European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 23, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The French connection a Mono Cruger . Bureau where should an experienced Shier whose vacation Lime is limited to a week go in order to cram in As much skiing As possible on Good Snow Over Miles of challenging runs thai was the question facing me last Winter when having had but a few could they truthfully be Chilleri warm up Days skiing in sub Zero temperatures in Vermont Over the Christmas holidays i was faced with having Only another week for skiing. Anyone living in England As 1 do settles for either making a Long rip to Scotland to ski in quite Chantey weather at rather limited resorts or As most skiers wisely do jelling off to the cont Nunt on a package Holiday to ski Long runs on Snow that usually can be counted on to be Good. The second Choice clearly was the one for me but where to go i had clocked up Many Days Over the years skiing in Austria and Switzerland two of Europe s big three ski countries. But i d had very limited exposure id the third France. So i decided to fill in some of the Blanks in my knowledge of French ski resorts. France is known for its modern purpose built ski resorts. Places that were build High up in the mountains away from skiing traditional base in Alpine villages up where Good Snow conditions could be guaranteed. These resorts derided by some As no nonsense ski factories where skiing is the be All and end All have a reputation on .1 purely physical level As the Best in Europe. Offering Miles and Miles of near  interconnecting runs served by he most modern tills free of Lime washing line Sone of France s vast ski circuses promised to deliver just what i  seeking. Among the Best known or these Are Les trois Valles with its resorts of cuu Cheval Meribel Les menu res and Val Thorens the Portes Dusoleil with Avn Riaz As Hub and la Pat june launched in loh.1 As the country s Pioneer purpose built resort. I chose la Plagne based on ils reputation As one pleased with ski sum  iht1 Lundiina Thiofil Tuin jul i d hol Dayed Wilh in /errn.ik.  i  Hui Loftt with Heiti ski supt travel s pct of of t in Fusil. 4.1  Ovit $.1001 in Luck d Clum Iti Ghl Imol on Imp saturday me Hizik the Neh  ,1 a smile taxi Iii d Jet my i Rindon s  k air Oil lit ,1 , Switi Klamt bus transfers or Vert hours Iti pending on the i Jothi f i Between Conr Tii and 1,1  . Alt    Lulu Hus and dinner in the Tingle Day tilt  l girls  of unlimited wine with dinner and the ii Rifi s of the Linn s knowledgeable ski tunic. When i arrived in  flaunt in  Jim Jav the area already was buried in mow Jonii l y the Lime my stay had ended another six Tel n la k to diff kid fallen eventually halting Alt lifts and in Rovali rung Jwj Lacchei. 1,1 Plagne in the heart of i i  ii Misc Alps and facing North toward Mon Blini  developed Over they i to encompass six modern resorts and four typically rustic Savoyard villages. M linked by he lifts and More than 100 Miles of downhill runs. La Plagne s modern resorts ill it Lejsal 6,300 feel above sea tevet can virtually guarantee reliable Snow but their extreme Archile Cluro takes some getting used it. The original resort now known As la Plagne Centre shocked the ski world with its skyscrapers in the mountains. What was Hen but a glimpse of Winter vacationing in the 21st Century has been replicated so Many limes by now in  a d French revils. The f a Trench now accept such buildings As being As much of their ski m Rue is cuckoo clocks and a Mabells Are elsewhere. I i i Tojo no Centre has now spawned the outlying nullifies if Plagne villages Plagne be Lecote Plagne 181x1, Bill i Lane and Aime la Plagne. Ilic  is. With ils triple Ziggurat glittering with lights i a i in night and looking for All the world like a sir  was promptly dubbed Darth  s Palace by someone in our chalet party. Fortunately our chalet was located in Belle Plagne a new resort built in traditional Alpine Village style. The c Hakl in a new apartment Complex had a Large living dining room boasting a fireplace and astounding views out Over mites of tree less pistes valleys and mountains everything in the Chapel worked and the hoi water system delivered endless supplies. My fellow guests six of him included a Young unmanned couple both of whom wrote advertising copy in London a television repairman whose Hobby was water skiing in Ocean races another unmarried couple from the midlands who were trainee executives for a heavy machinery company and a Bachelor insurance executive from London. They ranged in age from Middle twenties to Middle thirties and at first seems d an unlikely lot to be much fun. But the group gelled on the second Day and we happily partied together until it was Lime to Board the plane Home. At Belle Tagne we could ski to and from our Doorstep. Our ski guide Andrew a Young Scot who was taking a year off before starting a career As a 8 of eff 33, ims