NPR

A question

does anyone have any knowledge/inkling as to how French skiing might be affected this season with Covid restrictions?

Im pondering a trip in the spring but have my concerns about value for money

I fear is there are certain distancing restrictions in place then queues for lifts will be horrific and trying to get a table for an evening Fondue would be tres difficile

It's a massive unknown really, isn't it and there is a bit of a stigma seeing as skiing in Italy was one of the early vectors for covid in Europe in the first place.

I'm planning on a trip to France or Switzerland in early January. Not decided on a resort yet, might leave it to close to the time to see about snow conditions etc. We're self-catering, so looking at Airbnb.

As for restrictions in the resort and on ski lifts, as noted it's a big unknown. Hopefully, as the week we're going is not peak holiday, any impacts will be minimised.

I will report back!

Desperate to get a couple of weeks on snow this season. Not sure whether to book a week early January and one later or two weeks in march as a winter peak will have abated.

Anyone used the Eurostar/tgv to the Alps?

colonel wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 11:17 am A question

does anyone have any knowledge/inkling as to how French skiing might be affected this season with Covid restrictions?
Im pondering a trip in the spring but have my concerns about value for money

I fear is there are certain distancing restrictions in place then queues for lifts will be horrific and trying to get a table for an evening Fondue would be tres difficile

Anything can change if it goes over 200cases/100K, so far it’s fine. Reservations are feeling up fast.

Masks are mandatory at the lifts and queues. Restaurants and hotels will ask for the “ pass sanitaire”

Thanks

By fine do you mean its lifts operating at full capacity provided masks are being worn?

An one assumes any attempt by the "i dont need a mask"/"im not one of the sheeple"/"I just want someone in morrisons to tut at me" Mask avoiding crowd will simply be refused access to the lift?

Wont stop the insufferable fuckers taking them off once they get going of course but its something

Yes to all your questions, after people do whatever they want at their own risks (fined, punched or been through of the cliff)
Seriously I won’t worry too much about masks, just have your “I got the jab pass” to go in the restaurants.

colonel wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 3:02 pm An one assumes any attempt by the "i dont need a mask"/"im not one of the sheeple"/"I just want someone in morrisons to tut at me" Mask avoiding crowd will simply be refused access to the lift?

Wont stop the insufferable fuckers taking them off once they get going of course but its something

Lift guys have their ways of making their point! Best I saw was when a bunch of large, middle aged and obviously well to do German twats pushed through queue, shoving kids out of the way, to get on an 8 man bubble in Val Gardena. Crowd were shouting at them and the lift guys did feck all .... until the Germans got on the bubble then the Italian lift guys ran up and took all their skis off the rack on the outside of the door just as the bubble went off up the hill. Crowd cheered and Italians took a bow! The Germans were well pissed off. Brilliant.

Marylandolorian wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 2:40 pm

colonel wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 11:17 am A question

does anyone have any knowledge/inkling as to how French skiing might be affected this season with Covid restrictions?
Im pondering a trip in the spring but have my concerns about value for money

I fear is there are certain distancing restrictions in place then queues for lifts will be horrific and trying to get a table for an evening Fondue would be tres difficile

Anything can change if it goes over 200cases/100K, so far it’s fine. Reservations are feeling up fast.

Masks are mandatory at the lifts and queues. Restaurants and hotels will ask for the “ pass sanitaire”

Merci. Is the "pass sanitaire" a specific French document/app, or could I use the NHS Scotland vaccine passport app?

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Tue Nov 16, 2021 10:45 am
Merci. Is the "pass sanitaire" a specific French document/app, or could I use the NHS Scotland vaccine passport app?

I’ll have the same problem than you as I’m in the US, this might help

https://uk.ambafrance.org/Health-pass-a ... -in-the-UK

Booked in Les Rousses

(I don't do downhill the lack of Cruciate ligaments is a bit of a showstopper).

We're booked for Val Thorens late Feb. Hopefully we're still in the trough post efforts to get the current infection spike down and restrictions won't be too horrific.

They'll try and keep things open as much as they can after a season and a half of missed income.

Marylandolorian wrote: ↑Tue Nov 16, 2021 1:30 pm

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Tue Nov 16, 2021 10:45 am
Merci. Is the "pass sanitaire" a specific French document/app, or could I use the NHS Scotland vaccine passport app?

I’ll have the same problem than you as I’m in the US, this might help

https://uk.ambafrance.org/Health-pass-a ... -in-the-UK

Cheers. That page suggests the NHS Scotland vaccine passport app isn't accepted (whilst the English one is), so I'll get paper copies to take along as well.

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:01 pm We're booked for Val Thorens late Feb. Hopefully we're still in the trough post efforts to get the current infection spike down and restrictions won't be too horrific.

They'll try and keep things open as much as they can after a season and a half of missed income.

Guaranteed snow and great skiing - remember watching buses in convoy trying to get through to Val Thorens in blizzard conditions in early March. There is a really nice run just over in the next valley - Mont Vallon. Bubble up and a couple of nice long reds down.

I'm off here with this lot at beginning of March. Self Catering and self drive

https://www.snowtrex.co.uk/france/valme ... UUQAvD_BwE

Very keenly priced and seems a pretty decent ski area that doesn't get too busy from what I can see with good snow record too, Booked with them last year and couldn't go and got money back instantly. Only 15 mins from the motorway too

The French are keen to have according to the Telegraph
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ski/ ... sh-skiers/

I think the main problem (as it so often is) is teenagers and their vaccinations.

But March is still a long way off (as I have got to lose 2 stone and get fitter)

dpedin wrote: ↑Wed Nov 17, 2021 10:51 am

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:01 pm We're booked for Val Thorens late Feb. Hopefully we're still in the trough post efforts to get the current infection spike down and restrictions won't be too horrific.

They'll try and keep things open as much as they can after a season and a half of missed income.

Guaranteed snow and great skiing - remember watching buses in convoy trying to get through to Val Thorens in blizzard conditions in early March. There is a really nice run just over in the next valley - Mont Vallon. Bubble up and a couple of nice long reds down.

A week in Val Thorens was my last act in the before times. Within 4 hours of leaving the resort France closed all the reorts and we isolated for a week for safeties sake. Within that week we were put into lockdown.

Completely agree with the above, amazing skiing and perfect snow. (Im an intermediate skiier having retired from the plank 4 seasons ago, blues and reds as a rule)

colonel wrote: ↑Wed Nov 17, 2021 11:57 am

dpedin wrote: ↑Wed Nov 17, 2021 10:51 am

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:01 pm We're booked for Val Thorens late Feb. Hopefully we're still in the trough post efforts to get the current infection spike down and restrictions won't be too horrific.

They'll try and keep things open as much as they can after a season and a half of missed income.

Guaranteed snow and great skiing - remember watching buses in convoy trying to get through to Val Thorens in blizzard conditions in early March. There is a really nice run just over in the next valley - Mont Vallon. Bubble up and a couple of nice long reds down.

A week in Val Thorens was my last act in the before times. Within 4 hours of leaving the resort France closed all the reorts and we isolated for a week for safeties sake. Within that week we were put into lockdown.

Completely agree with the above, amazing skiing and perfect snow. (Im an intermediate skiier having retired from the plank 4 seasons ago, blues and reds as a rule)

Aye, Val Thorens is great. We go there every year. Love Mont Vallon, but the wee duaghter needs one more year of snowboard lessons so we're sticking to a VT pass rather than 3V for the last time. As an intermediate skier myself, the Combes du Caron is utterly amazing if it's been groomed. It's a black, but as 'easy' as black gets - very wide all the way down after the initial 'jump in the pool' section. Although nothing beats jumping the wee ridges on the blue Moiraine slope for me.

Just back from a week in Switzerland - the first for almost 3 years!

We thought long and hard about this, and had the trip been a few weeks later and Omicron wasn't hitting its peak, it would have been an easier decision. However, daughter's uni term dates meant we couldn't delay, unfortunately. But we decided that as we were self-catering, and hiring a car, we could try and minimise mixing with other people and hence the risk of getting infected. Type 2R moisture-repellent masks for the airports and flights and lots of hand sanitiser.

Originally, we had hoped to go to France (out of habit, mostly), but due to France being closed to Brits and having flights booked to Geneva, we decided to try Switzerland instead. So we decided to try Grimentz in the Valais canton. The ski area wasn't huge, but together with Zinal and the Saint-Luc/Chandolin area down the valley, it was just about big enough to keep us entertained for the week. The village was beautiful, but with little in the way of apres-ski - which of course was fine as we were trying to avoid crowds. So no visits to any bars (not that there were many to choose from)!

We got lucky with the snow - it had been very warm the previous week, but the temperature dropped a few days before we left, and it snowed all day on our first day on the pistes. It stayed cold so for the next few days we had perfect packed powder on the pistes (I'm not good enough to do off-piste, but apparently there wasn't really enough snow for good off-piste). Towards the end of the week, there was some boiler-plate appearing.

Testing & navigating the flights/airports was all very smooth, though we gave ourselves plenty of time. Randox LFT kits were accepted with no problem by Easyjet to get out there, and the Swiss Passenger Locator Form was easy. Nicola followed Boris and changed the testing requirement for re-entry to Scotland a couple of days before we left, and were able to cancel the day 2 PCR tests (Eurofins drive-in at Livingston) and re-purpose the Randox LFTs we were going to take with us for fit-to-fly and used them as day 2 LFTs instead. The UK PLF is a pain in the arse compared with the Swiss one. We took paper copies of the test certificates and PLFs on the way out, but had to rely on phones for the UK PLFs on the way home - no problems.

The NHS Scotland covid passport app was accepted when we went out for dinner (once) and had lunch in a mountain cafe (day 1 when snowing). One thing to be aware of is that it doesn't work without a data connection, and with roaming charges in Switzerland, I needed to rely on wifi for connection to make the app work. Also, when you switch to the 'International Travel' view in the app, it gives you a different QR code for each dose or PCR result. Only the second dose (not the booster) QR code was accepted.

Daily LFTs since returning and no positives yet, so it seems like we've not picked it up. The biggest concern was getting a positive result out there and having to isolate - so the work laptop came with me! Despite the extra faff with testing and PLFs, it was still worth going, and I'm glad we didn't postpone until next year. It was sooo good to be back on skis!

Would love to go this year but it'll have to wait till next year. Consoled myself buying a ski jacket that I'll only be able to wear twice a year in Ireland.

if the wait times on the phone for tour operaters are anything to go by things are busy

Anyone been/going to france?

colonel wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:57 am if the wait times on the phone for tour operaters are anything to go by things are busy

Anyone been/going to france?

Yep :P

(skying is next week and Apparently All the Tracks Open in Les Rousses)

Id be interested in some anecdotal feedback on what lift queues are like if they are restricting numbers

colonel wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 9:29 am Id be interested in some anecdotal feedback on what lift queues are like if they are restricting numbers

Cross country for me so not an issue

No number restriction AFAIK just need mask and
Pass

colonel wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 9:29 am Id be interested in some anecdotal feedback on what lift queues are like if they are restricting numbers

They weren't restricting numbers on the lifts in Switzerland last week, but as it was a quiet week anyway the chairlifts and gondolas almost always had spaces on them. And no queues. Half-term week could be another matter!

Masks were required and the lifties were politely reminding people, though a buff pulled up over the nose was sufficient.

laurent wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 9:36 am

colonel wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 9:29 am Id be interested in some anecdotal feedback on what lift queues are like if they are restricting numbers

Cross country for me so not an issue

No number restriction AFAIK just need mask and
Pass

You'd only set off the metal detectors anyway.

colonel wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:57 am if the wait times on the phone for tour operaters are anything to go by things are busy

Anyone been/going to france?

I drove up to Val d'Isère last weekend to visit some friends, I live in Nice and the resort was pretty quiet. Masks are required everywhere except on the slopes and COVID certs were required everywhere I went for the 48 hours i was there. I noticed a few queues at shuttlebus locations but nothing major.

Uncle fester wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 12:26 pm

laurent wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 9:36 am

colonel wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 9:29 am Id be interested in some anecdotal feedback on what lift queues are like if they are restricting numbers

Cross country for me so not an issue

No number restriction AFAIK just need mask and
Pass

You'd only set off the metal detectors anyway.

One occasion to drop my pants

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 10:58 am

colonel wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 9:29 am Id be interested in some anecdotal feedback on what lift queues are like if they are restricting numbers

They weren't restricting numbers on the lifts in Switzerland last week, but as it was a quiet week anyway the chairlifts and gondolas almost always had spaces on them. And no queues. Half-term week could be another matter!

Masks were required and the lifties were politely reminding people, though a buff pulled up over the nose was sufficient.

This (in Switzerland) although in Italy theoretically you are meant to have an FFP2 mask?? (we didn't) on first day religiously showed covid QR code then just ignored them completely (as everyone else was)

Booked a trip to Italy for the end of February. Assuming that European countries will start to drop restrictions as well over the next 4 weeks, particularly for the fully vaxxed.

Great stuff from Dave Ryding getting the UK’s first alpine World Cup gold by winning the slalom in Kitsbuhel!

Slick wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 11:10 pm Great stuff from Dave Ryding getting the UK’s first alpine World Cup gold by winning the slalom in Kitsbuhel!

Quite remarkable tbh.
Best result since Baxter got binned for Vicks

The sun god wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 3:01 pm

colonel wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:57 am if the wait times on the phone for tour operaters are anything to go by things are busy

Anyone been/going to france?

I drove up to Val d'Isère last weekend to visit some friends, I live in Nice and the resort was pretty quiet. Masks are required everywhere except on the slopes and COVID certs were required everywhere I went for the 48 hours i was there. I noticed a few queues at shuttlebus locations but nothing major.

A hard life


Many thanks

Brilliant in Les Rousses

Everything Opened as Skying goes and mask + Pass needed for Restaurants ETC

Enjoying the Sun Food and Wine
and local beers

Is any old face covering allowed? Or do I need one of these fancy ones with a filter?

Hi, is anyone out there/just back at the moment, wondering about the quality of the snow. Pondering a late booking to the French Alps next week and concerned it might be getting too slushy

Morning all

Im due in La Plagne in a couple of weeks, anyone out in the French alps at the moment? Hows the snow quality? Worrying its all a bit slushy as the harbingers of the climate led death of alpine skiing are massing

colonel wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 8:53 am Morning all

Im due in La Plagne in a couple of weeks, anyone out in the French alps at the moment? Hows the snow quality? Worrying its all a bit slushy as the harbingers of the climate led death of alpine skiing are massing

Fuck all snow in a lot of places ... I am very close to cancelling my trip (Jura mountains have lost all snow coverage and temps are high).

La plagne looks to have most of the piste open expect shit snow as the forecast is mild weather.

It seems the worm has turned, n'est pas?

Any tips on skiing in the US?

Prices here are almost prohibitive and outside the Rocky Mountains, it is hills skiing.