J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Dorset Boy

If you're in the Meribel Valley TimBen, it's a long drive around to VT until the links open, which may not be until Xmas week.

The hike up the LH glacier in VT so that you can ski off the back and down behind Mont Vallon all the way back to Meribel is superb, but you'll need a guide. There is some superb off piste around if you know where to look and who to go with!

I echo La Masse and Mont Vallon as having great runs.

Also the couloir on the Meribel side of the Saulire ridge is good, rather than doing the Courchevel couloirs. Is the ladder still there for access to Death Couloir?

Looking forward to it. The Alpe will be absolutely rammed, and the Dutch fans will be even more hammered than they usually are on Dutch corner.

So to fly to Geneva for the Annecy & LGB stages, head to Paris for the finale, or end up staying at home and watching on the box?

Climbing the Alpe twice in rapid succession will blow the field to pieces.

Be great to have Froome in yellow and Cav in green in Paris, and hopefully Steak Boy and Valverde will have fallen over large cliffs by then (or been banned again!)

One day the 3 weeks will be booked off, the camper van hired, the bike attached to the back, and away we go round France.........

Well it snowed last night / today to below 1600m didn't it?

But GPS devices don't measure altitude well!


(Can I have the job with the Courchevel marketing department?!!)

As Andy says.

Admin - where you going in Canada?
Would be very interested to hear your thoughts on Kicking horse, Revelstoke & Fernie if they're on your itinerary.

It was warm in Valloire after Monday last week and you could almost see the snow disappearing from the mountains all around. Without a temperature drop and new snow, conditions will deteriorate quickly. Glad I was away last week and not the week before!

Jan 2011 - very cold, no fresh stuff from Xmas to Feb.
Jan 2010 - Heavy rain at New Year turned to snow on next transfer day, very cold, great conditions.
Jan 2009 - Very cold, regular snow, great conditions

That's my memory anyway!

Done!

Within reason the tour op does chose the flight time when they charter a flight especially if they are chartering the whole flight.

You would think that Crystal have enough muscle to ensure that their clients can check in when arriving in resort, even if the accom isn't quite ready - to close reception on change over day is barking.

P&V in Flaine texted us when our apartment was ready when we arrived early each of the 3 years we were there. We could leave luggage and go off and sort out passes etc.. or even ski.

Don't know why any of you are surprised by Crystal - they were rap when I did my seasons in the 1990s, and as a mass market operator run a numbers game, ahead of quality.