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Quiet half-term skiing destination.

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
OH and I have the week of 10-18 Feb booked off work, it's the only week we can both get.

We are both competent intermediates (level 7/8 on this scale).
http://www.insideoutskiing.com/level.html
For the last few holidays we have been concentrating on improving our skills off-piste and in challenging terrain.

However, this year I have become a lot more aware of my own mortality, so I am looking for a complete change. I'd like to enjoy cruising around on some nice long red runs that are well within my technical ability. I like to get out and about, so looking for somewhere linked with a big ski area. I thought that the dolomites, somewhere on the sella ronda looked ideal.

Unfortunately the dates we have free clash with UK half term and carnival. The thought of battling through crowds who are barely under control really puts me off.

Does anyone have experience of this area at this time of year? How bad were the crowds? Do the queues just need a bit of patience, or will we need sharp elbows?

Any suggestions for somewhere likely to be quieter?
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@Whiteduck, we are going to Salen in Sweden and hoping it will be not quite as busy as other options for half-term.
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Welcome to Snowheads, @Whiteduck snowHead . I'd counsel against anywhere in France as it's French school holidays too. I'd probably head to Italy but Scandinavia is an interesting option too.
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If money isn’t an option I’d look at Scandi resorts too
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@Whiteduck, Austria will be rammed.
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I've been to Saalbach at half term. Almost no queues and loads of red runs/steepish blues.

It's not German and Dutch half term I believe...
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Markymark29 wrote:
@Whiteduck, Austria will be rammed.


Not sure why - lifts are just about the best anywhere and it's not German or Dutch half term. See my post on S-H
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@buchanan101, UK half term is Fasching week this year.
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queen bodecia wrote:
@buchanan101, UK half term is Fasching week this year.


It always seems to be... yes I get your point (been in Kitz when that happened), but hopefully offset by not being German and Dutch (and others) half term!
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Dolomites - Sella Ronda villages - are much quieter than France at 1/2 term, been going there for last 5 years or so. It's weird as to why but I've always assumed that there's only so many beds such that even when everywhere's full, the ratio of lifts & km to skier numbers is always favourable. This 1/2 term does coincide with Karnival/Fasching (pancake day) though which is at least a long weekend in DE/CH/AUT(&IT?) so it may be more crowded with day-trippers but the same was true in 2015 and I've rarely had to queue beyond a few mins for any lift and if there's any hint of cloud cover (or, even worse(!), snow) a significant number of punters stay indoors! There's a huge number of long, cruisey reds, some good, steep-ish stuff around Arabba and amazing scenery and food. Nothing not to like.
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We've been to the Maurienne Valley many times at half term and it's never been a problem.
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Thank you for your suggestions,

Sweden does look ideal for the kind of atmosphere I'm after, but I'm concerned that as they are smaller we might have skiied out all the runs in a few days.

Saalbach Hinterglemm seems like an ideal resort, but for the half-term issue. I don't know much about European holidays, if Fasching is just a long weekend will the rest of the week be better?

Perhaps go to Dolomites and hope for gloomy weather Puzzled
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@buchanan101, That's why....Bayern schools on holiday, plus B and NL

https://www.chalettime.com/media/capture_decran_20170120_a_091025__020576500_0911_20012017__036093000_1010_24042017.jpg
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You know it makes sense.
NickyJ wrote:
@Whiteduck, we are going to Salen in Sweden and hoping it will be not quite as busy as other options for half-term.


Gothenburg and the surrounding area have their half term 12 - 16 feb. Stockholm is from 26 feb to 2 March. This can lead to many School trips in resorts like Salen.
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Rabbie wrote:
NickyJ wrote:
@Whiteduck, we are going to Salen in Sweden and hoping it will be not quite as busy as other options for half-term.


Gothenburg and the surrounding area have their half term 12 - 16 feb. Stockholm is from 26 feb to 2 March. This can lead to many School trips in resorts like Salen.


Yes was aware but apparently less are on holidays that week vs the following two weeks was my understanding.

Also look at Tyrsil, which we are planning on a day trip to from Salen.

If you are tempted by any of the Sweden / Norway ones have a look at the SkiStar website which is who we booked our accommodation and ski hire/ lift passes through. Our lift passes arrived last weekend Happy getting very excited now.
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Whiteduck wrote:
Thank you for your suggestions,

Sweden does look ideal for the kind of atmosphere I'm after, but I'm concerned that as they are smaller we might have skiied out all the runs in a few days.

Saalbach Hinterglemm seems like an ideal resort, but for the half-term issue. I don't know much about European holidays, if Fasching is just a long weekend will the rest of the week be better?

Perhaps go to Dolomites and hope for gloomy weather Puzzled


All I can say is that I went to Saalbach 3 years ago at half term and queues were virtually non existent - i.e. most of the time there were no queues at all (and they are constantly replacing lifts). I don't remember it being Fasching though - which of course moves back and forth over about 4 weeks(?) I have been in Kitz in Fasching week and it was quite busy, but nothing too bad. S-H is even better than Kitz for lifts (I don't think you'd find a better resort for capacity and speed - can only remember one slowish chair and the last key T-bars have gone - maybe Ischgl).

It seems some Dutch and some Germans are on Half Term as well, but only a proportion from the link posted (the link I saw had none on Half Term). Along with us, seem to be the biggest source of tourists in Austria.

If you want to know more about S-H, pop over to the resort thread - Tatman is a very good source of info on the resort.
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jma wrote:
Dolomites - Sella Ronda villages - are much quieter than France at 1/2 term, been going there for last 5 years or so. It's weird as to why but I've always assumed that there's only so many beds such that even when everywhere's full, the ratio of lifts & km to skier numbers is always favourable. This 1/2 term does coincide with Karnival/Fasching (pancake day) though which is at least a long weekend in DE/CH/AUT(&IT?) so it may be more crowded with day-trippers but the same was true in 2015 and I've rarely had to queue beyond a few mins for any lift and if there's any hint of cloud cover (or, even worse(!), snow) a significant number of punters stay indoors! There's a huge number of long, cruisey reds, some good, steep-ish stuff around Arabba and amazing scenery and food. Nothing not to like.


Never been but my partner's father speaks highly of Sella Ronda. Not needed this year I think but the Italians are supposedly just about the best with snow making.
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I loved my two visits to the Dolomites but was underwhelmed by the Sella Ronda. The pistes and lifts on the SR circuits were much busier than others - some very busy - and that was late January/early February (Birthday Bash). And some of the best bits are off the circuit.
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I was in the dollies last year at half term, it was great but some bits were very busy with queues as busy as France.
Off the main circuit was quieter, but accessing the Sella Ronda and particularly getting over to the Marmolada were busy.
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Champoluc, this was a lift queue two years ago at half term. Pic taken at 17 Feb 2016 Wed, 14:49 on the main gondola up out of Gressoney and back to Champoluc.

There was one bottleneck lift which had a max of 10 min queues depending on what time you got to it, most others were no or little queues.

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Yes to Monte Rosa area - Champoluc, Staffal or Gressoney La Trinite.

We went for the first time last year in February half term staying in Staffal (we don't have kids but our friends did). It was like skiing in France or Austria in a quiet week! Very few, or no, queues at lifts apart from the aforementioned bottleneck on the Champoluc side.
Skiing is great - it's nearly all long wide reds and the few blacks are pretty tame. From your original post, I'm probably 6 or 7 on that scale.

Only downside was that due to high winds one day there was strong advice to stay in your home valley as the lifts over the links could be closed at anytime - which they were! Glad we heeded it as it would be a very expensive cab ride to get back

I can't speak for Champoluc, but Staffal and Gressoney are very small villages with only a handful of bars and restaurants, so don't expect much apres ski (which suited us old farts).

We're going again this weekend but to Gressoney this time.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
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Whiteduck wrote:
Thank you for your suggestions,

Sweden does look ideal for the kind of atmosphere I'm after, but I'm concerned that as they are smaller we might have skiied out all the runs in a few days.

Saalbach Hinterglemm seems like an ideal resort, but for the half-term issue. I don't know much about European holidays, if Fasching is just a long weekend will the rest of the week be better?

Perhaps go to Dolomites and hope for gloomy weather Puzzled


Done last 2half terms In Zell am see. It wasn’t too busy, and quieter than Saalbach, which again wasn’t too bad either. Key thing at half term is hit the gondola/ first lift early, have a mid morning break and a late lunch, that way you ski over rlunch time when people are eating and then eat when the restaurants are quiet.
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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!
Whiteduck wrote:
Thank you for your suggestions,

Sweden does look ideal for the kind of atmosphere I'm after, but I'm concerned that as they are smaller we might have skiied out all the runs in a few days.

Saalbach Hinterglemm seems like an ideal resort, but for the half-term issue. I don't know much about European holidays, if Fasching is just a long weekend will the rest of the week be better?

Perhaps go to Dolomites and hope for gloomy weather Puzzled


Done last 2half terms In Zell am see. It wasn’t too busy, and quieter than Saalbach, which again wasn’t too bad either. Key thing at half term is hit the gondola/ first lift early, have a mid morning break and a late lunch, that way you ski over rlunch time when people are eating and then eat when the restaurants are quiet.
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While it's true that French school holidays start Feb. 10, that is only for Zone A, which is the southern areas but not Marseilles or Montpellier/Toulouse. Zone A includes places like Dijon and Lyon, which are already well within weekend distance, so I suspect that week will be the least crowded, as there is no overlap with Zones B (northern cities) and C (Paris). In short, I wouldn't let that put you off from going to France Feb. 10-18. If you want long cruisy reds and good snow, can't go wrong with France in February.

As @t4tomo mentions, there are strategies to mitigate lift lines.
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I can vouch for Cervinia being OK for crowds at half term, the last three years. Rarely more than a few minutes' lift queue. I can't ever remember having the feeling I've had in France, where waiting for a safe gap in the traffic on a piste often feels like trying to cross the M25 on foot during rush hour.

It fits your other requirements. Long cruisy reds. Huge ski area, combined with Zermatt, which also has tougher stuff, if you get sick of the cruising.
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We went to Champoluc last year for half term and it was great. No real queues, though it did get a bit busier as the week went on and great mountain restaurants, not expensive at all. I did hear that this year our half term coincides with the Italian Carnival week which will mean the resorts will be busier than usual. Other friends have been to La Thuile in half term and said that was great too.
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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.
Almost anywhere in North America. Slopes will be deserted in many resorts as most US schools have no winter half term. 19 Feb is President’s day so the last day or two could be busier. Flights and accommodation won’t be inflated by the dates so prices will be comparable with Europe but quality of accommodation and skiing will be much higher.

Some people will say it’s too far for a week’s trip but we went over the pond at half term to avoid European crowds and prices for many years when our kids were in school. You can even fit in 7 days’ skiing if you book a late flight home on the final Saturday.
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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
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@altis, said
Quote:
We've been to the Maurienne Valley many times at half term and it's never been a problem.

+1 for Maurienne: good intermediate terrain with plenty of interesting off-piste for more advanced skiers which stays relatively untracked
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Whiteduck wrote:
Thank you for your suggestions,

Sweden does look ideal for the kind of atmosphere I'm after, but I'm concerned that as they are smaller we might have skiied out all the runs in a few days.

Saalbach Hinterglemm seems like an ideal resort, but for the half-term issue. I don't know much about European holidays, if Fasching is just a long weekend will the rest of the week be better?

Perhaps go to Dolomites and hope for gloomy weather Puzzled
Salen is a lovely resort, but the runs are a bit limited and you can't really link them up.
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sorry, couldnt see when this was originally posted, so apologies if i am late to the party.
Trysil in Norway........good range of runs, enough to keep you busy for a week.
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Half term. School holidays in all countries, except Italy, where they don have school holidays in February.
North eastern part of Italy, still quite busy due to popularity with german speaking skiers.

North western part of Italy, relatively quiet. And you can hardly have missed the ludricous amounts of snow they had this year.
Bardonecchia.
Sauze d'Oulx.
La Thuile.
Cervinia.
Champoluc.
Gressoney.
Alagna.
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Damuel in Austria, been there a cou[ple of times during uk half term, is pretty quiet.
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Scandinavia. We got sick of lift queues with kids in tow in mainland Europe so have been going to Norway and Finland for last few years - practically no queues. Going back to Austria this year but hadn’t realised it was their holiday week coinciding with feb half term so assume it will be chaos. May be back to Scandinavia next year!
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warbis66 wrote:
sorry, couldnt see when this was originally posted, so apologies if i am late to the party.
Trysil in Norway........good range of runs, enough to keep you busy for a week.
Quiet
Guaranteed snow
Good luck

Yep done that too in half term, and fairly quiet. Just take a suitcase full of wine with you, as it ruinously expensive over there. The skiing is excellent.
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warbis66 wrote:
sorry, couldnt see when this was originally posted, so apologies if i am late to the party.
Trysil in Norway........good range of runs, enough to keep you busy for a week.
Quiet
Guaranteed snow
Good luck

Yep done that too in half term, and fairly quiet. Just take a suitcase full of wine with you, as it ruinously expensive over there. The skiing is excellent.
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warbis66 wrote:
sorry, couldnt see when this was originally posted, so apologies if i am late to the party.
Trysil in Norway........good range of runs, enough to keep you busy for a week.
Quiet
Guaranteed snow
Good luck

Yep done that too in half term, and fairly quiet. Just take a suitcase full of wine with you, as it ruinously expensive over there. The skiing is excellent.
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