 Poster: A snowHead
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We'll probably give it a go if the snow is OK, thanks. Wonder if when I post it capitalises Morillon?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Chattonmill, Turns out it must just be my phone keyboard that likes yelling MORILLON… 
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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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Thanks for the reports all. We're coming back into town on Tuesday, hoping the LPN drops a bit and we get some fresh for the end of next week!!
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Not one to take advice and run... Wonderful day in Flaine, up for the first lift and had a fantastic hour of empty pistes.
Snow up top was great having had a top up.
lower down was changeable, some blown stuff which was scratchy but still nice.
10. 30 saw an influx of people suddenly busy.
All in all a great day off to somewhere else tomorrow. But where?!
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi guys. Looking at a last min trip and considering Flaine, largely due to it being close to GVA. Having never been, what’s it like? Will be me and my 16 year old son, both reasonable skiers. Is the town itself ok?
Current option is a packaged deal but I would consider booking accommodation and transfer myself if anyone is able to offer some suggestions please?
Thanks. 
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| Boofont wrote: |
Hi guys. Looking at a last min trip and considering Flaine, largely due to it being close to GVA. Having never been, what’s it like? Will be me and my 16 year old son, both reasonable skiers. Is the town itself ok?
Current option is a packaged deal but I would consider booking accommodation and transfer myself if anyone is able to offer some suggestions please?
Thanks. |
What are you looking for, eg high mileage piste, off piste, village etc.?
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@Boofont, my 17yo daughter and I have done Flaine for 4-day breaks for the past couple of years. For similar main reason - ease/speed of transfer from Geneva. But also, great range of slopes, we ski about 60km/day and get around most of the pistes of Flaine plus 4 villages in that time. Never ventured off-piste so can't vouch for that. Flaine itself is ugly but practical, decent supermarket, enough restaurants/snack places for a bit of variety. No nightlife to speak of, but we weren't looking for that. We stayed at Rockypop hotel (5 min walk from slopes), I've heard good things about Totem hotel too. Or loads of self-catering apartments available too. GoMassif for private or shared transfers. We've stayed at the lower villages in the past too (Les Carroz, Samoens) which have more going on and more attractive, but we found the gondalas up to the slopes a busy pinch-point. Already pencilling in a return visit next year.
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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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@Timnewham, thanks very much. Very helpful.
@Kennyboyo, we do like to bash out some miles but only on piste. With his age (and mine for that matter as I’m a boring 51 year old, lol), nightlife isn’t what we’re looking for.
Trying to keep costs down as much as poss. It’s a cheaper transfer for example than other resorts. Probably looking SC over a hotel but would consider anything if the price is right.
Accepting that France is expensive in general for eating out etc, how does Flaine compare with other resorts? Was in VT last Jan, that was pricey. €8 a beer!
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Bluebird powder morning in Flaine. Superb at the top but hard underneath below 1800 metres.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| BAN wrote: |
| Bluebird powder morning in Flaine. Superb at the top but hard underneath below 1800 metres. |
Here’s to many more in 2024! Happy new year all!
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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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[quote="Boofont"]@Timnewham, thanks very much. Very helpful.
@Kennyboyo, we do like to bash out some miles but only on piste. With his age (and mine for that matter as I’m a boring 51 year old, lol), nightlife isn’t what we’re looking for.
Trying to keep costs down as much as poss. It’s a cheaper transfer for example than other resorts. Probably looking SC over a hotel but would consider anything if the price is right.
Accepting that France is expensive in general for eating out etc, how does Flaine compare with other resorts? Was in VT last Jan, that was pricey. €8 a beer
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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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Thanks guys. I hear what you’re saying ref Cascades, I just like to tick off the runs so would be nice for that reason only.
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Oh it's definitely worth doing once if conditions are decent. The whole valley back there in Sixt is really gorgeous in the winter.
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Cascades is sort of fun, but if you access from Flaine starting with Gers you are skiing what I think is absolutely the best lift served off piste area in Europe (if you have the snow).
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You know it makes sense.
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Out in Samoens for 4 days first weekend in Feb. I think that's before the main French holidays, is that right?
How long does it take roughly to get from Samoens to the Flaine area as assuming that's likely to be where the best snow is/will be?
Fingers crossed for more snow ahead of then, the colder weather looks promising, some though not lots of snow in the forecast it seems ... fingers crossed!
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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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Long time since I did it, but I’d expect it would be at least 45 minutes from base of Samoens to Flaine.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Rowlski, from Samoens town, the GME gondola is 8 mins to 1600m. Ski down about 1 minute to the Chariande Express which takes 8 minutes upto the top of Têtes des saix. Ski down to the bottom of Vernant lift takes about 5 mins and the Vernant lift is then 3-4 minutes up. Ski down Tourmaline 10 mins into Flaine bowl.
So allowing for queues and speed of skiing @BAN, is pretty spot on with 45 mins (less if you hoof it and no queues)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks @BAN and @jirac18, good to know. Hopefully there'll be some good skiing in and around Samoens area itself but I'm sure we'll want to go over to Flaine at least once.
Any favourite runs to recommend? Hoping not crazy busy, checked and the French school hols start the next weekend
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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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| Quote: |
Any favourite runs to recommend? Hoping not crazy busy, checked and the French school hols start the next weekend
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It's all good at Flaine, honestly. Faust is probably my favorite pisted run over there, although the second to last pitch from the bottom can get icy and scraped quickly. Crystal usually has good snow up top, and Serpentine is a good way to get back to the Grand Vans lift but can get very crowded during the day. Mephisto all the way from the top has great views and you have a couple of options to cut off on toward the bottom third to avoid crowds down low. Lucipher is often left unpisted late into the season and is nice after fresh snow. Diamont Noir and Agate are great if the snow is good, and well if the Gers Bowl is open and you are up for some off piste and a diesel tire-fesse out then you can easily spend a whole day over there. If the snow is good and you're heading back to Samoens anyway you should end the day with a run down Cascades and then catch the bus back from Sixt.
Don't feel like you always have to wait in the queue for the DMC if you don't want to - you can also get to the very top via the telesieges - Tete des Verds > either Diamont Noir or Desert Blanc. I guess people like the warmth of the telecabine but I will never understand why most folks wait so long for the DMC when you could hop on two chairs and get up a lot quicker.
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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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| Quote: |
Hopefully there'll be some good skiing in and around Samoens area itself but I'm sure we'll want to go over to Flaine at least once.
Any favourite runs to recommend? Hoping not crazy busy, checked and the French school hols start the next weekend
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Also agree with the 45 mins ish. Maybe 35 if you speed down and miss any queues.
@Rowlski i can officially confirm that you will have a huge dump of snow just when you arrive, as i'm leaving on thurs the 2nd of feb. You're welcome 
As for runs i think Cascade is kinda overrated. Many flat, flat parts, albeit with a nice view. But many runs have just as nice views imo.
Some of my favorite cruisers are Marvel down to Morillon (Though it often is slushy in the end - but still way less slush than Cascades), Les Chars down to Colouvrier, Plein Soleil, Silice Malice, Tourmaline and Serpentine (after the initial flat parts at les Platieres). Serpentine, Marvel and especially Silice Malice has some incredible side piste/very mild off-piste on open areas anyone can do.
Steeper favourites are Lucifer, Faust and some of the runs down from Tete de Lindars that i can't remember from eachother. Going for the 4th time and still haven't tried close to every slope, but it's a great underrated skiing area in my opinion.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Rowlski wrote: |
Out in Samoens for 4 days first weekend in Feb. I think that's before the main French holidays, is that right?
How long does it take roughly to get from Samoens to the Flaine area as assuming that's likely to be where the best snow is/will be?
Fingers crossed for more snow ahead of then, the colder weather looks promising, some though not lots of snow in the forecast it seems ... fingers crossed! |
Slightly slower alternative to get from Samoens to Flaine, which I prefer, is from the top of GME, turn right down the Aouia blue to the bottom of the Coulouvrier chair which gets you to the top where the Chariande Express ends. Then follow @jirac18's direction from Tete des saix. I find the Aouia blue gives your legs a nice little warm up first thing in the morning.
Some favourite runs have already been mentioned but I'd just to throw in a few of my personal favourites near Samoens which have not mentioned yet which are all lower so much more temperature dependent - Grand Cret down to the Vercland gondola and the Paccoty / Les Chars runs to the bottom of the Coulouvrier chair. Sairon into Morillon is also fun.
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| Kennyboyo wrote: |
| I find the Aouia blue gives your legs a nice little warm up first thing in the morning. |
Sadly Aouia currently showing as closed along with Grand Cret, Paccoty and Les Chars. Hopefully this will change with some snow if the temps stays low. Sairon open though!
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Thanks for the update, friends in Grand Massif at the moment and saying it's cold and snowing so fingers crossed they'll be open by the time you get there.
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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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Many thanks for those tips, much appreciated and look forward to trying them, sorry for the thread drift.
Like the sounds of the Aouia blue legbearmer @Kennyboyo.
Snowforecast is showing dribs and drabs of snow over the next 6 days with nice lower temperatures, doesn't look like game changing amounts but useful nonetheless, fingers crossed!
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FAQ
) from the OG "snow report" topic kindly started by coldrainsnow back in late Nov (thanks for starting the post!). I found the post via the search and assumed it was in the "Resort Reviews and Trip Reports" where there are similar posts. Apologies for this although I assume no one minds!
