I've been skiing since i was 12, now 23, so a good 12 years of travelling europe trying out different ski resorts, from a drinkers point of view and a non drinkers point of view.
I've no been to Val thornes 2 times, the last one being two years ago, This followed on from the pervious year.
2000 was the first time i've been to Val thornes, this was on a student break with my university ski club. So the holiday was started with a typical, 25 hour coach trip. ( I suggest flying out)
Being a big fan of skiing i'd checked the snow everday for a good 2 months before i went. I the was a ton of it.
This really made the holiday, not only could we ski in Val thorens, but could get over to the all of 3 valees. (Ski over if you dare, we got lost a good 3 or 4 times, panic starts to set in when its 5:15 and all the lifts are starting to close, and you a good 3 hour road journey from your hotel)
One thing that makes Val thorens one of the best resorts in Europe is the huge amount of different pistes avaiable. Thou if your a begineer i would recommend staying in one of the other resorts, probably the middle of the 3, as they have more begineer slopes.
With the ample snow avaiable i was able to ski a different run each day, and my hotel was located so that i could ski to and from the front or back door. I suggest looking at this when booking your holiday, we all know it is not fun hauling your skis around, this can total spoil a days skiing if your a 10 minute walk away, It is hard to walk with ski boots, skis, on an icy road.
At last check they didnt have lift pass machines, appart from on one or two main lifts, they tended to have people on the lifts checking. I believe i used my lift pass about 5 times in the whole week, infact i forgot it one day and still got on a lift with a checker on. (I wouldnt recommended forgetting your lift pass, i can be a long walk home, possibly uphill).
Nightlift: Totally awesome, relax in the highest pub in europe, can you beat the drinking prize, and get free beer all night, though after drinking a yard of ale i dont think you'd want free beer. Different clubs to suit all. Excellent take aways from the typical brit when they come out of a club. Just dont be noisey when you come out, the local police dont like that.
Medical Facilities. Not needing these myself i talk from an observers point of view. I snowboarded that i was with, fell and hurt the elbow. After leaving this all night, we ventured to a local clinic, filled in a simple form ( in english no worry about not being able to read the french) Were seen within 30 minutes, and went straight to the pharmacy up the road, in all it took less than an hour and we were sorted.
Over Val thorens Experience Excellent resort, but i would only recommend going if you after nightlife, i can suggest many other resorts better suited to families.
I find most french resorts are nightlife style resorts, and the austrian resorts are geared towards more families and school children.
2002. Wont mention details about nightlife etc, as stated above.
I will mention snow levels, i again was checking snow for months before, this time it didnt come, there was the usual base of snow at val thorens, so we could ski, however the passover at the top of the mountain leading to the 3 valee wasnt open, nor were some of the higher runs in Val thorens. This led to a limited number of runs beeing open. I'd skied them all in the first day, we didnt fair any better as the week progressed.
Always remember a skiing holiday is only as good as the level of snow, if you can book last minute and go where the snow is DO IT.
On a side not my brother went to Val Thorne one month after we and ahd a go 1/2 mtre of snow nearly ever day. Superb coniditions according to him.
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Dec 6th, 2003
(Dec 14th, 2003)
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