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Follow up to the 3V

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
essex wrote:
Now Mr McFlude, about that interloper comment....


Very Happy Blooming coming over here, using up our European snow that we've paid hard earned European taxes for*..it shouldn't be allowed


*Except Switzerland and Andorra Wink Razz
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@xtr,
Quote:

Seeing as predicting that is unlikely, are any of the options generally cheaper than the others?

None of the world class areas on your list could be considered cheap. However if you're going late January, you should be able to pick up a late booking bargain. The more flexible you are with airports and day of departure the better.
Also I don't think Chamonix valley has been mentioned yet. The relative inconvenience of getting around puts many people off. But if you're looking for spectacular mountains, challenging runs and a main town with lots of character, then it offers another possibility. A rental car, or use of shuttle provided by tour company helps. The runs and off piste above Argentiere are amongst my most memorable in 30 years of skiing. A change of scene in nearby Courmayeur and Megeve is also quite easy for a day trip from Chamonix.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Thanks for all the replies and comments.

@SnoodyMcFlude

Quote:

But shirley you know all that and, as an expert skier, surely you've been further afield than the 3V anyway? Or are you one of those interloping other side of the pond types?



If this was directed at me, I am indeed a puddle jumping invader. As a kid decades ago I skied Zell am See, Val D and Avoriaz. I remember bits of each trip but it was a long time ago. Other than those visits, the 3V last year is the extent of my Euro experience.

@kitenski

Stuben looks like fun and clearly good conditions can be had later in the year.

@altis

The brochure is good.....but my French is not where it should be.

@Hyst

Thanks for the Chatel suggestion. That does seem like a good home base for our purposes.

Finally, I am still undecided as to where we will end up. However, it does seem unlikely that we will do a repeat of the 3V. I may do a day there (Val T and Orelle specifically on a blue bird day) if we end up at Val D for the week. Chamonix was mentioned and I would not rule that out, nor would I say no to Zermatt or Verbier. I suppose the indecision is based on the reality that I really want to ski them all....and not just once. Unfortunately life, time and money do not allow for endless years of being a ski bum. Regardless of our choice, we will be sure to enjoy and hopefully end up with good weather and snow.

Thanks again.
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It has to be said that over 15 winters working here, and having first skied in Courchevel 32 years ago, there is a trend towards 'homogenisation' of the pistes through a combination of extensive use of graders/earth movers, and the advances and (over-)use of piste preparation technology. Things that come to mind are the return run to Mottaret from Plattieres which used to have a little narrows/steepening just below P2 and now is a gentle wide open steady gradient... the trend is towards wide, even-angled slopes which miss out on the character of the original terrain.

Thats not to say that the 3V is boring (and for the back-flipping brigade etc there is more than enough to keep anyone happy for a long time), but the piste skiing is trending towards a certain samey-ness - hell even the off piste route down to Bozel appears to be heading that way if what I saw from my afternoon run yesterday is anything to go by...
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@offpisteskiing, I don't think that's unique to the 3Vs, sadly.

@xtr, Chamonix valley definitely worth considering. I should have mentioned really. This year you can buy a pass that opens up into the Evasion Mont Blanc system as well as Chamonix and Courmayeur. I think that's a total of ~<700kms of piste if you're counting, albeit not joined up. But it gives you something of everything, including Italian cuisine Happy

In good conditions I'd think you'd almost certainly want a guide for a few of your days and spend much of your time off piste.
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@under a new name, that is true - though I get the feeling Switzerland is resisting a bit more - but maybe its just the places that I tend to go to...
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
offpisteskiing wrote:
... hell even the off piste route down to Bozel appears to be heading that way if what I saw from my afternoon run yesterday is anything to go by...
They're grading an off-piste route? That would be unusual! Unless they're creating a new towards Bozel?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
rob@rar wrote:
They're grading an off-piste route? That would be unusual! Unless they're creating a new towards Bozel?


Yep, though I have a feeling it will all be linked to the push to get a lift from Bozel up into resort (unfortunately). They had stuck a piste-basher nearly down to Bozel once or twice last winter (or the winter before?) I think as a bit of a tester. Would be a shame to see a marked piste down there - it is quite skiable just through skier-pisteing most of the time anyway...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
If you are looking for steeps & deeps all the resorts you mention are good. I spent a season in the PDS and part of season 14-15 in St Martin De Bellville 3V. I did 2 in Canada (great), but 7 in the Arlberg, 5 Lech, 2 St Anton. It is brilliant. Especially now they have linked Lech with Warth, opening up massive amounts more off piste between them. The welcome in Austria is ALWAYS far better than in France and even Lech with it's reputation for "Royalty & Stars" is better value than the big French resorts. Have a great holiday where ever you end up.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I visted Soelden in Austria a few years ago and noted that they had pisted the marked itineries and even had warning signs on the blacks where there was a small section of moguls.

As for grading an off piste route - well there are other uses for the land other than skiing - it could be to improve a mountain track for access, or a new vtt route, or burying an electric power cable for example.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
So as an update of the 2017 trip we did end going to St. Anton. We made full use of the new link to Zurs but found that the bus worked better for us. We skied all of the areas and had a wonderful few evenings at the Mooserwirt. One day I must return with better snow and a month or two to explore.

This year it looks like I might have to do the week of Feb 19. I am wary of this as I expect that it will be quite busy. Are there any areas that traditionally are not so mobbed? Can anyone tell me what countries have their school holidays that week and what areas to avoid as a result? Should I change the week....or change the continent?
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Feb 19-26 could be one of the busiest of the season, especially in France. 2 French winter school holiday zones off that week, including Paris. Some UK schools too, although probably not the peak UK half term week
Personally I'd stick with the continent but change the week if possible. If that's not an option then Italy might be less crowded. The link below may help.

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=2966764
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
We are expert skiers with extensive racing and instructor experience. To me a blue run is a GS training slope. Steep chutes, bumps, powder and trees are also a blast. Basically I just love to ski regardless of piste difficulty. Apres ski is a bonus but not required...a pub with good beer on tap is just fine.

Based on the above I would think you would find the Dolomites insufficiently challenging. I loved skiing the Dolomites when I was older and had a badly damaged knee so touring on blues and easy wide reds was just what I was after. There is the odd black but they would be mostly red in other resorts.

EK would suit you maybe staying at La Daille to be central. However I have very happy memories of days when I had two good knees and loved to stay in Tignes Les Brevieres with the chance to blast down the Sache as the last run of the day. I remember EK as being as challenging as the 3V.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@TQA, I think they've already been and not done the Dolomites...
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@xtr,
I've skied a lot in France that week and will be doing so again next year but it is fair to say it IS a busy time.
Is a big linked ski area really important to you still?
Perhaps Italy then:
If you like tree skiing then you could consider Via Latea (say Sestriere or Sauze D'Oulx) - piste sking less challenging than StA but a big area with great food and good atmosphere. Off piste there is a massive amount of good tree skiing and you'll have a lot of it to yourself.
Not as big an area (and I'm surprised @under a new name, hasn't already made the suggestion) but Monte Rosa (Champoluc or Alagna) has some great skiing particularly challenging itineraries and LONG off-piste runs. Worth getting a guide for a day. Food also superb.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
kitenski wrote:


Actually I kind of get what the origional comment was about, it's (massive generalisation) but the area is mostly wide, pretty easy skiing, pretty "samey", not a lot of unpisted itineraries.

Not to say it's not an enjoyable place to ski and I have had some great on and off piste runs in the area and Grand Couloir is very good!



+1
If you've skied all the resorts named in the OP then that's a fair assessment
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@xtr, If you are looking for something similar to your first trip (skiing 3V, but staying in Brides-les-Bains for cheaper accommodation), you could consider skiing Paradiski, staying in Bourg St Maurice and getting the funicular up to Les Arcs each day. Not quite as ideal, as you start more towards one end of the area rather than in the middle. Bourg also offers easy options of a day in Val d'Isere/Tignes or La Rosiere.

But perhaps ideally not in France half-term, so if you can't shift the week maybe an idea for a future year.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Italy is on the list for sure but as mentioned above it might have to wait until I am wiser.

I have been alternating the last 4 years between BC and Europe. The 2016 trip was a whirlwind tour of Sun Peaks, Revelstoke, Silver Star and Apex. To keep the pattern going I would have to do another BC trip this year. Panorama, Fernie and in particular Red Mountain are all on the list of mountains to ski while I still can.

The problem is that St Anton was so much fun last year I really want to give Europe another go without delay (and the current ski buddy had never been to Europe before the trip to St. Anton, so he is eager to hop the pond again). I suspect that the girl will be left at home to sulk/study/attend classes while we visit another European ski area during the second week of March (thank you for the calendar link above).

The selection criteria is now as follows:

Large area with a good variety of terrain, enough km's of runs to ski a different area each day for 6 days and some wonderfully scenic mountain restaurants with great pizza. A completely linked area is not essential; in the past, efficient public transport or a rental car have allowed us to save our legs for the area that we really want to ski that day, so a partially linked area or even a central location that allows for easy day tripping would be fine.

The ski buddy loved the Mooserwirt! His very young daughters now are quite familiar with the Mooserwirt playlist (Disco Pogo being the current household #1). As a result he favours a return to an Austrian venue and has been doing internet searches for "best Austrian ski bars". Based on the St Anton experience, public transit will be a better plan than a rental car.

I think we will both want to book reasonably late. We also will not want to spend a fortune. I realise that these two conditions might be at odds with each other. But hopefully the off peak time will allow us to find a small apartment with some kitchen facilities that is very close to a grocery store and on a bus route that leads to a fantastic limitless ski area with some fun bars that kick us out early enough that the bus is still running so we can go home, eat, sleep and get up to do it all again.
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@jedster, I hadn't noticed xtr was back, just that someone was answering a very out of date post.

Monterosa certainly an option @xtr, + have you done Chamonix? Or, Verbier?

Slightly left field, rent a car, stay in Aosta and buy the valley pass? Aosta's a sweet town, some great restaurants (well, y'know, Italy)?

I have never in 45 years and ? 1,300 ski days skied Austria. Bit of a shocker really.

Oh, here's an idea - val d'Anniviers. Not many pistes, more off piste than you can imagine (apparently - I can't comment directly as I haven't been yet) - would want a guide...


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Wed 26-07-17 8:02; edited 1 time in total
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@xtr, look at Ischgl if you liked the st anton apres. Decent sized ski area and snow record as well.
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Quote:

Large area with a good variety of terrain, enough km's of runs to ski a different area each day for 6 days and some wonderfully scenic mountain restaurants with great pizza.


I'd consider Sauze D'Oulx for sure. Ticks all the boxes.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Quote:

To me a blue run is a GS training slope.

Some people - especially nervous beginners - find that attitude a tad irritating... especially if said beginners are being used as turning gates. Evil or Very Mad
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
pam w wrote:
Quote:

To me a blue run is a GS training slope.

Some people - especially nervous beginners - find that attitude a tad irritating... especially if said beginners are being used as turning gates. Evil or Very Mad

Some people - especially ambitious intermediates - find that attitude inspirational... because every time someone carves past them it motivates them to get better and match their skills. Toofy Grin
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@pam w
Over here a blue slope is equivalent to your red. Your blue is our green. Regardless I do not weave through slower traffic, I pick my moments.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
xtr wrote:
As a result he favours a return to an Austrian venue and has been doing internet searches for "best Austrian ski bars".


Ischgl is what you're looking for. You simply won't find better apres.

Cracking ski resort too. Huge, challenging piste skiing and tons of untracked lift-served off piste.
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