 Poster: A snowHead
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Cortina............Few bars, few buses, and limited skiing
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Mr Marmot wrote: |
| skir67 wrote: |
| ..... The only place in France where a french person asked me to speak english..... . |
Was your French really that poor? 
Only two resorts have ever truly disappointed me (based on expectations):
1) Sestriere: Not enough runs back to town. Very poor apres-ski.
2) Kitzbuhel: Too many flat bits after exiting lifts. Poor apres-ski |
And full of drunk, aggressive, nutcase/racist Germans who have bussed in from Munich for the day on a Saturday. One actually attacked me in a lift queue.
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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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Jasper - It's ski area is small, (no make that TINY!) they lie about how many runs there are, the skiing is 25 minutes by bus from the town.
From a European perspective Alp D'Huez is one I'd definately give a big swerve to, but then our hotel did set on fire and we were evacuated to the valley, and the snow was abysmal.
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Whistler
Hells Bells, Had not noticed you had said it all passim
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Com to think of it, I wouldn't waste my money on another trip to whistler. Expensive, crowded and wet.
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Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 8-11-12 18:55; edited 3 times in total
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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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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| Com to think of it, I wouldn't waste my money on another trip to whistler. Expensive, crowded and wet. |
I didn't expect to see Whistler on this list based on my experience. I avoided the rain when I went and really enjoyed the skiing and night life (including a very interesting pub that had a couple of strippers on most nights  ) Flights were more expensive obviously, but it was definitley cheaper once you were in the resort compared to similar european resorts at the time. The only thing I didn't like was the jet lag.
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La Rosiere, poor lift system, boring pistes, lack of scenery and the town is dullsville.
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| snowball wrote: |
moffatross, Scotland. Hope I'll see you in March?
(I admit I've only once known it this good, but then I'm a Londoner.) |
I do ski here whenever there is snow but not in any of the ski areas, I have touring kit so can ski where the snow is good and away from the crowds. Ben Lawers is half an hour away. If I lived in London I wouldn't come north when the same distance would put me almost in the alps. Cost wise a week in Scotland or a week in France can't be that different.
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Livigno - if only because the transfer from Bergamo was 5 hours.
I suffered the draglift hell of Serre Chevalier ten plus years ago and hated it, but a lot of snowboarding guides gave it 10/10 as a resort in the time since. So I took the plunge and went back a couple of years ago and I was converted.
I agree that La Plagne can be another kind of hell, especially around the central blocks which funnel everybody in together from a variety of suddenly narrow pistes. I've luckily only stayed in quiet Plagne 1800 and legged it out to Montalbert or Montchavin first thing in the morning to escape the crowds and pretty much stayed out there or at least on the fringes. Coming back over the bridges to get back into 1800 can be a challenge particularly if you are tired after a long day and have to negotiate flailing beginners and arguing couples, but I wouldn't ever say no to going back.
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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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| Quote: |
La Plagne - thought it was like skiing on non-stop connecting runs, piste preparation was appalling and the base is so ugly and spread out.
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I've done 21 Alpine resorts, and the powder filled week I had in La Plagne is pretty near the top of the list. The run down to beautiful Champagny in 4ft of powder was particularly memorable.
So the real answer to the OP is...anywhere without good snow!
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Seefeld. Just sooooo boring!
I have no particular inclination to ski Kitzbuehl again, over-rated.
Surprised people are moaning about L2A. 220km of pistes seems plenty! Judging by Swirly's (I think) season thread on here, it's got plenty of offpiste too. I don't understand people who moan about skiing pistes more than once, they get better as you get to know them better. Equally you all need to stop being so bloody terrified of anything ungroomed - it's not all dangerous and scary, it is all more fun.
Everyone judging ski areas by bad snow on the one week they visited is an idiot. If one resort has bad conditions, it's likely many others do at that time too. That's just mountain weather for you.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Thu 8-11-12 19:08; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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This is great; anywhere NOT been mentioned yet? 
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clarky999, I think many people are making judgements based on all kinds of stuff OTHER than the quality of the ski areas concerned. Seems daft to me - a ski holiday, to me, is first and foremost about the skiing. But it seems that the lack of the right sort of bar (whatever that is, for the individual) is sometimes more important. And yes, writing somewhere off because you happened to encounter poor snow that week is daft. On that basis I would write off Les Gets, the entire 3 Valleys and Alpbach. But then the whole thread is just a bit of fun, really - gets the juices going.
I recall Swirly's thread about L2A - a great read.
Not sure which of the more major resorts are in the lead here - maybe L2A, Zell am See, Meribel and Kitzbuhel.
It's so easy these days to find out pretty well everything about a resort before you go - there shouldn't be too many unpleasant surprises. Like finding that somewhere not that far south of the Arctic Circle is dark and cold in winter. Even before we had the internet that wouldn't have needed specialist research skills.
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You know it makes sense.
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what happened to Swirly?
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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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Pas De Le Casa - all that up and down on lifts cos the runs are so short i got sea sick!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Time to light the fuse.
xscreamer, You don't know what you are talking about. Cortina is great.
My OH and I had a splendid time there and not only do we ski tolerably well, we also know how to party.
Any deficiency in ski or apres ski would have been noted.
It was not.
End. Of.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 8-11-12 21:08; 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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| clarky999 wrote: |
Surprised people are moaning about L2A. 220km of pistes seems plenty! |
I think it is well overestimated, lucky if they realy have half of what they claim. And from what's there, again, not many good for repeated rides.
You basically have little choice rather than going up to the top on the same gondola everyday and ski down, top third is great (with 2 or 3 options), then it gets narrow and flat with little choice.
Well, at least that's what I remember. Can not comment on off piste at all, surely they must have a lot.
I liked the top third of the mountain, I liked the views and I liked the resort setting as well. Just would not return if had to spend money again.
Saying this I like small resort and would spend a week in Zauchensee/Flachauwinkl happily. (they claim to have 60km).
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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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I've spent a couple of "passeggiata" hours in Cortina, and precisely 2.5 hours on the pistes (when my non-skiing companions were lunching). The pistes were empty and I enjoyed what I saw. The town is pretty sophisticated. I'm not sure what is meant by "not many bars" but there are more places to take an aperitivo than you can shake a stick at.
I felt like a bit of a country cousin in Cortina, in my red Eider ski jacket. Never saw so many mink coats in my life - loads of Italians bent on demonstrating "la bella figura". Lovely shops, but not if you have to ask the price; I liked a belted trench-coat which was lined with mink. So understated..... You could also buy a work of art - a real one - or a fairly splendid cake and very splendid coffee. (Italy does the best coffee but France does better cakes).
Not the place for anyone who wants to dance on the tables and sink eight large beers before dinner, I suppose.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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skir67, Come off it surely the ski fart in a gondola is all part of the childish fun that a bunch of adults can and should have on a ski trip....Germans and sense of humour not a great combo me thinks!
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| lilywhite wrote: |
Borovets. Queues often an hour long.
Either ice or puddles in my experience.
Luke warm food.
The toilets on slope, foul and pay to use?
Airport delays the norm, went 3 times, delayed 3 times.
Too many per class at ski school.
Too many levels per class unless you are a complete novice at ski school. |
So bad you went 3 times?
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Lake Louise/Banff
Spent days skiing the same runs over and over again.
only fries and smokies or burgers to eat
45 min bus journey to Sunshine followed by 20 min gondola to ski area to ski same runs over and over again.
its a long way to fly for little return
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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With L2A you have to take into account all the pistes on Pied Moutet (which aren't always open the entire season), all the short runs at resort level and running from one end of the resort to the other. I've been there about 10 times now and last winter skied a couple of runs and took a lift I'd never used before. I don't doubt the 220km s but can understand those who do.
Skiing from the top at 3600m down to Mont de Lans at 1500m via les demoiselles must be 20km or so alone.
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under a new name, Its certainly is irrational to dislike Cervinia just because its was very windy most of the time there but I suppose first impressions count. To be honest there probably isn't anywhere I've been to that I wouldn't go back to but I wouldn't be rushing back there and not just because of the wind.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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L2A agree with all previous comments, and also I have never seen so many blood wagons being used, seems to be populated by out of control nutters - ooh sounds like Blackpool again. Katschburg in Austria tiny report, 1 gondola the rest T bars which I hate, but it was my first ski holiday, hotel was exceptional, and a great experience that got me hooked, but going back would be a bad move, could never be the same - timing, people we went with etc.
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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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NE1, You should've gone to Norquay...
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Corky, As I said, I really wasn't getting at you. I don't much like Cervinia either and wouldn't be rushing back myself!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Arno wrote: |
| what happened to Swirly? |
Prolly topped himself after a season in L2A - Look what it's done to Lizzard 
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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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Piona Brasov, Romania.
A perfect example of you pay for what you get, ok we paid F**k all but if anything got worse in return. Slow old lifts, grumpy "service" appalling food,
shoddy hotel, awful pistes!!!
All round the worst ski holiday ever!
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Poster: A snowHead
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+1 Borovets
Poor conditions
Closed pistes
Old (2nd hand) lift system
Poor / bad food
Dreadful en piste toilets (extra bad given standard of food!!)
Prostitutes
Crooks
Knackered hire equipment
Mafia run bars / shops / resort
Beggars
Smoking in hotels
Crap airport / transfers
.... etc ...
Need I say more ... 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Alpe D'Huez - the resort is too sprawling. The snow was pretty dire last Easter as well.
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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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patricksh, Val d'Isere ............ the French, French prices, Francophiles, p*sshead Euros, muppet Val-luvvies.
Never again, what a waste of some great skiing. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Bansko - only one gondola, massive queues, rubbish hotel. No thank you. 
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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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This my least favourite I've ever been to, and its all relative but:
Alpe d'Huez, horrible town, ugly architecture, weird feeling of isolation up there after travelling up the 20+ tour de france hairpin bends, uncomfortable bucket lifts from the town to the pistes, slushy south-facing slopes. To be honest it's not that the skiing was all that bad, it's just that the town had a weirdly depressing effect which overshadowed everything else.
Really interesting reading everyone's feedback. I think it's good everyone can be honest on this forum. As an example, I visited my 2nd least favourite resort, Soll, shortly after my brother. When asked how it was he said 'great!' and only later told me he thought it was pants - his justification for not being forthcoming was I'd already booked and there was no point bursting my bubble 
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| Quote: |
I'd like to go back to Wengen. Again, partly because it lies in the middle of the Jungfrau region, which I like a lot.
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Wrong thread
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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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| Gnarbeque wrote: |
| bertie bassett wrote: |
| chamonix, chamonix, chamonix |
Can we have a reason why please? I've only been in the spring so never got to enjoy the full potential of the terrain, but still would put it in the category of 'resorts you would go back to'! |
I dislike Chamonix for almost the exact opposite of the reasons why I love the Dolomites (and I've only been to both places for 1x week on a skills clinic, and yes for those of you that are being picky I stayed in Les Houches, not Cham itself) I am an average skier, I have no interest in hiking, touring, skinning or otherwise 'earning your turns' - yep I did that by earning cash to pay for the skipass. I enjoy bombing down empty groomed pistes, a tougher black, the odd bit of bumps, a touch of off-piste and I like nice food / drink as part of my holiday.
Why I dislike Chamonix
a) the pistes are horribly fragmented - you can ski out sections in 2-3 hours then have to get on the bus to ski somewhere different. Dolomites has some 1200km to go at, a lot of which is lift linked.
b) The mountain restaurants have the ambience of a works canteen at the side of the A6 on a wet tuesday in February. In 6 days in the Dolomites, I didn't find one restaurant I didn't like with terrific ambience, views and the food was excellent
c) queuing from 08:00 or earlier for a sniff of powder - purlease, give me an extra hour in bed, the Italians won't be up anyway, and if they are they all bug off at 11:30 or so for a couple of hours for lunch, giving you plenty to go at.
d) No sunshine in the resort until Feb or later - Apres tastes much better in the sunshine (IMHO) - no chance of this in Cham!
There were other irritants about Chamonix, road noise, smog from lorry fumes using the tunnel etc etc, but that could have been just down to staying close to the road in les houches.
I guess it goes to show that we're all different and like different things from skiing holidays - luckily there are more than enough resorts to go around. If you're going to Chamonix, great then go and enjoy it, but don't get suckered into booking it because "it's Chamonix" if you're a piste cruiser or like nice mountain restaurants.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Fri 9-11-12 0:02; edited 1 time in total
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FAQ
