Anybody know the area well? Looking for any tips like if we drive to a certain village it's less busy and easier parking.. Park here and take the chair to xxx..
We'll be a mix of ski anywhere people down to inexperienced kids and one who'd rather visit a spa than ski at all.. so just general tips would be good.
You have 2 options- one is to turn right after Torgon old village, but before Torgon/La Jorette- and go to Plan de Croix.
Very large carpark and restaurant with large terrasse. From there, you can go right and take the t-bar up (it is a nice run down from top back to base) and then go over and take another one that takes you to France- and the lovely wise runs of Chapelle d''Abondance and chair up. Nice restaurant at top (French) - from top you can cut across a long path that takes you to top of nice run back to base. From there, you can take the fast quad chair up to Tour de Don - Pomas there and lovely runs- and then take the next one and keept going until you get to the runs at Châlet Neuf (nice restaurant half-way) and Châtel and super Châtel - and down to Morgins - then up again to Tour de Don and the long run back to Plan de Croix.
You can also take the 2-chair on the left up to the top of Torgon La Jorette- it is a great run - Pomas on left (pizzeria at bottom) and chair on the right. It is in full sun, so can get a bit bare- whereas Tour de Don and Chapelle d'Abondance are higher and differently exposed, and almost always have great conditions.
We used to go with The Ski Company (based in Greenwich) - geat deals for groups, but he also has many appartments for rent. Their packages are great- and they do all their own ski and board hire in house, and have a ski shop (Gold Test they do all the Swiss ski school stuff) and work very closely with the Torgon Ski School.
PM if you have any questions.
It looks great to me, i'll talk with our little group and shoot if there are any specific questions.
Last time we stayed there we ended up heading over to Villars / Diablerets .. It's nice there and familiar but a bit far..
Next to the Gold Test Ski shop at the bottom of La Jorette, is the dining/play area for the Ski Company (say hello to Gerry, Becky and Ollie for me- they are a great team- Gerry is a real 'John Cleese' kind of guy- dry as a bone and so funny) , with some studios above and 2 châlets below.
Next to ski shop is a Hot Chocolate café- with a play area for kids. The hot chocolate à l'Italienne, with the thick chocolate you can stand a spoon in
Apple tart at the small restaurant at top of Tour de Don chair is great- and from top of Tour de Don, there is a great view of Montreux and the end of Lake Geneva, and Tour d'Aï (massive mohican style rock) of Leysin across the valley.
Do be careful though, there is often a big corniche/overhang - so don't get too close to edge.
The area covered on the Torgon pass is massive - and you could even cross Morgins on foot and go up to La Foilleuse on other side and even to Champoussin.
Having said that, access into the PDS from, and back to Torgon is severely limited when compared with Morgins, and given the ease of access here - 20 minutes from the motorway - I'm not sure why anyone would choose Torgon as a starting point instead. Parking in Morgins is free and close to the lifts as well.
It's worth pointing out that new lifts in Chatel make access from the Morgins side towards Avoriaz very simple, and if the Corbeau chair that links you straight across to it is not running you can take the free shuttle bus that runs every twenty minutes instead, or indeed drive to the free parking in Chatel right next to the lift.
Have you tried it?
If I am going to do Les Crozets, Avoriaz and Pas de Chavanette- then rather go to Champery direct (and Val D'Illiez spa).
But hey, welcome to Romandie- used to spend all my holidays near La Foilleuse opposite ma favourite mountains, Les Dents du Midi- so love the area.
Thanks. We have a great view of the DdM straight down the valley from our chalet's upper floor/balcony.
Although we're living in the bottom apartment for the time being, until existing leases expire, but will be upstairs before the summer comes.
Off the main road at vouvry and up the little mountain roads to pretty much a beautiful dead end.
To reach anywhere else we need to come down again and back up somewhere else and Torgon seems to be the first place.
As i said, we're a mixed ability bunch, convenience and proximity are probably more important than having the best, most challenging skiing. Always fun to try somewhere new too.
We're going for two long weekends, start and end of Feb.
Do you have any folks with you that would be considered real debutants? Because you will have to watch where you land, so to speak. For example, the new ski lifts just above our house, the Gabelou and the Portes du Soleil, both drop you somewhere that will have true beginners crying for Mama. I can give you specifics if you have people in your group at a beginner level.
Ace, are you skiing this weekend? We could meet for a drink at Chalet Neuf if you want!
When with a group of young skiers and boarders a few years back, the quad chair up to Tour de Don broke down- and those on it had to be helicoptered off. We came across a family who were beginners at the beginning of the week (it was on the Thursday) - who had had to start going down and totally froze when they got to the black part- they were just sitting by the side crying- parents and 2 young kids. Took us 2 hours to get them down- carrying their skis for all steep bits whilst they walked down at the side with their sticks- and then getting them to do a few turns on shallower areas- and on till we got to the restaurant for hot chocolate and a good laugh.
And beware of the Poma at the bottom of Châlet Neuf - it is not called 'the nut cracker' for nothing (unless they have changed it now, The Spouse?).
John, we always take beginners up the gondola from Chatel village to Super Chatel. There are five or six pistes right there for beginners, ranging in levels of easiness. You can park your car at the lot at the entrance to the village at the Portes du Soleil and Gabelou lifts and take the free ski bus down into the village to the gondola.
I'm terrible at reading piste maps but looking at those two, Gabelou and the Portes du Soleil, they look like they link to blue pistes .. I wouldn't have given them a second thought. Gabelou linking to a blue that comes to join Linga?
Really though we're not planning a huge adventure, abilities and ages etc are too mixed. It's the convenience of being near to the chalet with all the other bits you need for young kids, like a toilet every five minutes and hot chocolate.
I'll put Rega on speed dial
In the other direction, the Portes du Soleil chair drops you down the hill from Super Chatel. There is a blue trail that leads to another chair lift to get you up to Super Chatel but the problem is that the last 300 meters of that blue piste are really red. I have seen many, many people come down that portion on either their butts or their boots.
Odile will know Torgon's amenities for beginners better than I do. I've only ever skied on that side of Torgon twice.