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Can't decide if I should solo ski

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I'm in my early 40s skied for the last 10+ years with my mate who this year has an injury preventing him from going.

Maybe I'm approaching a mid life crisis, but I've figured I don't have an infinite number of skiing holiday left in me, and I might regret having a year off from skiing. But then again I might regret going skiing and feeling miserable after a couple of days of being on my own.

Has anyone had good/bad experiences of skiing by themselves?

I know there's a snow buddies sticky, but I expect it's random if people meet up.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Gazz1e, welcome to snowheads. I recommend you go on a snowheads bash.
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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?
@Gazz1e, second what @holidayloverxx says. There are plenty of people on bashes for exactly those reasons. Snowheads are a friendly and varied bunch, and theres always someone different to ski with (or do your own thing). Plus every possible approach to apres, from a snooze in the hotel to clubbing into the wee hours, with everything else inbetween...
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I have been skiing on my own for a few seasons now (since moving away from London). I have been on a few trips found on this site & others, sharing etc. As I snore & it appears most fellas do, I now go solo, my single supplements are worth getting the room on my own.
I am happy skiing alone, read the map only to get back home. I do pal up with people its not difficult as lots of people split up with a partner in ski school etc.
I'm off 15 Jan again on my own, had 3 trips on my own last year also, I go to chalet hotels, plenty of people to dine with, etc.
As for saying you don't have infinite ski holidays left, I'm 68 & every year I say it may be my last, but I'm out at 9ish most days return at 4 & only stop for a P or on a chair.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Gazz1e, I'd think a bash would be a good idea.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Failing a bash, do a course. Pick one appropriate to your level and that arranges the hotel. Always have someone to ski with and socialise with at night. Low season maybe no single supplement.
snow conditions
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
For the last 20 years I've done many solo trips, as well as going with family and various groups of friends. I've enjoyed them all. I've done room shares with strangers and sometimes paid extra for a single room. These have all worked well and several good friendships resulted.
I prefer larger chalets and chalethotels, where more likely to meet others to ski and socialise with. I also tend to go to areas I know well when solo, making navigation easy.
Downsides include scarcity of available places. I find very late booking works best.
Slight concern about extra inconvenience if injured - good insurance recommended. Single rooms tend to be the shabbier ones.
Overall very positive. At 60 now I had a great solo trip last April. If I can recover from a recent knee op I hope to do so again.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I find if you are in hotels, it's the apres ski and dining that is the worst aspect of skiing alone, if the snowheads bashes don't appeal (which I must go on one day) then something like the snoworks courses are great fun as pretty much everyone on the course is solo.
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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.
Last time I was in your situation I did a course with Snoworks in Tignes - met some nice people and skied with them a lot. - Other thoughts: SkiClub have groups and leaders in various resorts (need to be a member) and I think the tour operator Crystal has an app that allows you to meet up with other skiers.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Thanks for all the advice - really appreciated. Looks like I'll be better off going for ski than giving up this year.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Gazz1e, I have previously ski'd solo, it is a bit hit & miss.
In my experience / opinion, excluding Snowhead bashes, You are more likely to bump into great people in a chalet that are more willing to chat / open up and share , than a hotel. Possibly because they know they have to sit and share breakfast and dinner with you also..

Although I have also found chalets with large groups tend to stay in their large clique group and can be as bad as being in a hotel.....

I've always gotten by chatting to EVERYONE, on chairs in Gondolas etc... as you meet some great people, who invite you to ski / share your experience & guide / ski them to a nice café / piste / lunch....
Retired pilots, oil workers, Glasweigians, German businessmen, snowheads......even happy boarders ..
I Skied with one really nice lady once from Val T down to Meribel, saving her time as she was late rescuing her kids from ski school on time...

It helps if you know the resort, so you can cruise areas you prefer or have previously missed, whilst on your own and hopefully have a little local knowledge to tempt others to join you...

Skiing in a group is preferred - but solo skiing is still better than no skiing at all !!
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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.
I've skied on my own and I've done the random meeting up with people as well as bashes.

It sounds a bit strange to meet up with internet weirdos, but actually it's pretty good. We've all got a common interest of sliding down a hill.

Bashes are probably the best way, you can ski on your own if you want, but otherwise it's easy to find someone to ski with.
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 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
I hate to ski on my own ... but I always find someone to ski with.

I particularly hate to eat on my own.

But I have no fear of pushing myself in on another unsuspecting crowd.

I'm 67 now and hope I can carry on for 20 years, so you are just getting the hang of it at 40!

Yes chalets are OK, but now I'm a regular on the bashes ... which are the best bargain in the alps!
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I have been solo skiing about 5 times and all with Snowcoach. Firstly you can do "share and save" with them where you opt to share a room with a stranger if they are full up. This saves the £100 single supplement. As I don't have to to ski at half term anymore I have never actually had to share (yet!).

Secondly Snowcoach provide guided skiing and the groups have been around 5 to 15 in size. They often offer two groups - hard skiers, and TLC. The meals are on communal big tables, I think about a dozen in size. Both these group activities allow you to choose who you want to socialise with.

Snowcoach is the cheap end of the market, but I believe excellent value for money. I travel by coach from Watford where I park for £40. There are alternatives to coaching if you don't want to do that, but I find it very easy, being a smallish guy. It is dead easy for me to get to the pickup point because it is only a mile off the M1. We leave Watford at 2 or 3pm on the Friday and at worst we have been skiing by midday on Saturday and at best by 9:30am! Then at the end of the week we ski the Saturday and catch the coach for the UK in the Saturday evening. Back at Watford by around 2pm Sunday. This ( the best bit!) gives you 8 days skiing.

I have been with Snowcoach for over 20 times I think now, and often run into people I have met in previous years. One thing about the clientele is that they are not pretentious but only want to ski.The guides have always been enthusiastic kids who are excellent skiers. The only problem I ever had was when we ended up on the wrong side of the mountain at the end of the day when skiing Les Trois Vallees (sadly Snowcoach don't do Les Trois Vallees any more) but we managed to find a bus. I have sadly detected a bit of bitchiness amongst some staff on a couple of occasions but that is not a problem to me, and you will get that anywhere. Pretty much most of the time they are excellent and enthusiastic. The food is excellent with the exception, I have to say on a coupe of occasions, when it appeared the chef was having a tant. But I have known far worse from other ski hotels.

Snowcoach no longer use their own coaches and the coaches I have been on the last two years are better and more comfortable than the ones they used to have.

The only down side for me is that they now only go to Valmeinier and St. Gervais, which are both very nice resorts but I would love to go back to the huge Les Trois Vallee before I pack up skiing.

I am going to Valmeinier in a few weeks time and I have paid a sum total of £893 which includes car parking, coach trip, 3/4 board at the club hotel L'Aigle, 8 day senior all resort lift pass. I've got my own equipment but Snowcoach will hire you skis and stuff if you want. Just extreme sport insurance to take.

Getting very excited now! I can heartily recommend Snowcoach.


Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Mon 9-01-17 11:56; edited 1 time in total
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Before snowHeads, I skied with whoever would go with me (in that respect, little has changed). Like many, we had a little pool of people, more or less of whom were available on any particular year, so there might be a dozen, or half that, or just me and 1 or 2 others. Sometimes, inevitably, I would be skiing alone - which I rather enjoy.
I find it easy to meet people and get chatting and would usually end up skiing with others by the end of the week wherever I ended up but even in the 'ideal' chalet set up, it could often be mid-week before people let their guard down enough to actually ski with people they didn't already know. OK, by the end of the day, everyone is in agreement that "we should have done this at the start of the week" but too late now!

These days, skiing on my own is a somewhat rare occurrence. (Even when I cancelled a bash last season, 25 people turned up anyway! Shocked)

The bashes have sort of come together as a way for independent skiers (yes yes, and boarders too) to be a part of a far bigger pool of similarly minded individuals. Because of the forum, people have a chance to chat a bit beforehand, make a few arrangements if they're so disposed or just lurk and get a feel for the vibe of it all so when we arrive, it's like we're already mid-week in terms of breaking the ice. It's pretty informal but tends to work pretty smoothly: if you feel like getting up in the morning and buggring off on your own, nobody is going to bat an eyelid and yet you'll always have someone to ski with, have a beer with or meet for lunch if that's what you're after.

Some people come to a bash every once in a while (eg. someone just signed up for 2 this year after a 7yr break), some try not to miss a certain bash every year (Scarpa has only missed 1 out of 12 EoSB's!) others chop and change but make sure they always do one (or two) each year and others turn up for multiple bashes every season!
Although we get a nice intake of noobies at every bash, most, who have been on a bash, have been to more than one.

Beyond simply providing more ski-buddies than you could ever need on tap, the snowHeads bashes have resulted in innumerable friendships, about a dozen marriages and few babies too! snowHead

I recommend them - but then I would wouldn't I? Wink
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
The only real downside to skiing solo is you have no one to wait for in the chairlift quote
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Gazz1e wrote:
I'm in my early 40s skied for the last 10+ years with my mate who this year has an injury preventing him from going.

Maybe I'm approaching a mid life crisis, but I've figured I don't have an infinite number of skiing holiday left in me, and I might regret having a year off from skiing. But then again I might regret going skiing and feeling miserable after a couple of days of being on my own.

Has anyone had good/bad experiences of skiing by themselves?

I know there's a snow buddies sticky, but I expect it's random if people meet up.


Used to ski solo loads when young but in my 40s also now and I don't fancy ski holidays on my todd either now, feeling like a social pariah can be unpleasant. Took family last year but they don't want to go this year and my former ski holiday buddy has lost a battle to cancer. It is a qaundry to be in - to go or not go and if you do go risk not getting along with strangers.

Cant rough it like I once could so the idea of 4 share rooms for bashes is offputting and bashes organising seems convoluted and expensive to the newbie compared to simple cheaper tour operator deals, also none of the bashes generally suit coming from Scotland, they're SE friendly so costs rise for us regionals. The cheap late TO deals (<£300) is the only way I think I can ski this winter so I'm looking for late January myself but watching snowfalls too, Austria looks best at mo, Dolomites look awful presently which is worrying for upcoming bashes and would stop me booking that.

If you're potentially looking for a ski buddy for a week and a cheap last minute deal -

1 maybe say which UK airport(s) you'd be ok flying from for any holiday deal joint booking.

2 say what level skier you are - no good being ski buddies if one skis like Herman Maier and other has only a week under their belt.
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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?
@marmotman, bashes aren't all sharing a quad, just depends on how cheap you want to be.

As for snow, always a bit of an unknown but it can change at a few days notice. I booked New Year week in Austria back in September and have just come back from a week of playing in powder.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
If dates for a bash don't work, and finances allow, then do a coaching course by the likes of Snoworks.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
i"ve been skiing on my own loads of times, i usually book up a chalet so meal times are quite social, the only downside to skiing alone is if you have a serious accident on the piste, and that can be a very lonely experience, but everytime i"ve been on my own i have had a great time
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
You got a lot of answers. So I will join my proposal. I have 44 years
Here you see my ad
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=129316
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Or I have 2 spaces on the Birthday Bash up for grabs here:
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=129318

Going on my first 'bash' was the best thing I ever did - made loads of friends and had some really great holidays!
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I think that I would be fine skiing alone but would feel that the holiday was missing something on my own in the evenings.
I would second the suggestions of doing a course - great opportunity to try something different (off piste skiing / touring for example?) and you get a social element thrown in.

I did a weeks mountaineering course on my own a few years back to get myself up to speed so that I could join some friends on a trip that they were doing. The course was almost more fun than the trip!
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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.
I'm taking the chance this year and have booked a solo ski trip. Similar situation, in my mid 40's, daughter off skiing with mates this year and the wife has given up.. Never done this before so hope it works out. I will be putting a call out on the snowbuddy page..
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I've been away on my own on and off for the past 10 years. I'm quite happy to go with the flow and if I meet people then that's great but I'm also happy to sit and read a book and have early nights as well. I'm more than happy to go out boarding on my own as there's no discussions about when and where to stop, which run to take etc. and you can start and finish when you like. Every year I've ended up meeting others to board with and have a beer with in the evening for a few days/nights which is perfect as you're not beholden to them. The difference between a normal sun holiday and skiing / boarding is that everyone is there for the same thing and it's very sociable. Also you haven't got to think about what you're going to do during the day as you already know that.

First time I went I was nervous but joined the SCGB for their guiding in resort. Met some other people in my hotel as well so alongside the SCGB guiding, their social evenings and them had a great week.

I'm off to Sauze on 22nd Jan solo again. We'll see what this year brings !
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Singlesport has a male vacancy on 11 March in Courchevel & another on 18 March on a ski safari near Courmayeur. These are all solo travellers who enjoy good company . details on the website
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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.
It's a no brainier.... Go. Like you I'm mid 40s and fewer and fewer mates can manage it. First solo trip was about 5 years ago with 'piste pals' in morzine which was a lot of fun. 2015 traveled down to new Zealand on my tod for 2 weeks just going to ski hill to ski hill in a hire care and taking in a bit of helicopter skiing at mount cook. Yea I felt a bit lonely now again but Facebook helped me feel that I was sharing the experience. Doing something similar in British Columbia next month. In the Anglo countries ski hosts and meeting people on chair lifts is easy , and if that fails I've always go a headset to rock out to....
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 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
marmotman wrote:
Cant rough it like I once could so the idea of 4 share rooms for bashes is offputting
If you think le Taos (PSB), SportHotel Europa (PreBBWUW), Portavescovo (S13BB), Dufour (GnaBuG) or Oxalys (EoSB) are roughing it then you must be splashing some serious cash on 5* locations for your trips!!!
There aren't even 4 share rooms available on many of the bashes. Where they are available, they're offered as an option for those who want to keep costs as low as possible.
Quote:
and bashes organising seems convoluted and expensive to the newbie compared to simple cheaper tour operator deals,
Why, because you book your own flight? If you're not up to that, then I guess you're probably the sort who needs 'leading' on a bar crawl so yeah, stick with the bulk operators if I was you. I have never seen a tour op offer a better deal at one of our venues - early deals, late deals, anything. Trust me, I know about booking late!! I've done the 'holiday bottom feeder' thing big time! What you may not understand is that the best places sell out early - ever seen a cheap late deal at the Portavescovo? Thought not! They're booked solid virtually through to April!
Quote:
also none of the bashes generally suit coming from Scotland, they're SE friendly
I'm sorry to be so blunt but quite frankly, you are talking utter dangly bits!! Given the flight isn't included, the bashes are no more SE friendly than they are Scot friendly, Belgium friendly, Spain friendly or Lithuania friendly! And indeed, on the last bash we had people from the South East of England, Scotland, Belgium, Spain and Lithuania - they all managed to book their own flights and they all found it friendly.
Quote:
so costs rise for us regionals. The cheap late TO deals (<£300) is the only way I think I can ski this winter
OK, fine: I'll give you that. If you can get flight, transfer, liftpass and catered accommodation that makes the places we use look like 'roughing it', all for <£300, good on you mate - actually, if you achieve that, gimme a shout: I'm totally in!
Quote:
so I'm looking for late January myself but watching snowfalls too, Austria looks best at mo, Dolomites look awful presently which is worrying for upcoming bashes and would stop me booking that.
The Dolomites looked like that at this time last year too and skiing at the Birthday Bash was brilliant all week. I'm starting to suspect you're little more than a webcam warrior. Ever actually been to the Dolomites?

Look, I'm really not trying to convince you to come on a bash - I'm pretty certain it wouldn't work for you, but not for the reasons you've spelled out above as they're all pretty wide of the mark.
Don't get me wrong, I'll listen to anyone who wants to put forward informed criticism of the bashes, by PM ideally, but I'll take it on the chin in public if that's how they want to do it - but you, if you don't mind, just don't be slagging off something you clearly haven't bothered to find out anything about!
Quote:


If you're potentially looking for a ski buddy for a week and a cheap last minute deal -

1 maybe say which UK airport(s) you'd be ok flying from for any holiday deal joint booking.
But woe betide you if it's in the South East rolling eyes
Quote:


2 say what level skier you are - no good being ski buddies if one skis like Herman Maier and other has only a week under their belt.
Unless of course you're on a snowHeads bash in which case you'll each be welcome and have support/encouragement/company and someone worthwhile to ski with, lunch with and laugh with snowHead
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Chamonix skiers: my wife and I are arriving the beginning of February for a 2 months stay (that'll cure the ski itch Very Happy).
We have had a couple of offers from pretty nice sounding folk who are prepared to have a ski with us but anybody else lobbing in during our timeframe is most welcome as well.
I ski blacks and my wife skis blues and we will likely be doing a fair bit of solo skiing to accommodate our different levels of ability.
Please say g'day if interested in getting a ski buddy.
Cheers.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@admin, saved me a lot of typing there! wink snowHead
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Pfah! I should have kept my powder dry and you'd have saved me a lot of typing rolling eyes
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Indeed, ah well, might catch the next one before you Twisted Evil
ski holidays
 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?
To be fair, @marmotman, sent me a nice PM so we'll not be chucking him down any crevasses just yet Twisted Evil
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Ah well that's all good then, hopefully you used your wordsmith charm and we may even see him on a bash soon after all! Little Angel Speaking of which - this time next week!!! If ever there was a time to wish a week away Smile
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
marmotman wrote:


Cant rough it like I once could so the idea of 4 share rooms for bashes is offputting and bashes organising seems convoluted and expensive to the newbie compared to simple cheaper tour operator deals, also none of the bashes generally suit coming from Scotland, they're SE friendly so costs rise for us regionals. The cheap late TO deals (<£300) is the only way I think I can ski this winter so I'm looking for late January myself but watching snowfalls too, Austria looks best at mo, Dolomites look awful presently which is worrying for upcoming bashes and would stop me booking that.



I'm not being a male genitalia and I know @admin has already flamed this a bit but I am wondering which tour operator you are talking about because I cannot find a better deal than the bashes with SH?

In terms of being convoluted - if you mean, booking your own flights and transfers - well one mans convoluted is another man's flexible. Inclusive TOs tend to be pretty useless if you want to come back a day early or stay a night in Venice at the end of a holiday... no problem on a bash because you do your own travel. Some people like to drive out and drive on to another holiday afterwards. Many inclusive TOs would make you pay for the flight and transfer anyway. (Now that IS expensive!)

In terms of being expensive - well even for last minute deals, I can't find much to compete. And you can't really compare a last minute deal to something you can book 3 months ahead of time. For those of us who are expected to book work holidays in advance, it's not great to rely on last minute deals. As for sharing 4 to a room, there's usually doubles and twins advertised... I am staying a number of quad rooms over the next month courtesy of Snowheads... it doesn't bother me, I was in the army where a 12 man room was the usual deal and a 4 man room was a luxury. It saves me money, which means I can do more skiing.

I'm not trying to achieve anything here which admin has already done... but for anyone else reading the thread I don't think for a minute that these bash criticisms are fair and I think everyone should give at least one a fair shot
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If you want dollar cost averaging then go for a couple of months. Ok 1 month if that's all you can get away for. When you go for a week you pay like a millionaire. When you go for a month you live like a local.
We're doing 2 months. Formidable. The most expensive part of the whole deal is the season lift pass.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I have just booked late week skiing solo, which including a 6 day pass at a 2* hotel for around £800. I could of gone for one week at the pre Birthday Bash for around £700 including flights and transfers, unfortunately the timing wasn't right for me. Next year I will definitely look at doing at least one, and ideally do the two weeks. You can get some great deals for two people traveling but this thread isn't about that it's about the solo person and the Bashes seem to take the sting out of being a single skier.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I did deserve that.
Inane ramblings of a frustrated skier not getting any snow, post didn't come over as it was meant, bashes sound great. Glad I'm not blackballed.
I think a ski trip will have to wait until next season alas.
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