Latest posts for the topic "Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!"

Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Mon, 11 Jan 2016 15:55:00 GMT

Looking for advice on the ski runs from people that have used them recently!

Travelling with my two boarder friends and my other half who is fairly novice (he's done a weeks holiday and some snow dome lessons). He can get down hemels snow dome - looking like a beginner, but safely and with control. We plan on going there a few times before our holiday.

My question is which runs are most suitable for him on day one?
I'm not the best at reading the piste maps - as in have no idea which runs are labelled blue but might be red in places.
Which do I avoid on day one?
Which lifts do I get up there?

I'm sure once I've got my feet on the ground I will work it out - just want a plan of action prepared!!

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Mon, 11 Jan 2016 18:21:45 GMT

Exact lifts will depend on where in the town you're based, but the Blues on the plateau immediately above the town (Cretes) sound like they'd suit your OH. There are some much longer runs that lead back to there that you and your other friends can have fun on and your OH can perhaps join you on those as his confidence builds.

There is a new Blue home run down from there now, but check it out first before committing your OH to it. If you don't think he's ready then he can come down in one of several lifts; a much better option for a beginner than the ludicrously long and narrow Green path that was the previous choice. There is a Black (and a Red I think) also, but perhaps leave those until next trip... :lol:

The Cretes area is great for early skiers though, and you've the option of the long blues to build confidence so should have a lot of fun.

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Mon, 11 Jan 2016 18:31:20 GMT

Best advice has to be one or two days with ski instructor-nobody knows their own resorts better than the instructors.

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Mon, 11 Jan 2016 22:35:39 GMT

Avoid the long green at all costs, it is horrible. A real quad burner especially when the snow coverage is poor as it narrows. It will be interesting to hear some comments on the new Blue run. We are in LDA at Easter.

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Mon, 11 Jan 2016 23:24:35 GMT

The Vallee Blanche on the other side from the main slopes is where I would send a beginner ,,if there is the snow ..quite a few nice blues..

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 12:08:31 GMT

ok - avoid the long green (I bet he will want to do it!)

It looks like the ski company lays on ski guiding/coaching but play that one by ear depending who else wants to use the service i think.

we are staying at hotel le cret - which lifts are closest to that?

which lifts are for the free greens? - it looks like we will arrive in time to use those in the afternoon.

Just trying to get my head around it - I normally just follow and get told when to let myself go!!

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 12:10:22 GMT

I was there last year and my advice is to go high. All the nice blues are at the top, where as the lower slopes can be a bit challenging. Take the Jandri express gondola. You can ski a few runs that are nice cruising runs then get back to the top on one or two chairlifts. I can't remember which ones we used but I can do a bit research and let you know. At the end of day let your other half come down on the lift. We hadnt much snow at the bottom last year so frequently did this. Obviously it all depends on where you're staying to how central the lifts are.

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 12:13:11 GMT

Thank yve - I did just notice the jandri express and wondered if that was the way forward on the first time with lift pass!

does the express have pit stops? or is it just to the top?

Which lift gets you back down - just that one - or others too?

I want to be prepared as i can't stand hanging around 'deciding what to do'

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 12:18:39 GMT

Easy greens - any of the green runs at resort level. Do not do the green run back to resort. It is hideous.

Easy blues - Les Cretes immediately above the resort and the two runs on the glacier.

Progressing blues - Vallee Blanche - nice side of the mountain. Often less busy than the main side. Signal blue - often missed-out because it doesn't go anywhere. Bellecombe blue is nice and seldom skied. Petite Aguille is a good piste (a little steeper IIRC but is right at one end of the resort)

I have heard that the blue back to resort isn't as bad as expected BUT I expect that a lot will depend on conditions and the time of day. If icy avoid. If "home time" avoid.

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 20:40:44 GMT

You can ski half way down on nice runs then I think there's 3 or 4 lifts into the village. In the morning the Jandri lift can be quite busy. There.s a lift left of it ( think it's blances ) we used to take that up then you ski a little way down then get a chairlift can't remember name sorry. Then I'm sure it was the Telepherique lift to the top. The other lifts I remember using a lot were l'Apette, Bellecomes, Cretes and Diable. Hope this helps.

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 21:21:14 GMT

Lots of different ways of getting up the mountain.

Jandri Express - gets you a long way there, but can be HUGE queues

White Eggs to Cretes and then cable car most of the way up.

Go up one or two of the greens at resort level and ski over to the Diable 6 person chair at the Venosc end of the village. Then ski Bellecombe green to the cable car (you may be able to get to the cable car by skiing down Cretes - I have forgotten).

If you are at LDA 1800, take Village chair to Cretes. Then get the cable car - you may have to catch Cretes chair and ski Bellecombes green to get to the cable car.

To get a definitive answer, put a post on Snowheads forum - Colin/Claude lives in LDA and is usually v helpful on Snowheads.

If any of you are boarders, I understand that Fee sector has lots of flat bits (someone else can confirm?)

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 21:29:07 GMT

WaggieWoo - I have just asked on Snowheads because it is bugging me that I cannot remember (despite having been to the resort twice)

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 21:34:15 GMT

Yes, Fee has a lot of flats....my daughter has never cursed so much in her life :oops:

Re:Idiots guide to Les Deux Alps ski runs - please!!

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 21:35:43 GMT

It's bad enough when you've got a couple of poles. Must be miserable having to do the shuffle of shame on a board.