 Poster: A snowHead
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Zermatt has been accorded the title of best European ski resort to mark the publication of the tenth edition of Where to Ski and Snowboard.
Other interesting results: Sella Ronda (Italy) is deemed to have the best snowmaking operation in Europe,
Val d'Isere (France) the most undergraded run, Megeve (France) the most outdated lift system and Ischgl (Austria),
the most up-to-date lift system.
The full article is here.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Although I've never skied there, I've read on many occasions that Zermatt is not very good for new skiers in their first two or three weeks of skiing. If this is true, and I've no idea if it is, I'm unsure how a resort can be voted Europe's best, even if it does have superlative scenery and jolly nice mountain restaurants?
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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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Well the people who gave the award have more than 2 to 3 weeks skiing and have presumably discounted the needs of those at that stage.
I have to say Zermatt's mountain restaurants are magnificent. Flualp had great food and a fantastic band.
The scenery is great. The car free bit is a bonus(shame about those lethal electric milk floats).
The Matterhorn ?
Possibility of a trip to Italy?
I could make a case for Val D' Isere / Tignes but that would be based on snow and the lift system.
All these awards are arbitrary and just a bit of fun.
I like Megeve despite the lifts (which I did not think were as slow as Sauze's single seater) and despite breaking my shoulder in the resort.
Sella Ronda is another place with good scenery. I did not notice snow making particularly. I would give that award to Font Romeu. Ischgl I have never been to. There does not seem to be a way of doing it without spending a lot of money.
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Surprising results. Megeve as never struck me as having a bad lift system. Zermatt is fantastic, but the best resort takes some believing. As for snow making, I think the PDS takes some beating, it was pretty interesting before Xmas, some of the PDS stations were managing to get a few slopes open large due to their fantastic snow making.
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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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rob@rar.org.uk,
IMO Zermatt is very poor for beginning/timid skiers. There just is nowhere for them to go. They are confined to very small and insular areas. The jump from the very basics to getting on a few runs is quite big in this resort. I don't know of another resort that is as unsuitable.
That said it excels in most other areas and is rightly a world class resort.
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ise,
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Megeve as never struck me as having a bad lift system
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I agree. I guess it all depends on the definition of "bad", or "outdated". The lifts that I was using around Megeve and St Gervais seemed pretty new, well connected to the system and reliable. 
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Zermatt is fantastic, but the best resort takes some believing.
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Probably have to give to to someone "Buggins Turn"
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The article gives first place in the US to Aspen! Skiing magazine gave it to Jackson Hole with Aspen down at no. 9.
Strikes me as a fairly random process!
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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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It's all very subjective isn't it.
I think that Zermatt is fantastic, but then again I feel the same about Val d'Isere, St Anton, and Whistler. Hopefully I'll get to the three valleys and think that they are great, as well as Verbier. In fact there are lots of great places that I'd love to visit.
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Accepting criticisms of unsuitability for beginners, Zermatt is a truly magical place with something for everyone (except tramps). The sheer length of all runs creates amazing skiing experiences, whether on blues or off piste and the apres is fun without being crazy. OK, beginners need to pick a sector and stay there for the session but the runs are so long that they will only manage a few each day.
I was there this February, following recent years in Val d'Isere, Tignes and Courchevel and its certainly hung in my mind as a clearer memory through the summer than any other resort. I challeng anyone to try to ski without staring at the Matterhorn endlessly, its a bit like eating a doughnut without licking your lips - you just can't!
I assume that the Val d'Isere run is the Piste S from Solaise or the Gun Barrel (midnight) blue down from near the Charvet?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| sproggski wrote: |
| I assume that the Val d'Isere run is the Piste S from Solaise or the Gun Barrel (midnight) blue down from near the Charvet? |
I was assuming it was the blue back to Val d'Isere as well, but apparently not:
[url=http://www.travel-lists.co.uk/holideas.html]
Most undergraded run - Verte in Val d'Isère
This narrow green run to La Daille can be crowded and in parts a mogul field by the afternoon. Many Italian resorts would proudly claim it as a black[/url]
I can't even think which one that is - certainly nothing too tricky around there springs to mind.
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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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I think that is a fair description of Verte, although they missed out the fact that it is often icy!
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You know it makes sense.
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Arno, hilarious. Although, not I supopse if you've just started out.
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brian
brian
Guest
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I sent my mother down Verte once. The board at the top of Bellevarde said Santons (the blue under the Épaule du Charvet) was open but when we got there it was shut. They were just closing the drag lift and would only let beginners into the queue, everyone else was sent down the Épaule (which is black). No probs Mum, there's a green down from the top, sez I, and you can get the bus round from La Daille. Nearly killed me when she finally arrived 
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've also had to nurse a beginner down Verte, and it also nearly put the person off skiing for life  Isn't some of Verte used for the bottom section of the Ladies WC Downhill?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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And Whistler is the best NEW North American resort????????????????????????
When does a resort cease to be "new"?
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Martin Bell - ah that makes much more sense! Thanks 
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Hey, hang on - doesn't Zermatt still have a rope tow? As a sit-skier I'm going there in November and tales of that thing don't inspire me with confidence. Or has it gone?
Dave.
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Choodalls, I can't remember there being one when I was there in February of this year. There are an awful lot of Cable Cars though, I'm not sure how friendly they are to sit-skiers?
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Hi,
I think this is to access part of the glacier - I'm doing a BASI course there and had been told I'd need to ride the rope tow! Maybe it was a wind up.........I can get in a cable car, but it's a lot of hassle as it usually involves being carried. Chairs, pomas, t-bars no problems though.....
dave.
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brian
brian
Guest
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Choodalls, there is a very short rope tow at Trockener Steg leading back up from the foot of the piste to the restaurant/cable car station.
If the runs below Trockener Steg aren't open I guess you'd need to get back to the cable car, otherwise you can ski down without needing to go near there.
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FAQ
Thankfully a sympathetic instructor sorted her out in the afternoon on the proper nursery slopes.
