Forum menu
If any STW are in Les Arcs in the next week and happen to see a monoskier, it's probably (based on last year, 50% chance) me.
MC - check out this SH thread http://www.snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=89192 gives school holiday dates for various places in Europe. Seems it's most of France on holiday apart from Paris and Bordeaux.
I'm not a boarder so not sure what makes a good area for you. However, I can't remember too many drags in Kitzbuhel or Skiwelt, so could be good for you, pretty much a majority of chairlifts and gondolas. This might not be representative but in the few Austrian resorts I've been to they've tended to have t-bars instead of drag lifts - but these tended to be on the lower village nursery slopes.
Greybeard wrote
If any STW are in Les Arcs in the next week and happen to see a monoskier, it's probably (based on last year, 50% chance) me.
Monoski? Jeez you must be one of those grey beardy types. I had a go on one of them once in about 1990. Just once mind.
So where in Austria would you guys recommend then? problem is as I don't know the resorts I'm scared to book, don't want lots of drag lifts, intermediate level both boarders.
I was in Kirchberg a few weeks ago, having only been to the French Alps three times before that it was quite different, smaller mountains and more travelling between areas of runs rather than big bowls like les Arcs. You are basically part of the whole Kitzbuhel and other village area so plenty to explore, I found there were a lot more blue road runs linking groups areas which was frustrating for me as a novice until it clicked mid week. Only a couple of T bars encountered which were actually nice and no problem at all. Quite a bit of safe off piste and a bit of park to play in. Pretty different vibe from France, but cheaper and I'd go again. Notably fewer boarders there than I've seen in Les Arcs, Flaine or St Sorlin
I can highly recommend Maria Alm in Austria. 😯
[url= http://www.apartmentamade.com/ ]Apartment Amade - luxury 3 bedroom apartment in Maria Alm, Austria.[/url]
Saalbach Hinterglem also gets recommended but I've not been.
8-10 inches of pow in Ogden - bluebird day in Yorkshire!
Colp - our next trip is just down the road to Radstadt. Not sure if we'll get over to Maria Alm, we'll have a car so a possibility.
Flangesax's place?
went there for my 1st trip of the season - handy there's a direct train from here to there 🙂 (and hence, Schladming, etc.)
For those stuck in Britain (excluding of course certain lucky bits of Scotland).
If you still have snow and can get to Go Outdoors get one one these.
Cross between a scooter and a mini snowboard. Fantastic fun for playing on the local sledging slope while dreaming of the Alps.
[img] 
[/img]
Yes Andy. Really looking forward to it.
IGM - Jnr got one of those for Christmas. Was good fun, go steady on it though the hinge for the handlebars and the base snapped after only 5 runs down. Here's Jnr stacking it (this fall didn't cause the scooter to break!), he didn't move for a min or two, thought he'd done something serious at first, but he'd just winded himself 😆
My wife, my 6 year old and I spent about an hour and a half on ours today.
Ride it like a snowboard and you don't put much stress on the handle/hinge.
We're skiers and Jnr rides scooters, so perhaps we don't know how to ride it properly!
Ski Sunday - BBC2 now...!
Thanks flashy, I've put it on now.
Last night and most of this morning it snowed, putting down a fair bit of fresh in Val d'Isere. Most of today was spent off piste. however as I'm not as confident as the others I found it a struggle to keep up in the deep stuff.
Just relaxing now with hot chocolate and cookies in the hotel lounge.
To anyone coming out in the next few weeks it's going to be awsome.
Bunny, can you feel my jealousy from there? Can you? CAN YOU?
😉
POIDH! 😉
Just go Captain. I mean what's the worst that can happen?
Hmmm, so tempting! 🙂
Already in enough trouble for going to the US over the Bank Holiday at the end of March! Saving up my skiing trip for next year, I think. Though a cheeky weekend might be a nice idea....Which leads me on to this question;
Cheeky ski weekend. The criteria;
Lots of fun slack and piste for me to play on for a couple of days (Would probably be skiing alone, leaving Mrs CFH with Miss CFH as childcare!)
Quality restaurants that are accessible by cable car/bubble, so that they can come and meet me for lunch on the mountain!
Nice hotel, with pool etc. Think smart hotel, not slummy. Mrs CFH is high maintenance!
Pretty, scenic village/resort - Not interested in concrete jungles like Flaine etc.
Airport served by BA
Short transfers
So far, it all reads a little like Serre Che for me, but would be interesting to see what else people can think of.
Recommendations?
Some of the 3V is like that. Obviously not VT, but the other end is OK. Of course it's a good thing you're made of money if you start considering that.
Transfer length from a BA airport might kill it of course.
Flashy I feel your pain. We had a ski free year once, not good!
Go.go.go.
But why ski alone? In any hotel there will be someone of your ability to play out with.
Oh and nothing wrong with wimmin being high maintaintence 😉
Yep, agreed. Usually find someone of my level to play with.
Where did I say there was anything wrong with being high maintenance? 😉
Transfer times might be key. Would probably be hiring a car at the airport, and with Miss CFH being only ickle (And adorable) a shorter trip would be better. Also, if it's only a weekend, who wants to spend hours and hours in the transfer? I'd rather be out playing!
Bunny hop, I think my wife has me down as high maintenance - must be kept supplied with toys at all times. Thankfully she is a wonderful and extremely understanding woman.
Les Gets is pretty and an hour 15 from Geneva - selection of restaurants at the top of the Chavannes bubble (all Ok, none spectacular), and one restaurant at he top of the Mont Chery bubble (superb views).
Morzine less pretty but Ok and with more facilities (eg new swimming pool) at one hour 30.
igm - you are a lucky man.
Flashy - get yourself some where nearer than Serre Che. Snow is good in most French resorts atm. Grab the chance while the snow is sooooooo good.
igm - you are a lucky man.
I know. Very.
Flash - BA Gatwick to Salzburg. Hire car to Kitz (a Porsche, Lambo or Ferrari wouldn't look out of place if you can hire one). If Mrs Flash is high maintenance she'll like Kitz, nice town to walk around and shop (She can kit Miss Flash out in Bogner for a couple of years time). Easy for walkers to go up the Hahnenkamm lift to the restaurant and museum.
Lots of nice hotels. Food is good, prices in town and on the are very slopes reasonable.
What's not to like?
Enjoyed Kaprun but a large part of that was because there was so much snow that I mostly skied the Schmittenhöhe was great fun.Zell am See/Kaprun is meant to be good too but I've not been.
For some reason I found the glacier on the Kitzsteinhorn a bit of a let down after the bus and cable cars which seem to take forever before you actually get to ski/board. To make it worse, you then have to get the cable back down at the end of the day! The lady owner of the hotel I stayed in has the same group of people stay every November as she reckoned that is when the best new snow arrives and the only time she bothers to ski herself nowadays! Really nice friendly village but not much in the way of nightlife when I was there, although it was January!
Going to Kirchdorf on Saturday which I hope will be good as a base to further explore the region and should give my GF, who has never skied before, a nice gentle first day or two to get her confidence and some practice.
Tignes in 4 weeks here we come can't wait now it's booked!
A little vid from last week in morzine
Close to perfect conditions.
I just found that on You Tube ads-b, nice little video. I cant wait until I am out there only 25 sleeps now!
Nice video, that's got me in the mood. T minus 6 weeks and counting. I've got a week in Scotland first, so hopefully get a slide in at some point. Just booked Val Thorens late April as well, that's me broke for the rest of the year.
Re weekends, my main lack of knowledge is on good restaurants at top of lifts but in order of preference I would go:
Megeve, short transfer, once the poshest resort in France and therefore meets high maintenance requirements.
Verbier and Crans Montana, both with one and a half hours of Geneva, again both pretty smart (Crans side of Crans Montana), there must be decent restaurants accessible by lift but can't remember.
Les Gets, a step down in smartness but nice enough and the restauarant on Mont Cherie used to be good, town a bit lacking I would have thought Morzine is better but I don't know it at all.
Chamonix, proper town, but best skiing is too far away and restaurants never used to be that good.
I have done Austria for weekends but flight times can be difficult if you are looking to maximise slope time as a percentage of total time off.
EDIT: Strike Crans it is further than I remember, I did it by train and taxi a long time ago.
Dolomites action from last week.
[url] http://www.flickr.com/photos/71958789@N00/sets/72157632641107246/show/ [/url]
Oops, just booked a week in paradiski, second week this year, anyone need a kidney?
Great pics FRN - which model Scotts are those?
Not sure, they are my mates. brand new, he didnt really like them and spent most of the week on his Birdos Puder Luders..(google them!)
If I owned Burdo's I wouldn't dream of taking anything else out in those conditions!
Was he scared he would hit a tree or something? 😀
Dolomites action from last week.http://www.flickr.com/photos/71958789@N00/sets/72157632641107246/show/
Awesome. Is the guy in the red jacket a guide? Did you just go to the local guides office? How much? Where were you? 🙂
Going to Kirchdorf on Saturday which I hope will be good as a base to further explore the region and should give my GF, who has never skied before, a nice gentle first day or two to get her confidence and some practice.
We went to Saint Johann just down the road last new year and really enjoyed it. Has a really nice long red/blue down from the top of the mountain to the village, nice mountain huts everywhere and very reasonable.
Snow was great in AdH last week. Plenty fell in the first couple of days to still leave big patches of uncut slack on the last day. Enough sunshine to break out the Iridiums on three days.
Day out to Deux Alpes was also good plus best restaurant of the week was on La Fee run - fabulous place, nicest loos I've seen in a long time, anywhere!
Going back in a fortnight - on skis and with a 4yo 🙂
Nice Dollies pics 🙂
Off there in 3 sleeps' time 🙂
There's so much snow in the resort they're trucking it out. We're enjoying some bright, mild days till Friday then snow showers are forecast every day for over a week.
One of those perfect mornings yesterday; no wind, bright sunshine, snow tansformed enough to make my X-C skis glide nicely.
We were guided by Francesco Tremolado (proguide.it)
Knows the area like the back of his hand and wrote the local guide book. 320e a day - but well worth it.
A liitle video of the trip
[url]
Quality video Nick, looks like a lot of effort went into that, thanks 🙂
Like that a lot, Nick! Looks ace!
Rather tight in a few spots, eh?
http://www.newschoolers.com/membervideo/606326.0/First-ever-quadruple-backflip-1974?s=174474
Ols skoool ossumz!
It's here, Michael!
JFGI....! 🙂
Just got a letter from the hospital. My shoulder reconstruction is on the 13th Feb so unless I can get something for the weekend then there is no snowboarding for me this year.
How does he not have two broken legs landing like that with his bindings so tight? 😯
He's a US based 70s skier. Therefore his body is so addled with weed, it's more bendy than normal humans.
🙂
Sorry to hear about your shoulder, Tracey. Hope the op goes well, though..!
I didn't take into account the weed. Maybe I should get some in for my trip to morzine in a couple of weeks, might stop me from breaking my legs again.
Good news - it's snowed all of last night and today In Val d'Isere 🙂
Bad news - I've been in bed for 3 days after catching a lurgy. So only managed 2.5 days skiing altogether 🙁
Freeridenick's photos have just made me cry.
*hugs* 🙁
I've been in bed for 3 days after catching a lurgy.
🙁
*Sends positive, healing waves...*
Thanks chaps.
Hubby was ill also (only one day) and another skiing pal, who's in bed as we speak.
Update - At 2.30pmish, I felt better and decided to chance a couple of blue runs, hubby was done in, he skied through the trees and mainly off piste and I stuck to the piste, meeting up at various corners.
The snow is fantastic, not pisted on the piste (just too much snow), also hardly anyone out, so fairly empty trails.
So glad I got a few more hours in.
Is home after a week in the 3V's.
Will update later, but a good week in very changable conditions.
well i've just had to cancel my trip for this year.
1) no money (3 weeks in nepal mtbing drained that pretty well)
2) split with the GF - i guess it would have lead to an awkward week!
3) new job - its ****ing awesome, so i'm not complaining. literately my dream job, well worth missing a ski holiday for.
the new boots and goggles will have to wait for next year (or last weekend of this season).
3) new job - its **** awesome, so i'm not complaining. literately my dream job, well worth missing a ski holiday for.
Congrats, sounds like you're set up for next year 🙂
Spent last week in Les Menuires in the 3V .
Flew out on sat and arrived 8pm sat night. Drank a little too much and then got about 3 hrs sleep as the underfloor heating was rather too efficient.
Sunday . Sunny start so headed up to La Masse to check out the legs and the snow conditions. Was OK , off piste was rubbish though . A week of freeze / thaw had hardened up everything. After lunch the cloud rolled in and the light went flat, then it snowed .
Monday . Fresh snow everywhere , only a few inches but enough to freshen up the pistes . Link lifts closed whilst they blasted all the danger zones , but most opened up around 11am. Dropped into Meribel and had some fun up on the sides of the ridge dropping down towards Mont Vallon . Got sidetracked and went up the Cote Brun lift and decended under the lift on the powder . Its steep enough to raise the heartrate, but not enough to make you go wobbly.
A few laps then down to Mont Vallon . Again , straight off piste and into the powder . It was lovely 3-4" and hardly anyone around.
A few laps of Mont Vallon then worked our way home on some cruisy blues and reds.
Tuesday Headed over to Corchevalski. Still pockets of powder around
but mostly tracked out. Covered some distance but didnt find anything worth repeating.
Wednesday. Sunny, so up to VT for some high altitude stuff . Was cold and windy but bright . Alot of the pistes were rock hard and any off piste was tracked out . Failed to get into the 4th valley as I was skiing with a boarder who was intermediate level , but had no confidence in letting the board run at speed so progress was steady at best.
Thursday. More snow up top , not alot but enough to make a difference. PLayed on the ridgeline between Meribel and Les Menuires , not dropping too low as it had rained lower down. Had some fun as the snow had come in late most pisted hadnt been bashed.
Dropped halfway down to St Martin de Belleville but the lower section of that piste was super hard and compacted snow. Light went flat early afternoon as the cloud moved in . so home for tae and cakes.
Friday . Rain . Pouring down from early evening Thurs , Snow level was around 2000m which is unusual for late Januaury . I wear a bin liner as a goth mini skirt when its like this . Gettin wet means getting cold , and this way I can use chair lifts to get up the mountain withoiut getting wet pants.
The links/lifts up high were closed to high winds ( 60 + kph ) so struggled to stay above the snow level. We ended up on MOnt Vallon again , as eventually they opened up the higher lifts , and they are cabins so offer some protection.
Lots of pwder everywhere but too dangerous for off piste antics. Vis was down to a few meters at times and the wind was horrendous. Stuck at it till about 1pm then binned it off. It was still raining below about 2000m
Learnt that new goggles have a tear off on the inside and the outside of the lens. Not me , I hasten to add , but the guy i was skiing with was always taking off his goggles and complaing that Bloc were rubbish . Till I offered to used the lens cloth thats inside my jacket.
" Why is the sticker that says 'remove before use' still stuck on?" I pulled it off and it peeled away looking rather alot like a condom, they worked alot better after that.
SkiFrance OK , food good, but needed 1/3 bigger portions more really. 3V OK but busy with transient people getting over to other areas.
Sorry to leave as it heaved it down all Fri night and was still coming down sat lunchtime. Roads well blocked due to mandatory chainage above 1500m
Looks like you had a great time Rob.
OUr hotel was fantastic with plenty of hot water, food, great staff, balcony and views of La Face (the downhill black coming into) Val D'Isere. We booked with Ski world and would do so again.
However week ruined by 3 of us getting poorly. I managed 2 full days skiing. Half a day with hard packed conditions with a friend who's the skiing version of Hora! Then a lovely leisurely 2 easy runs on the last day, as I was still ill. But the conditions were fantastic, so I pushed myself to get out there.
Grenoble airport for departure was a chaotic shambles. Due to the amount of snow it put down through the night, coaches were late picking up. They all arrived together to check -in for several flights. Much pushing shoving and arguments breaking out it was one of the worst holiday experiences I've ever had at an airport.
However during the holiday it did make me smile listening to one of the ski instructors talking about the Russians coming to town. They pay lots of money to take private lessons but won't entertain getting onto the piste before 11am. The woman wear tons of diamond jewelry and full make up. They like to take leisurely lunches and coffee breaks and not actually do too much skiing. Each to their own.
Real shame you were ill Jane. You will just have to go again 🙂
Grenoble airport is tiny and was pretty chaotic when we flew from there last year, in perfect conditions. But I really like it, as airports go, as everyone smiled. Even the security staff. And we had the most pleasant check-in assistant I have ever come across (and I am not saying that just because she complimented me on my french).
We go in less than two weeks, but we are driving this time. Cheshire to Lyon on the Friday and two and a half hours to resort on Saturday. Av is warming to the idea of hitting the slopes straight away and extending our lift passes. No russian slap here.
You riding on Thursday? I may be out and I don't need to avoid the ringers any more :-).
Tell Av to get her best bling on.
No riding for me or J. He now has my lurgy and I'm still not well.
Have a great time in Ze Alps.
Edit: forgot to mention that the snow in Val D'Isere was bloomin' brilliant, so you're in for a good time 🙂
She will - new skis, boots, helmet and goggles!!
We are going to Val Cenis, just over the hill from Val D. Fresh snow there yesterday and more forecast this week 🙂
I am getting my lurgy out of the way this weekend. Won't be riding next week as we will be getting ready for an early start on Friday. See you in a few weeks hopefully.
Jane . We were at Grenoble on Sat , from 1pm through to 6pm. The idiot ATC boys had parked a 737 where our much bigger Airbus was supposed to sit, leaving no room for it on the apron. Over 1hr for the incoming pax to wait for unloading , then we were the same 1hr delayed but we got to see most of the rugby.
If i had known you were both in VDI i would have hired a car and come over for the day. I have always been ill when staying there , or Tignes , Its called Val-de-flu. Everyone seems to get it.
I have been with Skiworld many times and mostly its been a good experience . Always paid about 1/2 brochure price though , sounds like a good veiw loooking up La Face , bet there were some 'oooh ouch ' moments if it the usual blue ice on the mid section.
Am working on extracting some pixelated photos from my camera phone atm , but it wont talk nicely to the laptop. If they start talking to each other will post one up.
we only skiied La Face once, it was the warm-up first run of the day on the Monday when we'd had about 20cm of fresh overnight. Powder turns on a WC course, brilliant stuff. some pics of the week on fartbook, not many though
By 1pm on departure day, we were through customs, we eventually took off about 90 mins behind schedule. The staff might be pleasant but they couldn't organise a pea soup in a brewery. I will actively avoid any ski holiday that requires me to fly into grenoble if there's any alternative
enjoy VC, paul 🙂
[img] 
[/img]
Mont Vallon off piste slack country antics
Meh. Looks rubbish.
😉
Yep Grenoble is always a bit of a bunfight, but was very impressed with them (and Crystal) last time we went. Jnr left his Nintendo DS on the plane on the outbound flight, on talking to the rep in resort he contacted the Crystal airport liaison who tracked it down.
We went to customer services who were supposed to be holding the DS, but they couldn't find it and said they'd look for it and to carry on checking in, going through security etc.... We'd practically given up when one of the ground crew came running on the plane just before they shut the door with Jnr's DS. Much to his relief. Not sure you'd get that service at Gatwick!
Changing bindings on to my older skis later. Does anyone know a recommended torque setting for the binding mounting bolts?
Time for a (probable) stupid question. What is English style skiing? I have read it a few times recently but a quick Google doesn't give me any answers.
Thanks for helping make me less stupid.
What is English style skiing
badly, between bars.
What is English style skiing?
It's that beautiful example of poetry in motion, the perfect way in which the arms flail around, the way in which the head and upper body lean back allowing the tips to swing free. The stylish, nay raffish, way in which the turns are just on the ragged edge of control as the speed increases and increases....
Basically, all speed, no style!
Anyone stuck at Grenoble airport: pop in for a coffee. We're only 15 mins away up in the hills behind!
Thanks guys that kind of makes sense. I guess if you learn as an adult you don't tend to do all the tedious stuff that kids do that leads to better technique.
Didn't mind Grenoble t'other weekend. Big queue for security but it moved quickly. Didn't have time for a beer though 🙁
The eventful season continues: an egg fell off but fortunately at about the lowest point on the cable run so no-one was hurt. My son sat around for a few hours waiting for a rope rescue a couple of eggs back. A bus failed to negociate a bend down from the resort and ended up Italian-Job style with a wheel spinning in fresh air. Some Spanish yoofs went for a joyride in a dameuse. I got fed up with skiing in a blizzard/rain depending on altitude and retreated to the climbing wall and sofa.
Edukator, hmm it's evidently crazy in the Pyrenees, I'm sticking with the Vercors, Chartreuse and Belledonne! Not that I've been out in the snow for 4 ish weeks... Hope to escape the mundane on Wednesday.
I saw the the Gourette egg incident on the news, I had an inkling that you were around those parts, Edukator. Glad to hear there were no real injuries.
We were going to spend the weekend in the P.O, but I saw the wind forecasted and decided against it.
Now I've got mates in Meribel and La Plagne posting photos of trees with loads of snow on the branches on Faceache, the gits. Can't wait to get on a plank/planks.
Just taken delivery of a Nippergripper - that's me sorted and packed for AdH2013week#2 with the wee shifter. Hope she isn't overtaking me at the end of the week 🙂
Sorry to hear about your lurgy too Jane - another trip later in the season? 🙂