Poster: A snowHead
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We've just booked to go to Westendorf in the summer - having visited a number of times in the winter for ski-ing. Thought it might be interesting to see the contrast.
Anybody else visit their winter haunts in the summer?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ian Hopkinson, You'll love it - they're all so much prettier in summer, and summer skiing is great + walking and about a million other things to do. Flowers .... sun ....... you'll never take a beach holiday again!
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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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easiski, I've not taken a beach holiday yet! We've been neglecting our summer holidays since we started ski-ing.
Do you stay in LDA for the summer?
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I've been to Schladming in the summer and have to agree with Charlotte. There's loads more to do than on a beach holiday and the scenery is super.
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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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yes- Chamonix is great in the summer - if not for climbing the walking is v good- the Tour du Mont Blanc is an easy 6-7 day circular walk usually started in Cham/les Houches- takes in les contamines- (Notre dame de la gorge is v heidiesque in summer- Courmayeur- also great -Champex then the upper Chamonix valley) can stay in very comfortable mountain huts if you want to.
Dolomites also beautiful in summer- with great walking.
The great advantage of summers in the alps compared to say the English Lakes is the weather- usually rain is not for too long- but there can be spectaculat thunder storms. Also can take the cable cars up- nd eat at the mountain restaurants which are often open in summer.
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Does Aviemore count ?
I also stayed in La Clusaz before I started skiing. I have actually skied in La Clusaz as well though.
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My brother went to Zermatt last summer for a few days walking and a days skiing on the Glacier. As he liked it so much, we did 8 days there in Jan, and are planning on going for xmas this year.
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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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Austria - Zell am See, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Kaprun, Mayrhofen, still need to ski Soll, Kitzbuhel though
it's amazing to stand on a ridge looking at the scenery and comparing with summer / winter view
gotta love the mountains, summer or winter
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AlpineWalker, I might have guessed you'd be there in the summer!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ian Hopkinson, we do, and did so before we bought the apartment. It was one of the reasons that made us decide to buy , as hubby found a Summer holiday where he could do all the thingas he enjoyed, and didn;t have to lieon a beach bored. He was brought up on the coast, and lived opposite a beach, so has never seen the attraction of it as a place to lie in the sun. Walking dogs, and playing football possibly.
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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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Yeah Les Carroz and Chamonix.
Les Carroz was pretty quiet, but Chamonix was excellent
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I've been to Tahoe in the summer and pretty well all the Cascade peaks from Lassen in N. California (not a ski destination) to Mt Baker near the Canadian border. The Pacific Northwest is absolutely stunning in summer, with snow-capped volcanoes apparently suspended above the haze. Lovely equable climate too, and fantastic hiking/climbing.
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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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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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Quote: |
we do, and did so before we bought the apartment. It was one of the reasons that made us decide to buy , as hubby found a Summer holiday where he could do all the thingas he enjoyed, and didn;t have to lieon a beach bored.
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that is one of the best things about buying a place in the Alps. It is like having two completely different holiday homes, and it's fantastic to visit almost any time of the year, except maybe November and the first half of December - maybe snow, but no lifts. But June and early July definitely better than August for the flowers - a lot quieter, but for that reason not a lot open up in the high resorts. Depends what you like. We had breakfast on the terrace, looking at Mont Blanc (and a whole panorama of other mountains) every morning last summer, and even during the last week of October. And what about the wild raspberries, strawberries, myrtilles, profusion of fascinating fungi in the Autumn.... The very best thing of all is that you don't feel so sad about the end of the ski season, knowing what fresh delights lie ahead. I thought the summer would just be an "added extra" to the ski-ing, but in fact we like the summer just as much.
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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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pam w, sounds idyllic.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Les Gets is beautiful in the summer, but too many mountain bikers !
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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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Chamonix and Zermatt..
I've always wanted to play a top class golf course in the alpes but they are so many others courses to do ...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Tignes - pretty ugly in the summertime to my eyes, with summer activities that look as if they have been stuck on as an afterthought. Fine for skiing on the glacier of course, but much better to stay down in the valley than up in the treeless upper resorts of Tignes, and drive/bus up for the occasional slide. Stay in a 'real' Savoie small town like Bourg St Maurice, and the funicular to the glacier is only 35 mins drive away. Far cheaper accommodation too.
Much prefer Deux Alpes for healthy summertime pursuits, although I find that like most French resorts that have been purpose-built above the original villages, it looks a little 'tacky' when the snow has gone. That said I have had several highly enjoyable summer stays in L2A.
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Ian Hopkinson, we went to Westendorf in the summer many years ago and had a really great time, did all the sights and a bit of walking. Lots going on during the day and in the evening, great place to promenade. If paragliding's your bag it seemed to be a big place for it.
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it's good to see how the villages tick, all year round. Last night on the way up from Sallanches I picked up a pisteur hitch-hiking on Notre Dame de Bellecombe, at 9pm in the pitch dark. Turned out he was too drunk to drive - it was his birthday, and his friends hadn't taken "no" for an answer! Like many of the seasonal workers he was a farmer; on the way up the hill he told us about his cows, the problems of haymaking on steep slopes, the unwillingness of the young to leave their computer games and help, about working on the new chairlifts last summer. And other stuff, which his state of inebriation, strong local accent and my poor French meant that I missed. Next time I drive up past his pastures in summer, full of flowers and cows, I will think of him. When he found we were going to Les Saisies he had us pass the door of his place and drop him in Saisies to look for a "copain" in the gendarmerie, for another drink and maybe a lift home later. He must have had a thick head when he got to work this morning! But for us, it was yet another interesting glimpse of how the ski season interacts with the rest of the year to make life in the mountains possible in the 21st century.
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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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Have done Wengen & Zell am See both summer and winter. One of the fun things is to spot where the pistes are. Generally, a blue run will be steep to walk down, a red run virtually impossible and don't try walking down a black!!
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Elizabeth B, this is something I've been thinking about - my guess was that a red slope would be pretty tricky to stand on with your feet.
pam w, I understand that my first ski instructor keeps "fighting sheep" which I guess keeps him occupied in the summer...
stevew, my mum's been going to Westendorf for years - I'm looking forward to seeing it 'in the green'. I fancy getting down to Kitzbuhel - did you go further afield than that?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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PG wrote: |
Stay in a 'real' Savoie small town like Bourg St Maurice, and the funicular to the glacier is only 35 mins drive away. |
We are heading back to Bourg for 3 weeks this July, Les Arcs reopens the lifts for biking and walking, Throw in a Via Ferrata or 2 and a few days of doing nothing and it is really the perfect holiday (You dont even get sand in between your toes)
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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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easiski, I know, did think that when I was writing it! But you know what I mean....
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You know it makes sense.
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Did Murren & Wengen in summer 04 and wow what a difference. We hiked so much around the region and the views were still amazing. We walked most of the runs aswell as going off-piste
We enjoyed so much we are going back in September this year
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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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PG, Is the Bst M funicular open year round? or just the 'July / August' summer?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just July and August - Kieran
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Kieran, Thanks, I have been warned to expect nothing to be open during my late May visit
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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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boredsurfin wrote: |
Kieran, Thanks, I have been warned to expect nothing to be open during my late May visit |
Skiing on the Grand Motte?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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rob@rar.org.uk, Maybe!
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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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PG, we managed 2 weeks in tignes last summer.
Other than arriving when everything bar the glacier & 1 restaurant was shut we had a great time.
We'd hired a car in Lyon.
Managed -
3 days boarding for the novelty factor.
Walked every trail we could find including those over in val d'isere. Scenery was stunning once away from the lifts. Tourist info were very helpful and provided good guides to all the trails (in french even I could understand!)
Did most of the bike trails except the one off the black run.
Had a mornings climbing and then an afternoon paragliding.
I remembered how bad at tennis I was
A day trip to italy over the mountain pass. That road was "interesting"
Cheap accommodation too with tv for the blanket coverage of le tour.
We somehow managed to keep outselves occupied although if coming back I can see your argument for staying down the valley as it does open up a much wider area.
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I can recommend the Dolomites in Summer.
My wife and I drove through them on the way back from Italy and it was great. Cortina was beautiful, if a little quiet.
The mountain passes are the best bit though. Driving over them is quite unlike any other experience.
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