Poster: A snowHead
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OK so it's a bit Philkeithish but as a bit of fun nominate your contenders for world's best ski areas:
Mine in no particular order
St Anton/Arlberg. - Genuine breadth, challenging terrain, extensive skiing, relatively well connected. Gormleys to clang with your ski poles
La Grave - Real skiing for better or worse at its finest.
Whistler Blackcomb - Big for NA, diverse, gets epic storms (at a price of wet & alpine closures).
Mt Baker - epitomy of a core skier's/boarder's mountain. No frills (or safety bars) but really friendly and heaps of snow without the crowds. There are no tourists (ok not strictly true as I can think of at least 3 of us).
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 15-05-12 22:37; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Aspen/ snowmass , snow quality and empty slopes
Espace Killy , unlimited off piste options , long season
Zermatt , some of the longest top to bottom runs and pretty good food
Iscghl / silvretta best lift system bar non, massive mellow lift served off piste opportunities
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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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Glencoe Close and great
Serre Che Friendly varied and great off piste
Chamonix Scenery
Ischgl see post above
Davos Wonderful off piste and variety of areas
The above are personal favourites rather than attempt at world best 'cos the best depends so much on what its best for.
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Why not have rule everyone must say how many diffeerent areas they have been or where they don't like. These threads always seem to turn into people pushoing the they are familiar with. Also areas like Espace Killy, you want to have been at least 3 weeks to understand what it offers
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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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I've been quite a lot of places but can't really think of anywhere I don't like except maybe Chill Factore because it was the worst value for money I've ever had in skiing and the brattish behaviour of the race kids.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Arlberg - you know why.
Nordkette - tiny locals area, super friendly, lifty's husky is fun to play with, some ace steep terrain, no worries about gapers skiing into you as everyone is better than you, two mins up the road from gf's flat, a whole city to apres in.
Westendorf - pretty small and mainly easy skiing area, but have such a good time with family/friends, know it better than the back of my hand = plenty of pow stashes and secret lines to hit
Saalbach - seasonnaire/worker crew is always brilliant, bar staff really look after you, one of the most fun and friendly villages imaginable, not much competition for freshies.
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Killy Espace for OP
Vail for Americans
Courchevel for chic
La Grave for natural
Wengen for the race
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Arlberg
Espace Killy
Certianly the best 2 I've been to
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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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Punta Hellbronner (except not any more now they have replaced the lift...)
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Espace Killy. Has everything.
Banff for the scenery.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I have been to Zermatt and i wasn't a huge fan of the area. I found the lift system to get up to the top slow and the skiing areas disjointed. Yes there is good and plenty of skiing but I think there are better areas at least IMO
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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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NickyJ, +1
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Piccadilly,
Banff / Sunshine / Lake Loiuse / Norquay is the most fantastic scenery. Just like the Alps only bigger, and goes on for ever! I could move tomorrow.
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You know it makes sense.
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Serre che cos it's hone
La Grave cos it's awesome
Banff cos it's Canada
Wengen for the Eiger
Murren for the Schilthorn
Flaine cos I learnt to ski there
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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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Don't know about best, but strictly considering the skiing Paradiski has a little bit of everything for everyone:
Gentle off-piste
Awesome off-piste
Miles of cruising
High altitude
Tree-lined runs
Lots of itineraries
Big vertical
Snowparks
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Poster: A snowHead
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Japan for The snow
Glencoe for the off piste
Trios valleys for a bit of everything to suit all
The arlberg for the off piste
Zinal for the lack of people and easy skinning to get fresh
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not sure about individual resorts, but I tend to think in terms of Valleys. These have made the biggest impression on me:
Val d'Aran - A beautiful valley in the Spanish Pyrenees with Baqueira Berret the key resort where the off piste allegedly ran on the American model. No queues, few Brits. A strong local ski touring scene or cheap heli skiing if you don't fancy the walk. Easy access to ski area's in France and Spain. Cheap coffee and cake, too many languages.
Valle d'Aosta - Lovely. Resorts of all flavors within 40mins of Aosta with Pila a cable car ride away if you don't fancy driving plus easy access to France and Switzerland. Cheap coffee and cake, lovely Italians.
Fort William - Sweet for Glencoe and Nevis. The sprint from Glasgow to Fort William is as amusing as the skiing. Glencoe for atmosphere, Nevis for scale. Less good for coffee and cake.
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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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Tukino.
Because you need a real 4x4 to get there so it keeps away the idiots
Because it has nutcrakers so keeps away the idiots
Sort of place that's easy to get snowed in at
Great place to stay over night in real lodges.
Great spot for getting lots of fresh lines and great base for touring around Mt Ruapehu.
When the Preacher was designed I had Tukino in mind.
http://www.tukino.co.nz/
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Red Mountain BC for the great snow, friendly locals and amazing terrain
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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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I have a problem picking a favourite as I like variety but I get withdrawal symptoms if it goes too long without returning to the following:
Lech/Zurs for the feeling of indulgence, the White Ring and you can ski St Anton.
Sella Ronda for the scenery and pasta.
Vail for the back bowls, trees, bbq and the civil natives.
Wengen/Murren because its different; no cars and commute the mountain by train.
Aspen because its Shangri-la.
EK ans 3V for sheer size.
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10-15 years ago the place to claim to have skied for the terrain was Craigieburn, is it still popular?
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T Bar, Craigieburn, Olympus and Broken river still rock. Excellent places for adventure and nut cracker accessed back country.
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Dot., nutcracker?
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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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clarky999,
The rope tows they operate in the NZ clubfields, you grab a very fast moving rope with something resembling a nutcracker to be towed up the hill.
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