 Poster: A snowHead
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1) Zermatt - great ski experience, truly something for everyone.
2) Morzine / PDS - fantastic ski area, great town. PDS skiing has massive variety, huge difference between pistes over in Torgon or Morgins to Avoriaz and Morzine side,
3) La Dole - my local, so gets a mention. Underrated Jura ski resorts almost always empty.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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coddlesangers, do the Jura resorts have good snow this season? They've had some shockers recently.
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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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Yup, fantastic. 2 metres mostly around 1600 metres. Last year was grubby, but I've been here for 5 years and in 3 of those we have had great seasons. Skiing well past the middle of march in every case.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Les Carroz - nice town, nice people, not too many English (speaking as an Englishman), good skiing in the whole Grand Massif area.
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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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Groednertal/ val Gardena - stunning scenery, variety of places you can ski, Italian food, Austrian style après , great value, friendly people.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have only been to 5 resorts in Europe an out of those St Foy wins for me. Zero q's, no crowds and very laid back, good terrian.
In Canada - Fernie is great and whistler can be awesome (after the busy season)
NZ - club fields around Canterbury - no grooming, snow is what it is but had some epic days there!
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Meribel, because it's 5 miles away as the crow flies
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| Quote: |
I have only been to 5 resorts in Europe an out of those St Foy wins for me. Zero q's, no crowds and very laid back, good terrian.
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I'm liking the sound of this, will be there on Saturday 
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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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The weather can make or break a trip anywhere, really. I've skied under floodlights and starlight in the Arctic Circle in a resort you would generously describe as 'a bit limited.' But the thigh-deep, super light champagne powder between the trees, and not another soul about, made it a magical place to be. Otoh, I've spent a week in a chalet in a blizzard in Tignes. The weather was so bad we were unable to leave the chalet and passed the time diving out for more tequila and listening hopefully to the radio for a forecast that would predict a break in the weather. 11ft of snow fell in 6 days, and I never managed to see what the fuss surrounding the vast Tignes resort was about. Maybe I'll go back one day and give it another go one day. I've got lots of places still to go though! To date, I like anywhere Italian or Austrian.
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currently St Anton
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Big White in Canada for me. Chilled atmosphere, great consistent snow and uncrowded pistes. Great place for the kids too.
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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 haven't been to a mountain I don't like. Everyone has something to offer. And, if I like a place and go back enough number of times, I'll even find something I dislike! So that makes it a bit hard to choose "favorites".
But if I have to choose:
Aspen -- Good snow, varied terrain, no crowd, lively apres. A PITA to get to though, and pricy
Dolomite -- great scenery! (actually, that's shared with Wengen, Jackson Hole and the Tahoe resorts), Excellent grooming and extensive piste giving a sense of travel in the mountains. Great food too.
Alta/Snowbird -- best chance of finding good snow, easy to get to at a moments notice, cheap as chips!
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Saalbach - Excellent ski circus
Bad KleinKirkheim - Excellent skiing and a great spa for Apres
Chateau d' Oex - It's swiss
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You know it makes sense.
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Espace Killy (Val d'Isere) - choice of pistes and off-piste; elevation; surprisingly un-nobby in my experiences despite some of the condemnations about clientele
Hochzillertal/Hochfugen - day trip favourite from Munich. When they put the link in, it turned it into one of the hidden secrets of the Alps. A bit of a snow trap and top elevations above just about anything else within that distance from Munich.
Obertauern - Another snowtrap that gets early season snow just about every single year. Cracking apres and fun to do the circuit
Samnaun - the Swiss side of Ishgl. For when you want the skiing that Ishgl offers without the prices, the insane apres (and the associated Russians, sorry to the majority of Russians who aren't arrogant barstewards drinking Petrus & coke!). Home of the world's only (?) double-decker cablecar. A bit stretched out as a 'resort' but good company and plenty of bring-your-own is all you need!
Skiwelt - Miles and miles and miles... and miles, of comfortable cruising piste. Not high, not steep but friendly, good value and very well equipped. Another day-trip favourite from MUC along with 1000s of other Bavarians, yet able to cope with the volume of traffic admirably well.
Alpbach - small yet perfectly formed. we'll definitely take the kids there one year soon. Just chocolate-box lovely and surprisingly snow-sure.
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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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Ranked in order.
Les Arcs
Schladming
Courchevel
Ischgl
Kitzbuhel
Morzine
Selva
Saalbach
La Clusaz
Mayrhofen
Alpe d huez
Saas Fee
Arinsal
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Poster: A snowHead
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Resorts have such different qualities but my faves by country:
France: Val D'isere
Switzerland: Zermatt
Austria: Lech
Italy: Arabba
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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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Mine is Val d'sere, purely because that's where I've always gone back to since learning (boring I know)
My Mrs did a season there, so she knows it really well which is great when you're deciding where to board each day.
Lots of variety of slopes and big ski area, so you don't get bored.
Must try some other resorts soon........
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I like Reberty, a it gives me access to the three valleys, has a good ski area split between two sides, easy access to Val Thorens and is ski in ski out.
The night life is a bit quiet, but the Ferme is a great place to eat and drink.
I was really happy with Mottaret, I know it gets bad press sometimes, but its central location worked for me.
I like Les Gets as well, and have enjoyed all my trips there.
I pretty much have liked every where I have been, Alpe D'huez may be the least, but that was as much ignorance on the hotel location, and staying in hotel not a chalet or apartment.
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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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My list of favourites are;
1/ Tignes: fantastic skiing for all abilities, mainly ski in/out. friendly people, good snow nice atmosphere in the villages.
2/ Les Arcs: for exactly tthe same reason oas Tignes, people are more friendly than Tignes and there is a definite feeling of community. Not sure why I put Tignes ahead of it, possibly because it has just a bit more skiing, but Les Arcs has tree line skiing for more variety. OK joint first place.
3/ Les Menuires: At the heart of the 3 valleys with La Masse opposite
Then we start to drop quite quickly.
I will not mention the resorts towards the bottom of the list since other people like them and my vision may be clouded by only a few bad weeks there. They tend to be characterised by a reliance on unreliable ski buses, very bad lift queses, and dodgy snow. At the very bottom, however is Sante Fe. I only skied there for a day, since I happened to be there and in honesty that is all it is, a day resort for locals. I had a day skiing in a biting cold desert and actually quite enjoyed it. The ski area may be the worst I have visited, but I actually enjoyed myself and even in the worst resorts that is always the case.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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St Anton/Arlberg - you know why.
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The Alps. All of them 
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clarky999, I would have thought nordkette? St Anton is great but everyone knows it.
I'd generally say wherever I happen to be when there's fresh untracked powder on a mountain.
I always thought St Anton or Val d'Isere but with age and kids requirements change. Discovered ski amade, austria area and so far not looked back. Huge skiing area and with a car the exploring never stops, modern lifts, austrian alpine charm along with the bloody smoking, decent prices, decent vertical, good snow record and best of all not many people want to be off piste so more for me and my ski buddies. Skiing tends to be in the tree line - so liking tree skiing in powder really works out well. Easy to get cheap flights, short airport transfers, nice beer, apfel strudels and decent nosh, the standard of coffee could be better. And of course a circle of friends throughout the area.
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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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waynos, I do love Nordkette too, I can't think of anywhere else with the same proportion of quality terrain to lifts, but the Arlberg has such great quantities of quality terrain... Even though Nordkette is relatively unknown, there's enough v good skiers in Innsbruck that the safer lines still tend to track out quickly, just 'cos on a real powder day there are only so many slopes that are safe to ski. A few days after snow when things settle down the big traverses outside the ski area open up, and people tend to spread out to all the local resorts to hit the stashes that you have to work a bit more to get to, so there isn't so much of a problem.
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Gressoney/ The MonteRosa ski area. Great extensive skiing. High, lots of off piste from easy to epic. Long empty interesting intermediate runs. low prices, small friendly village. What's not to like?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Gressoney/ The MonteRosa ski area. Great extensive skiing. High, lots of off piste from easy to epic. Long empty interesting intermediate runs. low prices, small friendly village. What's not to like?
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Excessive piste bashing, but then I am off to Gressoney for the weekend (with the rest of Turin)
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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've been to the 3 valleys many many times and still love it. Have stayed in all of the villages/areas. Like La Tania for being pretty, at the bottom of a fun green run and a good blue run and an OK red run. Love Courchevel 1850 but very very pricy. Easy to reach all areas from La Tania. Whole area a fantastic 'miles under the skis' place with runs for everyone. VT very bleak and often windy and in a white out no trees. Les Menuires has lots of easy skiing on very attractive pistes. Mottaret great for being high and 3 valley access but a bit dead even for 60 year olds.... Meribel very English orientated, some WOW chalets to admire and lots to do. Have skied all over and still find new runs. The upgrading of lifts makes for few bottlenecks even in the busy weeks, and there is nearly always another way around.
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Favourite: Kirkwood: off the beaten-track, serious skiing, uncrowded, friendly.
Close second: Arosa, just love the atmosphere and the off-piste to different valleys and home again by train.
Third: Engelberg, perfect for a quick break.
Least favourite: Obergurgl - snooty, no trees for bad vis days, over-priced.
Most disappointing: Fernie - crap lift system, days of slush!
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You know it makes sense.
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Mayrhofen, for the amount of piste in the valley and snow sure (oh, and the apres) and the great food and hotels.
Zell am See (in the summer) for the skiing in the morning, the swimming and cycling in the afternoon and the sailing in the early evening. Probably my favourity place.
Espace Killy, for the long runs (but find it too expensive compared to Austria and the accomodation is rabbit hutch like in the main).
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