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How do you spend your ski holiday?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I was recently in a discussion with a friend about how different people spend their ski trips - so let me compare mine to his:-

I get overly excited in the months before I go, buy new equipment, look where I want to ski on day 1 and convince myself I am a much better skier than I am.
Then I get there and go mad for a couple of days, late nights meeting new people in local clubs followed by long days on the slopes (weather permitting).
I love to find a spot high up the mountain to eat my packed lunch and take it all in, my technique is spot on and everything is perfect.
Half way into my ski trip I love a big night out into the very early hours which means a lie in and a half day on Wednesday. As the week draws to a close, I relax and slow down on the slopes, no more nights out and just cruise round the mountainside.
It my idea of ski week heaven.

My friend is much different.
He arrives and goes to bed at about 10 each night, no drink or town for him. He is up for the first lift every day and goes hard on the slopes until he can hardly see. If we hold him up, he disappears on his own so he can ski at his own pace. He cannot understand my love for the social side of things and is truly in love with the mountain.


Sooooo

How do you guys spend your ski holiday? What is your idea of heaven if you are there for a week?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
It's a holiday; do what you like, when you like.
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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?
I don't have a packed lunch.

I have to drop Croydon and Mogidishu at ski school , so a late start. Then ski as much as friends, kids and weather permit. I will not drink so much I need a lie in, but just enough for rapier wit and become attractive to members of the opposite sex who are a good 10 years younger.
ski holidays
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For me if I want to get pie eyed and dance the night away I will go "to town" at home. It's a ski trip first and a holiday second. I got seriously slaughtered once on a ski trip and missed a bluebird day as a result. Never again. I do like the ski trip banter and a drink or two in the evening. But I don't like to fanny about and lose VST. I am not the best at getting up in the morning so not necessarily a first lift kind of guy but I don't like to see that lift running too long before I'm on it.

Not that I'm a miserable toe rag. I go with the flow a little. And certainly don't cramp others style.

I used to go with friends and now go with wife and children. But not a great deal has changed. It's not a military operation but the prime purpose of the trip is skiing.
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I don't know about others but I tend to find that there are 3 types of person when we go skiing (in UCPA centres).

1 - People who are all about this skiing and tend not to drink etc.
2 - People who just want to get pissed and should probably have stayed at home
3 - Guys like me, in between the other 2 groups who love the social aspect of a ski trip but find a night out as important as a full day on the slopes.


I respect everyone and each to their own - it is your holiday so spend it as you wish

BUT

I do find the atmosphere on holiday is very important and this depends on who also stays in the UCPA centres. In Cham, most people are in the 3rd category with me, so you ski with everyone and have a laugh at night. When we stayed at UCPA Val D'Isere everyone else was a category 1 and the atmosphere was so flat. No one stayed up late or socialised and we didn't make any friends for life as we usually do.
Conversely, one year a massive group of lads turned up and all they wanted to do was drink. Crappy atmosphere that year because they went too far and kept people awake.


Finding the right place and balance is important.
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@bezthespaniard, As a group we go to Austria and the average day activity breakdown is 6 hrs skiing, 2 hrs après, 1 hr sauna, 2 hrs meal and wine at chalet, 4hrs partying Smile
I believe this to be the ideal mix, and as such I recommend it to the house.
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The house votes in favour
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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!
From my brief foray into Austria, the partying also doubled as the sauna, so there's an hour more for the slopes snowHead
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
There are some other categories that haven't been accounted for here.

4. Go on a ski holiday, spend the whole time moaning, leave, meet other parents at the school gate on Monday so you can compare ski holidays.
5. Be a pain in the rear entry boot because you think you're a much better skier than you are and refuse to ski with the rest of the group because they don't ski at your pace (you can't ski but can't admit it to yourself)

6. The never get out of bed types who whinge all day because they don't like the fact skiing is actually a sport, and you don't like sport (or exercise) but go anyway because they have a FOMO
7. complainers because it's snowing
8. just want to go to the spa people


as you can tell, I've been on holidays with some really annoying people
ski holidays
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
9. End up sleeping with an Aussie and then dragging her round with the group despite the fact she can't ski
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
we are early risers so would be hitting the lift for 9am.

Maybe ski for 5 hours with a coffee stop and a leisurely lunch. An hours apres and back to apartment for maybe a snooze, head out for dinner around 8pm, usually hit the sack around 10.30.
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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.
bezthespaniard wrote:
9. End up sleeping with an Aussie and then dragging her round with the group despite the fact she can't ski

That's exactly how my mate ended up getting divorced from his second wife and marrying his third. Toofy Grin
ski holidays
 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
skimastaaah wrote:
bezthespaniard wrote:
9. End up sleeping with an Aussie and then dragging her round with the group despite the fact she can't ski

That's exactly how my mate ended up getting divorced from his second wife and marrying his third. Toofy Grin



Thats exactly how my mate got crabs.

Really a mate not me.

I got mine elsewhere.
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
It's almost all about the skiing for me. Start at first lift, and (usually) go right through til the lifts close. I do stop for lunch in a mountain restaurant (45 mins or so) and if the weather conditions are poor, maybe a drinks stop mid-morning or afternoon. It irritates me when friends faff around at the top of a ski lift sorting out their gloves / goggles / tissues / makeup etc. when it can be done on the lift! As should looking at the piste map. Sounds a bit impatient but it's probably just because I love skiing so much.

In terms of the actual skiing, it's mostly about exploring for me, so I prefer not to repeat runs unless they were amazingly fantastic, and like to ski everywhere in a resort from the greens to the blacks. And the next year I'd go somewhere else, not back to the same resort.

Not fussed about the apres-ski / dinner - flexible as long as we're up for first lift the next morning!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@denfinella, pretty much this for me, except maybe not first lift, but within half an hour of it. I love to have a sauna and a swim after skiing if at all possible (which isn't always) or at least 10 mins' Pilates. Then lovely food and wine in moderation - definitely not enough to induce a hangover.Good company at all times is the icing on the cake. Toofy Grin
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I like the skiing and apres in equal measures and figure I can sleep when I get home!! I like a drink in the evenings and don't mind staggering home as long as it doesn't roll over into the next day! Seem to be pretty good at pacing myself which is more than can be said for a few of my friends! My last trip away was to Mayrhofen and for those who haven't been there there is a fairly lengthy cable car trip up to the slopes each morning. After being stuck in that crowded cable car with a friend being sick it the entire way I really made me slow down that week and ensure the night before didn't ruin my skiing!


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 8-12-14 19:41; edited 1 time in total
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
What I do on holiday and my idea of haven has changed dramatically over the years. I've enjoyed each "phase" including the pre kids après ski partying but the best day by far was the last day of our March 2014 holiday.

Getting on the first lift of the day with my husband, 8 yo son and 4 yo daughter, spending the full day out on the slopes, having lunch at the top of the mountain, after the last lift - quick après ski drink, baths, pjs, take away pizza/wine and family movie I front of the log fire. HEAVEN

Even though I've skied loads of runs, I've never been as happy as seeing my two kids skiing down a red run with confidence and ease - it's a very proud moment. I'm a lot more interested in what they achieve/enjoy than what I do, but that's probably just because I'm a Mum.
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?
@Bianchigray, lovely post Very Happy
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Quote:

Getting on the first lift of the day with my husband, 8 yo son and 4 yo daughter, spending the full day out on the slopes, having lunch at the top of the mountain, after the last lift - quick après ski drink, baths, pjs, take away pizza/wine and family movie I front of the log fire. HEAVEN


sounds like a wonderful day, @Bianchigray. snowHead
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Bianchigray, sounds a good day, fits in with my idea of holiday really, a good day skiing with the kids and then family time in evening. I do like to sneak off for a first/last run just on my own though, which usually fits around the family day
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I didn't ski pre Jnr so I've never really done the mad partying après. Although I'm sure that'll come when Jnr is 18 and I can embarrass him.

So usually it's up in time for lift opening first and last days. Ski until the lifts close. Stop for a drink/bar of chocolate mid morning, late lunch, ski the rest of the afternoon OR ski all morning, early lunch, mid afternoon drink stop. Sometimes have a beer at lunch/afternoon. Couple of beers at the bottom at the end of the day, dinner, sit in bar (either hotel or one in village) having a few more beers (planning what we'll do/where we'll go the following day) and finally in bed somewhere between 10pm-12am. Alarm set for breakfast so we can be at lift as close to opening time as possible.

First day skiing will be spent moaning about how crap I am and worrying that I can't ski any more. Rest of the week everything will be perfectly fine.
I try to ski as many different runs as is possible, I'd hate to miss out on a potentially good run. Also try to ski to all the villages/high points/sectors of an area. Once I've covered the whole area I try to go back to places that were particularly enjoyable - I'm a bit anal like that!
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Start early, maybe not first thing, but soon after (although I like to be on the first lift at least once a week)
Stop for a coffee late morning
Stop for lunch half one ish, maybe a long lunch 2 beers, depends on legs
Couple of runs after lunch
Park up for beers
Head back to hotel with glow in
Have supper and early to bed 10 or 11
Repeat

The amount of skiing is dictated by legs and conditions. I'm not the fittest and legs will be tired after a week.
I love skiing, but also love sitting in the mountains having a coffee or beer. Can't be bothered drinking so much it affects the next days skiing, but loving drinking right up to that point Very Happy
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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!
Definitely want a good mix of ski and holiday, I must say though that the balance is very much determined by the conditions.

Sunny with only piste skiing on offer, more a shift to holiday-
-earlyish start, within half an hour of first lift
-mid morning hot chocolate
-Lunch in a restaurant with a couple beers
-Maybe an afternoon break
- ski until half four or so
- few apres beers
-back to chalet for a (hopefully if available) hot tub
-Good dinner with a fair bit of wine
- Out to the bars half the nights, stay in the other half and have a bit of banter

If its snowing...
-First lift
-ski all morning
-lunch on the mountain, no beers (well maybe one if I have earned it!)
-Ski til last lift
-few apres beers again followed by hot tub
-Dinner, few glasses of wine, and into bed by 11 (if Im not too tired to make it up that late!!)

The hot lunch on the mountain is the one thing we really don't do without, I find it a wonderful way to relax, recharge the legs, have some laughs about the morning and be ready to go again.

Of course the most important thing is to be alert to the possibility of change, particularly from situation 1 to situation 2! I have been know to be in the middle of a big night out, see it start dumping down with snow and head straight home to bed with a pint of water!
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Arrive at the resort, find apartment, then get skis, go for a meal, a few beers, then bed early. Up early in the am, as close as possible to first lift we are on the mountain, find our way around the mountain, stopping for a break in different coffee , beer places, ski till after last lift, find après bar, have one or two, back to the apartment and dinner and bed, sometimes we will eat out and have more drinks, always up early. Towards the end of the week we tend to find we catch edges more because our legs are getting skied out. But it's all fun and games, and if we need more leg breaks then we have them. We try to ski as many different runs as possible, so if its a big resort we try to do them all if it is possible. not always possible though.
ski holidays
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
First lift
Ski
Lunch in restaurant with small beer - not too long
Ski
If later in the season have a mid afternoon beer
Ski until lifts close
Couple of celebratory beers
Shower, quick around village, maybe with a beer included or Sauna / jacuzzi etc
Read before dinner
Dinner with Wine and banter
Go out for a couple of beers or stop in and chat dependent on time of week or mix in chalet

Generally have a good time
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Does anybody, like me, have sometimes regrets about having lunches longer than 30-40mins? It's painfully slow to get my body warm and ready for action again after spending too much time trying to shove down that big burger with fat dripping chips. Not to mention beer which makes things even more difficult. So I often stop for coffee only or a quick crepe and eat my packed sandwiches (read: lunch) on a lift or in a picnic area. And yes, you guessed right, I'm the 'first lift in the morning' type.
ski holidays
 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'm a miserable c**t last ski hol I didn't even leave the hotel for non ski related activity except to stroll to the breadshop.
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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
Family trip - drop kids off at 9am and get up the mountain, 30 mins sandwich for lunch, then ski till around 3- 3:30pm, hour of Apres then pick kids up at 5pm, go to the Spar shop to pick up some food, feed kids, put them to bed and then watch TV for an hour or two before going to bed ourselves. Get a babysitter a few times so we can go out and have a meal

Boys trip - get leathered, ski all day, get leathered again, repeat. This can only last 3 days before we are near death and ready to come home
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Dave of the Marmottes, Laughing Laughing
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
wyspa wrote:
Does anybody, like me, have sometimes regrets about having lunches longer than 30-40mins? It's painfully slow to get my body warm and ready for action again after spending too much time trying to shove down that big burger with fat dripping chips. Not to mention beer which makes things even more difficult. So I often stop for coffee only or a quick crepe and eat my packed sandwiches (read: lunch) on a lift or in a picnic area. And yes, you guessed right, I'm the 'first lift in the morning' type.


I regret it when I head back to town for a hot lunch

never want to go back out skiing coz im so sweaty
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I'm very much like @SkiG. I'm there to snow ski. So if there's fresh snow, I ski. From first to last chair, quick lunch, early to bed shortly after dinner.

But if it's just man-made snow or week old snow on piste, AND the company is cheerful, I'd get up late, quit early, and linger long at lunch and hot tub, complete with apres and night out into the wee hours!

If the company is boring and the snow is crappy, I'd book myself a lesson or two.
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
After ten or so boarding trips, all with my wife, and sometimes with a few friends or family...

Up on time, plenty of breakfast, and at the lift about when it starts, but not queuing stupidly early just to have the first chair...

On the slopes we cruise the mountain, explore and repeat. I like finding new bits and seeing different views, but will also find a couple of good "lessons" routes where I can work through skills I need to practice on pistes where I won't be surprised by anything. We'll also go back to particularly good or fun bits to play again, and also use a run or two down a piste to match with what I saw from the chairlift to check out some off piste links.

Late morning coffee and snack.

Stay on the slopes over lunch to avoid the queues for food and make the most of school group - free pistes. I also find I do active stuff better whilst having two light snacks than one big lunch.

Early afternoon hot chocolate and another snack.

Ride until close/exhausted.

But nothing is set in stone...

We'll get a decent sauna/hot tub session in, as I'm utterly convinced it's the way to help the muscles through the week without too many complaints, then a few drinks and dinner. A few nights in town for a boogie perhaps, but depends what the town is like.

For me, I want to get the most out of my time on the slopes. My wife is a bit more relaxed, and her job makes it harder to be as fit as I am, so I'll often chuck in a few extra laps whilst she enjoys a seat in the sunshine and a drink.

For us, the most important thing is doing what you want, and not feeling guilty or constrained if you want to start early/ have a lie in, have a good drinks session/turn in early. As someone said above, it's a holiday - enjoy it!
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?
always up on time, no matter of the condition of the head.
up the hill within the first half hour of kickoff.
Ski for the bulk of the morning then back to chalet for lunch.
eat too much, compliment the warmth,
back out there for the afternoon till legs have had enough
back for some pastry and hot drink.
dinner and beverages, quite enough a wander about the town untill hitting the bar.
sleep, get up complain about the head and carry on
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I'm there to ride/ski so normally its

First Lift or as close as possible
Mid morning coffee
Lazy lunch
Keep going till i cant see the end of my board/skis
Cheeky apres ski beer or two
Dinner
Collapse
Repeat

I'm taking Jr this year for the first time so be interesting to see how this changes Smile
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Get up, have nice hotel breakfast, go skiing all day interspersed with the odd hut stop for sustenance, maybe a drink or two after skiing, then back to the hotel for a nice meal and maybe a couple more drinks, asleep by 11 usually. Rinse and repeat.
ski holidays
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Get up at 5-6am, because that's when the kids wake up.
Take them to ski school at 9am.
Ski for an hour, have a crepe and coffee, ski for another hour.
Pick the kids up from ski school and go out to lunch with them.
Spend all afternoon amusing the kids, eg. sledging, swimming pool.
Kids in bed about 6:30pm, have a bath then go to bed at about 8pm.
Repeat.

I can't wait until the kids are old enough and good enough to want to ski in the afternoon, so I get more than a couple of hours of skiing per day.
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
If I'm not in bed by 10 pm I go back to my own accommodation.
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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 love a few drinks in the evening and even the occasional big night out, but I always know I'll be up early (ish) to get out skiing. The danger for me is that my mates aren't so obsessed, so if we have a late night then they'll want a lie in. And just the sight through the window of the lifts running starts to get me jittery and frustrated if they're in bed or faffing around, so I have to remember to chill out and that it's a holiday for them as well as me.
ski holidays
 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.
Wind the clock back 27 years to Andorra in the 80's
Get up and out, grabbing a litre of orange juice and an armful of pain au chocolat from the shop on the way to the lift, eating this "breakfast" on the way up the lift, arriving at the top just in time for 10 o'clock ski lesson,
Ski all day, (having shared out the two bottles of cava among the ski group) jumping over anything that might give some air, occasionally landing on the skis
Couple of beers on the way back to the apartment
crash out for an hour then 3 s's before heading for huge plate of pasta at the snack bar
Drink till 3am when nightclub closes
Go to sleep, hopefully in a bed
wake up and do it all again
repeat for 1, 2 or sometimes 3 weeks

28 years later my body is just retaining the ability to ski or drink but not both, and tending to go to France where beer is silly money, I prioritise the skiing.
ski holidays
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I'm just glad I spend it skiing on the actual snow not looking on various webcams and/or Isobar charts looking for snow at my work.!
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