European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 23, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                In pics Iii Lingo Tou so Euf enl la Flange of Fern massive housing a Fps Complete with steaming outdoor pools left and Modem conveniences that allow the sillier to concentrate on a if he came to do in the run place hit the slopes. Solicitor proved to be invaluable in .1 resort Ai vast to la Plagne. Without a ski guide they Are not allowed o Leach i would have been impossibly 1o snarl Nul l .1 Plagne s myriad runs ind lifts in order to take full advantage of everything the resort offered. To my thinking skiing la Plagne without the help of a guide or a Friend who knows it Well would be a waste of time for it lakes several Days to become familiar wish but a Small sector of in. If Lime is Short fur skiing you Don t want to waste it trying to Del Ipharr a Trail map. Our Holiday company operated several Oiler chalets in la Plagne and Andrew iced As Shepherd for anyone who wanted to ski with i in. Afler the firs i Day our group of skiers who could keep up a Goot Pace and who wanted to explore everything la Plagne offered had narrowed blown to a number that fluctuated Between six and eight. We All agreed that we could spend two weeks skiing la Plagne and never gel bored for it had everything mile after mile of relaxed skiing Down free Wheeling boulevards interspersed Wilh Mogul Fields steeper slopes Ami some heart stopping Corkscrew gun Barfels. On our Bird Day we found Oul just what it is that has Pul la Plagne among the Stellar resorts when we explored the desert Banc the great while wilderness of peaks and Snow bowls above the treeline where no other buildings exist except the lonely summer Callie huts. We a vent up on the Extension of the a he de Mici Gondola to the Bel Leconte Glacier. Rising to 11,2 10 eel it is the longest Gondola in the would and lakes .10 minutes to gain the Summit As it swings trim Ridge in Risic Over Iii uni use nulls in space below were Snow bowls where expert skiers joyously swooped through the Wii a det p powder. We skied Down through groomed and ung roomed Snow Nasty Mogul Fields and Motorway pistes. Although the Snow on the  was for the Moit part Well groomed our guide came in Handy during our nine mile 5,800-Fnot-Vemicalo run from the Glacier to the wooded trails of Mun Chavin in the Sere Valley because parts of the descent covered some unbeaten track and rugged terrain. The following Day we made an exciting run because of poor conditions Down a narrow twisting Trail to Champagny a True Mountain Village Complete with Hay Bales and barnyard smells. We kid planned our run there to arrive in time for an excellent course upon course lunch at a famed local establishment formally known Asle Buu Quetin restaurant but better known As Chez Therese after its Jovial proprietress. Suffice it to say hat the restaurant s great atmosphere Good eats and copious amounts of accompanying wine would get at least a pointy three fingers from Clement Lounder but that s not the real reason anyone goes to Chez Therese. They go there to undergo Viverine initiation. After lunch the restaurant serves Coffee and a free drink but there s a Hilch to gelling the booze. The drink a Clear potent rather Faul us Tang Mountain concoction is served up in a Large wide mouthed bottle. Within the Billle is a dead Snake a poisonous Viper. The object is to Lake a drink from the bottle without flinching even if the dead Viper touches your lips in the process. Few skiers pass up the dare and everyone in the restaurant applauds the daring ones and Good Nat redly Boos those who cop out. Reservations Are .1 must at Chez Therese the phone number there is 79 550113. Pm no had so much first Rale skiing to offer that we look but a single any out to ski elsewhere and that  at Val d list be. Unfortunately a blizzard was raging on the Day we skied Killy s Hometown so despite having a local guide to show us around the slopes we managed to Sample Little of its impressive offerings. I did gel some definite impressions of Val d Sere though Val d Sere definitely struck me As no place for a beginner to go. It s very much a hard skiing resort for intermediates and experts. Its social life seemed slightly livelier than la Plagne a but that did t mean a great Deal because la Plagne s was nothing to write Home about. That was the Only thing i did t like about la Plagne. The massive area As Good a place As Ever i have skied had truly wonderful Snow skiing and facilities. It also had reasonably priced restaurants sprinkled through the mountains and its resorts wire Complete with their own ski schools restaurants " 0 of them in total cinemas groceries wine shops and bars. Name just about anything that caters for creature Comfort and one of la Plagne s resorts had in. Vel they All lacked one thing Good reasonably priced nightlife. What Little nightlife there was was sparsely attended. And Wilh drinks going for about $5 a pop in any place that had music or dancing it is Little wonder few people were about. Never mind by the time you be ended a hard Day s skiing at la Plagne you probably won t have a great Deal of Energy left for carousing anyway. Octobtr23,1986 Tripti Magazine