Looking for around 5 days trip to somewhere snowy for xc, snowshoeing maybe sled dogging. Downhill a bonus.
Specs
not too long a transfer from airport ideally served by BA
ground transfers available
Travelling 31 Dec or 1/2 Jan
Nordics?
Krakow?
Slovenia?
Doesn't have to be too Santa Clausy tacky
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Les Saisies - one of the best XC resorts in France. Not too tacky. Downhill not bad at all. Those dates will mean little choice of accommodation left now. But the XC areas are never too busy.
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?
But the XC area isn't a series of flat tracks to shuffle along. Can best be enjoyed by folk who have the techniques to cope with uphill and downhill slopes. Snow shoeing, on the other hand, is for anybody who can walk and has a stout pair of walking boots.
Les Saisies - one of the best XC resorts in France. Not too tacky. Downhill not bad at all. Those dates will mean little choice of accommodation left now. But the XC areas are never too busy.
@pam w, also interested in this resort for xc skiing. How easy is it to get to Les Saisies by public transport from Geneva ie is there a bus or train option?
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@nahdendee, it's a short transfer up the hill from Albertville station and there appears to be a good bus service on Saturdays.
I'm not sure of ease of access from Geneva but there are direct trains from Paris. (Unless you're transferring by road I'm becoming less convinced about the convenience of flying into Geneva.)
Seefeld in Tirol is a short (~30 mins) inexpensive train trip from Innsbruck which is BA served. Great XC, little bit of downhill, plenty of other things to do and see in the area. Nice little Xmas market and close enough to do a trip to Innsbruck for the real thing if you want. Lots of much better downhill is available by public transport if needed. Many stay in Innsbruck and get the bus / train to the loipe / slopes as required with a great base for the holiday.
Check the trains are running OK as the track in Seefeld was damaged by a landslide recently.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@nahdendee, I don't think it's easy by public transport except bus from Albertville Saturdays. You can bus from Gva to Megeve and taxi. Car hire easiest.
Personally I don't like it much for cross country, there is a lot of climbing and descending and it is quite high - the altitude at least means you can ski in November and end of April. I prefer la Feclaz: https://pistehors.com/r8b33a5ed98f6/grand-revard-nordic-ski-area
which also has a couple of small downhill areas, although nothing on the scale of the piste skiing at les Saisies. Good snow shoeing, Good dog sledding - although DoM seems to be more into Sled Dogging - you'd have to go to Grenoble for that I guess. Transfer from Lyon though with BA
From Geneva I'd probably head into the Jura, providing there is any snow or the Arve valley. Praz de Lys has good xcountry and downhill and altitude.
So back to DoM's question, maybe not France as he hints already. Davos and St Moritz are really good an a train transfer from Zurich. Or Poland as he suggests. The Nordics also have good snow at the mo. and the transfers should be easier, you can nordic ski from the metro station in Oslo.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@Dave of the Marmottes, Serre Che could fit the bill, 1hr 40 from Turin.
The XC as Davidoff's link shows can be sublime.
Dog sledding happens not to far from us and runs parallel to the XC.
And a friend I know who I was only when a few days ago I'm pretty sure has accomodation just up the hill in Le Bez village.
My neighbour next door is also an xc instructor, but all depends on what discipline you go for.
And ironically today I was running in the forest where the snow show trails are.
Best to check flights, then I can give you Tina's details to enquire about accommodation and then contact snowcab about transfers or rent a car ex Turin airport.
And I could take you for some XC / downhill or even some touring
I'll have one daughter out then who actually doesn't like skiing!
Plus have a whole load of classic gear you could use!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Weathercam wrote:
Best to check flights, then I can give you Tina's details to enquire about accommodation and then contact snowcab about transfers or rent a car ex Turin airport.
if they had a car vallouise is nice as well and what, half an hour's drive? Would also mean they don't have to stay at the bottom of the pistes.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Quote:
Personally I don't like it much for cross country, there is a lot of climbing and descending and it is quite high
Yes, I always found there was a lot of climbing and descending, and as Les Saisies was the only XC place I knew, I couldn't understand why some people scoffed at the idea of needing lessons! Uphill was OK, if knackering, herring-boning, but in the tracks it was essential to do what the French call "petits pas tonique" and kind of jog up with weight forward, and get some glide going. Also knackering, though all the old grannies who passed us made it look easy. To take out some of the climbing instructors sometimes took people people half way up a drag lift, to the top of the Nordic domaine. That was an adventure, because if you fell off before the plateau bit where you could cross "off piste" to the Nordic area you had to ski back down a proper blue downhill slope, which was very scary for beginners - so we all hung on for grim death and got up to the designated dismount spot. Downhill in the Nordic trails was fine if it was gentle enough to just stay in the tracks and hope for the best, but the tracks disappeared in the steeper parts.
But I loved the altitude - it meant it was almost always snowy and beautiful, but with lots of trees, some great views of Mont Blanc, and no buildings or ski ironmongery. I never got much good at it, but enjoyed what I did, and as all the other participants in the lessons I did were always French, it was good for my language skills too. I always felt blended into the local atmosphere, walking through the resort in those comfy boots, carrying feather-light skis.
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.
@Dave of the Marmottes, @davidof, if DOM rented a car then the options are massive and not at all daunting using SC as a base.
I often entertain non skiers or we purely have a break from it all.
One of the ultimate days out away from the piste is going up to the Refuge Napoleon just below the Col 'Izoard.
You drive out of Briancon 25 mins to Le Laus which is another lovely sledding XC ski touring spot and then snowshoe up through the forest to the Refuge or skin up the road which is divided in two, one half pisted for classic and xc the other for pedestrians.
Have lunch in the Refuge and then use one of their toboggans to descend 8km down the road, as when you go up it's only 5km as you can cut a load of bends off.
Friends we've done it with absolutely love it.
And then there's La Clarée, Val-des-Prés et Névache : 15 mins drive from SC so many XC and shoe trails etc etc
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
Weathercam wrote:
@Dave of the Marmottes, @davidof, if DOM rented a car then the options are massive and not at all daunting using SC as a base.
The scenary is absolutely spectacular; it is not for nothing that the 4000 meter peaks of the Oisans are called les géants. Briançon, is, unfortunately, a bit of a dump. Maybe not the old town but the suburbs are nearly as bad as Albertville !
Snowshoeing to the refuge Napoleon is a bucket list item.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Thanks for suggestions. Don't know if they'll be up for a trip to a real ski resort as might as well go downhill skiing then and I think the mum would rather have stuff they can all do together as a bonus winter trip in addition to main ski hol.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
pam w wrote:
@nahdendee, I don't think it's easy by public transport except bus from Albertville Saturdays. You can bus from Gva to Megeve and taxi. Car hire easiest.
There are also buses from and to Lyon Airport on Saturdays.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Dave of the Marmottes wrote:
Thanks for suggestions. Don't know if they'll be up for a trip to a real ski resort as might as well go downhill skiing then and I think the mum would rather have stuff they can all do together as a bonus winter trip in addition to main ski hol.
Norway may be a bit dark, gloomy and cold at the start of Jan. Poland then, as you said?
I would suggest the Jura (France/Switzerland, not Scotland) but it is no longer snow sure. I was there yesterday and it was wonderful, and you can even do a bit of downhill.
I would probably go to somewhere like les Rousses with views of the lake and Alps though.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Have you thought of Finnish Lapland?
I've just had a week in Akaslompolo nr Ylass.
I've had a brilliant time. Fantastic cross country ski tracks walking tracks and fat biking trails. Lots of welcoming cosy cafes and warming huts. Yes it can get cold and it gets dark early, but there are 35km of flood lit cross country tracks, the chance of seeing the northern lights and so much more.
A magical winter experience
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Poster: A snowHead
