Champoluc for beginners

Hi - we've booked to go to chsmpoluc in January, and now our friends have said they fancy coming with us. They've done one weeks skiing this year and completed their beginner lessons, but this was in Finland where it's very gentle. I'm not sure if champoluc has much for beginners - there's the area near ski school with the travelators, or could take the bus to frachey and go up on the comfy chairlift and take the blue back down, but even that blue run can be a bit tricky with adverse cambers. I also remember there's an area over in gressoney with a few blue runs near the main lift station, but I'm concerned about actually getting my friends there and back. Has anyone else been to Champoluc with beginner skiers and how did they manage. My friends would do ski school every day, but I wouldn't like them to be restricted to one run for the week. Any advice appreciated!!! :?: :-)

Getting to Gressoney and back with beginners will be "interesting"...

A much better option might be Antagnod; from memory 15-20 minutes on the regular ski bus that goes up from Champoluc. There are only a couple of lifts and a handful of runs so it stays very quiet but the views are fantastic and there's a long, easy Blue that winds through the trees for confidence building (my OH loved it when she'd only done half a dozen days or so). Think there's one Red, a couple of Greens and a big chunk of freeride terrain straight down from the top lift. :)

It's also an option if the weather closes in... we had a bit of an epic powder day, under blue skies, up there when Champoluc was completely closed down by wind and avy risk.

The ski schools always meet at the plateau up the first bubble lift, so they always have that option back down instead of the run to the village which can get interesting, but they will be taken over the top into the frachey area in their lessons, although the bus to the frachey funicular (not chair now)is a good option to access the rest of the area the other side and should be skiable if they have done a full week already and taking lessons this time too. They will be able to ski back to Champoluc fairly easily and take the bubble down or ski if up to it.

It is a bit easier than it used to be to access the frachey area from the Champoluc side as there was a huge "S" bend which was carnage, so they blew away the rock so there is just the first corner and then opens up but still challenging as a beginner.

As Admin has already said another good option for them for an afternoon is Antagnod on the same pass and doesn't take long on the bus either.

Can't but help love the area though

Thanks Admin man & TC. Good thinking about Atagnod - ski lesson in the morning then bus down the valley in the afternoon would, work well. We've been there a couple of times when Champoluc was closed and thoroughly enjoyed it!! TC - you mention about the bad S bend from Champoluc to Frachey side - it this what was known at the Goat Run from the top of the highest chair lift on Champoluc side? It's a couple of years since I've been to Champoluc but remember that run well - pretty daunting at times!! Has it become any easier? Thanks again.

That's the one with the Goat at the top.

So you still have that short steep section and then turns the corner and opens out better instead of snaking round again, but still a pretty daunting steep run for a 1 week skier.

We called it the snake pass of death the first year we went as there were so many incidents in that bit and probably why they changed it.

You could ski over and meet your friends at the top of the Frachey funicular that is there now instead of the chair. as they should be able to ski that area ok nothing too bad and the steeper entries to some of the runs have paths to miss those sections out anyway. I am sure they will head over that way on their lessons.