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Les Deux Alpes 2020/2021 (inc useful info)

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Time to start a new topic for the winter.

Links
http://www.meteoexploration.com/forecasts/Les-Deux-Alpes/?lang=en https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Les-Deux-Alpes/6day/mid- Forecast
http://www.les2alpes.com/en/ - Official Site
http://www.2alpesnet.com/ - Alternative Site
http://www.meteoexploration.com/forecasts/Les-Deux-Alpes/?lang=en https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Les-Deux-Alpes/6day/mid- Forecast
http://www.bensbus.co.uk/ - Transfers from Grenoble Airport and Lyon Airport
https://www.alp-venture.com/ - Reliable private gransfers
http://www.2alpesnet.com/buses - Lyon and Geneva to Grenoble shuttles and local buses

If you want British instruction there are several options -
- Alex Armand (Chapman) Tiptop ski coaching. Formerly with ESS Alex has been on her own for a couple of years now.
- Easiski (Charlotte) has been here a long time and has many SH fans but she only teaches a little now, existing clients
- European Ski School have a few British instructors too. Ian Huyton, Simon Edwards and John Nelson for skiing and Craig Nelder for Snowboard. All of their Italian instructors speak very good English.
- ESS have one more Brit snowboard stagiaire too, Luke Tonge.
- all other schools, ESF, ESI, Firstrax have other English speaking French and Italian instructors. Some I know personally are very fluent.

For those interested English Football is shown in the Red Frog (open all day) and the Secret Bar (although not open all day so prob not lunchtime kick offs).

If you decide you want to buy boots in resort Cedric at Jacques Sports is highly recommended. He did mine a few years ago and did a grand job.


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 3-10-20 7:58; edited 5 times in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Big dump last weekend as in much of the alps. I was away and when I got back on Tuesday it had gone from town but there must still be a lot higher, can see plenty, it's still pretty cold. Rained most of yesterday, snowed down to about 1900m overnight. Must be a fair bit higher.

We're due to open at Toussaint, first time for 3 years, from 17th October to 1st November for skiing and MTB. Still veiled with cautionary words but unless there is some covid related government decree it should happen. Passes are well priced at 35.90€ for skiing and 20€ for MTB. Pretty sure my season pass which I need to buy before 16th gives me access. I'll get a few days in around other things I need to do then snowHead snowHead

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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
For this Winter Compagnie des Alpes have lost the contract here and been replaced by SATA who also run Alpe d'huez and La Grave. Seen as a positive step by most.
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Looking forward to being in L2A in Jan ..let hope that Covid lets us travel...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Claude B wrote:
For this Winter Compagnie des Alpes have lost the contract here and been replaced by SATA who also run Alpe d'huez and La Grave. Seen as a positive step by most.


Interesting, you say that CDA have lost the contract, does that mean that the actual lift infrastructure is owned by the municipality rather than the lift company and the municipality just awards a contract to a company to operate it? I'd assumed it was the lift company who paid for installing new lifts etc...
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@Alastair Pink, Not sure of the exact relationship but yes I think CdA owned the infrastructure. The communes were so unhappy with them the contract was terminated several years early and awarded to SATA who had to also reach a financial agreement with CdA. Run this through a translator.

https://www.actumontagne.com/economie/la-sata-remporte-la-dsp-des-deux-alpes/
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Alastair Pink, I have read a bit about how it works as have a particular interest in Alpe d'Huez and SATA (Société d’Aménagement Touristique de l’Alpe d’Huez), which is I think 51% owned by Huez municipality, that incorporates Alpe d'Huez. I think they have recently had the contract for Alpe d'Huez extended by 25 years. The satellite villages of Oz, Vaujany together with Allemont got together a few years back and took back control of their lifts. A similar thing happened in Alpe du Grand Serre a couple of years before that when the village was not happy with SATA's running of the lifts. The way I understand is that at the end of the contract there will be some form of valuing /negotiation over the system value and the new company, if there is one, buys them off the old.
Some info on SATA's site https://skipass.alpedhuez.com/hiver/en/about-our-company/
Be interesting to see how it works with LDA as ADH and LDA are a combination of complimentary and competing resorts at the same time and you might have thought there was the possibility of ADH town owning most of SATA being a problem. But then we are talking France here where unusual arrangements and vested interests is just a part of life Laughing
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Just read @Claude B, 's link and Huez owns 60% of SATA it would seem.
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Even in Alpe d'huez there seem to be biennial arguments about ski passes between the communes Toofy Grin @skitow, will know more than me. As well as the commune of Les Deux Alpes (now just one as Venosc and Mont de Lans were combined) St Christophe en Oisans had to agree the change. They must be responsible for a little bit of the mountain somewhere up there.

Hopefully the change will result in the link to La Grave being reintroduced and discounts for us there. They were stopped when SATA took over La Grave, vested interests, no Laughing
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A 6 day pass still gets some skiing days in Alpe d'Huez does it not ...I can't find anything in the info Puzzled
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@DaveD, me neither, little info on winter prices, etc. I'm sure it will include days there and Serre Chevalier as normal.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
White down to about 1850m this morning. Just a sprinkling lower but further up the mountain another decent dump I suspect.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Cheers for the info Claude, I’m looking at doing a season this year in L2A and was hoping to arrive around 28th November when the lifts open.

Looking at the links above and having a google it doesn’t seem as if group transfers are starting until mid December. There doesn’t seem to be a direct public bus from Grenoble airport either? Do you guys know the best way to get to resort at this time or should I just wait until mid December?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Olivier811, slopes don't actually open until 5th December. There is no direct bus but a bus should run from the airport to Grenoble Bus Station. Another bus can be taken from there to here. That's normally the case anyway.

https://reservation.actibus.com/navette/

https://www.transisere.fr/ftp/documents_CG38/fh-3030-5-oct-au-15-nov-2020.pdf
(new timetable from 16th November so check later)
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Claude B wrote:
@Olivier811, slopes don't actually open until 5th December. There is no direct bus but a bus should run from the airport to Grenoble Bus Station. Another bus can be taken from there to here. That's normally the case anyway.

https://reservation.actibus.com/navette/

https://www.transisere.fr/ftp/documents_CG38/fh-3030-5-oct-au-15-nov-2020.pdf
(new timetable from 16th November so check later)


Thanks very much mate, that's great.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi ClaudeB, another travel question please; is there easy public transport or good taxi service to get a family of 4 from L2A to ADH and back for a day trip? We will be in L2A for Christmas week...many thanks
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Whackerlondon, there is a bus which runs, 2 days a week, something like Wednesday and Thursday. If you're with a tour company they normally run a bus too although this winter will be very different for UK TOs i think.

Just woken and in the dark I can see it has snowed down to about 1750m, just above town, again. The rain was very heavy down here last night so again loads of snow up top.

I'm doing a navigation course, this afternoon, tomorrow and Wednesday. Digging out the warmest, most waterproof stuff I can find Shocked
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
La Muzelle already well loaded.

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Just got back after a few days away, it's pretty cold with flurries of snow in resort. Toussaint opening on Saturday so I'll hopefully get a few days in over that 2 week period.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
A lovely picture above that emphasises the granduer of being in the mouhtains, very subtle too.

Can't wait to see them again this season.
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Just had an email from one of the local ski clubs (local to LDA that is) saying all their organised training up on the glacier etc. is cancelled for half term (people welcome to ski on their own of course and this is just one club). A number of cases locally in Bourg d'Oisans etc.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Hasn't put the french team off, they're back here wink I'm going to take a look late morning tomorrow and will go up if it looks quiet, sunshine forecast.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Looks like the riot act has been read pre Toussaint. Just popped into my local bar for a quick beer, Bar taped off, tables all moved apart, anyone without a mask challenged. Tbh it hasn't been a problem during intersaison, so quiet it didn't really matter.
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@davidof, now the second wave has arrived where did you read about the cases in Bourg d'Oisans ?
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Alpinebear wrote:
@davidof, now the second wave has arrived where did you read about the cases in Bourg d'Oisans ?


The email I received from l'Alpe d'Huez ski club but look keep that between ourselves, we don't want to scare the punters.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Opened today for Toussaint. Decided to go up about 10 after looking on the webcam, blue sky and quiet. Cloud down here. Got on the Jandri about 10.45, had a cabin all to myself all the way up.

Une mer de nuages below


Quiet on the glacier. Not long to queue for the t bars up. Snow was lovely.





I'd noticed on the way up that a few people were skiing down to Toura at 2600m and it was largely pisted. So I skied it 3 times snowHead



A really nice 2½ hours or so skiing on beautiful snow with sunshine. 1000m of vertical possible from 3600m down to 2600m although only the top 400m officially open.

Masks obviously necessary and this was observed. I caught the Jandri gondola 4 times and was alone every time. It's been rerouted also so it's not necessary to get out at 2600m. That won't be the case in winter. One guy did try to get on a t bar with me but I just let him go on it alone.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Suspect it could be much busier tomorrow. Quite a lot arriving today, mostly race teams/clubs. Only 1 supermarket open, so heaving. Not all bars, restos, etc open, don't know if they'll all bother. Race clubs don't offer them much business.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Lovely morning, my daily morning view/Ma vue matinale quotidienne - Tête de Lauranoure (3325m), La Muzelle (3465m), Aiguille de Venosc (2830m). Going to head up at 11. I believe it was busier yesterday, we'll see.

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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Went up again today, similar times. Still pretty quiet, especially over lunch and many of the ski clubs finished then. Skied down to Toura, 3 different routes, not as good as Saturday but still ok.

Looking down from Jandri above town.


Toura from Jandri.


More and more restrictions being introduced regarding mask wearing in restos, near schools etc, limits of group sizes meeting, leaving contact details in bars ......
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
https://www.leparisien.fr/societe/les-deux-alpes-rouvrent-leur-glacier-ce-week-end-le-masque-au-ski-ca-tient-chaud-18-10-2020-8403765.php
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Did they open the chair lift?

Looks good. Probably a lot of ski clubs are not operating this year.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@davidof, No, it was closed below the glacier although skiing down that far is possible with a bit of care. We skied down and past the bottom of that lift to get on the Jandri at Toura, 2600m.

A lot of french ski clubs but I haven't seen any Italians or other nationalities.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Another nice start to the day, forecast is good for today and tomorrow followed by a couple of days of rain/snow. Can clearly see snow on Super Diable in this shot taken at dawn.

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Been blowing a hoolie all night, lifts closed atm.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Was closed Wednesday to Friday due to wind and other bad weather. Lifts are running this morning and it has snowed overnight down to 2000m. Forecast is good for this weekend, I've other things on, followed by a few unsettled days. The last few days of opening look good, I should be able to get 1 or 2 more in.

Curfew kicked in here at midnight so not allowed out between 9pm and 6am for the next 6 weeks, which includes the first week of winter opening. The mairie has confirmed that lift operations are not affected by limitations on gatherings, etc.
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Claude, great pictures! Any photos of the park?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@russ_e, summer or winter? It's on the glacier now but will move down to Toura in December. You can see it on this photo, still early and not prepared yet.



You can just see the park last Saturday to the very left of this photo.

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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
In fact I was talking to a friend last night who works in the park, shaping, etc. He'll start on 23rd November prepping the park at Toura ready for opening on 28th.
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Thanks Claude !
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My son was due to go to the Rise Festival in L2A on the 12th December, it was cancelled this week. They have offered him the same ticket (which includes 6 day ski pass) for next year.
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