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Seriously, try Obertauern in Austria. 1hr transfer from Salzburg. Lovely resort with lots to do, resort is aimed purely at int.skiers (albeit decent int.skiers). But there is some great off piste to be had for the more advanced skiers along with a few cracking black runs. Resort caters mainly for Austrian and Germans but dont let that put you off there is a great vibe and the Germans and locals make you feel wanted. And you regulary get free shots with your drinks when they find out your a brit.
Resort has a good family based feel, but also has the usual Austrian apres if you want it in certain bars....but not full on like St Anton etc.
its a small gem not many people outside of Austria and Germany know about, so its of the radar for most brits.
My m8 has been skiing over 30yrs and has been to all the big resorts Val disere, St Anton, Lech, utah, Morzine, 3 Valleys, Chamonix,Canada, etc etc. i have not been skiing as long as him but have been to most of the big resorts also and regulary go to Val disere every March with Mrs Junkie, but also have a ski holiday with my m8 and the 2 wives in Jan. We both agreed that Obertauern was a hidden Gem, and both would go back with outfail, and the girls also enjoyed it.
The resort is also high by Austrian standards so also enjoys snowsure record second to none.
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plenty of decent off piste not far from the main runs:-
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Canada... Like france only,bigger,less crowded,powder snow and nice HELPFULL people. Boarders paradise.....sunshine and powder.
Sella Ronda, beautiful scenery, a variety if different resorts so you can pick one that suits your nightlife expectations, I am pretty sure they have snow canons all the way round so a good base for the real stuff
Canada... Like france only,bigger,
No, like France only 1/10 of the size! Canadian resorts (even Whistler) are tiny compared to French ones.
stevomcd - MemberCanadian resorts (even Whistler) are tiny compared to French ones.
Says he who lives in Ste Foy, the well-known high-mileage mega-resort 🙂
In any case in terms of piste mileage you are spot on. In terms of skiiable terrain, I'd go with North America everytime - since they have "in-bounds and out-of-bounds" rather than "on-piste and off-piste" there's a hell of a lot more terrain to explore that you know is patrolled and checked for avvy danger and the like. I know there's loads of off-piste in europe (especially in Ste Foy) but the attitude is different, especially when it comes to insurance...
There are but two facts in life Canada is way better than france (even your area) and the north is so better than the south 😉
+1 for La Clusaz
hardly any Brits, short transfers, bonny town, all kinds of ski-ing, good scenery, great for families.
You want a recommendation for sk**ng...do the right thing and take up snowboarding.
Sorry make that 3 facts .....Snowboarders are way cooler than skierists 😯
I hear ya Stumpy...
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or
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Snowboarding is just cooler...FACT.
Says he who lives in Ste Foy, the well-known high-mileage mega-resort
Fair one, I always describe Sainte Foy as being more like a Canadian resort than a French one, funnily enough!
since they have "in-bounds and out-of-bounds" rather than "on-piste and off-piste" there's a hell of a lot more terrain to explore that you know is patrolled and checked for avvy danger and the like. I know there's loads of off-piste in europe (especially in Ste Foy) but the attitude is different, especially when it comes to insurance...
I know where you're coming from with that, but I actually see that as a bad thing, not a good thing.
I can go up to the top of Sainte Foy and drop off the other side of the ridge-line and be deep in the backcountry within 2 turns. My decision on whether it's safe or not. In the US I couldn't do that, there would be a rope and a sign warning me I'd get fined if I crossed it! Canada is a bit better from that point of view, but there are still limitations - it varies from resort to resort across North America in fact.
Insurance shouldn't be an issue - get a better insurance company! (Snowcard or the BMC). Or pay a few pennies a day to get insurance along with your lift pass.
I've done couple of trips to Canada and to be honest, it was OK. We were pretty unlucky with snow conditions (grass showing at Fernie!) but I'd rather be in Sainte Foy, Chamonix or La Grave any day!
McHamish - You're so very wrong....! Ghey on a tray....! 😉
Some great suggestions here, folks. I knew that the HiveMind would come through for me!
Re travel - Probably flying, but may consider a drive or train/hire car dependent on resort.
Re Piste markings France V Italy - Having done both, I found Italy far madder than France for the "Eh? This is meant to be a blue" and the "Erm, was that the black?"
Re US/Canada. Hmm, interesting, but as mentioned by others, not often the biggest area. Have done the Via Lattea area before, and that's a massive amount of ski area. Huge!
Keep it coming!
Pila/Aosta is a very good recommendation. I've taken a number of school groups there and it is ideal as a non-busy beginner intermediate resort. Interski do packages for family/adult groups.
Re Piste markings France V Italy - Having done both, I found Italy far madder than France for the "Eh? This is meant to be a blue" and the "Erm, was that the black?"
Agree with that - we reckon the Italians add a grade to every run so they can say they were skiing blacks all day in the apres bars! 😉
Any views on Arinsal in Andorra? The prices for a budget holiday in half term are looking best there at the moment. We'd be after long blue runs because despite mne being a freaking awesome skier, my son prefers things a bit easier.
I went to [b][url= http://www.spindleruv-mlyn.com/en/ ]Spindleruv Mlyn in Czech Republic[/url][/b] a few of years ago. Cheap, loads of snow, piste or off, Norwegian girls ready for some laughs, Germans singing karaoke, you know the score.
The snow was still there in June, although only on the North-facing slopes.
Did I mention beer for peanuts? From 9 am till whatever? And decent gear rental? And cheap passes? No? Oh, well....
samuri -
Never really liked Arinsal - found it pretty limited. It's just one side of one hill that caught a load of the sun and was pretty slushy by the end of the day.
There were a couple of places nearby that you could get a bus to from it, Arcalis and Pal, which were quite a bit better but still always a bus ride away. Arcalis in particular was pretty good - a big empty bowl with no resort attached but it was a separate ski area so required more dosh for another lift pass.
If I was going back to Andorra I'd recommend Soldeu. More variety of runs, and I think the ski area is now linked with Pas De La Casa and the village had a bit more variety and a bit more going on.
Cap'n Flashheart - I'd recommend any of the resorts in the Ski Weldt in Austria. Lift system very well linked and efficient. No queues despite being rather busy the whole time. If you liked the variety of the Milky Way, you'd appreciate what's on offer there. Ellmau, Scheffau, Going. Probably my favourite place that I've skied. Quite a few resorts linked into one area, fantastic views of the Wilder Kaiser ridge once you're up there. Short transfers from either Innsbruck or Salzburg which both have enough going on and are close enough to keep any non-skiers or culture vultures happy.
Thank you. I'll keep looking then. We don't have a huge amount of cash this year to spend on skiing but I've not been for about 3 years now and I'm missing it. Cheapness is the key requirement. We'll happily sleep in very basic accomodation, don't need any nightlife other than somewhere to get food and all we really need is lots of slopes and ski lifts. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
In fact, if anyone is going as a family group in February half term and is looking for a middle aged man and a teenage boy to pad things out then I'd be interested. We're no trouble.
Personally, I don't always understand the need to have hundreds of miles of piste on your doorstep, especially for a one-week holiday. I'd happily spend a week in Ste Foy, especially if I could ski with someone local who could arrange a lift back if we dropped over a ridge and away from the lifts (hint hint)
For instance, this is the lift map for Solitude resort, just outside Salt lake City in Utah. We spent the last day of our trip there in 2009 - admittedly we had great conditions as we arrived to 8" of fresh snow and it continued to snow through the day
[url= http://www.skisolitude.com/images/winter/trailmap_thumb.jp g" target="_blank">http://www.skisolitude.com/images/winter/trailmap_thumb.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
(click to downlad PDF)
When I arrived, I took the Moonbeam express lift, and skiied down to the bottom of Eagle Express. I spent the rest of the morning going up Eagle Express and skiing back down to it, and never took the same line twice. Just before lunch, we varied the routine and dropped over the ridge into Honeycomb canyon, which eventually led us back to - yep, Eagle express.
At lunch, we skiied back to the base so some of the group could stop for lunch, but given the excellent conditions a number of us chose to ski straight through. We took the powder horn lift and dropped into Honeycomb canyon, at a higher point than before. This allowed us to take the honeycomb return lift, but from the top we dropped back down into Honeycomb canyon and again went back round to eagle express. We spent the rest of the afternoon going up eagle express then dropping into Honeycomb canyon - if we dropped to skiier's left, we'd take the honeycomb return lift, otherwise we'd just ski back round to eagle express. When we took the Honeycomb return, why then we'd drop back into to skiiers right and ski round to eagle express.
I arrived just before 10.30, and took my last lift just after 3.30, completely knackered. I have no idea how many time I rode Eagle express, but it must have been well into double figures.
If you have the right conditions and the right terrain, you don't need hundreds of kilometres of piste, you just need one lift and no queues (and good mates and beer waiting for you at the end of the day!)
(originally posted [url= http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1166293&highlight=conditions#1166293 ]here[/url])
Any views on Arinsal in Andorra? The prices for a budget holiday in half term are looking best there at the moment. We'd be after long blue runs because despite mne being a freaking awesome skier, my son prefers things a bit easier.
I did a season in Arinsal, well half a season. I left early because the place drove me mental.
Crap snow at the time, crap runs, tiny skiing area, apres ski that was just about downing as much cheap beer as possible and then scrapping with the locals.
Had to get a Gondola up to the skiing area and after that there were two painfully slow chairlifts servicing essentially two runs. The piste map showed loads of most were either stupidly short or not open due to poor snow. There was a cablecar over to Pals but I never ventured that far, heard it is supposed to be better than Arinsal though.
The only positive, it's cheap (well it was before the Euro came in, dont know what its like now)
Another thumbs up for Colorado. Breckenridge is characterful and marvellous. The snow record is outstanding and its really high meaning piste ice is something rarely seen. It can be pretty cold but worth it.
Keystone night skiing is awesome - the adjacent resorts are just wonderful. The back bowls at Aspen are beyond fantastic for an off piste play. Beaver Creek quite lovely (if you have the budget).
TM
Cervinia. Backs onto Zermatt, so you get an absolute shedload of runs of all difficulty levels.
I've always wanted to go to Fernie, British Columbia, and to Japan. Both of those you'd want to take a couple of weeks for I guess.
Can't say I'd heartly recommend Spindleruv Mlyn in CZ, it's a great place and all Hairychested said is true (though I don't recall many Norwegians) nut it'd be pretty small for a whole week. Though as beginner/intermediates you might be OK. That said I often think at a blue/green level you really want a bigger resort if you value variety at all.
White Mountain area, near Boston, USA, lots of ski areas to visit!
Fernie rocks 🙂
Not really suitable for beginners or cautious intermediates, but great if you want to learn how to ski steeps and trees 😀
Ischgl - look no further. It's lovely and fairly unspoilt.
The ski range is vast.
Been 6-7 times and my dad goes there 3-4 times a year for the last 8 years.
Tim
I'd happily spend a week in Ste Foy, especially if I could ski with someone local who could arrange a lift back if we dropped over a ridge and away from the lifts (hint hint)
Always open to offers!
The resort actually runs shuttles back though - if you go straight off the back and ride to le Monal (easy, but stunning surroundings), you can just ski back to the resort. If you go over the Col Granier (nice powder fields with some cool gullies, trees, etc.) or hike the ridge to ride La Fogliettaz (huge, steep face - perfect north aspect so snow is always good) then you eventually (1700m of vert from the Fog) end up in La Masure, from where there are regular shuttles back to the resort. If you miss one, you just ski (or walk) down to Sainte Foy town, have a beer and wait for the bus there!
Why do you even need to aks. DA 06
stevomcd - Member
Always open to offers!
Les Saisies this year if all goes to plan, but Ste Foy's on the list of places to stay. One year...
Dude, seriously, don't go to Les Saisies! There's a reason they hosted the cross-country skiing in the winter olympics!
If you want to go to the Beaufortain, go just up the road to Areches-Beaufort. Fantastic wee resort, awesome off piste. The north-face of the Grand Mont (and it pains me to say this) is even better than the Fogliettaz (although the hike is twice as long!).
For what you're looking for i'd recommend Meribel.
Careful of Canada at that time of the year...it can be very cold.
I don't get the 'Breckenridge' is great thing.
Having been a few times, the skiing was o.k. Quite crowded though. The town just seemed to be one whole tourist cowboy place, with lots of shops and micro breweries. Also it takes a couple of days to get used to the altitude, unless you have a stop over in the mile high city (Denver) to get used to it.
Keystone or even Vail are far better resorts i.m.o.
Much prefer the resorts in Canada like Fernie, Kicking Horse, Panarama etc.
stevomcd - MemberDude, seriously, don't go to Les Saisies! There's a reason they hosted the cross-country skiing in the winter olympics!
😯 You have mail
Les Saisies does have pretty flat connectors, but it's OK and does link to other resorts. It's not as bad as La Rosiere.
Areches Beaufort is excellent for a day or two, but not a week. A lovely place though. Why not stay around Albertville and do a couple of days at each of Les Saisies, Areches Beaufort and Hautluce/Les Condamines?
Plan is to get a season pass for the espace diamant and do a longer stay. Les Saisies is just a base where we've been offered accomodation
Les Angles in the Pyrenees?
Never been but saw an article on it in a copy of Onboard, looked amazing
Right, progress! Looks like Serre Chevalier is winning the day, so any more detailed experience of the place, anyone? Such as, which village is best etc? Looking at Chantemerle at the moment. Ta!
I'm loving this, El Fred offering the captain advice on where to go skiing.
I know absolutely nothing about ski-ing destinations, it's just that I had an enjoyable time ski-ing in Norway one trip, and just thought it might be an alternative worth considering. I was only trying to be helpful. 😥
Haven't you bloody booked it yet then Flashy? Tsk...
Nope, not booked yet! Still enjoying that "trying to decide" phase!
Oh, and also forgot to mention, have changed dates and am now planning mid to late March! New job forces change of dates. Which is nice!
If your looking at Serre Chevalier, have a look at Risoul just down the road
I would say that USA is fab, we have skied in Colorado, brek/keystone/vail/breaver creek/ A basin plus copper mtn and value for money was excellent, Park City has some great skiing Cayons Deer Valley and so on, Steamboat great. This year family is skiing one week in La Plange they chose it for goos all round skiing and wanting a quiet resort plus a 'green holiday' train down staying at les coches/montchavin, I am not skiing due to recent op but looks a good choice. If you have 2 weeks and the cash USA big big powder!
We were looking at Serre Chevalier for 2011, but have booked Les Arcs instead. Was 50/50 and Les Arcs got it because of the skiing (linked to La plagne so loads of options)
However, if your still open to other suggestions, one of my fav hols was Selva Gardina in the Dolomites. Great views, hardly any drunken brits, and vast amounts of intermediate/easy skiing - I was with the missus, so this suited her and caused no arguments 😆
The only thing about Selva and the sella ronda was i didn't find anything very challenging for myself. If you were going to push yourself then prob get a guide to show you the best the reort has to offer.
Serre Chevalier is a great place if the snow is good (like anywhere then)- it has plenty of sun, decent tree skiing (although a lot is protected and off limits) some fun (if not all that extreme for the most part) off piste, and a reasonable area of pistes for middling and lower abilities. If you are capable (with a guide), you're about 30 minutes from La Grave, which if conditions are right is incredible. Briancon (can't do the little c-squiggle on this keyboard) down the road the other way towards Italy is a good old town if the evenings feel limited in Serre Chevalier. Not really sure on any of the villages that make up the area- never stayed there myself.
Serre che - is indeed a great resort, but if it were my money I'd be looking at Les Arcs.
As said above linked to La Plagne the skiing in Les Arcs has something for everyone. Its great fun watching the speed skiers with their aero dynamic helmets reaching speeds of more than 120 mph.
Also the town below (Bourg St Maurice) has wonderful retaurants and a proper French town feel, unlike the actual resort itself.