Europe 23/24

[Tony Crocker]

It’s a bit of a hike to get to the two high resorts if we stay in Briancon but then again the roads should be great.

No. 1.5 hours each way is really not what you want to be doing for multiple days, and there is a pass between Briancon and La Grave. You want to ski Alpe dHuez and Les Deux Alpes, you need to relocate to the Bourg d'Oisans area, or better yet get half board in Alpe dHuez like we did last year.

Montgenevre and the Via Lattea are 30-45 minutes from Briancon, and that's a reasonable daytrip distance. Liz and I spent a day in the old town of Briancon.

 

[Sbooker]

No. 1.5 hours each way is really not what you want to be doing for multiple days

I believe it is an hour to Les Duex Alps in fine weather. We'd do a couple of local days and one to Montgenevre I guess. But thanks for the comments. I'll reconsider. I'm wondering if the village of La Grave would be a good mid point? We'd want a few nice restaurants.

Liz and I spent a day in the old town of Briancon.

Worth a look?

reasonable daytrip distance

I think you're aware of my skiing journey. We're conditioned to a drive to get to the hill because our first few trips overseas to ski was to Queenstown and Banff and Salt Lake City. Our first 'local' ski trips were based in Jindabyne. We're probably less sensitive to a drive to get to the ski resort as most others. We did those trips with kids too.
I know some people won't consider anything unless it's staying in resort.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I think my ski trip road warrior credentials are quite solid, if not as hard core as jimk or tseeb.

I know some people won't consider anything unless it's staying in resort.

We rarely do that in North America aside from my Snowbird timeshare week. In Europe it's sometimes a better value with the half board hotels, particularly in Austria.

We are far more likely than most people to move around to new places rather than stay in one place for a week or more. However, being based too far from the hill in the morning is a serious negative IMHO. There were other issues, but the one hour commutes certainly contributed to us not actually skiing until after 11AM at Grimentz and Aletsch. It may cost more to stay in a ski area but rarely does it cost more to stay 10-20 minutes away vs. an hour+.

There is the hassle of packing every time you leave a hotel, and thus Liz does not like to have a lot of one night stands. But you will presumably be skiing both Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes. That means at least two nights and thus a no-brainer to relocate into that region.

I'm wondering if the village of La Grave would be a good mid point? We'd want a few nice restaurants.

La Grave is very small. We ate out at one excellent restaurant when I was there in 2008, but the rest of the dinners were in our hotel as part of the Extremely Canadian package tour. I'm not sure I'd recommend staying in La Grave if you are not skiing there, which you shouldn't, especially since Kylie is with you. I know nothing about the Bourg d'Oisans area, but it's still France and IMHO you have to be quite unlucky to get bad food anywhere in the country, especially these days with online review sites.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I think my ski trip road warrior credentials are quite solid,

Looking at your maps again -- holy cow, I could never drive that much without a gun to my head.

 

[Tony Crocker]

So James would say that If I think a driving plan is is likely to detract from ski quality, that advice should be taken seriously?

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Thursday 18 January 2024 – Unsettled, with rain or snow for much of the Alps

It’s a mostly cloudy day in the Alps with just a few brighter spells in the far south and southeast (notably the Dolomites). There is also plenty of rain and snow about, heaviest in the northwest where the rain/snow limit is starting at around 1600-1800m but will drop sharply later today and overnight.

Cloudy in Châtel this lunchtime, where the rain/snow limit is currently around 1500m but forecast to fall sharply later.


Tonight, the bulk of the precipitation will move towards the eastern Alps where it will linger for a while tomorrow morning before it fizzles out. The rain/snow limit will fall to very low levels,first in the northern Alps then later further south. Friday will see sunnier skies in the western Alps, pushing gradually eastwards, though it will feel noticeably colder everywhere.

By tomorrow morning, 48-hour snowfall totals above 2300m should exceed 50cm in some north-western areas (e.g. Tignes), with many other parts of the Alps seeing at least a bit of snow. However, some northern and western parts of the Alps will have seen quite a lot of rain damage lower down, especially in the French and western Swiss Alps, even if it ends up being disguised overnight by the very low snowline forecast at the end of this storm.

 

[Sbooker]

There were other issues, but the one hour commutes certainly contributed to us not actually skiing until after 11AM at Grimentz and Aletsch.

You’ll have to get up earlier. That’s easy for me to say as we’re very early risers at home and will be up before 6am on every day of holidays too. The downside is we’re well and truly ready for bed by 10pm.

It may cost more to stay in a ski area but rarely does it cost more to stay 10-20 minutes away vs. an hour+.

Cost is not really a factor in the decision where to stay. The on snow accommodation is amazingly good value in France and Italy.

There is the hassle of packing every time you leave a hotel, and thus Liz does not like to have a lot of one night stands. But you will presumably be skiing both Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes. That means at least two nights and thus a no-brainer to relocate into that region.

Kylie doesn’t like one nighters either. I agree if we’re doing the two big mountains it’s best to be closer.
Thanks for the comments on La Grave. I had no intention of skiing there although I am told there is novice off piste routes available if conditions are right.

 

[Tony Crocker]

ready for bed by 10pm

Not easy when going through pictures and putting up TRs. The mid-month Season Progress Report was another time suck. The last two nights in Le Chable I was up past midnight, though I was not skiing the next day.

 

[Tony Crocker]

OpenSnow says another warm storm next Monday/Tuesday but not nearly as strong as the current one and more in the central Alps then vs. France now. After that, OpenSnow thinks it will be dry into February, but that's still far out.

 

[Sbooker]

Not easy when going through pictures and putting up TRs. The mid-month Season Progress Report was another time suck. The last two nights in Le Chable I was up past midnight, though I was not skiing the next day.

I get it. As a morning person I'm in the minority. I don't know why I drew that card.

OpenSnow says another warm storm next Monday/Tuesday but not nearly as strong as the current one and more in the central Alps then vs. France now. After that, OpenSnow thinks it will be dry into February, but that's still far out.

Now that no snow is highly likely I'm hoping for clear sunny skies for the days into the end of month. Snow can resume in February.

 

[Tony Crocker]

If we are in for a long dry spell at the end of our trip, at least we will be in right place for that at Val d’Isere.

 

[Sbooker]

If we are in for a long dry spell at the end of our trip, at least we will be in right place for that at Val d’Isere.

Indeed. When do you head back home?

 

[jamesdeluxe]

When do you head back home?

It sounds like our paths won't cross at the end of the month.

 

[Sbooker]

It sounds like our paths won't cross at the end of the month.

Where and when for you?

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I'll be skiing Jan 26 to 31, including with Tony and Liz in Val d'Isère.

 

[Sbooker]

I'll be skiing Jan 26 to 31, including with Tony and Liz in Val d'Isère.

Sounds good. Quite the departure from your ‘under the radar’ hills.
Those dates would fit nicely for us but I was there (well Tignes) in 2022, 2023 and will be there in April this year. I’m trying to check out another area so we have first hand knowledge for future trips. We plan on an extended stay at some point in the next few years and Kylie being a Francophile it will be in France so picking the right spot will be important.

 

[Tony Crocker]

We go home Feb. 4, so have 3 days after Val d'Isere, likely based in Bourg..

 

[Sbooker]

We go home Feb. 4, so have 3 days after Val d'Isere, likely based in Bourg..

Have you skied Sainte Foye yet? If in Bourg it will be on your radar?

 

[Tony Crocker]

Yes, St. Foy and La Rosiere/La Thuile are likely spots. Maybe Courchevel, where we had half a day in whiteout in 2022.

 

[Sbooker]

I’ve booked a rental from Milan with guaranteed winter tyres. The cost is eye watering. I went that route as I figured I’d have to drive over passes at some point no matter where we decided to go.
Now it appears there is no snow in the forecast would it be worth the risk of ditching the rental with the winters for something about half the price with a set of chains in the back?