loved the scenery too.
Almost pulled the lovely lady in the hotel too 😉
Try Montgenevre up the road , great mix of runs for beginners and intermediate (pop over into Italy for some steeper stuff )great snow and PLENTY of sunshine . . gets well over 300 days of sun .
Very quiet and not too well know but is really really good , have been the past 2 yrs!!![url= http://www.go-montgenevre.com/ ]Montgenevre[/url]