 Poster: A snowHead
|
Here's my list for this year so far....
Verbier
Val D’Isere
St Luc/Chandolin
Crans Montana
Leysin
Les Diablerets
La Dole
La Berra
La Serra
Les Brassus
Charmey
Bruson
This is all on the back of being a ski dad, taking a nipper to a range of ski races and other events - but as a result I've ended up skiing all over the gaff - with still another month and a half of events, i'd expect another 6 or so resorts to be added to the list by the end of the season.....the getting up at shocking in the morning of a sunday is a little wearing, but the upside is lots of skiing, in all weathers, in loads of places I'd never heard of before this year. (side note, Charmey is a cool little resort in the Gruyere, well worth a look!)
And from that, I've now a much more balanced view of what constitutes a "good" resort for me and my family to visit. I've decided that I much much prefer the vibe in teeny tiny resorts. (insert massive generalization here) - smaller resorts are calmer, seem to me to have way less queues in general, and as a direct result of their lack of traffic, be much easier to find safe side of piste off piste jollynesss (complete with airbag, shovel, probe, tranceiver, helicopter, stun grenades etc)
So i guess my total for the season will end up around 16 -18 ish individual resorts.....haven't yet even managed to get over to any of my normal PdS haunts, so a concerted effort could end up over 20. I was thinking of writing TR's up as i went, but i'm way too lazy so if anyone wants the inside track on any of the above, lettuce know. (excluding verbs, val etc, I mean the unknown ones, way better heads around than mine on the biggies).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Good going @coddlesangers! Mrs MA and I love trying as many new places as possible - from unheard of two-lift locals' areas to mega resorts. Although we get anything from 30-60 days on snow each winter, we have never done more than about 6 different places in a season (including Scottish areas and (ahem) resorts of the English North Pennines.
Our approach contrasts somewhat with a bloke I met last year. He (and his wife) were looking forward to Schladming - after skiing there one week a year (same hotel) for 20 years.... And to think I've skied nearly 200 ski areas....but never Schladming 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@coddlesangers, well done finding so many super little places: small and pretty. Les Brassus seems to have only 2 lifts.
Always fun to find these lovely little off-the-usual-list places.
Bruson is the hidden gem of the Verbier 4-valleys set-up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@coddlesangers, What is Leysin like please?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
I won't get near that but hoping to get in a lot of the resorts (small and large) around L2A on my next extended trip. Col D'Ornon will have to be the first as it closes on 15th March soon after I arrive, it only has 1 or 2 lifts I think and only opens weekends and Wednesday afternoons outside the french holidays.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well last season I skied:
Stubai Glacier
Nordkette
Patscherkofel
Obergurgl
Ischgl
St Anton/Lech/Zurs
Westendorf
Axamer Lizum
Obertilliach
Schlick2000
Kuhtai
Wolkenstein/Selva Gardena (all the Sella Ronda resorts should probably count as just one, but I guess it's about 5 really?)
Niseko
Moiwa
Asahidake
Teine Highland
Kamui Ski Links
Kiroro
Furano
And a few touring areas.
Much less this season so far:
Stubai
Silvretta Montafon (Hochjoch, St Gallenkirch, Gargellen)
Ischgl
Nordkette
Fieberbrunn
Pejo3000
And in a few weeks Gulmarg!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@clarky999, ... Life is too short!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@red 27, Leysin is a nice mid size resort, certainly enough there for a day or two of skiing. It's coolest feature is the revolving restaurant on top - one thing I've noticed though is that it seems to suffer more than most from icy pistes, particularly the red off the Berneuse. Its easy to access, basically the first station up from Aigle and the closest fully fledged resort to Lausanne - it has also got a lot of stuff for kids including a pretty cool toboggan park. I quite like Leysin, mainly as its quick to get to, reasonably quick to access the installatios ** nb if you arrive late in the morning, you will have to park down at the bottom of the village by the sports centre and take the shuttle bus up ** but this is no biggie as its just 3-4 minutes, and the parking at the bottom of the village is plentiful and well organized. The skiing is generally good, with very good off piste easily accessible if thats your thing, and on piste, plenty of well groomed stuff. South facing mainly, so gets choppy fairly early in the afternoon. Has a link to Les Mosses by bus, but the skiing in Les Mosses is decidedly...erm...average, so any time we go we generally just bod around Leysin itself. It tends not to be all that busy, but there is a single run back to the village so that does sometimes require good slalom skills  , overall, its a lovely resort when in condition. Definite one for a day trip or a weekend for me.
@clarky999, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED but not sure i'll get over 20....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@coddlesangers,  go for it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
@Onnem, Starly doesn't count because [s]he isn't a snowHead... unless U know otherwise?
| clarky999 wrote: |
Wolkenstein/Selva Gardena (all the Sella Ronda resorts should probably count as just one, but I guess it's about 5 really?)
|
I don't know if they should be counted if you just 'ski through'. However if you spend a bit of time there it's countable. eg. Bellow, I've not counted Selva as the lifts were closing for wind and I had to turn back at the top of Dantercepies but as a result I skied every run in Colfosco that day.
St Anton and Lech may be on the same lift pass but they're certainly 2 different resorts. I'd probably call Zurs it's own place too.
So far this season I have skied,
Tignes
Laax
Flims
Livigno
Madonna di Campiglio
Kronplatz
Cinque Torre/Laguzoi (let's call those one)
Arabba
Corvara
Colfosco
Magda Ciapella
Civetta
Nordkette
Next week I expect to ski:
Serre Chevalier,
Montgenevre
Claviere
La Grave
The following week I'm looking at:
Champoluc
Gressony
Alanga
I'm a bit annoyed to have missed the chance at Selva, Canazei and Alba/Pozza while at the Birthday Bash but there was important powder that needed tracking 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@admin, haha, priorities! What did you think of Nordkette?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I thought it was cutely urban.
Lots of yoot throwing their twin tips around like they were just clicking their heals and snowBoarders, smaller and younger than I've ever seen.
The top gondola was closed for avi-risk but I loved being able to sit outside the mid-station and gaze down on the city. London doesn't have a ski area and I found myself adding up the justifications for living in Innsbruck.
I should have given you a shout when I knew we were going to be in town but I was expecting to meet someone else who turned out to be unavailable in the end anyway... next time!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
@admin, yeah it's quite easy to justify that one haha!
For sure let me know next time!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
@admin, I am not entirely sure you're allowed to class the 3 Monterosa valleys independently.
I think the rules should refer to the number of list passes you've bought. And PDS doesn't give you 12... 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Number of lift passes doesn't really work in Dolomites nor parts of Austria. eg Sella Ronda and Cortina and Kronplatz are very much different resorts but are on the same pass, and in Austria, the Salzburger Super Ski Pass thingy gives access to so many separate resorts, that it'd be the equivalent of having something like the "Haute Savioe Superski Pass" in France, rather than Espace Killy etc.
edit: if going by lift pass count, I'd choose resort boundaries for single day local area pass to define "resort", even though in general you'd have an area pass.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| Quote: |
What if I ski them each on 3 successive days?
|
Clearly you are there to lunch rather than ski then  or you like driving too much.
@andy, good points.
...too complicated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Well, since Admin has rewritten the rules, I'll be adding Flims and Laax (next weeks hols) and upgrading my earlier list to include Gryon, and also separating Chandolin from St Luc....
@clarky999, oohhhhhhhhhh getting closer. Particularly if i go to Splugen and Lenzerheide + Arosa (new rules, right?)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Think the most I can find in a season is 11 local areas.
This year is only 8 so far.
Most in a day is probably 6ish.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
So jealous of you lot, how on earth do you manage so much snow time, im lucky to get in 1/2 weeks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@GO1996, stick around snowHeads for a while and you'll start to get the hang of it.
There are all sorts of tips and tricks to shave a few quid off here or add a day or two there.
Between the knowledge of the group and the power of numbers, all sorts of things are possible.
In the early days the legendary hoppo said something like, "When I came to snowHeads I thought of skiing as a once-a-year luxury and quickly realised that twice-a-year was the bare minimum. This year though, I'm feeling a little hard done by that I'm only getting 3 weeks in!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@coddlesangers, Thanks - mate of mine goes there this Saturday and as he stalks me on here, no doubt he will read that to his benefit
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@GO1996 the question is more - "what's stopping you"? Time, money, family or inertia?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I think they count as separate resorts only if you can't get from one to another on pisted runs or walking from one base lift to another. So, Alba and Colfosco are two. Corvara and Colfosco are one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
This season's list is likely to be:
Sainte Foy
La Rosiere
Tignes
Val d'Isere
Les Arcs
Rejdice
Dolni Morava
Moena
Kuhtai
Bosi Dar
Hintertux
Back in the day, any list of this kind would always have had the numerical bonus of including all or most of the Scottish resorts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
So far for me this season:-
Austria:
Hintertux
Stubaital
Kaunertal
Pitztal
Soelden
See
Graen
Mellau/Damuls
Warth/Schroecken
Nauders
See
Schwarzenberg
Kappl
Fiss/Serfaus
Fendels
Biberwier
Berwang
Zahmer Kaiser
UK:
Glencoe
Cairngorm
Yad Moss
Weardale
We are in Austria at the moment, so plan to ski a few more areas in the next couple of weeks. We are in Achensee now then are heading to Matrei in Ost Tirol on Saturday. Watch this space 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GO1996 How to get more time on snow?
1. Ski European glaciers outside the winter season. Some good snow to be had from October to June and soft snow in the heat of July and August certainly beats lying on a beach.
2. Move to within striking distance of UK snow. Mrs MA and I generally do do up to about 15-20 days abroad each winter but supplement that with 10 -15 days in Scotland and 6-12 days in England's North Pennines. In the epic UK winter of a couple of seasons ago we fitted 64 days skiing round full time jobs - though that was between October and June. Over half was weekend skiing in the UK, including 19 days in the Pennines, where snow lay continuously for about 10 weeks.
3. (In conjunction with 2.) Get ski touring kit and skin up to ski skiable UK snow even when the lifts are closed. You can find us in Scotland in June.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Update: I missed out on La Grave at the SOPiB as I had to take the BU5 4 DUB to the garage - not that they did anything worthwhile to it  But we did go to Sestriere instead.
Then Custard the Rabbit and I spent 2 weeks investigating Val d'Aosta. The only really significant area we didn't ski there was La Thuile, although we did have lunch there which, the rabbit declares, counts as 'having done' the resort as it's Italy.
So far this season I have skied,
Tignes
Laax
Flims
Livigno
Madonna di Campiglio
Kronplatz
Cinque Torre/Laguzoi (let's call those one)
Arabba
Corvara
Colfosco
Magda Ciapella
Civetta
Nordkette
Serre Chevalier,
Montgenevre
Claviere
Sestriere
Champoluc
Gressoney La Trinite
Alanga
Cervinia
Courmayeur
Zermatt
Valtourneche
Pila
Crevacol
Brusson
Antagnod
Gressoney Saint-Jean (Weissmatten)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
I don't think I quite count as a 'ski hack on a jolly', David.
For a start, I've paid for every lift pass and Hotel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Excellent, Graham, and a jolly good thing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
So it doesn't count if you didn't pay for the excursion or lift pass?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
That's quite a list Graham
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Not sure we can compete with Grahams list but setting off this friday and going to;
Alpe d'huez
Les deux alpes
Meribel
Courchevel
La tania
Val thorens
La plagne
Les arc
Tignes
Val d'isere
Les carroz
Morillon
Samoens
Flaine
Morzine
Avoriaz
Les gets
Chamonix (is the whole valley one or several resorts?)
Megeve
St gervais
Les contamines
La clusaz
In all resorts skis will be used, lift passes and hotels paid for.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
It's not big...it's not clever......
In years gone by I would normally ski 20-25 different locations per winter season on both sides of the Atlantic. All flights/travel, accommodation, food and lift passes supplied....I just turn up ski, and buy the odd beer. Now I just do a handful each year and buy my own food too
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Following my earlier post my revised list for places skied this season is:-
Austria:
Hintertux
Stubaital
Kaunertal
Pitztal
Soelden
See
Graen
Mellau/Damuls*
Warth/Schroecken*
Nauders
Schwarzenberg*
Kappl
Fiss/Serfaus
Fendels
Obergurgl
Biberwier
Berwang
Imst
Zahmer Kaiser
Pertisau
Maurach
Alpbach
Kaltenbach
Grossglockner Resort (Kals/Matrei)
St Jakob in Defereggental
Lienz Hochstein
Lienz Zettersfeld
Sillian
Koenigsleiten/Hochkrimml
UK:
Glencoe
Cairngorm
Yad Moss
Weardale
We kicked off the season in October, with glacier skiing - making the most of our season tickets for the Tyrol (that run from 1 October to 15 May!) For the eagle eyed among you, the starred resorts above weren't covered by our season passes. The first 2 were skiied on a Birthday do that we attended and the 3rd one was somewhere we ski toured en route back from the do....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Very impressive lists above
Val d'Isere
Tignes
Flachau
Wagrain
Alpendorf
Zauchensee
Flachauwinkl
Schladming
Forstau
Sun Peaks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
