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I’m actually toying with the idea of booking La Plagne instead and just accept we lose the money on the Flaine accommodation. We’re only doing a long weekend so want to get some miles in and looking at La Plagne it’s almost entirely open.
I am just back today from Flaine. Skied there Saturday, was just like a day in April but with way more people.
We had a good day anyway but wouldn’t want to do it everyday for a week.
Back out on 12th but expecting to do more cycling than skiing tbh.
@sprootlet - hope you get out there for some late season, book accom soon though as people are pushing back weeks
Thanks Dozofoz, friends who are out in Samoens have just bailed and gone to Chamonix for the final few days of their trip.
We'll be taking hiking gear out at this rate
We are currently in Valmeinier in the Galibier Thabor ski area. It is generally thin. I think about 2/3 of the runs are open. Where there has been artificial snow there is generally a decent depth, but just above where the snowmaking stops, maybe 2100m, although there is some natural snow, it's thin and rock riddled. There is one lift and one piste linking to Valloire, although you can downlift by chair. The single link piste is pretty ropey in places but passable.
The best skiing is on the lower slopes on a thick base of artificial snow. In this zone the "off piste" is 100% bare. Like summer, but brown.
This was a cheap deal for us. Just over £1000 for accommodation (tiny 4 person appt) and 4 x 6-day liftpasses, so I am not complaining. I am more worried about our Easter trip. Lots more snow is needed, and soon, and a switch a switch to sustained cold. I think it was 13 degrees C at the bottom in Valloire today!
We're in the 3 vallees this week, it's not too bad here by the sounds of things compared to the other places mentioned above.
It's patchy below 2000m,but we can still ski back to resort at 1400m .above 2000m the pistes are fine. In the 3 vallees it seems about two thirds of all runs are open.
Obviously there is no off piste to be had.
First day of the season at Glencoe today. Good cover everywhere. Bitterly cold with the wind getting up every now and again but not bad for the 2nd of January. Got to try out the new chairlift which will be a huge help to beginners as its much easier than the plateau button tow, however I have to say that the off ramp at the end of the new lift is crazy steep. You get very little time to get off the chair and the run out is very steep and there's a snow bank at the bottom. I saw a fair bit of carnage on it today and even with 30 years boarding experience, I was taking my board off and holding it rather than trying to ride off at the end. I could've managed it fine, but it was more the endless pile of bodies from folk falling that was more of a concern!
Also just back from 3V (LaTania) never arrived in a resort in such rain, the road was like a river on Monday night From Chambery to resort. I had bad expectations for our time there. Turned out good in the end. Pretty much everything open icy in the morning soft in the afternoon lower down Above 2000m it was good and surprisingly not too busy considering other resort difficulties. We are booked for La Plagne at Easter but had thought of a cheeky trip with a mate in between. I’ll be hoping for more snow before long.
Just how bad are the runs back down to the base like @dozofoz? Struggling to get a clear picture of just how bad they are. Thinking stuff like lower Serpentine, lower Tourmaline and the green Epicea.
Don’t mind them being slushy but if they’re full of rocks and having to dodge big brown bare patches of earth I’d rather not bother. Only there for 3 full days so would rather just cover ground than dodge mud.
@tuboflard - if you just skied down from Grand Platieres to either of the chairs (Desert Blanc, D.Boir) then the snow cover was fine and I imagine will have held up ok the past few days. Problem was those lifts had 10min queues, so we always just went back down to base to telecabins, Aup Veron had no queues all day. The snow cover on the bottom half was patchy but really just the last few 100m of blue and the green (whatever name is) that loops around was a problem.
Put it this way, I was riding a brand new board and was happy that it was easy enough to avoid stones, rocks, grass etc.
Big dump incoming early next week though 🙂
We were in Val Thorens last week, freeze-thaw conditions for the first few days meant afternoons of lumpy & slushy fake snow down low, but up high it was pretty good for most of the week.
Snowed a bit so there was a bit of powder to be had if you got up early.
Orelle had decent snow as well.
Didn't bother with the other valleys.
We've stayed in Les Menuires the last couple of times, glad we spent extra to go up the hill this year.
@Jimdudleyou, It was nice off the top of Pointe de la Masse. A bit of powder to be had on NY Eve. Sadly we didn't get over to Orelle. I was surprised that there were still fresh tracks to be had at the easy to reach stuff, by the time we got there from La Tania.
Just back from Les Gets - green fields everywhere. Had to drive up to Avoriaz where it wasn't too bad if you stayed high and didn't mind the crowds. Bumps were pretty big by midday though.
Lots of injuries the last few days but luckily not to the 8 year old girl who smacked head first into the barriers and catch netting on a turn on a steepish blue at full tilt.
I was geniunely not expecting good things when I asked her if she was hurt but luckily she was just shook up.
Was raining hard again in the village at 6am this morning. If I had a trip booked there in the next week I would be trying to switch to a different resort ASAP.
To be fair Les Gets has been a bit of a lottery for a while. Personally don’t like the ski area much at the best of times - far too much travelling across flattish terrain to get to the good bits, plus more than one trek on foot if you want to travel across the whole area.
Looks like getting cold again in a week or so - fingers crossed for Les Arcs at the beginning of Feb…
I’ve switched my Flaine trip to La Plagne yesterday, it’s cost us about an extra £100 per person but worth it for a decent base from resort level at 2000m. Also managed to bag a brand new apartment which is substantially cheaper than the hotel we had originally booked so hoping to recover some of the costs through avoiding £8 pints.
And the forecast does seem to be coming good for Sunday and Monday with consistent snow across most forecasts as well as dropping temps. Did someone say powder day?!
Has anyone stayed in Brides-le-Bains? Whats the link to the ski area like, gondola to Meribel?
Has anyone stayed in Brides-le-Bains? Whats the link to the ski area like, gondola to Meribel?
I wouldn't this season, it's cheap for a reason, it takes ages to get up to the slopes in the morning, and the last lift back is pretty early.
The olympic only brings you into Meribel itself, you have another couple of lifts from the village to get to the good stuff.
I wouldn’t this season
We're not going until the first week of April, so plenty of time for snow yet....
We were'nt going to bother this year for various reasons, but now thinking we might get something cheap late on in the season. Dont mind a bit of faff but if it's gonna take an hour to get from apartment to slopes then might give that a miss....
...Which it will, ads678.
The Olympe takes over 20 minutes from Brides up to la Chaudanne in Méribel; the bottom of the pistes. It's only ok if you're happy having up to an hour's commute before getting on the slopes every day.
I wouldn't be comparing late season conditions to how it is right now. You could be knee deep in the pistes mid April, it's often the case. The French have a saying "Noel au balcon, Pâques au tison" Christmas on the balcony, Easter by the fireside. Not that it's sure, but it happens.
Bummer, sounds rubbish. Might have to forget that one then. Looks a nice place though.
Yeah I've been in easter a few times and had some very different weather day to day, so know it can be great. Usually not very busy either, which is a bonus!
Has anyone stayed in Brides-le-Bains? Whats the link to the ski area like, gondola to Meribel?
Yep me too. Would I do it again? Not in a million years!!
Serious question. Is anyone genuinely thinking of taking their bikes instead of skis if this season doesn’t improve? Would it actually be viable? Suppose gondolas would be ok but chairlifts won’t have the bike holders fitted? Would they allow to you ride the trails in winter? Or If we were to do a big back country pedal out - what would conditions be like?
Got a weekend in chamonix coming up in a couple of weeks… got La Plagne booked for march too - La Plagne snow cover looks fine tbf, but who knows about spring time…
It’s been super wet out there so what will any bike trails be like to ride? Not great I suspect.
It will be ok, snow will come. It’s all happened before. Two of the theee seasons I did we had to bus customers out for the start of the season.
Woop woop, just booked L2A for first week in April*! Bonus with it being Easter weekend at the end of the week, only need to take 4 days off work and can then get the overnight ferry home on Sunday night. 🍬
*Hopefully there will be some snow by then....
Has anyone stayed in Brides-le-Bains? Whats the link to the ski area like, gondola to Meribel?
It's not so much the ride up, although that isn't pleasant to sit in that little bubble with a hangover, but the last one back is at 5PM which is really limiting at Easter. The only alternative to get down is an expensive taxi.
Pistes are fine here in Hochkoenig (Austria)
Quiet week too
Our first day out and the only thing to do was to drive over to Flaine (we're in Samoens).
The pistes were quiet as it was mostly raining at the bottom, but with some fresh snow near the top. Limited piste skiing but we enjoyed what we skied.
Got a bit bumpy in the middle and brown with bare patches and stones near the village. Lots of people walking down carrying skis as the visibility in places was limited to a few metres and the light very flat.
Snow is forecast, however the temperature definitely needs to drop.
Locals were saying that some closed pistes are dangerous with crevasse holes and big ice patches (I think these were some red and black runs). No temptation to have a go in powder when this is the case.
We can but hope that the rain turns to snow much lower down.
There are some nasty holes off piste in Flaine. Dangerous with or without lots of snow.
In La Plagne at the moment and the conditions are remarkably good. There’s thin spots and patches of ice, sure, but they’re easily avoidable and largely in the obvious high traffic areas.
Yesterday we got probably 10cm of snow and it’s been snowing all night too so suspect at least the same again. Last day today though so need to make the most of it.
Lovely moonrise over the Stony Sea last night
Am in montegenevre, it's brilliant. Good base and it was snowing yesterday so quite a bit of nice powder
Mate of mine in Morzine says they had good snow overnight.
Hope it’s better now…
2 weeks to go, lets keep the snow coming please! Although we will be in Tignes so hopefully high enough to not have any major problems.
I'm excited already and watching weather and cams, but still 2 weeks of work to get through, sigh ...
It's been snowing all day with lower temperatures. Light still flat and again poor visibility, however bit sections of lower pistes now have snow.
The snow canons were working too and it looks as though there's enough at the top to start farming again.
If this continues, the next few weeks are going to be grrrreat.
Interestingly the friend I'm with has today, just bought some Nordica rear entry boots. The shop owner said he's almost run out of stock as they are so popular.
RE: Rear entry boots.. Saw a few Mono Skis about in La Tania at NY. More than I have seen in quite a long time. Maybe my old Killy all in one and bum bag will be back in fashion soon?
Back from La Plagne now, had a superb day yesterday with first tracks down towards Champagny and then freshies under Verdon Sud on the reds and blacks. It was snowing hard when we got our pick up back to the airport at 4pm so today should have been just as good. Any concerns about lack of snow above about 1800m should now be largely unfounded.
Actually had a full off piste day today, absolutely knackered.
We were first down a few places we went which meant finding a way through around 2’ of snow in places.
After a Covid hiatus had a short trip to a Backcountry lodge in the Purcells for some ski touring. Whilst we've got more snow than Europe we still don't have as much as normal and the avy is spooky (technical term) so lots of low angle glades were the order of the day which was totally fine by me.
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Tignes and val d isere today after 30 cms or so last night and blue bird weather - paradise.
Any recommendations for a short trip at half term / mid-Feb (3 days skiing). It would need to be closer to one of the major airports, so Geneva, Munich, Milan (others?) to provide more flexibility and cheaper flights. Happy to rent a car if need be but taxis/vans are preferred (there is likely to be five of us). Piste-wise I'm not bothered about a massive area (40-75km fine, will take more), ideally a decent mix of blue-red-black but not massively important.
@sweaman that looks mint!
Turin is okay from some UK airports but sadly for me, only weekend flights from Bristol makes it unhelpful for short trips.
5 people would be cheaper in a hire car I expect.
Geneva then train to Sion is a cheap route to several smaller resorts in Switzerland.
Maybe one of the closest Austrian resorts to Munich, so Soel, Scheffau etc.
Innsbruck also an option?
Good call. Igls is nice.
Assuming the issues with coverage are sorted by then (and signs of some decent snow in the next few weeks), then somewhere like La Clusaz might fit the bill. Also done Grand Bornand which is a really nice little area which would keep you busy for a few days and suspect might not be as busy as other more obvious resorts in half term.