Chamonix trip, how to

[hutash]

You should have cashed in your Equifax shares last week.

[babybear]

Just a comment on guides, I'll be curious what others think.

As I have gotten older, and my dental practice flourishes, I have been using guides of various types more and more. Mostly for the logistics of it, let them deal with the when to be where issues, etc. In my younger days I would never consider it an option, but time was as much an issue, I didn't have the money, and I had an ego that said I can do it myself. Especially in an unfamiliar area, a local guide can be a huge asset.

My Haute route trip was a perfect example. Conditions turned out to be pretty shitty (spent one day on the Argentierre glacier), so Francis (www.nosiesta.com)
suggested we go rock climbing on the Italian Riviera, then a couple days later after a storm rolled through we switch back to ski mode and skied Cervenia and Zermatt. We still did the Haute Route from Cham to Zermatt, but we pioneered a new variation via Finale Liegra. He was familiar with all the options and linked everything together. Had I not been guided, I most likely would have spent most of the week in Cham skiing brown snow.

I also like the knowledge base of a good guide, and so learn tons of new stuff and techniques, etc, especially with climbing guides. They also know the better restaurants, bars and apres ski options. Nothing like a bit of local knowledge.

I totally agree. In my younger days I would have tried to diy it more but these days I recognize the super value of a guide.
It's so much more stress-free to not have to worry about your route finding and in a very exposed region like La Grave you are just being pompous to not seriously consider a guide. especially when you are spending all that money anyway. It's like trip insurance and you end up always learning a sh*t ton too

edit- also the guide for the handling of the logistics in foreign countries is worth it's weight in gold

[Buster Highmen]

not have to worry about your route finding and in a very exposed region like La Grave you are just being pompous to not seriously consider a guide. especially when you are spending all that money anyway. It's like trip insurance and you end up always learning a sh*t ton too

At the risk of yet another dickwave fest, I disagree.

Having a guide can be a good thing.

But La Grave has a lot of very reasonable skiing where I'd have no problem letting my kids ski. Yeah, there's some serious spots there, but there's lots of super fun steep skiing that does not require a guide. The first few times I went to LG, I went with guided groups, but now I don't. If I come off as pompous, oh well, but I'd sure like to degnarify some of the rep. To do the couloirs down to the Romanche or the backside expanse down to La Berard, people with experience there are a good idea. I end up skiing the Vallon off P2 most of the time with a couple laps over to the Chancel with pals, no guide.

Similarly @ Argentiere, Chamonix.

I'm outlining a trip there this year, but more like late January with the usual pow chasing on the trains caveat. Between Foggy, plugboots and I, you can get a lot of good information on the hows/logistics.

[digitaldeath]

I can't find these cheapo flights to Geneva

[Buster Highmen]

Some La Grave information.

(check http://www.kayak.com for flights, I found one from Seattle nonstop to Heathrow for $420 on Norwegian Air yesterday)

La Grave sits on a road that goes from Grenoble to Briancon. Both Grenoble and Briancon have train access, La Grave does not.

Just above Briancon is a huge ski complex known as the Milky Way (Via Lattea) that straddles the French Italian Border. One of the ski areas in that interconnected complex is called Oulx which has train access from London/Paris/Geneva/Zurich. If you travel super light, you can ski across the Milky Way to Montgenevre in France just above Briancon.

On the road from Grenoble to La Grave, one passes Alpes d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes. Just past their access is the Lac Chambon where there's been a problem with a tunnel and it has not been open regularly. So for assured access, go through Briancon or check and double check that the repair work is completed in order to access from Grenoble.

Here's a great resource for access fro the major European hubs to Briancon or Oulx: https://www.rome2rio.com/ .

Here's a good taxi service to get to La Grave and they can advise you about pickups: http://www.taxidelameije.com/ .

In La Grave, if you want to be guided, one option is Pelle Langs Skier Lodge. Google that. Pelle is the guy who convinced the town to run the telepherique in the winter. They have all inclusive guided deals. http://www.skierslodge.com/ They have a shuttle van for pickups and heading out to blow your mind about the amount of skiing nearby. (alpes d'Huez,, Serre Chevalier, The Milky Way, Vars/Risoul, Val Frejus, Val Cenis, Val Thorens/Trois Vallees, Bardonecchia, etc all with 2 hour drive of LG).

One can also go more solo and hire guides there. One nice place to stay is run by a Scottish guy called the Hotel Edelweiss which offers everything from basic room up through full board with guide references. http://www.hotel-edelweiss.com/

A slightly less expensive more spare place is the Chalets de La Meije : https://www.panoramic-village.com/en/ ..
My favorite restaurant is down a little drop off the main street: http://www.au-vieux-guide-grave.fr/ ..

That's enough information to curate a mad fun trip there however you want.

[Foggy_Goggles]

Maybe we need a La Grave thread? Too bad all the Biglines pictures are gone.

"Chamonix Trip, How To"

1. Walk past the line for the Alpy Bus
2. Take the Train to Grenoble
3. Call Taxi de la Meije

When I was there last time, this got skied by a local guide and two sixty year old guys. I couple days later it got wiped by serac fall.

[Buster Highmen]

With spring break so late, there's another plan in the works to take the family to LG in the beginning of April as well.

[hutash]

I can't find these cheapo flights to Geneva

They know who you are, so your web searches will always come up with higher prices to discourage you from showing up in Europe. Try logging in as Buster.

[babybear]

I can't find these cheapo flights to Geneva

dammit they are more like $1300 today. maybe it was a hurricane sale last wk? I am going to continue monitoring so will alert your soldiers when it's time to buy
you will need to get that ice axe tho

As for la grave I think we want to take the stress-free approach. We have mtneering skillz but we want to ski more than the basic stuff and I know I'd feel way more comfy being with someone who knows which couloir to drop into, knows where the anchors are, knows where the good snow will be. seems like La Grave is more challenging route finding bc of it's steepy-ness. Whereas I feel totally comfy getting around Chamonix without a guide

Thanks gang- keep the good insights/ideas coming and apologies to OP for thread drift.

[hutash]

I agree that you do not absolutely need a guide, but they can be super helpful especially for those not familiar with skiing in a foreign country. Just like hooking up with a TGR local on any hill, you just get to the goods faster and spend less time finding your way around. If you know your way around, are familiar with the local trans systems, or do enough homework, sure you can do it on your own. For those who don't a guide can be very useful.

[babybear]

Maybe we need a La Grave thread?

I was thinking the same thing then thought it might be nice to keep the good info buried in another thread
If we only had the tags......

[Buster Highmen]

If in LG, do not miss walking up all the angly little cobbled streets to the old Church and graveyard that sits above the town.

I think the oldest part of that church dates from the 1300s since the pass between LG and Briancon, the Col de Lauteret, has been the most northerly pass usually open in winter providing passage between Italy and France. The touring out of the Col de Lauteret is beautiful.

[hutash]

dammit they are more like $1300 today. .

I saw that too, LAX to GVA was $512 yesterday....damn it.

[auvgeek]

Auvgeek, maybe we could do a trip there one of these years.

jesski and I try to do one big trip a year. Hopefully more, after I get out of school and we have two real incomes. I can keep you in the loop about next year, if you'd like. Always need more partners for these types of trips.

[Buster Highmen]

Again, if you feel more comfy with a guide, go for it. And if you want to head for the l00ny c00loirs, yeah, a guide is really a good idea.

My dick is very normal sized and I'm ok with that.

I'm just trying to degnarify the La Grave rep. I think Cham has more need of route finding help, at least in my experience.

I think the best way to do LG is to get a room @ Chalets de La Meije, make some deal with Pelle about skiing in one of his groups. Then one can eat on their own (the Chalets have kitchens) or choose restaurants as one sees fit. Pelle's deal is great for an all inclusive thing, it's just nice to have some flexibility. Chalets de La Meije is right across the road from the telepherique too.

[babybear]

that's great to hear as I have always sort of held it in reverence
I also have normal sized genitals so it's nice to know that the mountain is also suited for us.

maybe that should be a new trail designation- "your dick must be at least this big to access this area"

[Buster Highmen]

that's great to hear as I have always sort of held it in reverence

Oh, it's incredible and the access for crazy skiing is huDge. But, like I said, I'd let my kids ski round there - there's weeks and weeks of great skiing that has no more exposure than Tensleep.

I also have normal sized genitals so it's nice to know that the mountain is also suited for us.

I'd suggest an appropriate size comparison, but that might be detrimental to both of our situations.

maybe that should be a new trail designation- "your dick must be at least this big to access this area"

Wouldn't that be sort of sexist?

[digitaldeath]

Make the flights to chamonix dirt cheap again

[babybear]

pompous, oh well, but I'd sure like to degnarify some of the rep.

and fyi I mean only pompous in the way that some skiers come to Jackson and expect to ski Granite Canyon on their own bc they saw pics and videos of it online- it's something to be a bit humble about until you gain more intel
but appreciate your honesty about it all
I can't wait!!

[Buster Highmen]

Make the flights to chamonix dirt cheap again

Chamonix doesn't really have an airport. Neither does La Grave. So actually all the flights are really cheap.

[babybear]

Make the flights to chamonix dirt cheap again

ok yes travel agent mags- what's the formula here- cheapest prices on Tues/Wed's? I had heard it was "the best time of the yr to buy flights" right after labor day/ when kids go back to school etc and they were those dirt cheap prices but word must have gotten out.
will continue monitoring from various IP addresses

[Buster Highmen]

and fyi I mean only pompous in the way that some skiers come to Jackson and expect to ski Granite Canyon on their own bc they saw pics and videos of it online- it's !!

My girl and I got heavily harassed and dissed last time we were @ JH after booting it up the headwall from Tensleep and asking about Granite. All the respect to you and yours, but we decided to never go back because of the attitude there.

So I wonder about the pompous stuff.

But that before the innert00bs were anything more than telnet chatboards.

[Buster Highmen]

ok yes travel agent mags- what's the formula here- cheapest prices on Tues/Wed's? I had heard it was "the best time of the yr to buy flights" right after labor day/ when kids go back to school etc and they were those dirt cheap prices but word must have gotten out.
will continue monitoring from various IP addresses

http://www.kayak.com/explore

Just found rt Seattle/Lon for $540, Sea/Paris for $610, Seattle/Venice It for $480, Sea/Amsterdam for $611.

Here's Sea/GVA, Jan 10 +- 3days to Jan 24+- 3 days:
https://www.kayak.com/flights/SEA,ne...ble/2018-01-24

[babybear]

My girl and I got heavily harassed and dissed last time we were @ JH after booting it up the headwall from Tensleep and asking about Granite. All the respect to you and yours, but we decided to never go back because of the attitude there.

So I wonder about the pompous stuff.

But that before the innert00bs were anything more than telnet chatboards.

Sorry to hear of your experience. People get lost in granite every yr so maybe the people you spoke with were hyper sensitive to that

I'm not saying this is the case with you, but sometimes I think people have watched the movies, which feature all the bro-iest of bros and they almost expect the attitude. then self fulfilling prophecies.
There are douches here much like every other place in life I try to keep my douche radar sharp and just avoid interaction altogether
But I have been having great conversations with others skiers- then they find out we live in JH and it's almost like they expect us to be apres spewing braggarts. Of course the loud ones are always the ones that get the most attn I guess.
if you ever decide come back you can ski with our friends and hopefully have a better experience. If not, np I get it

[Buster Highmen]

Everywhere there are people and then there are people and sometimes someplaces there just seems to be too many people and so we sought out the places with fewer people. That seems to work for us.