 Poster: A snowHead
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Fellow PHers, I know that this is an oft asked question, but internet reviews are actually of limited use compared to real experience. For example, I have read plenty of reviews of Morzine that completely fail to mention that the PDS ski area is huge and varied.
So help me find somewhere new for a small group!
Criteria
- Europe,preferably not France as we are pretty much stuck to going in the second half of February, and I would prefer to avoid the French/English half-term débâcle
- big, varied and difficult enough for a week. Three of the group of four are advanced/expert skiers, so somewhere large and varied is key for a week. We cover a lot of ground
- decent off-piste. Snow permitting, I will be taking a guide and getting into whatever powder and steeps I can find along with Lady Flashman
- OK pistes for intermediate - one of our number is a mid-intermediate. To be fair, most resorts are fine for this I think.
- après/nightlife not important
- mid-level prices, so most of Switzerland is out, I think. Shame, as Lady F and I love the skiing in Verbier. So if anyone knows good value accommodation there, please let me know! Happy to self cater.
- Not PDS, 3V or St Anton, as have spent lots of time in these already and fancy something I haven't skiied that much. Would love Ishgl but can barely find accommodation, and it is pricey when I can
I am tempted to go back to Morzine, but having spent a season there feel that variety would be good, and also would like to avoid half term crowds.
Have done a lot of reading on these forums and the net, and the usual come up - PDS, 3V, St Anton. I am intrigued by Italy- anyone know somewhere that would suit? I have skiied Bornio (lovely, but small and intermediate) and Livigno (larger, but dull terrain and scenery - more for lunching than skiing!).
Please help!
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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 Amade? A huge area with lots of possibilities.
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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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I've heard good things about the Italian Dolomites.
You could also stay in Galtur for Ischgl, its a little village just up the Valley with its own small ski area. The bus takes 15-20 minutes to get to Ishgl's main gondolas.
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Thanks - will research ski Amade. In terms of Galtur, I think preference would be not to be bussing in to a larger area, but rather staying in one. Of course, depending on transfer costs etc, renting a car not beyond the bounds of possibility to give mobility...
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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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Ah, just looked at Amade. I should have mentioned that I'd prefer a linked resort...bussing around is not fun - after the first time doing it in Chamonix, I have rented a car for there every time since. Thank you though, Tom Doc!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Our group is going to Sauze d'Oulx, we went last year and it was fabulous. It's in the Milky Way ski area which is enormous; the pistes are very good, and usually very quiet; the lift system is modern and quick, for the most part; the off piste last year was sensational and didn't get tracked out (the Italians en masse largely don't seem all that keen on off piste). Bars and restaurants aren't as expensive as France and other mega-resorts; the night life in Sauze is decent without being over the top; and the holiday overall is very reasonably priced.
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Harry Flashman, maybe the Skivelt (Soll, Ellmau)? Its not the highest Ski area in the world but it is linked quite well.
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Harry Flashman, I'll be going to the Monte Rosa area in Italy this season I've not been before but by all accounts it seems to meet your brief but maybe falls down on the après as it's meant to be low key to dead..... Certainly look at the Dolomites-beautiful place to ski with a variety of resorts. Cervinia may be worth a look as it can get you skiing in Zermatt without having to pay to eat, sleep, and drink there. La Thuile when factoring in La Rosiere is a reasonably large area but the link isn't great. Getting back from the French side is a looooooong tow.
I love skiing in Italy, I've not skied at the Milky way area before so can't comment. When you go out for a beer it's the norm for bars to put on antipasto-usually a variety of cheeses and cured meats.
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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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Harry Flashman, How about the 4 valleys? Large ski area, great for experts and confident intermediates. May be a bit too close to France to avoid the half term crowds but a great place to ski. In Austria, Zillertal would fit the bill too.
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Harry Flashman, If you fancy Ischgl with a car, Kappl has reasonable priced accommodation (cheaper than Galtur) and is a 10 minute drive away with free parking close to the lifts if you arrive promptly, pay parking or a bit more of a walk if you don’t. Have been a number of times.
As far as good priced skiing in Verbier is concerned, Nendaz is pretty reasonably priced and much more spectacular views than Verbier.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Harry Flashman, if you want Verbier skiing but good value self catering accomm, worth a look at trying to get apartments(s) in the Rosablanche at Siviez. Superb location for access to Verbier.
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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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Have a look at the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis ski area. I think it meets most if not all of your criteria? Just remembered to add Sölden as another potential option for you...
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Sat 18-10-14 10:58; edited 1 time in total
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Milky way with an offpiste guide might be a good shout although on piste it's not that well connected compared to 3v (and a lot of poor lifts), it's maybe similar to PDS . ski amade a big favourite of ours although no idea about off piste, never tried. Sella Ronda (dolomites) is easy slopes but my husband and I really enjoyed a week there - definitely worth a look. Aj xx
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You know it makes sense.
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Monterosa? Based in Champoluc?
Sorry, didn't see Bene's earlier suggestion.
Nightlife in Champoluc isn't completely dead. There are 3 or 4 bars, 2 of which are lively in the evenings. Herman at the Castor hotel hosts quality live music at least once a week.
There are two truly excellent restaurants in the village and several new lovely ones on the mountains.
The area is not PDs or 3V scale, but is certainly big enough and works for your intermediates up to as expert as you might want with lots of accessible (and semi-controlled) off piste.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Sat 18-10-14 11:17; edited 1 time in total
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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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How big is your group?
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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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| Bene wrote: |
I love skiing in Italy, I've not skied at the Milky way area before so can't comment. When you go out for a beer it's the norm for bars to put on antipasto-usually a variety of cheeses and cured meats. |
So true - hope I can find something in Italy. So civilised...
Also, only skiied France last season - definitely due a change.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| How big is your group? |
4 of us, so small, this year. 32 in 3v for week last year was too mental - having a quiet one this time!
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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+1 for Zillertal and Kaltenbach/Hochfugen in particular. Would also recommend Samnaun for Ischgl. It's on the Swiss side and is the polar opposite to the apres madness of Ischgl. When living in Munich, we stayed there for a couple of weekends self-catering. You get to ride the world's largest cablecar in the mornings too (well, it was when we were there).
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When it comes to BIG, interconnected, beautiful piste skiing/astonishing guided off piste - the Sela Ronda area of the Dolomites is the ultimate IMV. 1500km of piste on the Dolomiti Superski pass. So many 'destinations' to choose from for a day's skiing. The Sela Ronda circuit itself has a huge amount of lift connected skiing but you also have the option to jump on one of various ski buses for 5 or 10 mins to access extra, usually really quiet areas. Under the same pass, you can even take excursions off to completely separate, self contained domains eg. Cortina, however I've been intending to do that for 5 years and never found the time as there's just too much else to do!
The S11BB doesn't suit you date-wise and we probably wouldn't have room for you now if it did but look at the first post on the S11BB topic for general enthusiastic ramblings about the area by yours truly.
Arabba suits your spec for a resort and I can highly recommend the Hotel Portavescovo where we stay.
After 5 years of ever increasing numbers we, as snowHeads, do have something of a rep there now so, if you fancy it, it's probably an idea to mention you're snowHeads and see if the deal gets better.
(if you find snowHeads saved you money - subscribe  )
I can even recommend an excellent local guide.
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Harry,
I've never skied the Dolomites and am sure that would be great but can also recommend Sauze D'oulx/Sestriere and Monte Rosa (ALagna, Gressoney,Champoluc). Former has a huge amount of piste but also plenty of off-piste although you need to enjoy tree skiing to make the most of it (trees are less dense so easier than on the French side of the Alps). Monte Rosa is not a massive array of pistes (certainly not compared to PdS or TV) but has decent variety plus some excellent long off-piste routes, best with a guide, at least until you know your way around.
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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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Harry Flashman, you are quite right about the advantages of a car when it comes to Ski Amadé.
The separate areas (towns) do have buses which are regular and free but it is much nicer just to rock up in your wheels!
However, there is so much on and off piste potential within the area - so don't be too quick to discount it if it fits your budget including car hire!
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So the decision was made, and Ishgl it is. Flights booked, now just accommodation. Thank you for the recommendations above for accommodation outside of Ishgl, but the holiday has changed a bit and a bit of apres is now clearly on the cards. So does anyone have any accommodation recommendations for Ishgl itself, and any info on where is best to stay in the town, for both easy access to lifts to a wide ski area as well as a bit of apres? Nightlife less important, in fact largely irrelevant...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Harry Flashman, If you zoom in close enough on Google maps, you can see the 3 lifts out of the town and also the points where the pistes return. The busy part of town is the central bit between the lifts, but there is also the Dorftunnel (airport people conveyer type thing) which runs from the town centre to the Fimbabahn lift IIRC and has an additional access point in the middle, so you can get around pretty easily.
According to our ski buddies (staying in Galtur and coming in on the bus each day), the Silvrettabahn had a huge queue every morning where as we found the other two lifts pretty quiet, so you might be better to stay that end of town or use the Dorftunnel to get to them. We stayed in the Arnika, which I'm afraid to say is at the cheaper end of Ischgl prices for half board, but it was an excellent hotel with incredible food and I would definitely stay there again. It is far away from the centre not to hear the bars (just the church...), but still only a few minutes walk.
Depending on how big your budget is, you might find that dictates where you end up as well as hotel availability - the area is very popular with other nationalities and the hotels do fill up. If you try and get somewhere fairly central, then you can use the Dorftunnel to get to the lifts without too much hassle.
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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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What about Rauris? Great rep this season I hear.
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@ed123, strangely Rauris had never been on my radar before, but now I quite fancy it. As a DIY job, obviously 
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You know it makes sense.
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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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| ed123 wrote: |
| What about Rauris? Great rep this season I hear. |
Wonder how people missed the pun?
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Poster: A snowHead
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I roffled a little. Poor guy!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks all, we are not going super-expensive, so all suggestions welcome. Most of yours so far are booked up (!)
Next question - we are interested in après, but not nightlife. So where could we stay near Ishgl that:
- allows skiing into Ishgl for après ski beers
- can then be reached by direct ski bus in not too long in time for dinner
- has a convenient ski lift so that mornings are easy for getting into he ski area without monster queues/taking many lifts
In a way, this would be best of all worlds. Cheaper accommodation, no crazy noise at nighttime, no buses/queues for lift in Ishgl in the morning.
Any local knowledge much appreciated. Anyone wants to know about the PDS or Tahoe, happy to reciprocate.
Scarlet, I am investigating Galtur. Bus from there go to a non crowded lift?
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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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Kappl is a good bet, and fits most of your criteria above. The only thing is that you would have to get a bus up to Ischgl in the morning (as well as evening). IIRC they run regularly to a timetable, and I don't remember there being problems with queues - however, I have never been in mid-Feb, only early-mid December. The bus network in the valley works really well. Iscghl has three lifts up, and I think the A1 had the least queues. They do have a new gondola in this year now so that might shake things up a bit.
I stayed in Galtur on my first trip, and Kappl on the second two. I really preferred Kappl. Galtur is north facing and can be a bit bleak, though there is some good skiing up there. Kappl is just a bit more lively though - no crazy noise or anything, but little things like Gluhwein on the square in the early evening.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Right, yet more questions - Ishgl may now be a no-go as accomm is coming up as very pricey, and not everyone in group is OK with that. We already have out flights with skis to Friedrichschafen booked cheaply, due to Lady F being a BA gold card member and using some points.
So, what else is decent skiing near that airport, in Austria. J2ski site is down, but gives names, not experiences.
We have one intermediate. 3 late advanced/early experts, two of whom prefer the piste anyway. I am the only powder/off-piste hound, but as the holiday is not about me, and I can get a guide anyway, I don't need something super-gnarly.
Thank you so much, everybody - you have been great so far.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Bregenzwald? Biggest resort is Damuels/Mellau. Or Warth, now linked into Lech/Zuers.
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| admin wrote: |
| you can even take excursions off to completely separate, self contained domains eg. Cortina, however I've been intending to do that for 5 years |
No excuse not to do it on the S11BB. There are a couple of memorable fast runs at Cortina and the Main shopping street is worth a stroll for some.
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I would concur with admin and highly recommend the Sella Ronda in Italian Dolomites. Not only does it offer fantastic skiing, eating and drinking is very reasonable and always of a good standard. Arabba is a great base if you have experienced skiers - it offers the toughest runs in the area. We always book direct and stay at the Hotel Alpenrose (wonderful hotel), but friends have stayed at Hotel Garni Laura (B&B) and that is great too, and not too expensive. Nice rooms, a sauna, good breakfast and two-minute walk to the nearest lift. Alternatively have look at http://www.colletts.co.uk/winter/ or http://www.simplydolomiti.com/en/ for a wide range of accommodation at reasonable prices. Give the Dolomites a go - you will not be disappointed!
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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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@Harry Flashman, trouble with Ischgl (as I've discovered) is that all the 'cheaper' accommodation gets snapped up very early. We booked in March and even then had to move very quickly to get in.
I know you didn't really want St Anton but it might be worth reconsidering. It is a great resort after all.
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@Harry Flashman, No go at the Arnika? We had the same problems, hence the extra accommodation in Galtur – I think they stayed in the Alpenrose after recommendation on here. As for the bus, to avoid the queue you get off the bus when it stops (I don't think there are a lot of options) and then head through the Dorftunnel to the other lift. Not worth it for a short wait, but will beat a half hour monster queue 
Other than the Ischgl trip, three of my last four ski holidays have been to the Dolomites. I think it's a more interesting place to ski then Ischgl (but then I'm not going off piste as yet), and there are just so many places to go, different directions to head in. And then there's the tiramisu. Mountainsun also have a couple of places out there - basic but not expensive, and the one on the piste (Frohsinn) is extremely well located. Bit of a schlepp from Friedrichshafen though, well I suppose most places are. Might be ok if you hire a car.
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FAQ
