 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
I have just had a lovely week in Meribel, although visibility was often awful, the snow was great and I loved the runs. Not too busy, well connected, well laid out and mostly all wide with very few bottlenecks.
However, although extremely fun to ski, the Apres in Meribel has (in my opinion) the distinct touch of people there to be seen rather than have fun. In addition, overpriced bottles of champagne, spirits etc.
Compare the Apres in Meribel to St Anton, and in St Anton you have various Apres bars where no one cares what you are drinking or wearing, they just want you to do the conga!
But, I didn't enjoy the St Anton ski area as much, it is far busier, many bottlenecks and generally I would say more difficult skiing with many narrower pistes.
So...is there a place that exists that is similar to the 3 Valleys in terms of thevtypes of pistes, but also like St Anton when it comes to Apres?
I realise that the 3 Valleys is the largest ski area in Europe, but St Anton does not have a single green run. It is not size of ski area, but the type of pistes.
Thanks
R
EDIT...
An important change, is that we need to stay in a self contained chalet for about 8-12 people. I have learnt that Saalbach-Hinterglemm does not really offer this.
So anywhere else?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 23-03-16 16:30; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ischgl might be worth considering.
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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?
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Saalbach Hinterglemm would suit superbly. Have been to both (3 valleys & S/H) multiple times and couldn't give a fig if I never went back to 3 valleys again as though the skiing is good the skiing and apres in S/H is superb giving me a far greater overall holiday experience.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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There are no green runs in Austria.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Val D'sere has a very lively nightlife and apre scene and, in many ways better skiing than the 3v although it is more suited to advanced skiers than the 3V.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you are after champagne in 3 Valleys, get to Folie Douce in VT, stand on a table at the front by the DJ booth, they spray it all over you for nothing! Just don't buy any from there as a bottle is just shy of €4k. Didn't think much of the apres in 3V tbh. They have a few bars and a nightclub called Malaysia but all very expensive. The Shamrock was ok priced. I would say Tignes has great apres ski and is more challenging skiing
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| daveqpr wrote: |
| Saalbach Hinterglemm would suit superbly. Have been to both (3 valleys & S/H) multiple times and couldn't give a fig if I never went back to 3 valleys again as though the skiing is good the skiing and apres in S/H is superb giving me a far greater overall holiday experience. |
+1 ( although surprised to see a Brentford fan agreeing with a QPR one ) 
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Ischgl skiing reminded me of France. Similar apres to St Anton. Dearer than St Anton?
Mayrhofen? Nice lively town, intermediate pistes, the only significant bottleneck might be at the gondola for the first ascent
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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.
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| pjd wrote: |
| daveqpr wrote: |
| Saalbach Hinterglemm would suit superbly. Have been to both (3 valleys & S/H) multiple times and couldn't give a fig if I never went back to 3 valleys again as though the skiing is good the skiing and apres in S/H is superb giving me a far greater overall holiday experience. |
+1 ( although surprised to see a Brentford fan agreeing with a QPR one ) |
Isn't it a bit low? Peak is only 2000m looking at current snow, there does not seem to be that much. My concern would be a warm snap might destroy the conditions.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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You see it all depends on what you mean by apres. My idea is a quiet meal and couple of glasses of wine. Lots of places in every resort where that works.
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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.
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Isn't it a bit low? Peak is only 2000m looking at current snow, there does not seem to be that much. My concern would be a warm snap might destroy the conditions
Depends when you want to go. If your thinking Christmas/January/February/early to mid March then it's almost always fine. If it's warm there then it will be warm else where. Plus as its further east than France it's generally accepted that you could add at least 300m to the same height for France.
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| pjd wrote: |
| daveqpr wrote: |
| Saalbach Hinterglemm would suit superbly. Have been to both (3 valleys & S/H) multiple times and couldn't give a fig if I never went back to 3 valleys again as though the skiing is good the skiing and apres in S/H is superb giving me a far greater overall holiday experience. |
+1 ( although surprised to see a Brentford fan agreeing with a QPR one ) |
Didn't know Brentford had any fans!
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You know it makes sense.
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Zermatt might fit the bill. Lots of terrain including cruisy stuff, and the Apres is pretty mega.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Saalbach is the place you need to go. Huge extent of intermediate skiing and absolutely rocking apres which I think is even more fun than St Anton.
Val d'Isere probably has the best apres in France, and is my favourite all-round resort. Generally more difficult skiing though.
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Poster: A snowHead
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1. Saalbach
2. Ischgl
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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?
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We have been searching Europe for the last 10 years but are yet to find a place that we like as much as Courchevel.
Will have to try Saalbach !
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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There are a lot more resorts in 3V than Meribel - they are all a little different in terms of apres. I'm a fan of the Funky Fox on Courchevel 1650 - not pretentious at all.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Stick to France if you want Carpet skiing.
St Anton is for OffPiste & Hard Apres
If you ski the groomers in St Anton you do not deserve Apres or waste seats drinkung areas at Apres Ski 
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Sun 6-03-16 20:07; edited 1 time in total
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Not Morzine- I live here and if I wanted Après a la St Anton I'd go back to Saalbach in a heartbeat
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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.
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| emwmarine wrote: |
| You see it all depends on what you mean by apres. My idea is a quiet meal and couple of glasses of wine. Lots of places in every resort where that works. |
Yet they clearly do not want this so why comment? Is absurd when people have comments like this just cause they are not interested in proper après.
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Agreed @madlondoner,
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Verbier must be ok. The Pub, Fer a Cheval, Farinet Bar,Farm Club if you have the pocket and lots more I don't know . Good range of skiing , high, reads well on the CV.
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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.
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Think it falls into the poseur après the OP was seeking to avoid @Farley Goode,
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Think it falls into the poseur après the OP was seeking to avoid @Farley Goode,
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You know it makes sense.
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@rossyl, As others have said, Saalbach is the resort you're looking for - but don't tell everyone  The season runs from the beginning of December until mid-April, and, in a normal season, the snow is as reliable as Meribel. It's not the second most visited resort in the world for nothing! (http://www.isiaski.org/download/20140517_ISIA_Vuokatti_1b_presentation_vanat.pdf ) Conditions are currently excellent, by the way - snow depths more than adequate and fresh powder on and off-piste.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Zillertal has scale and pistes to match the 3V, but the areas are not all interlinked. I think if you add them up there's probably more skiing than the 3V, and the three main areas are each big enough to qualify as a big resort on their own. Traditional aprés ski can be had on the mountain and there seemed to be pretty rowdy bars at the bases of all the lifts too. That said I found it lacked the atmosphere of St Anton, but if you want a lot of pistes it's worth a look.
Ischgl has good aprés and is very much 3V style skiing IMHO.
Kitzbuehel is also worth a look, big area, lots of easy piste skiing and good aprés.
As previously mentioned there are no green runs in Austria (green lines on maps mean toboggan runs), Austria just has blue, red and black. Your assessment of St Anton's skiing is spot on though, there's not a huge amount of easy stuff and there are bottle necks. If I was looking for a week of piste skiing I wouldn't go there.
As for it being busy, it depends when you go, in my experience it's never as bad as France in Feb, but it can get pretty busy. Mid Jan or late March are my two favourite times to visit St Anton, avoiding school holidays, Fasching and the mid Feb to early March peak. April can also be superb but you have to be prepared to work with the weather and ensure you get down before it all turns to mashed potatoes.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Verbier.
Best resort in the world.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Another vote for Saalbach from me.
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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?
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@rossyl, apart from the Après, the point about St Anton is the off-piste. On piste skiing is adequate, and surrounding areas have their charm, but as you have noted, other resorts have better on-piste skiing. If you take to off-piste and become competent, you might want to look at St Anton again. There are some challenging and enjoyable areas - though easily accessible powder does tend to get trashed quickly. It's been a while since I went, but I don't think much will have changed since I was there.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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On the subject of off-piste, anyone who may be interested in what Saalbach has to offer, go on You Tube and search for "Richard Bergenholz Saalbach". Richard, who owns the Underbar, spends much of his time compiling mouth-watering videos of him and his Underbar colleagues skiing Saalbach's back country.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ischgl or Saalbach/Hinterglemm without a doubt. Having skied St Anton loads, Ischgl twice and Hinterglemm once, I think Saalbach/Hinterglemm has the edge on apres over Ischgl. Ischgl is probably more snow sure than Saalbach however as a lot of the slopes are north facing. Personally I would opt for Saalbach or Hinterglemm
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There's a fine line between poseur/knobhead and genuine fun apres. In fact the line may not even totally exist.
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@TQA, good skiing yes, but the nightlife is pretty dreadful, as that clip amply demonstrates. I'm all for having a few drinks and dancing on tables after a day on the slopes, but not when they're professional lap dancers encouraging punters to slip euro notes into their pants.
Tacky, tasteless and degrading.
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@Dr John, there are plenty of other places to go if you want to avoid that. Kitzloch is a good example of an inexpensive place for fun après ski.
http://www.kitzloch.at/
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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.
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The Kitzloch is fantastic fun. We didn't like the sausage fest in the Schatzi bar, but as @nozawaonsen says, it's very easily avoided. Ischgl has more packed bars than any resort I've been to, all with something different to offer.
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@HoneyBunny, did you end up doing the mass conga through the kitchen?
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