Anyone planning a ski or snowboard trip this winter?
Comments
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Just back from my first ever ski trip (St Gervais) - I can now see why people get obsessed by it, and also why people get injured doing it.0
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Well we've had two trips this season. Jan saw us in Saalbach - Hinterglamm, where the conditions were spot on and 240 miles were clocked up, in between consuming Grostl. The lift system was great, and next year will be even greater with Zell linked into the system with the last addition to the Ski Circus. Pistes were well graded and the sun shone. We'd been there a couple of years ago in summer hitting the MTB trails, so it was interesting to get back in the winter for a different perspective. With over 60 mountain huts, you are spoiled for choice for eateries and apres. Well worth a return trip in the future
We booked Flaine/ Samoens for our March trip, for our first trip in 10 years to France, and also our last. Total opposite to Austria, expensive, crap poorly designed lift system breaking down all the time, mogulled blacks which were NEVER groomed, horrendous queues and nothing but cheese and bread ( I hate cheese).We had one glorious powder day, one crap rain day, 2 days where the lifts shut early due to wind. The powder day was absolutely mint knee deep fluff and the only good thing about the trip. The piste system seemed to have a few, scary funnel routes especially down the Les Carroz, where I saw a boarder unconscious on the ground after being taken out by a skier, which I reported to the liftie at the bottom. Bloody scary skiing in what seemed to be rush hour conditions with a hundred odd skiers/boarders at the same time.
We'd also booked 3 Valleys- Les Menuries next January, but we've now changed it to head over to the Dolomites for Val di Vassa and pasta instead. The views there are stupendous, and I'm looking forward to getting short of breath at the top of the Marmolada again!0 -
RallyBiker wrote:mogulled blacks which were NEVER groomed,
I'd have that down as a positive.0 -
TheBigBean wrote:RallyBiker wrote:mogulled blacks which were NEVER groomed,
I'd have that down as a positive.
Word.
When we were in Whistler they had a daily grooming schedule so you could pick out the unpisted runs if you wanted.0 -
Unfortunately I haven't skied on the continent for quite a few years (although planning to rectify next year).
Interesting that you rate Austrian lifts over French ones. It always used to be that the French had far better and faster lifts than Austria. Not saying that made the whole experience better but you never saw many T bars in France and as so many French resorts were purpose built the lift systems were generally better designed than the more organic traditional resorts typical of Austria. Although Samoens and LesCarroz are the traditional villages linked into the Flaine area.
As an aside, Les Carroz where I first got drunk as a 14 year old on a school ski trip. My daughter is skiing with school this week and it's a somewhat different set of rules they apply these days.0 -
Not really, customers want choice, in that I may fancy blasting down a pisted black one day, then the day after going down the moguls.TheBigBean wrote:RallyBiker wrote:mogulled blacks which were NEVER groomed,
I'd have that down as a positive.0 -
morstar wrote:Unfortunately I haven't skied on the continent for quite a few years (although planning to rectify next year).
Interesting that you rate Austrian lifts over French ones. It always used to be that the French had far better and faster lifts than Austria. Not saying that made the whole experience better but you never saw many T bars in France and as so many French resorts were purpose built the lift systems were generally better designed than the more organic traditional resorts typical of Austria. Although Samoens and LesCarroz are the traditional villages linked into the Flaine area.
As an aside, Les Carroz where I first got drunk as a 14 year old on a school ski trip. My daughter is skiing with school this week and it's a somewhat different set of rules they apply these days.
You'll get a real shock when you venture back then. Austria has spent absolute millions on state of the art gondolas, cable cars and fast canopied, heated chairs whilst France hasn't.0 -
narbs wrote:TheBigBean wrote:RallyBiker wrote:mogulled blacks which were NEVER groomed,
I'd have that down as a positive.
Word.
When we were in Whistler they had a daily grooming schedule so you could pick out the unpisted runs if you wanted.
I much prefer the North American system. Any double black diamond will be fun, not groomed, avalanche controlled, skiied by patrol at the end of the day and lead back to the bottom of the mountain.
Not great for a long weekend though!0 -
RallyBiker wrote:
Not really, customers want choice, in that I may fancy blasting down a pisted black one day, then the day after going down the moguls.TheBigBean wrote:RallyBiker wrote:mogulled blacks which were NEVER groomed,
I'd have that down as a positive.
Just stating my preference.0 -
Interesting, shall bear that in mind when planning. Has assumed I would gravitate towards France but maybe Austria will see in the mix. Aiming to be at Kitzbuhel for the Streif on my 50th but that's 3 years away.RallyBiker wrote:morstar wrote:Unfortunately I haven't skied on the continent for quite a few years (although planning to rectify next year).
Interesting that you rate Austrian lifts over French ones. It always used to be that the French had far better and faster lifts than Austria. Not saying that made the whole experience better but you never saw many T bars in France and as so many French resorts were purpose built the lift systems were generally better designed than the more organic traditional resorts typical of Austria. Although Samoens and LesCarroz are the traditional villages linked into the Flaine area.
As an aside, Les Carroz where I first got drunk as a 14 year old on a school ski trip. My daughter is skiing with school this week and it's a somewhat different set of rules they apply these days.
You'll get a real shock when you venture back then. Austria has spent absolute millions on state of the art gondolas, cable cars and fast canopied, heated chairs whilst France hasn't.0 -
Just come back from la Plagne. More or less perfect week. No massive powder days, but at least a little bit extra snow more or less every day, which kept it cold enough that the snow stayed in reasonable nick, although the run down to the bottom of the resort for lunch one day did get a tad slushy! Although given it's the end of March I'd say that's fair enough, the last time I went this time of year those runs were shut and bare of snow!
Did find the piste rating system slightly arbitrary, but that's always going to be the case. One red in particular resulted in a rather nervous other half, although maybe it was too wide to be considered a true black run!
I got caught out on one mogulled black, where the top was groomed nicely! But I managed to pick my way down, which feels like progress from previous years where I'd fall on each turn!You live and learn. At any rate, you live0 -
In Austria, you'll also be able to swing more than a cat in your room; I found in France even swinging a kitty was difficult.RallyBiker wrote:
You'll get a real shock when you venture back then. Austria has spent absolute millions on state of the art gondolas, cable cars and fast canopied, heated chairs whilst France hasn't.morstar wrote:Unfortunately I haven't skied on the continent for quite a few years (although planning to rectify next year).
Interesting that you rate Austrian lifts over French ones ...
Also, if you're into that sort of thing, in Austria the apres-ski can be pretty lively, which I only occasionally found so in France.0 -
Hope you have a great time!morstar wrote:
Interesting, shall bear that in mind when planning. Has assumed I would gravitate towards France but maybe Austria will see in the mix. Aiming to be at Kitzbuhel for the Streif on my 50th but that's 3 years away.RallyBiker wrote:morstar wrote:Unfortunately I haven't skied on the continent for quite a few years (although planning to rectify next year).
Interesting that you rate Austrian lifts over French ones. It always used to be that the French had far better and faster lifts than Austria. Not saying that made the whole experience better but you never saw many T bars in France and as so many French resorts were purpose built the lift systems were generally better designed than the more organic traditional resorts typical of Austria. Although Samoens and LesCarroz are the traditional villages linked into the Flaine area.
As an aside, Les Carroz where I first got drunk as a 14 year old on a school ski trip. My daughter is skiing with school this week and it's a somewhat different set of rules they apply these days.
You'll get a real shock when you venture back then. Austria has spent absolute millions on state of the art gondolas, cable cars and fast canopied, heated chairs whilst France hasn't.
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Been a good season eh?
Stuff got real for us a few days back!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhKQnFaDxbE/?hl=enWe're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
ddraver wrote:Been a good season eh?
Stuff got real for us a few days back!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhKQnFaDxbE/?hl=en
Last green run back to resort 0 -
I remember the Mont Fort glacier but I don't remember it that steep!ddraver wrote:Been a good season eh?
Stuff got real for us a few days back!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhKQnFaDxbE/?hl=en"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
So what about this season?????
My brother and I had a weekend trip to Laax in Switzerland in late January. Conditions were awesome.
Then at Easter I’m going with my wife and kids to Whistler for 10 days. Just can’t wait, such an incredible place. The boys are beginners and we’re taking them to the indoor snow place in Hemel Hempstead tomorrow morning for a lesson. They’ll have 3 full days of ski school when we get to Whistler but we want them to be comfortable with some of the absolute basics before we get there, hence tomorrow’s lesson.0 -
Hoped to ski Glencoe tomorrow but spring has visited early so I managed a ride today in shorts.
But, Chamonix on Wednesday, can’t wait. Switzerland very expensive especially ski passes. Austria a delight in terms of infrastructure for last couple of years.
Hopefully snow will return to Scotland in a couple of weeks...then back up north.0 -
We went to Norway for our first family ski trip. My partner had skied a bit before, a long time before. It was the first time on skis for be and my 6 year old son. Not even a dry ski slope it snow centre (live near Kendal ski club dry ski slope and not too far from Manchester for real fake snow).
Norway I reckon is small scale compared to the places you guys go. However we had such a great time that my partner asked whether she should rebook for the same week. We went in that dead time after Xmas and through new year. We have to be off on those days so it means our limited holidays are well used.
We're not great skiers but it's fun even if only green runs so far. I've only had two lessons so I'm not expecting to do black runs for at least a few years. It's certainly addictive.0 -
Tangled Metal wrote:We went to Norway for our first family ski trip. My partner had skied a bit before, a long time before. It was the first time on skis for be and my 6 year old son. Not even a dry ski slope it snow centre (live near Kendal ski club dry ski slope and not too far from Manchester for real fake snow).
Norway I reckon is small scale compared to the places you guys go. However we had such a great time that my partner asked whether she should rebook for the same week. We went in that dead time after Xmas and through new year. We have to be off on those days so it means our limited holidays are well used.
We're not great skiers but it's fun even if only green runs so far. I've only had two lessons so I'm not expecting to do black runs for at least a few years. It's certainly addictive.
Glad you had a good trip. I know a family that go to Norway - I’ve not been there myself but I know they love it.0 -
I was in Chamonix & Argentiere a month ago - apart from half a day of snow stopping play it was cold, clear, sunny and lots of powder. Beautiful 8) We were definitely lucky with the weather.
Thinking of doing something a bit different next season."I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
It was great but by the end of the week the top of the 1.2km green route was a bit scraped clean so a bit of gravel was looking through near the top.Kingstonian wrote:Tangled Metal wrote:We went to Norway for our first family ski trip. My partner had skied a bit before, a long time before. It was the first time on skis for be and my 6 year old son. Not even a dry ski slope it snow centre (live near Kendal ski club dry ski slope and not too far from Manchester for real fake snow).
Norway I reckon is small scale compared to the places you guys go. However we had such a great time that my partner asked whether she should rebook for the same week. We went in that dead time after Xmas and through new year. We have to be off on those days so it means our limited holidays are well used.
We're not great skiers but it's fun even if only green runs so far. I've only had two lessons so I'm not expecting to do black runs for at least a few years. It's certainly addictive.
Glad you had a good trip. I know a family that go to Norway - I’ve not been there myself but I know they love it.
Still I loved it. Even got clean air when I nearly lost it and went a bit off line on the piste and hit a bump at speed. From struggling to get my boots on and skis on to getting clean air in just under a week. I'm. Happy with that start 0 -
The great thing about being a relative novice is that you can go to smaller resorts and not get bored with the same runs, and not spend money on lift passes that cover 100s of kms of slopes.
I didn't recognise the description of the Flaine / Les Carroz / Samoens areas on the previous pages bar leaving blacks as moguls fields (that's why they are black runs - doh!), and it felt like the poster was blaming the resort for high winds and mixed weather!
The lift system in the Three Valleys is still amongst the very best in the world and in general the French like the Austrians have spent a lot on upgrading their lift systems and snow making capacity. Then add in the likes of Tignes & Val d'Isere ..... or if you are an intermediate then La Plagne will suit, but needs a couple of extra strategically placed lifts.0 -
Just got back from a week in sestriere. Massive (400km) ski area, although a fair bit was shut due to insufficient snow.
Thoroughly recommended the resort for intermediates, but think it would be daunting for beginners, as the resort is structured in such a way that you can easily end up on a (pisted) black run.
Much cheaper than an equivalent sized resort in France, in terms of accommodation, lift pass and food on the mountain.You live and learn. At any rate, you live0 -
Thought I’d dig this thread out........
What plans do you have for this winter? Of course Covid adds a layer of complexity but as long as those travelling are vaccinated most of the major ski destinations are welcoming visitors.
My brother and I are taking my sons for a weekend to La Plagne in early Feb. We also have a Whistler trip booked for Easter which was originally booked for Easter 2020 and has now been cancelled and re-booked twice. Obviously hoping that can go ahead this season - only complexity is 13-16 year olds are currently only getting one jab and Canada demands they have had two jabs to avoid self-isolation. Hopefully that is all cleared up one way or another in time for the trip.0 -
Booked to go to Meribel for Christmas, keeping fingers and toes crossed there isn't a repeat of last winter.
B'mouth to GVA on 18th, night in GVA, drive to Meribel on the 19th, 2 bed apart at Chaudanne, back to GVA on Boxing Day and fly home on 27th.
Shame the boy has grown in the last 2 years, so some new stuff needed for him.0 -
Nice trip.
Yeah, both my kids have grown out of their ski clothes. Fortunately it can all be sold for decent prices on EBay0 -
I've discovered it's quite an expensive pastime with school age children who might not even like it.0
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I'll settle for Glenshee this year. It has all the snow you will even need and great facilities.
(Not true)0
