Just got back from a great week in Valdisere, conditions were excellent, did stuff I never thought I would try, girls had a great time and only Kevin is covered in bruises, makes a change from me being the crash test dummy

http://kevinlawton6103.fotopic.net/c1681030.html

Cant wait to get back

Tracey

Glad to hear you had a good week. I was there the week before you, and it was excellent. So good in fact that I’m going back next week.

Bloody expensive this year though….

Im glad we were in a catered chalet, I knew with the exchange rate it was going to be expensive, it was costing us £30 for sandwiches at lunch and a pint of larger was £7 and a coke £4.50, and that was away from the slopes. A take away piza was £11. Dont think it was the week pound, Euro prices have gone up big time from last year

Lets hope it gets better

Aye, free wine with the evening meal probably saved me a fortune!

That was the ‘family’ trip. Next week it’s ‘the boys’, so the £7 a pint will start to hurt. And I’m going with the Devil again – always a ‘challenge’ !!

Have a great time, if you need new boarding boots, Precision were selling any Thirty Twos at at 80 Euros a pair

Abigale got some of these

Tracey

Wow that looks great fun. The snow seems to be still in really good shape.

I was up the road from you in Portes du Soleil the other weekend (March 29-30th). We were boarding at Champerey and Les Crosets and we went expecting typical European spring skiing: blue skies, sunshine and slush. But instead we caught a nice big dump of snow and got some lovely unexpected powder to finish our season.

No piccies cos I didn’t bother taking my SLR, but here’s a vid I took of my mate Ali riding:

http://dalmuti.net/Ali_offpiste_Switzerland_2009.wmv

And here’s the one he took of me:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/alastair.cay/LesCoret#5323454497320790354

Gagging to go riding again, but I think it will be sessions at Xscape till next year now. 🙁

I had to try out the precision “1/2 price” fin de serie sale. £130 for the cheapest sallys in there – which were the cheapest I could find anywhere. That’ll teach me for having a fat arse and ripping my cheapo ones!!

I’ve not gone to the darkside yet, so I wouldn’t be needing boarding boots – but they do look rather fetching!

Looks good, we are thinking of Val/tignes next year for our group holiday.

Will we feel let down with the pistes after Whistler and 8 days of fresh snow? Probably but then we won’t have to fly 1/2 way across the world either and it’s likely more will come too.

Was the boarding good?

bruk, you got 8 days of snow at Whistler this year? You were lucky!
We were there for ten days at the end of Feb and we only got fresh snow on the last couple.

You have some very lucky kids

Can you be my mum?

Bruk – Can’t comment on the difference between the espace killy and Whistler, as I’ve never been over there.

But, I have been to Val d’Isere for the last 7 years, either at Easter or the last week of the season (end of April). Never been let down by the snow. Tignes is higher, and has arguably better skiing. I prefer to stay in Val and ski over to Tignes. The highest points in Val and Tignes are both glaciers, and have good snow all season. Late in the season, you will get slushy conditions low down – That’s not a bad thing, just different (poor man’s powder, etc).

As for the cost, it really depends on the $ – £ and £ – Euro rates. It may be cheaper next year to go back to Whistler. Who knows? The flight is obviously a lot shorter, and if you fly into Chambery you can ski on the day you arrive, so you get 6 1/2 days in the week if you want them.

If you book ahead, lift pass is around £200, and ski hire around £100 for the week. (I expect a tray would be similar if you need one)

It’s a great area to ski (ok, and to board!). You can cover 50 miles (or more) in a day if you feel like it.

Bruk 8 days of freshies anywhere is extremely lucky, just count your blessings. Between Tignes and Val, Val has a lot more going on in the village, Tignes is a bit more ski-in-ski-out from most of the accommodation. Depends what you are after??

Tracey you have lucky daughters. Does your husband know that girls who can snowboard are much more attractive to men?!

Been for the last three years, always in Easter hols, never been let down with snow conditions, boarding was ace.

Tracey

Looks amazing , our january trip to Montgenevre feels like such a long time ago now 🙁
Am already looking forward to next year

Bruk: I’ve not been to Val d’Isere specifically, but I have done a fair bit of boarding in Europe (mainly Austria) and I was over at Whistler this year, so if you want a general comparison*:

The European resorts tend to be more thinly spread out, with each lift only serving one or two runs, rather than Canada where where you tend to have three or four options from the top of a lift.

Likewise the European runs tend not to split or offer different options as you come down them (which can actually be handy if you are in a group).

There also tends to be more grooming and corduroy in Europe, whereas the Canadians often just leave it “natural”. If you want powder in Europe then you will probably have to head off piste.

There is typically more happening on the European slopes, especially if it is sunny. Ski huts/bars with plenty of Glühwein, schnapps and Jaegermeister flowing and cheesy europop beats. Can be a great laugh if you go with it. In some resorts it is not uncommon to see folk still dancing away in their ski gear at midnight.

Europe is typically much much busier on the main slopes (not that Tracey pics look exactly crowded). You’re unlikely to get a slope to yourself.

There is also more queueing at lifts and far less politeness in the queues. Barging and folk standing on your board are common. We refer to it as “Queueing like a German” and we tend to adopt a similar approach ourselves.

On balance I like Canada for the snow and the easygoing attitude, but I like Europe for the livier atmosphere.

And both are far far better than being stuck in an office on a lovely Spring bank holday Monday. 🙁

* based on my experiences. YMMV.

Sorry that last post sounds a bit strange. A good friend and I who lived in the Alps for a while are both now married and expecting daughters. We were discussing the fact that teaching our daughters to ski/board would be great, but would also increase the amount of boys chasing after them!

Graham that is a very good point about the types of run available off different lifts, they design a good mix in North America.

We used to do a fortnight in North America around Easter every year. Accommodation and meals out or up the slope are much better quality and value for money in North America. Going for decent accommodation and being eating out in sensibly priced places, it becomes cheaper per day to go to over there if you go for ten days or more. If you are buying equipment or even bike stuff you can also save there. It is also nice to stand in an organised queue, as stupid as that sounds everything is very relaxed over there and the customer service compared to France is superb.

I know we weer very lucky this year, headed out at start of march and even managed to get 10 days on the slopes with the flight times!

Karma paid us back with only 4 out of 8 bags making it through terminal 5 to meet our missed connection. And the ski bag got cut/ripped along with my new board pants inside it.

We have been going as a group for about 14 years and started off in Bulgaria of all places (v cheap and not so cheerful) and have skied France, Austria and Italy as well as Canada. It is the old debate re time/money etc with a large group. having been to canada the last 2 years it is probably time to return to Europe.

Haven’t been to the Killy area and wanted to know re number of roads, easy availabilty of off piste and stuff like that which affects boarders more than skiers in our mixed group.

Personally I would love to go to Utah for the powder but can’t persuade anybody else yet. Their main fear is with it being the mormon state they won’t be able to drink as much! I also love North America for the lack of crowds, pleasant lifties and not coming home with a board criss-crossed with skiers etc standing all over you in the queues.

Still looks great fun in the photos of Val!