 Poster: A snowHead
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Thinking about booking an apartment holiday to Chateaux D'Oex in Feb. Hoping it's a small-ish, friendly place with a nice alpine atmosphere, and some decent intermediate ski-ing. Can anyone confirm or refute?
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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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| wopple wrote: |
| Thinking about booking an apartment holiday to Chateaux D'Oex in Feb. Hoping it's a small-ish, friendly place with a nice alpine atmosphere, and some decent intermediate ski-ing. Can anyone confirm or refute? |
If you click on that you should get the larger version.
As snowbunny says, I live nearby. Château-d'Oex is a really nice place and should be a bit quieter in Feb than some places. But, it's very small, the cable car park is shared with the local Coop (supermarket) and there's only 30km of local skiing. There's actually better small stations nearby that many people haven't heard of, Moléson-sur-Gruyères, Charmey en Gruyère or La Berra - La Roche for example.
However, Château-d'Oex has a couple of advantages, it's on the MOB (Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway) and the ski pass for the greater Gstaad region. That means you can ride the MOB to Rougemont, Gstaad, Schönreid, Saanemöser, Zweisimmen or St Stepan, I don't know how long it takes though, the tourist office will no doubt know more.
It's an interesting area, where Gruyère cheese is made, on the linguistic boundary of German/French. We're also having a great season start so far, some of the best "real" (non glacier skiing) skiing in the Alpes. A report from this weekend is here.
In summary, as along you prepared to ride the MOB to Gstaad it'll be fine, if you don't then you're stuck with 30km of skiing in a great village. If you take a car, and it's an easy drive, then you check out some of the places I mentioned that most Brit's never get to.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| ise wrote: |
| A report from this weekend is here. |
Looks very nice ise. With the additional snow forecast for this weekend it should be even better 
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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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I've skied at Cd'O and it is initially surreal using a train as a Ski bus (There is also a local ski bus) but is actually a very efficient way of getting to the many ski areas, One memorable place for us was Rougemont where a good mogul field is accessed by a cable car that makes you feel you are climbing up the rock face.  and of course the balloonong is spectacular to watch. (apparently the valley has an effect on the wind and one can balloon around in a circle ending up where one started from!)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Oh almost forgot, the chap that runs the cable car used to point out David Niven's chalet with great pride! and then re-count the story of David Niven and Roger Moore using his cable car!
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wopple, I went at New Year to Les Mosses, which is just down the road a bit. It was soooo quiet there. There wasn't a great variance to the skiing admittedly, but it was just our group on the slopes and a few locals, couldn't believe it for what is such a busy period usually. So if you do want to escape the crowds ...
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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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ise, Brilliant load of info on the area, I hope wopple, finds it useful.
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I've stayed in Schönreid, before and I'd definately stay there in preference to Chateau D'Oex there's a hotel there near the railway station run by a former ski racer which was very nice but I cannot remember the name, generally a lot more atractive than Chateau D'Oex which when I passed through looked very run down for a Swiss village, but that was 10 years ago
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Many thanks all, looks like it should be a good choice. Am driving there so should be able to make it to the other ski areas quite easily. Just overcoming my final (unfair) prejudice against relatively-low altitude areas- ise, please tell me I have nothing to worry about!
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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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wopple, if you're driving then you'll be fine, at worst you drive up to the glacier. You should think about trying some of the other local stations just for the experience. Remind me nearer the time and I'll tell where's skiing well 
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wopple, have you been yet? Or is it soon?
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You know it makes sense.
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ise, I may be around at Easter time. As a local you obviously know the area:- are any of the Gstaad areas (apart from the glacier) likely to be open, or have good snow mid-April? Is it easy to park in Rougemenot for example? Cheers.
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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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| the ice perv wrote: |
| ise, I may be around at Easter time. As a local you obviously know the area:- are any of the Gstaad areas (apart from the glacier) likely to be open, or have good snow mid-April? Is it easy to park in Rougemenot for example? Cheers. |
I've no idea what the weather's going to be like in two months I'm afraid I think closing is scheduled for 30th April currently though. I'm fairly sure Château d'Oex will be closed by then and maybe Relleri as well.
It's easy to park at Rougemont as well, best parking is there, Relleri or Saanenmöser all of which are distinct areas.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Cheers, ise. I will probably only get one day in. I like blacks, itineraries, easy-moderate off-p: assuming the rest is all open (i.e. everything except Chd'O and Relleri) where's the best area to spend my (precious) one day?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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the ice perv, Saanenmöser I'd say. It's where I always ski personally. No itineraires though I'm afraid
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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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ise, ah, was meant to be this week but had to postpone due to family illness. now looking at w/c April 1 when Easter school holidays start. My plan is to book late to see how the conditions are, would still like to try the area but I guess being fairly low its pretty variable at that time of year?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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wopple, hard to say, it's been OK the last couple of years. So far the the season's been very good and noticeably better than some other stations in Bern
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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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Cheers ise, when it comes to Gstaad you are clearly the geezer! Final one: according to the Good Ski Guide Wasserngrat is the place for "serious skiers" but it looks a bit small and isolated on the piste map. Is it worth a visit? Can you park or do you have to bus it from elsewhere?
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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 ice perv, that's the "Which?" guide ? It's only got one lift and a couple of runs, Saanenmöser wins hands down for me. But, yes, you can park at the bottom.
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FAQ
ise, is a local, I feel sure he will be along later to give you some tips.
