Pluses:
*Beautiful location - couldn't stop staring at the views
*Small and friendly village with plenty going on but family-centred
*Loved the gondolas and the chairlifts were fairly easy (i.e. flat dismounting area!)
*Two good schools and plenty of hire shops

Minuses:
*The 'easy' runs have narrow, steep sections putting them off-limits to novice snowboarders and there is no easily accessible short run to get started on. We were confined to the beginner area the whole week, as the only other realistic option was a 1.5 hour or more struggle down a very variable blue run. Blah.
*Some parts only accessible by skiing to them down difficult runs or long, difficult drag lifts.
*The only grocery shop is very, very expensive... (top tip: the one in Monchavin is much cheaper)

All in all, the feeling I'll remember most from Les Coches is that of being a trapped onlooker. There's nothing much to do apart from ski or snowboard, and for a beginner there's very little that's realistically accessible. My highlight was going for a walk!

Only recommended for skiers and experienced boarders or those wanting a full week of lessons.