 Poster: A snowHead
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Considering a last minute DIY booking in Champoluc for Christmas for a family of 4 - kids ages 8 and 12 , intermediate skiers and adults advanced intermediates . Have found a great TO deal but from MAN and my husband is not keen ( we are in London) . So trying to DIY it . Our friends are staying in Campzero which looks great but above our budget, so any recommendations for where to stay ? Hotels or apartments are both considered. Also any recommendations for ski school/ instructors for kids? Any other recommendations welcome too
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Bella2015, we found the Hotel L'Aiglon comfortable and there was a good breakfast. I think there's a small wellness area (though that was shut under the covid hangover when we were there) and it's not too far from the lift (you can store gear at the ski hire place at the lift). Guess it depends what you want, but for us it suited - simple but effective!
Le Sapin restaurant was highly recommended to us by various people on here and proved to be a winner. The bar at the bottom of the lift - it's just a hut with outdoor seating, can't remember the name - was quite fun for Apres and did a decent hot chocolate with rum. 
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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?
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The Breithorn brasserie has a very unprepossessing menu outside but we were dragged there in August and the poorly described food was really very good.
More for adults than kids but the Essential d'Andreone is also lovely.
Of course, the Sapin.
There's a new hotel in town which looks nice no idea re prices.
Aiglon or Belvedere might work.
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We stayed here, well priced, comfortable and decent food. Not that close to the lifts though, we walked it each day. Kids left shoes at the rental place closer to the lifts.
https://www.hotelcastor.eu/
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| kitenski wrote: |
We stayed here, well priced, comfortable and decent food. Not that close to the lifts though, we walked it each day. Kids left shoes at the rental place closer to the lifts.
https://www.hotelcastor.eu/ |
We have stayed at the Hotel Castor too, an excellent choice but as above about 400 yards from the lift. You can keep your skis at one of the ski hire shops nearby though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We've enjoyed the Hotel de Champoluc twice, although it was probably 10-15 years ago. https://www.hoteldechampoluc.it/
Basically ski-in, and almost ski out. Right next to the gondola, and a large comfortable bar area serving fantastic Bombardinos in front of a roaring fire, whilst trying to answer the questions on Italian "Who wants to be a millionaire" without any of us knowing any more Italian than "tre Bombardini per favore".
The owner was a bit of a wine connoisseur too, and held weekly Wine tasting 'lessons'. Take it easy on the slopes and during early apres that day - you don't want to damage your taste buds. See if you can get him to open the good Barolo
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@Judwin, this is where the deal l found with TO is! However can’t convince my husband that it is worth flying from Manchester. Who did you book with , do you remember? Hotel doesn’t seem to have availability directly but maybe other TOs can offer London flights
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@kitenski, @under a new name, @ElzP, thank you, will look into those
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Bella2015, surprised TO can’t offer any LON flights 
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@Bella2015, also looks like they have availability on their site
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@under a new name, they can but very expensive ones so not a good deal
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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.
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@Bella2015, we had friends stay at the Hotel De Champoluc last season and went for dinner and drinks there with them - they were with Ski Esprit. Food was decent though nothing special (plenty of it and lots of selection so good for kids?), drinks in the bar were great, and they said everything was pretty comfortable and well organised (they have a 2 year old so were very keen on the baby sitting services!)
It's extremely convenient for the pistes!
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| Bella2015 wrote: |
| @Judwin, this is where the deal l found with TO is! However can’t convince my husband that it is worth flying from Manchester. Who did you book with , do you remember? Hotel doesn’t seem to have availability directly but maybe other TOs can offer London flights |
It was with Crystal both times, via Turin. I think we flew from Stansted, probably with Brittania before they morphed into Tompson/Tui.
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You know it makes sense.
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@under a new name, for Christmas week no availability directly on the hotel website
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I know you're trying to join up with some friends that have already booked, but personally, I wouldn't book for anywhere in the Monte Rosa area before/for Xmas (with the possible exception of Cervinia) until last minute when you know the snow conditions.
I've been to both Gressoney and Champoluc in mid January. Neither were fully open due to lack of snow. Gressoney just had 3 runs on ribbons of man made, and they bussed us to Cervinia on two days. Champoluc was better, but you still couldn't get over the top into the Gressoney valley.
The third time was in Mid March to Champoluc. The place was entirely different (as is anywhere to be honest) when the full area is open, and there is knee deep powder everywhere.
I know it's pot luck with the weather and snow, and it might well bucket down the night you arrive, but you can skew the odds by picking more snow sure places early season.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Judwin, this is a good point- if we left it so late already, maybe we should wait till the last moment and see where the snow is and find some last minute deals if we can.. doesn’t have to be Champoluc, would be nice to join our friends but not a must just want to ski and it may well be our only chance this season…
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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So l have taken the plunge and booked Hotel De Champoluc with Esprit with Manchester flights - was just a good price, it was almost half cheaper then the same holiday with London flights. Hopefully it will be ok. As we are flying early on Monday 19 Dec- l guess we will spend a day in Manchester on Sunday , so need to something to do there for a day and a cheap hotel/ parking
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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?
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@Judwin, I am curious as to when those trips were. Just because we go to Champoluc quite a lot and not "fully open" doesn't really resonate other than that e.g. the left most piste down from Ostafa is usually reserved for gate training, and lower Punta Jolanda slopes aren't very well cannoned up and can be closed in deepest season. F'rinstance.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Langski, thank you - great reports! How old were your kids if you don’t mind me asking- ours are almost 9 and 12 so indeed on the very top of Esprit age and the older one has skied quite a bit ( so is about 3 star ESF level) so not sure if l should book him with Esprit lessons or just local ski school. We also now have another family with similar aged kids coming with us - so have two 9 yr olds and two 12 yr olds..
To complicate the matters the 12 yr olds are now saying they want to give snowboarding a try … @under a new name, as you seem to know Champoluc well , do you think it is a good place to learn snowboarding or should l convince them to keep skiing for now ( l understand there isn’t much beginner slopes so guess it would not be ideal place to switch to snowboarding) ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ours are very similar ages. Worth talking to esprit on the phone as we have found they have advanced children’s lessons available but not always shown online.
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@under a new name,
Our Gressoney trip was 15th Jan 2002 for a week. Only 3 runs were open, and it was not possible to ski back down into Gressoney. This was the worst week I've had snow wise anywhere.
Our first Champoluc was 19th Jan 2006 for a week. Most - perhaps all - of the Champoluc valley was open, but the lift up to the BettaForca was closed, so it wasn't possible to get over into the Gressoney valley. There was a big dump midweek though, so we did have knee deep powder for a couple of days. We were able to ski back down to Champoluc every day though (usually chased down by the rozzers).
The second Champoluc was 19th March 2006 for a week. On this trip the whole of Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna were linked and accessible, although it did get quite warm so the lower parts of Alagna were a bit porridgy.
We also went to Sestriere 21st Jan 2007 for a week. The area was very brown when we arrived, but foul weather swept in overnight on our first night so the trip worked out just fine. However, if we'd been there a week earlier things would have been different.
I really enjoyed Champoluc and would go back in a heartbeat if the opportunity arose - but I would be reluctant to book in advance for any dates prior to late Jan now. Before and immediatley after XMAS we now always go high in France - Tignes, Val T, La Plagne. Snow cannons may well have improved, but there ain't no beating the natural stuff IMHO.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Historically Esprit always had arrangements with local ski school in each resort they operated in. However lessons were exclusive to Esprit guests and the limits on numbers set by Esprit not that ski schools normal policy
E.g it was ESF instructors when we went to both Belle Plagne and Courcheval but the class sizes were max for the group level (can't recall now.... and in fact for Courcheval Ellie's class was just the 3 of them and still had the snow ranger to support)
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Inghams also do Hotel de champoluc, but at the moment snow is looking low, we're going on 15th January. So fingers crossed .. for xmas we'd go to
Solden or obergurgle for snow sure..
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FAQ
not entirely sure how easy it is to rent snowboards these days ... 