Opening dates for the 2010/11 Ski Season

• Alpe d’Huez: ?
• Avoriaz: December 11th 2010
• Chamonix: ?
• Courchevel: December 4th 2010
• Flaine: December 11th 2010
• La Plagne: December 11th 2010
• La Rosiere: December 11th 2010
• La Toussuire: ?
• Les Arcs: December 11th 2010
• Les Deux Alpes: October 27th 2010
• Les Gets: December 18th 2010 (earlier if good snow) Thanks @skifamille
• Les Menuire: December 4th 2010
• Meribel: December 4th 2010
• Montgenevre: ?
• Serre Chevalier: December 11th 2010
• Tignes: Open for glacier skiing now – November 27th 2010 for the rest of the resort
• Val d’Isere: November 27th 2010
• Val Thorens: November 20th 2010

Happy Skiing

The Arlberg lift pass covers both the St Anton area and Lech and Zurs area so no need to stop to get a lift pass. What is essentially a large ski area, you will definitely need more than one day to do the area. We only had one day, so we decided to take the White Circle Route which takes a route “fleetingly” around the whole area. More about our day later, onto giving you a general idea about the Lech and Zurs area.

Lech (1450m) is undeniably Austria’s most exclusive resort, along with Zurs and high altitude Oberlech there are six large 5 star hotels here. However it is not entirely exclusive with a chalet in Lech or Zurs costing no more than a similar option in Val d’Isere, Coourchevel and other top ski resorts. Unlike St Anton round the corner, Lech has a refined feel. The hotels are of an excellent standard, and people are just as likely to be seem wondering down the river as they are skiing. However unlike other top resorts there aren’t arcade’s of designer shops here. The real luxury of the resort is it’s charm, with a river running through the centre, the pretty alpine architecture and the warm, friendly, family hotels.

Centre of Lech ski resort

The centre of the resort can however become clogged with traffic, especially at weekends with the base station of the Rufikiopf cable car from the centre. The other cable car from the centre is also the only access available to Oberlech and runs until 1am. Guests staying in Oberlech leave their cars in lech and get up their by cable car. There luggage is delivered through a series of underground tunnels, which in bad weather guests can use too.

Zurs, is the highest of the three resort areas, at 1716m. There is not much of a village here, just a collection of high end hotels built along the busy road. Zurs is the nearest resort to Haus Rauz so you can be in the St Anton ski area in less than half an hour if you’re based in Zurs. Buses are extremely efficient from what we experienced, so make sure you’re on time!  From Zurs you can also get the bus to Lech, as in actual fact the ski is a rather long one.

Zug is the last base in the area and is the cheapest of the three. You can link directly onto the wide pistes above Lech by a 2 man chair lift from Zug, which makes it a handy option.

Zurs ski area looking towards the Trittkopfbahn lift and the free car parks

The skiing in Lech and Zurs seems to contrast completely with technically difficult St Anton. There are only a couple of blacks here and the runs in general feel wider and flatter your ski standard! The snow record is excellent, and they reportedly receive twice the snow of round the corner St Anton (yes unbelievable I think!)  The pistes felt very very quiet, but then we found St Anton to be very crowded so maybe the pistes in Lech were just averagely busy. The lift system is a mixed bag, you’ll ever get high speed 4/6/8 seater heated chairlifts with covers, or old 2 seaters! Luckily these days it is more of the former than the latter.

The main collection of slopes are found on the Oberlech sector and are largely well pisted reds and blues perfect for motorway crusing. Like St Anton the piste map also marks off piste runs (called ski routens), these are marked by diamonds instead of circular piste markers. Most of these are to be avoided if you’re not into off piste, but several are worth a go for the intermerdiate skiier, including the run down from Zurs to Zug (33), part of the White Route. This was a slightly bumpy red run, but wide and with plenty of room to turn.

For off piste officianados then there are some options, don’t be fooled into thinking St Anton is your main option. Probably best to hire a guide to seek out the best areas, but the one thing that is better than St Anton is that it doesn’t all get tracked out within hours.  Off course if you do have time then the off piste in St Anton is legendary and you can take the trip back via the back of the Valluga which can only be navigated with a guide.

The White Ring (Der Weisse Ring) is definitely a great one day activity. It takes you in a circular route around the main areas of Lech sk area and it is this route that we took around the area. You can start from key points, all marked on the map, we started from Zurs. Here is an overview of The White Route as started from Zurs.

As for apres ski in the areas, then it’s certainly not as mad as St Anton, there’s no Mooserwirt equivalent, well not that we could find. Most of the apres ski centred on the hotel bars from the afternoon hotspot of the hotel Montana in Oberlech to almost any of the hotel’s discos. As most people tend to be on Full Board holidays the only restaurants tend to be in the hotels, rather than independent restaurants, but there are plenty of options available.

Personally I loved Lech and the areas around. The skiing really does have that free, expansive feeling, unlike local St Anton. I’d compare it more to Tignes, but perhaps without the difficulty, as it’s quite bleak, but with brilliant motorway pistes. It’s probably a great resort for anyone who’s skiied between 0 and 6 weeks, after that you may get a bit bored unless you’re already throwing yourself down off piste or are happy to commute to St Anton for some harder runs.

St Anton has 2 lift linked ski resorts, St Christoph and Stuben. St Christoph is famous for the Hospiz, it has an extensive history, starting life as a monestary and being rebuilt many times, it is now an exclusive 5 star hotel. The Hospiz dominates St Christoph village which is geared towards affluent visitors who shun noisy nightlife.

Stuben is quieter still, with several affordable family run hotels. Until 2001 Nasserein was a poor relation to St Anton, being linked only by bus, but in 2001 the Nasserein Bubble was added that will take you up to Gampen, now Nasserein provides cheaper accommodation with excellent access to the skiing and with only a quick bus ride or 10-15 minute walk to St Anton itself.

St Anton Ski Area

View from Kapall, with the lift open / close signs availbale at all major points

The St Anton ski area includes three main areas, the south facing Galzig / Valluga area pistes, accessed mainly by the Galzig bahn and the Kapall area, accessed to Gampen by the Gampen Chair or the Nasserein bahn. The other St Anton ski area faces north, Rendl and is accessed from the new Rendlbahn.

There are beginner nursery slopes located on the main St Anton pistes and in the Nasserein area. I’d recommend using the beginners slopes in the Nasserein area as it’s more extensive and seemed to be quieter. However St Anton is really not a beginners resort, usually about 3 days into the first week of lessons you would progress up the mountain, but I can’t think of a single blue that I would have fancied going down after 3 days of lessons! If you’re adventurous and with some gusto then I’m sure you would improve at St Anton far quicker than you would at any other resort.

It is advanced and expert skiiers that will enjoy St Anton the most. For intermediates the blue runs are potentially red runs in other resorts, although I did feel that the red and black runs weren’t massively harder than other resorts. For those looking to progress to expert skiiers then you have the option of the Ski Routen runs, marked by diamond piste markers instead of circles. These are marked off piste runs which are provided to provide a safer route down (note they are not patrolled though and avalanche care still needs to be taken.) In reality though most were well trodden and a good, safe challenge. For experts there is plentiful off piste to be tried within the resort, including the famous run off the back of the Valluga only accessible from the Valluga II cable car, which you are only allowed up if accommpanied by a guide. This run leads back to Zurs and is the only way to reach Zurs without getting on a bus or driving.

Intermediates may best enjoy Stuben’s North slopes, they will be best in the area in warm weather, but of course will be on the chilly side! There are several great reds here with views up the mountain to Zurs and Lech. When we went this was definitely a quieter area that the main St Anton areas. There were certainly no lift queues here, but you will be riding several old 2 man chairs so don’t be in a rush to get anywhere here.

The design forward Galzig Bahn - St Anton

Speaking of lift queues, at Easter there weren’t really many considering it was the holiday season. At the Nasserein bahn, yes the queue looked longish, but actually was not more than 10 minutes in the morning “rush hour”. At other times there was around a 2 minute wait to be had. The other lifts barely had queues at all, but the one we struggled with most was the connector chairlift between Kappall and Galzig areas, the Zammermoos, this provides good access without going back to St Anton but you may have a 15 minutes wait on your hands, this is made worse by the fact it’s also at the end of the only black run in the Galzig area (number 2). Most other chair lifts are fast and new 4 / 6 seaters, some of which are heated, a godsend in colder weather. The other thing to add about the lift system, is that the designers really have thought about the usability of the lifts, the Galzig bahn now is accessed at the ground and then loops up to reach the wire (see picture), there are escalators at the Rendlbahn and Nasserein bahn from ground to bring you up to the lift, at most lifts there are moving carpets to ease you on and many have heated seats.

The Kappall area provides what feel like less skiing as it’s more compact but does have several good blue and red runs, and also a lovely black that runs all the way from the top lift down to the Nasserein bahn. The other area is the Rendl area, this year December 2009, the new Rendl bahn was opened, moving the access to this area into the centre of town (100 metres from the Galzig bahn). The bubble is an 8 seater and heated and cuts the lift time on the previous bubble by a third. The Rendl is again an intermediates playground with some good reds and the only snow park in St Anton. There are also several blues but the only way down is by a windy long red, however you could get the bubble back down instead of navigating this.

St Anton Apres Ski

The legendary apres ski bar in St Anton - The Mooserwirt

The apres ski in St Anton is legendary and centres around several piste side mountain restaurants until the early evening. The Krazy Kangaruh, just off the main run from the Galzig area was the first. However in more recent times the Mooserwirt, on the other side of the piste, has become more popular. This plays traditional German folk music mainly and is pumping by mid afternoon. Be warned it will be absolutely rammed, so get there earliesh to get a space for a large group. The ski back to town (they both close at 8pm) is a snow cannon slalom, short but often performed imperfectly.

Hotel Tirolerhof - St Jakob near St Anton

There is plenty of accommodation in and around St Anton, we stayed in St Jakob, just 2km down the road from Nasserein and only 4 minutes on the number 5 bus (leaving at 08-40, 9am and 20 minutes there after in the mornings. The hotel was called Hotel Tirolerhof and it really is a great option if you’re looking for a good value hotel in or around St Anton. However if you really must stay in St Anton, try Crystal Ski . There are also many many Pensions (B&B) find all of these on the St Anton tourist website, but one very reasonable one is the Haus Rali from 275 euros per person for a week including a 6 day lift pass. Buses connect all the main area, and they are extremely efficient, don’t be late, because they won’t wait (as we discovered)!

Our verdict on St Anton ski resort

All in all we loved St Anton ski resort, it’s a great area for progressive skiers, though not a great area for beginners, and a brilliant area for apres ski lovers.

Also check out our posts on the lush Arlberg Well.com spa and Lech and Zurs ski areas (available to ski on your lift pass though only accessible by road.)

We spent the first couple of hours in and around the Gampen and Kapall area blowing off the cob webs by skiing; the blue and red runs and also experiencing a T-bar lift for the first time in 20 years. After a quick pit stop in the Heusstadl mountain restaurant we headed towards the Galzig area then up to Schindler Spitze. The red and blue run from Schindler Spitze to Alpe Rauz was very bumpy and ideal for picking holes in any un-technical skiing style (like mine). After this leg burning run we headed back to the Galzig and stopped for a bite to eat. Post lunch skiing involved the busy blue run back to the Mattun lift then skiing down the black and runs from Kapall to the bars at the Nasserein lift for a well deserved après drink.

Though it snowed last night (approx 10cms at resort level) the increased temperature and number of skiers the majority of the runs were becoming bumpy, especially the final 500 metres into St Anton. With the temperature predicted to stay above freezing on Tuesday it would be wise to ski as high as possible or maybe head to the north facing slopes where the conditions maybe better. We’ll keep you posted. Auf wiedersehen.

Morzine is at 1,000m, thus in 1960 Avoriaz was born to allow higher skiing and lifts above Morzine. This then was the start of the now famous Portes du Soleil ski area which now includes 12 resorts, 8 on the French side and 4 on the Swiss side.

Skiing in and around Morzine is best suited to beginners and early intermediates. This area is also tree lined, making it a good option in bad weather. This and the brilliant resort facilities makes Morzine a firm favourite with families. There are three areas main areas to ski in and around Morzine, Pleney, Nyon Chamosserie and Super Mozine.

Pleney is the main area and where you will likely spend time if you are having lessons. Nyon Chamosserie is for the more intermediate skier, with plenty of blues and reds back to Morzine or Les Gets. Super Morzine offers the route into Avoriaz for more intermediate skiing, but the runs in this area are also well worth a go. It offers some wide inviting blue runs for beginners/intermediates to practice on.

You have two lift pass options, choose a Morzine / Les Gets pass for 150 euros for 6 days, alternatively if you want a larger area to ski opt for the Portes du Soleil area pass at 205 euros. If you choose the Portes du Soleil lift pass then you can venture into the intermediate area of Avoriaz. It’s a little bit of a hike up the Prodains lifts, but well worth it for powder hounds.

If you’re looking for a good ski school then we recommend Sally at the Snow Institute in Morzine. Choose from group lessons or private lessons from a well respected, English speaking company. Alternatively opt for BASS .

There are some really good options for mountain restaurants in the area, including Le Vaffieu which is at the top of Pleney, if you’re on foot then you can walk there from Morzine in about 40 minutes. Alternatively try Chez Nannon on they Nyon Plateau, it offers excellent food, and therefore is likely to be busy in good or bad weather, you must book!

In the evenings there are plenty of choices in Morzine, try Dixies, the Irish pub, the Buddha Bar is better for those looking for a quieter drink. For our top restaurant venture slightly out of resort to The Auberge at Ardent, whose tag is that “Food is an art and art take time, so please be patient. Believe us it’s worth the hike and the wait”. Though sometimes we think they keep us waiting so we drink more! It’s pretty small so do book. Alternatively for something in town and at good value try Le Café Chaud, which offers great traditional Savoyard menus.

For other activities in Morzine then try dog sledding, if you practice in January or February you can take part in the yearly International competition. There’s also an ice skating rink with an ice hockey team so you can try and catch a game. Morzine is a proper town and therefore the shopping is very good, so try and make time around the skiing.

Travelling to Morzine is easy by plane, car or train. If flying then Geneva airport is only 50 miles from Morzine, about 1 hour 30 minutes by bus or taxi. Flights are available from most UK airports to Geneva including the usual low cost carriers. Morzine is one of the nearest major resorts to Calais, and will take around 8 hours to travel, without breaks. Tolls cost will be around 70 euros each way. Alternatively, and a lesser known option is to travel to Morzine by train. Take the Eurostar to Paris and then change for the direct train to Thonon, it takes around 4 and a half hours and if you book early the seats can be as cheap as 80 euros return. The transfer up the mountain will take around 40 minutes.

All in all, Morzine is a fantastic resort with great skiing, and access to a massive ski area. The town itself is a traditional mountain town with an unspoilt feel. It’s a must visit for families, beginners, intermediates and mile eaters looking to explore the wider Portes du Soleil area.

Val Cenis ski resort is situated at almost the end of the Maurienne Valley, near the border with Italy. Val Cenis ski resort is for those that want great skiing but in an undeveloped part of the Alps. Val Cenis is made up of two villages, Lanslevillard and Lanslebourg, these are both unspoilt and largely uncommercialised.  The Val Cenis villages are quiet, so you’re unlikely to want to visit if you’re looking for loads of apres ski, but there are enough bars and restaurants to keep most going. There is also an ice rink, cinema, bowling alley and swimming pool.

Val Cenis offers resort great skiing for all abilities. beginners and improvers can access the whole area. The vertical drop from top to bottom is 1400m, amongst the highest in Europe. For beginners, there is a fantastic gren green, l’Escargot that links with other slopes as it descends 10km! For more advanced skiiers there are plenty of challenging reds and several blacks including the 4.5 km Jacot run. There are also some fab off piste skiing in the large bowls or in the forest. Val Cenis ski resort is also renowned for being pretty much queue free meaning you spend as much time skiing as possible.

MGS Ski - Marcel Apartments

MGS Ski is based in Lanslevillard, the nearest of the Val Cenis areas to the piste, meaning that you’ll never have that far to walk to the piste. They have a large range of apartments available to rent for groups from 2 to 8 people. The prices start from a very £300 per person, this price includes equipment hire and lift pass. Ski lessons can also be booked through them as required. To make your holiday as stress free as possible, MGS Ski, will leave your lift pass and any lesson information in the apartment. On Sunday morning they are on hand to introduce you to your instructor and make sure there are no problems. On Sunday evening the staff will pop in again to ensure that everything is satisfactory.

MGS Ski - Hotel La Cle de Champs

MGS Ski also have 2 hotels available situated about 250m from Lanslevillard, about
250m from the nearest lift. Cle des Champs and Moulin de Marie are based next to each other an are run by the same family. These hotels are offered on a half board or B&B bases and prices start from £565 and £365 respectively.

One other excellent organisation is the group skiing sessions. If you’re not having lessons and wish to ski with others of a similar level, MGS Ski organise group skiing. They are always popular and great for those who want to get out for some apres ski after the skiing. You can also take part in MGS Ski evening apres ski programme which takes place around the Val Cenis ski resort on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. There, of course, is no obligation to take part in any of the group activities.

Travel options include driving to Val Cenis which is around 600 miles and around 9 hours from Calais. You can also take the train to Val Cenis. Take the Eurostar to Paris, then take a train to Chambery and change to a local train to Modane, this leaves you 24km from resort, where a taxi or bus can be taken. Alternatively, and perhaps most popularly, fly to Val Cenis. The easiest option is to fly to Chambery which is about 1.5 hours from Val Cenis, or fly to Geneva or Lyon with a 2.5 – 3 hours transfer time.

Holidaying with MGS Ski really does look like a fantastic ski holiday option with a self catering programme with added features. Find out more and book at their website – http://www.mgsski.com/

Surely there are few adrenalin rushes like the ones which come from skiing like a Demon because you have to get back to the chairlift to your own resort before it closes, otherwise you have to climb in the chilly shadow of the mountain carrying your gear and dreaming of the pub on the other side that seems very very far away … This year, we nearly didn’t make it because we were too excited exploring the abundance of runs in Espace Diamant, France.

I first went to Les Saisies Winter 2003 with my mum who had been there the previous year with Classic Ski. At that time, Espace Diamant had not yet opened, but Les Saisies did and still does cater for all skills. Even now, a ski-lift pass for just the Les Saisies area is really loads to explore, especially for those just starting out on green and blue runs.  The red and blacks are also damn fine and there resides my favourite name for a black run to date – Kamikaze!

But hey, why stop at one ski resort when you can have 5? Diamant Space opened in 2005 connecting the Savoyard village resorts of Les Saisies/Hauteluce/Bisanne 1500 in the Beaufortain and Notre-Dame de Bellecombe , Crest-Voland/Cohennoz, Flumet and Praz sur Arly in the Val d’Arly, covering 185 km of slopes and 154 pistes. This past week has been my 4th season at Les Saisies and I managed to explore loads, one day getting as far as the other side of Espace Diamant to Ban Rouge ( – albeit alone unfortunately because Ian had a wipe out that rendered him chained to painkillers and an arm-sling but more about that later) and back to Les Saisies in one day.

The whole week I heard three English voices and a few Germans but that was about it. And note, take that translating dictionary! My french speaking skills were challenged when ordering food, sorting accommodation or discussing products for hygiene at the pharmacy. I assume this is because English just isn’t a language thats come through the door much. I truly love it when my charades skills are used more than my language skills as it makes me feel like I’m really not in Kansas anymore and it livens things up! But in saying that, there was no trouble when getting ski gear or such things. There was always someone around at these places that spoke English and jumped at the chance to practice. And my mum tells me there are ski instructors who speak English if you want to take any lessons, but you have to ask for them specifically.

Taken from my mum’s research, she claims the area is excellent for ski schools and those with children who are learning. Certainly the children’s ski school area was always full of tots and there was a healthy balance of helmeted little puffballs zipping past me with seemingly no fear factor on the lower slopes. I did note a broad spectrum of skiers with snowboarders of all ages to young families and balance of ski levels. The slopes just felt a little more social somehow, unlike my experiences of places like Whistler which often felt like a swarm of wasps in ski googles would cut you off without a second thought at any moment. But I may also have noticed this more because the slopes were simply not crowded – at all. I don’t think I queued once at lifts and there was more than enough room for all. Its that sort of thing that can make that first try at a new black run not so tense.

Snow-wise, I’m not expert of quality but the skiing was glorious bar a few times on the first day when I could hardly see the tips of my skis from the whiteout of snow. This cleared by day 2 and the rest of the week was fabulous. The two heavy snow falls during the week kept the runs as fresh as I’ve ever known them.

More postings of spills n’ thrills to come from this Les Saisies trip for accommodation / getting there / tips / gear.

Lindsay Perth

We stayed at the UCPA in La Plagne on a 4 day weekend ski trip. All UCPA skiing or snowboard holidays include lift passes for the area, ski or board hire and all meals. For all this the cost was only £250. With week long trips you can also choose to have group UCPA ski or snowboard lessons. Travel is not included but there are plenty of reasonable independent ways to travel to the Franch Alps.

When you check in at the La Plagne UCPA, manned by the extremely lovely Audrey whilst we were there, you will be handed your lift pass, and your voucher to pick up your ski’s or snowboard from the onsite hire shop. You will need to have 100 euros in cash on you as a deposit.

The La Plagne UCPA is situated right on the piste in La Plagne Centre, with several lift options. You can walk about 100metres to the Funiplagne that goes up to La Grande Rochette or ski down to Melezes chairlift or beyond that to La Plagne 1800. Either way you can get to a number of different ski areas in La Plagne very quickly.

The UCPA itself sleeps 240 people with all it’s rooms ensuite and sleeping either 2 or 4 people. Typically you will be allocated a 4 bed room with either friends or others if you’re travelling on your own or in a group less than 4. However if you’re travelling with a partner, or you’d like a 2 bed room, just ask at the point of booking and you can upgrade for 50 euros.

We stayed in one of the 4 bed rooms and it was spacious with everything you’ll need, 2 wardrobes, a large chest of drawers and each bed had a bedside table and lamp. There was also a large ensuite bathroom. We were located on the piste side of the UCPA, which offered great views up the mountain but also meant that the piste bashers could be heard at night, so we’d recommend ear plugs if you’re a light sleeper. Saying that any convenient piste side hotel / chalet is going to be the same anyway.

All holidays at the UCPA are fully inclusive and, unlike other catered ski holidays, include lunch too. The day starts off in the morning with a cold breakfast, with a range of cereals, yoghurts, fruits, bread and juices. Also an interesting one to watch is that tea and coffee is taken in a cereal bowl. Strange, but I got to love my cup of tea in a cereal bowl every morning! Lunch can either be taken as a packed lunch (requested the night before) or a hot meal back at the UCPA. Evening meals are 3 course buffet style and offer a range of food, including traditional French meals with the odd themed night thrown in (Caribbean when we were there.) All the food on our stay was plentiful and nutritional. Puddings are provided, but for a lighter option try the ice cream and sorbet available every night, which was of really great quality. After all meals you are responsible for returning your plates and cutlery and ensuring your table is clean. It takes only a couple of minutes and is no hassle at all.

After dinner you can take advantage of the large piste side bar where the drinks are very reasonable. Drinks are purchased by a token system, each token pack costs 22.50 euros and will buy you a good few beers behind the bar. We worked out that a bottle of wine cost around 9 euros, which is very good value for a ski resort. The bar is lively, but doesn’t tend to have live music. For that you can head along the fantastic underground tunnel to the Igloo Bar, which has live music every night and a great atmosphere.

All in all we loved the weekend at the UCPA, the facilities themselves were better than some hotels we’ve stayed in and the value for money is truly outstanding. It’s also a great option if you’re travelling solo and want to ski or board with others. La Plagne ski area is great for all levels of skier or boarder, more can be found about the La Plagne area here.

An all inclusive 4 day weekend at the La Plagne UCPA costs around 235 euros or a weeks holiday starts from 535 euros (490 euros without lessons). Unfortunately all 4 day weekend breaks at La Plagne UCPA are sold out for this ski season (2010), a 2 day weekend can still be booked for only 170 euros.  Alernatively 4 day weekend breaks are still available at various other UCPA’s and start from 220 euros. You can find out more and book online at the UCPA website.

UCPA centres can be found in the following ski resorts (note they are all different, and have a different standard of accommodation):

UCPA Argentière
UCPA Chamonix
UCPA Contamines
UCPA Flaine les Lindars
UCPA La Plagne – Le France  (the one we stayed in)
UCPA La Plagne 1800
UCPA Les Arcs 1600
UCPA Les 2 Alpes
UCPA Saint Sorlin
UCPA Saint Lary
UCPA Serre Chevalier
UCPA Tignes
UCPA Val Cenis
UCPA Val d’Isere
UCPA Valloire
UCPA Val Thorens
UCPA Vars

After a few (literally) warm-up runs we decided to take the Verdons Nord chair lift over to the Champagny ski area. We hadn’t realised quite how large the ski area was on this side of the mountain and took a few minutes   to take in the amazing view from the top of La Grande Rochette. The snow was fantastic and we took the Kamikaze red run down to the bottom of the Verdons Sud chairlift. From there we were going to go back up and come down a blue the other side but the queue was pretty long so we decided to keep going towards Champagny itself. At the top of the Les Bois red run leading down into Champagny was a sign saying that the run was for ‘Very good skiers only’. This put a slight element of doubt in our heads as to what we were about to experience but in actual fact the run was no harder than any other run we’d been on, just a bit narrow. Although having said that I’m sure if the snow conditions were poorer it might not have been the same story!

Champagny looked like a  lovely little village and being just a quick bubble ride up to the main ski area would be an ideal option for those looking to stay in a more traditional alpine village. From the top of the bubble we took another chairlift and spent the next hour practicing our off-piste mogul technique on a great spot of powder between the two blue runs coming down from the Borselierss chairlift. After tiring ourselves we headed to the restaurant at the bottom of the lift for a much needed lunch. Because of the glorious conditions the sun terrace was packed and we were slightly concerned that we’d be spending the rest of our final day in a queue for a horribly overpriced baguette but were pleasantly surprised at both the speed of service and the food.

After lunch we endured three very cold chair lift rides to take us back to the top of the Rocher de Mio. Our plan had been to then take the Bellecote bubble up to the glacier but with no feeling left in our fingers and toes we decided that we just needed to get moving again! We took the glorious Les Inversens red run down to the bottom of the Inversens chair lift. From there we spotted an interesting looking black run and after a trip up the chair and another run down the red to get full feeling back in our extremities we decided to try the black, Les Crozats. It wasn’t the hardest black run we’ve ever skied but it was narrow and the main mogul field was pretty carved up with powder on one side and sheet ice on the other. Needless to say it was challenging and we all felt we’d had a good work out by the end. Five minutes later we’d have given anything to be back on that black run when we were poling along the incredibly flat Route des Bauches blue run towards Montchavin. There had been a warning sign at the start of the run telling us that it was ‘flat for 1km’ but for some reason we hadn’t believed it and had carried on regardless, how sorry we were!!

We then took the long trek back across to La Plagne Centre, encountering by far the biggest queue of the day at the Colosses chair lift. From the top of there we skied our final run back down to the UCPA wishing that we didn’t have to go home…

And that’s us signing off from the #TwiSkiTrip to La Plagne. Keep an eye on our blog and twitter feed for more useful ski information.

The Ski-C girls

Photo’s © Arthur Bullard

1. Of all the visitors to La Plagne 76% are French. Of the foreigners British come highest with nearly 13% of visitors coming from Britain, closely followed by the Belgians and Dutch.

2. 50% of holidayers to La Plagne come with their families.

3. 15% of all visitors to La Plagne are snowboarders.

4.  Only 5% of visitors to La Plagne are beginners.

5. 36% of all visitors are returning to La Plagne.

6. 13% of all visitors regularly ski in La Plagne.

7. Men make up the vast proportion of La Plagne visitors with 65% (get on over single gals!)

8.  33% of all visitors to La Plagne are aged between 35 and 44 years old. A quarter older than in other surrounding resorts.

9. 436,517 holidays were taken in La Plagne in total in the 2008 / 2009 ski season.

10. La Plagne has the only official bobsleigh run in the whole of France 

The last interesting fact is that no doubt you’ll have a great holiday in La Plagne should you win our great competition at http://www.ski-concierge.com/competitions.