 Poster: A snowHead
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bertie bassett,
You've pretty much summed up my thoughts re. Cham, but couldn't be bothered to list.
Add cranky old lifts, crowded buses and pretentious, pricey bars.
I'll also take the Dolies everytime. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| geoffknight wrote: |
| 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... |
In January it seemed to be loads of Russians going mental. The women were just skiing around all prim and proper in rhinestone encrusted all-in-one suits while the blokes hooned around on snowboards taking out all and sundry. I had a bit of a set-to with one after he decided to join the piste I was on and scrape across my board at a millions MPH.
I saw probably three heli rescues and countless bloodwagons. Mind you, three people in my chalet had to get carted down with a fine array of injuries
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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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What an interest! Great when people are honest. Even though (most of us) don't know each other, we all get so PC on forum and afraid to criticize anywhere in case 30 snowheads reply in serious anger how wrong we are
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Seems to be that aside from Borovets, L2A is coming off worst. Funnily enough, I've been there before, and would always have been afraid of saying I wouldn't go back because I thought it was crap until this. Would not go back to Livigno or Arinsal either. I have not stayed in Meribel but to me was always somewhere you would ski through so wouldn't stay there. La Plagne getting mixed reviews also. My experience of LP is skiing there from Les Arcs. I would definitely not be interested in a week there
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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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| Mr Piehole wrote: |
| pam w wrote: |
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its end-of-day carnage on the main routes down
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I've never skied down in L2A. Quite happy to ride down in a lift. Why do people insist on skiing down in resorts known to provide a poor experience of skiing down - and then moan about it? |
Apparently in L2A it's so they can experience the full 10km of pistes, instead of limiting themselves to the upper 7km. |
Based on L2A having supposedly 200km of pistes, I spent YEARS avoiding resorts that could have been great because I thought they'd be too small! Their 200km doesn't seem to add up. That's exactly same as Les Arcs !! Les Arcs (without La Plagne) sure seems to be 2 or 3 times as extensive
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| Quote: |
we all get so PC on forum and afraid to criticize anywhere in case 30 snowheads reply in serious anger
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here's no silly reluctance to criticise here, I can assure you. It's all some people do.
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I will echo Courmayeur as well. No more than a day's skiing, and nothing very challenging or interesting. Would be hugely bored if I went there for a week. (We went there for a day trip from Pila - wouldn't go there again either! Although doing the Vallee Blanche was worth it)
I'm surprised at the hate for La Plagne. I've always stayed in Plagne Centre and enjoyed it being ski in-ski out. I've found a good variety of terrain with a decent lift system. There are indeed many motorway blues but there also some enjoyable reds and blacks and long, long runs - plus you can ski high glacier terrain or right down through trees. There's enough apres in Centre to keep me happy as well, Scotty's is quite good and handy when you're staying in the hotel above it!
But each to their own of course.
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Kitzbuhel, sheet ice and windy in Jan 2007. With good snow, a different matter entirely!!
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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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Iso-syote in Finland. But only because it's so small (1 little hill a few hundred metres high) and quiet (definitely a contender for the no après thread), for the right skier it's a great place and I list it with reluctance as it's where I learnt to ski. Can't fault the snowfall either, but a high mileage skier who likes a challenge would be bored in a couple of hours.
Interestingly, as regards the rest of this thread, I received a printed brochure this morning from a TO not unknown in these parts. As I quickly flicked through, a glaring error smacked me in the face - the resort pages of Tignes and Val d'Isere accompanied by a piste map for Les Deux Alpes!
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Skiings too expensive to get so wrong. Buy a 'Where to ski guide' - no connection with publishers honest!
Oh Rossendale if I must! Bad thumb injury on the matting.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| 5RED wrote: |
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.
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hmm Alpe d'Huez, did not really mention earlier as I've been there only for a day and the weather was very bad, we did not see much etc. - I try not to judge because of this weather...
But for some reasons I would not pay to go back there. We spend half day in this bucket lift, the other half in ugly indoor shopping centre, which was just not right there.
I looked at the piste map, runs and photos since coming back - it is just nothing there to make me choose it over other resorts.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Fri 9-11-12 16:36; edited 2 times in total
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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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| 5RED wrote: |
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  |
i love the skiing at ADH but would always stay at Vaujany or in the valley
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bertie bassett, You see, if you had arrived here, with those criteria, I for one would have been the last person in the world to suggest you come to Chamonix.
Horses for courses.
(although my local apres ski bar, just below the Brevent, does have afternoon sunshine).
And I will disagree with you about skiing area out in 2-3 hours.
But with the exception of Les Houches, more or less the mountain restaurants are not the draw.
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You know it makes sense.
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It's a little unfair to say you wouldn't return to a place because of the weather. Every place gets shite weather sometimes, that's just a part of the game. I'm more apt to judge a place by it's skiing & lift layout (crowded lift queues or no?).
I've yet to find a place I wouldn't return to. Although I certainly have my favorites...
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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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| Quote: |
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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I think from the very top of the glacier to the very bottom it is 24km - did it wiht the ski host as a 'race' although after he did the rout once slow and guided everyone else decided they wouldn't ski the whole thing in one go. My legs were seriously burning when I got to the bottom! The flat flat flat bit that has a drop on the R hand side put most people off.
I wouldn't go back to L2A if I was choosing resorts, because I have been there 2 times in winter and 3 or 4 times in summer and would rather try new places. If my friends really wanted to go there I would probably go with them rather than not.
Like wise Les Carroz I wouldn't choose to go back to, I thought the runs were generally pretty poor. Lots of crappy linking runs and spent the whole time missioning it over to Flaine, doing a few runs and missioning it back again.
Cham I wasn't massively keen on either - didn't like the small and separate nature of the ski area. Didn't like having to get a bus. Again, if people wanted to go and were organsing a trip I wouldn't say no.
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Poster: A snowHead
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kat.ryb, Never is that 24km. more like 15 at a push i would have thought.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
I will echo Courmayeur as well. No more than a day's skiing, and nothing very challenging or interesting.
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is this the same Courmayeur I go to? what about all the routes served from the top of the Youla/Arpe, or the Italian faces down from Monte Bianco lift (the couloir onto the Toule glacier certainly challenged me). Admittedly I only ever go over for the day (and the top Helbronner station is closed this season) but really nothing challenging, you can't be looking for it hard enough?
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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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midgetbiker, we were there as a mixed-ability group skiing on piste. They were very limited - I should have clarified that. Off-piste might be marvellous.
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| Fattes13 wrote: |
Val De Nuria in Spain, I sitll have nightmares of teaching there  |
hah, how did that come about? I don't think it'll be hitting the TO's brochures any time soon...
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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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One other thing occurs to me.
Now I appreciate that SHs are the cognoscenti of the skiing world, but...
There are many comments about areas being unchallenging, easy to "ski it all and get bored", etc.
I have skied many of these areas.
I know how I ski, from 'structors and coaches feedback.
I know I find great pleasure in the simplest of slopes and turns, I don't get bored easily.
But I am finding it hard to reconcile my experiences, my perception of the general skiing public's overall ability and some of the comments on here.
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under a new name, I'm certainly no expert, and yes I enjoy practicing but I would find skiing a small number of easy runs every day for a week quite boring. I like variety, mileage and a sense of travel. Of course, pretty much any skiing and simply being in the mountains is better than sitting at a desk.
If my choice was Courmayeur or nothing, I'd go there and make the best of it.
It's simply that given a choice, I think there are much better resorts.
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Arno, interesting tip re ADH, thanks. Staying in Vaujany might be a better idea.
kat.ryb, as a late beginner/early intermediate I loved Les Carroz! Perhaps though there's not quite enough there for someone advanced...
Choosing resorts we didn't like based on our ability, now that could really keep this thread going for quite some time 
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For me Saas Fee was very disappointing, it was early January and not all the runs were open but it seemed very limiting and a lot of the suff on the glacier wasn't very exciting (flattish)
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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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Piccadilly, I wasn't singling you out! 
But it does occur to me that one's skiing companions and their abilities make an immense difference...
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under a new name, agreed, I've had several epic holidays in la Rosiere and apparently it is very limited and mundane.
One of the best days skiing I had was lapping the top half of one run in Wagrain. That said, it was quite wide.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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under a new name, that is true - and of course the conditions.
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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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| Quote: |
But I am finding it hard to reconcile my experiences, my perception of the general skiing public's overall ability and some of the comments on here.
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+1
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I agree with under a new name, and can't really believe some of the comments on this thread. It seems as if I must have gone to all the resorts you're complaining about at better times.
Yes, it rained in Whistler village some days when we were there but that meant we were getting fresh snow over the top of both mountains. There is so much variety, we felt that we hadn't covered it all in 12 days. On our day off we even went and bought extra day tickets to go skiing!
In L2A it was warm and we couldn't ski all the way down but we found a couple of great runs near the glacier, Signal, Glacier and Fee, and just mixed it up, especially as no queues for the lifts. The town was quiet but we found a cute French bar and chatted to the locals.
Yes, Bansko had queues for the gondola but we just got up earlier for the rest of the week and were at the front of the queue.
We went to Borovets early in our skiing progression, so we didnt need miles of piste, and we got fantastic fresh snow most days. Also we must have have had the only competent ski instructors in the resort, or maybe we were good students, as on our second and third weeks we were being taught just off-piste and switch.
We try not to go the same resorts twice but that's because there are so many to try and we like to explore. If its a big resort like 3V we can explore all week, if it's smaller resort we find our favourite runs and play around with fine tuning our technique.
I just think there's no such thing as a bad ski resort and if anyone wants to let me have their holidays, I'll happily step in and suffer for you wherever it is...
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You know it makes sense.
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| oofaafuu wrote: |
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.  |
I'd do the transatlantic flight and 5h 30min transfer to Jasper if only to eat the AAA alberta beef prime rib at Tonquins, I've neve had better. I returned to Jasper as they had a bargain offer and no single supplement at the Astoria. The Dead Dog Pub is my kind of red neck drinking establishment and their breakfast skillet is enormous. There was only me for the transfer from Calgary & so I got a private tour with "Fat City Fred" c/w comentary about the ice fields. We stopped to view wild life and watch the ice climbers. The town itself is a long strip alonside the railway where the mile long trains are marshalled and elk wander freely down the street.
The transfer to the hill was a friendly affair with the 80 y.o. bus driver being ticketed by the highway patrol officer who had known him for years. for pulling out into the deserted road without signalling. He should have had the freedom after living there for 80 years. The ski area may be small but I met some lovely people on the lifts, one a bearded free-heeler who turned out to be a ranger in the wilderness he invited me join him down the gnarliest bit like the "rock garden". I spent a fair time sat around a brazier chewing the fat with locals (some from Edmonton for the day ! - a 4 hr drive). After a big storm and major dump of snow I had a glorious day making tracks.
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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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I have been reflecting, during an unsuccessful trip in search of some new racing skis. There is a new and disappointing lack of reality locally as to what second hand, no longer within rules, with hardly any edge left are worth!
That aside, I really wonder just howbig a factor comoany is?
We are lucky enough to ski largely with mates who are all fast, fit and up for most thing. It's got to be pretty bad for us not to have a bit of a giggle.
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Poster: A snowHead
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There are roughly 2100 ski resorts in 70 countries worldwide.
Truth is, about 2050 of those suck.
Most are too small, too boring, too flat, etc. etc.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Whitegold, Excellent, we were all awaiting your wisdom with bated breath. Thank you, thank you.
OK folks, thread's over, you can all go home now.
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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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Yeah, phew. Although I do wonder which are the lucky 50 that Whitegold, would deign to visit.
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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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+ For ADH, depressing place; as a friend says “only good thing to do in ADH is leave”.
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Verbier. Not its fault that the Sfr is so strong against the pound but (and it was a long time ago) the lift queues for the gondola were absurd. Add to that poor snow conditions (plain unlucky) and falling most of the way down Tortin (obviously due to conditions -not my lack of ability) and it wasn't the best week I've ever had.
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ADH is a great place for a bike ride though.
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Wengen -- brilliant place to visit once but skiing can be bettered nearby, and the town died in the 1950's and someone tried to resuscitate it with a charisma bypass operation
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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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Agenterre, Don't quite fit in at the DHO club then? 
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fatbob, I suspect the feeling would be mutual 
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