 Poster: A snowHead
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When I started skiing some years ago, my friends took me to most big ski areas in AT, CH, FR ( but not yet in IT). I enjoyed it a lot. Somehow my Austrian co-worker convinced me to try a small AT resort (Alpbach). Since then I was alternating between big and smaller resorts and I found myself attracted more and more to smaller resorts, provided they had enough vertical and quality slopes or easy off-piste.
Quiet pistes and no steamy restos, generaly relaxed feel and peace are the biggest attractions, same like the nice fealing of fealing welcome, greeting and recognising lifties, etc.
Here is the list of my favourite small places I discovered so far:
Austria: Alpbach, ....
France: Sainte Foy, ...
CH: ? (Grimenz is on my radar, when the exchange rate issue is closer to longterm average).
IT: ? (Champoluc)
Grateful if you could share your list.[/list]
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 22-06-15 6:55; edited 3 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We really liked Disentis & Sedrun (CH). We ski quite a lot in Les Houches, being the lesser of the Chamonix valley stations. Praz de Lys is charming and very good on a powder day.
I suspect especially for a family that the Jura stations are very good.
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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 really enjoyed Puy-St-Vincent on an 'awayday' from Serre Chevalier last March. Great snow, trees, good and reasonably priced restaurants. We spent an accidental week in Alleghe in the Dolomites last year too, when Snowmaggeddon stopped us getting to Arabba. Very friendly, very beautiful and very cheap.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| I really enjoyed Puy-St-Vincent on an 'awayday' from Serre Chevalier last March. Great snow, trees, good and reasonably priced restaurants. We spent an accidental week in Alleghe in the Dolomites last year too, when Snowmaggeddon stopped us getting to Arabba. Very friendly, very beautiful and very cheap. |
And of course the pre Birthday Bash is planed for Alleghe Jan 16. We await buttons. 
mooney058 you may care to join us.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 21-06-15 22:15; edited 2 times in total
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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 will add Courmayeur to the list although a long time since I've been there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Macugnaga - a very long time ago. Lovely little village.
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Thanks to all for sharing! As per my wife, I'm crazy and will spend more time googling skiing during summer period ...
@NeddySkiGoon, thanks, would love to join the B Bash! This year is very bad for planning (more than ussual depend on boss's holidays and my children plans) so will only see at the last moment if possible (which is stresful to me as I usually book 12 months in advance )
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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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I've been to Put St Vincent too, lovely little place. Also went to Alpe du Grand Serre last winter, it's a charming little place. In the past I've also been to Foppolo in Italy and Font Romeu in the French Pyrenees and I enjoyed both. I've a few more on my bucket list for next winter.
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@mooney058, Have you thought of trying the Zugspitzarena? Consists of four main ski areas, Ehrwald, Leermoos, Biberwier, and the Zugspitze, all of which are quite small but offer a lot of variety and easy off piste. Also includes Garmisch in Bavaria. On a powder day the Zugspitze is fantastic.
Also think about Kleinwalsertal, with it's ski area covering Austria and Germany ( Oberstdorf ). Deffo worth a try.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Les Contamines in France. Wart Schroken and Stubai in Austria are smaller ski areas that I've been to and really enjoyed the skiing. I do still love the breadth of the bigger resorts though.
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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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@snowymum,
| mooney058 wrote: |
Quiet pistes and no steamy restos, generaly relaxed feel and peace are the biggest attractions, same like the nice fealing of fealing welcome, greeting and recognising lifties, etc.
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Biggish town and small piste area does not really equal quiet, (they claim 100km ha ha ) have stayed there for a week it was terminally dull and surprisingly really busy, so went to pila and la thuile for most of the week. Town was nice if you like fur coats, but it is quite good if you have non skiers with you
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You know it makes sense.
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@Zorrac, ok so you don't like Courmayeur. We are all entitled to our opinions 
When I went to courmayeur which was sometime ago the ski school was very friendly, the pistes were quiet and I enjoyed doing a couple of peaceful treelined runs over and over again and stopping at a lovely mountain restaurant down one of those runs. I also really enjoyed a day skiing the vallee blanche nearby. If you spent the week at other resorts you were hardly going to get to know the locals in the mountain cafes of Courmayeur.
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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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snowymum, Courmayeur has 100km of pistes according to the tourist office website, I wouldn't call it a small resort. Maybe they didn't buy enough adverts in the Telegraph.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Bregenzerwald Area of Voralrberg, Austria - 20-odd areas on the lift pass - ranging from tiny (one or two lifts) to big (eg Warth, which is connected to Lech and Zuers). Warth is excellent and we also really enjoyed Diedamskop and Damuels/Mellau. Balderschwang (just over the border in Bavaria) was entertaining on our powder day there.
Val Cenis, Haute Maurienne, France is the collective name for a handful of resorts and is a large, varied and snowsure area. It's mainstream in France but not very heard of among UK skiers. However, the valley lift pass (Eskimo pass) covers some entertaining areas that would fit your 'small resorts' criterion - with some pretty decent verticals available - eg Aussois, Bonneval and La Norma.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@rjs, So it would appear the ski area of courmayeur is stated as one size in the telegraph and a different size by the tourist office. Have you actually been there and did it feel a large or a small ski area to you?
Even if it is 100km of piste that is still smaller than Val Cenis mentioned above which is 120km from memory.
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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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snowymum, Yes I have been there, I already wrote that I don't consider it small, it is certainly bigger than 38km of piste.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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There are countless small resorts. Les Contamines and courmayeur don't really count; they're in the brochures
 one that isn't is Areche Beaufort. Tiny village though and really better if you speak French. Cold, and keeps its snow well. You could spend a week there and not hear another English speaker.Some excellent off piste and touring, I'm told.
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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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From Courmayeur's own "Mountain Stats" doc,
31 runs
11 blue - 16 red - 4 black
Longest run: Youla - Dolonne 1.414 m. verical drop - total drop 7.405
100 km. between piste and off piste. Pistes total length 41km
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| NeddySkiGoon wrote: |
| Hells Bells wrote: |
| I really enjoyed Puy-St-Vincent on an 'awayday' from Serre Chevalier last March. Great snow, trees, good and reasonably priced restaurants. We spent an accidental week in Alleghe in the Dolomites last year too, when Snowmaggeddon stopped us getting to Arabba. Very friendly, very beautiful and very cheap. |
And of course the pre Birthday Bash is planed for Alleghe Jan 16. We await buttons.
mooney058 you may care to join us. |
Civetta is simply perfect in almost every way. The Zoldo Alto side is even quieter than Alleghe and has top to bottom floodlit skiing on one mountain too. Cinque Torre is a short bus ride away too.
I may just have to sign up for the pre season bash this year.....
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| Quote: |
Les Contamines and courmayeur don't really count; they're in the brochures
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I'd argue that the Contamines/Hauteluce ski area is not quite small enough to qualify but I don't really think Les C is in the brochures, don't think any UK TO's go there. Hardly any hotels. It is nearly all private chalets and apartments. One of the factors that makes the atmosphere a little different IMO.
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