 Poster: A snowHead
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David Murdoch, how long did it take you from airport to parking at isola? Also, 'scuse the ignorance but why auron?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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slikedges, can't rightly recall. 1hr-1hr15? and I just heard Auron was nicer /better. Haven't been myself to comment though. Isola is nOT PRETTY.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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Did it 3 years ago when we flew Easyjet to Nice 1st week in March, arriving 9:45, was in the car by 10:30 and skiing by 1200 ish I seem to remember. Skied all day till about 5pm, went for a meal in Isola then drove back to Nice and got 20:00 something flight back to luton or Stansted
Easyjet cost was £30 return, car about £40 between us and lift passes £20. On reflection, maybe we should have gone to Milton Keynes ... 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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BTW, Auron is a nicer base camp (ie place to stay) but if we're still talking day trips then Isola is (slightly) nearer, more extensive and who cares about the village if you're there for a day. If it's a weekend though - stay in Auron.
Isola 2000 is concrete and decaying. Think inner city ghetto.
Isola itself is 'Allo 'Allo. For francophiles like me, great! Oldie Worldie, chat to locals ... and dead in terms of anything to do. There isn't ANYTHING to do.
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slikedges, sorry i don't know any of those but met up with someone who has been to Bardonecchia and was saying that because it's in the same sort of area and it's a lot lower it takes ages to get to the snow and there is less of it, but as i say..........no personal experience, so it could be all tosh
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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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B00thy, Dan, thanks, sorry succinct, on 9.2Kbps! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We're doing a Friday night to Monday morning Engleberg trip, will let you know how it goes.
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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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slikedges, your extent of research is very impressive. Have you now been able to finalise on the dates and locations for yourself?
btw, your last post on this thread was your 2000th - so congratulations on that achievement. 
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magriggs, thanks, I'm making a day-trip early March!
Ray Zorro, thanks, not as potentially earth-moving as your 2000th  but at least it wasn't the usual drivel! I was surprised at the limited flight options, and bearing in mind I did look at pretty much all the budget airlines and UK airports. I'm sure I might have missed one or two but not many. It doesn't look like a Feb trip will happen after all, so it's just the day trip to Engelberg before and the quickie weekend to Obertauern after the main event in Tignes this year.
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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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slikedges, How was it? We need an update
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ray Zorro,
Not sure how much has been open lately... 300cms and -14 Cat the top should be great but don't know about the wind...
Was it the 9th or 11th?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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JT, I have heard briefly from slikedges, he went yesterday and sounded like he had a good time. He said a full report would follow.
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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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Tragedy or triumph? Here’s how it panned out:
When you’ve only got a day, you want and will it all to go like clockwork. Any deviation from this leaves you with the feeling that it’s all going to start to unravel before you, and you will in fact end up trying to prove what you’ve been saying about it being just as great to spend a day with a mate in a Swiss traffic jam. Which is in fact bullcrap. 
So you can imagine the feeling creeping upon me when my already borderline early enough for a day-trip 0720 EZY return Luton booked rather late £55 flight was delayed. It finally took off at 0750  , but my heart lifted when we caught up a bit on the flight and it landed at snowy Basel-Mulhouse Euroairport only 15 minutes late at 1020.  I left my mate to recover the skis and boots while I went to the Swiss side of the airport (which is nevertheless in France) to sort out the hire car and some chow for the journey. It took me less than 15 minutes to sort both, including chatting up the girl at the sandwich bar, so it should’ve been poss to drive off 25 minutes after touch down with a telephone number but the skis proceeded to take 30 minutes to appear so we weren’t on our way until 1100 (without her number)! The new 1.4Polo from Europcar via Airline Network came with vignette, winter tyres and chains that would fit its tyres for £52 including excess waiver – not the cheapest but I didn’t fancy squeezing skis into a Ka or equivalent!
The route through Basel and onwards to Engelberg is really very straightforward. I brought a portable satnav unit along but it really isn’t necessary and we had excellent printed viamichelin illustrated directions as backup. There is a main artery going through Basel from the north where the airport is, and we got onto it in minutes…straight into a Swiss traffic jam. The roadworks there at the moment meant we crawled through the first part of the tunnel and I think it cost us more than 10 minutes. The rest of the drive was easy, and despite the recent heavy snows, the roads up to the resort at 1000m were completely snow-free. We drove progressively but not in any way indecently, not being familiar with limits and cameras and leeway given and stuff, really and truly never far above the speed limit. 
The main road enters the attractive big village/small town of Engelberg from the west. There are 2 main ski areas, on the north left and south right of the road passing through the middle of it. The smaller area on the left Brunni is more suited to beginners and intermediates and the bigger on the right Titlis has more challenging runs, though what the resort is really known for is its extensive off piste which looked great but was strictly for the birds (and the cuckoos amongst them at that ) on the day I visited. The cable car station for the Titlis area was immediately visible on entering the village and not far after a smallish reservoir on the right is the well sign-posted turning for it. After making the turn, snowHeads’ favourite Stockli shop is just on the right before turning right again towards the entrance to the large but half-empty car park at the foot of the cable car. We parked at 1240.
The carpark is supposed to cost 7chf to park at but I couldn’t see where/how to pay (didn’t look that hard I suppose ). A quick change and unpacking the skis etc, no queue for either lift pass office or cable car and we were in the cable car before 1300. A half-day pass was 42chf and is of the electronic card variety which you stick in a pocket on your left and is auto-detected. You get 5chf back if you return the card at the end of the day.
I’d been slightly concerned that the weather predicted only a few days previously was 30cm of snow coming down the day before we were due to arrive and another 30cm on the day itself. However the weather as a local ski instructor with perfect English we chatted to said was completely unexpectedly glorious. The sun was out, the snow plentiful and perfect. The only downer was that obviously off piste was off limits and…both the top lifts, the Rotair to Titlis and Jochstock Express to Jochstock were closed due to winds of 70 to 120km/h!  No blacks were accessible, the Laub of course was closed and all but a couple of runs open were graded red. These lower reds at Engelberg all seem to be appropriately graded but whilst fun, none could really be considered challenging. However, for a day there was just about enough variety. Interestingly on this side of the valley at least, the lower beginners and blue area beneath Trubsee was closed and lifts were not running (not sure why). There were a few small moguls to have fun in and the snow was great with scenery to match, so for my first day skiing this season , it couldn’t’ve been much more enjoyable.  I took last season’s B2 with me and they were perfect for the conditions. Not that many people wearing helmets (I’d guess at 20%).
We missed the last lift up by about 30 seconds and determined to make the most of the run down from Jochpass to the carpark, reluctantly taking our skis off at 1659! The snow cover was excellent down to resort though getting a bit slushy only in the last couple of hundred metres of vertical.
We took a recommendation for dinner from the friendly local ski instructor and went to the Rostihus Eienwaldli, easily found on Wasserfallstrasse towards the east of the village, which was very friendly and had good reasonably priced food, before leaving at 1900.
Including stopping to refill the hire car for 30chf, we parked up back at Basel airport at 2035 – only to find the 2155 flight had been delayed with no time fixed yet for departure. We had a slightly anxious hour or so wondering if we’d make it back for our work commitments the next day (me a clinic full of patients and my mate a full operating list), before being told the flight would take off 2300. It finally arrived 2345 in Luton with a feeling of relief that the only thing left to do was the tired but satisfied drive home but also a great feeling that I’d been away for far longer than I really had. 
Would I do it again? Yes, and I’m sure I will. An overnighter or a long weekend are preferable, but I can certainly conceive of a time when these aren’t doable and a ski fix is needed.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Sat 11-03-06 16:33; edited 1 time in total
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Excellent report slikedges, you've got me thinking again now 
There are still loads of cheap flights with Ryanair available...
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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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slikedges, Great report, how much was the total cost per person excluding food?
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Thanks everyone!
IncogSkiSno, £103.5 (55 flight, 26 car, 16 lift pass (42-5=37chf), 6.5 petrol). Could've been £25 cheaper if flights booked earlier! But good value even at £100 imho.
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slikedges, Thanks, not too bad, but I would try to go for cheaper though, have you calculated petrol to/from airport UK and parking into that too 
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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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slikedges, Well done. I'm personally of the opinion that doing a single day trip is just a little bit asking for trouble, but well done you for accomplishing it!! And I reckon my ski day average cost is somewhere in the region of £100-£110 so you didn't even pay the earth for it.
Nice!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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slikedges,
If you want to do two days again soon, I'm interested..lets have a mini-meet in Angel mountain..yea..!!
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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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B00thy,
I might just try that, would have to take a half day off on the friday though.
Cheers
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You know it makes sense.
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| IncogSkiSno wrote: |
| slikedges, Thanks, not too bad, but I would try to go for cheaper though, have you calculated petrol to/from airport UK and parking into that too |
No. The way I look at it, I'd've done something that day which would've involved a similar expense so not fair to include those costs (12.50 medium term parking for the day and about the same in petrol, I guess).
| David Murdoch wrote: |
slikedges, Well done. I'm personally of the opinion that doing a single day trip is just a little bit asking for trouble, but well done you for accomplishing it!! And I reckon my ski day average cost is somewhere in the region of £100-£110 so you didn't even pay the earth for it.
Nice!! |
Thanks DM. I think the day-trip thing is too tiring really, unless you have no option, but cost wise it is cheap. If I'd booked earlier, the cost could've been as little as £75 - as you know some EZY return tickets go for £25 return.
T Bar thanks, yes, until you know the system, best not to run up against it (too much)
| JT wrote: |
slikedges,
If you want to do two days again soon, I'm interested..lets have a mini-meet in Angel mountain..yea..!! |
I'm going to Tignes for 2 weeks, then back and have a weekend planned for mid April, so probably not this season . However, I'd definitely be on for that early next season. Maybe we can convince some of the other Dawn Choristers or any other sH to come too!!
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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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However, I'd definitely be on for that early next season. Maybe we can convince some of the other Dawn Choristers or any other sH to come too!!
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I'd be very interested in that .
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Poster: A snowHead
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slikedges, Ray Zorro,
OK
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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slikedges, Ray Zorro, JT, Early next season would give me time to save, though I may need some more convincing
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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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snowbunny, surely the thought of choosing one of us to share a room with would be convincing enough
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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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slikedges, On second thoughts, Christmas will be coming up
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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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snowbunny,
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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snowbunny,
No, no, you have to come. I'll take you down the glacier .... its really not that steep, you'll be fine..
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JT, After Chavanette, everything else seems "really not that steep"
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snowbunny,
Never seen it, but its a piste, right? How steep can it be?
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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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FAQ
