Champoluc

Hi Tony,

Going to Champoluc again 12th January and this will be my third time there and third year sking per se. Introduced to the sport [love it] by a chum whose twelth year this will be in Champoluc [and he goes absolutely everywhere else too]. It really is a terrific find. Richard Branson, no less, said similar to another chum who bumped into him there apparently a few years ago.

I would not say that it is the place for absolute beginners as though there is a couple of nice little moving pavements the piste in the next step up is a clear red. You could hop on one of the frequent village buses for four minutes to Antagnod where there is a couple of alledged [!] blues though. Last year TWICE at 12 noon I found myself the first on those lovely runs cutting through 4 inches of fresh snow on a perfectly bashed piste - amazing. Champoluc itself thankfully in the week is very much not busy by French standards. Holiday weeks I suppose it would be and weekends it certainly is when half of Turin seem to turn up.

Champoluc begins [and is really really the village to base yourself] some truly excellent red runs over three valleys [they call it the Italian Trois Valley - though no Cartier shops or similar]. They really are good, often really wide and certainly as challenging as most would want. There are good mountain restaurants about and you would get to see other villages like Gressoney La Trinite.

Learning there then [oh the ski school is first class - get Louisella] prepares you for anything and to my utter amazement last year I also found myself in Meribel and found the sking a walk in the park and able to tuck in comfortably with friends on safari's. I also found that the lift prices were twice that of Champoluc, the instruction three times and the pistes comparable though with six times more people on them. I went also to Les Arc and Whistler.

Champoluc great place. There is some nice ski shops and bars. Night Ravers would certainly prefer Meribel though me thinks. We stay at Hotel Castor which is a really really excellent friendly family run place with comfortable accomodation and very good food. Should you want to spend more Breithorn Hotel is as good a place as you will find anywhere skiing in Europe.

Hope this is helpful
GEOFF
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Best Wishes
GEOFF

Meribel Schmeribel

Going to Champoluc in January and Im just looking around for tales about the place.. I also just checked snow report for Champoluc and they got dumped on...100cm on the 15th. Thats over 300 cm so far this year. Over 400 cm in Alagna.
Not bad at all. Im really looking forward to going!!!