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| image via Wikimedia Commons |
Despite being like a minnow on the alpine circuit, Puy SaintVincent (PSV) has a lot going for it and it's quite family-friendly. The pistes
might be severely restrained in size, but there's plenty of assortment; from
green to steep black set amidst beautiful larch forests, and a queue-free lift
system and a friendly atmosphere - the lift operators are really polite here.
There are two main areas to stay -the fairly attractive
Station 1400 is the site of
Puy Saint Vincent's only hotels, while the less attractive but
more convenient Station 1600 is home to a collection of apartment blocks and
the main mountain access lifts. Both areas are linked by road and a rather slow
chairlift.
For families with young children,
Puy Saint Vincent is an ideal option for
a peaceful week's skiing. For anybody else, a couple of days are probably
enough unless you bring a car and explore the neighboring resorts.
With just 67km of primarily intermediate piste,
Puy Saint Vincent can not
compete with its neighboring rivals Milky Way and the Serre Chevalier, but the
slopes are moderately snowsure for this southerly latitude and can normally be
a good bet when snow is in short supply anyplace else.
From Station 1600, one chairlift opens access to the main
bulk of the ski lifts that extend up to an impressive 2,750m on La Pendine and
lead to some challenging reds from the top, and also opening access to an
adorable long, winding green back to the resort. Another chairlift gets you to
a ridge, from where a series of milder blues and reds wind back down across the
trees to 1600 and 1400.
The solitary black run, the Rocher Noir, is short and suited
to its grading, but this is a place for potters rather than powderhounds. The
lift system is a bit antiquated at first, annoyingly archaic as the day goes
by, having some museum piece chairlifts. But the six-day Galaxy ski pass
likewise give you a day's skiing in Les
Deux Alpes, Serre Chevalier, the Milky Way, and Alpe d'Huez, so if you are an
amenable day-tripper the options are good.
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