 Poster: A snowHead
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Pros:
-Lots of lift accessible intermediate freeride/backcountry
-Nice glades and tree runs
-Cheap beer and food
-Hotels tend to have comprehensive inclusive spas
-Slovaks are generally very friendly
Cons:
-Lift infrastructure is not great
-Weather is very unpredictable, often high winds and low vis
-Pass is expensive for a small resort
-Lots of poor skiing etiquette
I'm in two minds about this resort. The fact that you can hop off the top Chopok station and get some really nice backcountry terrain is amazing. The 'freeride' and 'powder' zones are very accessible and offer everything from reasonably steep couloirs to wide open snowfields, glades and tight tree runs. The best part is that the locals don't seem to show much interest in it so it doesn't get tracked out too often, coupled with there being no surprise cliffs or crevasses to watch out for. Fly to Poprad on the early morning plane and you can be on the hill by 11am. Food and drink is cheap (3-4 Euro for a pint, 8-15 Euro for a large lunch plate) and hotels are both reasonably priced and well equipped. We stayed at Hotel Mikulasska Chata which had friendly staff, an onsite spa that was free for us and a bowling alley. There's a decent apres scene, but don't be expecting Folie or Rond-Point levels of antics (this is either a good or bad thing...).
The resort itself... the lifts often break down or cannot run due to weather and it's very, very easy to find yourself trapped lapping a single chair and two short runs of slush and bumps. The groomed stuff is very much beginner friendly, I'd say none of the black runs deserve that label. The pass is very expensive for what you get IMO, at 69 Euro a day or 371 Euro for a six day pass you're paying more than the big Alps resorts for a lot less. The average level of skier is low and frankly quite dangerous. Many times I'd nearly be taken out by out of control skiers flying over bumps backseat in their skis. Expect groomers to be incredibly crowded with big queues on the Polish and Slovak holidays as well as at weekends.
If there's good snow pack your big skis and get into the freeride areas, but give this one a pass if you're looking to stay on piste.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Interesting. Makes a change from France. Do you have any photos you can post (or images as they are known these days).
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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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Poland is similar (with cheaper ski passes) but because winter break is spread over January and Feb it's difficult to find a quiet period before after Xmas. 69e for a resort like this is ridiculous when the weather is unpredictable and if luckily there is snow you end up spending more time queuing than skiing.
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It sounds like it's quite weather dependent, like a lot of places. I'm surprised the lift pass is so expensive; wonder if that's a new development. It's about 100 euros more than I would have expected; although you could save that in 2 days of lunches and certainly on accommodations.
The freeride/powder zone alone, if there is relatively fresh snow, could be worth the faff...
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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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I was considering Slovakia and Poland for last half term break and the accommodation wasn't significantly cheaper than what I could find in Italy but could already see the weather was crap, and in places like Italy/Austria/France there is always an option to go somewhere else or higher up. However, those places (poland and slovakia) are great for families and beginners with a cheap access to instructors and longer running lifts (lots of lifts in Poland runs by 6-8pm) which is nice not to rush kids in the morning or take a longer break for lunch.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Nice write up thanks. I did Zakopane/Bialka Tatrazanska a few years back and that was good fun and very cheap. Not so much freeride though, but for a long weekend snowsports fix for not much money its worth a trip.
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I visited Jasna a few years ago on a Ski Club of Great Britain off-piste holiday and had a pretty similar experience (although I don't remember the lift pass being expensive at all). The off-piste was great, as you say easily accessible and largely ignored by the locals. But this was during half-term for southern Poland and I think Slovakia as well, and the slopes were full of dangerously out of control young lads, the worst skiers I've seen in any resort (in terms of lack of skills combined with lack of caution). We spent as little time on piste as we possibly could and were always relieved to get to the safety of a couloir  . (Actually, I don't think we skied couloirs as such, more snow fields and wooded areas).
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| Pasigal wrote: |
It sounds like it's quite weather dependent, like a lot of places. I'm surprised the lift pass is so expensive; wonder if that's a new development. It's about 100 euros more than I would have expected; although you could save that in 2 days of lunches and certainly on accommodations.
The freeride/powder zone alone, if there is relatively fresh snow, could be worth the faff... |
We first went a couple of years ago as the pandemic was winding down but measures were still in place, pass was about half the price. They've since put in a new gondola (that broke down while we were there) and are building lots of high density accommodation, also hosted the FIS world cup. They do have a system where the earlier you book passes the cheaper they are, which seems counter-intuitive to me but I guess it locks bookings in early.
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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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| jack.am wrote: |
| They do have a system where the earlier you book passes the cheaper they are, which seems counter-intuitive to me but I guess it locks bookings in early. |
Why is that counter intuitive? Seems entirely logical to me.
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Thanks for that report - I hiked in the Tatras before but never skied there, and wanted to know more.
However I did ski in different CZ Republic resorts - there the geography is totally different, i.e. snowy hills rather than mountains, and a lot of tree runs.
But I'd say the comments both on skiing level and people's friendliness apply there. Obviously it's not Italy or France, so food wise... Oh well, there's beer.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@patrick!, yes, food on the mountain wasn't that special. But we stayed at a hotel called Tri Studnicky down the valley and the food there was superb. Seems to have got VERY expensive since we were there, though (although we got our stay as part of the SCGB package).
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