 Poster: A snowHead
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Would anyone have any recommendations on were to go skiing for a group of mixed ability skiers? Looking at going skiing in March this year. It’s a group of mixed skiers from complete beginners to intermediates. Ideally we’d prefer a resort with a good après ski seen also. We have been looking at Val Thorens, would this be suitable ? Hoping to fly from Dublin and keep the budget to €1000 for accommodation ski pass, flights, transfers etc.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@KirstySc, welcome to snowheads, I think that VT would be a suitable resort (as would others) for a mixed group you describe so go for it.
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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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@KirstySc, welcome to snowHeads,...quite a few places could suit. A few answers to questions below might help narrow down the field.
Do you have preference for a particular country, eg Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland?
Any particular airports good or bad from Dublin?
Do you know which week(s) you might go in March? That’s quite important.
What sort of apres? Lively bars immediately after skiing? Dancing on tables on sunny afternoon terraces? Clubs into the wee small hours? Both? Something else?
Accommodation and food...any preferences?
Finally, wondering why Val Thorens mentioned specifically?
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Yes. VT comes into its own in Spring - best time to go. Particularly good for the lower level skiers as the height means less slush which most beginners hate. Overall it's a very diverse resort with a lot of benign skiing for beginners but also steeps, easily accessible off piste and other valley opportunities for the better skiers.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@PeakyB No particular preference for a country so any of Switzerland, Italy, France or Austria would suit.
Think we can get direct flights from Dublin to Geneva, Munich alright, don't know of any airports that are particularly bad or food from Dublin though. However we don't mind getting connecting flight via London etc to a resort.
Most likely it will be the third or fourth week of march.
Accomadation and food preferably cheap and cheerful, as we don't mind cooking our own food etc. However it would be handy if we were situates within walking distance of the 'town or resort ' center for apres ski and if we are going to a restaurant in the evening for dinner.
Apres ski probably we'd be looking more along the lines of Lively bars immediately after skiing and Dancing on tables on sunny afternoon terraces.
We've been looking at val thorens as we've heard of similar groups we know going there before ie groups consisting of mixed ability skiing and looking for a good apres ski scene.
Very open to reccomendations on other places that may suit better than val thorens though as from the research I have done it does look expensive for ski passes etc
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@KirstySc, Mayrhofen or Saalbach, via Munich
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| Raceplate wrote: |
| Yes. VT comes into its own in Spring - best time to go. Particularly good for the lower level skiers as the height means less slush which most beginners hate. Overall it's a very diverse resort with a lot of benign skiing for beginners but also steeps, easily accessible off piste and other valley opportunities for the better skiers. |
this
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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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@KirstySc, as @admin said, Val T is great for snow and mixed abilities. Also access to massive 3V area. It has the Folie Douce for apres but otherwise not that lively I don't think. Biggest challenge is staying within your budget there.
Austria generally better for apres. But riskier with snow conditions. Unless you go for places like St Anton and Ischgl, which are quite expensive and not so good for beginners. Italy a possible, tends to be better value than big French resorts. Some lively but again a bit riskier with snow conditions.
Something may have to give. Budget? Snow probability? Apres? Or are you in a position to play the last minute booking game?
I wouldn't risk that if you all want a simple package, all in same accommodation.. But if you booked flights in advance to Geneva if possible, you can usually pick up whole chalet or set of apartments on late booking at a discounted price (different sized chalets/apartments in same block).
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@PeakyB, there are loads of Austrian resorts that are no riskier for snow in March than the 3Valleys, seriously
As we drift through April, OK VT becomes one of the few that are safe to the end but we're talking March here... most of Austria kicks arse in March!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks for your help. The budget could be pushed out a bit alright. Would there be much of a price difference for food, a beer etc between say the likes of Val thorens and mayrhofen, saalbach? We would be willing to push the budget out for a better resort that suited us better. I have heard that Andorra can be quite cheap, but that the bigger Austrian and french resorts would be better.
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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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@admin, that's good to know. Must admit my Austrian visits have lapsed in recent centuries, except Arlberg. I'd been warned by friends that Saalbach-Hinterglemm, top of my bucket list, tends to be slushy in March, on account of south facing tendencies.
Where kicks back bottom in March?
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@KirstySc, higher is better late in March if you have beginners in the group
Val Thorens sounds a good choice
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You know it makes sense.
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@admin, oh and how come you can write ar*e but if I do that it comes out 'back bottom', so to speak? 
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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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@PeakyB, You’re complaining - I once wrote “tw*t”, with an “a” instead of an asterisk, and it got changed to “lady’s front bottom”!
As a ski season resident in Saalbach, I can honestly say that in the last two seasons the middle of March has been one of the best times to be there, with fine weather, cold air temperatures and fresh snow.
What happens from the middle of March onwards is that there is an increasing probability of mild, springlike weather across the Alps, which turns any exposed (south-facing) pistes to mashed potato in the afternoons (but freezing again overnight, so all tends to be well until late morning).
This has happened to me in many resorts: Verbier, Courchevel, Les Menuires, Val d’Isere, St Anton, Alpe d’Huez, and yes Saalbach, to name just a few. However when such conditions are experienced in Saalbach, some people blame the preponderance of south-facing slopes, rather than the weather. They assume that the pistes might be less porridgey elsewhere. If “elsewhere” means a significantly higher resort with less susceptible, south-facing slopes, that reasoning is obviously true, at least so far as it applies to half of the Saalbach ski area. However the other half - the mainly north/west-facing slopes of Leogang, Fieberbrunn, Schattberg, and Zwölferkogel, which probably provide around 150km of skiing, are likely to be as good as “elsewhere”.
The Ski Circus is now linked to, and shares a lift pass with, Zell am See and Kaprun, so you can add the north-facing slopes of the Schmittenhohe (Zell), and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier (Kaprun) to the areas that are likely to remain in good condition throughout the day in mild spring weather.
My experience has been that it is hard to avoid skiing on mushy snow in any ski resort, when the weather is warm and the sun has gained some strength in late season. It becomes more important to plan itineraries and focus on more shaded areas in the afternoons. Saalbach offers plenty of such areas, and of course, when the wind is blowing from the north, conditions can be excellent even in early April.
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Poster: A snowHead
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go to mayrhofen, ticks all the boxes,if the snow was poor hop on the bus to hintertux glacier (which is class) u will get a package from crystal or topflight near ure budget, u wont get near ure budget going to saalbach or vt and they will cost about €200 more on spending money for the week,food/drink is cheaper compared to the more famous resorts,i usually go diy but the flights r way dearer this year so i went with crystal this year, the apres r way better in mayr compared to saalbach or vt
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@tatmanstours,
there are mysterious forces in the snowHeads forum.
I was repeating what I’d been told but maybe they were unlucky when skiing in Saalbach 3 or 4 years ago?
Take your point about snow potentially getting slushy across the Alps. Obviously higher altitude, north/east facing slopes and good snow farming helps a lot.
I realise it’s about probabilities, with big variations year on year. For example, I recall one fortnight in Tignes, in March, where temps varied between +18c and -20c at 2100m. The colder temperatures came later in the month!
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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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| Quote: |
the apres r way better in mayr compared to saalbach
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Really?!!!
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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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Val Thorens works well for ski-in ski out, and is excellent for a mixed ability group as you will also be starting and finishing from the same point and its easy to set up a meeting point at the end of the day, It is one of the best resorts for low intermediates with some good green runs to build confidence. Have a look at the packages with Topflight/ Crystal to see what they have available as March is good value as it might work out at the same price as diy by the time you take car parking cost in the resort and the hassle that brings.
The only downside is the lack of a big apres-ski scene. There is always the Folie Douce for table dancing on sunny march afternoons but you need to be able to ski back to the village.
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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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People can debate over where has the best apres but honestly, if you go to VT, you won't be keft disappointed or wishing you'd gone elsewhere. Its a very safe option and is part of the biggest ski area in the world so if some of the group become the type who want to cover as many piste miles as possible, which is highly likely for at keast kne of you, VT will be great. Go for it
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