 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm not going this year (I'll be skiing in Argentina!) but I've been on the Saas-Fee course with Warren a couple of times.
Mini reviews here in case they're useful to you.
Saas-Fee 2003
Saas-Fee 2004
Verbier 2004
As you might gather, I like Warren's teaching style, and found the courses very useful. I'm sure you'll have a great time!
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Michelle, so how much was the EoSB Michelle Tours transfer out of interest? Are you thinking of going into business out there?!
Anyway, I'll be driving to Saas Fee (from Antibes, where I'll just have spent a week on the beach - not sure that's the most sensible way round to do it though!)
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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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Len Holgate, Thanks Len - already seen your excellent reviews (from links over on SCGB I think) - a very encouraging read.
BTW, what sort of temperatures can I expect up top? Even on a bad weather day is it still pretty warm? Just wondering if I'll need to take my padded jacket, or if a shell jacket or fleece will suffice.
And I presume (hope) that afternoons in resort are pretty hot - is there an outdoor pool in town?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Dave, I seem to remember that it was generally shell jacket only, done up first thing as it could be a bit cool, and open or tied around the waist when we were jumping around on one leg. It can be windy but since you can take a bag and dump it at the bottom of the main drag you can take a fleece in case and wont have to carry it around.
Afternoons down in the town were lovely and warm and we always felt like complete freaks coming down and wandering back to the hotel in our ski gear when everyone else was in shorts and tee shirts. There's an indoor pool but I can't remember if there's an outdoor one.
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Thanks Len, that's really useful info. What sort of activities are available in the town for the afternoons? Or as we'll have the car, is there anything of interest to see or do nearby?
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There's a rope slide thing which some of the guys did and said was fun. Also there's a mechanical luge. Plenty of very nice walking. Mountain biking. etc. We didn't have a car so never ventured away from the town.
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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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There's an expensive car park!!!!
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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
| There's an expensive car park!!!! |
Any idea exactly how expensive? I know it's a car free town, and you have to park in a multi-storey at the entrance, but can find no info on-line about advance booking or prices.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hmm...I parked there for about 7 hrs and it cost 14.50 CHF (about £6.50). It may be cheaper in the summer??
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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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Dave Burt, yeah, I agree with what Len has said (we were on one of the courses together). I remember it being pretty chilly first thing but getting warm by lunchtime. Back down in the village was shorts & t-shirt weather.
In the afternoons and on days where the lifts were shut (high winds  ) we mostly went walking (following a very, very leisurely lunch in the sun). There are a couple of lifts open (not for skiing) if you don't fancy walking up. It's also possible to walk up to have a look at the bottom of the glacier.
I can't remember seeing an outdoor pool but some of the others used the indoor one. The luge was fun but not too scary, and the "rope slide thing" that Len mentions was part of an obstacle course 30ft up in the trees. Excellent fun and it finishes with 2 trips across the slide over the gorge. Pretty scary stuff. For me at least!
I thought Saas Fee itself was lovely and the whole trip really sold Switzerland to me as a holiday destination. A great place with incredibly friendly people.
Have fun!
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Dave Burt, if you go to the Saas-Fee website www.saas-fee.ch and click on Access it tells you at the bottom the cost for the first day in the summer is CHF 11.50, while the cost for subsequent days with a visitor's card is CHF 8.
What the website doesn't tell you is that the way in which you can pay depends on how much you use the car. If you go out every day you have to pay in cash, so you need to generate CHF 11 each day to feed the machine. As the stay gets longer you can pay with notes and credit card, but I don't know at what stage the methods of payment change. Also, I'm not sure whether you can have the visitor card reduction if you go out regularly in the car. You would probably need to talk to the Information Centre.
As for things to do, we've done the Alpine Gorge in winter - it's a good afternoon's entertainment. Can't tell you much about other activities in the summer. Try the website, it promotes things like the sports centre, alpine golf and loads of walking.
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You know it makes sense.
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Len Holgate, Just read your excellent reviews - thanks a lot for them. I'm going out to do the course along with Dave, and your reviews have made me feel the need to start my Ski Fit video again NOW!!! Sounds a bit like a Ski Boot Camp! I hope Warren approves of my Rossi Soft 3 boots and doesn't want to hack into them...
alan empty, If I've got the energy, definitely fancy the obstacle course in the trees ~ I did a similar one in Morzine a few summer's ago, and it was great, but the top level is scarey! The slide over the gorge sounds an excellent finish.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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SkiBod, working on your fitness will help, especially if you do the one legged jumping around stuff. General flexibility work would also be useful as we found that lots of us had tight muscles that made some of us a little unbalanced in some of the exercises (right leg wont turn in the hip socket as much as left leg, 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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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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| Len Holgate wrote: |
| SkiBod, working on your fitness will help, especially if you do the one legged jumping around stuff. General flexibility work would also be useful as we found that lots of us had tight muscles that made some of us a little unbalanced in some of the exercises (right leg wont turn in the hip socket as much as left leg, etc). |
Yes, I've definitely got one side which is tighter than the other due to a ski injury. Must carry on doing my physio exercises.
I was inspired to do my Ski Fit video last night following reading this thread, and it made me realise how quickly those muscles get stiff with under-use. If I can keep doing it twice a week from now until September I will be the best prepared I've ever been for a week's skiing ~ but it sounds like I will really need to be!!
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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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SkiBod, Who's your Ski Fit video by? I keep meaning to get one. I presume it's good otherwise it wouldn't get used.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| SkiBod wrote: |
| do you get to do the slide more than once? could I do a warm up the right way up and then do it upside down second time? |
Yep, you go across, then climb a few steps and come back over to the bridge which spans the gorge. I'd definitely give it another go if I ever make it back to Saas Fee. Maybe even with my eyes open 
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Hello all, I am also considering going on a Warren Smith Academy in Saas Fee but probably in the 16th Sept unfortunately. Thanks to all those who have written reviews of the course. It sounds like the coaching cannot be faulted!
There are however a couple of things holding my back from handing over my credit card which I would be hugely grateful if some of those that have been could offer some advice/reassurance on.
1) I am travelling alone and I am worried about whether I may be bored in the afternoons (essentially billy-no-mates). I suppose I am basically asking if there are other single travellers and if they are usually sociable and do things together in the afternoons.
2) Just how extensive is the snow cover? I notice that some say it doesn't matter because you just do drills but does that mean there is a couple of small slopes that you go up and down all day or are they large enough to be able to do some actual skiing on before running out of snow? I noticed that the middle day is a free ski day so I assume there is enough snow around to have a days (or mornings) skiing on right?
3) Who is the cheapest airline to try to book to Geneva?
Any comments or tips would be much appreciated.
RowFlow
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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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RowFlow, I'm booked on to the previous week's course.
1. I wouldn't worry about being a 'solo traveller' (as long as there's sunshine, beer, and like minded people I'd be as happy as a pig in the proverbial).
2. Don't think it's a huge area, but then I'm not going on this trip for mileage bashing. I will actually be quite pleased if the snow cover is limited, otherwise I'd be too tempted to just blast around rather than focus on technique and practise the drills!
3. I found BA from Heathrow to be the cheapest - I paid about 80 quid, and booked my flights only a week or two ago (no longer driving).
Book it and have fun!
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FAQ
. I tried to point out that you step into the harness and pull it up, so upside down with no hands was probably not the cleverest option, but no-one was convinced. I feel a bit ill just thinking about it 
