Saturday 10th April
We left booking our holiday late again in 2010 and decided to head high in Europe.
As we had in 2005, we went to the Trois Vallees in France and chose the highest resort, Val Thorens as I managed to get a reasonable apartment. With two children now counted as adults, the cost of skiing is getting pretty high, but at least the Trois Vallees offer a family Lift pass for two adults and two children (up to 20 if you book online, 18 in resort) which reduces that cost a little.
We left home at 2:30AM to reach Gatwick in time for our 6:35 flight to Geneva. Check in and boarding were easy (the one advantage of flying so early in the day) although the flight was around 30 minutes late taking off. We boarded our coach in Geneva and were told the transfer time was about 4 hours, which seemed a lot from our rather sketchy memory of our last visit and it proved pessimistic as we were in Val Thorens in around 3 hours.
We checked into our (as always, small) apartment in the Silveralp residence, which was split over two levels with 3 single beds on a mezzanine level and a fold out double in the lounge. With only four of us, we didn’t need to fold out the double bed, so that made the fairly small apartment a bit more bearable.
Above : View from our appartment
As before, the view from our apartment was impressive, something common to most apartments in Val Thorens.
Lauren and I sorted out our lift passes (We’d already booked Ryan into ski school with our tour rep) and then we all visited the Maverick ski shop (right next door to our apartment building) to get our skis (Although Mandy and I have our own skis we were keen to try out some more modern style skis as ours are over 15 years old).
Once equipped we took advantage of the free ‘magic carpet’ lift on the nusery slope to reacquaint our legs with the feel of skiing.
For dinner we popped into the nearby Petit Ferme restaurant which was reasonably affordable and very tasty.
After a long day, we were all tired, so had an early night.
Sunday 11th April
Ryan’s ski school didn’t start until Monday, so we spent the day skiing blues and some reds over to Meribel Mottaret, spending a fair amount of time over Les Menuires.
The snow in the morning was very good, but as the warm, sunny day wore on it got slushy lower down and on the odd southerly facing pitch, but that’s a problem you have to accept with skiing so late in the season in Europe. The upside is generally sunny weather and it certainly didn’t disappoint there.
Our rep had told us that this was his busiest week of the season, but I can only assume that only the British had turned up as, even on Sunday when you usually expect some day trippers, the slopes were quiet and we didn’t encounter a single lift queue.
Above : Fantastic Easter skiing weather
We visited El Gringo’s Tex Mex bar/restaurant for dinner on Sunday. The food was very good, but a fair bit pricier than the previous day .
Monday 12th April
On the Monday we dropped Ryan at Ski School (Despite warnings of it being busy, his class was pretty small) and Mandy, Lauren and I joined a day long ski guiding trip with the Neilson reps around the Trois Vallee). As I was picking Ryan up (ski school only being half days in France), we’d only got as far as Mottaret again (as we had on Sunday) before I had to return, but we did get to ski much faster than the previous day and I was able to take in a black run or two as I returned.
Lauren and Mandy stayed with the Guides and visited Courchevel 1850 and Meribel (proper) before returning in the afternoon.
Above : Cable car above Courchevel - Taken on the Tuesday
Ryan and I headed back towards Meribel Mottaret again, having lunch at a mountain restaurant over Les Menuires. After his morning at ski school, Ryan was skiing much more confidently again and we were able to ski on a number of Red runs, although he was understandably a little slower than I would have been otherwise. He also seemed more comfortable with skiing on the slushy snow - The previous day he had been very unhappy about it, unusually as he’s coped with ice, powder and moguls without too much problem in the past.
We returned about 4:30 and found that Mandy and Lauren were already back.
Above : Less fantastic Easter skiing weather for Ryan - At least it brought fresh powder!
As we were spending a LOT of money on food (the dire Euro-Pound exchange rate being virtually 1:1) we decided to eat in a couple of nights and I bought some salad, a fresh baguette and a roast chicken (all in this cost less than we were spending most days on a snack lunch!)
Tuesday 13th April
Tuesday was to be a very eventful day, especially for me.
It started out so well. The previous evening it had snowed a bit and we had obviously had more in the night, so we were greeted on Tuesday morning by blue skis and 2-6 inches of fresh powder, something I hadn’t dreamt possible so late in the season.
Mandy had twisted her knee a little the previous day and as she was also picking up Ryan from Ski School suggested she ski on her own and that Lauren and I spend the day together. Lauren is certainly a more ambitious skier than Mandy and is happy to tackle the odd off piste section, which Mandy doesn’t enjoy too much.
Above : Les Menuires from La Masse side
As we started early, the lifts weren’t yet running (many didn’t open unti l 9:15 in Val Thorens) we skied down to Les Menuires where we arrived just in time to catch the La Masse lift as it opened. As we travelled up the second lift we could see a black run (Lac Noir) which had just a single set of tracks in the deep powder covering). We skied over to the run and, although a few more people had got there ahead of us, were still able to leave our own tracks in fresh powder all the way down.
Lower down we found another black, Rocher Noir, marked as closed but with fresh tracks in and skied down that. Again it was excellent snow and were able to float through powder that comfortably covered the foot sections of our boots.
Above : Lauren pauses before we set off for the fresh powder on Lac Noir...
We skied over to Meribel Mottaret and then took the lift up to Courchevel. From here we skied down and took another lift to the slopes over La Tania. Although La Tania is at only 1400M, we were able to ski all the way down on good snow as the slopes seem sheltered. La Tania looks a good place to stay from what we say, being small and quite but with excellent access into the area.
Above : ...and wasn't it fun!
We then took a closed run (Jockeys) down to Courchevel La Prez, which is at only 1300M. The snow was very thin for a lot of the way down, but skiable with care, until we got to within about 100M of the base lift station (next to the ski jump) where the snow just ran out and we had to walk through a muddy field.
Above : Me enjoying the powder on Rocher Noir
We then took the lift up to Courchevel 1850 again and stopped for lunch at the bar attached to the Saulire cable car base station.
Above : Not much snow down at La Prez (1300m)
Mandy, meanwhile had spent the morning skiing over at Oreille and reported that there was excellent powder on the firm base on all the pistes there and that, despite not being very experienced at skiing in powder, she’d really enjoyed it.
After lunch, Lauren I planned to head back up to do a few blacks over Courchevel 1850; Piste M, Suisses and Chanrosa. We enjoyed the first two, although it must be said that most of the blacks in the Trois Vallees at this time of year are extremely well groomed and not as challenging as you’d find in many other resorts; more like steep reds really.
The final run proved my undoing. We skied almost all the way down and reached a section that, with increased cloud cover resulting in flat light looked like a fast schuss with a slight bump in it. Unfortunately, the bump was a little bigger than I imagined and, truth be told I panicked a little, and let my weight slip back as I was launched off it. I think I threw my weight forward in an attempt to land it, but probably too jerkily and as I hit the ground I started to sommersault. I travelled some distance scattering skis, poles and sunglasses behind me and I soon as I stopped I knew I’d hurt my left knee more than just a bit of knock.
After a few minutes, I managed to get back up and put on my skis (Although I could push my left boot into my binding, having to get Lauren to lift it to lock it down) and tried to ski on. I found I could side slip or snowplough, but I couldn’t turn my left outwards with significant pain.
Skiing like this wasn’t too bad where the snow was good, but it proved near impossible on some lower slushy sections and there I had to put up with the pain of turning my knee. It was slow going, in quite poor visibility, but eventually we got back to Val Thorens.
I was hopeful that as I could stand and a ski after a fashion that I had perhaps just twisted or sprained the knee or perhaps torn a ligament.
We had takeaway pizzas for dinner, again from the excellent Petite Ferme.
Wednesday 14th April
The next morning I found my knee hurt much less than the previous day and that, with a bit of an effort, I could walk on it.
I hoped that a day of rest would see it recover and I’d be back on the slopes on Thursday, but decided to visit the Medical Centre to see if they could perhaps reduce the swelling and maybe give me some pain killers.
The doctor took one look at my swollen knee and said “That’s your skiing done for this week”. I was obviously disappointed, but not honestly surprised. He asked me some questions and manipulated the knee a bit and informed me that the ACL was ok (that was a big relief as some colleagues had spent many months recovering from damaged ACLs) and took a couple of X-rays.
A few minutes later he returned and asked how long I’d skied after the fall. I told him a couple of hours and explained where it had happened and that I’d skied back. He was amazed and said that he couldn’t believe that I could have skied at all. It seemed that I had fractured the ‘spine’ of my tibia in the knee joint. I was told that I needed a new brace (they no longer use the old plaster casts) to keep the leg fixed and that under no circumstances should I try and walk on it again without the aid of crutches.
He also prescribed daily injections to ward of any risk of thrombosis, anti-inflamatory tablets and some pain killers. He also stated that I would need to take an ambulance from the resort back to Geneva! Fortunately, I have good insurance, so I hope they’ll take care of all the costs eventually!
I have to visit a specialist when I get back to the UK, but the doctor suggested it may just need orthopaedic treatment to heal, rather than an operation and that it will probably take 6-8 weeks.
So, for me that was the end of the week’s skiing.
Above : Nursery slopes on Val Thorens
Mandy didn’t ski in the morning as she was helping me and also having trouble with an existing eye problem, but collected Ryan and they skied around the Val Thorens area in the afternoon. Lauren skied around the same area most of the day, still finding some good snow and short off pistes sections between pistes.
As I was no longer able to take my turn skiing with Ryan, we booked Lauren into ski school in the final two afternoons and she would ski with Mandy in the mornings.
Thursday 15th April
Everyone else skied whilst I rested in the apartment and tried to arrange transport home.
The insurers suddenly decided that I need to have an operation on my knee, despite the doctor in resort feeling it was safe to leave it until I returned to the UK, so a fair amount of time was taken discussing this with them and sending copies of documents to the insurer.
Above : Another shot from our appartment
I struggled down to the nursery slope side to join the others for lunch and enjoy some more of the scenery (and food and a beer) before returning the apartment. Lauren enjoyed her first afternoon in ski school (and Ryan seemed happy in his too, on the whole).
After skiing we returned to the Petite Ferme for dinner again. Most of us had pasta this time – The lasagne was very good.
Friday 16th April
Unfortunately, the ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano was causing massive disruption to flights over northern Europe and the UK and it became clear that there was little chance of us leaving on a flight on Saturday.
Everyone else went skiing again and I again joined them for lunch, but all reported that the continuing warm weather was causing the snow to deteriorate and that even in some places it had been good on the previous day it was nice switching from solid frozen snow to slush in a matter of minutes.
Eventually, my insurer agreed I could travel home with the family, but they couldn’t find any flights to get us all on and by this point Neilson decided it was quicker to send people to their origin airport by coach, which didn’t seem a practical solution with my leg locked straight in a brace.
Saturday 17th April
The coach wasn’t available until Sunday, so we had to move to another Residence, the much nicer Cheval Blanc, but not before a very unpleasant young woman was very aggressive about the fact that we had not left during the night as we originally expected to. This was even more annoying as about 30 minutes earlier a pleasant young man had told us there was no need to rush and that if we left late the 20 Euro late check out fee would be waived. Mandy actually spoke to him later and mentioned how rude his colleague was and his response was that “She’s like that” – Another great reason NOT to stay at the Silveralp apartments in Val Thorens.
The Cheval Blanc apartment wasn’t really much better, but it was fine for a day. Lauren went skiing again (our ski hire was “7 days for the price of 6”, so ironically we could all have skied an extra day), but Ryan had had enough and with the move Mandy didn’t ski much. She did an hour or so at lunchtime, using the lift pass we bought for Lauren.
In the evening we had dinner at the “La Grange” restaurant which had great views over the nursery slopes and mountains.
Sunday 18th April
After packing and getting ready, I had to be downstairs for 8AM. The reason was that my insurers had arranged an Ambulance to take me all the way home. This was rather overkill for my injury, but the lack of flights meant that the alternative of sitting in a coach for 18 hours (at least) wasn’t an option.
Lauren accompanied me in the Ambulance and we took some of our luggage with us, whilst Mandy and Ryan waited for the coach that Neilson had arranged to take them home. It finally arrived around 9:30, about an hour later than expected.
Our trip in the Ambulance was really good – The first part down the mountain was a little unpleasant as I found the sensation of looking out of the back of the vehicle on the twisty mountain roads made me feel nauseous, but once on the Autoroute, the problem subsided and there was no doubt that the two drivers (alternating the driving at rest halts) weren’t hanging about (I think in the whole journey back to Calais we were only passed by about 20 cars and passed hundreds).
We stopped a couple of times for fuel and to stretch our (good) legs, which was a relief and I slept a fair bit. Lauren had a comfortable looking seat alongside my trolley on which I lay, slightly propped up and said it was more comfortable than the coach from the airport had been. We had a lengthier stop en route for lunch and enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather for an hour or so.
Above : My x-ray taken in Val Thorens
Initially, there was some question as to whether we would be able to cross the channel as both ferries and Shuttle seemed to have no space, but part way along the drivers told me they’d got us booked on a 8PM Shuttle, but on arrival, just before 7, they waved us straight through onto the 7PM one (a perk of travelling in an Ambulance I suspect) and our friendly French Ambulance crew got us back to our home by 9PM UK time, which was great relief.
Shortly after we got in, Mandy called to say that they weren’t going to be on the 9PM ferry after all. She called again a little later to say the very earliest they would be crossing would be 11:30 on Monday, so I informed the Gatwick car park that she wouldn’t be collecting the car that evening after all and went to bed.
Monday 19th April
I was a little surprised, then, to be awakened by our front door opening at 6AM the next morning.
Mandy and Ryan had spent a few hours in a Calais car park the previous evening with no water, food or toilets and had been scheduled to move to an Autoroute services when someone decided to move the coaches to the ferry car park in the hope of getting on a ferry early the next day. The good news was that an extra ferry was laid on (sadly with no services, except toilets) at 2:30 and they managed to get on that.
Given some of the horror stories of week long plus delays, it wasn’t too bad at all and Neilson deserve some credit for taking a decision and getting people home in reasonably quick time.
Overall
The holiday had proved rather eventful, but ignoring my broken leg and the lack of flights back, it had been pretty decent.
We wouldn’t recommend people stay at the Silveralp apartments in Val Thorens – The apartment itself was no worse (maybe a little better) than many others we’ve stayed at in France, but the availability of the staff (and the attitude of a few of them) and the breakdown of lifts for 3 days (Mandy was told by a rep of another company that it happens regularly) were unacceptable.
Val Thorens is a great place to ski late in the season. The snow remained pretty good there all week and that fresh powder on the Tuesday was an amazing bonus that I couldn’t imagine possible so late in the season (Although it had snowed even more heavily as we left 5 years earlier).
The Trois Vallees is a large area and I suspect there’s some great off-piste skiing when conditions are good, but many of the runs seem over-rated (I heard other people complaining that the Reds were often more like Blues and the Blacks like Reds – Something that is true of many of the runs in my view, compared to other resorts).
So, loads of skiing, good scenery and, when we were there, few people and lovely weather, set against less challenging pistes (on the whole, there are exceptions) than you might expect for such a vaunted area and, generally, very high prices for food and drink (On the days we ate out we were chewing through 100 Euros a day just for lunch and dinner).
We’ll go back to the Trois Vallees sometime and I WILL be back on skis next season, just need to get my leg healed quickly now.
PS A few days after our return we received a cheque for £180 as compensation for the lack of a return flight, which was a pleasant surprise (No doubt required of the operator, but done without delay or any action on our behalf) and the travel insurance sorted out the medical expenses incurred due to my crash.
