Valloire/Valmenier thoughts

Hi All

Should be on the slopes this week but alas...not to be...so next best thing is to start thinking of next year.
Looking seriously at Valloire. Accommodation seems to be plentiful, reasonable prices, just over 2hrs 15 from Turin airport. 150KM of slopes. Looking at first week of January next. We are a mixed group, a good number of strong intermediates and a few not so strong but no beginners. My main concerns are sketchy snowfall and I read somewhere that there are a lot of annoying narrow blue runs. Not too worried about Apres. A couple of half decent bars and restaurants would do fine.

Anyone here have any experience of Valloire/Valmenier? Would appreciate any insight. Thanks!

Probably over 20 years since i was there and stayed in Valmenier 1800 which was a tad out on a limb and the connection into Valloire was a faff but manageable by pretty much our whole group of 40 odd people.
Having looked at the new piste map, the old link is still there and that is just just basic geography.
In view of that, I'd stay in Valloire and get across to ValM for a few days...you only need to get back over and they seem to have added a small bypass lift at Girodiere.
The black at grand drozes sorted out all but strong game intermediates if the blues werent in condition...which they werent.
Overall, modern accomodation in villages.
You can cut out having to navigate that bottleneck link between ValM and Valloire with the link off Le Crey du Quart, but it is piste down only, no lift back up to it.
I recall Valm being a big drive up off the Frejus valley but they could bus you down to Orelle for the 3 valleys...
At least the piste map and lifts are a little more joined up these days.

If the price is attractive and competitive, it should be fine.
NF slopes predominately iirc.

1st week in Jan makes me nervous pretty much anywhere snow wise.

Thanks Sonofapreacher

Yeah I hear ya on the snow reliability...1st week Jan is what we're stuck with other than mid term and I hate the crowds then! Good insight although i hope its modernised a bit in the past 20yrs!. I'll research a few others in that area. Also possibly la thuile in Italy. After this year, i'd be happy with a small hill and some snow!

Now I love La Rosiere. Never stayed in La thuile but went down there loads.

Personally, the only problem with La Ros is getting stuck there if the Col link is closed.
But enough to do for a week should you be that unlucky.
I call La Ros a snow hole because ive always had great snow and the way the border seems to get 2 weather systems.
Ppl in La Ros go over to Italy for the sun and food for good reason.
The skiing is blue and red and lack of moguls. The Col is off piste otherwise ppl just pass through to get to one end or another.
Ive always stayed in LR because of the chalet options from UK..whereas la Thuile is hotels and S/C.
I cant say anything bad about the Espace..i would be there in 2 weeks if i had my way. I would suggest LR for village...small, compact and attractive with good lifts up and easy reds and blues down.
La thuile for food on the mountain...skiing can be steeper lower down, i guess, and probably bigger area and more varied. Dont know about the LT village as such although it looks typically Italian with a few 60's builds which you can easily see from promo pics.
The only problem wherever you stay is if the Col closes which is not unknown due to wind or vis. Not a place they will want ppl getting stuck stranded as too remote a passage. But also my favorite place to ski.

I've never been to either but I have heard the snow is fantastic in La Rosiere. Definitely worth a look at. I suppose I was looking at La Thuile as 2hr drive option from Turin and we can get in LR at the same time.
Plenty of time for research, I'll be taking a good look at LR

Thanks again

I wouldn't say Turin was a good drive option for La Rosiere.
Although La Rosiere and La thuile are lift linked, that is by the Col which is a Summer road only.
The Col gets massive amounts of snow..4 mtrs plus and they are typically still digging out the summer road in June.
If Turin is the airport you want to use, then La Thuile only, imv.
Other resorts from Turin would be
Montgenvre, nice, and the Milky Way,
The links over arent great though, imv, but the road is open all the way.
Also, you are near to consider Sierre Chevalier but that is a very large resort, which is not my thing.
Cervinia...high. Options to ski into Zermatt. Might be a pretty good bet early season and easy from Turin.
Champoluc...nice too. Large monterosa ski area

La Thuile trip report here - https://www.j2ski.com/ski-chat-forum/posts/list/18074.page#159571

Some nice restaurants, but very dead on the apres side of things

I stayed in Valloire quite a while ago. Really loved the fact that there was no-one else around on the slopes they were really deserted. I also thought it was a lovely very French village. The snow was good when I was there, I think it was late Feb. The skiing I seem to remember being fairly easy intermediate and its not a bad sized area, not huge but a few valleys to cover.
Have you looked at Vars, Valmorel and Risoul also in France if you want reasonable size, high up and not too packed? I agree Montgenevre and Champoluc also good options too. Not done La Rosiere but I hear good things.