J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by KevinC

It's perfectly 'adequate' thanks :(

Didn't eat in Bellecote but stayed in Belle Plagne twice now which is 2 minutes in the cable car from there - free at night and runs till at least 11pm, possibly 1am.

La Face Nord is reasonably priced (for French Alps) and nice food - lot of the ski instructors are in there. La Cloche is also nice in Belle Plagne but a little more pricey.

Should you find some money lying around then Le Matafan is excellent - but not a budget option.

Each of the villages has a Spar supermarket also - small but quite well stocked and not that expensive so you will be able to pick up bits and pieces whilst you are there.

What a can of worms this has opened! There have been some fair points made by both experienced and novice skiers but I'd like to clarify my comments about those 'blue roads'.

I was learning to board last week and having to come from the mountain that way as it was the only blue run to the village. I was capable of 'sliding' down and turning. I'm still a novice though and am entitled to a bit of space either side to turn so that I don't have to go straight down at full pelt - this is dangerous for everyone. Unfortunately in Bardonecchia one doesn't seem to be afforded that courtesy with people flying past on both sides simultaneously within a copule of inches.

I really don't think that's acceptable........but I await correction!

Edit - there was an alternative red run to the village!

Lots of negative comments about behaviour of the French but they've always been quite polite in La Plagne.....compared to Bardonecchia anyway. I was knocked over several times last week on beginners slopes learning to board, by people skiing over my snowboard or into me.

I think there is a real lack of understanding as well - people ovetaking constantly on the narrow blue road runs which are particularly tricky for learners of both disciplines leaving no room to put turns in to control speed :evil:

Photos not required for La Plagne lift pass.

Russco - I do intend to still ski - probably hire skis for a day or two each holiday but will board more whilst I can still get away with it, age-wise.

Amanda - it does take a bit of nerve sometimes to turn but the good thing is that you don't have to turn if you're not comfortable with it. It really is the flat bits that seem to cause the most problems!

A few weeks ago the issue of skiing over boarding cropped up in a different thread. Various people were asking about the differences and I said as I was giving boarding a bash I'd report back with how I found it. So..........

Well I probably shouldn't say it here but I think I prefer boarding now! The first two days of boarding are frustrating, particularly for people who can ski. Unlike skiing it takes a while to actually stand with any confidence and those first days will be pretty painful. Catch the wrong edge and you'll be sent flying on your face or your back and pretty bruised. The flatter parts of the slope are more likely to trip you up just as you think you're ok - and unlike early skiing falls you'll be thrown up into the air first before crashing to the ground!

However after those first few days.....it's incredible fun and it doesn't take anywhere near as long to master as skiing. By our third day we went down a red run and steepness isn't a problem at all on a board - it's a very easy technique to slide down a slope on your edges so you should never really get to a slope and not be able to get down - on the other hand runs down windy roads can be pretty tricky especially as it can take a few efforts before your legs follow the order to turn.

Equipment wise there isn't much to choose from other than boards for off-piste or the half-pipe so you are probably safe to invest in the equipment earlier than you might with skis which keep changing according to design and ability. The boots are a lot more comfy to walk in too!

The instructor is very important of course, and Guiseppe from the Bardonecchia Ski School was excellent - speaking good english, was patient, enthusiastic and had a sense of humour (looked like Hulk Hogan). He also set up the course for some of the snowoarding events at the Turin Olypmics. Anyone wanting to try might consider waiting for the warmer weather - Spring arrived mid-week which made the turns much easier and the falls a lot more cushioned than the ice!

I noticed offers for afternoon tasters costing about £40 - complete waste of money in my opinion as you'll have done nothing but fall over by then. To give it a go requires at least 2 or 3 days!