J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by andyoneil

andyhull wrote:Looks worth a watch, all about how piste patrol clear avalanche dangers.

Do they not simply get a grizzled old French ski guide to look at it, go "meurgh" very loudly and then ski off as fast as greased lightning before it catches them?

But in all seriousness I shall watch that as it appeals to my inner geek

ok so Brides is slightly off the beaten track so you'll need Daved's advice to get up early - you will likely struggle to do all 4 valleys in a day (which is one of the great tour circuits and you can get stamps at lifts etc to show you've done it)

That said there is o much great skiing accessible from Meribel on both sides (i.e to Courchevel on one side and VT on the other) that you're actually in a good starting point.

They've updated a few lifts in Meribel over the last few years so there are fewer queues and you are there the week before the first of the French half terms so might be OK

Get yourself up to VT via the lifts first thing (the run down is then a blue to the VT village). you can then follow the "route du soleil" along the valley from VT to Les Menuires and then St martin - all marked as a route on the piste map. This has options all the way along but can be done all on blues if I remember rightly and then drops you over the hill via a blue down into Meribel for you to get lift down to Brides (or continue - depends on speed, breaks, lunch etc)

the bottom of Solaise cam is snowed in!!!!

Porkpie wrote:Has anyone got any links to websites that detail planned routes around 3v's? Had one for PDS this year and it helps for the first 2/3 days to explore without tripping over a black run unexpectedly and having to deal with the wife crying ?

As AndyHull says - starting point would be good to know and also what type of terrain you prefer. I don't know any published routes on the web but have a few circuits that I like myslef that I could share but have always stayed in VT so will be the wrong way round if youre in La Tania or suchlike

snowplough wrote:Well, I asked for advice so I guess I should follow through and do what the experts suggest!
Flying visit to Bicester now scheduled to let Cem strut his stuff.....

Your feet will thank you for ever!

Good luck - though Ive never used him persoanlly its obvious from forum comments both by him and about him that Cem knows his onions (or boots in this case)and is always happy to help people out on here

Thats what a community forum is all about and I'm glad you're embracing it!

Gareth Fair wrote:Meribel next Thursday for me!
I must be looking at the webcams at least every hour now :D

Amateur ! - I have continuous web cam with VDI Solaise on one monitor and my alleged work on the other :P

Iceman wrote:19 sleeps :D

Officially less than 3 weeks. Better get the ski boots out soon to get them warmed up :)

at 3 weeks to go I usually start wearing my boots for an hour or so sat at my desk in the office. Gradually increase the time worn over the weeks so that they're not too much of a shock to the system when I get to resort

Of course if you forget and set off to the printer with them on it can be a bit loud for the peeps in the office below.....

Far Queue wrote:

andyoneil wrote:I found one online - a change I noticed is that the "free" run in the village (Legettaz) is now a blue and always used to appear as a black (which it wasnt though the initial lip may have scraerd beginners)

http://www.valdisere.com/download/espace-killy_2012.pdf

Loads of snow in village - the bottom of Solaise webcam shows a piste basher clearing up a big drift from the bottom of the Solaise express chair

The map in your link is actually last seasons map Andy. It has the stamp "11" under the signature and the lift opening times are for the 2011/2012 season :wink:

Bother - that is def a black on my last map