skiandgolfnut
Active member
After a lot of false starts, a flight cancellation, and a switch from Zurich to Milan I ultimately decided to take our group of 4 to Serre Chevalier. The forecast showed a storm for much of the southern alps for Monday evening and on and off snowfall/clouds throughout the rest of the week. Given our groups mixed ability and desire to have some trees to hide in during low visibility stretches Serre seemed to fit the bill. While it was lesser known to us than the previous resorts we have visited it was reviewed in these forums highly and seemed like an ideal fit.
Day 1:
After arriving in Milan early in the morning we ultimately got to our hotel in Briancon at around 11:30 and were on the Prorel gondola by 1. With heavy snow forecasted to move in that evening the light was flat by around 2. We stayed on piste doing laps on the gondola not wanting to stray too far from Briancon with the weather as it was. Low visibility at the top but about 10% down the way it was clearer and these were ultimately nice long laps which were much needed after the long flight and being the first day on skis this year. As I had hoped, trees lined these pistes making for decent visibility.
Our hotel was only 3 months old, an old converted army barrack a 5 minute walk from the gondola with its own ski locker by the lift. While posts here and elsewhere were right about the lack of ambiance around the gondola base, dinner in the old town was lovely and only a short 5 minute car ride. The central area of Briancon was also only a 10 minute walk from the hotel.
Day 2:
Roughly 8 inches of snow by morning with no clearing forecasted for the day. We met our guide for the trip at 9 AM at the gondola but unfortunately the lift was closed due to the weather. It is quite an old gondola so I suspect this may happen fairly frequently. Thankfully he had a van and brought us all over to the Chantamerle base area where we departed for the day. We took a quick warm up on piste down to Foret and from there went back up to start some off piste tree skiing with the visibility poor. The upper lifts in Monetiere were closed for the day so we were told this was mostly the sector we were going to ski for the day. On the positive side, the level to which the trees rise definitely were as advertised. There was abundant tree skiing and plenty lining the pistes for viable storm weather skiing. The actual conditions within the trees was generally untracked and soft at the top but quickly became heavy and difficult to ski by the lower portions of the runs. I would imagine given the southern trajectory of the storms that come here from the Mediterranean that this is often the case. Nevertheless between the untracked nice stretches at the top and the pleasant run outs on the pistes it made for a nice morning .
After lunch we headed up the prorel lift back towards Briancon where thankfully the visibility had improved. We then did a long off piste descent all the way down to the midstation of the prorel gondola. This route was when looking at the trailmap on the far left of the resort. The top section was excellent but once we hit the tree line it ultimately became difficult to navigate.
For our last run of the day from the top of the gondola we began an off piste route skiiers left on the face near the aiguilette lift. We had told the guide that we wished to end the day in Briancon so we could walk back to the hotel. After an excellent top section that had not yet been touched, and a long and arduous tree section, we unfortunately wound right back up in Chantamerle.
No big deal but the language barrier has been far more of an issue here than in previous trips elsewhere. No signs of Americans here and very little English to be heard other than a few Brits. Our legs were completely shot by the end of the day but given the visibility most of the day no complaints.
Day 3:
The gameplan was to drive to Monetiere to start the day as the hope was that the upper lifts at Cibouit and Yret would open as they were closed the previous days. After two excellent long (very!) and freshly groomed pisted runs on the Bachas chair we sadly discovered that the lifts were not going to open for the day. Apparently the visibility was too poor up top for them to do avalanche mitigation work that they needed to do to get the lifts open. We pivoted and took the Eychauda lift up towards the short Cucumelle lift where we did several off piste runs in untouched cold snow under the lift.
Given the previous days long run outs in the heavy snow down below, these short laps were a welcome treat.
We then spent several runs before lunch exploring the off piste options around the Vallons lift. First to the skiers left, a long traverse outward before skiing downward towards the lift. Untracked but becoming overly popular with several other guided groups. Quality snow. Next we did two 5/10 minute hikes towards the skiers right which was significantly less trafficked and provided excellent long powder, sustained pitch, and little competition. This was the stuff we came for. After lunch the guide suggested we hike high and skiers left off of the Vallons chair for roughly 20 minutes to get to Guibertes Couloir, a run that would take us down to the valley and likely take up much of the afternoon.
As these guides tend to do, the time was well exaggerated and ultimately we were hiking and traversing for nearly an hour. We are not the fastest and I am sure frustrated our guide. His decision turned out to be excellent. While the clouds never disappeared for the day, the visibility was fair enough to enjoy the run fully. We skied essentially from peak to valley in an area no one had yet visited since the storm. I must admit after my experience in St Moritz last year I did not feel confident in doing this route on a level 4 day but no harm was done and for at least the top 80% of the run this was alps skiing at its finest. As with the rest of the day, the lower 20% became quite tedious but no complaints.
Day 4:
Finally, the sun came out. And risk decreased from Level 4 to Level 3. It was forecasted to cloud up later in the day as snow was forecasted to move in overnight. Wanting to take advantage of the sun and hopeful that Yret would finally open, we drove again to Monetiere. The morning proved to be fantastic with our guide able to lead us 4/5 times down the Yret face through various lines, untouched, my kind of pitch, and no tedious runouts.
En route to lunch we took one final run off Yret, far skiers left into the bowl behind the face and down the far left boundary of Monetiere down through the trees until ultimately arriving back at the base area. An incredible run.
After a long needed lunch we decided to hike from Vallons to the peak to the left when sitting on the lift. That led us to a wide couloir that had yet to be skid that day.
While the clouds had finally rolled in, it was a fitting end to one of the better days I have had in the alps.
Day 5:
As the week had progressed forecasts converged on another storm arriving Thursday night into Friday with roughly 5-7 inches predicted but with questionable snow levels. Given we had an 8 PM flight out of Milan and that our guide seemed confident that it would be a great choice for the day, we decided to go to Montgenevre so we could position ourselves a bit closer to the airport. Rain in Briancon Thursday night and modest snow totals and thick cloud out our window on Friday morning left us thinking at breakfast that the day might not be as good as hoped. We parked in the lot by the Charmettes lift where it was obvious that at least 10 inches had fell. Level 4/5 so our options might be limited. As we rode the lift up we were essentially in a white out. Thankfully the clouds wound up being low level and were hanging in the valley and by the top of the lift there were spots of sunshine and perfect visibility. We then boarded the Rocher de l’aigle gondola and what followed was some of the best powder skiing Ive ever experienced.
We proceeded to do 5 different routes down from the top of the gondola through the L’aigle sector down to the Brousset chair. At the top open bowls, some couloirs near the gondola tower, in the middle open and undulating rollers, and at the bottom through the trees. Chris and Tony both mentioned this area in their trip reports. It was vast, long, mellow and completely untouched for nearly 4 straight hours. We then cruised down to Claviere and enjoyed a delicious Italian lunch before returning to Montgenevre and our car. This was a day I will remember forever and is something that simply would not be possible at American resorts. For essentially the same price of a full day lift ticket at a US resort, we got a lift ticket, shared guide, and a delicious Italian lunch all while on heli/cat like snow/terrain. And a special thanks to our guide who turned out to be quite the photographer.
Day 1:
After arriving in Milan early in the morning we ultimately got to our hotel in Briancon at around 11:30 and were on the Prorel gondola by 1. With heavy snow forecasted to move in that evening the light was flat by around 2. We stayed on piste doing laps on the gondola not wanting to stray too far from Briancon with the weather as it was. Low visibility at the top but about 10% down the way it was clearer and these were ultimately nice long laps which were much needed after the long flight and being the first day on skis this year. As I had hoped, trees lined these pistes making for decent visibility.
Our hotel was only 3 months old, an old converted army barrack a 5 minute walk from the gondola with its own ski locker by the lift. While posts here and elsewhere were right about the lack of ambiance around the gondola base, dinner in the old town was lovely and only a short 5 minute car ride. The central area of Briancon was also only a 10 minute walk from the hotel.
Day 2:
Roughly 8 inches of snow by morning with no clearing forecasted for the day. We met our guide for the trip at 9 AM at the gondola but unfortunately the lift was closed due to the weather. It is quite an old gondola so I suspect this may happen fairly frequently. Thankfully he had a van and brought us all over to the Chantamerle base area where we departed for the day. We took a quick warm up on piste down to Foret and from there went back up to start some off piste tree skiing with the visibility poor. The upper lifts in Monetiere were closed for the day so we were told this was mostly the sector we were going to ski for the day. On the positive side, the level to which the trees rise definitely were as advertised. There was abundant tree skiing and plenty lining the pistes for viable storm weather skiing. The actual conditions within the trees was generally untracked and soft at the top but quickly became heavy and difficult to ski by the lower portions of the runs. I would imagine given the southern trajectory of the storms that come here from the Mediterranean that this is often the case. Nevertheless between the untracked nice stretches at the top and the pleasant run outs on the pistes it made for a nice morning .
After lunch we headed up the prorel lift back towards Briancon where thankfully the visibility had improved. We then did a long off piste descent all the way down to the midstation of the prorel gondola. This route was when looking at the trailmap on the far left of the resort. The top section was excellent but once we hit the tree line it ultimately became difficult to navigate.
For our last run of the day from the top of the gondola we began an off piste route skiiers left on the face near the aiguilette lift. We had told the guide that we wished to end the day in Briancon so we could walk back to the hotel. After an excellent top section that had not yet been touched, and a long and arduous tree section, we unfortunately wound right back up in Chantamerle.
No big deal but the language barrier has been far more of an issue here than in previous trips elsewhere. No signs of Americans here and very little English to be heard other than a few Brits. Our legs were completely shot by the end of the day but given the visibility most of the day no complaints.
Day 3:
The gameplan was to drive to Monetiere to start the day as the hope was that the upper lifts at Cibouit and Yret would open as they were closed the previous days. After two excellent long (very!) and freshly groomed pisted runs on the Bachas chair we sadly discovered that the lifts were not going to open for the day. Apparently the visibility was too poor up top for them to do avalanche mitigation work that they needed to do to get the lifts open. We pivoted and took the Eychauda lift up towards the short Cucumelle lift where we did several off piste runs in untouched cold snow under the lift.
Given the previous days long run outs in the heavy snow down below, these short laps were a welcome treat.
We then spent several runs before lunch exploring the off piste options around the Vallons lift. First to the skiers left, a long traverse outward before skiing downward towards the lift. Untracked but becoming overly popular with several other guided groups. Quality snow. Next we did two 5/10 minute hikes towards the skiers right which was significantly less trafficked and provided excellent long powder, sustained pitch, and little competition. This was the stuff we came for. After lunch the guide suggested we hike high and skiers left off of the Vallons chair for roughly 20 minutes to get to Guibertes Couloir, a run that would take us down to the valley and likely take up much of the afternoon.
As these guides tend to do, the time was well exaggerated and ultimately we were hiking and traversing for nearly an hour. We are not the fastest and I am sure frustrated our guide. His decision turned out to be excellent. While the clouds never disappeared for the day, the visibility was fair enough to enjoy the run fully. We skied essentially from peak to valley in an area no one had yet visited since the storm. I must admit after my experience in St Moritz last year I did not feel confident in doing this route on a level 4 day but no harm was done and for at least the top 80% of the run this was alps skiing at its finest. As with the rest of the day, the lower 20% became quite tedious but no complaints.
Day 4:
Finally, the sun came out. And risk decreased from Level 4 to Level 3. It was forecasted to cloud up later in the day as snow was forecasted to move in overnight. Wanting to take advantage of the sun and hopeful that Yret would finally open, we drove again to Monetiere. The morning proved to be fantastic with our guide able to lead us 4/5 times down the Yret face through various lines, untouched, my kind of pitch, and no tedious runouts.
En route to lunch we took one final run off Yret, far skiers left into the bowl behind the face and down the far left boundary of Monetiere down through the trees until ultimately arriving back at the base area. An incredible run.
After a long needed lunch we decided to hike from Vallons to the peak to the left when sitting on the lift. That led us to a wide couloir that had yet to be skid that day.
While the clouds had finally rolled in, it was a fitting end to one of the better days I have had in the alps.
Day 5:
As the week had progressed forecasts converged on another storm arriving Thursday night into Friday with roughly 5-7 inches predicted but with questionable snow levels. Given we had an 8 PM flight out of Milan and that our guide seemed confident that it would be a great choice for the day, we decided to go to Montgenevre so we could position ourselves a bit closer to the airport. Rain in Briancon Thursday night and modest snow totals and thick cloud out our window on Friday morning left us thinking at breakfast that the day might not be as good as hoped. We parked in the lot by the Charmettes lift where it was obvious that at least 10 inches had fell. Level 4/5 so our options might be limited. As we rode the lift up we were essentially in a white out. Thankfully the clouds wound up being low level and were hanging in the valley and by the top of the lift there were spots of sunshine and perfect visibility. We then boarded the Rocher de l’aigle gondola and what followed was some of the best powder skiing Ive ever experienced.
We proceeded to do 5 different routes down from the top of the gondola through the L’aigle sector down to the Brousset chair. At the top open bowls, some couloirs near the gondola tower, in the middle open and undulating rollers, and at the bottom through the trees. Chris and Tony both mentioned this area in their trip reports. It was vast, long, mellow and completely untouched for nearly 4 straight hours. We then cruised down to Claviere and enjoyed a delicious Italian lunch before returning to Montgenevre and our car. This was a day I will remember forever and is something that simply would not be possible at American resorts. For essentially the same price of a full day lift ticket at a US resort, we got a lift ticket, shared guide, and a delicious Italian lunch all while on heli/cat like snow/terrain. And a special thanks to our guide who turned out to be quite the photographer.
And it’s Exhibit A of the value of hiring guides in the Alps, especially on powder days.
