 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
I'm hoping some of you might be able to recommend a resort for a week from 26/27 Feb.
The most important thing is that the slopes are quiet, as I've had a few unpleasant experiences on crowed slopes. I'd be looking for somewhere with several long green/blue options, and a few easy reds.
Other things we'd be looking for are:
- fairly inexpensive
- more than one easy home run and/or the option of a gondola down
- ideally short walk to the slopes
- decent probablility of good snow at that time of year
- a reasonable number of runs, but doesn't have to be a huge area (50km ish would be fine)
We're not too bothered about apres-ski, but a couple of bars and restaurants would be good.
suggestions welcomes
thanks
Jane
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Claviere \ Montengerve springs to mind initially..though is it French Hols that week?
Passo Tonale, though personally hated the place.
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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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janeed, Les Saisies would be absolutely perfect for you, but not that week. Is that date fixed? TBH anybody who is trying to avoid crowded slopes should probably not go anywhere in France that week.
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janeed, La thuile italy seems to answer most of your questions, will not mention the other La r........ attached 
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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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Cervinia.
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janeed, I'd have thought looking at Austria might be a good option. My knowledge is restricted to Mayrhofen, though I did a day at Zell am Ziller which might fit the bill. Fogarida in Italy would suit the terrain requirement really well with gentle blues back to resort. Quietish town with something livelier if you were in the mood.
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janeed, One more vote for Cervinia
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Corvara
Seefeld
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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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Thanks for the suggestions so far. La Thuile is certainly one place we were considering, so good to get a recommendation for it.
Unfortunately the date is fixed due to work committments. It looks like it's French school holidays for zones A and B, but not holidays for any other country (thanks to whoever posted the table) so hopefully we'll be okay if we avoid France.
Any other suggestions outside France?
thanks
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Louis's suggestoin of Corvara is good (janeed, it's in the Italian Dolomites)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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janeed, Sportwelt Amadé and SkiWelt Wilderkaiser fit that description beautifully.
Amadé resorts are Flachau, Zauchensee, Wagrain, St Johann-im Pongau/Alpendorf
SkiWelt: Scheffau Söll Brixen in Thale, Westerndorf, Ellmau.
SkiWelt features in many British TO brochures, but whether you will get any late availability I have no idea. Several people here have got some excellent deals in the past.
Amadé resorts are not so well represented but being only 60kms south of Salzburg Airport it is very easy to organise your own holiday.
Another area close to the Amadé region is Schladming, also very easy to reach from Salzburg and possibly appearing in a few more brochures if you want to have a package organised for you.
Louis, no way on this earth does Seefeld have lots of LONG quiet blues! It has lots of blues but they are all relatively short and it is not always easy to unload down by gondola - only the funicular at Rosshütte permits that really.
It is not a holiday period in Austria - that comes a fortnight later (week beginning 5th March). I found La Thuile boring after a couple of days when I stayed there. It has lots of blue but very samey runs and many are above the tree line - fine if the weather is good unsettling to blue run cruisers if it is not. Saying that it was a while back and things may have changed for the better. Talking to someone last week who was there last season, my impression was that it had not changed radically though.
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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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Corvara
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I agree with Samerberg Sue about La Thuile, the blue runs are generally rather flat and dull, but plenty of easy red runs also. It's the sort of place that is never likely to get busy (large ski area, only a handful of hotels) and the village itself is reasonably pretty (but not quite up to Austrian standards).
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You know it makes sense.
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Anywhere in the Val d'aosta could be good for you Pila, Courmayuer, La Thuile, Cervinia or Champoluc. Also you could try Bardonecchia probably more reds than blues but not paticularly difficult reds. Will be fairly quiet and the town is really nice a proper Italian town. it certainly fits what you are looking for with bars and rastaurants but no massive party scene. Ski Area is 100 km's on two mountains one mountain is a five minute walk from a lot of the accommodation.
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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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The Austrian suggestions are good
I skiid in Valmeinier and Valloire last year - exactly waht you want - quiet, with most of teh runs being reds and blues. Also much mcuh cheaper than the main french resorts
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Poster: A snowHead
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Valloire was my first thought too - we've been there twice at the busiest half term week and although busy at times in some parts (eg start of ski school) we had a good time on some of the longer runs (Armera, Combe Orsiere) which were not busy at all. Several greens down the mountain.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Livigno has lots of wide, long, cruisy reds and blues, is quite picturesque, and is tax free!
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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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Another vote for La Thuile. Its a red down or Gondola , but otherwise what you ask for.
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I'd add another vote for (Breuil) Cervinia. To my mind, it seems to have everything you're looking for.
You're far enough away from France that it shouldn't be overly affected by the French school holidays.
The ski area is large, and the pistes are all wide, motorway style cruisers. So even if it is busy, it still feels qiuet. The slopes are 30/60/10 blue/red/black, but to be honest, the red runs feel more like blues. Also, the grooming is immaculate.
If you're looking for long runs, you have several options for doing the 1150m vertical Theodulpass-Cervinia route, all of them blue / easy red. You can also do the 11mile easy red from Plateau Rosa to Valtournanche (1900m vertical), which is one of the longest runs in the world. You also have the option of the red Ventina piste (no. 7), which is often cited as being one of the Worlds 'classic' red runs (I can confirm it's absolutely amazing, especially first thing in the morning).
I found the costs to be extrmely reasonable. Even the nicest restaurant in the place, Chalet Etoile (best lunch I've ever had), was within an average budget.
Being over 2000m, and one of the highest resorts in Europe, the snows almost guaranteed. If you don't get it here, you probably wont get it anywhere! Also, you can download by gondola/cable car from 3 of the main lift hubs; Plateau Rosa (3480m), Laghi Cime Bianche (2812) and Plan Maison (2555m).
In addition to all the above, the scenery is absolutely amazing, and you have the advantage of Italian food and drink (if that's your thing).
Have a look at the piste map:
http://www.ski-finder.co.uk/pistemap/Cervinia/
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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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Cervinia defo, you've got fab scenery, we looked at a window and thought it was a photo! But the runs are like quiet motoways except at resort level. You can get over to zermatt, the pasta is fab. Loved it, best scenery ever.
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Another vote for both Cervina and La Thuile, just back from the Dolomites and loved the area around Corvora would be ideal for you it was the quietest of all the areas (by a long way) and had some beautiful cruisy blues.
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janeed, La rosiere would suit you perfectly, the ski area - Espace San Bernardo is shared with La Thuile but La Rosiere is warmer and sunnier, south facing rather than north facing. Have a look at www.larosiere.net for information, it's also an inexpensive and compact resort with lots of good value apartments, restuarants and probably the best valuye lift pass in the Alps.
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I will put a vote in for Pila, A'osta valley, Italy as I hope it is quiet that week because we are going there again.
Avoid the weekend as everyone in Aosta comes up to play and it is normally very quiet. We fly out on the Sunday and go back on the Saturday never queuing for a lift more than a couple of minutes so you get plenty of skiing in.
If you stay up in Pila it is ski in/out to most places with enough places to go at night so you don't have to go to the same place twice. Though we do go to Yeti bar at least twice as it is so good.
Huge big flat learner area, 3 nice blues and most important plenty of well pisted reds that are wide and quiet. If you are like me its the wide and quiet that is important. You will have a blast. http://pilaski.co.uk/location/piste-map/
Speak/email Carole at pilaski.com for personal attention. She lives out there in the winter and can organise everything for you (ex flights). Also will show you round on your first day to get your bearings.
We fly to Geneva and hire a car. 2.5hr steady drive and we are there. It is easier from Turin and Carole will get you a transfer if you want but we can't get to Turin very easily. When there you can have a day out in Courmayuer or La Thuile but we never bother as there is plenty to do and we need plenty of time to soak up the rays with a Prosecco in hand (I can just hope).
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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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Crazy for a for a long Blue - Whistler. Peak to Creek is over 6Km long with 5,000 odd ft vertical.
They have a few more nice Blues in the mix too
Sorry for being silly but could not resist with the posting title.
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| Quote: |
time to soak up the rays with a Prosecco in hand
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Mmm. That sounds great. You have given me an idea - I have a prosecco in the cave....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Still working on the bottle we opened last night for practice
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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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From the top at Cervinia (where you come over from the Zermatt gondola) to Valtournenche is actually 22km I think. It certainly warms you up first thing although I thinks there'a fair bit of red in it too. Yes I think Cervinia would fit the bill although I've never stayed there just skied over from Zermatt.
For a change from the many Italy suggestions how about Laax in Switzerland. I was there last half term and there was hardly a queue to be seen. Plenty of relatively easy skiing too. Trip report here.
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Another vote for Passo Tonale, particularly this year which is threatening to be less than great for snow conditions
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You know it makes sense.
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thanks a lot for all your suggestions, really helpful
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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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janeed,
I agree with Cervinia,easy flattering skiing,see other thread.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Another vote for Covara in the dolomitie - also could go for La Villa where you can ride the gondola up to the prolongia and ski all day on the lovely rolling blues and reds on that plateau and you could ride the gondola back down or throw caution to the wind and come down the gran risa (black) - there is an easier red off the side if courage fails. PM and I can send some pics if you want.
Ian
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Soldeu in Andorra has lots of long wide blue runs. Check out /www.grandvalira.com for the piste map.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Agreed, Corvara/Alta Badia is a blue Mecca
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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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Hi,
Thanks for the suggestions. I'd been discounting the Sella Ronda area, as I heard that the slopes got crowded. Is this just the Sella Ronda circuit, and are there plenty of slopes in Corvara which are not part of the circuit?
I've looked at the piste map but found it confusing.
thanks
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Montgenevre with rocket ski
at 2* hotel Ros Mages its only £329 for a week
lots on long blues and green and ski from door
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| janeed wrote: |
and are there plenty of slopes in Corvara which are not part of the circuit?
I've looked at the piste map but found it confusing.
thanks |
Yes, loads of blues which are not part of the circuit
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I concur with La Thuile and Cervinia as fitting the bill although I didn't enjoy either of them all that much. I don't agree with Pila. Mainly short runs, quite a few of which are a bit on the stiff side.
Saas Fee sprang to mind as well, although I haven't been there. It is basically a massive area of blues though from what I've heard. Reds that aren't really reds at all.
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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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janeed, here's a good map for Corvara. The orange (red?) and green arrows show where the Sella Ronda circuit runs. To the left of the orange arrow is a mass of blues which should keep you busy 
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| janeed wrote: |
Hi,
Thanks for the suggestions. I'd been discounting the Sella Ronda area, as I heard that the slopes got crowded. Is this just the Sella Ronda circuit, and are there plenty of slopes in Corvara which are not part of the circuit?
I've looked at the piste map but found it confusing.
thanks |
Agree with Frosty - alta badia and prolongia is great for blue cruising. Also big recommendation for Coletts, they are well reported here, and I have used them for years.
Selle ronda can be busy, but only at a few 'pinch-points' and there is much, much more than the SR in the area.
Piste map can be confusing 'cos there is 1200km of pistes out there. 
Ian
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