Paging Ace - you are now permitted to smile

The snow in the Pyrenees is crap, for the second year running, while
it's great in the Alps. Casting around without much hope for a cheap
catered chalet last-minute bargain in the Alps at half-term (next
weekend), I found (to my surprise) that there are more than a few,
discounted to half price.

Like £300 a head, and yes, room for four or more, in Val d'Isere.
Oufit called Finlays, if anybody knows anything about them

A quick bit of thinking. There's a mere 40cm of snow at altitude in
the Pyrenees, and the forecast for the whole of next week is for
temperatures of up to 10. One downward spike mid-week, and one cm of
snow on that date.

We've got flights booked, and a hire car waiting for us at Toulouse
Airport. So we've cancelled the hotel in St Lary and we're heading
north-east instead of south-west. Anybody know how long it takes to
drive Toulouse-Val?

Only slight problem: all our kit is in a boot room in a hotel in St
Lary, but that's what credit cards are for, and my boots are over 20
years old anyway.

 

Eww... nasty.

I think you'll have to skirt the coast, e.g. Carcassonne - Narbonne -
Nimes - Orange - Valence - Grenoble - Val

Which is between 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 depending on your speed.

 

Google maps say "697 km – about 6 hours 48 mins".

 

Re Finlays -
I have been with them a lot and keep going back.
Always with last min deals and it is
fine value on that basis. Mostly or
always decent locations and I have always
liked the food.

I would if I had to pay the full whack I suppose.

 

In communiqué

Espace Sancy (Mont Dore) is closer (half the distance) and more direct
A20/A89, though it looks as if they haven't masses of snow there.

--

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Hm. 435 miles. Gotta be under six hours. It is a hire car, after all.
The alternative was binning the flights and hire car and driving out
ourselves.

 

On Sat, 9 Feb 2008 14:30:48 -0800 (PST), "TOG@Toil"


snip>

How far are you from the Cairngorms? Apparently they're in condition
at the moment and at least you get to watch UK television when the
weather changes and it pisses down with rain.

 

When you take the M1/M6[1]/M74/A9 into consideration, it will work out
further

[1] You don't want to go via the A1(M)/A68.

 

Global warming takes its toll........

As I said to you earlier, I'm a convert to the Alps after this year.

 

I'd have guessed at them being about the same distance but google
mishaps says it's 100 miles further to Aviemore.

I doubt if he wants to go by any route.

 

Oh, I've always preferred skiing the Alps. But with a family of four, on
a tight budget, and confined to school holiday times, it's not really
been an option before.

I'm amazed there wer so many chalets vacant this year. Seriously: whole
chalets with no takers.

 

And I have 4 days holiday to take yet .......

 

Up here in the high resorts we're assuming that families with young
children are choosing lower resorts this year because the snow's been
so good everywhere so why chance the weather and the altitude. Still,
it's pretty rammed out here in Tignes at the moment judging by the
lift queues and the number of children about, and I hear the ski
schools are all booked out. Zero degree isotherm is on 2000m today and
the sun's glorious. If it wasn't for the crowds it'd be pretty
perfect!

I suppose the bookings might be down due to the 'economic downturn'
everyone keeps going on about. Or maybe bookings are just more spread
out due to the split Easter.

Matt

 

Ain't it always the way. "It would be more popular if it wasn't so
crowded...."

The early Easter might indeed have some effect.

The Pyrenees are looking dire. Check this webcam link from Saint Lary

http://pv.viewsurf.com/?id=38

And they are forecasting a week of high temperatures, with one tiny
downward spike and 1cm of snow mid-week. Our reckoning was that it
would be all skied out by next weekend.

So a sudden decision, but probably for the best.

 

Certainly is. Just got back from a week of sunshine and great snow in
Davos.

Naah, they'd have to pay me more than that to stay in Val. Full of
noisy English types.

Glad you;ve finally seen sense though.

 

It appears, talking to another company, that there was a surprising
number of places unbooked at half term this year. The credit squeeze
having an effect? Our places were marked down from £860/head (with
flights, admittedly, but we already had those booked).

This bulletin comes from Val. The snow's still pretty good (last dump
about 10 days ago) because it's been very cold. Down to minus 19
tonight, apparently (!).

 

It's been very odd. On last week's families holiday in Davos we needed
to increase from two to three leaders (23 punters), whereas this
week's in Grindelwald (which we'd original been down to lead) only had
8 takers. Some other holidays in the next couple of weeks are also
urgently looking for additional leaders due to higher than expected
take-up, so there doesn't seem to be any consistency at all.

Wow. Need more snow though, eh?

 

We've just had 3 days in Foux d'Allos, where it was remarkably quiet for
a French school holiday period.

Snow was mainly good as it had also stayed cold despite bright sunshine,
but they definitely need some more.

 

I didn't need to know that.
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

"A scone and tea at half past three
Makes the day a little brighter
Keep your cakes and fancy tarts
And stick them up your shiter."

 

It was a very good dump for quality (rated "awesome" by TO staff and I
certainly enjoyed it) but not all that massive for quantity.

They'd certainly be needing some more.