 Poster: A snowHead
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Here goes, forced me to remember:
Innsbruck
Igls
Cortina
Courmeyer
Chamonix (lots)
Chatel (lots)
St Anton (lots)
Tignes
Courcheval 1850
Val Thorens
Les Menuires
Verbier
Kitzbuhel
Risoul (only once - Hooray)
Vars (likewise)
Alpe D'Huez
Vaujany
Morzine
Argentiere
Les Arcs
La Plagne
Sugarloaf
La Rosiere 1850 don't want to go any where else now, must be getting old.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Risoul, Vars, "hooray"? I love both (ok architecture aside). Some of the friendliest people, and superb tree skiing in the 'forêt blanche'. Given the choice between La Rosière and Vars/Risoul.... hmm.
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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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First and last are in the right order :-
La Plagne
Westendorf
Megeve
Les Karelis,
La Toussuire,
Areche
Chatel
Font Romeu,
La Clusaz
Meribel
Courchevel
Val Thorens
Tignes
Val d’ Isere
Kitzbuhel
S Anton, Lech, Zurs
Arinsal/ Pal, Arcalis
Les Deux Alpes
Pralognan
Wengen, Grindlewald, Murren
Davos/Klosters
St Moritz
Passo Tonale
Canezei, Selva, Arabba, Cortina
Sauze d’Oulx, Sestriere
Claviere, Montgenevre
Banff,
Whistler
Heavenly, Sierra, Kirkwood, Squaw Valley
Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude,Park, City
Zermatt/ Cervinia
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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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Dec '99- Jan '00 Zermatt (New Year week)
April 00 Val Thorens
Dec 00- Jan 01 Combloux (NY week)
Mar- Apr 01 Meribel (4 weeks!)
Dec 01 Val d'Isere
Dec 01- Jan 02 Zermatt (NY week)
March 02 Tignes
Dec 02 Val d'Isere
Jan 03 Val Thorens
Mar 03 Zell am See, Bad Gastein, Saalbach, Hintertal
April 03 Les Deux Alpes
Dec 03 Courchevel
Dec 03-Jan 04 La Plagne (NY week)
April 04 Val Thorens- and can't wait 
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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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Cannot recall dates:
Obergurgl
Solden (summer and winter)
Westendorf
Hintertux (summer)
St Anton
Livigno
Macugnaga
Tignes
Val d'Isere
Courchevel 1850
Of these my favourites are Val d'Isere and St Anton
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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2001 Livigno 6 days
2002 Injured
2003 Arinsal and Pal 6 days
2003/2004 Oberstdorf 8 days
2004 (last week) Les Arcs 6 days
plus three or four days on dry slopes with some pretty sore thumbs! 
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Peter Ross, Welcome to snowHeads! You chose a good week to visit Les Arcs, even if you won't have got much of a tan!... but at least the weather was cool and there was plenty of powder.... It's been pretty warm and windy here since, so the lower slopes have taken a bit of a battering...
Hope you enjoyed your visit to the Tarentaise valley...
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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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Wasn't going tobother but Elizabeth B said it is a mad house so here I go
Chamonix
Les Houches
Oppdal(Norway)
Courchevel
Are(Sweden)
Megeve/St. Gervais/Rochebrune
Flaine/La Carroz/Morilon/Sameon
Deux Alpes
L’Aples D’ Huez
Val D’lsere
Geilo(Norway)
Hemsedal(Norway)
Wengen/First/Murren
Courmayeur
Verbier
La Thuile
Les Gets/Morzine
Glenshee(Scotland)
Cairngorrn(Scotland)
Whistler/Blackcomb
Crans Montana
Meribel
Val Thoren
Zell am See
Kaprun
Saalbach/Hiterglemm/Leogang
Bad Gastein
Ellmau/Going/Schefau/Soll/Hopgraten/Brixental
Westendorf
Alpbach
Kitzbuhel
St Johann in Tirol
Les Contamines
Avoriaz
Tignes
Les Arc
La Plagne
La Rosiere
Valmorel
Some visited more than once and all of them in 6 years. Always with a car; a Nissan Primera, Renault Scenic, Toyota RAV4, VW van, GM MPV and Mitsubishi Shogun.
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When did you visit Oppdal saikee ? and what did you think of it? (if you don't mind me asking)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Spent my millennium (year 2000 New year) there with my bother family together. I guess all Norwegian resorts are small relative to Austria/Italy/France/Switzerland. I went there within 12 months of learning to ski and just looking at the slopes from the chairlift could wet my pants. Generally I like all the Scandinavian resorts I visited because facilities are generally well maintained and orderly. Visitors are treated politely as guests (can't say that for France). As an example I went to Are (with 100km piste) a year later in Christmas. There wasn't much snow and only a limited chairlifts were available. The resorts were free to everyone for 3 days. When the number of chairlifts had increased to a satisfactory level then they started charging for the ski pass. Compare that with La Plagne the French wants money even before I could use their toilets.
Oppdal has 14 lifts (mostly buttons and T-bars) and 38 trail runs. The longest is about 9km long. The published ski length is 80km. We stayed in self-catering and had plenty of snow.
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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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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks guys
Always thought Verbier has to be approached through Martigny along the road to Col du Grand St. Bernard. Will try Sion side next time via Nendaz then.
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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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DAVID SNELL, yes, a great place. Haven't been there for a few years now, but I do miss sitting in a chalet garden after a hard days skiing supping beer while staring across the valley. Ski-in-ski-out resorts may have convenience, but they don't have this shangri-la of Green in the valley, but Snow just above. Another favourite run of mine is from Tracout down to Nendaz (when snow allows). Happy memories. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks saikee, I was interested because I spent a couple of days there last week. (I've posted a few pics here) I'm not surprised you thought the slopes were pant dampening after 1 week! The Norwegians are brill thiough aren't they 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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saikee, I'm worried you think you can drive to Verbier via Nendaz. You can't. But you can ski to Verbier from there.
Nendaz is rather like Meribel to Courchevel or Val Thorens. It's in the middle of a large linked complex: easy to ski, but a fortune by taxi!
One of the great advantages of Nendaz is you can get to Tortin or Mont Fort much quicker than you can from Verbier. And no Hooray Henries in sight. Great place, but bring your own entertainment.
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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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Jonpim, For about the last 7 years there has been a 12 pax gondola out of Nendaz Station which is a great improvement. Another congestion spot has been removed from the Siviez side of Greppon Blanc with a second button from halfway to the top. All Les Collons near Thyon 2000 is now on the pass, and this year Evolene (only linked by an early bus and late free bus from Mayens de l'Ours is included in the Printze pass. We usually book an apartment with Interhome who give a 10% reduction to the Ski Club.
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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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Jonpim
I meant one can go skiing in Verbier by driving to Nendaz.
Normally I station in Chamonix and come over Switzerland by the 10-hairpin bends Col du la Forclaz to reach Martigny (only 27 miles). The road to Grand St. Bernard is quite twisty but the motorway to Sion is a fast road. I was thinking of turn off just before Sion and snake into Nendaz.
Both Nendaz and Verbier can be reached by cars and one can drive from one place to another. Your warning, according to my interpretation, is don't do it by taxi (say in a situation after missing the last chairlift). I agree unlike Meribel and Courchevel there is no bus link in this Swiss resort.
Alan Craggs
I was a beginner then and seeing skiers charging down a black slope without the need to see its bottom or sudden drop in front was really something for me because I was high above on the chairlift with a good bird eye view. With more experience I now know those guys must have skied the same slope a few times before they could develop such confidence.
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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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Here goes -
Hillend dry ski slope - Edinburgh
Rissoul
Zell am Zee
Crans Montana
Can't remember a couple inbetween, they were that good!
Soldeu
Avoriaz/Morzine
Whistler twice plan to go back
St Anton four times plan to go back
Val d'Isere loads will continue to go back
Places that I've not yet skied, but want to -
3Vs
Verbier
Cortina/Courmayeur/anywhere in Italy
The sudtyrol in the dolomites
Aspen
Jackson Hole
Alaska
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We started skiing in Feb 2003 - went to Seefeld, Austria - good beginning.
Dec 2003 - skied in Obergurgl - could ski blues and easy reds.
Feb 2004 - skied in Saas Fee - lovely.
March 2004 - skied in Soldeu - crap ski school, crap food, lovely confidence skiing for early intermediates - didn't like the 'ere we go, 'ere we go' crowd!!
March 2004 - skied in Lech - best yet - will go again. Fabulous everything! We skied the 'White Run' circuit from Lech to Zurs and back. Now we are confident red parallel skiers.
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erica, welcome. You am Hooked! 
You started skiing only a year ago and have been 5 times so far, including 2 trips in March this year. Wow! (and just a little envious).
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Not nearly enough places really, too many years when I couldn't go 
St Moritz (3 times in the late 70's & early 80's)
Kaprun/Zell am Zee
Montgenevre
Saas Fee
Schladming
Wagrain/Flachau
Mayrhofen/Hintertux/Zell am Ziller
Finkenberg/Tux/Mayrhofen
Canazei/Sella Ronda
..... to be continued!
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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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I'm a total newbie to the sport but here you are!
Xmas 2002- Kranjska Gora, slovenia- Hmm, what can we say...v. poor snow
Xmas 2003- La Thuile, Italy- had an amazing time, lots of snow and perfect blue sky most days.
2005?- looking doubtful
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Scotland: Glencoe, Cairngorm, Aonach Mor, Glenshee, The Lecht
France: Tignes/VdI, 3V, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Chamonix, Ste Foy, La Rosiere, Alpe d'Huez, Chatel
Switzerland: Zermatt, Saas Fee, Wengen/Grindelwald, Murren, Arolla, Verbier/Nendaz
Austria: St Anton, Lech/Zurs, Alpbach, Soll, Ischgl/Samnaun, Galtur, Altenmarkt/Zauchensee/Wagrain, Saalbach, Gasteins, Schladming, Dienten, Sonnenkopf, Zell am See/Kaprun, Zell am Ziller/Gerlos
Italy: Cervinia, Courmayeur, La Thuile
Spain: Sierra Nevada
USA: Alta/Snowbird, Solitude, Brighton, Park City, Deer Valley, Canyons, Snowbasin, Sundance
...and probably a few more that I've forgotten about!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Whistler, Silver Star, Kicking Horse
Val d'Isere, 3V, most places within 1.5 hours from Geneva
St Anton
Sheffield
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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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From memory, it is all a bit vague, so far for this season:
Le Lioran
Chamrousse
Le Sappey en Chartreuse
Lelex
Val d'Isere
Sainte Foy
Grand Bornand
Mont Joux (sp?)
La Mongie/Pic du Midi
Porté Puymorens
Les Deux Alpes
St Colomban
all French resorts
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West to East
Whistler/Blackcomb + heli ski day out of Whistler
Blue River -- Heli Skiing
Mount Baker
Squaw Valley
Alpine Meadows
Mammoth Mountain + heli ski day in Sierras out of Mammoth
Snowbird
Alta
Brighton
Solitude
Park City
Deer Valley
Sun Valley
Grand Targhee
Jackson Hole
Steamboat
Winter Park
Loveland
Arapahoe Basin
Keystone
Copper Mtn.
Vail/Beaver Creek
Aspen/Snowmass/Highlands/Buttermilk
Taos
Seven Springs, Jack Frost -- Pennsylvania
Kissing Bridge, Song Mountain, Toggenburg, Cazenovia Ski Club, Labrador, Greek Peak, Hunter Mtn., Snow Ridge, West Mountain, Whiteface -- New York
Jay Peak, Stowe, Smuggler's Notch, Bolton Valley, Burke Mtn., Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, Middlebury College Snow Bowl, Ascutney Mtn., Quechee, Suicide Six, Pico, Killington, Okemo, Stratton, Bromley, Mt. Snow -- Vermont
Powder Ridge -- Connecticut
Butternut Basin, Berkshire East, Neshoba Valley -- Massachusetts
Dartmouth Skiway, Waterville Valley, Mount Cranmore -- New Hampshire
Sugarloaf -- Maine
Val d"Isere
Ste. Foy
Les Arcs/La Plagne
La Rosiere/La Thuile
Courmayeur
Megeve
Chamonix/Argentiere
Portes du Soliel -- Champery, Avoriez, Chatel, Morzine, Morgin
Verbier -- on Haute Route
Cervinia/Valtournenche
Zermatt
Saas Fee
Champoluc
Gressoney
Alagna
Macugnaga
Bernese Oberland -- ski touring from Jungfraujoch
Andermatt
Davos/Klosters
Diavolezza
Livigno
Santa Caterina -- ski touring in Ortler Group
Lech, St. Anton, Stuben, St. Christoph
Silvretta -- ski touring
Stubai -- ski touring
Dolomites -- San Martino di Castrozza, Falcade, Passo San Pelligrino, Marmolada, Arabba, Passo Pordoi, Covara, Lagazoui, Passo Falzarego, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Sexten
Grossglockner -- ski touring
Oetztal -- ski touring
Hintertux
Zillertal -- ski touring
Dachstein -- summer x-c skiing
Start -- December 1958 -- most recent -- April 9, 2004 Zillertal.
Updated May '08
Bivio -- ski touring '08
Andermatt/Oberalppass -- ski touring '06
Oetztal/Val Senales -- ski touring '07
St. Moritz
Last edited by 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  on Tue 11-08-09 20:28; edited 2 times in total
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You know it makes sense.
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choucas,
You do put in a lot of mileage here. Any favourite country or favourite resort?
What sort of time you do in a ski touring?
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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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Ski touring in the spring. April and May. I've tried to do a touring trip every year since the early '80s, but sometimes I miss. I do fewer trips that require stays in huts these days preferring the creature comforts of a hotel. Austria seems the best for good hotels with nearby access to good touring terrain. Austria also seems to do a better job all around a delivering a great total skiing experience....hospitality, ambience, quality of services, and some great skiing terrain. I like to ski late in the season, March or later. Fewer crowds, better snow, better weather, longer days, and sometimes better prices.
Regarding resorts, Zermatt is an all time favorite in spite of its shortcomings. It's just one of those special places. I like the French mountains, but I don't like the French resorts. I like the smaller resorts with big skiing, like Gressoney. Fewer people, awesome ski terrain, reliable snow, great food, reasonably priced, good quality, convenient accommodations. I find that the big resorts are too big and they deminish the quality of the skiing experience. Lots of lifts and hundreds of kms of pistes don't necessarily make for a better skiing experience, in fact they can yield the reverse. St. Anton, Verbier, Chamonix, Val d'Isere are great for partying and they have great ski terrain and lift facilities. But all those people minimize your chances of finding untracked snow for more than a run or two after a snowfall. You are on a one week holiday and you end up competing with every ski bum in town to try to beat them to their special powder stash. That's a game you can't win. I've spent a week skiing with a guide at some of the lesser known European resorts listed above and never crossed another track. Yes,there's some hiking involved and you might only get 2-3 runs a day, but the skiing experience is well worth the time and effort. Snow doesn't need to reside in a famous resort to be enjoyable.
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Poster: A snowHead
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choucas,
I like Austria too for identical reasons;hospitality, ambience, quality of services, and some great skiing terrain.
Haven't got a favourite resort yet.
I think many of us do not have 46 years of skiing experience to judge what is the best for us. To learn the sport we have to go through different gradients, various conditions and graduate from the groomed piste first before going off-piste.
Also unless we have seen the big guns like St. Anton, Verbier, Chamonix, Val d'Isere, 3 Vallee etc we cannot be sure how the skiing world actually looks like.
Chair facility is another issue too. Beginners need a lot of practise and plenty of chairlifts will help. Big resorts also have a large variety of different slopes to fit in nicely with the progressing skiers.
There are skiers who are forced to give up the chance of better skiing in favour of staying with the family, less able partner or friends.
I take it when we have acquired all the skill needed, seen all the different skiing resorts and still have the strength to do some hiking (not everybody manages to learn skiing early in life) then we could have a more selected and enjoyable skiing by touring around.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Good points. Not trying to come off as a been-there-done-that-know-it all. I was fortunate to have grown up where I could ski almost every day. After all these years, I still find skiing presents wonderful challenges and rewards along with even greater opportunities of spending quality time in beautiful places with my family and with friends new and old. These are the special pleasures that skiing offers to everyone regardless of experience or ability.
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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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Thanks again Choucas
Took up skiing very late and been with the sport only 6 years. Like to learn more from the skiers with experience, skill and knowledge. This site has been fantastic.
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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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PG and Elizabeth B, thank you for the welcome! I was another one that was lost when the SCGB shut me out! I really enjoyed my visit to Les Arcs, the snow was wonderful for the time of year but visibility wasn't great some days, I know what being blind feels like! I loved the water jump although I didn't do it, three of our group did, 2 successful and one got wet at three-quarter distance! It was great watching as he crashed into the water! DG have you done this? Is it possible with normal skis? The two that got across had fat skis. I would definitely come back.
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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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Ouch! Not sure which is worst, trying to remember where you've been or realising that other people have done a ridiculous amount of skiing/resorts. V jealous!!
But here goes.
1993 - Somewhere in Italy (Not a good start on the memory front!)
1997 - Les Arcs
1998 - Austria (some god foresaken minor resort)
1999 - Val D'Isere (now we're talking)
2000 - Avoriaz
2001 - Val Thorens
2002 - Verbier
2003 - Morzine
2004 - Morzine and Tignes
2004 - Not booked yet but going back to Val'D'isere/Morzine or Les Arcs for New Year)
2005 - Morzine
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Some of the following are multiple visits, over the years. I have all of the lift passes scattered about the house, this may make me go find them all...
La Bourboulle (?)
Valloire
Serre Chevalier
Les Arcs
Var
Val d'isere
Borovets (Bulgaria)
La Plagne
Tokyo ski dome (!)
Slovenia (which one?)
Courchevel 1850
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Just thought I'd resurrect this thread for any new members to add to
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Hmm...
Lecht 2090 (weekends)
Nevis Range (weekends)
CairnGorm Mtn (season pass)
Glencoe (weekends)
Tignes (summer and winter)
Val d'Isere (winter)
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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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Glenshee
Lecht
La Clusaz
Chamonix (whole season)
Val D'Isere
Tignes
Sauze D'Oulx
Sestriere
Norquay
Sunshine Village
Lake Louise
Panorama
Val Thorens
Norway:
Stavjørn
Ålsheia
Fidjeland
Sauda
Røldal
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FAQ
