 Poster: A snowHead
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It looks like we're going to be able to get away for a week, w/c 12 March. Looking for somewhere with some easy skiing (lots of cruisy blues and reds), preferably with the resort at a relatively low altitude (one of us has a benign condition that sometimes gets worse with long periods at altitude). Obviously, access to decent snow would be a bonus  . In the past, we've skied Soldeu, LDA, Risoul, La Thuile, Hemsedal and Are (the first three would be too high now for a resort). We like the easy slopes of Soldeu, Risoul, and La Thuile. Austria looks the best bet from the point of having relatively low altitude resorts generally, but I have no idea about snow cover generally at that time of year (I usually ski in January). Still considering Scandinavia (Are or Trysil). Any suggestions gratefully accepted.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Megeve? Praz sur Arly? Les Contamines?
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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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Les Gets ?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Wengen?
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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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Alpbach
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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St Gervais
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| countryman wrote: |
| Wengen? |
+1, it will tick all your boxes.
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@dobby, might be useful if you tell us a bit more about what you like/dislike about ski resorts. There are hundreds of possibilities!!
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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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Kaltenbach in the Zillertal is a low village (600m) with gondola access to a good variety of cruisey blues and reds. Not much in the village though, just a few hotels. Further along the valley is Mayrhofen which is also low but a much bigger, livelier town. Plenty of variety on the pistes there too but they tend to be a bit more busy and chopped up than Kaltenbach.
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Swiss side of PdS is my new favorite - lovely wide cruisey runs and pretty villages.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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@pam w, a good point! We're not fussed about ski in/ski out. Skiing back to resort is not a must either. We quite like chilled/low key resorts that don't get too busy - Risoul was good from this point of view. LDA during Paris half term was not . Should be lots of fairly easy blue run skiing (Are was good, but not many blue runs). We'd like a decent size resort from the viewpoint of piste km (say about 100km+). We have a preference for self-catering, but would consider hotels. Not fussed about apres - a couple of beers and then a meal in the apartment is the usual.
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+1 for Alpbach. Super close to Innsbruck for an easy transfer as well
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You know it makes sense.
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If not, Villars or Risoul
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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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@TopGooner, the OP has already said Risoul too high
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Poster: A snowHead
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I can't recommend the Dolomites enough. Have a look at either Corvara or Ortisei.
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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 have a preference for self-catering, but would consider hotels
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There is no reason to consider "compromising" on this - should be plenty of self-catering accommodation. I prefer self-catering too - a hotel is a very different experience (and generally a lot more expensive). How will you travel? Package or DIY?
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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 wrote: |
| @TopGooner, the OP has already said Risoul too high |
Luckily my comments are still free of charge and can be taken with a pinch of salt.
Or, in other words, I didn’t read the OP properly 
Le Grand Bornand is also worth a look
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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How high is to high?
I guess resort level is the biggest factor.
How about St Johann in Tirol?
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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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we are going to return to saalbach this march and im 68, reckon all it has to offer is within our compass albeit a tad steadier both on and off the piste than 20 years ago down the blacks and not as late to bed ho ho , but seriously its worth a look.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Kaltenbach in the Zillertal is a low village (600m) with gondola access to a good variety of cruisey blues and reds. Not much in the village though, just a few hotels. Further along the valley is Mayrhofen which is also low but a much bigger, livelier town. Plenty of variety on the pistes there too but they tend to be a bit more busy and chopped up than Kaltenbach.
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Low and snow is either Austria or Dolomites with the snowmaking ability at that time of year. Selva?
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Of the two mentioned so far that I have been to, I would go with Trysil over Kaltenbach for what you describe.
As you would know from your Sweden trip, its all very easy in the Nordics and all via Skistar for Trysil. Its a little shy of your 100km+ but nearly half the runs are blue on which you can get around pretty much all of the resort, and the reds arent too bad at all. Also you dont get the hooning around by other skiers there (unlike in Kaltenbach). Snow should be ok. Pretty much all the accomodation (other than the odd hotel) there is self-catering and you should have no issue finding something very reasonably priced. You can get ski-in but not really ski-out. Eating out is pricy but the other costs are not bad at all. Its a bit of a drive from Olso but nice and easy, either by rental car or there is a direct bus from the aiport, problbly better value for 2 than renting. Or you could fly into the new nearby Mountain Resort Airport.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Wed 2-02-22 9:14; edited 1 time in total
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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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I inferred that the OP wanted to stay/sleep at low altitude, but was OK to take lifts and ski higher. Mid March is not "late season" - there should be plenty of choice.
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@pam w, spot on. Any resort above about 1500 causes problems (Risoul at 1850m did, La Thuile at 1500m (I think) less so)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you're considering Scandinavia and you want low level, you could always look at Voss / Myrkdalen in Norway. Neither place really has enough for a whole week (if your benchmark is somewhere like L2A) but together they add up to a whole lot of very accessible blues and reds, all below 1000m. I last went in early March, and the snow was fine then - worth looking up conditions for your preferred week. You get there by flying to Bergen and then taking the very pretty train journey to Voss.
Of course the downside is that it's very expensive to eat (but not that much more than Switzerland, especially if you go easy on the booze) and the town doesn't have much atmosphere but the people are super friendly. Fellow skiers will include (a) Norwegians (b) Geordies, including some teenagers on school ski trips, (c) Norwegian and British squaddies taking a break from winter training and (d) a special subset of Norwegians who are the little old ladies in long overcoats and headscarves on Nordic skis, bombing down the steeps with immaculate telemark turns.
I think there is some nice self catering at Myrkdalen but I've only ever stayed in Voss town centre.
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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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@grimupnorth, I think @dobby, ‘s already booked Trysil judging from another thread running.
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If looking at Scandinavia, Finland is an option - very low altitude, shorter runs and generally easier. Small queues. Good snow into April and a season that tends to run to May. Can be cold, but with longer days by Spring, that's less of an issue. Slopes open til 7pm and every apartment has its own sauna.
You'd need to DIY it after half term though, which includes a stop over in Helsinki (which many might consider a plus).
Won't be cheap, but then, where is these days?
Disclaimer, we're heading to Ruka for the second time as we enjoyed it a lot the first time round.
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You know it makes sense.
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| ster wrote: |
| @grimupnorth, I think @dobby, ‘s already booked Trysil judging from another thread running. |
Ah, missed that.
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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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Fair enough! Sorry I was slow.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@grimupnorth, thanks for the suggestion. We have booked Trysil. I like the sound of Voss/Myrkdalen, especially the old lady telemarkers. I recall lots of telemarking in Hemsedal, but not so many old lady telemarkers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Interlaken and get the train up the mountain.
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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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| gorilla wrote: |
| Interlaken and get the train up the mountain. |
Interlaken is marvellous in the summer but far too far away from the slopes, stay in one of the ski resorts of the Jungfrau region
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Lovely trysil in Norway. Lots of easy skiing. If you don’t mind buttons and TBars it’s easy to navigate too.
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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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@bambionskiis, who doesn't love a T-bar? Quicker than some Norwegian chair lifts (or may be that's just Hemsedal?)
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Les Carroz (1100) would be a very good option. There is plenty of intermediate cruising in the grand massif particularly the slopes in Morillon and Les Carroz. You would also be able to ski over to Samoens (ski area not village) and Flaine. Residence Leana is probably the best place to stay in terms of quality of self catering accommodation but Chalets de Jouvence is in the best position on the slopes.
Les Saisies would be even better but the accommodation would be slightly higher altitude at 1600. You could stay in one of the lower villages in the Espace Diamant which Les Saisies is part of but be aware that the modern lifts (easy to get on and off) and easiest skiing are in Les Saisies itself.
I haven't been to Les Gets in winter (only summer) but I imagine that would be a good option too.
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@dobby, I see the recommendations keep coming!
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@dobby, Montafon, eg Schruns maybe? Or Bregenzerwald villages?
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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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He's still going to Norway folks.
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@dobby, I can highly recommend Alpe di Siusi (aka Seiser Alm) in the Dolomites for easy skiing, beautiful scenery, fabulous food, and low altitude resort. It’s an absolute delight. Stay in the pretty town of Siusi (aka Seis am Schlern) at 1,000 m. Take the gondola up to Compatcsh (1,850 m) where you pick up your skis and boots from heated lockers and start your skiing. It’s a huge alpine meadow in summer, so the slopes are gentle and grassy (no rocks), and the artificial snow is excellent, if the worst comes to the worst.
Enjoy the multi-generational approach to winter sports. People of all ages out enjoying lovely blue- and red-piste skiing, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, horse sleigh rides, taboganning, snow park, etc. There is a superb choice of Tyrolean and Italian cuisine.
I can rave on all day about it and the connected Val Gardena area. If you go for this option, I’ll be happy to recommend restaurants. Fly to Innsbruck or Verona. (You could even fly indirectly to Bolzano half an hour away.)
The official website has a good accommodation search feature:
https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/Experience/Ski-areas/Seiser-Alm
The cultural fusion of the area is unique: Ladin, Austrian, and Italian!
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