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So, a decent start to December followed by a lean couple of weeks here. But an unexpected Alps trip possibly coming up and I have questions.
Firstly, any tips for insurance providers for a family Alps trip? Have used BMC and Dogtag in the past but both seem fairly expensive when kids won't be doing anything out of the ordinary. Any recommendations (annual/single trip)?
First day out this season last Friday at Fieberbrunn.
Even managed a few pow turns. 😍
sorry, haven’t logged in for a while!
When it’s really busy, they run the funi more often / non-stop so the queues are never too bad as long as you’re prepared to get the elbows out. I don’t really go up to Les Arcs very often in winter though so I haven’t tried to fight my way up, e.g. at half-term. Never had our guests report big dramas.
We only do full chalet bookings at Nagano in the winter, we run it super low-key, so we just rent the whole place each week, there’s no catering or anything so sharing wouldn’t really work.
Cheers Stevo- it'll probably be an off -peak week, so shouldn't be a problem I reckon, just need to get them to commit!
Hopefully see you next summer too, if we can get organised before you fill up completely, fingers crossed we don't get a 9 hour delay again...
According to bergfex there was 6cm fresh at St Anton yesterday... On top of a rock hard base
https://flic.kr/p/2pq4e7p
I'm not sure they're not fixing up their imperial and metrics
Really weird skiing with bloody huge bergschrunds/ crevasses all over the off piste. Just far too much snow. They've pisted a lot of the chairlift lines as well to stop the chairs bottoming out
Right I'm after a bit of advice/recommendations for this year's skiing/snowboarding.
We're currently planning an Easter family ski trip - we're probably going to drive for flexibility and for the adventure of it. We'd rather train over driving or flying but the Eurostar service to Bourg doesn't run that late this year for some reason and I don't really want to fly this year. Especially as we want to do 10 days or so and it'd be nice to have a bit of flexibility and make it a road trip.
With driving in mind, is there anywhere we should look at particularly? We've done both Les 2 Alpes and Les Arcs (1800) with the kids and they've served us well as high resorts that work well even late in the season and have a huge amount of slopes to go at (we're a very mixed ability group) . Of the 2, I prefer Les Arcs as it's a bit more snowboard friendly and the run back to resort is better when slushy and cut up. I guess that's because we were up in 1800 rather than in town like you are at L2A. Mileage/drive time is obviously a consideration so I'm thinking France but is it worth looking at other areas? Fly to Austria/Andorra?
Happy to look at anything with an emphasis on height for late season (end March), a broad range of slopes and hopefully, cheap accommodation and lift passes. Also like to have a 6 from 7 or 9 from 10 style pass as might be good to have a day off in the middle and not be throwing the day away so to speak. I know it's probably moon on a stick but thought worth asking if anyone has any ideas or seen any good deals.
Cheers in advance.
G
Tignes / val is great late season. Miles of ski-ing of all types. swallows holiday crowds well. Drive is about 40min on top of les arcs. plenty of small self catering apartments in tignes.
Or book (cheaper) accomodation in bourg and drive up to somewhere different each day ( witin 40 mins youve got val/ tignes/ les arcs/ la plagne/ st foy & la rosiere)
Sorry to hijack..can anyone recommend a good place to sell snowboard gear? I brought everything new in 16’ and haven’t been since! Is eBay the best bet?
It's over 15 years since we went but Les Menuires is usually good until late April (usually stays open a week later than Coucheval and Meribel and gives access to Vla Thorens (open until mid May). Or stay in Orelle on the other side and get the cable car up to Val Thorens each day.
Unfortunately they've knocked down the concrete arch you could ski through as it had a reasonably priced small hotel in the cross piece so you could ski under your room for novelty value.
PS some friends of ours went there in April with their kids a couple of years ago and confirmed it good and relatively quiet late season.
I'm off to zell am see this weekend snowboarding
Nice one mate. My place is around the corner in Maria Alm. They had a good dump of snow on NYE and temps are dropping, you should have a good week.
Yeah man it was last minute thing as we're back there in march
ceepers
Tignes / val is great late season. Miles of ski-ing of all types. swallows holiday crowds well. Drive is about 40min on top of les arcs. plenty of small self catering apartments in tignes.Or book (cheaper) accommodation in Bourg and drive up to somewhere different each day ( within 40 mins you've got Val/ Tignes/ les arcs/ la Plagne/ St Foy & La Rosiere)
Yes I did Tignes with the wife back in 2010/2011 (I think) before we had kids anyway. Had one of my best ever on piste pow days but remember little else about it. Good take out Sushi iirc.
The Bourg and travel thing I quite like the idea of as I do like the area and have done most of those resorts at one time or another. Even hitched from Bourg to St Foy every day for a week one year. Will look into it though I think the extra travel each end of the day could be a pita with the kids. Thanks for the suggestion.
@Speeder Some of the group I used to go with would drive to Arc1950, there's a car-park under the resort which is essentially one big Pierre et vaccances hotel. It's a small well contained little 'town', we ended up going back a few times. Obviously you know about the Paradiski area so you know it's massive and enough for everyone.
I'm not a pro at late season skiing, but I'd be looking at Tignes, Les Mens, Les Arcs as obvious options. As for price, well skiing is rarely cheap in my experience.
Personally going for Flaine 16th March this year, which is later and lower than I'd usually go for, fingers crossed it's not a bad choice.
Just booked a week for me and the missus in Passo Tonale. She's a beginner. Took her to Avoriaz a few years ago but she struggled with how busy it was and the lifts. Tonale is rated as 5* for beginners with loads of wide easy runs to build up her confidence, plus I can bugger off up the glacier.
Can concur. Tonale is excellent for beginners and still a great resort for experienced riders/skiers. Loved it when we went. Apres is excellent and everything for beginners is right where you want it at the base of the mountain. Altitude makes it pretty snow sure too.
@Speeder - If you're keen on the train you can get to Bourg easily enough without the Eurostar ski service. We've literally just booked normal Eurostar to Paris then SNCF down to Bourg. Think there's one extra change to make but it's worked out over £100 cheaper per person. Use Trainline rather than the SNCF site as it finds cheaper services if it can.
Flying out to La Plagne tomorrow for a long weekend. And booked another trip for end of March to Avoriaz. And then another long weekend at the end of April, probably going back to Val D’Isere. As I always am before any trip to the snow, I’m ridiculously excited.
But, would have preferred a full week in amongst that lot but work isn’t allowing it. Will just have to put a longer trip in the calendar for next year now.
I’ve made multiple attempts to tick off my number one bucket list to go skiing and have been bamboozeled by the choice of resorts and apparent complexity of options.
However, those few comments above about Passo Tonale have prompted me to look again and, through Crystal ski, it comes in at less than £5k for five of us. Which is sort of cheap to other places I’ve looked at. We are all absolute beginners so should I just book everything, kit, school and passes through Crystal?
And this would be the first week of Easter, sat 23rd March. There will be snow won’t there?
@rockhopper did similar with Crystal for the first few years, they are experienced in doing the whole package so it generally works well. Their group lessons can be quite large, so you may get varying amounts from them depending on how you get on with it.
Our first trip my wife hated our teacher who didn't really understand why anyone would struggle to stand on skis having been on them since she's was a toddler. I liked her harsh style and was skiing reasonably by the end of the first week with her.
The other thing I'd mention is places like ski exchange (near me but no connection), if you are kitting out kids they can rent you clothing rather than you forking out for loads of stuff they'll grow out of come next year.
As for the snow, welcome to the obsessive watching of snow-forecast and local webcams!
Just in case anyone's kids are coming up to skiing age, I've put 4 pairs of ski boots on the classifieds, two of which are adjustable.
Not really worth it if you're a once a year full week skier but they have been utterly excellent for us with frequent weekend and short trips in the past. So good not having to queue for hire and waste half the morning at Scottish centres.
Alas the skis and poles are already sold, apart from one set of 130s.
Cheers
thanks for the comments. The “kids”, BTW, are 23, 21 and 17! 😂
The intention is that they contribute financially….
And this would be the first week of Easter, sat 23rd March. There will be snow won’t there?
The base is at 1800m so should be snowsure at that time of year. We always do the first 2 weeks in April in Cervinia which always has a full cover of snow even down to 1500m at Valtournenche which is just down the valley.
@rockhpoper70 they grow up so fast 😉
In my experience £1000 per person is reasonable for a high resort, we once went cheap to a resort level of 900m it was our second year learning, will never make that mistake again! At 1800m you'll be far more likely to enjoy your holiday, the crusty man made 'snow'/ice we had in Austria that year was horrible.
It's all I can do not to constantly check the piste map and webcams and it's months away still!! It fairness I did suggest we might not go this year so my wife booked other stuff in January which is why I'm having to wait and I don't do wait well!
we've been in morillon all week, unable to ski, as i had an otb moment a week ago. skiing down an unpisted red run in falling snow, i hit a hidden obstacle in the new fallen snow near the bottom at speed. it turned out to be a deep rut. dislocated my shoulder and have a small fracture. the journey in the blood wagon and 2 ambulances down to bourg st maurice hospital was not fun.
i wasn't the only one to hit the rut and fall.
to say i'm gutted is an understatement. we were into week one of a 6 week dream, long awaited holiday.
excuse bad typing.
Oh dear, Bunnyhop. 🙁 There's some glorious weather forecast on the Var coast if you are able to walk comfortably.
After skiing on verglas over Christmas we've had good falls in the Pyrénées over the last week. Junior (ESF) is back in business and I've been waxing my classic and skate X-C skis to make the most of the good snow in the lower X-C resorts which is increasingly rare. It's a bit of a faff preparing the old waxing classic skis but satisfying when I get it right:
with a focus on a sensible budget for family of 4 in feb half term we have done a few v succesful self drive trips to aosta. 1.5 days down and back on the sundays in 1 day (two drivers and a bit long and boring). Thats from the midlands. 6 full days skiing.
Some amazing value classy airbnbs in Aosta valley level. Buy the valley ski pass which is not really any cheaper than a big french resorts but you have 5 fantastic resorts to visit (5 min to 1hr drive to free by the lift parking) depending what you want and weather:
courmayeur
La Thuile
Pila
Cervinia
Monte Rosa
come in at well under £1000 pp including all elements of travel accomodation, lift and ski hire
Oh no. That's a nightmare. Healing vibes....
Heading off here a week today....
https://www.stentifordsnowboarding.co.uk/destinations/st-foy
Known James for years through surfing here but never had permission from my family for an indulgent solo trip with him - turning 50 has its benefits!
Should be a week of powder turns - frothing is an understatement!
@bunnyhop damn, that sounds horrible. Was trying to work out what to say next, bit I've got nothing!
I'm massively adverse to paying birth e of 25€ for a day on the piste. As such, it's unlikely I'll but a day pass this year, but I might see which lakes or passes are adequately iced over/snowed up and take the kite out for an airing.
to say i’m gutted is an understatement. we were into week one of a 6 week dream, long awaited holiday.
Fudge....
There's always red wine and cheese.
thanks everyone for your kind thoughts.
i'd got new slightly wider skis and had a 2 hour refresher lesson, which really improved my confidence, but hey ho.
we are home now, poor hubby had to do all the driving which wasn't ideal.
i'm not looking forward to weeks of physio, no exercise and just trying to stay in a good frame of mind.
everyone else enjoy yourselves and i'd like to see lots of photos please.
Ive been snowboarding for donkeys years but now, at 52, ive decided to sack it off. The expense, the always delayed flights, the crap snow vs crap visibility, the relentless kit faff. Plus when i complete a run i just have an overwhelming sense of "meh".
It you could guarantee blue sky powder days i might go again, but mostly in europe its a lottery and not worth the misery that surrounds it.
bah humbug
bah humbug
The travel and depending on the weather isn't great. But for those times when it all comes together and you're flying down a piste looking at the blue skies above and cloud inversion below, the snow spraying as you put in occasional corners. I can get being meh about so much of life, but never about being in snowy mountains.
@bunnyhop that really sucks. I broke my leg (A skier broke my leg) after 3 days in Sun Peaks, BC of a 10 day holiday. I read a lot and ate a lot of poutine. Luckily, I experienced the best pow day I've ever had the day before so I still have some good memories.
This is essentially my screensaver at the moment. Off for 3 weeks in March. Never been snowboarding in March so hoping for some good conditions.
The season is shaping up nicely. Hopefully this week's snowfall allows a few days up at Glenshee or Glencoe this month
Start of February I'm away to Les Carroz with my mates
Start of March, me and the missus are away to Passo Tonale
Start of April we're off to Les Deux Alpes
Cannot wait!
Off to La Plagne with friends on Friday, bit of a trek from Geneva but got spooked booking stuff lower.
I'm in the "meh" category for skiing so tend to only want to go every other year.
Had planned 10 days in Avoriaz with my family over new year but Pleurisy [hmm, sounds like a French resort!] put paid to that.
@ceepers, we were in Ste Foy when the accident happened, love that place. will be back this season assuming the recovery goes well
@mark, enjoy, March in Canada will be fantastic
@blackflag, we were in Ste Foy with Rod, he's given up on the board and gone back to skis for the reasons you mentioned - though he did break the board out on one powder morning. Sacking off flights and aiming for longer trips by car or by train has made a difference too - travek by train was refreshing, driving is a bit more effort but makes it easier to get around
These are the new skis I got for Bunnyhop (in a 165 length) and myself (in a 175) - a bit his 'n' hers matchy matchyas they're both in the grey colcour scheme, but the price was insane - £349 in the UK, €349 reduced to €300 in French decathlon stores works out at about £265 per pair.
I'll have to have a read through all this over the next couple of days. Friday morning we drive down to the Eurotunnel, cross Saturday and will be somewhere in the Alps Sat night / Sun morning.
Haven't decided where yet but we have campervan and will decide on the drive down. Should have about 18 days in the mountains, plenty of time to find some decent snow 🙂
The travel and depending on the weather isn’t great. But for those times when it all comes together and you’re flying down a piste ....
Whoosh!
Ive been snowboarding for donkeys years but now, at 52, ive decided to sack it off. The expense, the always delayed flights, the crap snow vs crap visibility, the relentless kit faff. Plus when i complete a run i just have an overwhelming sense of “meh”.
It you could guarantee blue sky powder days i might go again, but mostly in europe its a lottery and not worth the misery that surrounds it.
bah humbug
I hear you. I've recently realised that it's not my memory playing tricks..... the really good powder days are indeed rarer and rarer these days. I'm not sure it's worth spending £6-7 grand on a week holiday when it's quite likely ( based on the last x years ) that you might not get any fresh snow whatsoever.
If you're into piste skiing then that's clearly a different matter, but I've got no interest in pistes except to find the lift again.
Having said which, we completely lucked out at new year and had a fabulous week of low Vis, clouds and lots of lovely fresh snow in St Anton, so my mojo is restored.
Som much so that I'm thinking of taking the kid away for another week. Problem is that nowhere else appeals as much as StA.... despite the 350 quid lift pass..
Had a banging week in zell/kaprun. Going to la plagne Sunday 😆
3 more days b4 heading to Utah for 9 days of skiing in several different resorts. Stupendous amount of snow has fallen in the last 10d - gonna be the powderest holiday ever…