Winter Ski Camping

[Calimark]

Cali is arriving soon and I was thinking about winter camping at a Ski resort in the French Alps at some point (maybe late in the season if the snow is still ok). Does anyone have any experience in Ski camping ? I was hoping to find a campsite which is at a reasonably low altitude (say 800m) with a cable car nearby which takes you to the slopes at 1000m+

Thanks
Mark.

 

[Martin]

Hi Mark,

Le Grand-Bornand is a great place and and just under 1000m, we did not ski here but it is a great resort with a campsite right in the centre of the village full of bars and restaurants, also several lifts within walking distance from the campsite, it is also just 35 min drive away from Annecy which is a really nice place to visit, you are also centrally located so you can visit Chamonix (Mont Blanc) and Geneva.

Resort website: http://www.legrandbornand.com/ & Campsite website http://www.campinglescale.com/

 

[Calimark]

Thanks Martin. How do you find it in the cali when skiing in terms of space with all the wet ski clothing ?

 

[Martin]

Sorry Mark, we have never been skiing in the cali but I do know that a few other members do regularly , hopefully they will be able to answer your question.

 

[fred]

we ski camp quite a bit, mostly on weekends. Snowboards and skis are locked to a thule ski rack on the roof overnight. drying clothes is the biggest issue but in austria and switzerland the resorts are at high altitude so mostly the powder shakes off. Many resorts have winter camping facilities with a drying room for clothes and boots. use a stiff brush to get the snow off your equipment as it'll be frozen on by morning.

you also need to prep the cali properly. drain water tanks, use winter tyres and have chains ready, external insulation, test your heating, fuel up, air the van regularly, etc. etc.

this site is a good resource to get you started. http://www.motorhomeski.com/ particularly info and tips

in short, it's very possible and what these vans were designed for.

 

[Calimark]

Thanks Fred..I will check out the web site. Do you recommend any French Alp camp sites at around 700-800m with easy access to the higher slopes ?

 

[fred]

ah sorry I'm the wrong person to ask. Im in Munich, surrounded by Austria and Switzerland. Never had a need to go as far as France for skiing!

 

[Calimark]

ah ok, if you know any good ski camping sites in Switzerland or Austria then that would also be useful. My issue with Austria is the need for winter tyres (not sure if you need these for Switzerland though?)

 

[Blacky]

Cali is arriving soon and I was thinking about winter camping at a Ski resort in the French Alps at some point (maybe late in the season if the snow is still ok). Does anyone have any experience in Ski camping ? I was hoping to find a campsite which is at a reasonably low altitude (say 800m) with a cable car nearby which takes you to the slopes at 1000m+

Thanks
Mark.

Hi Mark,
You can go to Chamonix ! They valley is around 1000 meters and there is cable-cars all around the city!
I go there each end of winter. Good place to find fresh snow in april...

 

[fred]

ah ok, if you know any good ski camping sites in Switzerland or Austria then that would also be useful. My issue with Austria is the need for winter tyres (not sure if you need these for Switzerland though?)

you need winter tyres because they work.

remember your van weighs 3 tons and cost a shedload of money.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I'm looking for a good winter campsite in Chamonix. Off to try ski camping this March.
Any suggestions would be most welcome

 

[Alibee]

Lots of good info here:

http://www.motorhomeski.com/places-to-stay/france/haute-savoie/chamonix

Alternatively, you could try posting some message on the various forums for Seasonaires as I'm sure some would welcome the extra income of having you park on their drive and use their loo/shower/boot room.

 

[Azteccamper]

I'm looking for a good winter campsite in Chamonix. Off to try ski camping this March.
Any suggestions would be most welcome

One of our favourite campsites http://www.campingdesbarrats.com/campsite-chamonix-en/campsite-chalet-chamonix.html
Something special about the whole town

 

[Azteccamper]

Pushed the send button a bit too quickly then. That is Mont Blanc in the background. 10 min walk into town. Views are stunning.

 

[Azteccamper]

I think I was happier than I actually look

 

[soulstyledevon]

I would go and stay there, but its closed in winter
Yeah, love cham too. Its a great town and the surrounding mountains are stunning.
My profile pic is on a campsite the other side of the tunnel. Literally

 

[Trailertrash]

Spent many years skiing. Love my California but I would not like to ski from it. After a day on the piste in wet ski gear carrying ski with feet which feel like lead in ski boots I needed a hot bath and warmth. We went to Tignes where the temperature would often plummet to -20C overnight. It is cold like you have never felt. I used to get very tired because of the altitude. Loved every minute of it but out of a Camper Van.... I think not. We did Morzine one year and had 4 days of freezing rain. There was snow at the top but we got saturated on the lift getting there.

 

[Trailertrash]

I think I was happier than I actually look

The Welsh are always happier than we look. It is part of our unique charm.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Spent many years skiing. Love my California but I would not like to ski from it. After a day on the piste in wet ski gear carrying ski with feet which feel like lead in ski boots I needed a hot bath and warmth. We went to Tignes where the temperature would often plummet to -20C overnight. It is cold like you have never felt. I used to get very tired because of the altitude. Loved every minute of it but out of a Camper Van.... I think not. We did Morzine one year and had 4 days of freezing rain. There was snow at the top but we got saturated on the lift getting there.

I'm off to Austria in 2 weeks time. With the missis and a couple of friends for the fully pampered ski trip.
This one in March is 3 guys in a Volkswagen. It's a trip for the brave. Absolutely know it won't be easy, but we all fancy giving it a go and one of the crew has already tested it out in December. Really hope to find a campsite with a boot room to dry the kit off, which removes a big hassle.

 

[Alibee]

This one looks very well set up:

http://www.camping-bourgsaintmauric...ces-campsite-winter-caravanning-park-les-arcs

Heated rec room, drying room, etc. and only 30 mins from Ste Foy, our regular non-Cali resort. Three valleys, Val d'Isere, Tignes, etc all in the area.

We're now seriously looking at doing a three week trip with the kids next xmas; one week in the van with one child, one week in a catered chalet, and the final week back in the van with the other child. The kids get two weeks each, dad gets three!

 

[bigmac77]

This one looks very well set up:

http://www.camping-bourgsaintmauric...ces-campsite-winter-caravanning-park-les-arcs

Heated rec room, drying room, etc. and only 30 mins from Ste Foy, our regular non-Cali resort. Three valleys, Val d'Isere, Tignes, etc all in the area.

We're now seriously looking at doing a three week trip with the kids next xmas; one week in the van with one child, one week in a catered chalet, and the final week back in the van with the other child. The kids get two weeks each, dad gets three!

We are booked in there for one night on our way to Les Arcs. With four of us I would not ski camp and we are just using it so we can get up into Arc 1950 early on a Saturday morning. I hoped to go ski camp this winter but work got in the way, I was heading to Camping Le Giffre in Samoens, it looks to be near the Grand Massif express.

 

[soulstyledevon]

This one looks very well set up:

http://www.camping-bourgsaintmauric...ces-campsite-winter-caravanning-park-les-arcs

Heated rec room, drying room, etc. and only 30 mins from Ste Foy, our regular non-Cali resort. Three valleys, Val d'Isere, Tignes, etc all in the area.

We're now seriously looking at doing a three week trip with the kids next xmas; one week in the van with one child, one week in a catered chalet, and the final week back in the van with the other child. The kids get two weeks each, dad gets three!

Wow, that one looks great.
My friend and his old man did 4 nights in December, without any campsites in their converted T5. Slept in the lift carparks and didn't shower the entire trip. Grim.
He said the challenge was ensuring skis and boots were dried as much as possible before storing back inside the van. Diesel heater helped to warm the van when returning back from the pub until they got inside their sleeping bags. Used again early mornings for an hour. But he said it was a blast, can follow the best snow conditions and he is coming with us in March. Couldn't have been that bad, especially as we plan on hitting a half decent campsite.

I stayed here a few years ago in the summer and the spa area was better equipped than some hotels.

http://en.oetztalcamping.com/

 

[Alibee]

Wow, that one looks great.
My friend and his old man did 4 nights in December, without any campsites in their converted T5. Slept in the lift carparks and didn't shower the entire trip. Grim.
He said the challenge was ensuring skis and boots were dried as much as possible before storing back inside the van. Diesel heater helped to warm the van when returning back from the pub until they got inside their sleeping bags. Used again early mornings for an hour. But he said it was a blast, can follow the best snow conditions and he is coming with us in March. Couldn't have been that bad, especially as we plan on hitting a half decent campsite.

I stayed here a few years ago in the summer and the spa area was better equipped than some hotels.

http://en.oetztalcamping.com/

Likewise, that looks superb. Goes straight on the list for our odyssey.

I would never try and ski/camp with more than me and one of the kids, and certainly nowhere without a hot shower, boot room and some form of communal lounge. That said, I could see the odd trip in the future on split boards, parked in the middle of nowhere, when the kids get a little older.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I will let you know anything that maybe useful once I get back from trip

 

[soulstyledevon]

Check out this link. Really good stuff
Also a second part to the story if you have a look.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ski/articles/alpine-ski-road-trip-blog-part-one/