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?
Just skiing on a glacier. Some resorts like Stubai Glacier in Austria are mostly on an actual glacier, but lots of normal resorts have some runs which are on a glacier too.
As glaciers are just huge lumps of ice, you can pretty much guarantee that there will be enough snow to ski in the glacier resorts even very early and late season (or all year). Downside is there aren't any trees, so skiing there sucks (or sometimes just isn't possible) in extreme bad weather and snow storms.
It really depends on the timming..if you go skiing at the beginning of the season or at the end, glacier skiing is definitely an option. Of course check out before different glaciers and find out which one is the most appropriate for beginners. Stubai Glacier or Hintertux have some nice beginner slopes.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I went on my first ski holiday to Les Deux Alps...now a long time ago. My memories were not all that favourable for a beginner. The problem is the limited routes down the mountain for beginners at the end of the day, though apparently that is being rectified with a new blue run for this season. A better option would be Alpe d'Huez- with lots of good wide pistes at resort level, though the town, like LDA is a little lacking in chocolate box prettiness. What time of the season are you of thinking of going? Aside from good skiing for beginners, what other things do you want?
I would not recommend Hintertux for a complete beginner. There are some flat bits. but they can only be reached via a red run from the top of the Gefrorene Wand. Stubai is fine.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
L2A is absolutely fine for beginners provided they are happy to ride down in a lift (which is par for the course in some of the best ski resorts in the world). Most skiing there is well below glacier level
After all it is free
After all it is free
@jessica1215, not a stupid question at all. The pistes on the glacier at LDA can be great for beginners, but it can be very windy and very cold on the glacier. As @pam w says, most of the skiing at LDA is below glacier level. As a resort I think it is fine for beginners (my two daughters learned how to ski there). As @Perty says, Alp D'Huez is another good resort for beginners. It would be good to know what other things you like in a resort. Also, it would be good to know when you are going. Welcome to
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Glacier skiing means you can ski when the snow"s gone as the big blocks of ice are still there. Some resorts offer summer glacier skiing. It"s generally slushy and nothing like good winter skiing.
Most resorts cater for beginners to some extent. l2a is high, snow sure and a very short airport transfer from Gremoble. The skiing is not as big as you'd think, given it's a big name resort.
The most important thing you want from a resort as a beginner are lots of easy runs high up the mountain so you can get up to the best snow, best views and really get your money's worth from the lift pass.
I think the best resort in France for this is Risoul. la Plagne is also great for long easy blues, although very busy.
Italy offers better beginner's skiing and value for money, imho.
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There are hundreds of resorts suitable for beginners. More difficult is finding really good quality ski lessons - and that will make more difference to your holiday and your future ski career than almost anything else.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@cameronphillips2000, +1 for Risoul and the knacker-knackering button lift of Doooooooommmmmmm.
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.
LDA as others have said will be fine but it can be bitterly cold ( my coldest ever day skiing was on that glacier ) The Jandri express is fine for coming back down at the end of the day and there are still quite a few runs suitable for beginners back to the village but they do get very busy, especially towards end of the day. ADH is better for beginners as many of the runs around/into the resort are easy enough and would be a great resort for first or second year skiers.
The glacier at Kaprun is not bad as well there are some more difficult runs there but enough easier runs to keep you occupied.
If you are new to skiing best to keep skiing the same runs over and over than ski all over the place wondering what is round the corner etc. Doing this you get familiar with the run/s and can concentrate more on technique, ( you will not push yourself as hard on unfamiliar terrain ).
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Quote:
LDA as others have said will be fine but it can be bitterly cold
Well of course it can if you're up the top on a cold day - but so can anywhere else at that altitude. It's no colder (or warmer) than any other resort in the area. On a cold day in winter you wouldn't find me anywhere near the glacier. But I don't agree that there "quite a few" runs suitable for beginners back to the village. There's one, which if it were quiet and with nice snow on is perfectly OK. We'll have to wait and see how good the new blue run will be for beginners. Depends what you mean by "beginner" probably.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
In resorts, glaciers are usually gentle and easy. But, they're high up, of course, and it may not be possible to get away from them over easy terrain. Anywhere I've skied them, in resort, you have to be happy on a surface lift, generally a T-bar - which have been known to freak-out beginners. Off-piste glaciers are a different ball game, and only suitable for a beginner with a death wish.
I wouldn't recommend choosing a resort just because it has a glacier, for any level of skier: unless at the beginning or very end of a season, when there may not be any sliding available anywhere else. But if one is a available and accessible, no reason not to give it a go. You generally get a long run out of it.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Another aspect of glacier skiing I recall from my nervous intermediate days-they are (of course) very high. The air is thinner and that, combined with being a bit anxious, can take your breath away quite literally. I would certainly not chose a resort because it has a glacier. The main thing for late season skiing is to have some high alititude slopes. In France there are plenty of resorts at or around 1800m plus which are snow sure to the end of the season. It's also nice to have trees which tend to thin out between 1800m and 2000 depending on where you are-good for snowy days with poor visibility.
I went to Risoul years ago and I remember it being ideal, though the ESF tuition was pretty useless.
If you want to be sure of good quality lessons with native english speakers, in France the usual mega resorts may be a better option-Tignes, Couchevel 1650 or 1850 spring to mind (especially Courchevel). I think La Plagne may tick a few boxes too for building confidence on nice wide pistes too.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:
The main thing for late season skiing is to have some high alititude slopes.
I'd say the main thing for late season skiing is to have slopes with different aspects - east facing for later in the day, but slopes which get sun for earlier in the day, to soften the icy ridges left by the bashers. However, we don't know whether the OP is going late season, do we?
Many beginners hate T bars.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Hi @jessica1215 its not a silly question.
Glacier skiing is generally pretty flat with wide pistes, so there are advantages, for beginners.
But as many of the above posters mention ... it can be very cold or windy.
You get the worst of weather up at those altitudes.
If you're a beginner you don't want to be too far from the Hotel or the resort area so you can top up with hot chocolate and rum and Mars Bars etc
Glacier skiing is really for very early in the season or very late, in January you'll have more fun at lower altitude.
It can be very foggy too. I've spent a Weekend on a glacier in the Otztal and it may as well been Hemmel Fridge with the lights out.
The ski holiday package holidays companies mark the resorts that have glacier opportunity as a bonus, because when there is little snow its guaranteed above 3000 metres.
But when its as bad as that the crowds will just make it a pain.
But on the other hand if you ski in April you could have a brilliant time above the clouds in bright warm sunshine till it all turns slushy at lunchtime.
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?
@jessica1215, we are currently editing our film from the Solden glacier - this should give you a pretty good idea about the joys of glacier skiing
@jessica1215, just to clarify as no one has said it. The glacier is made of ice but there will be snow on top of it. So it's normal skiing but with all the pros and cons discussed above. I should imagine you will learn to ski lower down and may venture up high later, or, as I did in Bulgaria, when the snow runs out lower down and your instructor has psychiatric condition!
@DrLawn, Yes just be clear @jessica1215, high altitude skiing above the tree line isn't always clear - weather wise. Some days are epic (the days when we load up our camera gear and head onto the slopes), others are more like an alien planet experience.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
After all it is free
After all it is free
There are beginners slopes at various levels in L2A, including resort level. The glacier is just another option if conditions are poor lower down.
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@jessica1215, doesn't seem as if any one has actually answered the 'What is glacier skiing?' question.
It is conventionally understood to mean skiing out of the normal ski season and even during the summer by using the the snow (ice) on the glaciers at higher altitude. It can be a real challenge for beginners even on moderate slopes. My experience (from summer skiing at L2A) is that it is like skiing on a concrete section of the M1 until a liittle after ten in the morning (the lifts open at about 7am) when the surface then softens sufficiently to allow easier progress. About 15 minute later it becomes excessivley slushy and like skiing in porridge; by lunchtime it beomes impossible to see anything beyond your nose as cloud rapidly builds and in the L2A case they close the lifts.
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Stelio offers summer only skiing as the pass shuts in the winter. It's fairly extensive for glacier skiing with quite a few lifts.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@mcspreader, I always wondered what people meant by "glacier skiing". @pam w, +1. The bottom slopes at LDA are v good for absolute beginners - lots of green runs that are not used as home runs or rat runs by teenagers trying to break the world land speed record.
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.
Well, like others here I just thought "Glacier Skiing" was skiing on a glacier, but it seems mcspreader is also correct.
According to Mike Doyle of About sports Skiing Section "Glacier skiing is a form of skiing on glaciers, offered for both cross country skiers and downhill skiers. Many skiers glacier ski to extend their time on the slopes and ski longer than the typical ski season."
To beginners like jessica1215, Glacier Skiing might well sound rather scary:it's not
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@Jonpim, not unless you are daft enough to go off piste on a glacier during summer months......which is unlikely if you are a beginner.
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Poster: A snowHead
