Skiing at a club med

[rbkakiier]

We are possibly planning a ski trip in December of this year. Has anyone had experience skiing at any of the club med resorts in Italy or France? Would like to get an idea of the mountains/instructors and overall experience. Thank you!

 

[Jilly]

My DH and I did a Club Med trip a loooooong time ago. I don't know what might have changed but it was 1 week of skiing with the same instructor all over the mountain. The ski school (even though we were in the US) was Ecole de Ski Francois. Very competent instructors.

We also had a blast with all the apres ski activities. I still have a video of DH and others from the trip at the GM show.

 

[MI-skier]

I'm so jealous. I can't give you advice on CM ski but our family did two CM Cancun 2016, 2017 and LOVED it. They've been around for decades and people I know who have done the CM skiing have also reported a great time. To not have to worry about organizing AND have great food, I'd say go for it.

 

[skinnyfootskis]

My DH and I did a Club Med trip a loooooong time ago. I don't know what might have changed but it was 1 week of skiing with the same instructor all over the mountain. The ski school (even though we were in the US) was Ecole de Ski Francois. Very competent instructors.

We also had a blast with all the apres ski activities. I still have a video of DH and others from the trip at the GM show.

Jilly, do you recommend a Club Med if I am still really learning to ski? I was after the lessons, but don't want to have to travel across the world unless it is a great place and a great deal (it seems to be). I was thinking of researching St Moritz and other non-France options first. I think a trip from the East coast to CO for a week is coming up to cost more than a CM. I think the all-inclusive might be well worth it.

 

[Susan L]

Paging @mustski - She is skiing Europe right now with Clubmed!

 

[Jilly]

Susan L beat me to it.

 

[mustski]

The CM experience is quite good. It includes all day instruction, all your meals, your alcohol, wonderful lodging and 5* service for sure. The all day instruction is more of a guided experience at my ski level. He does instruct but it comes more in tidbits and tips than intentional instruction. I found the instruction at Taos ski week far superior to the instruction here. My recommendation would be to check to make sure the resort has trees! I am dead serious. I am at Val Thorens Sensations which is their newest, most luxurious resorts and I have had to sit out 2 day due to vertigo during snowstorms. There are no trees at all. It's like skiing on the moon! Great moon skiing but ....

I do think that the all day lessons does require a bit of guiding as much as instruction because it would be impossible to just practice drills and excercises all day. Our instructor was excellent.

 

[mustski]

I am still there for another week. I will write a more detailed Trip Report when we get back. There are definitely some things to watch out for or your total $$ can go way up!

 

[santacruz skier]

Have always wondered about the club med ski experience as have seen signs at several places in Europe (chamonix even has one). It always sounds like a good deal. I am interested in reading your trip report. I'm not sure if it's for me though. I have stayed in "catered chalets" (less than 12 people) three times (twice in Chamonix, once in Tignes (Val d'sere ) and definitely enjoyed that experience.
That's too bad about the visibility issues. Vertigo is not a fun experience. My friend went to Portillo, Chile for a week several years ago and she had the same experience as you.
So really good point you mentioned about checking to see if the resort has any trees. Also Val Thorens is very high so "snow sure" , probably better snow than lower altitude resorts (Austria - kitzbuhel, st anton, etc) , but when it's snowing, it can be miserable.
@mustski you've been to Whistler, right? I have been probably a dozen times and that 7th Heaven area can be a total whiteout when snowing. However, Whistler has other areas with lots of trees.
Enjoying seeing your posts so can't wait for the official TR!

 

[mustski]

I have never been to Whistler- in fact have avoided it because of the visibility issues. We chose Val Thorens because of the altitude. I did not realize that my vertigo response would be so extreme. Now I know. It’s a fantastic ski area though!

 

[skinnyfootskis]

I am still there for another week. I will write a more detailed Trip Report when we get back. There are definitely some things to watch out for or your total $$ can go way up!

Have a Blast and a run for me!!!!

 

[skinnyfootskis]

I have never been to Whistler- in fact have avoided it because of the visibility issues. We chose Val Thorens because of the altitude. I did not realize that my vertigo response would be so extreme. Now I know. It’s a fantastic ski area though!

Might not be for me. I do have an inner ear "thing" that after doing certain movements-including skiing and racing around an auto track- I still feel as though I am moving. After 2 days in VT this year I felt like i was running turns on the drive back to CT. It was not a big deal but still something. I also have been a deer in the headlights when the sun drops or is a flat day. I see ONLY floaters and not the snow. I am looking for an eye Dr now as its time for an appointment. I am hoping to find a Dr. that skis. I had lasik in 2001 and as of last year wear glasses and ski with contacts (distance).
Anyhoot--enjoy the trip!!!
P.S. I do an Epley Maneuver (BPPV) to realign my ear crystals-life saver!

 

[mustski]

To give you an idea of the visibility issues, here are 2 photos taken from my my hotel room window. The hills in the clear photo are the pistes at the bottom of the mountain. I’ve only been able to ski 2 1/2 days out of 6 because of the vertigo.

 

[liquidfeet]

Oh my. I would find no joy skiing in that fog, vertigo or not.

 

[santacruz skier]

Looks like my first day at St Moritz..... actually there were a few days like that but we later managed to find some tree lined meandering runs.... doesn't look like you have that option... sadly.

 

[SkiBam]

It seems I had the total opposite last time I was at Val Thorens (well, les Trois Vallées in general). This was three years ago and we had six solid days of solid sunshine. Could hardly believe our good luck. I was there several years previous to that trip and I recall a day at VT where we saw VERY little - in fact, the two people leading our little group managed to lose each other. (We all found each other later at lunch.)

I think overall I've found Whistler worse for visibility. But I guess it just depends when you hit a particular place. We've had days at Tremblant this year where you could see nothing unless you were at the side of a trail and could maybe see some trees. But there I know exactly where I'm going so it's less worrying.

Off topic, but we saw some interesting weather at Tremblant last Tuesday - something I've seen before at big mountains out west or in Europe but never here at a far lower elevation. Cloudy at the base, but sun on top - and we looked down on the cloud cover. Quite spectacular.

 

[VickiK]

I wouldn't want to go out in that fog either. But it sounds like you're making the most of your vacation and are having a great time!

 

[mustski]

Looks like my first day at St Moritz..... actually there were a few days like that but we later managed to find some tree lined meandering runs.... doesn't look like you have that option... sadly.

There are trees at both Meribel and Courcheval but you have to find your way there- a difficult task in the fog even IF the peak lifts are open. It was a spa day today!

 

[skibum4ever]

That view is incredible (when you can see it). Hope you get better weather in your second week.

Seventh Heaven at Whistler was mentioned. I got stuck up there in a whiteout. It was extremely scary as I had no idea when I might arrive at a cliff. Fortunately I met up with some skiers who knew the area and we slowly made it down.

That is so disorienting. I remember skiing Solitude at Mammoth and ending up far to the skier's left on the other side of Chair 5. So even familiarity with an area may not help in those conditions.

Enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

[santacruz skier]

There are trees at both Meribel and Courcheval but you have to find your way there- a difficult task in the fog even IF the peak lifts are open. It was a spa day today!

Well that sounds nice and relaxing!