Just back - Les Houches / Chamonix

Arrived Dec 27th and left Jan3rd when snow was begining to be very patchy on
lower slopes, not helped by very mild condition and a little rain on
Sunday - and now High pressure looks set for the rest of this weel blocking
the frontal systems that are currently affecting the UK - at times very
crowded at Le Tour, not too bad up at Grand Montets - and Les Houches was
good - had a couple of snowfalls which gave picture postcard scenery but
they DO NEED much more for the top to open up - very rocky off piste and in
the trees - as I was with the family, who can really only do half days - I
skinned up from Les Houches to the top on various routes three times, using
new Alpine Touring Boots (Dynafit ALT 400 with hard boot bindings on my
board with my approach skis) - setup was very good and the boots, as I had
read elsewhere are very flexible, they are designed for the "older"
randoneer, who is more interested in comfort than downhill performance - I
did contemplate decsending down to St Gervais and then hiking back up, but
that would not have gone down well with the other half as I would have been
out pretty well for all the day if I had done that.......for those
interested for route finding I was using a Garmin Vista and plotting various
waypoints in from maps day prior and then used map etc on the day if needed,
but my GPS plotting was quite accurate, for a change!!

And as a postscript - on exiting the telepherique in Les Houches there are
signs to the right warning of a very difficult teleski (Poma) - as I was
with my children I steered well clear of this not wanting to take them down
as they are a tad nervous of bad pomas, we then made our way down passing
two more warning signs, then we took what looked like a more gentle slope
and you guessed it, where did we end up ( I might be able to navigate off
piste - but not taking a piste map was a major cockup) - so one very nervous
girl made it up on skis, me on the board found it an amusing challenge,
however my wife was thrown twice off it on the board - and the day before
she had been doing some very steep tree runs in Grand Montets, anyway, she
decided to walk back up rather than the embarrassment of a third trip - in
the meantime I went back down to see what was happening and on the way back
up, I very nearly came a cropper - plus I saw some major "Backcountry" type
boarder, who for his years should have known better, to be dressed and
tooled up like that, but I presume he wanted to show his new toys off - and
he went up both feet strapped in, and yes you guessed it...........

That was my first trip to Chamonix valley, many of my mates go on a regular
basis and some were out there and we met up, which was a feat in itself, I
know it was one of the busiest weeks of the year but the crowds and just
general volume of cars / people etc made it a bit of "mare" at times - give
me the likes of the quieter places - mind you at least I was able to spend a
day getting my boots and bindings sorted - highly recommend "FootWorks" -
though I'm sure it's been said before - though anyone any tips for
toughening baby skin up on feet!!!

Regards
WC

Cheers for the report.... I'm driving out with the family at Feb 1/2 term
(o/night on fri 11th) which WILL be the busiest week of the year!

Did you try accessing Le Tour from the new lift in Vallorcine? If so, was it
any quieter? I've found before in Cham that when its busy the afternoon at
Grand Montets is best as you've got the lovely snow-cannoned red running all
the way back down to avoid the lift queues.

Also, as I'll have the car with me this time, I was wondering where would be
the best chance of small queues (within 10-15 miles) at opening time in the
mornings (Is Flaine any better for instance?). Last year, the main stations
at Brevent/Flegere/Le Tour/Les Houche were horrendous at 9-00am.


"WeatherCam" wrote in message
...
Arrived Dec 27th and left Jan3rd when snow was begining to be very patchy
on
lower slopes, not helped by very mild condition and a little rain on
Sunday - and now High pressure looks set for the rest of this weel
blocking
the frontal systems that are currently affecting the UK - at times very
crowded at Le Tour, not too bad up at Grand Montets - and Les Houches was
good - had a couple of snowfalls which gave picture postcard scenery but
they DO NEED much more for the top to open up - very rocky off piste and
in
the trees - as I was with the family, who can really only do half days - I
skinned up from Les Houches to the top on various routes three times,
using
new Alpine Touring Boots (Dynafit ALT 400 with hard boot bindings on my
board with my approach skis) - setup was very good and the boots, as I had
read elsewhere are very flexible, they are designed for the "older"
randoneer, who is more interested in comfort than downhill performance - I
did contemplate decsending down to St Gervais and then hiking back up, but
that would not have gone down well with the other half as I would have
been
out pretty well for all the day if I had done that.......for those
interested for route finding I was using a Garmin Vista and plotting
various
waypoints in from maps day prior and then used map etc on the day if
needed,
but my GPS plotting was quite accurate, for a change!!

And as a postscript - on exiting the telepherique in Les Houches there are
signs to the right warning of a very difficult teleski (Poma) - as I was
with my children I steered well clear of this not wanting to take them
down
as they are a tad nervous of bad pomas, we then made our way down passing
two more warning signs, then we took what looked like a more gentle slope
and you guessed it, where did we end up ( I might be able to navigate off
piste - but not taking a piste map was a major cockup) - so one very
nervous
girl made it up on skis, me on the board found it an amusing challenge,
however my wife was thrown twice off it on the board - and the day before
she had been doing some very steep tree runs in Grand Montets, anyway, she
decided to walk back up rather than the embarrassment of a third trip - in
the meantime I went back down to see what was happening and on the way
back
up, I very nearly came a cropper - plus I saw some major "Backcountry"
type
boarder, who for his years should have known better, to be dressed and
tooled up like that, but I presume he wanted to show his new toys off -
and
he went up both feet strapped in, and yes you guessed it...........

That was my first trip to Chamonix valley, many of my mates go on a
regular
basis and some were out there and we met up, which was a feat in itself, I
know it was one of the busiest weeks of the year but the crowds and just
general volume of cars / people etc made it a bit of "mare" at times -
give
me the likes of the quieter places - mind you at least I was able to spend
a
day getting my boots and bindings sorted - highly recommend "FootWorks" -
though I'm sure it's been said before - though anyone any tips for
toughening baby skin up on feet!!!

Regards
WC

"John Ricketts" wrote in message
...
Cheers for the report.... I'm driving out with the family at Feb 1/2 term
(o/night on fri 11th) which WILL be the busiest week of the year!

Did you try accessing Le Tour from the new lift in Vallorcine? If so, was
it
any quieter? I've found before in Cham that when its busy the afternoon at
Grand Montets is best as you've got the lovely snow-cannoned red running
all
the way back down to avoid the lift queues.

Also, as I'll have the car with me this time, I was wondering where would
be
the best chance of small queues (within 10-15 miles) at opening time in
the
mornings (Is Flaine any better for instance?). Last year, the main
stations
at Brevent/Flegere/Le Tour/Les Houche were horrendous at 9-00am.

RE Le Tour, as we were driving up we were forced by a Gendarme to park in
Montroc becauase Le Tour car park was full which was about 2kms down from Le
Tour, and we had to get the bus - so even if I knew where the new lift was
I doubt if I could have managed to find it, unless it was the turn up the
valley below Montroc now I come to think of it....

The last couple of days in the morning I drove up to the second chair
(Maison Neuves) at Les Houches, which was not so busy, you needed chains,
snow tyres or 4x4 to get up there, but again it was getting crowded later
on - I just don't think any where will be quiet - best of luck....!!

Regards
WC

On Thu, 6 Jan 2005 08:41:15 +0000 (UTC), "John Ricketts"
wrote:


Also, as I'll have the car with me this time, I was wondering where would be
the best chance of small queues (within 10-15 miles) at opening time in the
mornings (Is Flaine any better for instance?).

Driving to Flaine from anywhere in the Cmap valley will take you an
hour or more, you realise? But if you do want to ski there, you're
best doing it from one of two car parks with chair lifts on the way
up, at Mollieres and Vernant, both of which have ample free parking
and never have any sort of queue, either for the parking or for the
lift itself.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
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.

On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 10:56:33 +0100, Ace wrote:

On Thu, 6 Jan 2005 08:41:15 +0000 (UTC), "John Ricketts"
wrote:


Also, as I'll have the car with me this time, I was wondering where would be
the best chance of small queues (within 10-15 miles) at opening time in the
mornings (Is Flaine any better for instance?).

Driving to Flaine from anywhere in the Cmap valley will take you an
^^^^
What the...? I meant Cham, obviously.

hour or more, you realise? But if you do want to ski there, you're
best doing it from one of two car parks with chair lifts on the way
up, at Mollieres and Vernant, both of which have ample free parking
and never have any sort of queue, either for the parking or for the
lift itself.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
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.

Ace wrote:
On Thu, 6 Jan 2005 08:41:15 +0000 (UTC), "John Ricketts"
wrote:



Also, as I'll have the car with me this time, I was wondering where would be
the best chance of small queues (within 10-15 miles) at opening time in the
mornings (Is Flaine any better for instance?).


Driving to Flaine from anywhere in the Cmap valley will take you an
hour or more, you realise? But if you do want to ski there, you're
best doing it from one of two car parks with chair lifts on the way
up, at Mollieres and Vernant, both of which have ample free parking
and never have any sort of queue, either for the parking or for the
lift itself.


Moillets you mean and if you think it doesn't have queues at busy times
you're confused about more than the name :-)

On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 11:52:02 +0100, Ian Spare
wrote:

Ace wrote:
On Thu, 6 Jan 2005 08:41:15 +0000 (UTC), "John Ricketts"
wrote:



Also, as I'll have the car with me this time, I was wondering where would be
the best chance of small queues (within 10-15 miles) at opening time in the
mornings (Is Flaine any better for instance?).


Driving to Flaine from anywhere in the Cmap valley will take you an
hour or more, you realise? But if you do want to ski there, you're
best doing it from one of two car parks with chair lifts on the way
up, at Mollieres and Vernant, both of which have ample free parking
and never have any sort of queue, either for the parking or for the
lift itself.


Moillets you mean and if you think it doesn't have queues at busy times
you're confused about more than the name :-)

Yes, my brain's elsewhere this morning. There are occasionally lift
queues there, but never, IME, for more than 3-4 minutes. Never seen
any problems with the car park, though, which was what I was really
thinking about.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
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.

Thanks for the tip.....might be worth a day out if the family get too hacked
off queueing.

Was just wondering if the new developments in Vallorcine included a big
carpark to go with the new lift station????? Could be a handy route up to Le
Tour if it does.


"Ace" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 11:52:02 +0100, Ian Spare
wrote:

Ace wrote:
On Thu, 6 Jan 2005 08:41:15 +0000 (UTC), "John Ricketts"
wrote:



Also, as I'll have the car with me this time, I was wondering where
would be
the best chance of small queues (within 10-15 miles) at opening time in
the
mornings (Is Flaine any better for instance?).


Driving to Flaine from anywhere in the Cmap valley will take you an
hour or more, you realise? But if you do want to ski there, you're
best doing it from one of two car parks with chair lifts on the way
up, at Mollieres and Vernant, both of which have ample free parking
and never have any sort of queue, either for the parking or for the
lift itself.


Moillets you mean and if you think it doesn't have queues at busy times
you're confused about more than the name :-)

Yes, my brain's elsewhere this morning. There are occasionally lift
queues there, but never, IME, for more than 3-4 minutes. Never seen
any problems with the car park, though, which was what I was really
thinking about.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
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.

Ace wrote:

Yes, my brain's elsewhere this morning. There are occasionally lift
queues there, but never, IME, for more than 3-4 minutes. Never seen
any problems with the car park, though, which was what I was really
thinking about.


The car park's fine, but the queues at peak time are 30 minutes or more,
it's a probably the worst blackspot for queues in the entire Massif.

On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 14:55:05 +0100, Ian Spare
wrote:

Ace wrote:

Yes, my brain's elsewhere this morning. There are occasionally lift
queues there, but never, IME, for more than 3-4 minutes. Never seen
any problems with the car park, though, which was what I was really
thinking about.


The car park's fine, but the queues at peak time are 30 minutes or more,

Wha? I don't know when you were there - maybe it was school hols and
the only decent skiing open or something? - but as I said, I've never
queued for more than five minutes or so.

it's a probably the worst blackspot for queues in the entire Massif.

Well it's hard to think of anywhere else you get queues at all, expect
I suppose at the eggs or the DMC first thing in the morning.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
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.