The best off piste resort in Europe?
Greg Hilton
Criteria would be
close to an airport for short breaks
quiet, so doesn't get skied out
variety of terrain
decent height for good early/late snow
good guides that don't cost the earth
We thought we'd found the ideal place in Gressoney/alagna but
from our past 2 visits each has been affected by strong wind
closing the upper lifts, which really cuts down where you can
ski.
I'd love to hear what people think.
cheers,
greg
Ace
>any recommendations or thoughts?
Flaine, of course. But then you'd have guessed I'd say that.
>Criteria would be
>
>close to an airport for short breaks
Check
>quiet, so doesn't get skied out
Check
>variety of terrain
Check
>decent height for good early/late snow
Check
>good guides that don't cost the earth
Check
There's a picture of us there in January somewhere on the SkiClub site
<fx: goes searchin>
Ah, yes, here we are:
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/membersonly/photogallery/photo.asp?intPhotoID=145&intPhotoGalleryID=3&intMonth=1&intYear=2003
But it's in the members-only bit, entitled "Off piste in Flaine,
8/1/03, Ski Club reps assess a steep pitch with a local mountain
guide."
'Ang on a tick, and I'll copy it over...
http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine1_s.jpg
Plus
http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine2_s.jpg
http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine3_s.jpg
and hi-res (~600k) at:
http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine1.jpg
http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine2.jpg
http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine3.jpg
--
Ace in Alsace - bruce dot rogers at roche dot com
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.
Greg Hilton
Perhaps it is time I checked out Flaine then!!
Greg
Ian Spare
>There's a picture of us there in January somewhere on the SkiClub site
><fx: goes searchin>
>Ah, yes, here we are:
>http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/membersonly/photogallery/photo.asp?intPhotoID=145&intPhotoGalleryID=3&intMonth=1&intYear=2003
>
>But it's in the members-only bit, entitled "Off piste in Flaine,
>8/1/03, Ski Club reps assess a steep pitch with a local mountain
>guide."
>
>'Ang on a tick, and I'll copy it over...
>
>http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine1_s.jpg
>
>Plus
>http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine2_s.jpg
>http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine3_s.jpg
>
>and hi-res (~600k) at:
>http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine1.jpg
>http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine2.jpg
>http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine3.jpg
These are the from the ridge between the Vernant and Grand Van lifts ?
Ian
--
I would like to shake the hand of the man who first decided that e-mail
clients should slice, dice and run arbitrary programs. Then I'd like to
stir, blend and puree his hand.
-- J. D. Baldwin
Ace
wrote:
>On Thu, 10 Apr 2003 12:21:09 +0200, Ace <b.ro...@virgin.net> wrote:
>
>
>>There's a picture of us there in January somewhere on the SkiClub site
>><fx: goes searchin>
>>Ah, yes, here we are:
>>http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/membersonly/photogallery/photo.asp?intPhotoID=145&intPhotoGalleryID=3&intMonth=1&intYear=2003
>>
>>But it's in the members-only bit, entitled "Off piste in Flaine,
>>8/1/03, Ski Club reps assess a steep pitch with a local mountain
>>guide."
>>
>>'Ang on a tick, and I'll copy it over...
>>
>>http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine1_s.jpg
>>
>>Plus
>>http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine2_s.jpg
>>http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine3_s.jpg
>>
>>and hi-res (~600k) at:
>>http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine1.jpg
>>http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine2.jpg
>>http://compaqnet.ifrance.com/acenet/flaine3.jpg
>
>These are the from the ridge between the Vernant and Grand Van lifts ?
Indeed, with Vernant on the right. We'd tracked back from the GV lift
along the ridge and chosen one of several possible drop-in points, as
the guide[1] had tracked some of the others already.
I'd not have done it (specially with a group) without a guide, but it
was certainly worthwhile :-)
[1] Who, incidentally, we weren't paying. He'd approached me,
brandishing his UIAGM badge/card, around lunchtime wondering whether
we ever used proper guides and wanting his name on the list[2], as it
were, so we suggested he might like to join us and learn a bit about
the skiclub, then it somehow got turned around so that he was leading
us[3] :-)
[2] Which it now is, though I can't remember it off the top of my
head.
[3] I had my wife (the other rep in the photos), two good boarders and
two good skiiers[4] with me on my 'blacks' day, so this was a welcome
challenge.
[4] One of whom, Dominic Byrne, took the photos and is also a rep,
although not on duty at the time, of course.
Greg Hilton
trees or anything?
regards,
greg
Ace
>How is Flaine in bad weather, snow and wind? can you still ski some
>trees or anything?
The Aujon area is generally less exposed, with some tree-level skiing.
It's can be reached via the Aup de Veran bubble or the Bois drag
lifts, and has two further drag lifts (Grand Grenier and Aujon) in it,
so doesn't tend to shut in high winds. It also has some great, easily
accessible but not over-skiied off-piste.
There is also some tree skiing over above Les carroz/Morrillon,
although of course you might struggle to get back to Flaine if the
connecting lifts close, although the (new, 8-man) Grands Vans chair is
much more resilient to high winds than the DMC.
There was one day around new year when the only things open were two
baby drags, and I didn't ski. That's the _only_ time (out of ~100 days
there) that I've not been able to find a decent day's skiing, and I've
been there in April the last three years.
Marco Cattaneo
"Ace" <b.ro...@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:kvsa9v4ogmrd7hnm5...@4ax.com...
>
> There is also some tree skiing over above Les carroz/Morrillon,
> although of course you might struggle to get back to Flaine if the
> connecting lifts close, although the (new, 8-man) Grands Vans chair is
> much more resilient to high winds than the DMC.
>
the letters DMC stand for. Any ideas?
--
Marco Cattaneo | mailto:marcoPOINTcattaneo@freesbeePOINTfr
Ace
<Marco.C...@cern.ch> wrote:
>
>"Ace" <b.ro...@virgin.net> wrote in message
>news:kvsa9v4ogmrd7hnm5...@4ax.com...
>>
>> There is also some tree skiing over above Les carroz/Morrillon,
>> although of course you might struggle to get back to Flaine if the
>> connecting lifts close, although the (new, 8-man) Grands Vans chair is
>> much more resilient to high winds than the DMC.
>>
>In >15 years of going to Flaine regularly, I still haven't worked out what
>the letters DMC stand for. Any ideas?
Dual Mono Cable.
HTH
David Off
> On Thu, 10 Apr 2003 16:04:58 +0200, "Marco Cattaneo"
> <Marco.C...@cern.ch> wrote:
>
>
>>"Ace" <b.ro...@virgin.net> wrote in message
>>news:kvsa9v4ogmrd7hnm5...@4ax.com...
>>
>>>There is also some tree skiing over above Les carroz/Morrillon,
>>>although of course you might struggle to get back to Flaine if the
>>>connecting lifts close, although the (new, 8-man) Grands Vans chair is
>>>much more resilient to high winds than the DMC.
>>>
>>
>>In >15 years of going to Flaine regularly, I still haven't worked out what
>>the letters DMC stand for. Any ideas?
>
>
> Dual Mono Cable.
Double Monocable Creissels.
Ace
Don't you just hate it when you've been really dead clever and then
someone else comes along and trumps you?
David, you're a smartarsed goit, OK?
David Off
> On Thu, 10 Apr 2003 20:43:48 +0200, David Off
> <david.off_d...@voila.fr> wrote:
>
>
>>Ace wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 10 Apr 2003 16:04:58 +0200, "Marco Cattaneo"
>>><Marco.C...@cern.ch> wrote:
>
>
>>>>In >15 years of going to Flaine regularly, I still haven't worked out what
>>>>the letters DMC stand for. Any ideas?
>>>
>>>
>>>Dual Mono Cable.
>>
>>Double Monocable Creissels.
>
>
> Don't you just hate it when you've been really dead clever and then
> someone else comes along and trumps you?
>
> David, you're a smartarsed goit, OK?
>
:-)
I imagine that if you ask most lift offices they will give your answer,
or at least Double Monocable. It is certainly the answer in common usage.
Denis Creissels is perhaps better known as the man who built, then later
saved, la Grave. see
<http://www.pistehors.com/resorts/northern/lagrave.htm> if you are
interested.
David