 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi All,
we are off to the sport village and soldeu on january 9th.... just wondering who's been there? we've never done Andorra before so are after any tips/suggestions....
Does anybody know if you get a ski locker at the sport village? or do you need to hire one by the gondolla, i think the sport village is right next to the gondolla station............
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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cbowls30, long time since i were there, but there's a huge roomful of lockers in the gondola station (but you are right beside it as you say, so maybe not even worth using the lockers)
good spot, there used to be a bistro type place run by an Elvis impersonator who skis about the hill during the day in the Vegas gear handing out fliers 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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thanks for that, we've actually purchased helmets for the first time this season!
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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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Nice hotel, the gondola leaves from the side of it. The ski lockers are free and just up a corridor to the gondola. you can ski right back to some lifts that bring you back to the hotel as well as a bar next door.
I really liked the ski area and so did my wife who was on her 2nd week skiing.
We also done a snowmobile excursion that was superb
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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cbowls30,The gondola leaves from just below the hotel and as a guest you get a free locker but may have to share it as they are designed for 5, having said that 9th Jan won't be too crowded. Very nice hotel I have not stayed there but used to eat there 2 times a week, good food. Great area to ski, I'll be there after the crowds go on the 8th or 9th. Jan.
barry,
It is a long time since you were there, Elvis left the E'skiador Bistro about 8 or 9 years ago, he worked as an instructor for 5 years after he qualified. He now lives down here in Spain only about half a km from me and runs a mountain bike excursion company in the summer. He still does a weekly trip to Soldeu and performs in the Aspen and the Villager pub (or did last year) I saw him last week and he was not too sure what would transpire this season.
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Its also great to go for a beer on the terraces next to the gondola and watch all the people falling down the black run "avet"
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Nice hotel, Stonking breakfast, I was the Brit abroad who had a fry up every morning the week I was there!
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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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Dypcdiver, ya, reckon it was 98/99-ish. Reckon he could do a great business teaching (a la married by Elvis in Vegas!!). Think he was a cockney too IIRC?? 
Fond memories, we stayed in the hotel piolets down the road, a fellow countryman (Irish) we met on the first night's pub crawl we met again on the early coach down to Toulouse on the way home, not having seen him on the hill all week - he had broken his leg when he slipped on some ice on his way back to the digs from first nights crawl!! Neeldess to say he remained hammered all trip and reported he had had an absolute ball!!
the coach excursion into the city was worth the effort one afternoon, browse round the shops and a spa or whatever it is for the missus
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barry, For the record Elvis (Rob) got married to Mandy (also a ski instructor in Soldeu) in Vagas. Elvis is from the Wirral.
Pleased you had a good time, can't help but feel that the area is under rated by people who have never been there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I've been skiing in Soldeu almost every year since 1986, a freind has an apartment there so we could get 3wks in Andorra for the price of one in the alps.
Anyone who rates Andorra by their visit back in the 80's and has not been back since will see none of the decrepit lift system left, Its almost all high speed quad and 6man chairs or gondolas, now linked with Pas De La Casa there's ~200km of piste.
Its still rated as a beginner/intermediate resort so the red and black runs are virtually deserted, it's great to carve a freshly groomed red from top to bottom without anyone in the way to disrupt the flow.
The downside is that EVERYTHING gets pisted, blacks included so there are no really challenging pistes, the resort would be much beter if they would leave just one or two of the blacks to go natural, though there is quite a lot of "safe" offpiste that lasts quite well after a dump before being tracked out.
Though the skiing has vastly improved I quite miss the irresponsibility and village atmosphere of the 80's where you could tell whether it was a weekday or weekend by the shape of the lift queues. During the week the skiers were about 90% british and the lift queues were long snakes of two by two and everyone joined the queue at the back, come the weekend and many of the brits were on transfer or shopping and skiers were 90% French/Spanish, the lift queues were fan shaped as everyone pushed in at the front and only those that could push the hardest got on the lift!.
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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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tangowaggon, Not so loud, we are trying to keep it to ourselves. 
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Hi Dypcdiver,
We've probably met, I remember Ric the fossil when he had hair and it was the same colour as mine!
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You know it makes sense.
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tangowaggon, For sure we have met, Rick and Gail will not be in Andorra this season as they have decided to spend the winter in France. My first skiing in Andorra was 1976, there have been a few changes since!!!!
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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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I have a chance to go there in Jan 2011. Previously I've skied at big name French resorts mainly - Three Valleys, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Grands Massif, Portes Du Soleil etc. I've done about 8 weeks of skiing so I'm a confident intermediate skier. Will Soldeu provide enough entertainment for me?
I'd be going with two novices, so could spend some of each day going round some easier stuff with them probably.
I'm prepared to give it a go; it's a new resort for me.
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Poster: A snowHead
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tomstickland, let us know how you got on. I'm always really interested to know how people rate GV against the big French stuff.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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entering this chat a bit late but we have stayed there a couple of times 3-4 years back. was quite good then. large rooms, good food and plenty of space in the bar for a few drinks afterwards
can be a bit pricey for andorra but in many ways worth it as very close to the gondolla
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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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cbowls30, cbowls30,
Are you getting ready for tomorrow then lol, just a reminder that we will be at the area map at the top of the lift station around 1.00pm on monday, just look for pink and blue helmets lol
cheers Martrin
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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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Dypcdiver,
Where does Rob (ex-Andorran Elvis) work now? What's the name of his business in Spain? Trying to get hold of him. Thanks.
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FAQ
