|
|
|
|
Apartment 13 of the chalet Les Marches in the Planchamp
hameau (area) is one of the best situated and well equipped
apartments in Valmorel. It is virtually on the ski-slope, experiencing
a fantastic 180 degree view over the Planchamp piste and
the Morel Valley facing west. - And yet the apartment is
only 100 meters from the main pedestrian street of Bourg Morel
with all its shops, markets, services, bars and restaurants.
- But very quiet at night !
The chalet Les Marches is only a few steps from the Planchamp
piste and there is only 75 meters down the beginning of
the Altispace chairlift (where you naturally would ski down to, in the morning).
The apartment is more than 80 m2 divided into 2 floors
decorated in a light, but cosy scandinavian atmosphere. The main floor
is reserved for social activities (i.e. no bedrooms) and include:
lounge / sitting room
dining room (10-12 people)
open fireplace
large balcony facing the Planchamp piste
bathroom (w. washing machine & dryer)
separate WC
american style open kitchen
dishwasher, microwave, espresso etc...
flatscreen TV, DVD player and stereo
(bring your own DVD's and iPod)
The top floor includes:
bathroom & wc
4 bedrooms sleeping 10 people
(8 single beds & 1 double bed)
The chalet offers:
quiet nights
true doorstep skiing !!!
private ski cabinet
The large 9 m2 private balcony, accessed from the lounge,
gives you the opportunity of enjoying the afternoon sun, whilst being
entertained by the many skiers and the activities on the piste
right in front of you.
All bedrooms have closets and drawers for your clothes and personal
belongings. All beds are equipped with pillows, blankets and
duvets/comforters. However you must bring your own bedlinen, covers,
bath-towels and tea-towels. Alternativly you can rent
bedlinen, covers, towels etc. out of Immobilier-Soleil
in the center of the main pedestrian street, 11 Bourg Morel. They speak
english and are very helpfull. If you prebook ahead of arrival,
it will be in the appartment available for you upon arrival.
Just besides the main entrance of Les Marches (below) you will find
the annex with private cabinets for your ski's in the corner of the
chalet (behind the trees on the right). You may also use a small cabinet
just opposite the apartment main door.
|
|
|
|
|
Les Marches seen from the piste:
|
|
Les Marches at another angle from the piste:
|
The Altispace charlift passing the apartment on the way up:
|
|
View from the balcony:
|
View into the Morel Valley:
|
|
Inside - The lounge with the new sofa:
|
The open fireplace:
|
|
The dinning area:
|
The open kitchen:
|
|
Stairway to top floor:
|
The lounge from another angle:
|
|
TV & DVD (TV signals are however weak or nonexistent):
|
Stereo - with iPod interface (bring your own iPod):
|
|
New espresso coffee machine:
|
One of the bathrooms (both refurbished in 2003):
|
|
Washing machine (good for ski-socks as the days go):
|
Top floor - A bedroom:
|
|
Top floor - Another bedroom:
|
|
|
|
A 180 degree view from the apartment one morning after a heavy snowfall during night (3 appended pictures):
|
|
|
Todays webcam picture zoomed in on Planchamp (gray = cloudy):
|
| |
|
|
|
One of France, Europe and the world's newer major resorts, Valmorel was built in
1976 after the mistakes of earlier French ski resort developments had been
learned. It is the first ski centre you reach on entering the famous Tarentaise
Valley and, provided you arrive on a good day, you should be inspired by a sense
of calm, natural beauty on
|
|
|
arrival. The resort opens out onto scenic pine
forests, mountain pastures and the backdrop of the high Alps, the marketing
slogan 'Valmorel La Belle' seems perfect. The architectural style is unique in
France, inspired by ancient construction techniques in the Morel valley. There
are no slopeside rectangular concrete apartment blocks, but instead large chalet
style buildings, none of them more than three or four storeys high and all
following the curves of the land beneath. Only wood, stone and paving stones are used.
|
|
|
|
|
Valmorel is divided in to various 'hameau' (hamlets) - clusters of buildings
on different levels. These are connected by footpaths, sometimes covered, and
adorned with charming little squares and internal courtyards.
Everything here has been created with a calm but active lifestyle in mind
and to remain harmonious with the natural setting. It's a concept very similar
to that taking the major North American ski areas by storm in the
late 1990s, pioneered by Intrawest, most notably with their successful
resort designs of Whistler-Blackcomb and Tremblant in Canada. Valmorel
centres on The Bourg ('the small market town'). Almost all of the shops and
services are located here in a pedestrianised area.
|
|
The façades in pastel tones are decorated with trompe l'oeil frescos.
The archways, porches and overhangs are reminiscent of the time when
architecture was sophisticated.
|
|
|
The main pedestrian street:
|
|
Most shops are open until 20:00
|
|
|
Many good resturants on the way:
|
|
Music in the street:
|
|
|
The town completly covered in snow one morning:
|
|
- lots of snow...:
|
| |
|
|
Valmorel - having one of the best snow statistics
in the area - has the reputation of being an excellent family ski-resort with more
than 165 km marked pistes in altitudes between 1450 m to 2850 m. Valmorel rivals some
of the bigger, better known resorts by having a lot of regular
pistes and virtually no flat boring "connecting" pistes, offering you a great
time on each piste.
Some of the pistes cater well for beginners and intermediates. There are areas
specially designed for specific needs in all ages; schools, snowparks, half-pipes etc...
This doesn't mean that advanced skiers aren't presented
with very much to test their skills, as there are plenty of mogul fields
and some really really good off-piste as well !!!
New and upgraded lifts are also being introduced in the area, after the company
running the lifts at Val d'Isere, La Rosière and Avoriaz has taken
Valmorel as their "new baby" a few years ago. They are also being pushed
by "Club Med", who is building a new 35.000 sqm resort in Valmorel.
Piste facts:
Total 165 km / 84 pistes + the off-piste + 20 km cross-country tracks
 28 green pistes
 32 blue pistes
 16 red pistes
 8 black pistes
|
|
Lift capacity: 42.000 people/hour
Total number of lifts : 54
Snow canons: 202
Liftsystem: Keycard (hands free)
Ski school: ESF
|
|
|
See the new piste map for Le Grand Domaine.
More information can be found on www.valmorel.com
Have a look at the pictures from
the pistes and ski area:
|
|
|
The Planchamp piste seen from the Altispace chair lift
just above the apartment:
|
|
Les Traveres piste & Altispace mid-station.
In the background: Le Nielard & Col du Mottet:
|
|
|
Arrival at the top of the Altispace chair lift:
|
|
- and down the Combe de Beaudin piste:
|
|
|
Combe de Beaudin from another angle:
|
|
The Frêne piste (more than 2km long):
|
|
|
More of Le Frêne:
|
|
Husky dogs at Col de la Madeleine:
|
|
|
Col du Mottet just above Valmorel:
|
|
View from the Prariond Restaurant:
|
|
|
View towards Mottet from the Altipiano Restaurant:
|
|
Massive amounts of snow on Lauzière:
|
|
|
The challenging Noire du Mottet (black):
|
|
Sunset over La Grand Combe: (Download as wallpaper)
|
|
|
The top of Lauzière (good off-piste starts from here):
|
|
Paragliders at the top of Lauzière:
|
|
|
Super off-piste on the sunny side of Lauzière:
|
|
Massif de la Lauzière seen from Cheval Noir:
|
|
|
Off-piste on Col du Mottet:
|
|
View from Col du Mottet:
|
|
|
Time to relax on top of the world
|
|
Enjoy life...
|
|
|
...above the clouds:
|
|
Back in Valmorel the kids have a great time:
|
|
|
The snow canons of Valmorel:
|
|
- but not needed much in the snowy season of 2007/2008:
|
