Le Corbier (Les Sybelles) 6 Day Snow Forecast

Conrad from United Kingdom writes:

Got back from Le Corbier (Le Corbier (Les Sybelles)) Saturday 22 January 2011.
We loved the place - whilst not a chocolate box collection of one or two-story wood clad chalets, its tag as an architectural eyesore is unfair. It is a charming and very functional resort full of very friendly restaurants and shops and with the best front 'de neiges' I have experienced anywhere and amongst one of the loveliest suntraps when the weather is fine. The mountain peaks circulate all round the resort although the skiing takes off from the front 'de neige' in one direction. It is a very pleasant place to ski with slopes of all standards coming down into resort, so it is very difficult to get lost. It has a good nursery area at resort level with easy drag lifts on two slopes - beginners would be very happy there although we thought the progression runs could be better and suit genuine intermediates better.
We did not have the best snow conditions ever as all across the Alps has been mild and snow depths are not brilliant so conditions were icy at times but piste maintenance all across the Les Sybelles was as fastidious as it could be with bashers working hard every night.
Skiing wise 'Le Corb' and the Les Sybelles region in general could be a really big hitter but for two problems: the links between resorts are not the best - they are not bad but not brilliant as they are a series of drags, one part very steep at the highest point Ouillon - they badly need to invest in a chair to assist with the linking to La Toussuire and St Sorlin - it would transform the area from a series of rather quaint mainly French inhabited resorts into a major league linked ski area as the quality of skiing throughout the area (real tough stuff aside) is excellent and the run choice is large if you take in the whole area.
I would not go as far as to criticize the pace of all the lifts - this was nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be and queues were virtually non existent - but chairs at the crucial top links would be a small investment to make to greatly improve an already good, charming area.
Secondly, piste directions and signposting needs a bit of improvement. It’s all well and good knowing you are skiing towards La Toussuire but it would be nice to see before you get on it what colour of piste or the name you are going on. Always have a piste map on you.
Despite these criticisms I thought it was a great place to ski.
We stayed at Le Mont Corbier with Rocket Ski - it was superb. Polite staff, good food for the money and clean, decent, warm accommodation in good sized rooms. Not more can be added to that. There were certainly no complaints from any of us.
All in all, I would recommend Le Corbier and the Les Sybelles highly to families with kids that can ski a bit and to groups of early intermediates upwards.
Food and drink is a percentage of the cost in somewhere like the 3 Valleys, the scope for mileage is as vast and it hasn’t got any of the attitude that can go with the 'big areas'.
I didn’t want to come home.

2011-02-17