 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello All
We visited La Rosiere last year and had a wonderful time. Was my husband's first skiing trip abroad and conversely he doesn't want to ruin the memories by returning to the same resort. But essentially we are looking for the same things - picturesque (like resorts at altitude), good for intermediates, resorts with runs going into/close to the village and fairly snow sure (going end feb early march). All suggestions welcome!
Clare
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@clarelaing, I've yet to see an ugly mountain, and resort beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Received wisdom says that Zermatt is a beautiful old car-free Alpine village, for example; when I visited, though, I discovered little more than huge crowds and urban sprawl.
What do you see as beautiful? You might enjoy Ste Foye, just around the mountain from La Ros - a small, modern resort where the buildings are low-rise and very traditional in style. Or maybe the lakeside village of Zell am See with traditional Austrian charm? Perhaps Murren if you want a quiet, traditional car-free Swiss experience? Or go to Jackson Hole in the USA and pick up the spirit of the Wild West with elk steak and wooden sidewalks. All of these are small resorts that have definite charm.
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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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Madonna di Campiglio might suit. Lovely scenery, great food, nice variety of pistes.
Alternatively, I was in Lech last week and that was lovely.
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Alpbach is very pretty but could be classed as a bit limited as far as the number of runs. Just make sure you stay near one of the bus stops.
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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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The 'Where to Ski & Snowboard' book has a resort shortlist section and under the heading 'Snow-sure, but simpatico' it lists:
Andermatt
Arabba
Argentiere
Ischgl
Lech/Zurs
Monterosa Ski
Obergurgl
Saas-Fee
Val d'Anniviers
Zermatt
Under 'Village charm', it lists:
Champery
Courmayeur
Les Gets
Lech
Megeve
Murren
Saas-Fee
Val d'Anniviers
Wengen
Zermatt
For 'Dramatic scenery':
Chamonix
Cortina
Courmayeur
Heavenly
Jungfrau resorts
Lake Louise
Megeve
Sella Ronda
Selva
St Moritz
Zermatt
I've been to La Rosiere and a number of the resorts in the above lists. Although La Ros has some redeeming points such as a panoramic location, good choice of ski-in accommodation and mostly sympathetic stone & wood-clad modern buildings, there are a lot of places with more dramatic scenery, more charm and more interesting skiing...and definitely better mountain restaurants!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Wengen, mainly intermediate runs, lovely village, fantastic scenery
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Wengen also has inconvenient skiing, ludicrous prices and some obnoxious people. Try Italy. The area around San Cassiano or Corvara is blue heaven and second to none for beauty, in my view.
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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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Dolomites.
Nuff said
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I wouldn't class the dolomites as "picturesque ". The most beautiful mountain scenery in the world, more like, though too crowded to be perfect in my book.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@skiluvva, Arabba is pretty challenging for intermediates, in my view. Even the little reds as you come back from the Corvara way are steep for second-weekers. And the alleged red at the top of Portavescovo is damn nigh black in all but the flattest snow conditions. I strongly suggest the other (Corvara and Colfosco) end of the Sella Ronda is more user friendly for the OP's needs. As @pam w, says, second to none for jaw-dropping beauty. It only tends to be busy at certain times and places.
I took nervous early inters to San Cassiano and they loved it. They didn't go far, admittedly, but never left blue.
edit to correct typo
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Sat 27-12-14 16:42; edited 1 time in total
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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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@Chris Bish, yes, that "red" is certainly steep! The area seemed very busy first week of February. But I amanoeuvre spoilt by being based in an area where lift queues and busy pistes don't happen outside the big school holidays.
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'Where to Ski and Snowboard' has Lech as the only Austrian resort in their top 10 'Village Charm' list?
It is pretty enough, and pretty expensive too, but there are plenty of other places in Austria that have more charm IMO and which are better for intermediates as well. Zell am See, Westendorf, Mayrhofen, Saalbach, Maria Alm, Kitzbuhel, Wagrain, most of the Ski Amade resorts, Ishgl just to start the list.
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You know it makes sense.
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The OP was asking about "end of Feb, early March" so Christmas conditions are not significant. Only the very lowest resorts would have any problems at that time from the snow point of view. Kitzbuhel is a charming town, but easy skiing is limited to the top of the Hahnenkamm. Saalbach is quite nice, but not in the same league, and has some alarmingly steep bits. Mayrhofen likewise is not all easy cruising. It is easy to forget how terrifyingly steep quite gentle slopes seem when you are just starting out.
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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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Pila in the Aosta valley might be worth checking out. Decent runs for all levels, snow is well looked after and Aosta town is beautiful - accessible by gondola. Slope side facilities a bit limited tho' which may be an issue........you can see Mont Blanc from the top though so great scenery available and should be accessible for intermediate.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Chris Bish, I spotted my error re Christmas and corrected it. 
Saalbach has plenty of intermediate runs that are not steep.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Just back from a week in Saalbach - gorgeous!
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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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Arosa ticks all these boxes - and even better now it links to Lenzerheide!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Maria alm was incredibly pretty, resort quite small but linked to other small areas so felt like you were travelling. Mainly blue and red runs and seems to be in a bit of a snow pocket even though fairly low.
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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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Dear all, thank you so much for all your helpful contributions. I have a list now so will start doing some futter research and keeping my eyes peeled for the bear deals. Happy sking everyone!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Bear deals. ...bizarre phone predictive text. ..
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