 Poster: A snowHead
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Further to other postings, we are off to Sofia (flight only) in January, purely to try another ski country/experience somewhere different.
All resorts are options/possibilities at the moment. So tell me, just how bad  is the gondola queue at Bansko? We are talking arriving in time for a few hours on the piste on a Wed in late Jan, then skiing Thurs, Fri and Sat.
Cheers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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if you have your ski equipment with you and you are at the gondola at 08.30 it might not be too bad, but if you have to go for a ski fitting first (meaning that you will be ready at 09.30 or later) allow between 45min - 2hrs depending on the exact date before borading the lift; since you will start early in the afternoon on your fist day the queue shouldn't be too long but try not to drink too much and be ready on time the next mornings 
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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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mountainaddict, When i was younger, i visited Borovets for New Year and the queue for the gondola was 2-3 hours , fortunatley i was having a private lesson with my brother and we joined the instructor's queue which was around 30 minutes....
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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yes, the queues at the lift stations in Bansko and Borovets are a major problem because most of the areas around the ski tracks are parts of national parks where falling trees for more lifts is prohibited, although some major investors would pay millions to make it not bothering about laws... 
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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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| skibulgaria wrote: |
| if you have your ski equipment with you and you are at the gondola at 08.30 it might not be too bad, but if you have to go for a ski fitting first (meaning that you will be ready at 09.30 or later) allow between 45min - 2hrs depending on the exact date before borading the lift; since you will start early in the afternoon on your fist day the queue shouldn't be too long but try not to drink too much and be ready on time the next mornings |
45mins -2 hours - what's the point? there's cheep but it's meant to be a HOLIDAY - 45 minute Q's to me are what I expect at 7am on the M25 on a monday morning.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Apart from when I went to Canada, I have never queued more than 10 minutes for any lift. Even there, I don;t think there were any queues over 20 minutes.
Although that is a part of the reason why I choose off-peak times for my trips as much as possible.
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Yep, I remember well over an hour for Borovets too. Plus because of poor snow we had to come back down that way too (we were learning), so it was over an hours queue to get back down at the end of the day!
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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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To be fair, if you avoid peak weeks and weekends, it's bearable. The 8.15 or 10.15 starts are also correct, but not much fun. An 8.15 start if you have kids is regimental to the point of being a non-holiday, 10.15 and half the day is over by the time you reach the top of the mountain. Skiing is too expensive a pastime to waste half of each day even in Bansko.
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Thanks to all for the replies and advice.
There'll be just the two of us (no kids) with our own kit. Looks like we'll be going for the early start. Now just need to suss out digs near to the gondola........
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Remind me never to bother with this place, no matter how cheap, until they sort the mountain access out! 
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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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mountainaddict, Bansko royal towers is close to the gondola 3 min walk and nice appartments, Bansko is ok enjoy it................
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feel like I've got to chip in here as I have been many times at different times of year....
New Year, 1/2 Term, Easter = big queues (up to 2 hours)...
Any other time = 5-15 mins wait, depending on the time of day...
If you are going at peak time and the Q is horrendous, you can also get a "transfer" up to mid gondola station/lift at bottom of blue 12 for c£5 per person - there are various companies offering such a service...
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You know it makes sense.
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wow, was that my first post?! I must have been lurking for ages then! 
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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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| cresswell80 wrote: |
If you are going at peak time and the Q is horrendous, you can also get a "transfer" up to mid gondola station/lift at bottom of blue 12 for c£5 per person - there are various companies offering such a service... |
True, but with so many people and only 68kms of pisted skiing, the whole mountain is like the M25 at peak period. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Myself and Mrs G went twice to Bansko when we were just learning to ski, once in Jan and once in Feb. The Q's were terrible both times, and not just for the main gondola up the mountain. Even once you are up, the lifts on up the mountain more often than not had huge Q's.
Having now visited a few different french resorts and andorra, we would not go back - which is a shame because we did love the town and the hotel Lion where we stayed was really good!
PG
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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 I'll be visiting Bansko Jan 2012....ignoring much of the negative reports to go and see myself.
My mail question is: I was reading somewhere that you cannot take ur snowboard with you when boarding the gondola from the base...if that is the case then how do you get your stuff up on the slopes?????
thx
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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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mountainaddict, I went there for a week last year and only used the Gondola once I just couldn't be assed to queue, there is a fleet of free minibuses at the gondola base station that will get you up above where the gondola arrives in about 15 mins- sorted!
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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 remember how much you paid for one way transfer?
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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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| SirKaos wrote: |
| My mail question is: I was reading somewhere that you cannot take ur snowboard with you when boarding the gondola from the base...if that is the case then how do you get your stuff up on the slopes????? |
That's a new one on me, never had a problem taking my board on the gondola, and I was there last about eighteen months ago. Who/what is the source of that info? Doesn't sound right, and certainly doesn't tally with my experience.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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yes, it got me confused. I read this somewhere when I first started to do the research on Bansko, it was some general info site on banso...cant recall it. But further into my reading and the videos I dont find it logical as well...
I'll stick with basic logic then 
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I went once out of peak season and it wasn't that bad, what did p1$$ me off however was that the 5* Kempinski had it's own fasttrack queue, ski school having its own Q OK, but not because you are stopping in a swanky 5* hotel.
Even when I went the piste were really cut up by lunchtime, so I dread to think what it is like at peak times.
My advice get up early, ski have a late lunch, then go for a few beers at the Mehana which is near the bottom of the ski road tucked away on the left (it's the only place that isn't owned by the lift company and therefore the only place on the mountain where a beer is not approaching the cost of an established European resort)
Just don't expect too much and you will be OK.
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| cresswell80 wrote: |
feel like I've got to chip in here as I have been many times at different times of year....
New Year, 1/2 Term, Easter = big queues (up to 2 hours)...
Any other time = 5-15 mins wait, depending on the time of day...
If you are going at peak time and the Q is horrendous, you can also get a "transfer" up to mid gondola station/lift at bottom of blue 12 for c£5 per person - there are various companies offering such a service... |
100% confirm this post. I have been many times, and because I avoid xmas,half term and easter I have never queued for more that 15 mins at any time of day. The OP says January, so there should be no queues longer than 10 mins to get the gondola. Weekened may go to 15-20 mins for the gondola, but onc eup the mountains it is fine.
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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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| SirKaos wrote: |
well I'll be visiting Bansko Jan 2012....ignoring much of the negative reports to go and see myself.
My mail question is: I was reading somewhere that you cannot take ur snowboard with you when boarding the gondola from the base...if that is the case then how do you get your stuff up on the slopes?????
thx |
Not sure where that came from. You are fine to take your board with you on the gondola. There is no other way of doing it.
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