J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by andyoneil

blackpool-skier wrote:We have got the 3V pass which is a bonus. See Top Gun is one of my favourite films, so I had to go for that look -)

if you have 3V pass then you are about as guaranteed snow as you can be. I hope (and am sure you will) have a great time

And if you get too close for missiles you can always switch to guns.....

blackpool-skier wrote:Why be concerned about the conditions? I have booked it now, so there isn't much i can do about it! :D All i'm bothered about is that i go and have a great time with my mates and get away from it all for a week. If the snow is rubbish - it's just bad luck and we will make the best of it! :-) and if it turns out to be good snow, well that's a bonus to what will already be a fantastic week away!

That's my attitude towards snow conditions anyway! :D

Wise attitude!

Anyway the Meribel webcams show that there seems to be plenty of white stuff so all will be fine for you. VT will likely be slightly better due to altitude so I'd make sure you get the 3V pass just in case. You can lift out of Meribel and into VT in no time now since they replaced the old bubble that looked like it was from a 60s Bond film

Good luck on the Helmet too - I've looked at that style a few times but couldn't quite commit to the full "Top Gun" look -)

Loads of great runs that are regularly bashed - and don't confine yourself to VT either: get the 3 Valleys pass and make sure you go all way to Courchevel and back (easy in a day on blues only - never mind reds). The 4th Valley is fab too

The map has marked on it the "way of the sun" which is all blues (I think) from VT, through Les Menuires and down to St Martin (if you want to stay in one valley - NB though that crossing to Les Men needs the valley pass and not the basic VT only one)

If you want to go to Les Men though beware the boulevard Cumin - its FLAT so needs speed carrying anywhere you can which is tricky until you know it - and basically impossible if you're a one plank user rather than two....

In Les Men though you get access to La Masse area which is all great reds and blues. Great snow almost always and well bashed.

AS VSB points out though - anything can turn into moguls so watch out for the Cairn blue back into town from the Meribel link (depends on where you are staying - you may use Plein Sud). This is a nothing slope but turns a bit mogully and full of beginner snowboarders/skiers at 4pm so may be best avoided....

PM me if you want more detail - love the 3 Valleys

chateaudoz wrote:Although you asked about in-resort prices, they are hard to come by unless someone does some dedicated research for you (I know Andy Hull has offered to report back, generous chap, but its hard to see him trudging around the shops with a clipboard)...so here is something that might help you instead:
It looks like you are self catering, so here is where you can find info on the in-resort food shops: http://www.alpedhuez.com/en/winter/resort/shopping/supply.html
If you are very keen on getting the best prices you can take the bus down into Le Bourg d'Oisans and go to the big Casino supermarket.
The bus is the 3020, timetable here: http://www.transisere.fr/horaires_ligne/index.asp?rub_code=6&lign_id=150
You can get an idea of prices here: http://www.mescoursescasino.fr/ecommerce/GC-catalog/fr/WE38156/?moderetrait=Z2
Otherwise, I can only endorse the comments about the excellent (and large) pizzas at La Grange on Alpette in the Oz/Vaujany sector. In more or less the same place is La P'Oz, specialising in cheap(ish) and cheerful snacks and further down the Alpette run towards Oz Station is the Auberge de l'Alpette which has some of the best value for money food (IMHO) in the resort.
In Oz station itself there are several restaurants which are better value than those on the slopes.

This is why I use this forum (I'm not going to ADH and not perticularly planning to but I now have a sensible piece of advice). Too much hysteria about "ALL of X is this or Everything in Y is THAT" these days. However a sensible post based on facts (personal experience) is exactly what most are here for. Rant Over

Admin wrote:

Snow Cannons at dawn?

Nah - Paulschlote will say they aint on the webcams! 8)

All good, clean, (hopefully white) fun!

me too - I just don't understand your (grammatically woeful) point about Austrian pastures ?

VDI Has been totally upfront about their conditions by having the webcams on all the time. I suspect the other resorts have been the same (I can't comment as I haven't been watching them)

it is only a dusting in the village but you can clearly see the cannons on too so its getting there. The website shows that both the gondola AND the chair up to Solaise are running (though the runs back to Village are not open as yet) so they are obviously happy with the snow up top and not restricting uplift capacity (or they'd only run the gondola)

the cameras in VDI have been on all along and they haven't been hiding anything - to suggest otherwise is disingenuous. And they cant show green pastures at 800m in VDI as its nearly 1000m higher than that

paulschlote wrote:Looks like the smug skiers are in Obergurgl,Val Thorens,Hintertuxx & Kaprun this weekend. None of the webcams in Vald'isere are swithed on in the resort, i wonder why ???

VDI has had all of its cams on for weeks (I know I've been watching them) i've watched them change from green to white over the last few days

Glacier has been open for ages, Solaise opened yesterday and Bellevarde opens tomorrow apparently. oh and the women's FIS races are on so I don't think your prediction of doom is correct for VDI....