"Ace" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:23:49 +0000, in
, Colin Irvine
wrote:

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:52:17 +0100, Ace squeezed
out the following:

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:00:06 +0000, in
, Colin Irvine
wrote:

Shamelessly borrowing the thread, we can see why you rate Flaine.
We'll definitely be going back, quite likely staying in Samoens again.

x-posting for interest

Glad you enjoyed. Care to share the highs and lows?


With pleasu

We were in the Grand Massif last week, too, but based in Les Carroz - a
first for us, as we too normally choose Samoëns.
Doing it differently certainly allowed us to see/ski things in a fresh
light, and we got to know the areas above Les Carroz and Morillon far better
than previously. There's some great terrain here, particularly the
tree-lined runs which allowed us to continue in conditions which would have
ruled out anywhere more open due to near total white-out. Yes, it snowed
alright...

We also had a lot of fun on the boarder-cross section be discovered beside
one of the reds (either Cupoire or Truffe) served by the Gron chair-lift.
:- Add the terrain above Samoëns and you begin to see that there's a lot of
mileage to be had even before you factor-in Flaine itself.

When we did head across our first trip was a leisurely affair, to say the
least, picking our way through mist and falling snow - not to mention a sea
of falling skiers getting to grips with unfamiliar conditions. Funny how
even somewhere you think you know really well suddenly feels totally alien
at times like these.

When things cleared, though, it was business as usual, with a series of easy
cruises over to the lift up to Les Grandes Platières. Not surprisingly, Les
Cascades remained closed during our stay, but the present falling
temperatures may well allow it to be re-opened. Sadly, the Lindars Nord
chair was also closed, but we did discover a small corner we'd previously
missed much lower down. Célestine is so tucked away, and so close to the
village that we didn't expect much in the way of surprises, but it turned
out to be a real find, snaking its way down through the trees. If you've
ever wondered what the attraction of the smaller, family ski areas which
don't make it into the big tour-op brochures, then this will give you a
brief insight. Magic.

As for Flaine itself, well, I've tried hard to love the Breuer architecture
and so far haven't managed it. But sometimes it's people who create the real
spirit of a place, and being here has come to feel almost like coming home.
After a searingly glacial ride into the winds on the Grands Vans 8-seater,
we headed back towards 'our' side of the mountain, via a series of blasts
which got us there well ahead of time. It's quite a return run.

The final couple of days clamped down visibility again, as more fresh snow
piled in. Being based where we were meant we not only carried on regardless,
but had a real blast on the deep, fresh powder. Towards the end of the stay
we were also able to ski all the way down to the car park at the end of the
day with now slush problems.

It's always the coming home that's the tough bit...

RM
www.mountainpassions.com - an Online Magazine with Altitude