My Lake Annecy

How many days fresh powder can you have skiing anywhere? Correct, the answer is depending on where you go, how often and how much it snows. Given that you can’t influence the weather, the only choice you have is where to go. If you commit to one ski resort you get what you are given. You share what powder skiing is available with all other skiers and snow boarders in that resort. What about staying nearby a number of ski resorts, than you would have a choice where to ski at any given day – right?

Well, that is what I normally do and the past five days have paid off. I skied powder every day all day, something impossible to do in some of the flagship French ski resorts such as La Plagne, Val D’Isere, Meribel or Tignes. There powder is gone after a few hours of snowfall, tracked out by the many expert skiers and seasonaires. Powder snow might last all day at most if you are willing to take the avalanche risk. I take a different and safer approach. I ski locally in ski resorts nearby lake Annecy at low altitude and on hidden secret tree-lined slopes. This largely reduces the avalanche risk and increases visibility even on a bad weather day. Here my last five days:

Day one: Espace Diamant , I normally head to Flumet and take the drag lift up into the domain. That way I can do my first run 40 min after I left my house. : Espace Diamant connects seven small ski resorts and got close to 200km of slopes. This resort has almost no foreign skiers and as a relaxed feel about it. Think ski resort 30 years ago before all the crowds arrived. Powder can still be found even days after the last snowfall. I had a great day skiing powder in bright sunshine – with spectacular views across the Mont Blanc. You have to be prepared to navigate the odd tree!!

Day two: La Sambuy, a local mountain a mere 20 min drive. It snowed all night and all day, visibility was not great. Sambuy is good for these conditions. All the runs are tree-lined and all the off-piste is surrounded by trees, which gives you great visibility even in bad conditions. The only downside, the mountain only got one chair and two drags, but who is to complain if you pay 10euro for half day and share the mountain with seven other skiers. I skied fresh, untracked, knee-high powder all afternoon. I was not complaining.

Day three: I had friends staying over for the weekend, so I was keen to show them Megeve and its powder runs, 35 min drive from my house. Megeve is great when visibility is poor and clouds are lingering. Almost all the runs are below the tree line and after 24 hours of snow fall the powder is fantastic. Somehow this resort never runs empty of fresh, untracked powder to the delight on my friends and me.

Day four: Sunny day and we headed for La Cluzas, the cable car of La Balme to be precise. From there you head straight up to 2500m and into a paradise of off-piste. You can ski the entire mountain with a face almost half a mile wide. Plenty of untouched, fresh powder, especially the first sunny day after heavy snow fall. Beware La Cluzas can be very busy on a Sunday (many local skiers). Starting in La Balme has another advantage: you avoid the sun seeking crowds in the morning and got all that powder for yourself.

Day five: Megeve again – Megeve is always good when it has not snowed for a few days as there are many hidden powder runs still untouched even days after the last snow fall. Why? Because Megeve is full of posh people and beginners, not too many expert skiers. When I am by myself I normally head straight to Cote 2000, which at 2000m is just above the tree line. The lifts there are not busy (partially because posh people don’t like to ski in the shade!!) and there is a good choice of reds and blacks with great off-piste either side. Yesterday I skied fresh powder for five hours over two days after the last snowfall. I had so much fun, I nearly missed the last lift back to the resort.

I still got another five days here on lake Annecy. What will I do tomorrow? One thing is for sure, the weather forecast is for more snow and I will be skiing fresh powder!! Come join me lake Annecy accommodation is easily available

Lake Annecy the town with Debussy

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Why do I love to use lake Annecy as my base for skiing? For one I have property there, which surprisingly is empty most of the winter season. However there is another reason. Lake Annecy is within an hours drive of more than 10 major ski resorts. By choosing to drive I can pick the resort most suitable for the day’s conditions and my ski preferences on the day.

le grand bornand winter

When the weather is bad I can go to a lower ski resorts with mainly forest runs, offering better visibility in poor conditions. When the snow conditions are poor and the temperatures are high, I can go to a higher ski resort and benefit from the more consistent snow conditions. When it snowed I can chose an avalanche-save ski resort and have an early start before piste patrol declare slopes save in other resorts.

And finally just because I am willing to drive to a ski resort I am staying in larger and better accommodation at a much lower cost.

Below my ski resort explorations when I stay on lake Annecy for a weeks skiing:

Day 1: La Sambuy, a small resort 20 min drive from Doussard. There are only three lifts but a good selection of runs for both beginners and advanced skiers. It is a good place to go for your first day. It is great in poor visibility as all runs are below the tree line and ski passes for adults are only 14 euro per day.

Day 2: Le Grand Bornand, a pretty family ski resort 35 – 40 min drive from lake Annecy. The ski resort is blessed by sun, got great, wide slopes and about 20 ski lifts. Ideal for family skiing or if you are into carving. May be not the best for powder skiing but still reasonably prices at 28 euro (adult ski pass) for 90 km piste.

Day 3: Megeve, one of the oldest ski resorts in the French Alps and also one of the poshest. The real attraction of Megeve skiing is the view across to the Mt Blanc. Just 40 min from lake Annecy a few ski lifts up the mountain and you are face to face with the highest mountain in Western Europe.  Although Megeve is connected to other ski resorts such as St Gervais and boasts a massif ski area with almost 50 ski lifts it is frequented by a class of skiers who like to hang out in mountain restaurants and sun terraces. Still a great place to ski for a day or two.

Day 4: Les Saisies (Espace Diamant), a real gem in my opinion. This ski resort is also 40 min drive from lake Annecy but is little know amongst skiers outside France.  The ski resort is still unspoilt and not on the tourist trail for mad skiers and boarders. The infrastructure is a little old and at places  one feels like skiing in the seventies. However that is not necessarily a bad thing. The country side and views are stunning and the whole domain got a slower feel to it. It is more sightseeing skiing rather than race skiing. Ski pass is cheap and with 300km of slopes there is more than just a day of skiing to be done.

Day 5: La Clusaz, probably my favourite ski resort in the region. Postcard village, challenging runs, good off-piste and over 100km of marked piste makes it my preferred playground. I tend to ski 40% of my winter time on lake Annecy in La Clusaz. It is a great resort for a half day blast too with some very efficient ski lifts in La Balme. I tend to leave just before midday for the 12.30 half day ski pass. Four and a half hours skiing at 22 Euro …a real bargain. I love it in La Clusaz. However if the weather is bad you are better off in Megeve or Les Saisies.

la clusaz winter

Day 6: Meribel, Trois Vallee. Not much I need to say about Meribel and Trois Vallee. The largest ski domain in the Alps with 600km of slopes connecting the ski resorts of Courchevel, Meribel, La Tania, Val Thorons and Les Menieurs to name a few. Meribel is an hours drive from Doussard, lake Annecy. You can park for free in Meribel village or for 8euro for the day directly under the ski lifts in the centre of  Meribel. Beware, if you are not a good skier it is pointless buying the Trois Vallee ski pass. I visited the ski resort this season and the ski pass for entire domain is a hefty 48 Euro. If the weather is bad, visit Courchevel as there are more tree lined slopes.

Day 7: What about Valmorel – nice alternative to some of the more famous neighbour resorts in the Trois Vallees. Valmorel got  150 km of pistes, 50 ski lifts and 315 snow cannons. It is at a lower altitude than Trois Vallees but faily snow sure. The resort got a good mix of family- and extreme skiing and some great off-piste. It is a less visited resort and a good option for a Saturday change-over day. Valmorel can be reached from lake Annecy in less than one hour.

Here you go, plenty of skiing to be done even if you are spending the entire winter on lake Annecy.  Should that not be enough for you try Chamonix just under one and a half hours drive from lake Annecy.

Waiting for Lance to arrive at the final 2009 Tour de France time trial around Lake Annecy, France

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Paragliding over lake Annecy in France Music by the Divine Comedy

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A paragliding holiday at lake Annecy in 2006

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Paragliding SIV course Lake Annecy France, parapente SIV pilotage

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lake annecy tandem flight

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100+ competition paraglider pilots launch from Col de la Forclaz above Lake Annecy. The backing track is a Northern Soul instrumental called ‘Sidra’s Theme’ by Ronnie and Robin.

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Lake of Annecey France A tour in a car Lake Annecy, the central lake on the historic medieval town of Annecy France. This former seat of the Dutchy of Savoy is now the regional capital of Haute-Savoie.

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