 Poster: A snowHead
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@Feast, I've been to Cervinia loads of times and have always been able to go 'over the top' to Zermatt.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@red 27, Nice one. Thanks.
Where are the places to be skiing in Zermatt then? With a view to off piste and some steeper piste stuff?
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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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@Feast, your life might be easier if your friend can get a bus to near Cervinia...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Feast, And I think I'd re-write my itinerary. From Cervinia I'd be inclined to work my way through Monterosa and up the Dolomites into Austria. Saves at least one very long drive (i.e. to Ishgl).
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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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| skichampcouk wrote: |
@clarky999, Was it the pizza place at the sports club in Villeneuve?
Our son worked in Villeneuve last Summer and he took us to the sports club for a pizza which was pretty good. Our daughter is due out there next Summer so it will be useful to know if we pay her a visit. |
No - at least not then (2009). Actually I didn't even realise there was a sports club!
I can't tell you exactly where it is now, but it was somewhere towards the higher end of the village, on the left hand side as you walk up the hill, and on a small cobbled street.
Are they working for Acorn Adventure?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@clarky999, They have both worked for Acorn.
My daughter will be with them again this winter, as a peak season ski rep in Andorra and then in Villeneuve in Summer after Uni. She has worked in the Ardeche for the last couple of Summers.
My son has just moved to Australia as an outdoor instructor after spending 3 seasons with Acorn, 1 in the Ardeche, 1 in Villeneuve and 1 and a bit at Brecon.
I'll have a look out for the pizza place if we venture there in Summer.
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@Feast, Schwartzee and Stockhorn are the two areas I head for.
It's quite a big day out to get to Stockhorn, but if (like me) you enjoy those kind of 'day-trips' it's a belter, best finished off by enjoying/enduring the world's coldest & longest T-bar to get back into the land of the Dolce Vita 
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@under a new name, I did Monterosa last winter. Any Dolomite recommendations?
@red 27, I will take a look at Schwartzee and Stockhorn areas. Thanks.
Any thoughts on Flims area, as it fits in better with the route up to Austria.
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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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@Feast, I've stayed in the Banhof Zermatt. We were in the bunk rooms. Very cheap but a bit communal. One big saving was there was a kitchen you could use and save on eating out. It's very handy for the station 
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@Feast, cortina is worth a visit, Madonna is nice, not one of my core areas so others may have better suggestions.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@jbob, It does look like a good option. What's the deal with cooking with the kitchen? Everyone en mass?
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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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@under a new name, in logistical terms Madonna Di Campiglio fits in really quite nicely.
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Is there free parking in Les Menuires or should I pay a bit more for a room with some parking?
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You know it makes sense.
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@Feast, fully equipped kitchen, you do your own stuff. I've just looked and dorm rooms are 40chf.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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That's Les Menuires accomodation booked for 19 Jan - 23 Jan at £41/night. Must try harder.
1 down 6 or 7 to go....
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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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@emwmarine, I've looked at that site - it's all pay for parking. The confusion is around is there a free car park?
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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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@Feast,
yes. There is an outdoor car park just below the ucpa that iirc is free for day parking, P4. All the indoor ones are charged for.
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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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@Feast, Madonna is qute nice. The Pinzolo (?) link has to be the longest chained bubble I've ever seen. Quite Italian, skiing quite enough for a few days.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The current route, using www.rome2rio.com and http://www.viamichelin.com/:
1. Calais to Les Menuires - 10 hours, £130 (incl. tolls), 933km
2. Les Menuires to Aime (La Plagne) - 1 hour, £5, 43km
3. Aime to Cervinia via Turin Airport - 4 hours 30 minutes, £85, 360km
4. Cervinia to Flims, via Turin Airport - 6 hours, £85, 475km
5. Flims to Landeck 2 hours 10 minutes, £50, 160km
Landeck as a base for going to Ischgl, Kappl, Galtur, St Anton, Serfaus etc.
6. Landeck to Ried Im Oberintal, via Innsbruck airport 2 hours, £20, 160km
Ried as a based for Serfaus & Fiss
7. Ried to Calais, via Stuttgart, Luxemburg & Brussels 13 hours, £80, 1025
So that's approximately 39 hours (in reality it is far greater than this), £455 (including tolls) and approximately 3,150 km. How I wish I hadn't added this all up... 
Approximate route map excluding the outward and inward journeys to Calais.
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Updated to:
1. CONFIRMED Les Menuires 19 Jan - 23 Jan
2. CONFRIMED Aimes - for access to La Plagne/Les Arc/Sainte Foy 23 Jan - 25 Jan
3. Picking up a friend from Turin then heading to Cervinia 25 Jan - 1 Feb
4. CONFIRMED Wangs for Flims/Laax 1 Feb - 3 Feb
5. CONFRIMED Raggal for Montafon 3 Feb - 5 Feb
6. CONFIRMED Zams for Ischgl & Serfaus 5 Feb - 9 Feb
7. Zell am See - for 4 days with the Mrs
8. Take in Zurich, maybe Salzburg or Brussels on the way home
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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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@red 27, Thanks. Would be great to meet up.
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Just by way of comparison and to help me choose where to go these are daily rates of lift passes for the areas I could access;
Les Menuires 45.70 euro
(Trois Vallees 58 euro)
Les Arc 55.50 euro
La Plagne 49 euro
(Paradski 55.50 euro)
Sainte Foy 29.50 euro [is this correct?]
Cervinia-Zermatt 57 euro
Flims-Laax 61 euro
Davos 57 euro
Pizol 43 euro
Silvretta Montafon 47.5 euro
Ischgl 45 euro
Serfaus 47 euro
Zell am See 47 euro
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Getting a little bit of help with the pre-tour ski prep from the sausage
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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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I have been watching some awesome videos of Seegrube/Nordkette. Consequently Zell am See has been scrapped in place of 5 days staying in Innsbruck.
As anyone got any advice on the best parts of Innsbruck to stay? Would be good to stay close to an area with a few cafe, bars and good restaurants. Would this be near the university area? Guess it would be helpful to be close to Nordkettenbahnen station.
What is Innsbruck like for driving around and car parking?
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@Feast, clarky999 is your man for info on Innsbruck.
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You know it makes sense.
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@cad99uk, been considering sending him a formal invite this thread..
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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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| Feast wrote: |
I have been watching some awesome videos of Seegrube/Nordkette. Consequently Zell am See has been scrapped in place of 5 days staying in Innsbruck.
As anyone got any advice on the best parts of Innsbruck to stay? Would be good to stay close to an area with a few cafe, bars and good restaurants. Would this be near the university area? Guess it would be helpful to be close to Nordkettenbahnen station.
What is Innsbruck like for driving around and car parking?
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Hey Feast.
Best place to stay is somewhere fairly central - Altstadt (old town), Zentrum (centre - Mariatheresenstraße sort of area) or Sowie (near some of the University stuff). All are a very short walk - or right by - bars, cafes, restaurants and the bottom of the Hungerburgbahn, which is the furnicular that takes you from the city centre up to the bottom of the Nordkette cable car (all on the same lift ticket). Sorry, I can't really help with hotel recommendations particularly as I haven't paid much attention to names! If you've been looking at any let me know which and I'll check whereabouts they are. The other option is to stay somewhere near the train station. You'd then be within a couple of minutes walk from bus stops going to Nordkette, Patscherkofel, Axamer Lizum, Stubai, Schlick, etc, and also within a 10-15 minute walk of one of the long term parking areas described below. You could also consider staying near the Löwenhaus stop on the Hungerburgbahn (I think the area has the same name, but I'm not 100%). It's the first stop after the city centre, but also only a 10 minute walk or so from the Altstadt.
Driving is pretty easy - there are some one way streets, but it's still fairly simple to navigate around. Parking is more of a challenge, especially long term. Anywhere in a 'blue zone' (blue lines) you have to pay from 9am-9pm weekdays, and 9am til 12 noon on Saturday (Sundays are free). There are a lot of blue zones around, so it's normally not to hard to find a spot. Places with white dashed lines are only for residents with parking permits. There are a few places where you can park for free as long as you want, but none of them are particularly convenient and most around a 20 minute walk from the centre. If you let me know where you plan to stay I'll try and tel you where the nearest place is but most are pretty obscure and quite hard to describe.... Alternatively, I *think* there is still free parking on some of the side roads in Hungerburg, which is the suburb above Innsbruck where the Nordkette lifts start from. I'll try and find out when I'm there this weekend. If you can park up there, it would be a very short walk to the Hungerburgbahn to go back down to the centre.
And yes, Nordkette (Seegrube is the middle station/restaurant area, though lots of locals jsut call the ski area 'die Grub'n') is awesome!!
Let me know if you have any more questions.
I hope my rambling makes sense; I've had a few beers this evening 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks @clarky999,
That's really useful. We've got an apartment on the south eastern side of the city centre, fairly close to the train station. With really easy car access to the autobahn.
You are very welcome to come and have a beer, but you are likely to be out west I suspect.
Does the full area pass get you up to the Nordkette from the town centre, or do you have to pay for that part of the journey?
The lady we are renting off is sort me a residents parking spot for the week, at 5 euro a night. Seems like good value, compared to the alternatives.
Right. Must start packing.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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AAAHHHHH Put new batteries in my transceiver, because I thought the old ones were dead, now it's not working!!! 
Quickly Batman, to Edge & Wax.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@pam w, that Geography degree I got. WORTHLESS. Utterly worthless.
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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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Day 1 Sussex to Les Menuires
All in all a very quiet uneventful ferry crossing and drive down through France, had an audio book on the whole way which made it go really quickly. Left Sussex around 12 midday and arrived in Les Menuires just after 4am. Had a little 45 minute snooze in the car at some generic petrol stations in the middle of generic France.
First impressions driving into Les Menuires were that it felt like arriving in Tignes. That's not a good thing. The Aesthetics aren't the most pleasing, with multiple towering concrete eyesores jutting out of the mountain side. AirBnB accomodation worked out well; spacious, clean and comparitively cheap, even if it is on the 7th floor of afformentioned Castle Greyskull.
Shower. Cereal. Black coffee. Get lift pass. Ski.
I always find the first few hours of the season a tad trixy. The low light wasn't helping. On the plus side the snow felt good; grippy and soft, with only the odd hardpacked tuffet. I was struck by the large number of lifts sprawled across the mountain sides in Les Menuires and Val Thoren, more than any other resort I have visited.
Met up with a mate in VT who is learning to snowboard. So pootled around with them in the afternoon in glorious sunshine. Abosultely nailed it back to Les Menuires as I started to find my feet.
Contemplating breaking out the Fly Swatters tomorrow to bash some crud. See how my legs feel in the morning.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Feast wrote: |
Thanks @clarky999,
That's really useful. We've got an apartment on the south eastern side of the city centre, fairly close to the train station. With really easy car access to the autobahn.
You are very welcome to come and have a beer, but you are likely to be out west I suspect.
Does the full area pass get you up to the Nordkette from the town centre, or do you have to pay for that part of the journey?
The lady we are renting off is sort me a residents parking spot for the week, at 5 euro a night. Seems like good value, compared to the alternatives.
Right. Must start packing. |
No worries!
Yep the area pass lets you use the Hungerburgbahn up from the city, but if you're near the train station you're probably better taking the bus line J (you can find timetables here: http://www.ivb.at/en/) which takes you to the same place (or Patsherköfel lifts in the other direction), and is also free if you're in ski kit.
When exactly will you be in IBK? Would be cool to meet up if I'm around.
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Sundays logistics
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Day 2 Meribel & Val Thoren
Mild panic at the statr of the day as my tranciever kept turning itself off, which did not inspire confidence. Upon further inspcetion there was dried battery juice on one of the battery terminals. Cleaned this off and it's work fine all day.
Before 10am I had been massively sharked, bull shark I think, directly underneath Combes chair. Proper ski off, front flip job. Tip of my left ski managed to wedge itself underneath a rock. This served as a fantastic eye opener and I tread a little more carefully for the rest of the day.
There was plenty of nice soft stuff still around, but plenty of crud as well, which I don't mind. Picking the faces oriented away from direct sunlight is important now after a few sunny days.
Met some lovely Sweedish chaps who made me look like a beginner. Classic chair lift conversation, then end up skiing with them.
Went out with a mate in the afternoon who is now a day 4 snowboarder. His progress in mindblowing. He came down Cristaux black run today with me, without batting an eyelid. He didn't just get down either, actually looked like he'd been doing it for 4 weeks. That's kite boarders for you.
French Onion soup now.
Metaphorically stumbled across this lovely little relict this morning.
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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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| Feast wrote: |
| Met some lovely Sweedish chaps who made me look like a beginner |
They're all like that, the basterds! Must be in their DNA.
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@Zero_G, they were from Lund, which they advise me is flat and rainy. It just doesn't make sense.
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FAQ
