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Yes indeed!
Great, it's a lovely experience and a school trip helper is probably a great way to have a first time experience, rather than a stag do or something which isn't focussed on the mountain activity.
I honestly wouldn't worry - mountain resorts are generally incredibly supportive and focussed on first timers or novices in the main.
You don't need to spend mega pounds on anything in advance. Obviously hire the main stuff. As with every other sport, Decathlon is just fine for essentials, but you'll find that waterproof kit from other activities works just fine on skis.
Absolute Snow is basically the Chain Reaction Cycles of snowsports, if you did want to look into "stuff" a bit more.
We are off to the Grand Massif for 2 weeks in Jan, fingers crossed for better weather than this year.
No new kit. I'll still be looking like a short, green frog in my lovely Norrona jacket although I did buy some green replacement lenses for my goggles to complete the frog look
Season passes purchased, before the discount expires. Ouch. Another month before the balance is due for the apartment
Remind me NBT, where did you decide in the end?
Back to Verbier from mid December until end of Feb. Yup @NBT lift passes - ouch indeed!
Stop complaining you two. I’m struggling with jealousy as it is. 🤣. Very much a plan once the kids are packed off to uni. A few years to wait unless I win the lotto though.
Another Q for NBT, what did you do about the 90 days? Stay under or sort visa?
We're doing two trips to stay under the 90 days, coming home for a month in the middle over half term to avoid the high prices / big crowds. Main stay is Morillon in the Grand Massif with a trip to Ste Foy Tarentaise so we can ski with friends
Starting to think about another ski holiday next year. Last time, and the last holiday I've had, was back in early 2020 just before the pandemic kicked off. However, I've got a long term knee injury that needs checked out, so might need an hour on the slope at the chill factor to see if it holds up.
Off to the Three Valleys in February. Haven't been on a board or skis for 9 years but i'm sure it'll come back to me soon enough.
Ooooh @nbt you're off to Morillon, we spent our honeymoon there.
We had our first experience of a UCPA holiday in Flaine earlier this year and it was fantastic, hotel, 3 meals a day, lessons, ski hire and kids clubs all included in the price.
We enjoyed it so much we're off to La Plange with them for new year.
Looking at going away in Easter with junior750, Any recommendations? Anyone been to Hajfell ?
She is a competent skier but looking to learn snowbaording
We are off to Serre Chavelier for the first time at half term looking forward to a change of resort, driving down again fingers crossed for lower temperatures than last year.
We had our first experience of a UCPA holiday in Flaine earlier this year and it was fantastic, hotel, 3 meals a day, lessons, ski hire and kids clubs all included in the price.
@scaled - would be interested to hear more about ucpa family weeks. I've done some ski touring/off piste with the Argentiere centre so the basic principle of ucpa appeals.
Looking for a recommendation of somewhere to stay in France, normally we just get transfers and stay in a resort.
However this time, one of the group wants to stay out of resort and try visit a few resorts by driving. Any suggestions?
@mlltt the immediate options which spring to mind would be to stay in the Chamonix valley area (maybe somewhere like St Gervais) which means you can access the ski area there but also drive to Contamines (please don’t tell too many people about it as it’s great), up to Les Houches, all of the areas down to Vallorcine and even through the tunnel to Courmayeur. Enough to keep anyone busy for a week.
Alternatively you could try Bourg St Maurice as a base and access Les Arcs on the funi, drive up to La Plagne, drive up to Tignes, Val and Sainte Foy as well as Rosiere. Again loads to go at and more than enough to keep you busy.
one of the group wants to stay out of resort and try visit a few resorts by driving
Check out Denfinella's trip reports over on snowheads, he's a master at this sort of trip and his reports are REALLY good
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=162891
Just bear in mind that starting each day with a drive of 30 minutes to an hour (followed by the same trip hom at the end of the day) can quickly become a chore - you need to plan well and be up early to make it to resort and park up (especially on a powder day), and it does limit the idea of having a quick slurp after you finish
Yep the driving to and from the lifts can become a bit of a drag (though pretty much the default for USA and Canada).
Hence my suggestion of a base which still has access to the slopes but is near enough to other areas to mix things up. I’ve done exactly this both from St Gervais and Chamonix in the past which gave enough variety between the ski areas to feel like you’re definitely somewhere new instead of munching up the miles on the piste going from one end of a resort to another.
I’m off for a weeks cat boarding in north macedonia with maverix snow
anyone ridden over in that neck of the woods?
done a back country course with Neil McNair in sainte foy last year which was awesome so hopefully will get some decent powder
Thanks, will have a look into Bourg St Maurice as we've done Chamonix a few times.
Trying to avoid morzine as there last summer and booked for next summer.
Anyone ever fly into Lyon instead of Geneva? Flights and car hire seem much cheaper
yeah last time we flew we did lyon for the tarentaise and hired , no problems with it
Snap(ish) GraemeTheJock!
Off to Kosovo / Albania border with Lynx for a week cat boarding end Feb - something completely different for us. 10+ yrs doing various backcountry offerings from WhiteRoom in St Foy is our normal trip...
Looking fwd to the 'adventure' associated with our trip this year...
I spent a week with lynx last year. Great cat operation and the terrain is pretty special when it’s on.
Just booked my two trips for the year.
Snowheads birthday bash in Arabba in the epic Sella Ronda
Snowheads off piste bash in Serre Chevalier with most of the time spent in La Grave.
Epic trips necessary due to ski buddies having young kids and me not having young kids lol.
Might fit in a sneaky week at the end of the season in Val Thorens depending on the snow.
Hmmmmm. Very much torn on this....
From when the kids were born we've always had one or two ski trips a year, sometimes with a Scotland trip or two thrown in. They've generally been excellent, or better, and we've always managed to keep the cost below about £2.8k all in for four of us.
But we've not really been since COVID, bar a few days last new year in stubaital. And I'm not sure whether to bother booking this year...
Part of the problem is money, as I doubt we'll get any change from £4k for 4. But that's not the real problem...
The lack of decent snow these days is a big issue admittedly. I used to think it was just my bad memory, or a blip but I've realised that there just isn't the conditions so often any more that there used to be. Fair enough there's always enough on the piste, but really, who wants to ride on piste...
Which brings us to the bigger problem. The wean is now 16 and I'm sure he is now more capable on skis and board than me, and hungry as hell for off piste. Which is an issue, because it's dangerous. We all carry probes, shovels and Pieps. We all practice PPS. The kids have airbags. We pay attention to the avalanche warnings, but the fact remains...
I suppose we could cough for guiding, but that'll add another £2k to the cost. And the quality is so hit and miss that I'm not sure it's worth it.
Hmmmm
Hmm, just had my accom out of Geneva cancelled on me for January.
Not tied to a resort but kind of looking for close transfer from Geneva as its only a long weekend - what do people recommend pls?
Quite interested in the thread above about lower towns with a funi but the group has quite a wife spread of wealthy and, erm, me 🙂
Grand Massif is about 1 hour from GVA, got the choice of Samoens, Morillon, Les Carroz and Flaine for accomodation.
Chamonix valley is not much further and both areas have a wealth of transfer companies which operate from GVA.
Villageidiot, Cormayeur is a good option from GVA.
Generalist, I know what you mean. The olden days did seem more reliable conditions. I think that I have had to temper my expectations. Go with what we get and make the most of it. I do like a bit of off piste that’s my real aim, If it’s good. I am mostly skiing with wife and kids and it was great to spend time with them improving their off piste. The urge to ditch them is strong when conditions are good though. I would also say that I definitely do enjoy a good bloody hoon on the pistes though. With the right skis for the conditions that is a pleasure.
Also looking for a bit of advice. I thought there was a recent thread about first time family skiers, but sadly can't find it.
Thinking this might be the season to drag the kids to try skiing. I've done it once before, about 20 years ago, wife has done a bit of boarding also 20+ back. Kids have never done it (x3 from 8-13)
Family has suggested to go down the hotel route, half board, hiring everything for a first time.
We want to go around Xmas time. We've done a Santa trip to Levi in Lapland before and are tempted to re-do that but over 4 nights (clearly before Xmas!) and just doing the core Santa stuff, and skiing. This is going to work out around 6k. Levi's not exactly rad to the max, but it's shortish fun flights, 20m transfer, about -5C to -10C, get winter kit included. For a bunch of beginners getting a couple of days in, I thought it was a decent idea. Particularly if someone doesn't enjoy it or breaks themselves! Wife doesn't like heights or exposure either - she'll do it but veeerry slowly. This is likely to frustrate the **** out of me 😁
The 6k ish price and what leave we can get also leads me to look at departing on 30/31st December for a week.
I've found some deals in Oberau Austria and Gressoney Italy that would work well. 2hr transfers, shortish flights, about 7-7.5k. Hotels are generally well reviewed. One has a pool.
No idea about either of those places though, and finding out about the likely snow over the new year period is tough.
So, any advice would be greatly appreciated! I appreciate I've gone down a path already, but I was just after any insight about what we're thinking of doing.
I wouldn’t be spending anything like that for a first time ski trip. Obviously the Santa stuff is always going to add cost and may be an easy intro to skiing. Just seems like lots of money to me. Each to their own.
So how would you do it keeping it easy and cheap?
Remember I've zero experience of this, so saying that is not particularly useful.
If you DIY (as opposed to a package deal) it can be cheaper but obviously needs a bit more planning.
My tip to save on lift tix is never buy the full family a weeks pass up front. The saving isn’t that great, all it takes is 1 to miss a day and the group to do a half day and the savings for buying a weeks pass disappear. If you can put up with topping your passes up daily then look at that.
my teenagers all ski but get up late, I leave them too it, get out for an early ski with the wife and come back mid morning to do the ticket shuffle. In 1 week I reckon there is on average only 1 day we would have bought 5 full day passes
……i should point out, this requires ski in ski out accom to be near a ticket office, else it would be a pain
Sorry.
We drive, that saves lots for a family.
Timing, Christmas is an expensive week and not as snow sure as other times. Days are short and can be colder. Last year it was warm and very wet in many places, though.
I have an aversion to the whole Xmas in the Lapland thing. So my negativity may have showed in my original post!
Resort and accom, French self catering is cheap by comparison to Austrian hotels ime.
First timers, I would say get a package to a smallish french resort. Try Sunweb.
Hire skis and boots there, get ski clothing that you need here on eBay, fb and have a great time!
To those who are planning on staying in a central area then driving out to different ski resorts every day, do not be tempted to leave anything out in the car the night before, it will be very cold. Also make sure your boots are well warmed up before setting out. It won't be pleasant trying to get chilly boots on.
I’ve found some deals in Oberau Austria and Gressoney
Very different resorts those. Not been to Overau in almost 40 years, but it's a tiny, lowish resort with limited runs.
Gressoney on the other hand is huge, with high pistes and amazing off piste, but does get windy....
I leave them too it, get out for an early ski with the wife and come back mid morning to do the ticket shuffle
But then you have to factor in how getting marched off to the Gendarmerie/ Polizei might impact your holiday if it goes wrong.
Gressoney on the other hand is huge, with high pistes and amazing off piste, but does get windy….
Ta. Will cross Overau off the list.
Try Sunweb
My word, that's a much better site than the big operators. A lot more specific in filtering ideas 👍
Try Sunweb
Based on an experience of using it once, the transfer we paid them for from gva to resort was a shambles. 2+ hours waiting to eventually be given a cab driver from the taxi rank, it was his second ever trip into the mountains, I know because he told us as he tried to film it with his mobile while driving up the road to Tignes ... my wife would have punched him if we didn't need the ride, instead she took his phone to film the pitch dark trip for his kids to watch the next day.
Return leg went perfectly, so 50:50 I suppose!
A mate had one of the minibus transfers from Cham to GVA. Turned up very late and was still apparently pissed from the night before. Already running v close to missing their flight they had little choice. Offer to drive and He did sit up front so he could at least have an airbag and keep an eye on him. 😳
Does anyone know what time in the morning the Eurostar snow train tickets go on sale? I know it is the 17th Oct (for the Belgian ones anyway) but don't know how early I need to wake up. Cheap tickets seem to go instantly 🙁
I'm off to zell am see in March and somewhere in January when conditions are buff
Thanks btw all that answered my "ski resort near GVA". 2 of the guys have thrown is "ski in/out" as an essential. I'm kind of inclined to agree but limits our options. I've rented a 9seater van as there's 6 of us with bags so other than not wanting to drive for hours we're pretty free to go where we want.
I did look at Italy but every time I look at the properties I always come away thinking they're pricy and likely to still have a 80yr old nonna sitting in the corner!
I'm really trying to avoid Avoriaz as I love the place and am there for 10 days with my fam but that's the kind of thing I'm looking for. Myabe I have to drive to the 3 valleys
I’m off to zell am see in March and somewhere in January when conditions are buff
I’ll expect videos of you boarding the north shore drops at the bottom of Leogang.
My lad and I tried boarding the big jump line (Hot Shots) a few years ago. No one else had hit it so we couldn’t quite get the speed in the powder. Definitely doable though 😀