 Poster: A snowHead
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@kettonskimum, didn't seem *all* doom and gloom to me - though I get there are problems.
I can live without night skiing and turning of the odd nice to have lift on non-peak weeks is no biggy.
With France having nuclear and with Laax/SC showing you can do a lot to be sustainable.
And maybe taking the heat off in terms of numbers/spend is no bad thing.
I do of course worry that long term skiing prospects in the Alps but to be honest that is part of a wider issue. I have two children almost coming into adulthood and though I don't put my worries and fears onto them of course I think about the situation they will face in 20/30 years.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Somewhere way earlier in this topic the question was raised as to whether there was any sort of standardised measure for what a winter sports holiday cost. Something like the Economist's Big Mac Index as a measure of the relative cost of living in different countries. If I recall, there was something like this done by one of the newspapers/magazines every year?
One line of argument is that for UK skiers, no, next season isn't going to be more expensive because thanks to a combination of Brexit, the Pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine War, droughts and Government austerity, the cost of living in the UK is rising much faster than in Alpine countries. In our own case, this summer, shopping costs in France and Switzerland seemed more on a par with the UK than previously, and some items were cheaper (over and above the usual wine and coffee). But of course, this could easily be unrepresentative. But with consumables like groceries, the issue is only the difference between staying at home and being in the resort, not the absolute cost of the grocery shop. Whereas with ski pass and equipment hire, these charges are a full extra cost to add to the holiday.
The cost to a UK holidaymaker of the ski pass, equipment hire and tourist taxes are going to be determined by a combination of local cost factors and exchange rate. While a lot of the discussion here focuses on tourist exchange rates, it may be that local factors such as energy prices, labour costs and general cost of living have more effect on increasing prices than exchange rates.
So yes, it may cost more. Just not be more expensive than having an equivalent non-skiing holiday in the UK. And not cost any more in subsistence, energy and outings than staying at home. So I'm with @Layne in terms of thinking, yes, some people won't be able to afford a ski holiday due to reduced disposable income, but that if you could afford a ski holiday last year, and your disposable income remains comfortable, then you'll be able to afford one next year too. But that as time goes on, if the economic landscape doesn't improve, then morew and more people will fall into the 'can't afford it any more' category and skiing will revert to being the domain of the affluent.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sat 3-09-22 15:47; edited 6 times in total
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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.
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Thanks @albob that's really interesting. Looking at the tables, it's the ski instruction that really hits the Austrian and Swiss resorts. Take that away and the differences are much narrower and apart from Bulgaria, you're down to more like £1-200 differences pp/pw between them all, in the main. Of course, if you need instruction, you need it, but I'd argue the majority of UK holidaymakers only go for instruction for a couple of years at most.
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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.
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What I read in the local Swiss newspaper last week was that there's an expectation that resorts would be exempt from the more draconian measures. So thanks a lot to all the Swiss citizens enduring blackouts so that we visitors can ski there. Much appreciated ....
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Our buildings are insulated , tripple glazed---- thss is normal practice for at least the lastt 20yre
Swiss Emergy is secured for ths winter----
April onwards
Hell its Summer !!
Who needs oil & gas when your Off Piste !!
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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 started taking showers instead of baths after a run. Not sure this will save much, due to water being plentiful and not metered in Scotland. However, it might reduce some water heating.
I already use an air fryer instead of an oven.
Don't get gas here, except in cans. I have cans, but only used in electricity outages and for blow torching weeds. (sometimes for helping to start a fire by lighting the firelighter from a distance)
My mother has a fleece onesie with a hood on order for the winter. (in her 80s) I wear them a lot of the time in the winter anyway. I find slippers which cover you feet are best at keeping the cold out in winter.
Electric blankets are a must as you can get away with no heating during the night. (generally these use only about 70w per hour, and less if you leave it on low all night) I use overblankets (electric), and in the depths of winter will have it on for 8 hours at 2 or 3 setting.
I also have 2 duvets, 1 is a 15 tog and one a 12 tog. In winter I use both, in summer just the 12 tog.
I think this is a hangover from sleeping in a van in Tignes Val Claret car park. I gave up trying to heat the van when it was -5C to -10C on the inside and concentrated on keeping my heat under the covers. 4 season sleeping bags, duvets, hot water bottles. Only cold part was my nose. I should have worn a facemask, as I know these keep your nose warm at night. (I tried sleeping with one on once to test if there was a dust mite problem in my room)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| stanton wrote: |
| Our buildings are insulated , triple glazed---- this is normal practice for at least the last 20yre |
Yeah, mine too.
You just have to know how to persuade builders to do things they don't understand, like insulating under floors. "Building" is very traditional in the UK - they are still, even today, building houses which they will have to retrofit with proper insulation. Of course Tories consider all this "green crap". I don't think they do science in an Oxford PPE.
I switched out of Sterling after the Brexit loss, so it doesn't affect me. Brexit deniers will... deny it, but I suppose the smarter ones may be just a little bit concerned about their ski holidays in future.
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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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Even though the Pound is on its back bottom, the exchange rate against the Euro is considerably better now than most of last winter.
E.g. I paid for ski passes and lessons last November at GBP/EUR 1.11. Today it's 1.15 
But really these currency fluctuations make almost no difference to the overall affordability of a ski holiday. The big up-front costs are usually in Pounds, and across a season are generally unaltered. Other foreign currency increases are usually very minor when taken as a whole, and in many cases could be largely eliminated by using certain payment cards (CaxtonFX/Clarity etc.)
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The outlook for the pound is not great. Currently my currency broker cheat sheet has a horizontal arrow, meaning not much change, although the narrative is a bit gloomy. However, the arrow for the Euro is pointing firmly down with this narrative:
August saw the energy crisis continue to pose
unprecedented risks to the Eurozone’s economic
outlook. As seen during the Greek debt crisis,
current headwinds are likely to weigh on the euro
for several months.
Germany, the largest economy in eurozone, faces
huge challenges in the face of potential gas shortages,
rising energy prices and slowing global demand,
casting huge shadows on the manufacturing sector.
PMI and business confidence surveys released in
August illustrated this gloomy outlook, with the
ZEW Economic Sentiment Survey showing sentiment
even more pessimistic than seen at the outbreak of
the pandemic.
In August, EURUSD traded below parity for a
considerable amount of time as markets sold off
the shared currency in the face of huge economic
uncertainty, with investors seeking the safety of
the US dollar.
Recent comments from European Central Bank
policymakers point to a 50bp rate, or possibly 75bp,
hike on September 8 in order to quell inflation, now
at its highest level since the single currency was
introduced. Although this could support the euro,
aggressive hikes and the increased cost of borrowing
would inevitably inflict more pain on consumer living
costs and push the already-struggling economy into
recession.
Given the current environment, and the continued
conflict in Ukraine, a recovery above US dollar parity
seems unlikely in the short term, with the risk to the
downside. In September, the euro could trade
between 0.96-1.02 against the US dollar and
0.84-0.8750 against the pound.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
The big up-front costs are usually in Pounds, and across a season are generally unaltered.
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I don't understand; apartment hire is in euros, as is lift pass, as is food, as is fuel, as are tolls. I think the only bit that is priced in sterling is the ferry crossing and the not insignificant cost of driving to Dover. I suppose for some people the flight and airport parking are priced in pounds, but that turns out to be a small part of the cost. Even then I suspect RyanAir and Whizz are priced in euros and the rest in US dollars.
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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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| johnE wrote: |
| Quote: |
The big up-front costs are usually in Pounds, and across a season are generally unaltered.
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I don't understand; apartment hire is in euros, as is lift pass, as is food, as is fuel, as are tolls. I think the only bit that is priced in sterling is the ferry crossing and the not insignificant cost of driving to Dover. I suppose for some people the flight and airport parking are priced in pounds, but that turns out to be a small part of the cost. Even then I suspect RyanAir and Whizz are priced in euros and the rest in US dollars. |
For me my apartment hire in France is in Pounds, via a travel agent. I've also got a package trip to Norway, also booked in Pounds. My exposure to foreign currency fluctuations on both trips is minimal: we are self-catering which is minimal cost anyway.
Funnily enough, airport parking for our Norway trip has increased significantly. But that's more about Heathrow recouping pandemic costs.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Mighty Swiss Franc
Goodbye Sterling ...Get out of it while you can .....
But in the Treasury and parts of No 10, there is concern that the weakness of the pound could undermine the prime minister’s gung-ho charge for growth, paid for with billions in new borrowing. One of Truss’s most senior aides admitted to a friend last week that the collapse of the pound to $1.13 on Friday, the lowest level since 1985, is causing grave concern since it is a bellwether of market confidence in the government’s economic strategy and could send the cost of borrowing rising. “They’re getting in a panic about what is happening to the pound,” a senior Tory said.
https://archive.ph/huWNJ
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@stanton, We're still waiting for the £/Eur parity you've been promising for years
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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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@stanton, Trading at 1.14 Euros currently. Down on the week, but so much better than the Euro which has been sub-parity with the dollar.
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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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@stanton, I had almost forgotten. When's PARITY?
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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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| esaw1 wrote: |
| @stanton, I had almost forgotten. When's PARITY? |
Next season apparently.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@stanton, What pleasure do you take from posting such stuff? is it to try and convince people you're intelligent or maybe to make others feel down with a certain situation?
You in no way bother me with your posts. I just wonder the motive behind Internet folks like you
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| Quote: |
@stanton, What pleasure do you take from posting such stuff?
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Seems to sum @Stanton quite succinctly...
https://neurosciencenews.com/drk-triad-trolling-18825
| Quote: |
| Individuals with dark triad personality traits, including narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, combined with feeling schadenfreude, taking pleasure from the misfortune of others |
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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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Posted July 2016,
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At the close: Markets enter reverse as Brexit strains stack up
1 Pound =$1.10 and €1.03 Coming !!!!
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A broken clock is correct twice a day, you're struggling to be correct once a decade......
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| The Dutch Cabbie wrote: |
Hey Folks
£/€ Parity is still on .......
Sell Sterling before it becomes worthless, invest in Tolberone. |
Good to see you've finally ditched (geddit) the Euro
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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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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| stanton wrote: |
Down Down Down....
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Still not parity though is it. #7yearsandcounting.
However the BoE is not yet serious about protecting the pound or hyper-inflation risks so unless they take action in November (1% rise anyone?) it will continue on its current trajectory.
With 10 year gilts approaching 4% I would suggest it is not the cost of ski holidays that will kill the ski holiday but that all available cash will be sucked up by debt servicing for those with non-fixed borrowing.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think finally.......this thread may be true!
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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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Not quite... Although the Pound is in the toilet, taxes have come down too so we'll have lots more £££ to spend.
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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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Petrol for the drive down is getting cheaper too
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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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UK Folks this is getting really quite serious for you all...
6-7% Interest rates may not sound like much..
But it will increase the average
UK Mortgage from £800 up £1500 Overnight as earliest as this November ...
How will UK Folks afford this together with rising energy costs, €/£ parity and expensive Wintersports Holidays ?
Now Pensions at risk ...
Something does not add up...what will have to cancelled ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I suggest we cancel Stanton.
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@stanton, what's a mortgage?
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@holidayloverxx, I used to have one of those. I think I paid 12% on it back in the 80s. To be fair property was cheaper as a factor of salary back then.
I’m now quite pleased I kept my old onesie ski suits from those days to keep me warm at home and scare the Amazon delivery man when I open the door clad in dayglo.
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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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@stanton Only the most idiotic, incompetent UK govt in history has got us anywhere near your doom and gloom predictions.
The current situation does not validate or prove your historic assertions.
It's circumstances that you could never have foreseen.
And I'll still being skiing in Europe this season, for less than I did last season.
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| stanton wrote: |
UK Folks this is getting really quite serious for you all...
6-7% Interest rates may not sound like much..
But it will increase the average
UK Mortgage from £800 up £1500 Overnight as earliest as this November ...
How will UK Folks afford this together with rising energy costs, €/£ parity and expensive Wintersports Holidays ?
Now Pensions at risk ...
Something does not add up...what will have to cancelled ? |
We’re all about to die and be buried in a pile of debt, high mortgage costs, diminishing pensions etc … or we’ll start packing our ski + board bags and enjoy the snow knowing that what matters with pensions and investments is the long-term outlook / return and not a bit of flip-flopping over 2 days. But, of course, folk on variable mortgages will be hit quite hard now … maybe this will have an impact on the last-minute market (less demand than normal)?
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FAQ
The fish was good and of course Iceland is always expensive…..but really? 
