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I've done self organised and used Crystal. If you are going to fly, then Crystal can be a chunk cheaper than DIYing IME.
Can I just leave this here for Cervinia 🙂
https://www.lookr.com/lookout/1292518449-Breuil-Cervinia#action-play-day
@Mahalo, We've used Peak Retreats a few times and they have good quality apartments in good areas. If you are driving the cost can include the FlexiPlus Tunnel in both directions which takes loads of stress out of the crossing (at a cost)
They are very helpful if you call them and actually have a conversation about what you want and how far you are willing to be from the slopes / lift.
Peak Retreats looks great. thanks
@ads678 I haven’t been to those resorts but I have been to other French Pyrenean stations and early season the snow can be better than the Alps! Obviously nothing is a given 2 months out.
Yeah I've been a few of other Pyrenean resorts in France, Andorra and Spain, but this one is new to me. It looks like it could be good. Fingers crossed. It did have a dump of snow a week or so ago but that all gone now 🙁
Will have to get to Seirra Nevada some time as I've always fancied it, but never made it there apart from a quick trip up there one summer to have a look. Wasn't any snow though....
@Maholo, if you like Sainte Foy, I'd suggest just going back there SC as it's now somewhat over-supplied with SC apartments and prices are pretty reasonable if you can go outside of school holidays. Most of the apartment blocks have pool/spa facilities, etc. so are good for kids. The MMV block is probably the cheapest and the apartments are really nice.
Don't know who you've been staying with in the past, but if you want to stick with catered at a lower budget, our friends at www.whiteroomchalet.com (note, that's not me any more, I have no direct ties to the ski holiday side of things these days!) are a lot cheaper than some of the other Sainte Foy options and without doubt have some of the best food around (head chef Matty has worked at Michelin star level).
If you have kids to get to ski school, I wouldn't recommend staying out of resort unless your budget is super-low. Other than Bourg, the other valley destinations have very little going-on.
@ads678, I've been to La Mongie / Bareges (albeit a very long time ago!). La Mongie side is a pretty soulless concrete-fest of a resort, but has some pretty good terrain. Bareges is a very nice spa town but the terrain is pretty flat. The lift-link is pretty seamless, but riding all the way down to Bareges takes a while and is pretty dull.
I have the green light to go for a week ski touring in March, looking at an organised tour group. I have done a little day touring, and am a confident skier, reasonably fit but lack mountaineering skills.
So far looking at a Silveretta Ski tour with Glenmore Lodge anyone have anything else I should look at?
I want to go hut to hut not valley based. Already going with the family at Easter so can't go later than March.
Great service from Ski Exchange in Dry Drayton (Cambridgeshire) last night. The guys spent an hour tweaking boot fit for my wife and she was happy at the end of it, so hoping she has a better time with them on the slopes this season.
Essentially just wanted to say that should you be in the market for some new kit or a fit/refit then give these guys a shout. I'm not affiliated with them in anyway by the way 🙂
TheDTs wrote
I have the green light to go for a week ski touring in March, looking at an organised tour group. I have done a little day touring, and am a confident skier, reasonably fit but lack mountaineering skills.
So far looking at a Silveretta Ski tour with Glenmore Lodge anyone have anything else I should look at?
I want to go hut to hut not valley based. Already going with the family at Easter so can’t go later than March.
I believe @Grum has done a couple of weeks with the Eagle Ski Club in Zinal, with guiding / instruction from these guys
https://www.frostguiding.co.uk/blog/626
https://www.eagleskiclub.org.uk/
I'd bookmarked them for when I get the chance to do something. Looks like this year's trips are busy
NBT, Thanks, my dad's mate has toured with Eagles, it had slipped my mind. Will look into that. Cheers.
Has anyone been to Madonna di Campiglio?
yep, skied Madonna a few times on a trip to Folgarida. really liked it always wanted to go back.
Mrs NBT's done Madonna a coupel of times. Very "fur coat and no knickers", apparently. I'm not implying anything, honest 😉
Well that sounds right up my street, nbt! Not quite sure what that means for a ski resort though 😂
it's popular with the "in-crowd" from Milan and Turin - people who pop up for the weekend, wearing fabulous gear, but who may do very little or even no skiing
Ah! Should keep the slopes nice and quiet then. Any Russians?
Not sure how I feel about this one, but there's some cheap Spyder gear on SportsDirect at the moment e.g.
https://www.sportsdirect.com/spyder-alpine-full-zip-hoody-jacket-mens-402254?colcode=40225441
Doesn’t our OP, CFH, have some views on Spyder?
Are you fat, moustachioed, Austrian, wearing a race helmet & sunglasses combo and do you answer to the name Hans?
If so, then by all means, fill your boots with cheap Spyder gear.
^ ha ha
If anyone is interested I have a _lovely_ Spyder jacket and trousers for sale having been gifted a complete wardrobe of new gear !
id probably go for some sypder smalls at £15, fully concealed!
Just got confirmation through for our week in Les Arcs beginning of February.
Staying at the Goat Shed in Peisey - slightly out the way, but very decent price, great food - we've stayed there before (former home of Trail Addiction) and I know Gordy passably well as he does the Trans Provence catering.
Proper looking forward to it!
Jon- it’s a great spot, I went to uni with Sophie and worked a season in Vallandry- their place is great and they are fabulous hosts. You are also at the heart of paradiski so can go either way. Have a great time!
Les Arcs
Been to 1950 for the last 3 years, great ski area and start of Feb is usually a pretty good time to go (usually go last week of Jan).
Anyone stayed at Club Med La Plagne? hugely conflicting reports on Tripadvisor...
mahalo wrote
Anyone stayed at Club Med La Plagne? hugely conflicting reports on Tripadvisor…
There are two club meds in La Plagne - they're fairly close to each other. One's 3*, the other 4*. I've not stayed at either but have considered them
bloody hell i was looking at the wrong one! thanks
its the Club Med Aime. i assume its the 3* as it does not appear to have half the facilities of the other one!? the reviews are much more favourable tho...
(wonders whether to use this or start a needy new thread)
... looking for 3-5 days, prob midweek, somewhere easy to get to in Mid January (2 of us)
Cheapish, in at least a small town and half board preferred
Anyone got any great tips (including best ways to get there - are midweek airport transfers easy & cheap to sort/can I get a train there/how bad would the drive be from calais) ?
Ta !
(may just get 3 trips in this year, after a very poor 2018 showing)
Where is your nearest airport? I live in Bristol so the easiest for me is anywhere near Geneva (Austria flights tend to be weekly) - several flights a day between BRS-GVA.
probably Gatwick so ought to have decent options
Easyjet flights to (Mon 14th - Fri 18th) GVA <£50 return ea
Cheapest transfers you can stomach to Morzine c.£25 e/w
www.chaletmontana.org £65/pn/pp
Alternative to £70 for a board bag in the plane hold is €84 to hire in Montriond https://ardentsports.sport2000.fr/uk/rent
Ski pass c. €50pd
Total pp c. £650 + apres ski
PDS ski area starts just a 5minute ski bus trip from the front door of the Montana. From Telecabine Ardent, you're 1 lift from Chatel, 1 lift from Avoriaz and two lifts from Switzerland.
Skibus going in the other direction will take you into town where you can go up Pleney and spend a day in Les Gets/Chamossiere/Nyon
Slightly biased because we'll be there for the season but flight to Geneva then accommodation in Samoens, les Carroz and ski the Grand Massif. Transfers from GVA take an hour and are about 40 euros per person.
We'll be based in Flaine which has the best skiing but probably the worst nightlife although our local bar is really good. L'Encolie in the Hameau De Flaine - cracking beer, good happy hour (or was last year), takeaway pizza to die for - pizza tartiflette - so wrong but oh so good and a great (and expensive) restaurant.
thanks all
you may have me there, stoner
Are there any walkable "decent" bars (for my daughter, so bangin choons more than pastis'n'boules) ?
Best bar in the valley d'Aulps!
Morzine source bar of the year many years in a row so they didnt enter for a few years to give some other's a crack 😉
https://www.morzinesourcemagazine.com/winners-the-2017-source-awards-for-excellence/
Run by a great couple with orzum staff, it has a healthy mix of French and British & Irish locals, saisonnaires, and trippers. Live music once a week and it's heaving. 5min walk. And it's my local 😉
Good food if you fancy a change from the Montana, but you'll be well looked after by Zeb and Amie at the montana. It's a very chilled, vibe there too.
Morzine is only a 20min walk away so its not a big deal strolling up to the bright lights of the metropolis 🙂 If you're really lucky there will be an ice hockey match on one evening in town (check the HCMAG calendar, there's a home game on the 19th Jan) . Well worth the walk for.
And it’s my local 😉
I knew it couldn't all be silver lining !
(I'll bung them an email, cheers)
Winter is here but with a slow(ish) start in Western Canada. I heard on the grapevine limited snow for opening day at Whistler. However wanted to get sweajnr back on his skis to see how much he'd forgotten over the summer (a couple of months worth) before he joins a ski club in January.
A couple of runs down the main piste was all that we managed but still nice to be out and about. Sweamrs is on some new carving skis with a "racing tune" and said trying to ski with sweajnr was a bit like a sports car in rush hour.
*taps fingers waiting for snow to arrive*
Morzine is only a 20min walk
Yeah, course it is. 🙄🙄🙄🙄
😁
20min for normal sized legs, obvs.
🖕
You walk into them DD.
Admittedly, v slowly though.
20min for normal sized legs, obvs.
😂😂
Season lift passes - tick
Tunnel booked - ticked
Insurance sorted out - tick
Accommodation - tick
All ready to go on 5th January until 6th April with a break mid Feb to avoid the worst of the French school holidays.
Any singletrackers who fancy a meet up and a ski in the Grand Massif-drop us an email
Not getting excited (much)
sproot - will bear that in mind if we have time in Jan or Feb on a weekend visit. We'll miss you at xmas/new year though. Enjoy the season.