The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2017-2018 season

Am now the owner of season lift passes for the Grand Massif, it was cheaper to buy now rather than the day rate for our trip in March !
Might have to try and get a sneaky weekend in Jan to get some more use out of them….

Tignes closed today – circa 150cm of snow overnight, all lifts closed while they clear avalanche danger.

Courmayeur website also reports all lifts and pistes closed, they had a handful open last week

@continuity – if there’s only the two of you then book the time off work and grab a last minute deal. Don’t get hung up on the french alps – skiing in Italy is gorgeous and the food is wonderful, Austria is great too.

We’re happy to cook cheaply ourselves, make packed lunches, avoid most of the costs.

Keys for us are comfortable accom that isn’t scummy (I’ve been in some proper dives in places like Les Arcs with work), cheap skiing and steady access.

Italy and Austria would be fine.

But do I got to a large broker or try and put it together by searching hotels and then lift passes individually? If seperate, any good suggestions on where to start – and if package how last minute should I look and any suggestions aside from crystal?

Lots of variables – which airport is easiest for you to get to in the UK? Are you happy to hire a car at the other end?

For example – I live in Bristol and by far the easiest airport to get to from here is Geneva. If I’m going for a week, I don’t mind hiring a car so I’ll go for somewhere which is a longer distance from the airport such as Val, Tignes, Les Arcs, La Plagne or Three Valleys. Then I’d look for a self catered apartment on Airbnb or HomeAway.

Similarly, I can do Salzburg or Innsbruck for a week, but I’d probably do half board in a hotel in Austria (I’ve never had much luck finding SC accommodation in Austria) and the standard of hotels is very high in Austria IMO – rooms are bigger than French shoeboxes. In which case Crystal all the way.

If I’m doing a long weekend, then I’m stuck with Geneva and I’ll want somewhere close to the airport so I can get a cheap transfer – this means Morzine or Grand Massif.

Don’t worry about lift passes – they are easy to buy in resort.

Personally I’ve never booked a last minute package deal so I can’t comment on tour operators in that regard.

@Continuity
Igluski.com are a good place to start for last minute packages.
Pierre Vacances for direct apartment in France possibly other EU countries too, I don’t know what the Italian or Austrian equivalent is?

Last minute chalet package can be hit and miss depending on who else is in the same chalet and what the chalet is like. Had some shocking chalet operatives in the past but had some great ones too. Also met and skied with some nice people so can be good.

Continuity, I’d be looking to Austria myself, it’s prettier, the lift pass is cheaper and it generally feels friendlier than the French resorts. Obergurgl is my default recommendation, 90 mins transfer from Innsbruck, lovely village and the slopes are perfect for beginners and inters.

For the first trip together I’d do a package through someone like Crystal just for lack of faff. However, it’s not difficult to stick it together yourself, flight in, hire car (often cheaper than a transfer bus), hotel, ski hire and lift pass are all easily done on line.

Also – the apres is way more fun in Austria 😀

If you fancy Austria and self catering my friends at Skifix will be able to sort you out with a small apartment.
Very pretty village 1hr from Salzburg, resort has 150km of piste, no queues at the lifts

Thanks gents – that’s a great point in the right direction.

gents

Erm….

Are you going to tell him?

Skiworld have good last minute deals that are also on Iglu/ ifyouski.
Alpine Answers also do list alot of holidays
Avoid Alpiine Elements .
Look at Sella Ronda , or Milky Way in Italy for your level its perfect

For value,- Rocketski , but avoid Claviere.

Just booked last week in January with Esprit in Bella Plagne with the family.

Been to La Plagne a few times but never stayed in Bella Plagne, anyone stayed at the Esprit hotel there?

Going to bite the bullet with school and risk the fine.

40 days and counting.

Continuity – they are teasing you because both Wallop and nbt are wimmin 😉

Second Austrian or Italian resorts. The food would be cheaper in Italy and the Milky way would be great for intermediate and learner skiers.

Edit. You could try the ‘Snowheads’ site. There maybe someone on there that can either help you a with self catering apartment or point you in the right direction.

Snowheads is the skiing and snowboarding equivalent of singletrack world.

😆

It’s been snowing recently but only high up. Looking down from about 2000m:

And looking up:

Pushy parents 😀
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-42332491/the-one-year-old-who-snowboards-in-us

Junior started skiing at 1 (well 22 months but that’s still 1). At 6:

That baby isn’t wearing a helmet or sunnies, tut, tut 😯

I presume it was published on their instagram or facebook or other look at me bullshit social media. 😥

other look at me bullshit social media.

STW !

We have unfortunately been witnessing a bit of drama in Morzine today – a fire! Underground fire in The Tibetan Cafe. Hopefully nobody hurt.

Pics here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/33457127@N02/shares/yf85C8

Last time I got burned there was when buying a round.

There is so much snow. I am so tired!

I hate you.

🙂

Also, a reminder that Ski Sunday is back. Last week eyes, but whatever! Nice interview with Woodsy. Ripper!

I couldn’t work out if he was from Sheffield or the Antipodes!

Full day of thigh deep powder in grands massif. Awesome skiing and only a few mishaps in trees and cliffs!! Oops….

Hot bath (tick), Mt Blanc Weiss Bier (tick), ibuprofen (tick), supper to come….happy days

The last time I was in powder like this I was in US. So deep that at times almost impossible to move downhill 😉

You need a board for that THM. 😉

Indeed igm! What a waste!

Have fun teamhurtmore!

What’s a board?

Did see some snow bikes stuck in the deep stuff, poor guys

Certainly needed to ski very fast to ensure that you did not get stuck in any mini bowls etc.

Thanks HYD1 – special long weekend with one of the mini THMs. First time I have realised that I am thirty years older! Still think I am 20 on skis but did get a wee bit concerned in one very narrow steep tree lined chute today. Decided on a prudent sideslip instead of blasting it!! Must be getting old.

You need to try going tray, THM. 😯

Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. 😉

Powder on a snowboard is something you only have to try once and you won’t go back.

There is a place for planks but get powder and there is only one winner

Having used both skis and a board in powder I prefer skis, each to his/her own. In the past you needed a higher skill level on skis than on a board to enjoy the powder but as skis have got more like a board on each foot I suspect it’s now the other way around. I still haven’t used any of the “water ski” generation skis but some park’n’pipe double spat’ made things very easy in the fresh yesterday. Today I was back on slalom skis (and rando skis when things on piste got busy).

One things for sure, the skill levels required to float through powder on either a board or skis are now so low that every patch of fluffy stuff that can be reached from a lift will be tracked out within an hour of the lifts opening unless you’re out mid-week between the holidays.

Lunchtime yesterday


We don’t normally go the wrong way but it was officially closed

Pottering about in the woods earlier

As above modern skis so much easier in powder than they where 30 years ago.

Lucky you TMH, I’be been watching all fhe updates / resort facebook pages, all looks awesome. Mrs B asked whether I wanted to go to new Club Med in Samoens this week but my knee isn’t strong enough to deal with the powder I’d want to ski 😐 Dr says no excersize for a month following jab anyway. Other “good” (ie less bad) knee tomorrow.

Probably the correct advice Jambalaya – my thighs are burning with all the deep snow so a recovering knee could be under a lot of pressure

More awesome fun OP and in the trees plus some v fast piste bashing. Surprisingly hard backed lower down so v fast.

I did not know there was a club med in Samoens. Peissey Vallendy x2 was last club med experience.

More snow forecast tomorrow

Meanwhile in Banff it’s hard snow or ice. I think the term bullet proof might have been used. Snow in the forecast and much needed.

I’m pleased to say that the new shorter skis helped sweajnr and this morning full laps of the majic carpet with no assistance including turning around the cones.

Snowboards in powder are all very well until the inevitable flat spot. It still brings a smile to my face remembering when one shot past me then stopped…then (having forgotten 2m snow pack in thrill of the moment) unfastened and stepped off his board and in up to the chest.

It was freaking epic in both Tignes & Sainte Foy today. Also in Les Arcs yesterday.

I love my new job.

the inevitable flat spot

Choose your resort wisely. It’s more inevitable in some.

I did not know there was a club med in Samoens.

Just opened, I think – looks very nice!