TR: 10 days in the Espace Killy, France

**irbis** · 03-12-2008, 05:34 AM

Originally Posted by KenR

Wow, you guys sure nailed it -- both the lines and the photos.

I was in France around that same time, and I did some pretty tours that I liked (including the Aiguille de la Grande Sassiere across the road from there), but not lines like those.

So as not to confuse other visitors:
the Espace Killy is actually a sector of La Grave.
France = Chamonix + La Grave
= La Grave + Chamonix = France

For riding like that, remember:
La Grave

one could only hope this is your idea of a joke...

otherwise, as not to confuse other visitors: EK is not a sector of La Grave, but the name of a ski area including Tignes and Val D'Isere and there is way much more to skiing in France than La Grave and Chamonix (both of which are sensational, no argument there)

**philippeR** · 03-12-2008, 05:37 AM

Ssshhh. Don't give the secret spots away !

**adimmen** · 03-12-2008, 07:41 AM

way to get er done

**irbis** · 03-12-2008, 07:46 AM

sorry Philippe - my bad

I won't disclose any secret spots anymore (God forbid my tongue slips and I give away places like, say, Les Arcs or Les Trois Vallees)

**Dhelihiker** · 03-12-2008, 11:06 AM

Back to the top with these Rad pics and my 500th post

**KenR** · 03-12-2008, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by irbis

hope this is your idea of a joke... otherwise, as not to confuse other visitors: EK is not a sector of La Grave

No joke -- there's a lot more to France than you know about. Here's a link to
photos of secteur Espace Killy
There was one place where Jean-Claude Killy got his sponsor money, and then another where he went to ski for himself.

Next time you spend some serious time in La Grave, maybe you need to hire a guide, ask about doing the main Ecrins run in the Killy sector, see if he thinks you're ready for it.

Quick summary: ski south off the backside, a little climb, then down to station Berarde, another little climb and then the other side of the ridge is Killy sector. Decide how high to hike -- most visitors stop at the "Dome de Neige". I didn't feel I was ready to ski the "Barre". After doing the Ecrins run, lunch at the Refuge des Ecrins is a must. Then back to the La Grave lifts by way of l’Alpe de Villar d’Arene (with optional snack stop at another refuge).

Ask the La Grave guides, they know all about it -- the question is can you handle it?

Ken

**irbis** · 03-12-2008, 03:55 PM

Ken - this is a TR about Espace Killy as in Tignes / Val D'Isere.

**KenR** · 03-12-2008, 08:38 PM

Never heard of it. Is it near Megeve?

Ken

**philippeR** · 03-13-2008, 02:37 AM

KenR, maybe my sarcasm o meter is broken, but you do know that Val d'Isère is not JCK's sponsor but JCK's home town, right ?
That JCK is born in Val ? That he learned to ski there and that he still got a home and relatives there, right ?
Oh, and I'm sure you're really rad and extreme and that you got a lot of skiing in Milton Keynes. But coming here to brag about skiing La Grave (the Killy sector !) makes you look mildly retarded...

Edit : Ok, JcK is not born in Vd'I. His parents settled there when he was 3. Close enough...

Gratuitous shot of the grand homme (look at the sticker...) :

And another one with fellow avaline, Marielle Goitschel. Kewl Strato and Dynastar.

**_Aaron_** · 03-13-2008, 07:25 AM

Boy it looks like you guys got skunked.

STOKE!

**KenR** · 03-13-2008, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by philippeR

KenR, maybe my sarcasm o meter is broken, but you do know that Val d'Isère is not JCK's sponsor but JCK's home town, right ? That JCK is born in Val ? That he learned to ski there and that he still got a home and relatives there, right ?

I apologize for mis-representing the possible skiing preferences of Jean-Claude Killy or for (falsely) suggesting that he might have skied in Val d'Isere only for sponsor money, or for suggesting that he might ever have enjoyed skiing anywhere in France more than 25km from Val d'Isere.

(I had no idea that on-piste ski racers were held in such sacred regard on the TGR forum.)

It was only in service of an attempt at a joke -- an attempt which seems not to have worked for lots of people.

Originally Posted by philippeR

Oh, and I'm sure you're really rad and extreme and that you got a lot of skiing in Milton Keynes. But coming here to brag about skiing La Grave (the Killy sector !) makes you look mildly retarded...

There's nothing "extreme" about the skiing being done in those photos -- nor any claimed. Extreme skiing is interesting to watch, but I have no interest in actually doing it.

It was just an attempt at a joke.
There is no "Espace Killy" sector in la Grave. There is no "Restaurant Jean Claude" in the Ecrins. None of those photos is from anywhere closer than 10km from la Grave. I didn't get there by using the La Grave lifts -- it would actually be difficult and rather long to get there from the La Grave lifts.

I personally don't care much about skiing in La Grave.

It was just an attempt at a joke. Sorry for the confusion.

Ken

**truth** · 03-13-2008, 10:47 AM

That didn't suck at all.

**norris** · 03-13-2008, 12:08 PM

Thanks for all the comments

And thanks Ken for your very strange contribution

**snowballs** · 03-27-2008, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by norris

irbis, I presume snowball from snowheads was on your trip?

Yup, I was there (I've gained another ball on here)
Just got back from Engelberg and BIG powder - sometimes of almost Canadian lightness. Woohoo!

**snowballs** · 03-27-2008, 09:29 AM

Irbis, if you don't put your photos on TG soon I'll be tempted to do it for you. Or are you waiting for Horizon's photos?

lg · 03-27-2008, 10:46 AM

Amazing TR, looks like you really know how to get the goods.
Was in Tignes from March 15-22 and have to say that the conditions were pretty amazing what with all the new snow.