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Options for a hassle-free second week of Feb 2009

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
With the help of her best friend, my girlfriend has finally agreed to go skiing, yay! Her friend however has quite specific leave in the second week of Feb.

So basically there will be 2 guys and 2 girls in our party with the guys being accomplished skiers, my girlfriend a beginner and her friend a near-beginner. My girlfriend is fine with heights and speed though is not a huge fan of the cold...

Really enjoyed going to Alpe d'Huez this year in the first week of Feb- is a great resort for a mixed ability group, south facing is not too cold to put a beginner off and is a great all rounder. However next year the French half term starts for the Grenoble region in the second week of Feb and I wonder whether ADH will be hopelessly crowded then.....

Are the Austrian/Andorran/Swiss and Italian half terms at more convenient dates for us? Anybody any idea of what would be the best place for a mixed ability group at that period? We only have a week so not worth it to cross the Atlantic.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:

I wonder whether ADH will be hopelessly crowded then.....

Er, a bit, yes. However, it's a great resort for a group of that mix - lots of beginner skiing, plenty for the chaps, tons of accessible places for both sides to meet up for lunch on the mountain.

Don't book the girlies in with the ESF though - they will get a poor service on a busy week like that. Try http://www.masterclass.f9.co.uk/ - if they can't help they will be able to recommend someone who can.
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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?
Dr. Will, try this website for beginner resorts which will suit you and your mate also http://www.welove2ski.com/jsp/index.jsp

I would try and avoid France in the month of February. I went outside of our UK half term last year (as you will be going 7th-14th Feb and the UK half term is 14th-21st Feb next year) and it was still absolutely heaving, apparently it was like that all month. Others might tell you differently though as it was the Three Valleys I went to so it was probably busier there than other resorts.

I would suggest Austria. Perhaps Mayrhofen or Obergurgl? I've not been to either yet but they seem to get good reviews on here for different reasons.

Re your girlfriend not liking the cold-if she is a beginner then she will feel the cold more when they are standing still a lot. Make sure she has plenty of layers (thin not thick) including some good quality thermal tops and bottoms that are not cotton roll necks and the like. I wear Helly Hansen, they are brilliant and I can honestly say I've never felt cold once. Icebreaker are good too and are natural Merino wool but I have to admit I didn't find them as warm as my Hellys.


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 15-07-08 17:41; edited 1 time in total
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Dr. Will, oh Crans Montana in Switzerland is a sunny resort- again not been but I know an instructor there and he says it's great for groups like yours of mixed abilities.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Thanks for the suggestions. Anybody been to La Thuile? Maybe won't suffer as much since is Italian rather than French? Although it is linked to La Rosiere Wink
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Dr. Will wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions. Anybody been to La Thuile? Maybe won't suffer as much since is Italian rather than French? Although it is linked to La Rosiere Wink


Went to La Thuile 08 Feb half term, as a mixed ability group similar to yours (a couple of 'ski anything pisteds' along with a few 'how do I put my boots ons' and one in between. It was nice and quiet considering it was a peak week, and there definitely is something for all abilities (main area is wide cruisy flattering stuff, and there are decent noddy runs down in the valley, but there are a couple of very serious black runs too - didn't try any off-piste so can't comment). Sig. other and I are what might be affectionately termed 'piste bashers' and we got a bit tired of it and appreciated Courmayeur and Pila both being within easy reach by car for a change of scenery.

However it is well known as a very cold resort. It was glorious when we were there but by all accounts this may have been a meteorological anomaly.

Night life is near zero, if that matters to you.

We had a bad experience with the ski school messing us around - and also worth noting that they apparently run Monday-Saturday rather than Sunday-Friday so if you arrive, as is usual, on a Sat, your beginners might spend Sunday without the tuition they need. That's what happened to us, anyway.

It's a good resort. Would recommend it, but wouldn't go again, If that makes sense. La Ros is overrated, La Thuile is better overall, but the Fontaine Froid run on the French side is the best run in the area.

Your mileage may vary.

Approximate value of this post: £0.02.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Dr. Will, Would echo the doubts about La Thuile's weather. We loved the resort and the skiing and had a great time, but there are wide open pistes and when the weather closed in, it really closed in Shocked
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Thanks for the advice so far. Have found some fairly good deals for the Grandvalira, that is a pretty known quantity for me, got a good school and underrated runs- have skied a few decent blacks there in an area reportedly unsuitable for advanced skiers. Is Andorra affected by the French half term? The Grandvalira does seem to have a good lift capacity.
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Quote:

like that all month.

the four French school holiday weeks are actually the last three in Feb and the first one in March. First week in Feb is a great time to go to France, but I agree that in the second week it might be better to go elsewhere. But watch out for Fasching in Austria - don't know when that is, but apparently it's busy.
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You need somewhere with a good school, that can cope with a busy time. La thuile school always seems very disorganised. We went to soldeu for 2 half terms 3/4 years ago. It was not that busy during the week, the weekend was very busy. You need to check that it does not clash with the spanish half term. Ski school for your g/f's is excellent with english speaking instructors and it is not usually that cold. However they have had bad snow for the last 2 years during feb.
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Dr. Will, Pas was busy with french skiers, but they did not seem to get over to the soldeu side. El tarter area was even quieter, (i know they are next to each other, it was quite odd) until the weekend. all the spanish weekenders park in el tarter, or seemed to! According to a mate who did a season there it is the catalan holidays when it gets really busy.
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Thanks for all the advice. It seems that for some reasons most TOs and available flights are transferring to Austria in Saturday and Italy/Andorra on Sunday- Sunday is more convenient for us (and Sat DIY flights to Austria are expensive) so am focussing more on Italy and Andorra.

Has anyone had any experience of the Monterosa ski area? It seems quite interesting- only an hour and a half or so from Turin and there seems to be a British ski school in Champoluc. Maybe not as suited to beginners... but the ski school at the resort itself seems good value- and more of a charming and quieter area than Andorra.
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