Val d'Isere
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Ski Full Time
Third time with UCPA, third resort and yet again fantastic holiday!
3 of us went to Val d'Isere at the end of February, one week with full time instructions. We were extremely lucky with the weather as it was sunny every day and we also got some fresh powder days!
Val d'Isere is a great location for people looking for more then skiing: shopping, pubs/bars/clubs (great apres ski but also variety of places to choose for after-dinner fun), swimming pool with Jacuzzi - all either on the doorstep or short walking distance away. And obviously La Folie Douce - open air clubbing at almost 10,000 feet - just a must:)
In regards to the UCPA centre, I think it's fair to review it by comparing it to the other UCPA centers we've been to: Chamonix and Argentiere. I generally think that UCPA is one of the best idea for active holiday but will try to be very objective:)
So here we go (most of top points would apply to all UCPA places we've been to):
- very good food and loads of choices to satisfy most of people
- very helpful staff
- I found the equipment allocation a bit more efficient in Val d'isere
- BIG plus - there are no buses to be taken to the lifts, e.g. the lifts are walking distance away but if you want to you can still catch a bus to go a bit further away, still only few minutes ride
- another BIG plus compared to Chamonix Valley - there seem to be more long slopes and the lift/gondola connections are much more efficient in the way that you can get from Val d'Isere to Tignes (or other areas) on your skies rather than bus:)so it seems like you just ski more
- as the center is so close - you come back to UCPA for lunch - this has the advantage of having nice warm lunch and time for a nap/rest but a small disadvantage: depending on the instructor/people in your group - the break might extend to more than two hours which might seem like a waste of skiing time....
- the rooms are smaller than in Chamonix but comfortable; the centre itself is big, there is no lift so additional exercise guaranteed if you're on the top floor;)
- the showers are shared across few rooms so Chamonix wins in that matter via having showers in the rooms- I thought it's a good idea to have skies stored by room number and that isn't a case here but as long as you remember where you left them - you'll be fine
- language was a bit of a problem, e.g. it seems like Val d'isere (but also Argentiere)is less popular with foreigners than Chamonix and so the instructors spoke French first and then translated into English (in Chamonix the instructions were in English mostly); I do realise that we might just have been less fortunate (or really fortunate previously) this time round to have a majority of the group being French speakers..
- no evening entertainment in the centre - we asked around and were told that it's the first year don't organize anything since previous complaints by participant about loud music, noise etc...I guess you can't satisfy everybody but I'm sure evening entertainment is one of the things people like about UCPA, especially if they travel solo!
- one more thing about the slopes - there are more green/blue slopes so it's a great area for less experienced skiers/beginners (much better than Chamonix/Argentiere in my opinion), if you're a bit more advanced you have to prepare yourself to a great numbers of the less advance skiers/snowboarders especially when it's time for lunch!
I hope somebody finds my comments useful:)