 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
we r off to soldeu on 9th of jan, our first trip to the pyrenees..... Temperatures have shot up this wk and we are starting to worry about lack of snow! They r predicting temps of 5 degrees nxt wk... Is this normal for andorra?! Also has anyone ever been and not b able to ski at all?! We r bkd on a package which is also a first for us so wud the tour op ship us out somewhere else if we cant ski? Help snowheads!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
cbowls30, there's a whole lot of nowt you can do about the weather! I've twice been to Andorra, both times in mid March, the first time the snow cover was perfect and other than one overcast day, the weather conditions were fantastic. However, the second time the snow was patchy and the weather very warm, t-shirt skiing weather on brownish snow. Like I said, there's not a great do you can do about it, but it doesn't stop us religiously checking webcams and wigglies and praying for ski weather/conditions perfection.
Keep the faith!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
cbowls30, that's a long way off. Too early to start worrying - several different weather scenarios could have played themselves through by then.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
cbowls30, they do get very warm periods down there - but they also monsterous dumps of snow now and again.
Too early to worry yet - we'll tell you when 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
YES PLEASE! we've spent ALOT of money on this trip, we're staying in the best hotel and for the first time ever have paid out for a weeks ski school! will be gutted beyond all belief if we can't ski when we get there!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| cbowls30 wrote: |
| YES PLEASE! we've spent ALOT of money on this trip, we're staying in the best hotel and for the first time ever have paid out for a weeks ski school! will be gutted beyond all belief if we can't ski when we get there! |
Honestly, if you've paid for the best hotel in Andorra, I reckon you're on a par with a Travelodge.
You might get the money back from the ski school if there's no snow. In fact if there's very little you're probably better off with them, at least they'll know where to find it and keep your mind off the fact there's chuff all snow anywhere else.
Don't worry about it. There's a lot of weather going to happen between now and then. Or it will be crap. Either way you worrying won't make it any better. Grandvalira is also a very big place, so somewhere it will be snowy.
You won't get moved to another resort by the TO if there's no snow. Nobody does that, because they shouldn't have enough capacity elsewhere for it to be possible, and they can't exactly move all the staff on a week by week basis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Monium wrote: |
Honestly, if you've paid for the best hotel in Andorra, I reckon you're on a par with a Travelodge.
|
Biggest pile of b0llocks I have read on here all year !
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Smokin Joe wrote: |
| Monium wrote: |
Honestly, if you've paid for the best hotel in Andorra, I reckon you're on a par with a Travelodge.
|
Biggest pile of b0llocks I have read on here all year ! |
Sorry, I was too harsh. A Holiday Inn perhaps, but not one of the Holiday Inn Express places, they don't even have a swimming pool.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously monium has either never been to Andorra since the eighties but as Dypcdyvr said to me, keep it quiet, and keep it to ourselves.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Also, with the base that Andorra already has, even with a breif (thats all it will be this time of year) warm spell there will still be plenty of snow in January. Currently the snow depths for the Grandvalira area are better than the 3valleys. the highest probability of any weather event stopping you from skiing is too much snow
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
cbowls30, Check out the rest of the Alps and you will find that the same weather is going to hit them aswell, so just think you could be paying a lot more for the same.
Monium, For your info the 5 star hotel alongside will allow guests into their pool as it is owned by the same family. Have you ever been to Andorra, because your comments do not strike me as being based on fact?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
the same weather is going to hit them aswell
|
I thought we were now pretty well at the end of that nasty warm and wet spell. Are you saying there's more on the way? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
pam w, A quick check on the http://www.snow-forecast.com shows it peaking on Thursday dropping rapidly after that but rising again on the Sunday but not quite as warm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
From the forecasts I've seen for the Alps Pam it's going cold again, and not warming back up within the next week (and nobody really knows what will happen after that yet).
Agree with the others about the hotel. We paid very little for our trip to Andorra earlier in the year to an average rated hotel and was fine. Granted it wasn't like a traditional ski French/Austrian style ski resort hotel it was more like the sort of place you'd get at a Spanish beach resort, but it was very clean, comfortable and the food was great and varied.
cbowls30, Don't worry about the weather. It's a month off, plenty could happen. Skiing in Andorra is from about 2000m, so there will be enough cold days between now and when you go for them to be making snow, and it won't all go if it warms up slightly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| Quote: |
it's going cold again, and not warming back up within the next week (and nobody really knows what will happen after that yet).
|
that's what I thought, too. The worst of the rain is over, having done a fair bit of damage below 2500m and round my neck of the woods it'll be well below zero by the end of tonight. Cannons will be starting up again. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Monium, I'm with Smokin Joe, on this.....total dangly bits, I've stayed in the Sporthotel in Soldeu, Hotel Solana in Arinsal and the Hotel Himalaia (x3) and each of them all lovely lovely hotels....that was some top class sneering.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
hi
we just got back from soldeu this morning
the snow was ok on the beginner bits, and the kids areas where the snow cannons are
off that its a bit miserable and there are some brown earthy bits (which was useful as my 4 year old sped down the blue run..slowed her down nicely)
which hotel are you staying in?
we spent a night in the sport village (poor poor credit card) but it was really friendly, clean, luxurious, the best bath in the world, etc..
coming home it was 17 degrees in the valley and we felt like it's soooo warm..
back home, going to go for a bag of chips. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
MONIUM; Well we are staying in the sport village, and i'm hoping its better then the travelodge for the amount of money we have paid!
graywiggle; yes sport village is where we are staying....... nice to hear its good! was a bit worried to hear MONIUM's comments!
Well, thanks for all your comments, i guess we just need to play the waiting game!!! FINGERS CROSSED! I have looked at the forecast for the alps and yeh, you're right, temp's are going up over there as well this week.... just never been to the pyrenees ever before and not familiar with the set up !
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Dypcdiver wrote: |
Monium, For your info the 5 star hotel alongside will allow guests into their pool as it is owned by the same family. Have you ever been to Andorra, because your comments do not strike me as being based on fact? |
I have, and frankly my standards must be a million miles away from most of you lot, or you've seen hotels that nobody else we skied with, transferred with, or saw in our entire time across Grandvalira. I don't know where the Andorrans have hidden these magical hotels, but they certainly weren't anywhere we found on the trip. Their grading system for hotels seems to be about 3 stars below a UK hotel or in fact anywhere else I've stayed. Therefore a 5 star hotel is about the same as a Travelodge. Their 4 star hotels were certainly worse than a Travelodge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Monium wrote: |
I have, and frankly my standards must be a million miles away from most of you lot, or you've seen hotels that nobody else we skied with, transferred with, or saw in our entire time across Grandvalira. I don't know where the Andorrans have hidden these magical hotels. Therefore a 5 star hotel is about the same as a Travelodge. Their 4 star hotels were certainly worse than a Travelodge. |
Amusingly, the one we stayed in was called Hotel Magic (Pas). It really was fine, a lot better than any travelodge I've stayed in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Someone does seem to have a chip on their shoulder, having stayed in a French battery cage, the room sizes in Andorra are quite generous, if Andorran hotels aren't good enough, for god's sake don't go to France or Italy!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Monium wrote: |
| Dypcdiver wrote: |
Monium, For your info the 5 star hotel alongside will allow guests into their pool as it is owned by the same family. Have you ever been to Andorra, because your comments do not strike me as being based on fact? |
I have, and frankly my standards must be a million miles away from most of you lot, or you've seen hotels that nobody else we skied with, transferred with, or saw in our entire time across Grandvalira. I don't know where the Andorrans have hidden these magical hotels, but they certainly weren't anywhere we found on the trip. Their grading system for hotels seems to be about 3 stars below a UK hotel or in fact anywhere else I've stayed. Therefore a 5 star hotel is about the same as a Travelodge. Their 4 star hotels were certainly worse than a Travelodge. |
The second amount of complete b0ll0cks I have read on here this year.
http://www.sporthotels.ad/
Travelodge my ar$e !
Sport Village is excellent I have stayed there four times..........
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
The OP (doubtless long gone, and wisely so) was more concerned with SNOW conditions than this sub-trip advisor opinion war
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
there are some brown earthy bits (which was useful as my 4 year old sped down the blue run..slowed her down nicely)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
red 27, confirming that the Village isnt a travelodge from people who have been and havent got a chip on their shoulder about andorra would be appreciated by cbowls30, and I'm sure they will be along to confirm that shortly !
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Those brown bits are good for practicing your turns in advance of or various other acrobatic manoevres. Having said that I was in El Tarter in 2007 I think, with similar snow conditions. As we drove up from Barcelona they were closing the road behind us due to snow causing a bit of panic. Arrived and parked the car then it dumped all night like billyo, huge flakes. In the morning and for the next four days blue sky and sunshine and as we left the brown bits were just about showing again, so positive thoughts. We had a drink in the Sport Hotel, very nice indeed:D
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
tangowaggon,
| Quote: |
for god's sake don't go to France or Italy!
|
NO no let him go there, he deserves to.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
cbowls30, Sport Village is great !!
You will have a good time and its certainly not a Travelodge
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Went to Andorra a few times and stayed at the Sport Village. Its a good hotel, most def not a travelodge !!
However, we always booked last-minute if the snow conditions are good.
You will have a good time , ENJOY !!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I've been to Andorra 3 times now, Arinsal twice (Erts Hotel and Solana) and Pas once (Manzano I think). We've always booked cheap, and as a result not expected much, the way I look at it is I'm either going to be on the slope, on the booze, or comatose, sleeping off the booze. I've (so far) been pleasantly surprised in that we've never had a room that I'd call poor.
What I'm trying to say in a roundabout way is that if we've gone cheap and been pleasantly surprised, then if you've paid more (and judging by the pictures on the Sport Village site) hopefully the quality of your hotel will increase exponentially!
We've booked a week in Pas from 16th Jan, so I too am hoping there's a decent dump between now and then. We were in Pas last January 13th for a week and there was oodles of snow, as one of the previous posters said, more on the higher areas.
Good luck Cbowls30, I hope you enjoy the pyrenees!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
red 27, The reason why me and Smokin Joe, jumped up in defence of the Andorran hotels was because if you re-read cbowls30, original post it's their 'first trip'....if they're freaked out about the snow condition the last thing need is 'Angry from Apsley' having an unreasonable (and most likely unfounded) dig at their accomodation....keep that sh1te for the moany hoors on Trip Advisor.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
thanks everyone who has given constructive and helpfull advise! we will hold our nerve and hope for colder weather to to hit, and i'm sure, based on all the good peoples comments the Sport Village will be very nice indeed! thank you all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
dazman, we must meet up for a pint.......
cbowls30, your welcome
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
if i may put your mind at ease, my dsaughter and i will be in soldeu on the 9th as well, Andorra is usually my first trip of the year and its always been a blast, It will be cold at the top of the hill but in the valleys its usually pretty good. I dont know what standard you are but the ski school is excellent. The hotels are also very good and so long as you are not rude to the staff they will take very good care of you. At the top of the cable car there is a map about 25m in front of the exit, the British Ski Club rep meets there at 10.00am every morning. If you want any more info let me know, you can even buy the beer.
Oh and i managed to book an apartment for less that £300 for the week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
belfastski ;
Thanks for the advice! good to hear from someone who has been there early in the season before, we are really looking forward to our first ever trip to a 'major' resort (only ever been on short weekend trips to small italian resorts before) and Soldeu looked like it fitted our level of ability really well, i'm a timid intermediate and my other half love some easy cruising, so, fingers crossed and we hope for the best! see you there for that beer!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Went to Pas de la Casa 16 years ago for new year, we did a short section of offpiste between two runs and the snow was so deep that one of our group, a 5'0" lady actually disappeared in the snow, the only thing showing was her hat!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
the only thing showing was her hat!!
|
had she forgotten her skis?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
it will be easy to recognise us, I will be in black cothing with yellow (hahaha) boots and a blue helmet, my daugher has a pink helmet and white jacket with green panels. On the monday we will be a the piste map as described before at 13.00 if you want to come join us.
In fact anybody is welcome to join up
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
