It's our annual lads trip & we're looking for the following:
Large ski area
Fairly lively night life
Easy access to slopes
Mid March for one week
Mix of lower to higher intermediates (off piste not important though may be dabbled with!)
Some tree lined skiing would be nice
For context, we were in Morzine last year & loved the skiing. In an ideal world the village would have had a little more choice for nightlife.
It would be nice to have an area with good opportunities to go on 'adventures' for a day as we enjoyed heading for the far reaches of PDS last year. However, we would like a change from PDS this year to try somewhere different - the big French areas seem the obvious choice but we'd be very happy to try something else.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Brightside, sounds like Ischgl might be a good place - not been there myself but driven through it. I would probably be avoiding it because of the lively night life and the standard of skiing you are looking for. But I'm just an old fart.
Have fun
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?
Quote:
the big French areas seem the obvious choice
not really - unlikely they'd have hugely more choice of nightlife than Morzine.
Go austria for lads trip. Saalbach great après and nice tree skiing.
St Anton awesome après and different places to ski - St Christoph, stuben, lech/oberlech and zurs all in one pass.
Not been to ischgl yet but taking family to kappl along road so will be better informed come January. But probably up there with St Anton
I've been to morzine before and après is a kiddies party compared with St anton
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Try Soll, Austria.
It has everything you're looking for. Been there quite a few times for a holiday and it really nice.
Also Sauze d'Oulx (Milky Way) in Italy. Just as good as Soll (skiing a little better IMO)
Comparing with Morzine the Austrian Saalbach/Hinterglemm would be my obvious choice as it will win hand down on apres. But then Ischgl, St Anton, Mayrholfen will do too. Think for apres Austrian resorts are definitely more lively.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I am not into Apres ski but from what I have heard people mention Sölden (Oetztal) as a great Apres ski resort as well. The other criteria (large ski area, pistes from wooded areas up to the glacier around Rettenbachferner / Schwarze Schneid) would be met as well.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Brightside, Try the Ski Welt area in Austria.
You could reasonably stay in Ellmau, Scheffau, Soll, Westendorf and from any of them be able to ski to most parts of te area - which has 290Km of lift linked skiing. If you are staying at the right end, you can also ski over to the Kitbuhel; area (another lift pass and a short bus transfer needed).
Hmm 7 responses (including mine), all suggesting Austria
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Zermatt.
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paulio,
I think Zermatt may fail in the following counts
Fairly lively night life
Easy access to slopes (only for those who can pay a premium to stay hotels close to the lift stations)
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Agree with the comments above, if it's a lads trip head to Austria. The afternoon and evening apres ski is just a great experience, it really puts France to shame in that regard.
In the past couple of years I've been to Mayrhofen, Saalbach and Soelden and can recommend them all, I'd happily go back to any of them.
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.
La Plagne (Stay in 1800 for the nightclub) Take the Paradiski Decouverte option on the lift pass and ride the Vanoise Express double deck cable car over to spend a day in Les Arcs as well.
www.la-plagne.com www.paradiski.com
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Val d'Isere or Tignes?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Brightside, I think Meribel may be suitable. It's been a while since I went but seemed to meet a lot of you criteria although very pricey now I'd guess.
Selva in the Dolomites may also suit. Although Italian, it's very Austrian and ticks all the other other boxes and is cheaper than France for Apres. Far more trees than Meribel/Three Valleys and ski area is nearly as big in total.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Great, thanks guys.....some great suggestions here which I'll start researching as soon as poss. Time's a bit short just now but I'll be back to discuss further as soon as I can!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
You should consider Verbier. Certainly got a large ski area, if you get the 4 Valleys pass, certainly very lively nightlife. Downsides - better for advanced and offpiste skiing, but theres still plenty of pistes to keep intermediates busy for a week (eg on the La Tzoumaz side, up to plan du fou from tortin etc). If you take a trip to Bruson (included in the 4 V pass), you've also got tree skiing and quiet slopes. Also on the pricey side (but no worse than the big french resorts?) However, need to ensure your accommodation is central if you want to make the most of the nightlife
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Choices, choices.
I must say I'm being drawn to Saalbach - sounds very nice & seems to tick a lot of boxes. When I first started to look at this a few weeks ago I was leaning toward Meribel but Austria seems to be calling!
I've been to Soll (winter & summer) & also to Obergurgl at Easter & they are obviously two very different places but equally enjoyable in their own way. Is there anyone who may be able to provide a comparison between these two places & Saalbach in terms of access to slopes & the level/type of skiing?
I haven't investigated Selva yet but it sounds very interesting as well - any further opinion on this (or any other suggestions for that matter)?
Thanks again for your opinions.
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?
I had my best lads trip ever in verbier! Crazy night life and decent terrain for intermediates. The other obvious choice is St Anton though i haven't been there to recommend it
Is there anyone who may be able to provide a comparison between these two places & Saalbach in terms of access to slopes & the level/type of skiing?
Seeing as you're asking (the stoat please note), I've put together a 'Rough Guide to Saalbach' which I will gladly e-mail to you if you PM me your e-mail. See also www.saalbach.com
In view of the criteria you originally listed and the ability level of your group, I'm a little surprised at some of the above suggestions. You seem to be looking for a large, scenic, ski-convenient 'intermediates paradise' with good apres, so it's no wonder you're leaning in the direction of the Ski Circus.
As you say, it's a question of ticking boxes. You would undoubtedly find things to enthuse about in all these places, and Zermatt, Val d'Isere/Tignes and Verbier (despite their various disadvantages) certainly offer dramatic, challenging and memorable skiing. I've also enjoyed evenings out in all of them, but the social life is pretty low key, limiting and expensive compared with typical Austrian apres-ski, which is a bit like New Year's Eve x 10 every day, starting at about 4pm.
However it's not for every UK skier - you do have to be prepared to let your hair down, set aside your preconceptions and prejudices, embrace other Europeans (often literally) and have uninhibited fun. (Watch any of the Goasstall videos on Youtube, including http://youtube.com/v/A1dCkwfPwA0 if you want some idea of what to expect between 4 and 7pm.). Since you've enjoyed Soll and Obergurgl already, you have presumably already been acclimatised. See forum topic "Austria it just doesn't appeal to me" at http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1333031#1333031
However, there is also ski-doo touring, ice-kart racing, romantic sleigh rides (for the 1 in 4 of you) and that sort of thing if you want it. You are also allowed to pace yourself by interposing a night or two of restful, French/Swiss type apres-ski (e.g. quiet bars, television, early to bed, etc).
Regarding comparisons between Soll and Saalbach, the immediate differences you would notice are the height difference (nearly 1,000 feet), the lift system (see http://www.wtss.co.uk/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=301&id=1150 ) and the shape of the valleys in which the settlements are located (Soll, a wide, flat bottomed U-shape: Saalbach a narrow V-shape).
I have been given to understand that the Austrians themselves rate St Anton, Ischgl and the Ski Circus as their top three ski areas. (I wouldn't advise St Anton for lower intermediates or ski convenience). I've heard good reports about Ischgl, and Badgastein is also worth considering.
Can't comment on Obergurgl, except it's obviously smaller but higher.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I beg to differ - the nightlife in Verbier is far from tame!! I've also had some fantastic nights out in Zermatt, athough admittedly it is a bit more of an older / family resort than Saalbach and Verbier. You may be trying to offer advice, but your statement that French / Swiss apres ski is
Quote:
quiet bars, television, early to bed, etc
is so far from the truth that your recommendation for Saalbach loses credibility.
I beg to differ - the nightlife in Verbier is far from tame!! I've also had some fantastic nights out in Zermatt, athough admittedly it is a bit more of an older / family resort than Saalbach and Verbier. You may be trying to offer advice, but your statement that French / Swiss apres ski is
Quote:
quiet bars, television, early to bed, etc
is so far from the truth that your recommendation for Saalbach loses credibility.
I would be inclined to agree that this is what the French do for Apres ski, but not the British in French (and possibly Swiss) resorts. Maybe this was the thinking behind the post?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
beanie1,
I was remembering some of the places I've stayed in like Les Gets, Champery, Vallandry, Montalbert, St Martin, Chantemerle, Monetier - just restaurants and maybe a half-empty bar (usually called "Le Pub"). However, even the bigger name places like Les 2 Alpes, Alpe d'Huez, Tignes, La Plagne, Les Menuires seem to be relatively laid back and peaceful in the evenings - not that that's necessarily a bad thing, at least some of the time. My memories are by and large fond ones.
Ever been to Brewskis in St Martin? Steve Mac of dear, departed Skital and ABT Ski tried for years to liven the place up by introducing a bit of Austrian-style apres-ski - live music, partying etc, - it didn't seem to gell in France. Contrived.
And who saw that brilliantly done and hilarious television documentary years ago ("On the Piste"?), comparing the antics of a group of British first-timers holidaying in Soll with the exceedingly stuffy and dignified Downhill Only Club in Wengen? The two extremes were captured magnificently - dancing on the tables in Soll: hymn-singing in Wengen.
Unless you're the type (and there are plenty of contributors on here who are), who prefers to listen to the birds twittering and watching the sun-set, as you sip your one small glass of alcoholic beverage and prepare to immerse yourself in your novel or su doku, I've found that you really need the ready-made social setting of a chalet party in these places. A good example was when I stayed in Arcs 2000 (stop me if I'm boring you) - great chalet, great company but lousy apres-ski - a few very over-priced and (consequently) quiet bars with a tele in the corner to give you something to look at.
Obviously it's all relative - I've had 'pleasant' (though expensive) evenings in Verbier and Val d'Isere, and I remember a great night out in Zermatt (- live music followed by a snowball fight that ended up in the commissionaires of the Zermatterhof Hotel being pelted). However it always seems very British inspired and a bit predictable. I haven't often got talking to and partying with extremely friendly people from all over Europe, as I tend to in Austria, which I find much more cosmopolitan as well as utterly uninhibited.
There's definitely a very different attitude, as exemplified by the mental shenanigans they get up to in places like the Mooserwirt, the Krazy Kangaruh, the Hinterhagalm and the Goasstall - even in summer I'm constantly astonished by the merry-making - the music, dancing, dressing up, silly games and massive amounts of beer that gets consumed, without seemingly the downside that you see in the UK when the pubs are turning out.
All that said, I'm nonetheless still a Francophile as well as an Austrophile. Vive la difference!
After all it is free
After all it is free
Sounds like you've been going to the wrong places then! Perhaps you should have qualified your rather sweeping statement then with "some of the smaller resorts in France / Switzerland"... You do seem to keep trying to reinforce the stereotypes, just like that On the Piste film. Even in Wengen there is great apres if you know where to look and who to go with - normally with the locals and season workers.
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beanie1,
Don't misunderstand me. I enjoy all these places for what they have to offer, and I'm not denigrating a bit of peace and quiet in an unspoilt mountain village. I'd love to go to Wengen for its skiing and scenery and its general atmosphere. I'm sure also that there's good times to be had in the eveniings - as you say with locals and seasonal workers. I'm really surprised though that you don't agree with me about the totally different, far more exuberant party atmosphere that pervades Austrian ski resorts. It's renowned! It kicks off every day at 4pm, if not earlier. It's not necessarily to everyone's taste, but I thought it was uncontentious that it exists.
From what you say, I'm almost inclined to think that I need to go back to some of the places I mentioned in case it's all changed since I've been away (admittedly it's been 24 years since I was in Verbier, so I really shouldn't allow myself to be drawn into expressing opinions about such places being expensive, etc). However it's apparent from people's comments on this and other threads, like the one I mentioned above, that the massive cultural differences are still there - but I repeat, that is not a bad thing - it's good to have some cultural variety between skiing nations. You'll have noted that Kaiser is from the Tarentaise and he seems to agree that it's the Brits who liven things up over there.
Also I'm sure that there will be a school of thought that establishments like the Mooserwirt and the Goasstall, full of beer-swigging party-animals, in a village like Wengen would a blot on the landscape. However I stand by my comments about Arcs 2000 - like being stuck on the moon! (And I remember the famous Dick's Tea Bar in Val d to be underwhelming.)
Anyway, nice chatting to you - I'm off to bed.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Tatman's Tours wrote:
... I remember the famous Dick's Tea Bar in Val d to be underwhelming
I was overwhelmed in Dick's once. Quite a surreal evening, ending up in another club which seemed to have a bathroom in the middle of it with a bath big enough for four people. All quite strange...
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I almost was overwhelmed in Dicks once, unfortunately I picked up the wrong drink in the Saloon and Dog knows what was in it but I had the strangest and most unpleasant night and never made it to Dicks, which was a shame as I had paid €25 to get in and see some band!
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.
I don't disagree with you that the apres ski in many Austrian resorts (not all - Obergurgl?!) in more lary than in some resorts in some other countries. All I objected to was your very sweeping statement that the apres ski in France and Switzerland only consists of quiet bars, TV and early to bed! Been to the Apres Ski at the Farinet in Verbier? You won't have been if you've not been there in 24 years!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
You have to know about the dead zones in France...
To be able to party hard after 11:30 you need to sleep in the early evening and go out late..
If you you try and drink through the evening and stay up till 3 AM... then something has to give.. and it likely to be your next days skiing..
Get 3-4 hours sleep in before you go out helps.. and nobody comes out before then anyway..
Of course, if it is raining... you go to bed early...
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
JT, that's exactly what my Swiss friend (in Wengen!!) used to do. She'd get home from teaching skiing, have dinner then sleep for a few hours, heading out about 11pm / 12am, when things start to get going. She did this almost every night, most of the season. Of course to the average punter walking home after dinner at 9pm Wengen seems like a quiet and sleepy place...
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
beanie1,
The only advantage EVER..we found to getting out early (2100-ish ) was that the likes of Dicks or the Piano bar would let you in free as you were pretty much the only ones there...
They also thought we were workers so gave us 'workers' prices.. it still didn't help that much though as we were shot by 1 AM.
Nowadays a few small beers in the evening and a bootle of wine is all I need or want ..
Having said that Maria at KK is worth hanging around for..
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Wimps !! finish boarding at four, beer it up until 8, two hours for supper, back out at 10 ish untiul 3 am, up for first lift, repeat and rinse, nuff said
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
One word -Verbier - nuff said
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?
rayscoops wrote:
Wimps !! finish boarding at four, beer it up until 8, two hours for supper, back out at 10 ish untiul 3 am, up for first lift, repeat and rinse, nuff said
sounds like our last trip to St Anton, but you need to add - return home, pass out, sleep for 3 days
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
