Samoens

Out there this saturday and hope to be on the slopes at lunchtime...any tips about the place gratefully accepted

Do you means Samoens?
Where are you staying?

I've been there 5 times in last 3 seasons so know it quite well.
They have a good website you can look at. The Grand Massif website has been updated for this season and looks quite good.

If you are hiring equipment the Xtreme Glisse hire shop is apparently quite good. It's right by the Gondola so easy if you need to change boots or skis. They have a website so you can have a look at the prices.

The Gondola ride from the village to 1600 takes 8 mins, but the chair lifts are fairy slow up to the Tete de Saix. Won't be a problem next week as it should be quiet. Les Carroz and Morillon are lovely for skiing on sheltered runs in the trees, but Flaine is great fun. It has some great confidence giving reds, which are wide and keep the snow really well. Even in April it doesn't seem to get slushy.

To get back to Samoens you have to go down the Perce Neige which can be a bit of a trial, it's usually a bit of a tangle of people trying to get up and failing and knocking other people down. Especially mid week when the beginners head higher. The Dahu is a bit the same and the Marmotte is a better bet. The Dahu has a steep part which never gets the sun, so can be a real shock. I remember one day there were about 50 people just stopped on the slope watching others picking their way down. It was quite funny. (Except the loony teenager who just skied into everyone) He got his just deserts later though, we saw him tangled in a netting.

The mountain restaurants are quite expensive (Alps!) and I would personally avoid the ones at Samoens 1600. And don't order waffles, you get cardboard. Our best lunches have been a flask and a roll, brought with us, sat at the bottom of a slope watching people skiing down! In Flaine you can nestle back in the trees, out of the way. In Les Carroz there is a lovely little restaurant but I can't see it on the piste map, there are 2 together, and it's the lower one.

We've always wanted to do the Cascades run which is 14km and finishes in Sixt, but it's never been open in the times I've been there. I've been told that it can be a bit boring (flattens out) towards the end, but worth a run. It starts in Flaine, but you can get a bus back to Samoens.

If you're self catering and have a car there is a large Champion supermarket out of town on the Taninges road.
The shops in town are lovely, it will be stunning in the village with the snow so low. Try and make a visit to the Jardin Botanique, it's lovely and peaceful. (tho admittedly it's never been covered in snow when we've been, could be slippy)

If there is anything else you want to know I'll try to help. Have a great time. You'll love it. We aren't going there this year as we've been offered an apartment cheap in Les Saisies, but I wish I were!

After all that - you didn't mean Samoens did you!
:(

PrivateBryan wrote:After all that - you didn't mean Samoens did you!
:(

I think he did :!:

Hi daved, we were there for 12 days in January last year & had a great time. As PrivateBryan says, you'll love it! On our first day my OH was confined to his bed with 'man flu'. I did think about staying with him to mop his fevered brow & keep topping up the Lemsips, but the thought quickly passed & I went off on my own to explore the village.

It was a beautiful day & I enjoyed the opportunity to see the village in daylight - normally it's ski, ski, ski all day & you only get to see the village in the dark. As PB says, the Jaysinia Botanical Gardens are very peaceful & they give wonderful views over the village. If there is lying snow on the paths they close the gardens as it's very steep and dangerous. There is also a particularly wonderful bakery nearby :-)

We had sunshine every day - no fresh snow, but conditions were still excellent. We took a picnic every day - always with spectacular views. On our last ski day the weather did close in and became very windy when we were over at Morillon. The links back to Samoens were closed & extra buses were laid on to get people back to Samoens. This was the only time we experienced crowds & pushing & shoving. Make sure you don't get stuck over at Flaine if the weather closes in & lifts start to close as taxi transfers back to Samoens are expensive.

We were able to do the 14km Cascades run, which we loved. Our little boy did complain a bit (lot) at the one or two uphill sections, but once we were past them he really enjoyed it too. The end of the run is on a narrow & very windy road which had very poor snow cover. We took our skis off & walked some short sections of it, but one or two people did go past us - clearly with no regard for what it was doing to their skis! As we got to the bottom, the bus pulled up & we were taken back to Samoens. Do it if you get the chance.

Another run we liked was the Marvel green run from Morillon. It was usually deserted, very pretty & we had a lot of fun just messing about, playing tig, skiing backwards etc.

Just for you, I've downloaded some photos onto a Picasa Web album. If you click on sort by date, mine is the latest (Sally) click on my name & have a look. Have a great time. I would be jealous, but I'm off to St Gervais in 12 days time :-) :-)

Sorry daved - if you go to Picasa Web, search for Samoens first, then click on sort by date, then Sally - hopefully you'll find my album. Or just put Samoens Web Album in the search & it should go straight to it :?

thank you all for your help...I DID mean Samoens :oops: :oops: and Sally loved you pics...will report back on my return

I skied Cascades on Wednesday - good snow all the way down with two monster snow blowers on the final section. The road part was great fun but some sections are boring. Don't start from the DMC in Flaine, do it from the left hand chair unless you want to skate the first 1200m!!!

Some nice runs down to Morrilon.

Take plenty of thermals - it's been very cold this week - 3 pairs of gloves and still cold hands!