 Poster: A snowHead
|
If I might pick the brains of the snowhead collective..
Tentative plans have been hatched with the in-laws to go skiing at Christmas. Sister and Brother in law are keen skiers, but the parents in law are not skiers (and very unlikely to become skiers at this point!)
So looking for a resort that is
- Reasonably snow sure at Christmas (yes, I know that really didn't help this year....)
- Good skiing - skiers range from 4 week skier to multiple seasons
- Pretty traditional alpine village
- Plenty to do for non skiers
- Not stupidly expensive
The only place I've been to that fits all of that is Wengen, so is there somewhere else that snowheads would suggest that might fit the bill?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Obergurgl 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Is being based in a town with reasonable uplift an option? If so, Bourg st Maurice and take the funicular up to Les Arcs? Not that BSM is particularly "alpine" but at least there are things to do there.
Have stayed in Radstadt before, at Christmas. The skiing was fine, and Zauchensee is reasonably high/snowsure. Plenty to do in some of those Ski Amade towns and many are quite traditional.
Again, nothwithstanding the variable Christmas conditions, Serre Chevalier could be an option. Even if the lower slopes are a bit thin, the mid-upper stations are usually fine. The towns in the valley offer options for non-skiers - enough for a week, certainly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
We've brought our parents to Wengen several times over the years, it fits the bill very nicely. They do a reduced price ski pass for non-skiers. Most of the mountain restaurants are accessible to pedestrians.
See this thread for info on prices:
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=123218#2830724
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
@flaming,
One thing is that non skiers can like very different things. Years ago we went to Zermatt with my non skiing in laws thinking that the beauty of the area and various things to do would be great. They actually got fairly bored with just the one valley.
Davos and Briancon where you could move around the valley were far more successful.
Having just returned from the Dolomites I am a bit of a convert to their snow making, something I have previously been a bit sceptical about. Natural snow was in short supply but the extent and skiability of the man made impressed me.
It is an area of outstanding natural beauty traditionally alpine reasonably priced with a very extensive ski area. The pistes are not generally particularly testing but are very scenic and many very enjoyable with varying pitches.
Somewhere I would certainly consider for a Xmas holiday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Stay in Aosta with the cable car link to Pila for the skiers? Something that I'm currently looking at doing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grindelwald
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Briancon?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Thanks for these suggestions everyone, plenty that I hadn't thought of!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@flaming, You might consider the Zillertal valley, with its 3 main ski areas of Mayrhofen, Zell am Ziller (Arena ski area) and Kaltenbach/Hochfugen (Hochzillertal ski area (highly recommended). For your non-skiing in-laws the towns, particularly Zell am Ziller are quite pretty and traditional, and there are walks along the valley which is also served by a narrow gauge railway, the Zillertalbahn which runs all the way from Jenbach up the valley to Mayrhofen. On certain days they run a special steam locomotive service. (The Zillertalbahn is included in the skiers' liftpass (along with the usual skibus services) and provides a convenient way for the skiers of travelling between the different ski areas for day trips. Virtually all the main uplift from the valley to the ski slopes is initially by gondola, that's certainly the case for the (brand new) Penkenbahn in Mayrhofen, the Arena in Zell am Ziller and Kaltenbach (or in the case of the Ahorn in Mayrhofen a cable car), so your in-laws should be able to meet you for lunch at least on the first part of the mountain.
Near Mayrhofen is the Sennerei (Dairy) which is open to visitors and you can do a tour seeing how they make the different traditional mountain cheeses (includes some sampling too!)  Once your in-laws tire of the valley then getting to Innsbruck for a day trip is very easy, just take the Zillertalbahn to Jenbach and change onto the main line train to Innsbruck. Jenbach to Innsbruck takes only between 17 mins (fastest train) to just over 30 mins for the local stopping train.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
+1 for Zillertal, it has a glacier area as well at Hintertux so about as snow sure as you can get.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Courmayeur - pretty village, but not ski in/out. They can also get the bus/car through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Chamonix for a day trip
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
That was our plan with St Gervais this year though v. poor snow put a downer on it. Current trends don't make it seem like a snow sure resort at Xmas (a week earlier than we went), but it did used to be according to locals so you never know.
It does have a Public pool and a health spa (if you have a car) in the area with other activities for kids etc.... and lots of restaurants / cafés etc... for non skiers during the day.
Was also in Kaltenbach in the Zillertal valley a few years ago - had a really great holiday and was a bit prettier IMO, but less there for non skiers on a daily basis. From memory you would have to travel a fair way to do much other than ski or eat (though I might be wrong as that is all we actually did that holiday).
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| T Bar wrote: |
@flaming,
One thing is that non skiers can like very different things. Years ago we went to Zermatt with my non skiing in laws thinking that the beauty of the area and various things to do would be great. They actually got fairly bored with just the one valley.
Davos and Briancon where you could move around the valley were far more successful.
Having just returned from the Dolomites I am a bit of a convert to their snow making, something I have previously been a bit sceptical about. Natural snow was in short supply but the extent and skiability of the man made impressed me.
It is an area of outstanding natural beauty traditionally alpine reasonably priced with a very extensive ski area. The pistes are not generally particularly testing but are very scenic and many very enjoyable with varying pitches.
Somewhere I would certainly consider for a Xmas holiday. |
I think the Dolomites will end up cashing in on the lack of snow this Christmas with their extensive snow making. They aren't snow-sure, but they made themselves more snow sure than anyone else. Brilliant move on their part. Didn't ski there, but utterly impressed with what they did.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
