 Poster: A snowHead
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A list compiled of all the resorts I want to ski in my lifetime. It will most probably change over time as my ability changes.
Serre Chevalier
Zermatt/Cervinia
Val d'Isere
Courchevel
Alpe d'Huez
Val Gardena/Selva
Arraba
La Rosiere/La Thuile
Mayrhofen/Hintertux
Maddona di Campligio
Super Barages/La Mongie
Grindewald/Wengen
Chamonix
Whistler
Copper Mountain
Aspen Snowmass
La Plagne/Les Arcs
St.Moritz
Ischgl
St. Anton
Courmayeur (weekend)
Valloire/Velmienier (weekend)
Cauterets (weekend)
Isola 2000 (weekend)
Pila (weekend)
Risoul/Vars (weekend)
Passo di Tonale (weekend)
Bormio (weekend)
Bardoneccia (weekend)
Pas de le Casa/Soldeu (weekend)
Saas Fe (weekend)
Kitzbuhel (weekend)
Solden (weekend)
Obergurgl/Hochgurgle (weekend)
Schladming (weekend)
Any you would add? and you would definatly not go to? Are there resorts that you think are only worth a weekend or a whole week?
apologies for spelling mistakes.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Possibly remove Copper and replace with Vail/Winter Park/Beaver Creak, and definitely add in Alta/Snowbird.
I haven't skiied in Italy yet, so I need to make a point of going there some 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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Christopher, what criteria drive your choices?
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The list is compiled from word of mouth of a lot of resorts. There are certain resorts which have specific pistes I want to attempt like the Hannenkahm in Ktzbuhel, Tunnel in Alpe d'Huez, face in Val d'Isere.
I genreally look for resorts that are/have:
scenic/charming resorts
enough acomodation near pistes and near lifts.
good snow recorde
Lots of intermediate terrain
I think you apply that criteria to those resorts. I'm sure there is a huge amount of areas especially in Switzerland that I have completely overlooked. I havent included Verbier, because I dont know much about it.
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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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Christopher, Some of yuor "weekend" choices have rather long transfers, which would take them out of contention for short ski breaks IMO.
e.g. Soldeu/Pas de La Casa (about 4 hours drive from either Toulouse or Barcelona, 5 hours by coach).
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alex_heney, good point hadn't taken that into consideration.
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alex_heney, bloody hell! Took three hours on the coach from Barca last week. Still, like you say, definitely not a weekend destination.
I'd love to ski Revelstoke once my off-piste is up to it. I've also got to make a point of returning to Serre Chevalier, where I spent my first week falling around on the snow, next time I'll actually ski it... Tignes in the summer, perhaps combined with another summer glacier.
I'd probably enjoy a couple of weeks of skiing lots of little hills in NE USA - it'd be a different experience, and I could combine it with a trip to Boston and/or New York.
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You are missing Jackson Hole  Great list though
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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'd add Lake Louise to your list and probably get rid of La Plagne as it certainly doesn't fit your "scenic/charming resort" criterium
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That's a very long list. Do you think that there is a danger that you won't get to know any of them really well and so miss out of the best skiing that they offer?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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rob@rar, that is a risk that you take. But I'm sure in the decades that it takes me, friendly and helpful  will help me to find and see the best bits of the resorts.
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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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| Christopher wrote: |
Solden (weekend)
Obergurgl/Hochgurgle (weekend)
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Very close to each other with a free bus which runs between them. Plenty of terrain to keep most people happy for a week in just one of them, never mind both together.
Based on your criteria:
scenic/charming resorts - Obergurgl, definitely. Solden, not really.
enough acomodation near pistes and near lifts - Obergurgl, yes. Solden is a bit more spread out.
good snow record - Yes for both. Two of the most snow sure places in the entire Alps, never mind Austria.
Lots of intermediate terrain - Definitely for both.
Solden isn't the prettiest place in Austria and it's a bit spread out along the main road, but the nightlife is excellent. But since that doesn't seem like a priority, then looks like you should base yourself in Obergurgl/Hochgurgl.
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You know it makes sense.
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Christopher, All I can see thats missing is a long weekend trip upto Scotland to experiance skiing up here.
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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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Christopher, You might want to put Verbier and St. Anton on that list. Verbier has great skiing, great nightlife too and I can wait to go back. Never been to St. anton but I've heard so much about it that its a definite must do.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Bones, Revelstoke was good, but not that good------yet!! Kicking Horse has good terrain but the gondola is bloody annoying-only way to get to top!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Rossfra8 wrote: |
| Bones, Revelstoke was good, but not that good------yet!! |
Hammer, meet nail, this is it's head. Spot on, that's the key isn't it, the 'yet' bit. Brand new resort, based around a fairly established back-country structure. Expect it to expand considerably to offer world leading, easily accessible terrain with a 'backcountry' feel. I can't wait to experience it, but it'll be a while until we see it approaching anywhere near its full potential.
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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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skisimon, have you skiied it?
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Rossfra8, not yet. Although it was the talk of the town in Whistler at the start of December, just as they were opening it up. I plan on making a short trip up there next season 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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I suspect I would add in (to the North American Section)
Vail (instead of Copper as WTFH says)
JH
Telluride (top of my US to do list)
Alta (second)
Kicking Horse, Fernie and Revelstoke in a good snow year.
I suspect I would say Murren/Wengen rather than Grindelwald/Wengen and I cannot see Verbier on the list.
Some of the weekend places look a bit iffy to me. Some of them are also further from airports than the first list.
rob@rar, Interesting point. I think it is good to get to know a few resorts quite well, but also very good to try lots of other places as well/
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| stoatsbrother wrote: |
| rob@rar, Interesting point. I think it is good to get to know a few resorts quite well, but also very good to try lots of other places as well/ |
I've never understood the "I don't ski the same resort twice" crowd as they are missing so much if all they do is the piste network and the obvious bits of off-piste terrain. I'm only now getting to know Les Arcs and there's still huge tracts of terrain that I've never even seen never mind skied, and that's having skied here a lot in the last five years. Yes I agree that it's nice to get to know new places as well; I couldn't disagree with that as I've enjoyed skiing in five other resorts this season in addition to my 'home' resort. But I think with a list as long as Christopher's more likely than not you're only going to scratch the surface of all those places (unless you can afford a lot of time with guides who can provide that local knowledge for you).
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Wouldn't mind Whistler from the good reports on here and from friends. Chamonix looks like a challenge and powder in japan is my big wish for early next year.
Other than that, as long as there's snow, some nice reds and good grub I'm quite happy...
rob@rar, agree. I've been to la Plagne twice and would go back there at the drop of a hat - loved it. Plus, I've heard that Les Arcs is pretty sweet too. If it was the only place I coudl ever go I wouldn't complain...
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rob@rar, agreed. I used to be one of the "I don't ski the same resort twice" crowd. That is until I skied Whistler for a second time. I think you really get more out of a resort the second time around, seeking out nooks and crannies that are quiet, or areas where the snow's good, or the powder piles up. It helps, of course, that I had been directed to some of these places the first time round by others. I also knew roughly when they were going to open up 7th Heaven after two days of it being closed due to storms (i.e. snow). I was one of the first ones up and got great, untracked and virtually empty powder fields. The second loop of the lift was completely different.
Serre Chevalier is a must for me. I spent my first week there, and as such never really skied it properly anyway.
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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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| skisimon wrote: |
| rob@rar, agreed. I used to be one of the "I don't ski the same resort twice" crowd. That is until I skied Whistler for a second time. I think you really get more out of a resort the second time around, seeking out nooks and crannies that are quiet, or areas where the snow's good, or the powder piles up. |
exactly. Some detailed knowledge of an area increases enjoyment immensely. For me, Whistler is a good example. I've had maybe 50 days there over the last 6 years, and know enough about certain areas to find the good lines, understand where the snow piles up and where the sun trashes early, and where and when the crowds go, etc. Little things that make a big difference.
Having said that, my knowledge is minuscule compared to a local. But I still get a lot more out of the area than a first timer, and still enjoy discovering new 'stuff' every time I go. For some of the smaller areas around here in the USA where I live, i know most of the terrain well after maybe 10 visits. But that doesn't make it dull, as it changes on every visit with conditions. And after a recent week in Ischgl, I think I'd need a season or 4 there to know it well
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| But I think with a list as long as Christopher's more likely than not you're only going to scratch the surface of all those places (unless you can afford a lot of time with guides who can provide that local knowledge for you). |
Why? He's a young lad. If he can get 3 weeks skiing a year plus the odd weekend, he'll have knocked off the list by the time he's 30. Then there's another potential 60 years to get to know the resorts
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Bones wrote: |
Wouldnt bother with Lake Louise, but would add Kicking Horse and Revelstoke.  |
Yeah, those 2 well known intermediate paradises!
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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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rob@rar, Agree entirely, local knowledge of a ski area is invaluable, particularly for off piste. But also nice to try new places too. I can't understand when people say they've skied a place out in less than a week. I think what they mean is that they've had a few runs down each marked piste, which is usually just scratching the surface of what's available.
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It seems there is always a debate by skiers preferring to ski the same resort repeatedly while or others want to go to a different one each time. It is entirely a personal choice. There are just different enjoyments.
I could one of the greediest SH wanting to try as many resorts as possible but that is because I take the car with me in my skiing holiday. I usually avoid the in-resort accommodations to cut down the cost and spend the first 10 to 20 minutes drive to a resort. Just by choosing a location I could end up skiing a different resort each day. To me driving in the direction opposite to what I did yesterday is the same skiing but in a new environment. The skipass costs (or about) the same. The accommodation is the same so why not? I could be a nutter but curiosity does get the better of me.
Why some upmarket resorts are favoured by celebrities?
Why some resorts are good enough to have a skiing honeymoon there, or to propose a marriage?
What is it like to ski to another country, lunch there and come back in the same day?
What is the biggest resort one can go round it in a day?
Which resort has the biggest vertical drop, longest black or the steepest groomed piste?
Where is the biggest linked resort?
What is the most challenging resort famous for?
Where is the most beginner friendly resort one can recommend to a first timer?
What is the experience to ski in the summer in Southern hemisphere?
How do the American and Canadian resorts compare with those in the Alps?
Where is the biggest skiing resort inside (or outside) the Alps?
Are there really nice skiing places in the Middle East?
How the resorts in the Far East compare with those in the Alps?
What are the difference between the Spanish, French, Italian, German, Austrian, Swiss…..resorts?
What is it like to ski in Scandinavia or ex-Eastern European countries?
How do skiing in different glaciers compare?
Where is the highest altitude one can ski from?
The lest can go on and on
I don’t have a wish list now because it seems whwenever I visit the resorts I planned I end up passing through other resorts that I have not heard off but look nice for a visit.
I suppose if I have stuck with Chamonix and gone back there every year and never ventured outside I could still enjoy skiing. It is just a different form of enjoyment. I was doing exactly that but in one year the spring rain came early and washed away the snow. I was forced to go outside to find a place with snow to ski. Thereafter I never look back.
The Bergfex (an Austrian web site) lists 322 resorts in Austria, 102 in Switzerland, 82 in Germany and 85 in Italy. These together with those in France, say with 300 resorts, must amount to about 900 to 1000 resorts in the Alps alone. Even if one-third of these resorts are worthy of a visit it is still some 300 resorts to cover. To compile a wish list can be depressing unless you have a very deep pocket and don’t have to work for a living.
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You know it makes sense.
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| saikee wrote: |
| ex-Eastern European countries? |
I didn't think they'd moved...
As far as the honeymoon/proposal question goes. I suppose it has more to do with the scenery and the hotels available than the skiing itself. Hence somwhere like Lake Louise is a hot-spot - awesome scenery, including a simply majestic lake, and a supreme hotel in a great location. Great resort though it is, Meribel on the other hand wouldn't cut it for me, it's just mountains in a decent resort with no 'stand out' hotels.
NA v Europe... that debate always goes on forever and no-one can ever agree.
Longest black is, I believe, in Les Arcs.
Biggest linked area. Portes du Soleil - although people argue about the extent of its 'linkedness'... 3V, huge, definitely linked, but not quite as 'huge' as the PdS... Ski Amade also is huge, but is it 'linked'... Another difficult one to get a concensus on.
There's a couple to get you started.
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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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I'll happily ski the same run all day, providing it's reasonably long, has a nice pitch and (most importantly) half a metre of fresh light powder on it
Oh and nobody else to mess it up!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I think Dolomites claims 1200km piste being the largest in the world but that is for a region. Its largest linked area should be the Sella Ronda with 510km where one can ski freely anywhere between Ortisei, Santa Christina, Selva, Alta Badia, Arraba and Canazei.
Porte du Soleil claims 650km piste but that is also for the region because some resorts can only be accessed by bus. I don't think taking off the snowboard or skis, walk off a resort to a bus stop, wait for the bus, leap into a bus, sit there for 10 or 20 minutes to get to another bus stop, walk off the bus and then another short to get into a resort is really the normal definition of a linked skiing resort of 3 Vallees by 200 chairlifts. In Porte Du Soleil one even has to wait for a bus to get from Morzine to Avoriaz even both are on the French side. Some areas in Porte Du Soleil, say Saint-Jean d'Aulps, may need local knowledge to catch the right bus to get to.
My vote for the biggest linked resort goes to 3 Vallees as one can go from the lowest point in Courcheval to Orelle at the far end of Val Thoren without getting into a bus.
I don't know Les Arcs has a black run longer than the L'Alps D'Heuz's ‘Sarenne’ – the longest black ski run in Europe(16kms). Its Augilles d Rouge to Villaroger claims over 2 km vertical drop but only ranks 12th according to this site
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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To me, it's no longer important to "sample" all the major resorts. I found it more fun to ski with people who knows the area, aka, "local knowledge", whereever that happen to be. So if it means repeating the same resort but finding new "stash" or corners, I found it as enjoyable as trying out new ones.
So much of skiing experience depends on snow conditions. Repeating or exploring can sometimes be the same thing.
There's no way I can ski ALL of the resorts I wanted to ski at the optimal snow condition, baring not working and chasing snow all over the world full time. So, the wish list grows faster than I can "harvest" it.
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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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Personally, I'd throw in some heli/cat skiing destinations: one of those "when I win the lottery" things.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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saikee,
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Porte Du Soleil one even has to wait for a bus to get from Morzine to Avoriaz
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You can ski from one to teh other. A bus is not necessarily required 
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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 have skiied very little in europe, but the resort you have to try is Heavenly when there is enough snow to ski the gondola run. It is a bit of a walk at the beginning. and a bit more through really the really ugly town at the end, but between them you get pretty much of the whole side of a mountain all to yourself, and the trees are generally pretty nicely spaced. As close to lift served heli skiing as I am aware of.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Ordhan wrote: |
| You are missing Jackson Hole Great list though |
Amen. How can that be missing on anyone's list, especially with the terrain and the bragging rights if you ski Corbett's! La Grave is also not there. One of the holy grails of off-piste skiing.
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Probably missing due to his criteria for resorts "lots of intermediate terrain". JH is not for everyone.
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But if he's got certain resorts for the classic (and hard!) pistes such as the Hannenkahm, the Tunnel and Le Face, then Corbet's should be on the list, hence JH! 
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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 don't have a wealth of knowledge on North American resorts. That is why not many have been included. Im not too fussed about skiing in the States and Canada often because it is cheaper and the exhausting travelling.
I hope that it will be a realistic goal to ski all these in my lifetime if global warming and funds don't become an issue.
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FAQ
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