Poster: A snowHead
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Just got the Fresh Tracks brochure from SCGB. My reaction was - blooooming expensive ski holidays ! Anyone been on a Fresh Tracks holiday ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have to say I agree with that. As a tour op they aim for the upper end of the market.
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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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deerman, They are dear but ifirc you must buy ski club membership as well (how else would they get so many members).
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 16-08-10 22:27; edited 1 time in total
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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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I am a SCGB member but I have to admit, I've never booked onto a Freshtracks holiday either as the cost puts me off, especially as I like my own room and you usually have to pay a supplement to get that. They do have some trips going without supplements but again I think the trips are pricey.
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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've been on lots (probably about 15) - but nearly all off-piste, so fully guided trips. I've not seen this year's prices, but while in past years the headline price has been pretty expensive, you do get quite a lot for it - as guiding is expensive. I once priced up equivalent weeks for a group of three or four of us doing DIY with bargain basement accommodation and it worked out pretty much the same price as their deal (with larger group but better accommodation). If you look for equivalent types of week elsewhere (Snoworks, Skiers Lodge, Offpisteskiing for example, i.e. 6 days with qualified guide or instructor) they're all in the same ballpark.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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GrahamN, that is true about guiding being expensive if you arrange it yourself. I have a friend that has done a couple of the off piste guided trips and like you they said it was quite good value when you add it all up, but the on piste trips are still quite deer I think, or they look expensive. I suppose people are essentially paying a premium for having a definite group of people to ski with etc of presumably similar levels.
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SCGB yearly accounts show the profits made by the holiday arm. Can't remember the figures, but the sum of £25 profit per booking rings a bell. I also know that the staff don't get paid very much, so nearly all the money is going to the suppliers. The last holiday I went on the club organised a 40euro discount to the lift passes. BTW, the holiday price does not include membership.
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deerman, I was a member and have been on a few of their holidays. Mixed bag. A couple of really good off-piste holidays with guides. The piste holidays ranged from quite good to so awful that on one instructional holiday I took a day off and paid to ski with the Arlberg Ski School Powder Club (now that was an experience not to be forgotten) instead. Contract meals at hotels. If over 62 , and not on a touring holiday, the SCGB expects you to go on a 'Peak Experience' holiday ie you will be in a group aged 50 or over - which is why I left the club.
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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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achilles wrote: |
deerman, I was a member and have been on a few of their holidays. Mixed bag. A couple of really good off-piste holidays with guides. The piste holidays ranged from quite good to so awful that on one instructional holiday I took a day off and paid to ski with the Arlberg Ski School Powder Club (now that was an experience not to be forgotten) instead. Contract meals at hotels. If over 62 , and not on a touring holiday, the SCGB expects you to go on a 'Peak Experience' holiday ie you will be in a group aged 50 or over - which is why I left the club. |
Really? I thought if you had a good fitness grading you could go on any holiday. Out of interest, do you count Mark Warner food as 'contract meals'?
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PJSki,
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BTW, the holiday price does not include membership. |
Cheers, have edited my post.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Boredsurfing wrote: |
PJSki,
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BTW, the holiday price does not include membership. |
Cheers. |
My fucking pleasure.
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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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PJSki wrote: |
.....Out of interest, do you count Mark Warner food as 'contract meals'? |
Never offered it - so can't say. The separate-dining room, fixed menu dinners at a hotel in Verbier was so bad that all members of the holiday did, to be fair to the SCGB, get a rebate. I thought the meals at my last Club holiday at the Sport Hotel in St Anton were very good. However, my general memory of Club holidays was that the menu on offer was fixed or limited choice. Been out of the CLub for about 3 years now - so I am out of date, I suppose.
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I've been on 6 or 7. Generally good hotels - with one crap food experience that Achilles and I lived through, good guides and nice normal punters. As PJski says - profits are tiny really. I'm waiting for my brochure to arrive to book at least one next year. If I'd paid for another three days guiding at the S7BB it wouldn't have been that much cheaper than a freshtracks holiday.
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