 Poster: A snowHead
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Have been skiing on dry slopes for a few months on and off and I arrived back home from a beginners course in Pamprovo a couple of hours ago. Am now trawling around the net to look for a place to book for our next ski hol. Will prob go back to Bulgaria in Feb but would like to book somewhere for 5th Dec - 19th Dec and I've heard that finding snow in Europe at this time can be quite problematic!
I've heard that Val Thorens, Tignes and Saas Fee are good for xmas snow as they are high up, but i'm worried that these will be too advanced for me as I am only now comfortable with taking green slopes at speed. I'd need to book an intermediate ski school, hire equiptment in a place that will guarantee snow. Any tips?!?!???! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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CatParker, welcome to snowHeads!
I see you've got the bug, no need to wait until December though - skiing available in Europe until the end of April! I've skied in Saas Fee and Obergurgl over New Year and on both occasions had good snow, but it can be a bit hit and miss at that time of year. I've also skied in Val Thorens at Easter a number of times, all three locations will have some terrain you're happy with. Saas Fee is an attractive (and historic resort), Obergurgl is not too bad (lots of posh shops), Val Thorens is less ugly than Les Menuires (!) - I think it might be a bit bleak at that time of year.
If you're not aiming for the Christmas or New Year's weeks you can probably hold off booking until it's clear where the snow is going.
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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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Hi CatParker - agree with Hoppo, if you are planning on going those 2 weeks and are a reasonably small group I would wait until the week before and then book where there is snow - in those weeks you will probably get a good last minute deal and there is usually plenty of availability pre school hols - does require you to hold your nerve though!
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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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You should be ok skiing in december, I have skied over the last 3 christmasses and while the conditions may not have been epic freeriding ones they were just great for blasting around pistes in. Tignes isn't as hard as it is made out to be, lots of really wide blues which are perfect for progressing on and with an extensive glacier you can't really go wrong.
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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 would say don't worry about what resort just find the snow. Run colours are irrelevant, they are all white! As my first instructor told me. The most important is get yourself lessons and go for it, no fear, it makes it all easy! And of course, ENJOY! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ok. Sounds good to me guys. I'm going with friends and I know they'll want to book a few months before we go and won't be able to wait it out so I think we'll book one of the higher resorts like Val Thorens or Saas Fee. Now I just need to motivate myself to go back to the dry slope - it's going to seem rubbish compared to my first time on real mountains!
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Remember, it's harder to ski on a dry slope so if you can get it dialled on the dry slope imagine how good your next trip will be! There's your motivation.
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Ski Amade in Austria is open from November.
Normally by December most large resorts are open with plenty of snow and not enough punters to fill it up!
Don't disregard 'early' skiing in Austria - it is out here.
For the last 3 seasons (even in the dodgy 06/07) it was almost fully open in December!
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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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Go anywhere, it'll be a shed load better than Bulgaria.
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Mollerski, Is that really True?
CatParker (welcome BTW) seems to have had a positive experience there?
Without wishing to derail the thread (what? me?  ) I've read loads of comments slating bulgaria, and yet lots of folk seem to have fun skiing there. Perhaps someone who has actually been there a few times could say if the place is as bad as it's made out to be?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Axsman wrote: |
Mollerski, Is that really True?
CatParker (welcome BTW) seems to have had a positive experience there?
Without wishing to derail the thread (what? me? ) I've read loads of comments slating bulgaria, and yet lots of folk seem to have fun skiing there. Perhaps someone who has actually been there a few times could say if the place is as bad as it's made out to be? |
I've 'actually' spent 11 weeks in Bansko in total. Is that enough? Those are weeks skiing. My in-laws bought an apartment there, we gave it a fair crack, personally, I consider Bansko a miserable place. The people, on the whole, are sullen and rude with an eye to ripping foreigners off. Some Bulgarians are lovely, most are not.
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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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Welcome to s CatParker.
Personally, I'd recommend Avoriaz. Lots of beginner friendly terrain and good altitude (1800m).
The advice of booking somewhere last minute is good though.
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You know it makes sense.
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And ABC.
Anywhere But Chamonix.
(Yes, you can learn in Chamonix, but there are far better places to learn. It's a superb place once you can ski!)
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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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| Axsman wrote: |
| .......... it seems to attract large numbers of Brits so what are they getting right? |
So do the Costas. It depends on one's expectation of a holiday.
It's cheaper as it needs to be, why else would anyone go? Only 70km of skiing with 2hr Gondola queues on busy weeks. The food is largely disgusting, the general feel of the place is slightly scary. It has a definite Brit's abroad, Union Jack T shirt vibe about it. Not for me I'm afraid. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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went to borovets in bg last year for second ski holiday and never ever again. Spent more money that week than i did in Val thorens this year so my second ski holiday is to the alps from now on. Thing is its not actucally that cheap. When you get there, ski and ski pass included it comes around or at times even more expensive than the alps. Then when you are there it is slightly cheaper around the resort but the quality of service etc is so poor that it is terrible value for money. Theres a website bulgariaski.com run by british people and i went on their forum to get info before my trip. I was reassured although being an alps veteran that id have great fun, skiing would be great etc etc. When i had such a terrible time and posted on the same website describing my experience my posts got deleted and i wasn't able to post anymore. The brits who run the website delete anything negative written about bulgaria. I suspect alot of them have vested interetest with property over there and cant stand negative things being written or they just don't like people talking down bulgaria. Okay, rant over, sorry about that.
To the original poster, you will get to the Alps next year for same price as bulgaria and have great time, happy skiing
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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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and i thought the website i had been on was the only one but there are more. Its unbelieveable stuff really, i cant believe the dishonesty and plain immaturity of the poeple on these sites. It is laughable though, them trying to sell bulgaria as being in anyway comparable to the Alps. What annoys me though is that they lied to me prior to my trip and then when i got back and simply gave a review, albeit it was negative, all my posts were deleted and i wasn't allowed to post anymore. Wish i had known about snowheads then, prob would have saved me all the hassle
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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forget the rest - Tignes is it
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Perhaps it is that folk visit Bulgaria for their first skiing hol, have a great time with nowhere else to compare it to and they come home happy. This is fine and normal, fond memories of a good holiday. And after that Snowheads comes into its own
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Yes. In a word!
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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 did Pomporovo around st paddys last year. shocking conditions. it snowed once and the slopes were just covered in ice. it was my first trip away to the slopes and found it very difficult to board. town was ok thugh and i had a great time as there was a squad of 11 of us.
just back from zell am see a few weeks ago and when i got there i was like a child. couldnt believe the difference with some snow and had an absolute ball.
shal not return to bulgaria.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| WayneC wrote: |
bodhi,
You get what you pay for and just now Boro and Bansko are only £300 Hb including full lift pass. The lift pass for 3V is €225 alone. Also as beginners don't need miles and miles of pistes so 30km in Boro and 65 km in Bansko are okay to start off.. But it's not as cheap as it used to be now Bg is in europe...
And the GS from Bansko last week looked just as difficult as all the others on the WC circuit...
We had some great ski hols in Bulgaria, with fantastic powder, blue sky days, and cheap beer!!! We also had some rubbish food, laughable bathrooms, nightmare transfers and wallets stolen from the room... but it depends on how you look at things... the skiing was excellent, the company fun, and the experience to be treasured...
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Yeah, but you can have all of that less the wallet nicking, bad food etc. in a central european resort. OK, a smaller, lesser known resort perhaps. I still don't see Bansko as being worth the risk or effort.
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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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Try Jasna in Slovakia. None of these problems and much better skiing.
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| WayneC wrote: |
| But it's not as cheap as it used to be now Bg is in europe... [/url] |
Wot? They moved it??
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You know it makes sense.
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Ciaran123,
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i did Pomporovo around st paddys last year. shocking conditions. it snowed once and the slopes were just covered in ice. it was my first trip away to the slopes and found it very difficult to board. town was ok thugh and i had a great time as there was a squad of 11 of us.
just back from zell am see a few weeks ago and when i got there i was like a child. couldnt believe the difference with some snow and had an absolute ball.
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I've never been to Bulgaria but to be fair icy conditions are not unheard of in the mainstream alpine resorts at times. It is not unusual to go for a weeks skiing and it not to snow at all. This year has been spectacularly good though.
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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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| horizon wrote: |
| WayneC wrote: |
| But it's not as cheap as it used to be now Bg is in europe... [/url] |
Wot? They moved it?? |
Somewhere East of Mongolia would be a good spot. Still reasonably handy for the Russian heavies. 
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FAQ
The 'pro' gang are afraid for the value of their properties, most only started skiing having bought out there so have no concept of a good resort. They slag the French Alps to pieces. 
They must have, cus it wasn't when I went but it is now... Perhaps it's to do with continental drift... or the shrinking planet... or the new airbus... 