 Poster: A snowHead
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Here goes: we can’t get consensus where to go next year (middle January). We are a group of advanced / experienced skiers—on the short list: Chamonix, Verbier or Jackson Hole. Skiing is main criteria thus not to fuss about nightlife and so on. We have a split vote, PLEASE HELP!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Where have you been before?
My vote if you haven't been to any of them...
Jackson Hole.
(only because after next season they are retiring the tram, so it's your last chance to ride a bit of history)
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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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I'd say they all probably get tracked out similarly quickly 
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Arno,
I would think you are right but haven't been to Jackson H.
Louis,
It depends what you want to tick off, If it were me I would aim to ski Pas d Cherve off of the Gd Montets and Envers du plan off of the midi lft so that would be a good reason to go to the Chamonix valley. Verbier has Val Arbi, Mont Gele and the back of Mt Fort plus Bruson for those secrets stashes and Jackson H has Corbetts.
For what I know I wouldn't think Jackson would have enough for 2 weeks or even 10 days which I would think is the min for the high Rockies to get over jet lag and the altitude. If I had to go there I would research the area to see if there are alternatives to get to.
Most American resort areas are notoriuosly small compared to Chamonix or Verbier. So I would make sure you get to the back country elements in area. I would think that all resorts would be very cold at that time and the glaciers might need some filling so on balance I would go for 1 week to Jackson H and stuff the altitude. To do this keep the alcohol levels very low and get plenty of sleep. Then I would come back and pick off Chamonix in feb/mar for a 5 day ad-hoc cheapie which is very easy to do in that valley.
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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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JT, if the skiers are good enough to do proper BC skiing, then there's plenty in Jackson, otherwise, I'd suggest going up to Grand Targhee for a few days (just up the road a few miles) - it's a lot less fashionable, but has a lot of great skiing.
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To sort of back up WTFH:
Jackson: if you're seriously good and prepared to pay for a guide then Jackson might just last two weeks, just. Grand Targhee one of the best days skiing of my life though. Like a lot of Americam resorts, it's what's within the rope, all of it, that matters (still 2-3 days max).
Verbier: big, big area but f(airly) crowded. Very international resort . . .
Chamonix: not been but it's on the list.
Given trends in snow I'd go to Jackson . . . but that's laregely 'cos I hate crowds and Europe dodgy for snow in January (dons flak jacket).
To clarify: in Europe you're ski on-piste or it's off-piste (ask an insuranance company, though they let it slide [sic] a lot of the time) in America it's in-bounds, which means anywhere within the rope you've got a reasonable chance of being swept up.
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NickW,
I'd probably go to JH if I could be satisfied that it would be what I wanted.
Chamonix can be very crowded, its been so long since I went to Verbier and can't get my buddies back there.
In fact, that would be the deciding factor. My regular ski buddies will not go to Chamonix or Verbier with last visits just two seasons ago...much too crowded they complain.. Climbing is a different matter though
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