Val D'Isere/Tignes, 3 Vallees, and Paradiski - any good? Dolomites?

[Buster Highmen]

[blows off invoicing, starts google mapping and bergfexing]

Buster, make time for Canada next year. I gots the IKON pass and we've got a week at Vallhalla something or other.

I hope this is not being not humble.

I'm fucking honored, d00d, let me know the deets and I'll schedule it in.

I'm outlining a March trip to Yurp, will loop you in. Also did the MC pass.

(and I'm with you on the razor of crassness of certain topics...)

[garyfromterrace]

When did you go Gary? Did you do a few days @ Grimentz-Zinal, then go to Arolla? Private car or public transport?

Just a day at Zinal with an old speed ski buddy from WAY back (he lives in Sion in the winter), then Arolla. Zinal Mar 24, Arolla Mar 25 - Mar 31.
Then Cinque Terra Apr 1 - 3, Hoch Fugen Apr 4 and Hintertux Apr 5. Rented a car (a wagon like thing) the whole time there.

Working on a TR, was a good time.

[stupendous man]

Bump -

I'm looking at pow chaise maybe next week. Flying into Geneva airport and hopefully not paying through the nose to get somewhere to ski solo - maybe hire a guide- to get powder off piste. I am a powder hound but I don't need the gnar.

Reading this thread made me think Tignes is the way to go - but from geneva airport it looks painful.

any ideas?

anyone chasing next week?

[skaredshtles]

Pop into the Euro thread - seems to have quite a few "regulars" there: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...-for-the-Euros

[toast2266]

Bump -

I'm looking at pow chaise maybe next week. Flying into Geneva airport and hopefully not paying through the nose to get somewhere to ski solo - maybe hire a guide- to get powder off piste. I am a powder hound but I don't need the gnar.

Reading this thread made me think Tignes is the way to go - but from geneva airport it looks painful.

any ideas?

anyone chasing next week?

You can get a train to Bourg st Maurice pretty easily from geneva (or a bus to chambery, then train to Bourg). Then it's a bus from bourg to tignes. You could spend a night in bourg and ski les arcs for a day to break up the travel if you wanted.

That same train into bourg also goes through moutiers (about 30 minutes before you get to Bourg). You could just stop there and catch a quick bus up into the courcheval / meribel / Val thorens les 3 vallees zone - that'd cut a fair amount off of your travel time from geneva. Depending on when you landed and how the train schedule worked out, you could get from geneva to les 3 vallees in around 5 hours.

Check altibus.com for busses in that region. They're how you'd get from the train in bourg to tignes or from moutiers to les 3 vallees.

[Buster Highmen]

Bump -

I'm looking at pow chaise maybe next week. Flying into Geneva airport and hopefully not paying through the nose to get somewhere to ski solo - maybe hire a guide- to get powder off piste. I am a powder hound but I don't need the gnar.

Reading this thread made me think Tignes is the way to go - but from geneva airport it looks painful.

any ideas?

anyone chasing next week?

One great option from GVA is to take a train to Modane in the Maurienne valley or Oulx closer to the Milky Way.

There's a ton of great skiing there in the Maurienne valley that winds up to the South backside of Val d'Isere. You can access Val Thorens and Trois Vallees from there via Orelle or ski any of Val Frejus, Val Cenis or Bonneval Sur Arc.

If you get to Oulx, you can either ski the Milky Way where there's acres and acres of untracked, the tree skiing around Claviere is fantastic, or get a bus over to Briancon and ski Serre Chevalier and La Grave.

It is forecast to get warm next week, so maybe stay high at either Val Thorens (stay by Orelle, it's cheaper) or Bonneval Sur Arc.

I was looking into this and there's only busses from Bourg St. Maurice to Val d'Isere between 12:00 and 17:00.

[Rossymcg]

I've spent many weeks in the EK. Mainly stayed in Tignes. You won't be dissatisfied in that area. Every direction you look there's something else to ski that's a traverse or a short boot pack. Lifts firing off in every direction. Glacier will fully fully bridged now after some big early storms.
Ben's bus/Altibus direct from Geneva. There's loads of guided groups going out everyday from various outfits to keep the guided costs down. This off peak time you'll get a classic shoe box appartment for not a lot. eat lunch in tignes cuisine or sherpa super Market le lac for quality and value.

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[Gorilla]

EK looks like a good option right now. Only downside is that it is very high and has no trees so it is poor in white out conditions. If that's the forecast then VdI is a much better option. Based on the forecast for next week, I'd be thinking Val but it's hard to be definitive re the weather.

Regarding transfer from GVA. The Tarentaise is served both by GVA and Chambery (CMF). GVA is further but flights are much more frequent. There are also a dozen or so taxi bus companies offering either collective or private transfers direct to resort. This is by far the easiest option - collective is roughly 3.5 hrs to Tignes and about 60EUR each way.

[stupendous man]

Thanks, all.

According to Open Snow, Tignes AND Les Arcs seem to be the ones with snow in the forecast compared to Oulx or Courchevel. I will look into the shuttle bus options. I will only have a couple of days to ski this trip so I'd like to have direct-ish transport and can pay a bit more for close in lodging cuz I'm running solo.

Maybe Les Arcs is the call due to better transport options? Looks like tree skiing may be necessary, but glaciers would be rad.

I'll be back with the fam to Italy in Feb and the EBB event in Andermatt!

[Gorilla]

Sorry - realise above post said EK, should have specified Tignes on height/no trees.

If it were me flying solo, I'd go to VdI and ski with Alpine Experience. They are set up so that a solo traveller can join a group.

Transfer time difference between Les Arcs and the EK from GVA is about 30 mins, so marginal.

But either would be a great option. There is stunning off piste skiing in both Paradiski and EK. On the former, options in la Plagne are also stellar, despite it's reputation as a flat resort for clueless Parisians/English. Not only is the vertical massive but the tree skiing is also very good.

[SB]

VdI is such a sweet place, got to ski there back in the early 80s.

[stupendous man]

Well, folks. For those following along, I'm now looking over at verbier. The transfers to les arcs and beyond look super long and way pricey without renting a car. Which I guess I could rent, but verbier being a 3 hour comfy train ride sounds a little better. snow looks a little less, but still fairly good. am i doing this right.

thanks for all your help so far, I'll shut up soon i promise.

[Rossymcg]

where ever you go you'll have a good one.

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