Val d'Isere: 01/30/24 - Tignes

[jamesdeluxe]

Looks like they make money or the course wouldn’t be in such nice shape.

No question but I'd be interested to learn more details as Tignes would have to spend the same amount of money (or more?) to get the course into shape as one at a lower elevation but only has three months to produce revenue. I know from friends of friends who work at Evergreen near Denver that growing and maintaining decent grass in the mountains is challenging.

I have the same questions whenever I see or play golf courses in a desert climate. How much money they must spend to grow (and irrigate!) grass where there would otherwise be sand.

 

[tirolski]

No question but I'd be interested to learn more details as Tignes would have to spend the same amount of money (or more?) to get the course into shape as one at a lower elevation but only has three months to produce revenue. I know from friends of friends who work at Evergreen near Denver that growing and maintaining decent grass in the mountains is challenging.

Copper was playable and in good shape at the end of July. The Condo we stayed at was on one of the holes but not hittable by a ball and was busy all the time <10 years ago.The turf wasn’t as nice as on most courses in the UpState though. Folks engineer grasses nowadays but those don't fly well in Europe intentionally.
Tignes uses 3 kinds of grass. H2O should be no problemo. They named the course after a dang rodent.

Le golf de Tignes : Les coulisses de sa préparation

Snow and marmots: the unusual challenges behind the preparation of Tignes golf course! - Le Mag de Tignes vous propose : Beneath the snow flakes... the greens! Every winter, Tignes golf course disappears under several metres of snow and gives way to the Chartreux cross-country skiing loop or...

en.tignes.net

 

[BigK75]

Not to be argumentative but I'd suggest that one visit to one specific place in a mountain range with 1,100 ski areas isn't much of a sample size to base that conclusion.

Just like anywhere, there are regions that statistically get more snow (e.g. Vorarlberg, Upper Rhone Valley, Aletsch Arena) or preserve snow better (e.g. Val d'Isere, St. Moritz, Ischgl). Still, statistics and probability scenarios don't account for timing and luck -- over the years, I've gotten skunked more than once with scratchy conditions in the vaunted SLC Cottonwoods and scored fresh snow at low-elevation Swiss areas like Mythen and Atzmannig.

"You gotta go to know" -- BTW, who here gets credit for first posting that line?

Fair enough. We got 50cm the night before we arrived which almost derailed our trip. Nonetheless snow was nothing of consistency you would find at say Revelstoke. Even though temperatures were low it was heavy thick stuff and I personally didn't enjoy skiing as much as I do NA but loved everything else about the experience. Coupled with that fact that going off-piste is a pain Europe unless willing to hire a guide. Every time I see anyones pic from Europe it is never the fluffy snow we get in NA that is knee deep. Just my observation. You have been to Europe a heck a lot more than me so you would know better but that was just my experience. That being said I still have a couple more places to see as the Dolomites and Kitzbuhel and something in France.

We meet a lot of Europeans in British Columbia especially brits and when I ask them why they come to Canada instead of the Alps snow conditions is almost always the number one reason and the hate of the French is number two. I am not sure they feel like that about the French. I have been France in the summer many times and think they are fabulous but thats me.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

We meet a lot of Europeans in British Columbia especially brits and when I ask them why they come to Canada instead of the Alps snow conditions is almost always the number one reason and the hate of the French is number two.

At risk of painting an entire country with a broad brush: not all but a large majority of Brits tend to ski in well-known mega-resorts and often during peak winter periods. Not all but a very large number of them are casual skiers who tend to stay on-piste and when it hasn't snowed recently, the busy sections of groomed trails at industrial resorts receive a ton of traffic and get scraped off -- I experienced that on my recent visit. In short, I don't doubt that for these audiences (considering when and where they tend to go) the general on-piste conditions they'd encounter in BC are better than the industrial resorts of the Alps. If I were based in London and could go only go skiing during the major Euro school holidays and only wanted to go to major resorts, I'd consider BC too, although the far longer flight time (ten hours to Vancouver vs. 90 minutes to Geneva) would be a major consideration.

Coupled with that fact that going off-piste is a pain Europe unless willing to hire a guide.

I can't underscore enough the difference in off-piste powder competition between NA and Europe. Very often, you can find untracked/barely tracked fresh snow literally yards from the groomed trails, where a guide isn't necessary.

 

[tirolski]

Very often, you can find untracked/barely tracked fresh snow literally yards from the groomed trails, where a guide isn't necessary.

Is that also true for “littler” lower elevation places ya’ve been to, somewhat recently, in your experiences?

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Is that also true for “littler” lower elevation places ya’ve been to, somewhat recently, in your experiences?

Even more so, that's why I go there!

To clarify what I wrote above, I wasn't trying to be snooty but a big difference between NA and Europe is that there are multitudes more casual skiers there -- people who go on one, maybe two destination trips a season in a group of friends or family and rent skis at the resort. That's why there are a lot more people on-piste at industrial ski areas with the associated effects on busy groomed sections when there's been no recent snow.

Speaking of casual/destination skiers, I've unfortunately become one of them over the last few years with very little drive-to skiing from where I am in NNJ due to unavoidable family obligations. Also, it's 99% certain that I'm done for the season with major hip issues so I'll be watching from the sidelines and looking forward to golf in a couple months.

 

[Peter Minde]

Great photos, @jamesdeluxe. Best wishes getting your hip issues resolved.

 

[tirolski]

Even more so, that's why I go there!
... a big difference between NA and Europe is that there are multitudes more casual skiers there -- people who go on one, maybe two destination trips a season in a group of friends or family...Also, it's 99% certain that I'm done for the season with major hip issues so I'll be watching from the sidelines and looking forward to golf in a couple months.

At my age it’s all casual. Still wanna go to Pinzolo.
If ya come to yer old stomping grounds we can play Tusky & I’ll give ya strategy on where to play & putt it & pick yer brain for tips on traveling to the Alps to enjoy it all.
Ya can play with our informal league if ya want (W and/or F). It's fun.
Or Sunday midday when we can just count putts (no gimmees). Or some other day.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

If ya come to yer old stomping grounds we can play Tusky

Will absolutely do that!