Context:
Winter 2021, French ski lifts are either shut down or open to a minority. A friend being in Switzerland is starting to seriously drive us crazy by sending us photos/videos of his 36000 descents in one day…
So here we are in front of our computers, 1 week before leaving the packages are at -58% or less than 40€ per day, which is less expensive than 3/4 of French resorts!
Stay:
Booking on Airbnb an apartment on Aminona, 200€ for 2 nights for 4, very correct. The places seem deserted, out of school period, during the week. JUST PERFECT for us.
First day:
Departure at 5 a.m. from St Jean de Sixt, arrived at 8:30 a.m. to pick up the 2 friends already there, we team up in the parking lot of the residence (aminona side) then we stand at the bus stop which passes every 20 minutes and FREE!
White day, so no sight, the top of the station is closed. But, if you read the title, the station is versatile! So we spend the day in the trees, a treat!
In summary, 1st day in the snow, white day, upper station closed, skiing in the trees all day, crazy runs everywhere!
Second day:
Wake up at 7.30 am, we join the shuttle at 9 am, we wait less than 10 minutes. 5mn shuttle ride, Thursday so still no one.
The sun comes out from time to time, it snows too, but the visibility is starting to be good!
The top of the station remains closed, we hear the Gazex, we understand that there is a real reason for it to be closed.
However, we had not finished discovering the bottom of the station, we discover new spots, very easily accessible with the possibility of locating them from the chairlifts and cabins.
We stop to eat in a little bar that takes it away (covid obliges), the prices are up to Swiss wages. But we eat well, and we have a good time with friends, life what …
Third day:
We empty the apartment everything in the cars, we deposit our keys and we go skiing. We park at the foot of the ski lift in the center (little fear of the price of parking for the day but we try it).
The sun replaces the clouds, the top of the station opens, so you can make your first tracks even on Friday, when the first skiers of the weekend have arrived.
From noon the snow in full sun changes a little, and after 2 and a half days of intense powder, we take advantage of the groomed slopes and make good fresh snow.
A very good mix between boulevard and small slopes, a great park and of course great off-piste!
At the end of the day we go down to drink some sunburn, a great atmosphere at the end of the day (normal in France when the lifts and restaurant / bar are open!) but hey, now we have to travel 300km to “live”!
We pay the parking lot for the day 15 CHF, that’s fine, that’s very correct.
Summary in a nutshell:
Tracks: A good mix of boulevards and small playful tracks. Negative point 1 or 2 tracks are really flat, they allow you to reach the different places in the resort.
Edges of the track: very playful, mix of fir trees, jumps, truffles, short very playful terrain!
Off-piste: numerous, there is everything, from the large side to the small side with pilots. A large part of the area’s off-piste areas can be reached using the lifts. In freerando you pass on an area with crazy off-piste access to which is secure and does not require more than 30 minutes of hiking for the major part.
The resort: didn’t have time to go there, however we heard about it!
Transport: The shuttles run every 20 minutes on average and are free.
Wednesday 17 / Thursday 18 / Friday 19 March 2021
With Steve ROBERT (an outstanding photographer)
IG: @steverobert1 & IG: @annecyfoilteam
With Alexis AUDISIO (money shot rider)
IG: @alexisaud
With Quentin VILLEMIN (faithful companion of my seasons)
IG: @quentin_vlmn
and me !
IG: @nono_duad & IG: @the_rod_factory