Skiology | Guest guide.

Skiology | Guest guide.
Bonjour or hopefully welcome back! At Skiology we have a goal of 100% repeat guest bookings so if
this is your first stay or your 9th, thank you for choosing to stay with us and I hope that you find some
useful information in this guide. This guide is to be used alongside the tourist office guide, whereas the
tourist office guide is for all this is more specific to your stay.
Dom (Founder and amongst many other things in charge of developing the Skiology product)
Skiology | Guest guide.
Location, location, location
Chalet Deux Freres
Keduse cable car
Tourist office
How to get to and from from the pistes!
Come out of the chalet and go right, follow the road round to you left then stick to the left and you will
arrive at the cable car.
How to ski back to the chalet
Come down the blue piste called Combe as you reach the end look out for piste marker 3 then take a
right just before it and on to the path. If you are still on the piste where there is a tree in the middle you
have gone too far. To backtrack, turn around and head down the left hand side of the chalet behind you,
the chalet closest to the piste. In both cases, once you are on the path stick to the left hand route and
this will bring you out at the car park just above the chalet.
Where is the nearest cashpoint?
Come out of the chalet. Head straight down the hill into the village. Head towards the tourist office. As
you stand outside the tourist office, the bank is on the far side of the roundabout which has the pizza
restaurant L’Agora in the middle. The bank (Credit Agricole) is between the two bars Le Point Noire
and the Marlow.
Where is the nearest ski equipment shop?
Our partners Ski-set will happily come and pick you up and take you to their shop. If you are in a rush
to get skiing they will even drop you at the piste and take your shoes back to the chalet! For outerwear
etc ski-set have stock at their shops, or Intersport opposite the tourist office has the largest selection
and Alex Sport (on the Route Des Moulins) has some good brands too.
Where is the nearest pharmacy?
Make your way to the tourist office, cross to the far side of L’Agora restaurant, then go left. Pass the
Marlow, cross the road, past the tabac and into the car park, the pharmacy is on the far side of the car
park. Open 8am-12.30pm and 2.30-6pm, Saturday: 6-7pm.
Skiology | Guest guide.
Where is the nearest doctor?
Take a right out of the chalet, then turn left as if you were going to the cable car, then take a right and
head down the road. At the bottom of the road take a left, pass the Cave 59 and keep going until you
pass the Gron restaurant on your right, then stop at the Nouvelle Dimention office on your right and the
doctors will be opposite.
Where is the nearest tabac?
Head down to the center and follow direction as if you were going to the pharmacy.
Welcome speech recap
07:30 Your host will arrive before 07:30
07:45 Your host will drop tea/coffee to outside your bedroom door
8:00 – 9:00 Hot breakfast is served (porridge, boiled eggs and daily hot option)
09:30 If you are out of your rooms, your host will pop by and give them a quick clean. If
you feel this is an invasion of privacy or you are still there, please put your waste paper
basket outside your door so that we may empty it and leave you a toilet roll.
• 1238X is the code for the chalet door
• Afternoon tea and cake will be left out for you. Please, help yourself to tea and coffee
whenever you like, tap water is also drinkable.
• 17:30 Your host will be back before 17:30 to make your evening meal.
• 18:30 If applicable your host will serve children’s high tea
• 19.30 Dinner is served with wine
Heating & maintenance
• There are thermostats on radiators however if it is generally too hot or too cold let your
host know so that they can amend.
• Cool earth off set out carbon emissions. If you can remember to turn off your light and
close your window that would be great however don’t worry too much, you are on
holiday we will do it for you.
• Any maintenance bits and bobs please let your host know.
Other bits
• Any money owed is due on the second day of your holiday please.
• If you have booked ski school and therefore would like a 07:30 – 08:30 breakfast please
let your host know.
House keeping
• We only buy ingredients for the meals included in your holiday so please do not raid the
fridge but if you really cannot resist it please let your host know what is missing.
• Please don’t wear your outdoor shoes indoors as the floors will become a slippery hazard
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Top 5 pistes
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Timalets (blue/red, Les Carroz - one of Skiology brother Dom’s favourites). Right on our
doorstep and spectacular as the first run of the day after a fresh dusting of snow. Timalets goes
back down to the bottom of the telecabine and therefore requires you to take off your skis
again to get back in the telecabine. Since most folk want to keep their skis on, few make this
their first of the day and therefore it is often lovely and quiet and great for making fresh
tracks. Louis our driver/handy man from 2009 record is 2 minutes 22 from the telecabine to
the gates between the Milk hotel and Les Servages.
Stade (red, Morillon - Louis our driver from 2009’s favourite piste). Stade is a competition
piste, which on the plus side means it is kept pristine and on the downside means sometimes it
is closed due to competitions. When it is open, go for it, a wide, normally well groomed piste.
Watch out for the big rollers!
Marmotte (red, Samoens), the lower part of the Marmotte after it crosses the Dahu is perhaps
the easiest red you will ever ski. From the top you can see the piste laid out in front of you and
Skiology | Guest guide.
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judge the best route down, massively wide and great for setting your top speed! Don’t forget
to keep enough speed to make it round the bend to Chariade – another great piste.
Serpentine (blue, Flaine) This is many seasonnaires favourite run, it requires a bit of effort to
get there but is worth every pole push.
Celestine (blue, Flaine). A lovely tree run with a few banked turns, make sure you maintain
enough speed at the end as it flattens out. Tucked away on route to the snow park. Not the best
sign posted piste. To get here descend the Mephisto piste and take a sharp left when you see
the top of the Bois drag lift turning inbetween the Bois drag lift and the Grand Grenier drag
lift. When you get to the bottom of the TK Aujon drag lift turn right onto Celestine.
Top 5 piste side restaurants
Les Servages +33(0)450 900 162 Near the bottom of the Timalets piste Around €30-€40 pp without
wine (no carafe wine!) Recommended in the Mr and Mrs Smith ski website. Lunch costs a lot less than
dinner and although we have always been more than happy with the food, a couple of our guests have
not been such big fans of the service. Don’t forget to save room for the cheese board it is almost the
size of a door!
Igloo +33(0)450 901 431 At the top of the Bergin lift in Morillon or just off the Marvel run. A large
terrace to catch the rays and a cosy interior with a large log fire for the colder days, the Igloo is one of
the best in the G.M. When we first arrived in Les Carroz everybody recommended this restaurant, the
word is now out and it can be a little busy during the holiday period. Try to arrive either just after 12:00
or shortly after 14:00 during the school holidays to be assured of getting a table. Although if you do
arrive after 14:00 there might not be any plat du jour left! Friendly service serving Savoyard classics
like pela or fondue, omelettes are a speciality.
Molliets +33 (0)450 900 509 Bottom of Molliets chair lift or drive up to it on the route de Flaine. An
old rustic farmyard style building serving a good variety of dishes and a great array of sweet pastries,
generally has a very good ‘plat du jour’. Skiologist Mr Riddle’s favourite.
Epicia +33(0) 4 50 90 83 79 On the Epicia piste, in Flaine. We often stop here on a ski day or just ski
past to have a looks at the PDJ board to see whether we are going to stop! The menu is not huge, some
nice pasta dishes, some salads, some fondue, once people stop here once they tend to again and again.
Brasserie des Cimes +33(0) 450 90 89 64 A short walk up from the Grand Platier cable car under the
Swedish flag. A Skiology favourite however you have to walk for it! Generally speaking the less
convenient the location of the ski restaurant the less you have to pay! The Cimes is a short walk up
from the Grand Platier cable car and has one of the largest menu on the mountain, we have been there
with coeliacs, vegans and always found something for everyone.
Food at Skiology
Skiology brother Luke Turner (Fortnum & Mason development chef) is our executive chef, developing
our menu every season and changing up to 30% in line with guest feedback. Luke always try to use
local/seasonal produce here are a few examples that buy when in stock.
Local ingredients
Apples: Under the snow are an abundance of orchards. The climate produces small, crunchy apples
with thick skins which makes them suitable for cooking rather than in your fruit bowl!
Beef: We are the only chalet company that I know of that work with a butcher. Fresh Alp supply our
beef, pork, chicken and when in stock duck. Fresh Alps contract local farmers to rear the meat inline
with their high standards, when the time comes everything is done on site at their butchery so that they
can maintain control of their quality produce.
Skiology | Guest guide.
Cheese: The rich Alpine pastures fed by the melt water from the snow, bathed in sunlight and fresh air
make perfect fodder for creating superior cheese. We use Reblochon when cooking and Abondance on
our cheese plate. Abondance is in the Portes Du Soleil ski area and is produced by a particular breed of
cow characterised by brown markings around thier eyes
Eggs: Our eggs are from Marin, which is just down the valley from Morzine. The quality of the eggs is
one of the most frequent comments made be guests.
Honey: The rich alpine pastures attract lots of bees in the warmer months resulting in 100s of honey
producers and flavours too. There is even a shop in Morzine that only sells honey!
Myrtleberry: Blue berries that grow wild in the mountains in summer are now farmed and frozen. They
are a little sharper than we are used to in the U.K but equally as delicious.
Pears: Once again from the orchards of Savoie. Savoir pears are famed in France for their flavour.
Savoy cabbage: The name Savoy refers to our region, the Savoie region and the cabbage is believed to
have originated from here.
Milk: We sometimes use uht milk in cooking and when we do we use the Lait d’ici brand (milk from
here) or we use milk with the Marque de Savoie stamp (made in Savoie).
Walnuts: Walnuts are known as Noix de Grenoble in France as most of the walnut trees grow in the
valleys around Grenoble at the foot of the Alps. Walnuts in the UK are mostly one season old and are
often darker and more bitter in flavor however in France they are this seasons nuts and are creamy and
sweet. Around Christmas on market day there is sometimes someone selling walnuts in shells they are
so fresh and soft that can usually be de-shelled by hand!
French ingredients
Speculoos: What rich tea biscuits are in England to tea, speculoos are to coffee in France. Slightly
similar to gingerbread, spices used are cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom and white pepper.
Trout: France has several exports that it is really proud of, they band them all together as Reflets de
France (reflections of France). We are just starting to explore these and this year we have included
Trout from the freshwaters in Bretagne. The label says that the geography and topology of Bretagne
produces a trout flavour beyond compare. We say it is very good too and as is farmed in a sustainable
way and with fewer food miles considering our distance from the sea!
Our organic wine by Paul Boyer
Forefront of organic wine, the choice of wine for Cannes film festival and supplier of Skiology! No
added sugar, sulphates, colouring, flavourings, pesticides, herbicides or stabalisers just the grape pure
as pure can be! Boyer Wines is a family wine making company created by Paul and Nina Boyer. The
aim is to produce natural wines that truly express the character of the grape variety and the unique
qualities of the “terroir”.
Boyer wine’s belief is that only perfectly ripened, natural grapes should be used to create the finest
wine. Sustainable viticulture, responsible practices and respect of the surrounding environment is
essential.
Wines are produced from vineyards in the Languedoc, Bordeaux and Rhone Valley regions. Here you
can catch Mr Boyer hand picking grapes under the full moon so that he does not disturb the eco-system
and also minimalise the need for administering anaphylactic shock pens for snake bites! All this to
bring you…
Season 14 – 15 wine selection
White & rose
Skiology | Guest guide.
Le Claude Val Blanc 2013: 30% Chenin, 30% Chardonnay, 20% Chasan and 20% Viognier. Pale
colour, aromas of apricot, lemon, walnut and white flowers. Medium bodied and round.
Ready January 2015: Le Barronnie Blanc 2013 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Rolle, 20% and 10%
Chardonnay. Pale colour, aromas of lemon peel, green apple, nectarine and white flowers. Light
bodied, fresh and elegant.
Rose Pure by Paul Boyer 2013. 70% Cinsault and 30% Syrah. Pale colour, aromas of peach, rose
flower, citrus fruits and a touch of fennel. Light and fresh.
Red
Le Barronnie Rouge 2013 60% Cabernet Franc, 20% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 5% Merlot. Medium
bodied and fruity with aromas of ripe raspberry, blueberry, liquorice, soft spices and a touch of leather.
Sustainability, it is at the heart of
everything we do.
We want Skiology to run all the way into the next ice age so we act sustainably. Our ideal is to run a
business that leaves the world better than it found it, we are getting there slowly!
Cool Earth (1 million square feet of rain forest protected by Skiology and growing)
Effectively using the preservation of existing rain forest to offset carbon emissions. Endorsed by David
Attenborough CoolEarth are globally recognised for their commitment to caring for our planet.
We offset our carbon emissions by up to 10 times to leave a positive global effect. We use standard
carbon calculators to get a baseline of tonnes of co2 emitted by each chalet, on average 6 tonnes per
winter, then sponsor rainforest to offset this amount by up to 10 times (just to make sure). Each acre of
rain forest sequests around 260 tonnes of co2 so with just 1 acre the chalet are covered.
We currently protect 1 million squarefeet, ,keep 2,152 indigenous people supported, 3,380 tonnes of
co2 stored, 8,157 types of animal sheltered and 19 endangered species protected.
We don’t believe in enforcing our values on our guests so the majority of funds for this comes from our
savings. We tell the team the utility bills costs from the previous year, then tell them whatever they can
save and from that we will give 60% to CoolEarth, the other 40% we invest in energy saving for the
following season e.g buying more efficient white goods, double glazing, loft insulation etc.
Our toiletries, Damana.
Certification by ECOCERT . Over 98% ingredients are of natural origin. No chemical perfume. No
colouring agent. No animal derived ingredient. Not tested on animals.
Our cleaning products, Ecoplanet.
European Eco-label product for cleaning. EcoPlanet is environmentally friendly, natural and ensures
use of less water or energy consumption.
We almost use 100% Eco-label cleaning products except for a little watered down bleach during deep
cleaning and Fairy Liquid (when is stock) to wash up. Although Fairy Liquid may not by an Eco-label
product we perhaps use a third less Fairy vs Eco-label washing up liquid. Since the production of heat
is the most energy taxing cost we feel justified using Fairy as we use much less hot water when using
it.
Our linen, Mitre
Skiology | Guest guide.
The Royal warrant for linen. Mitre follows the Good Practice Guidelines as laid down by the Textile
Services Association.
Charities
Put simply, daily we feel lucky for the position that we are in so we try to help others less fortunate feel
the same.
Annually we offer a ski holiday to a charitable auction, this year raising £2000 for Marie Curie cancer
trust.
We hate to see food wasted so we have a food budget that incorporates minimum waste. Whatever the
team save from the food budget we give to a charity inline with our company values. The guideline is
that this is to never be to our guests discomfort so you will always get the meals you have paid for. We
simply ask the team to be aware that the food budget is an average and not one of our guests is average
here is an example of how this works. Some of our guests, believe it or not, consume less French bread
than others. By monitoring this and using one less baguette per day for the season the saving at the end
can provide safe, clean drinking water for a village in Africa with WaterAid or keep someone off the
streets in the UK for 1 week with Shelter.
Tipping
One of the questions that we get asked the most on our chalet visits is what to tip the team? Tips are
never expected but always appreciated. An exceptional tip is around 5% of the value of the holiday.
Summer
The chalets are open for self-catered bookings throughout the summer months for €1,000 per week.
Catering can be arranged by request. If you have not visited the Alps in the summer some of the most
popular activities are cycling, hiking, swimming, golf, tennis, white water rafting, via ferrata, fishing,
horse riding, climbing, mountaineering etc for more details see www.skiology.co.uk/summer
Our office is closed for May
Please note that as always we close for May. This gives us time to work on Skiology rather than in
Skiology. We also take this time to travel and experience others’ hospitality which helps us develop
Skiology for the benefit of us all.
Directory
Ski Set: +33 04 50 90 24 00 (New loc, on the main square), Alain sport (set back from the main square)
+33 04 50 90 24 24
There are 2 ski schools in Les Carroz, Nouvelle Dimension and E.S.F both have great English speaking
instructors providing ski schools and private lessons at a fraction of the price of comparative size
resorts. In both cases the more lessons you pay for the less expensive the lessons are, of the two E.S.F
is marginally less expensive.
E.S.F +33(0)450 900 238 www.esf-lescarroz.com Two offices: one in the center next to the bank
Credit Agricole and one at the bottom of the Tele-carroz draglift. (14 Route de Servages). If they are
available Nico, Yohanne, Laude and Borris are instructors recommended by previous guests.
Skiology | Guest guide.
Nouvelle Dimension +33(0)450 903 603 www.nouvelledimension.com 274 Route De Moulins,
opposite the Medical Center.
Emergencies
SOS European emergency services number dial 112
Police +33(0)450 900 041 The police station is set back one road from the main center in the direction
of the chalet. Turn left out of the tourist office, then keep left and follow the road past Fringale and
round to the left, up the hill and it is about 50m away on your left as you start to descend the hill.
Emergency ski rescue +33 (0)450 90 00 42
What to do in an emergency on the piste
Do what you can to secure the area. You can walk a few steps up from the injured and put your skis in
the snow in an X shape to stop anyone skiing into the patient. Call the emergency piste rescue. If you
have no service flag send someone to tell the person at the top or bottom of the lift. Keep the patient
warm. Stay calm and reassure your casualty.
Download this guide
Go to www.skiology.co.uk/downloads
This is written by Dom, one of the founding brothers of Skiology. One of his responsibilities is
developing the Skiology product, if you have any development ideas for us small or large we would
love to hear them,.We highly value all feedback because it helps us develop a product better suited to
your actual needs rather that our perception of them.
Our ideal is to hear your ideas during your holiday so that we can have a chance to action them during
your stay.
For any small tweeks for example a request of a certain type of spread with your breakfast please let
you host know directly or use our anonymous comments pot. If your tweek is to do with your host’s
fulfillment of their role and therefore it might be difficult to let them know directly you can let their
leader Dom know.
Or I am always contactable on my personal number 0033 (0) 6 70 72 32 52 or [email protected]
Appendix
Perhaps due to Skiology brother Dom’s love of trivia or thirst for adventure he has written about
Carroz for a couple of guides (not due to his love of writing, bad grammer and vagrant disregard for the
formalities of spelling), see extract here below.
Favourite facts about Les Carroz
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Les Carroz once had the longest drag lift in France. Fortunately the drag-lift has now gone and
Les Carroz remains one of France’s oldest ski stations.
Les Carroz means ‘where the rocks come through’. In fact ‘Car’ is an old local expression for
where the rocks come through, the letters ‘O’ and ‘Z’ were a later addition … Many moons
ago the writers of village signs were paid by the letter so villages with short names were
considered to be poor. With the advent of skiing, villages wanted to attract the rich customers
therefore the sign writers were paid extra money to add more letters to make the villages with
short names sound richer!
Skiology | Guest guide.
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Les Carroz is the first ski resort that you see when driving from Geneva to the French Alps
along that A31/white motorway. If you arrive on a Thursday night you will see the pistes lit
up for night skiing many kilometres before you arrive.
There are several buildings in les Carroz from the 1800s, simply look for the date etched in
stone above the door. There are even a few houses that still have the toilet outside, though
these have now mainly been turned into sheds.
About the ski area
The ski area is divided into 2 parts, the Massif (Les Carroz, Morillon, Samoens and Sixt) and Flaine,
the two areas together are called the Grand Massif (G.M).
The Grand Massif piste map is notoriously difficult to follow. A simplified version would look like the
figure 8 from above: The Massif comprising the lower part, Flaine the top half and the Vernant valley
where the two parts meet.
From the side the area would look a capital M: Les Carroz at the start, then rising in two steps to the
Tete De Saix, dipping down into the Vernant Valley then rising to the Tete de Veret before dipping
back down into Flaine. For the journey from Les Carroz to Flaine allow 45 mins or let us know your
record time for our website!
The topography of the Grand Massif generally means that you will be skiing in large bowls such as
Airon, Vernant, Flaine and Gers. The locals call these combes and these combes have the advantage of
being wind protected and therefore hold the snow well without getting icy.
Les Carroz and Morillon provide some fantastic, picturesque tree skiing opportunities with great
traditional mountain huts to dine in. Samoens has a great face to ski, the second half of the Marmottes
run, for example. The village of Sixt is an absolute hidden gem, situated at the end of a shaded valley it
holds its snow well considering its height of 600m. What makes Sixt really shine is that it is very, very
quiet – It has not been unknown to get fresh tracks on the pistes as late as 12:30 in the afternoon.
Flaine the largest of the bowls boasts some fantastic descents topped off with panoramic views of Mont
– Blanc and the Chamonix Valley. The top of the Flaine bowl can be accessed quickly by two cable
cars or a series of chair and drag lifts. The Aup De Veran bubble car accesses the right hand side of the
bowl, the Grand Platiers (or DMC to the locals) accesses the left. Once at the top, there are plenty of
mid point lifts to take you back up.
Gers exists as the back bowl of Flaine, a press reporter once famously managed to just ski this bowl for
the entirety of his trip to Flaine. Three days later he claimed that there were still new routes to be
discovered through the bowl! Gers is essentially back country however there is a piste that winds it’s
way through called Styx, not always a favourite with guests. Should you venture down here do not
miss the opportunity to have lunch at the Refuge de Gers; a secluded restaurant in the heart of
tranquillity. The end of the journey is a bit of a pole punt however your ride back (should the
descending piste Cascade be closed) will be in the back of the proprietors own snow plough! Should
you access the restaurant from piste Cascade simply stop at piste marker 19, pick up the free public
phone and your ascent to the restaurant will be being towed on a snow scooter with your feet still in
your skis or board! You must book ahead. See restaurant section for the phone number.
Don’t leave Les Carroz without…
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Skiing the Marvel piste in Morillion, a beautiful easy long descent through the trees
Lunch at one of the hidden refuges (Morillon, Les Carroz, Flaine)
Hot chocolate with Cointreau at the L’Anfionne (Les Carroz)
On the piste
Beginners general
Skiology | Guest guide.
One of our favourite things about Les Carroz is that some of the beginner’s slopes are at the top of the
telecabin; from the top you can appreciate the views, lunch in the heart of the mountains and generally
see what all the fuss over skiing is all about whilst benefitting from great snow. The restaurant at the
top has great coffee and large portions of food. Since it is a self service it is not everyone’s cup of tea,
which generally means … more motivation to reach more lunch spots! The L’Anfionne restaurant
would be a good one to try (menu is a limited but yummy) or the restaurant next door to L’Anfionne
has a wider selection. Both restaurants are on the blue part of the Timalets piste just before the piste
turns red. You can get a chair lift back up to the telecabine opposite the restaurants. Another restaurant,
Les Molietts, would also be a good bet, situated at the end of the Blanchot piste just before the Molliets
chair lift. Be aware there is a slightly steep hill to get down to the Molliets. A good tip is that the hill is
shallower on the far side so head that way and if you don’t fancy the hill you can always walk down,
the slope faces the sun so is never really icy … tartiflette, plats du jour and an amazing selection of
freshly baked tarts await you.
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Lou Darbes (Les Carroz): is a beautiful piste however the end is quiet a long pole punt.
Marvel (Morillion): This is where they bring the journalists when they want good reviews of
the resort! A long green piste that relaxingly meanders it’s way through the trees. This is one
of the longest pistes in the Grand Massif (G.M), dropping from 1800m to 1100m it is the
gradual gradient that provides this piste’s length. Entirely secluded in the trees the piste also
boasts a nature trail of local mountain fauna information.
Advanced
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The Diamont Noir (black, Flaine) This really is a technical piste, often endured rather than
enjoyed. If you would like to scope it out first take the Diamont Noir chair lift that runs along
side the piste. The part to pay particular attention to is as the chair lift crests the top of the hill,
the thin couloir on your right is the most difficult part of the run. The couloir can prove to be a
real challenge with its steeply cut moguls allowing only a thin path.
Agate (black, Flaine) is a great piste “non dame-not bashed”. If you are lucky enough to ski
this on a powder day you will probably want to loop round and ski it a few more times.
The Gers bowl/Styx (black, Flaine) This is where, if you take a guide, you could spend all of
your time on a powder day. Choose the Styx piste (black, Flaine) or spend all day discovering
off piste routes down to the bottom. Be aware of the long drag lift at the bottom, steep, diesel
powered, the boarders in your group won’t thank you for this one!
Boarders
The G.M is popular with boarders however you need to watch out for a few bits. The Pierce Niege
(blue, Carroz) will possibly require a bit of walking at the end, instead take the Chamois (red, Carroz)
and keep going down until you reach the Molliets chairlift. Take the Molliets chairlift up and therefore
cut out the flat part on the Pierce Niege. Portet (blue, Vernant valley) will also involve albeit a shorter
walk. Sarbotte (blue, Carroz) will be the longest walk you may ever have on your board or with
skis.
Off-piste
G.M off piste is amazing but as with all piste it is also dangerous so hire a guide at all times. Flaine is a
soft rock mountain, so it erodes easily and has many, many deep holes covered by the snow. Similarly
the trees in Les Carroz harbour some amazing off piste opportunities; again the snow hides many
dangers such as tree stumps and barbed wire.
School holiday bottle necks
The Lanche (Morillion) can create huge queues because it is one of the slower lifts, you can look ahead
from the top of the Biollaires chair and judge the size of the queue. An unavoidable bottleneck is at the
bottom of the Molliets chair lift however the queue does move very quickly, there is an escape route, a
piste called Sarbotte however be aware the piste is very flat and even uphill in places! No one ever
says, ‘I did Sarbotte today and it was awesome!’
Skiology | Guest guide.
The real trick during school holidays, in our opinion, is to ski between 12:00-14:00 when others
will stop for lunch and also when the ski schools stop for lunch too.
Resort restaurants
L Agora +33(0)4 50 90 00 78 Un-missable location, in the centre of the village. Right in the middle of
Les Carroz this is predominately a pizza restaurant however they do serve other Savoyard (local)
dishes like very large salads and a reportedly brilliant vegetarian “Tartichevre” – tartiflette with goats
cheese. Our friend Nico the ski instructor at ESF loves the tartiflette pizza here. Popular with families.
Fringale +33(0)450 900 317 Route des Moulins, on the way to the telecabin from the centre square.
Every resort has one … If you are in need of a burger this is the place to go. A lively chef whips up
quick burgers with an amazing and fascinating array of sauces also on offer are paninis and pizzas.
Gron +33(0)4 50 18 62 12 Route des Moulins, almost opposite the doctors. Covers are limited so book
ahead. The Gron is the home of the characterful Phillipe and Beautrix and boasts a large open fire in
the restaurant. Most all of the dishes are cooked directly on the fire. Of note is the cote du boeuf at
around €50 for 2. Seats are limited and on bar stolls so this restaurant is not everyone. Service can also
take a while since the restaurant is run by the couple alone. If you have pre-booked, are happy to wait
and don’t mind sitting a while on a bar stolls, an unforgettable meal awaits.
Les Airelles +33(0)4 50 90 01 02 346 Route des Moulins. Everytime we go here, we say, “we should
eat here more often”. We have never had a bad meal here and everyone that eats here always seems to
have a nice time. Expect traditional local fare such as tartiflette, fondue, raclette etc
L’Ours blanc +33(0)4 50 90 02 77 1 Place Ambiance, on the main square. If in doubt, go to the L’Ours
Blanc. The L’Ours Blanc has perhaps the longest menu in the village so there is normally something
for everyone. Prices are reasonable though it can be a little busy and my wife does not like the
lighting!?
Poirier +33(0)4 50 90 05 45 288 Route des Moulins. We do like the Poirier, this is one of the
restaurants that we eat at most often. Traditional wood fired pizza oven, some local classics such as the
cloche (a skewer of meat soaked in brandy and lit at your table) and a pear tree that grows through one
of the walls in the restaurant giving the restaurant it’s name.
Les Campanuelles +33(0)4 50 90 15 63 97 Route du Serverge. Skiology Steph’s favourite meal in the
village: The cloche (a different version to that available at the Poirier restaurant in Les Carroz), a
spiked cow bell is hung over a little fire. Your meal is served with 3 different sorts of meat: duck, steak
and chicken. You may then cook all of these on the bell. The sauce drips down to form a delicious
gravy. You can also choose a side of chips, beignets or both. If you have not come across beignets
these are some of the best on around, essentially they are deep fried potato rostis full of parsley and
garlic.
Picolo +33(0)4 50 90 51 57. Résidence les Campanules, Impasse du Tilbury. Under new management.
A nice little pizza restaurant run by a charismatic Italian.
Les Petites Onions +33(0)4 50 90 36 93 10 Chemin du club. One of the more expensive restaurants in
Les Carroz, justified by some really nice dishes. The menu here tends to be quite different from other
menus in the village. The food is always beautifully presented and you never leave feeling overly
stuffed.
Neve +33(0)450 965 356. Place de l'Ambiance on the main square. A small cosy restaurant with a great
selection of galettes (savoury crepes), a good steak and even a fondue starter if you are really hungry.
Le Creperie Bretonne +33(0)450 900 764 Place de l'Ambiance, next to Alpes Attitude. This small
creperie does crepes with everything imaginable it’s a great place if you are not hugely hungry of if
you are then why not have two.
Skiology | Guest guide.
Après-ski
The après-ski is fairly low key in Les Carroz. There are 5 bars of note in Les Carroz of which a circuit
tends to exist between 3 of them: Marlow, The Point, Carpe Diem and then on to Club 74 (open Thurs
to Sat). Le pub and Cave 59 (wine bar) are off the circuit but both worth a visit, they tend to be popular
with a more mature crowd. Le Pub is under new managment and serves up a nice glass of Chablis and
Dominique and Joel run the Cave and are real wine enthusiasts. The Cave is a nice place to loose a few
hours if you can get a seat.
Our favourite après ski is to visit L’Anfionne on the Timalets piste on the way home. L’Anfionne is a
great place to enjoy a liquor laced hot chocolate or vin chaud and wait till the crowds have passed
before descending the Timalets down to Les Carroz. Always drink and ski responsibly.
L’Anfionne +33(0)450 902 061 At the bottom of Télésiège de Plein Soleil.
The Marlow +33(0)450 900 567 Place de l'Ambiance. Sit outside and watch the world go sipping on
expensive but huge cocktails.
The Point Noire +33(0)0450 900 497 Place de l'Ambiance, next to the Marlow. Things do not really
get going here until later on, past 21:00. Check the windows for information of the gigs that week,
these are few and far between but always very good. Share pitcher of beer for around a €10 to cut
down on cost. The bar also boasts pool, air hockey and arcade games.
Carpe Deim +33(0)450 903 459 Route de la Barliette in front of Alpes Attitude ski shop. People tend
to move on to Carpe around 12 before the Point shuts. Try a quick shooter before hitting the club. Also
has pool table and darts.
Club 74! +33(0)450 900 469 Route de la Barliette, as you arrive in Les Carroz on the left hand side.
Ladies are free though they have to pay to put jackets away. Guys can either pay 10/20 euros to get in
or club in and buy a €90 bottle of spirits and get in for free. Beware this club is a little crazy. There are
fish tanks on the wall, a cage and a rather spectacular lazer. Beware some weeks also boast “show
sexy” and the equally popular transvestite night?
Le Pub +33(0)450 903 578 Many flavours of hot chocolate, coffee and smoothies.
Le Cave 59 +33(0)450 18 31 56 Route des Moulins. A wine bar with lovely owners and a great
selection of wines to sample. I don’t think anyone has ever gone there and said, “I wished we had gone
somewhere else”. Be aware seating is very limited.
Mountain Restaurants
L’Anfione + 33(0)450 902 061 Bottom of the Plein Soliel chair lift. Good cheap paninis.
Blanchot +33(0)450 908 24 At the bottom of the Col De Plate chair lift. One of the most expensive
restaurants on the mountain due to the fact that it is one of the only mid-station restaurants in Flaine.
This restaurant has two options a cheaper fast food option downstairs and a more expensive restaurant
upstairs. The downstairs offers sandwiches, hot dogs and the most expensive Mars bar in the G.M etc.
The upstairs does a great French onion soup along with other Savoyard classics. They both have an
entertaining view over the pistes.
Black side café +33(0)450 908 306 Bottom of the Grand Platiers cable car then walk up to Flaine
Forum – worth the walk! Situated in the back of the best ski/board in Flaine this café does excellent
tarts, quiches and paninis. The service is excellent and you should definitely take the time to peruse the
fine and fashionable array of alpine equipment while you wait.
Sucre Sale +33(0)450 908 763 Bottom of the Grands Vans chair lift then walk up to Flaine Foret.
Different from your average mountain restaurant Sucre Sale specialises in all sorts of Pittas. There is a
great view over Flaine.
Skiology | Guest guide.
L’Oreade Top of the Les Carroz telecabine. Great coffee, not a cognisors coffee more of a rocket fuel
and big portions of self service food.
Milk hotel +33(6) 17 77 70 23 Opposite les Servage on the Timallets piste. One of Steph and Dom’s
favourites. Great food, great location and not a bad price. The Milk hotel is a lovely refurbished hotel
which always seems to have great plat du jours.
Off piste. Chalet Troncher +33(0)6 07 65 42 36 Turn left at the large pylon at the start of the Marvel
piste in Morillion. A great experience if you can get to it however perhaps not one to try if you are in a
great rush. You should probably get a guide to show you how to get here. It is a lovely find and only a
short distance from the Marvel piste however it is the route down that is the tricky bit! A simple hut, a
big fire and often only the chef, a waiter and their dog. A really special place where we have enjoyed
many a great afternoon. Skiology regulars the Gladstones and the Drummonds highly recommend the
biegnets (potato pancakes) however these little gems must be ordered in advance!
Off piste. Haute combe +33(0)4 50 90 32 91 In the Molliets nature park. This is not really a restaurant,
in fact it is a refuge where you can stay however they also happen to offer lunch if the demand is there.
You must book ahead. Expect a good set meal in a large wooden room heated by a fire, perhaps where
you are the only guests there. After dinner the owner, for an extra charge of around €5 pp, will tow
you back on his pistebasher/snowmobile. The decent to the restaurant is by a lovely path through the
Molliets nature park, a little flat in places but stunning.
Chalet du Clare +33(0)4 50 90 41 75 Top of the Sairon chairlift, Morillion. Popular for its location,
burgers, terrace, fire and view.
Le Beu Near the bottom of the Sairon chair lift. Skiologist new recommendation for us and a great little
coffee stop too.
Le Croc Blanc Tete de Saix. Be aware great croque monsieurs however no toilets! A great coffee stop
however not if nature calls!
La Luge à Téran +33(0)6 85 80 77 00 Bottom of the Gouilles chair lift in Samoens. We have overheard
others say ‘quite simply the best restaurant on the mountain’. We really like it here it and so do guests.
Well presented food and a touch on the expensive side.
Samoens plateau…There are several restaurants up here. Most of them are self service. Our favourite is
the Lou Caboens which often has a great PDJ.
Epicia +33(0) 4 50 90 83 79 On the Epicia piste, in Flaine. Skiology brother Luke’s favourite
restaurant. We often stop here on a ski day or just ski past to have a looks at the PDJ board to see
whether we are going to stop! The menu is not huge, some nice pasta dishes, some salads, some
fondue, once people stop here once they tend to again and again.
Le Mitchet +33(0) 4 50 90 80 08 If you are facing the Grand Platier cable car, at the bottom this
restaurant is on your right hand side at the top of the beginners chairlift (Pre). A lovely and slightly
expensive find of a restaurant.
Off piste. Refuge de Gers +33(0) 4 50 89 55 14 Gers bowl, Flaine. You will want to book in advance it
would be a real pain to get here and be turned away if they are full. This is where we had Dom’s 30th
birthday party. A restaurant that should not really be there … built before the area was designated as a
nature park the restaurant sits isolated on a frozen lake. We find the restaurant to be really tranquil with
a limited but great and not too expensive menu. There are 2 routes here and people often allow the
whole day to do them.
1.
2.
Descent down the black run Styx then get ready for about a 15 minute pole push across the
shore of the lake.
Ski down the Cascades piste (one of the longest blue runs in the Alps), stop at piste marker 19
where there is a phone and hail the skidoo to come to pick you up. Bear in mind if Cascades is
closed they probably won’t come and pick you up!
Skiology | Guest guide.
Cascades is the ‘marmite of the Grand Massif’, Dom loves it, Steph not so much. Dom loves the
tranquillity of a piste in its own valley, Steph does not love the 3 flat pole pushing parts. The first pole
pushing part you can see as you start the piste so make sure you are in a schuss, the second is a long
way after that as the piste starts to wrap around a cliff rather than being in an open valley. The third is
shortly after piste marker no 19 on the way down to Sixt. The snow cover can be thin as you get closer
to Sixt so pay attention to the warnings at the top of the piste and perhaps don’t take your new skis
there if it has not snowed for a while.
Other things to do
The tourist office produces a weekly events programme, details of which can be seen in their window
or in the leaflets they distribute to most of the local shops. Ice skating, sledging and cinema trips (check
for “English version/Version Origina/VO/ version Anglaise” on the cinema listings”) are popular with
families who do not always wish to ski.
Snow shoeing
Local guide Martial is a true mountain man and organises tours through his company
www.lavachequiride.com/index_uk.html Martial speaks English and is a natural born host, the
snowshoe tours are full of information about local flora and fauna. Martial takes you to some truly
magical, hidden places unbeknown to tourists. One of the most popular trips is to his Tipi: your group
(minimum 6) sets out at sunset on a short guided walk to the secret location of the tipi. Upon arrival
Martial lights a fire and prepares a truly exceptional cheese fondue, accompanied by local meats and
fine Savoyard wines. The dinner party goes on for as long as you wish followed by a torch lit walk
back to Martial’s landrover, form here he will take you either back to your accommodation or in to
town to continue the party.
Banks and cashpoints
The Credit Agricole bank and cash machine is in the Place L’Ambiance in between the Marlow and
The Point Noire. There is also another cash point near the Fringale restaurant, pass by with the tourist
office on your left and also one next to the Medical centre, opposite the office for Nouvelle Dimension
ski school.
Buses
The buses are free with a valid ski pass, though I have not known any ask to see the pass. There are
several different lines that connect the village, so if you are staying outside of the center make sure you
know which line you are on. Buses run from the telecabin to the centre every 10 – 20 minutes.
Shopping
Don’t get caught out!! Shops are generally open from 9am-12pm then from 2-7pm everyday.
There is a nice Spar supermarket hidden away opposite the ice rink, go down the stairs and under the
arch next to the cinema. Tuesday is market day and is worth a visit, the market starts at 08:30 normally
finishes around 13:00 unless it is a peak season when it finishes a little later.
Taxis
Christophe Greffoz. 5 people +33 (0)450 903 481 / +33 (0)607 654 236
Irene Martin. 4 people +33 (0)450 900 060 / +33(0)680 634 805
Mont Blanc Taxi. 4 to 8 people+33 (0)805 800 001 / +33(0)616 768 768
Tourist Office
9, Place de l'Ambiance. Open 09:00 – 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and 09:00 to 12:00
Saturday. +33(0)450 900 004 www.lescarroz.com
Skiology | Guest guide.
Call in to collect a town map and bus timetables, or for more local information.