Messages posted by : souldrive
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I know this resort is on a glacier and pretty high altitude but will there be snow 27 March - 3rd April? Anybody been around this time before? Got any ski hire / Transfer recommendations?
We can't really afford to go but have booked it anyway!! Return flights £85pp including fees and 15kg luggage from stanstead on ryanair and cheap accommodation through les2alpes.com WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Tony H - good to see you're still ripping up the slopes! |
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Having been to Pas, visited Soldeu, and stayed in Arinsal, all I can say is Andorra rocks!!
Pas go to the Underground and the Mexi Shack night!! Soldeu - only had lunch but thought skiing was ok round there. Arinsal - Skiing not amazingly challenging but ok, not much snow when I was there. Princessa Park - v nice!! 8) I played a couple of acoustic numbers in there! Free cheese toastie in El Cau (The Cow) when you buy a drink at the end of every days skiing!! Plenty of night life for such a small place Free bus to Arcalis (great skiing area, v quiet!) Oh and has anybody mentioned that the resort is TAX AND DUTY FREE!! Cheap as Chips!! |
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Pics / vids to follow - my gf did all the photography
Full report below: Place: L'Alpaga Appartments, Vielneuve - Serre Chevalier. Ample size with all the necessary provisions for cooking of food, opening of beer, and sleeping a drunken carcas. Town itself, very picturesque in the middle of a valley at about 1200 metres (IIRC). Not very many restaurants / bars (don't be fooled by the SC website which lists about 30 - all spread across neighbouring villages and not that easy to find) which was surprising considering the towns size compared with smaller resorts i've been to. Supermarket was very well stocked and even had a "British Section" which sold oreo's, (if you like that kinda thing) Ribena and Hellmans mayonaise?? I went to a local patisserie every morning and bought a couple of croissants for breaky and a baguette for lunch which was only about 4euros for the lot. People: There was a group of 9 of us that went we are all friends so got on fine, except when one friend insisted the best way to get my drunken carcass out of bed was to put his finger in my ear several times. I will say it is difficult skiing with a mixed ability group - there was a lot of time wasted on the first couple of days but they soon caught up. The French: Absolutely brilliant. I would like to dispell all the myths about the french attitudes I had no problems whatsoever. I think it helps if you try and speak to them in their native tongue first and then they quite happily speak back in english. Don't do what I did - "avez vous un sac?" Thinking it meant "have you a bag?" when outside the shop (after some strange looks) I realised it actually translates as "are you a bag?" "as tu un sac?" would be the correct approach. Pistes Excellent - Lots to chose from and several of them to cater for all abilities. Lots of snow on the first 3 days so the pistes were good all week. Didn't see a single snow cannon on. Depending on your ability i'd recommend the Casse du boef black run as my fav of the week. Me and my mate raced down it trying to get quicker each time I think we did it in 3 and a half minutes at best, not recorded with a stop watch but nobody overtook us ;) Try and get up to Yret lift in Monetier, takes you to the highest point on the map and gives some great views. The Grand Serre lift was also pretty impresive. Go to the Melezone for some bumps and jumps and also a few little boxes etc... Snow park was pretty decent too, Bivouac restaurant near snow park was pretty good to sit outside and chill out. I was disappointed to find that some of the lifts and runs on the map were not actually there??? Le Clot Gauthier name was applied to 2 lifts on the map but only actually one was really there - this eliminated about 5 runs. We also searched out a black near the Cucumelle, which should have branched off the blue but there was never any sign of it?? When I looked at the map yesterday I found we had been given a map which was drawn in 2006 - these were the maps I saw all round the resort so they must need updating. Haven't compared it to the websites yet but will do at some point. Briancon's pistes were isolated there just wasn't enough of them to challenge me unfortunately. Don't plan to go to Les Deux alpes with the pass - there's no public transport to get there. Montgenevre is about 30 mins away and should be easy to get to. TBH, there's enough to do in Serre Che. Prices £5.50 for a pint in La Grotte - Cool English bar between chantemerle and Vileneuve (Under the Aravet Lift), £8.50 for an english breakfast £12 for a "grande" english breakfast, £6.50 for a cheese burger and chips not too bad really. At the end of the day, I got a weeks holiday for £200 and spent £350 on lift pass food and drink and other bits and bobs. I never expected to bring money back with me - I'm not complaining. We did eat in most nights and drank some cheap stubbies before going out which helped though. Summary GO TO SERRE CHEVALIER!! |
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I'm back and already wish I was there again!! Tony H - give me a shout if ya need any info!
You're in for a treat!! |
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Hi
I went to Fernie about 3 years back and had a whale of a time!! For 200 quid I'd buy skis and take em with you - would only cost 20quid or so carriage. Can get 2nd hand skis off the bay cheap enough too. Resort is fairly quiet at night but go to a bar called the Grand Central - Kokanee beer is ace!! Open Mic nights, etc etc.... Loads of nice restaurants out there to eat at, go and watch the fernie Ice Hockey too, that's a good laugh! As for skiing, listen out for the dynamite early morning, they create avalanches to reduce the risks of them ocurring during piste hours. If you get on the slopes early enough you will not be disappointed with the skiing at all :D!! Generally good powder skiing anyway! Lots of bowls at the top, which are good to ski in, lots of moguls and lots of nice steep blacks! The resort offer free guided ski sessions. The guides congregate around the bottom of the main ski area in the morning and afternoon - one of the best afternoons skiing i'd ever experienced! They do expect a tip though I think?? You'll love it!! - I envy you massively!! |
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In serre chevalier last week it was about 25 euros for filling edging and waxing.
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They've already burst so i'll go with the plaster option if they sell em in resort / at the airport?
Cheers for the tip!! |
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I'm equally off tomorrow (Serre Chevalier) and equally can't wait!!
We didn't book lift passes when we booked but, in hindsight, with the slump of the sterling, we should have done. Passes in resort are 187 euros, which back then was about £140 "we can wait til we get there.... no probs" Alas, now the passes will cost us £187+ BUT Neilson reps are selling them cheaper than in resort (according to neilson at 163euros)(i'm guessing due to the fact that they buy loads at a cheaper rate at the start of the season and will not want to lose too much to the euro) So if you can, buy your passes from the reps! Also, drinks prices are gonna be pretty horrific due to pound slump, you may wish to sneak a bottle of whiskey in the suitcase?? Also, DON'T wear a new pair of Nike Zooms to the gym the day before going.... I now have to negotiate a blister on each heel!! Have Fun!!! |
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