 Poster: A snowHead
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@Harrow lady, Any place in particular you recommend in the Dolomites? I'm thinking a last minute Feb school holiday or Easter trip.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Over the years we have skied in many resorts and four different countries, mainly France though, we usually only went to a resort a couple of times but this is our third time in st gervais, this time five weeks, it's so easy to get to Geneva to pick up family and big areas if you have the mont blanc unlimited pass, accommodation isnt silly price and a nice town, in some ways the dolomites are preferable but my Italian is nearly non existent but I can get by quite well in french and enjoy the challenge of learning more each time and france is easier to drive to
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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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Alpe d'Huez - going back again in a week or so after a brief hiatus to the 3V last year.
Looking forward to it. It is errr, just very pleasant without the pretentious feel of a Meribel or Courchevel but has the varied terrain and quantity of offering to match those resorts. Also, whilst not exactly cheap, you don't have to cack yourself as you enter a mountain restaurant. It is also very sunny - although that may have kybosched my week of blue sky now 
Les Arcs - I picked it originally as it was a very cheap apartment deal but returned as it is a fantastic and very interesting ski area - has a few very good bars, Arpette (although they may have spoilt that a bit with "improvements".
Valmorel - returned several times when my daughters were growing up as it is, simply, a great resort if you have kids.
La Rosiere - went to a fab chalet with youngest daughter first. We had a superb time and met some great people in quite a "social, drinking week" for me. The chalet staff and people really looked after my then 12 year old like she was one of the gang. I can never thank Ski Olympic enough for that trip - there was guiding then that was superb and the social side of the chalet was excellent. You know when you get those hols where you see your offspring evolve before your eyes - this was one of those occasions and no doubt shaped my daughter to be quite outgoing and independent and well mannered. I went back a few times as love the ski into Italy and La Roz is pretty - the long drags aren't that much of a drag to me and Black 3 and 5 in La Thuile, whilst steep as hell are wide and a nice challenge in the way that narrower blacks have no enjoyment.
All those resorts have one thing in common, other than being French - they are all surrounded by impressive peaks. The pasture land resorts don't do it for me in quite the same way.
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St Anton. Many reasons… saw it featured in an Aussie ski magazine, train stopped there on a summer vacation and triggered a memory of the article, and it was in one of the brochures I picked up at a ski show. Twenty years later, we are still coming here annually, except for the covid year.
It is like coming home. We have made many friends here, including a couple a couple we would consider our closest friends.
When you have found the best, the rest doesn’t matter…
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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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Always about the snow for me.
What's under my feet - the base - and what is falling prior to my visit and/or may fall during my visit.
Tend to book a destination less than a week out, after my partner has already booked the time off work.
My job is to find somewhere with great conditions, reasonably priced, somewhere new preferably, things to do off snow.
Been able to have great weeks in El Tarter, Andorra with Neilson; Cortina, Italy with Inghams; and Arinsal, Andorra with Crystal all for under £400 Half Board
And Gudauri, Georgia done independently for 9 days all in for £950
Top candidates this 11-18 March are
Erciyes, Turkey
I was there in December 22
TR on the way
This will be independent
Looking at approx £800 all in
Bjelasnica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Looks small, but skis big
It's £411 now for B&B, £602 for HB
Expect it to drop closer to £320 and £475 respectively closer to the time
Buy 1 lift pass, get 1 free
https://www.crystalski.co.uk/ski-holidays/packages?airports%5B%5D=&units%5B%5D=L62582%3ARESORT&when=11-03-2023&until=&choiceSearch=false&flexibility=true&monthSearch=false&flexibleDays=1&flexibleMonths=&noOfAdults=2&noOfChildren=0&childrenAge=&duration=7115&searchRequestType=ins&searchType=SKI&sp=true&multiSelect=true&room=&isVilla=false&reqType=SKI&sortBy=#811fefa9e4fe0272a35c3560300eb1f7da899d34
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Jealous of you Mike! We are still tied to school holidays. Just a few more years now…
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We’re going back to St Johann in Tirol for the 3rd year in 10 days time (woo hoo!).
Originally chose it because it’s not too big and had plenty for my non skiing husband to do while our son was in ski school. I could ski all day by myself and know that I could easily find my son somewhere on the mountain whenever I wanted to. The mountain restaurants are excellent and we’ve been lucky so far with amazing snow. The following time my husband decided he’d learn do we’re back a third time so he can cement the week of ski school on slopes he knows. But it’s probably our last visit as I want to try some new slopes, as much as I’d love to keep returning. Or maybe we’ll return but buy the kitzbuehel lift pass. Husband too nervous for that this time!
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Interesting thread! I love spread sheets so have one for holidays where I record where we went and have my own trip reports so I know where all the photos were taken. Mr Mogulski and I are in our 70s now and have skied for 40 years so have 125 trips abroad plus skiing in Scotland - not listed how often as we live in Scotland so can just go for the day. Looking at the list there are many reasons why we went there, basically trying to fit in as much skiing as possible at the lowest price with good snow. We like big areas, long runs and of course Moguls! We judged freestyle skiing for about 20 years so as well as going to large resorts for World Cups we have been to some tiny places for local competitions that most people will not have heard of. Some last minute deals turned out to be amazing, some we marked down as DO NOT GO AGAIN. We have skied France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Czechia, Andorra, USA and Canada. But the only place we return to and don't get bored is 3 valleys. Just returned from there 3 days ago. Mr mogulski is old enough to now have a free (yes free!) season pass and I will qualify for one at my next birthday. After that its unlikely we will be enticed anywhere else although most Freench resorts also give over 75s a freebie. So no matter what you say about skiing in France a free ski pass for the largest linked ski area in the world ranks pretty highly as a reason to go!
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wow Mogulski, that's great that you will both get free ski pass, it certainly is a great reason to go.
I am wondering where you marked down as DO NOT GO AGAIN. ??
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We’ve been in a Dolomite rut for the last 12 years or so. It’s a good rut to be in though because of the high quality of everything there and its reliably good ‘piste tourism’.
Nevertheless there are much better places for off piste, snow boarding, cheap skiing and challenging runs.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| sheffskibod wrote: |
I liked La Villa , not as nice a town as Selva but better access to the skiing (OK we stayed opposite the gondola!). My wife would say Selva is her favourite so far. |
Shuuuush!! 
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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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3valleys for me.
first ever skiing holiday there (VT) just over 30years ago now.
i had never been skiing before, and for some reason i was in charge of organising a last minute trip for me, another beginner and 2 other lads who had been before.
spent several evenings scanning teletext for the deals on offer, a self catering apartment (broom cupboard  ) via the old overnight skitrain with skiworld came up for a bargain of £200PP, took about another hour to finally get the details of teletext as it kept on scrolling through the 15odd pages
it was actually during the feb school half term, as we bumped into loads of teachers on holiday in the frog and roast beef bar, and coincided with the Albertville Olympics, i think the mens slalom was being held in les menuires on our first Saturday as we travelled up to VT.
i remember being mesmerised with the mountains on waking up and seeing the snowy views from the train and then on the coach up to the resort, then falling in love with skiing the moment i first started my lesson (though that may have been something to do with Lulu, the enchanting French female esf ski instructor who was the same age as me,  )
from then on i had a few trips to other trips to USA/Italy/Tignes and finally back to VT, before then landing a job in Meribel for a few seasons in the mid to late 90's.
have been to a couple of other places in both austria and france, but always tend to return to the 3V's.
just looking forward to under 20years time as like @mogulski, i will be entitled to a free season pass
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| biddpyat wrote: |
| I am wondering where you marked down as DO NOT GO AGAIN. ?? |
(cough) Pas de la Casa (cough)...
I had a really bad time in Tignes, where "sorry there are not enough people for the inter group, please come with us in the advanced", then take skis off and walk 20 mins round the side of the mountain to "here let's all jump down this couloir". Vomited with nerves by the end of the day. Wrote a complaint letter saying how unprofessional they were, got a reply offering me one free ski lesson as compensation. Together with the previous crap "teaching" and my subsequent ingrained bad habits, swore ESF would never see my money again. I did finally pop into Morzine on the end of a work trip to Geneva just before Covid, saw polo, he kindly showed me Mont Chery so perhaps I'll be talked out of my sulk one day.
And was irritated in Vail where I was told I had to buy each lesson individually, only to get five days in and find a flyer saying the fourth day was free... that and the other chalet guests (British) tainted it for me.
I think I miss big vertical from France and possibly Canada but hell my legs can't seem to take that like they used to.
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You know it makes sense.
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Don't think there is anywhere I would definitely not go again if the circumstances arose.
The only maybe is LDA which I only spent a day at and it was an incredibly cold day. In fact, as it was a long time ago, I'm almost thinking I should go back to check if that short experience was correct. I am sure on a good bluebird day I'd have a lot of fun there.
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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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According to the current Mrs SL I used to be the skiing equivalent of a train-spotter. I used to tick off as many resorts/stations as I could (I still have that yearning inside me). I did find myself spending at least a week in Chamonix for quite a few years and it is still my favourite place to ski, despite now being based in Tignes. When I met the present Mrs SL she had followed a well known (at the time) ski instructor to Val (as a bit of a groupie if truth be told) and had sold her soul to the place. When we met we ended up spending as much time as we could in the apartment she rented there and she knew the area, particularly the off piste, so well it was difficult and daft to prise here way from the area. A few years ago we took a year out to try and find somewhere better (and probably cheaper) that we could buy a place in, but we failed - it didn't help that it was a bad snow year. So we tried to buy a place in Val, but could not find anything we could afford and were prepared to live in for a month at a time, so we ended up in Tignes. We used to take trips out to other places, but that has become a more expensive option since the reciprocal deals on the lift pass all but disappeared. Have been lucky enough to ski in NZ and Chile and plan to do again as part of the retirement plan, but we seem to be stuck with Tignes and Tignes is stuck with us!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I went to Milton Keynes yesterday because I could not get into Hemel Hempstead this week.
The pistes are about 30% longer and about twice as wide at MK.
But not as steep.
But the Apres Ski is not as good as the ambience in the Hemel Fridge.
MK could be a lot better, if they refurbished it.
The snow is a bit dirty at MK .. I doubt if its the sand blown in from the Sahara ... it looks a bit black and Volcanic.
But its great to try a differnet resort.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Ski lots, Did you check out the old engine in Chamonix? Did you "plate" it?
I'm not sure if you could have underlined it in your "Ian Allan Locoshed Book".
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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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@DrLawn, I know not of which you speak.
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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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In that I used to (or perhaps I still do) tick ski stations off. I don’t sit on railway station platforms with a flask of weak lemon drink.
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| DrLawn wrote: |
I went to Milton Keynes yesterday because I could not get into Hemel Hempstead this week.
The pistes are about 30% longer and about twice as wide at MK.
But not as steep.
But the Apres Ski is not as good as the ambience in the Hemel Fridge.
MK could be a lot better, if they refurbished it.
The snow is a bit dirty at MK .. I doubt if its the sand blown in from the Sahara ... it looks a bit black and Volcanic.
But its great to try a differnet resort. |
Not to mention the off piste is so much better in Hemel
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| Ski lots wrote: |
| In that I used to (or perhaps I still do) tick ski stations off. I don’t sit on railway station platforms with a flask of weak lemon drink. |
Don't knock it till you try it 
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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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Out of 52 skiing weeks, 17 have been Megeve/St Gervais, 10 Morzine, and 9 Les Arcs.
Started out going to different places (although all France), but then my aunt bought a chalet in Morzine which she lets friends and family have for the same cheap rate regardless of which week it is, hence therepeat visits there. We've been in the summer as many times as in the Winter, off there again in a month. With the whole of the PDS there is a great variety of terrain.
Megeve was because it was a work subsidised trip, and work had a reciprocal deal with a chalet operator there, who were friends with my boss. They didn't survive Covid, and my boss doesn't like change, so we still went there last year, but this year he's being brave, and we're going to Serre Chevalier where I've never been before. Family trips to St Gervais have been because in peak weeks it seems to be quiter than elsewhere as no British TO's go there.
In Les Arcs we found a chalet operator we liked, so went several times with them, but also to other chalets because we like the ski area. The worst trip? The one where I persuaded the boss to go somewhere other than Megeve!
Of the remainder, 5 were decided by other people, 5 were Chamonix, and 3 were because that's where our youngsters were doing seasons. Leaving very few random decisions to go somewhere else! And even one of them was still PDS, but over in Chatel.
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@biddpyat, I wouldn’t go back to Grandvalira. We went because our daughter had been promoted to the fancy title of ‘Resort Manager’. The pistes were all pretty much of a muchness. The chairlifts were v slow (and painful when the wind got up). The on the hill food was basic and overpriced. The Hotel food was really poor. The lift pass price had ideas above it’s station. The transfer was very long.
It did have the best lifties though. A keen youngster would get your skis out of the holster on the outside of the gondola and hand them to you as the doors opened.
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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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| sheffskibod wrote: |
I would quite happily go to the dolomites forever.
Some really amazing hotels with great customer service , top notch food on the mountains (and not expensive), extensive pistes , good snowmaking , always upgrading infrastructure.
Beautiful landscape too.
Such a sense of travel in all directions (whereas in e.g. Val Disere - we ended up skiing the same runs over and over to get from A to B).
And if I ever get into it - there is good back country skiing to be had (with a guide) when conditions allow... and probably less fought over than other places as its not its raison d'etre
So far we have stayed in Selva (twice) , La Villa , Arabba (on the birthday bash) and this year San Cassiano in Feb (and a risky 1st week April back to Selva).
I liked La Villa , not as nice a town as Selva but better access to the skiing (OK we stayed opposite the gondola!). My wife would say Selva is her favourite so far. |
I've been desperate to get to the Dolomites for precisely this reason. Unfortunately I had two trips there cancelled due to Covid and picked up such bargains to Passo Tonale last year and this, it was impossible for me to justify. Now my two youngest are skiing it's also not the best value as they're not skiing fast enough yet to make the most of such a big ski area. Maybe in a few years.
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You know it makes sense.
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I’m not sure I’ve ever been to the same resort twice - till this year - I’m going to see if i can make a list
Livigno
Hopfgarten
Les Deux Alpes
Sauze d’oulx
Courcheval
Val D’Isere
La Rosiere
Les Arcs
Tignes
Samoens
Grand Bornand
La Touissiere
Falcade
Les Carroz
La Plagne
La Thuile
Valloire
St Jean D’Arves
Les Deux Alpes (again)
must’ve forgotten some been skiing since 1987 - but have missed a few years I suppose
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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 to some twice, but usually I try to find somewhere new, but flights and other things sometimes factor where we go.
Borovets 2
Lermoos
LDA
alpes d,
Valthorens 2
Liviginio
Meribel
Courchavel
Courmayeur
Cervina, 3 ( two weekends one week won't return)
Stowe
Tignes
la plange
sauze D'oulx
Cortina
Canazi
Foppolo,
la thuile
Madonna di Campiglio 2
Cairngorm
Pas de la casa
Pila
Garmish Partinkerchin 2
Flaine
st Moritz
Serfaus
Gressony.
Think thats the sum of it, like you I'm skiing quite a while, so probably have forgotten some.
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Poster: A snowHead
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So many areas to explore, so we try to not go back to the same place (yet!). So far we have done:
L2A (Group)
Montgenevre (Couple)
La Plagne (Group)
La Tania (Group)
Saalbach (Couple)
Canazei (Penia/Alba) (Group)
Les Crosets (Couple)
Mayrhofen (Couple)
Montriond (Couple)
Les Menuires (Group)
Don't mind going to different areas of the same ski area. So we did La Tania and barely touched VT/LM, so this year went there so it was essentially like a new area to us. Same as Les Crosets and Montriond.
We pick an area based on various things. For our group trip, we try to pick as large and varied area as possible to suit all of us. Plus, we have to choose our accommodation early to fit us all and have what we want. So we have to go snow sure etc. But for our couple trip, we are a lot more flexible.
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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 are totally creatures of habit. I love going to a place you've been to many times and just settling right in. We went to Espace Diamant for 5 years in a row, first time on recommendations from friends in Annecy. It was perfect for our kids when they were young, but they (and we) outgrew it, so we went to Selva, which was a dream of mine. Spent 5 years' ski vacations there, too.
Of course we went to other spots but those were the main two we kept returning to. I actually don't have any real requirements except spots that have a reputation for huge, unruly crowds or huge queues for gondolas. I'm also not a fan of exclusively above the treeline skiiing. I get cold easily and flat light disorients me a bit.
We're going to be more adventurous in the coming years since we've bought a place across the highway from Les Carroz in Nancy-sur-Cluses. I'm keen to take a closer look at Grand Bornand, Les Contamines and maybe Les Gets (never been to any of them).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We're in a weird position where I feel a bit trapped because we like The Three Valleys so much. We've enjoyed many other mega-resorts (Arlberg, PdS, Paradiski, say) but always felt that L3V was just, well, better. eg Shorter airport transfer than the other Tarentaise resorts; better connected than Arlberg; more snow-sure than PdS, etc, etc). And so when we go to other places we sometimes feel a bit resentful that we could have been in Courchevel/L3V instead.
I guess a lot ultimately comes down to taste, budget, desire for novelty, etc... and our skiing ability is pretty rubbish so maybe the attraction of the Three Valleys is that we're familiar with it and many of the slopes flatter us. But it did make me wonder: are there many people out there who *used* to go exclusively to L3V and maybe felt this way - but who now would not go back or would quite happily go elsewhere? What drove your thinking?
It's why I said I feel a bit 'trapped'... comfort with the familiar is perhaps preventing us from discovering dozens of other places we might love equally?
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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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@Mike Pow,
Tell us where you go and do a small report will you? Those are good prices.
Anyway, back to the thread.
Europe...
...I love Tignes.
Ok it is nice seeing different mountain views but I go to ski and I figure that the better you know an area the better the chance of finding something interesting far from the mad (ding) crowds.
If I can't find a deal in Tignes then I'll try Val D or Val T. Failing that go high or go home. But now my boarding buddy organises at least one trip every year so it's down to him! Having said all that I was very nearly persuaded by a cheap deal to Andora in March...but...wait for it...booked in Tignes instead, for twice the price it has to be said!
If we go away as we have done only 3 times Canada would be Fernie plus one or two others but not Banff. I'll probably never go to Breck or the amazing Vail again, and I'd not go to Jackson Hole either but that it due to the awful joint effects of altitude sickness and jetlag rather than anything else...Vail was amazing, it snowed nearly all the time...WHEEEEE...SCHPLOOFF! But could be persuaded to go to Japan if my poor old knees could take another two-week masochistic jaunt!
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@gendal, in France I reckon that the 3V has a pretty strong claim to being the best on piste skiing destination, have you tried Zermatt or the Sella Ronda? The 3V probably can't claim to be objectively better than them for piste skiing
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@rambotion Good point! Yes - we've been to Zermatt (December 2020 - felt quite privileged to take advantage of the tiny window that opened up). But the context - no bars open, no après, no indoor dining on the mountain, Italian side closed - means we didn't really experience the full package... so it probably sits in my mind as being way more constrained than it really is.
Thanks for the Sella Ronda tip... sounds like you're saying it's effectively the Italian Three Valleys? Will go take a look.
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We’re in Val Thorens the first week of April, first time since 2000!
The main criteria was at that time its snow record. For the same reason why we chose Hochgurgl last April.
I’ve always had a mental list of resorts I’d like to visit or revisit. Key factors for us are - a nice hotel, very near the slopes, a mix of pistes and tying it all into airports/trains. We travel independently.
On the list currently I have in mind - Selva, San Cassiano, Madonna (possibly), Arosa, St Moritz (not a posh hotel ), Serfaus.
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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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| Peter S wrote: |
We’ve been in a Dolomite rut for the last 12 years or so. It’s a good rut to be in though because of the high quality of everything there and its reliably good ‘piste tourism’.
Nevertheless there are much better places for off piste, snow boarding, cheap skiing and challenging runs. |
That sums it up pretty nicely.
I’ve skied quite a few places over 3 continents now. When the snow is good, I feel like I can return to it every year and not get bored. But when I do venture elsewhere, I always felt “why haven’t I come here until now? It’s so good I should return next year! I’m happy to go to the same place over and over. But I also like to mix it up a bit.
I’m a pretty decent skier. Enjoy piste, off-piste, moguls and powder. So there’s always something in each resort I find enjoyable. I haven’t been to a place I dislike. Even if the snow weren’t excellent during my visit, I can see the potential and wanted to come back to see it at its best.
I now just go where my friends go, or wherever I happen to come across. It’s all good.
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FAQ
. It’s within driving distance for us (we our new car we can do the drive without a stop 
) and we have friends. The kids have found an instructor that works well for them, skipping between skis and snowboards as they feel. When the kids are older we might move around but for now we’re good.