The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2012-2013 season

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. 😯

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.

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?

Zell am See/Kaprun is meant to be good too but I’ve not been.

Enjoyed Kaprun but a large part of that was because there was so much snow that I mostly skied the Schmittenhöhe was great fun.

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.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/71958789@N00/sets/72157632641107246/show/

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 🙂