UKC

Have been invited to join some friends for a week in Flaine in February. I expect we will spend most of our time on piste, or lift-served off-piste, but would it be worth taking touring gear? And, if so, would a hire car be useful to get to starting points? We don't do steep gnarly descents, so looking for moderate graded tours, but happy to do, say, 1000m of ascent. Any route suggestions would be very welcome! Is there a guidebook for the area?

In reply to Mark Bull: there is a cable car in Flaine that takes you right to the top, with pisted and non pisted runs back down to the bottom, so not much need for the touring gear there.
Alternatively if you take the chair up to the left of the valley back towards morillon (cant remember the name, is a newer 6 man with a cover) there is a great route to take involving walkiing along a ridge with a great steep descent back down to the flaine valley - i dont have touring gear, just strapped my skis to my back for the ridge.about an hours walk. lots of nice runs to the left side of the ridge too.
Last time i went was about 5 years ago so not sure how it has changed, but I went every year for about 10 years before that.

In reply to Mark Bull:

Guide - Ski de Randonnee - Haute Savoie - Mont Blanc - worth looking at.

IGN map - Samoens.

Ski routes from Les Grandes Platieres into the valley to the east - likes of Pointe d'Anterne and summits on ridge there.

In reply to Mark Bull: I do know there is a limestone pavement up the top which has claimed a couple of lives so best to check where this is. The limestone pavement has big deep fissures, think crevasses in rock and that will give you the picture.

Thanks for the replies, everyone: I think we will take the touring gear but not bother with the hire car....

In reply to Mark Bull:
I got rather over-interested in responding to this properly as my Mother & Sister live in the area, so I'm there alot.
In both ski-touring routes below I would advise taking winter climbing gear to whatever degree you feel comfortable as well as avalanche trackers + ski crampons a must.
Take the bus up the Giffre Valley (via Morillon and Samoens) to Sixt-fer-a-cheval, carry on up to Salvagny ski pistes. Go up the Cascade route under your own steam (if that wasn't clear) to Lac de Gers (stop at Lac Gers resto for lunch; absolutely beautiful, no lifts, only ski in ski out, good bunks too if you have too much Eau-de-Vie). Carry on up to Tete Pelouse (not summit unless you know what you're doing), then on to Les Grands Platieres then over the Col de la Portette (work your way round to the East side of Pointe de Platé and look over the edge if you want a rush!)Refuge de Platé not far away (but don't know if open in winter,check). If you've enough juice left ski back to Flaines via the Col du Colonney. 13kms up, many down, very steep start for 1km but then fairly easy gradient all the way up. This is one of the best routes on many levels that I've done in the area.
For something a bit more committed in degree of difficulty: from Samoens (accessible by ski pistes from Flaine) is the Col de Bostan to Tete de Bostan ascent (stay at refuge de Bostan-Tornay) with the Terres Maudite-Pas de la Late-L'Avouille to Col de la Golese ridge & shoulder descent. The last 3kms descent to la Golese is one of the best in the area, with the right snow conditions as always! You can take some serious air if you know where to go, but I'm not telling (if you're experienced, you'll find it). Buy local Randonee Maps and guide books in Samoens, ask at local guide office for conditions of the route. Have fun-be safe!

In reply to Valaisan:

Great, many thanks for that!

In reply to Valaisan:

There was a winter room with blankets in 2005, no idea now.