 Poster: A snowHead
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Due to her second torn calf muscle in 4 seasons (and second lot of Warfarin treatment due to a dvt) Mrs agw is now a non skier.
She never was as keen as I am on sliding down the white stuff but she does love the mountains.
So this year we need somewhere with enough skiing for me (middling intermediate, confident on reds, occasional black) and enough other things for swmbo to do.
Her requirements are:-
A swimming pool
Organised walks (I know most larger ESFs do these)
Lifts that a non-skier can use (so we can perhaps meet up the mountain for lunch)
A reasonable village/town centre.
Her other main requirement is a nice veranda/balcony to sit out on when it's sunny but that's a feature of the accommodation rather than the resort.
The last 4 seasons we went to St Sorlin, La Rosiere, La Plagne and Les Arcs and I favour France again but very willing to consider other countries although we prefer catered chalets.
We will be going the w/c 9th or 10th of March.
All suggestions welcome (even off-the-wall stuff can give you a laugh and perhaps make you think  )
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I had a fantastic time in Levi, Finland after I swore I would never do alpine skiing again and did classic cross country skiing (dead easy and gentle and lots of fun) and also went on husky sledding and reindeer safari trips and there are things like nighttime walks and snowshoeing to see the northern lights if you're lucky and trips to the ice hotel and snowmobiling. The alpine skiing area is not very extensive or exciting but the pistes were lovely and empty when we went and there are heaps of other things to do so that it's a varied winter holiday rather than a ski holiday if that makes sense.
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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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| sophster wrote: |
| I had a fantastic time in Levi, Finland after I swore I would never do alpine skiing again and did classic cross country skiing (dead easy and gentle and lots of fun) and also went on husky sledding and reindeer safari trips and there are things like nighttime walks and snowshoeing to see the northern lights if you're lucky and trips to the ice hotel and snowmobiling. The alpine skiing area is not very extensive or exciting but the pistes were lovely and empty when we went and there are heaps of other things to do so that it's a varied winter holiday rather than a ski holiday if that makes sense. |
Yes, it does and we've already thought of that. The added bonus for Scandinavia at the moment is that we are at a peak for the northern lights.
Wife might even try classic x-country. What company did you use?
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agw, Although the exchange rate with Switzerland is not Good, I'd suggest Wengen, or possibly (because of the indoor covered public pool Grindelwald), It's possible to get to almost every one of the Mountain Restaurants via train or cablecar (or possibly bus) and you can get a winter walking pass which is cheaper than the ski pass, the tourist board usually do an organised once a week walking trip, but there are plenty of winter walking paths in the area.
Wengen has a couple of hotels that will allow non residents to use their pools and the centre of the village is quiet and pretty flat with easy access to both Railway and Cablecar, the pass covers the trains down to Interlaken where there are plenty of shops, cafes and so on
As for yourself well Wengen is an ideal intermediate resort with lots of red runs a few blacks and some very pleasant long cruising blue runs
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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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| agw wrote: |
Due to her second torn calf muscle in 4 seasons (and second lot of Warfarin treatment due to a dvt) Mrs agw is now a non skier.
She never was as keen as I am on sliding down the white stuff but she does love the mountains.
So this year we need somewhere with enough skiing for me (middling intermediate, confident on reds, occasional black) and enough other things for swmbo to do.
Her requirements are:-
A swimming pool
Organised walks (I know most larger ESFs do these)
Lifts that a non-skier can use (so we can perhaps meet up the mountain for lunch)
A reasonable village/town centre.
Her other main requirement is a nice veranda/balcony to sit out on when it's sunny but that's a feature of the accommodation rather than the resort.
The last 4 seasons we went to St Sorlin, La Rosiere, La Plagne and Les Arcs and I favour France again but very willing to consider other countries although we prefer catered chalets.
We will be going the w/c 9th or 10th of March.
All suggestions welcome (even off-the-wall stuff can give you a laugh and perhaps make you think ) |
Meribel could be a good choice. You can go over to Courchevel or the top of Meribel just on lifts, there are plenty of cross-country - snowshoe trails and there is a great choice of accommodation. Some even have outdoor heated pools from where you can admire the mountains. It is also big enough, plenty of shops, cafés etc to keep her busy. Chamonix could be great for her but you might find it a pain having to carry skis around town, etc...
Another option could be Zermatt in Switzerland, the Hotel Beau Site and the Mirabeau has a pool and the views of the Matterhorn are just spectacular. Once again there is plenty of walking to do and all main areas can be accessed by pedestrians. It is a proper little town with a lovely atmosphere! You would definitely love it there!
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| D G Orf wrote: |
agw, Although the exchange rate with Switzerland is not Good, I'd suggest Wengen, or possibly (because of the indoor covered public pool Grindelwald), It's possible to get to almost every one of the Mountain Restaurants via train or cablecar (or possibly bus) and you can get a winter walking pass which is cheaper than the ski pass, the tourist board usually do an organised once a week walking trip, but there are plenty of winter walking paths in the area.
Wengen has a couple of hotels that will allow non residents to use their pools and the centre of the village is quiet and pretty flat with easy access to both Railway and Cablecar, the pass covers the trains down to Interlaken where there are plenty of shops, cafes and so on
As for yourself well Wengen is an ideal intermediate resort with lots of red runs a few blacks and some very pleasant long cruising blue runs |
Hmm - Switzerland wasn't really on the radar but I can see how those 'traditional' ski resorts would fit the bill. Bit pricey, but we could stretch to it.
Thanks to those who have replied so far - plenty of food for thought already.
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Another vote for Wengen - absolutely perfect, for the reasons stated by D G Orf. I have spent several holidays there with a non-skier and he really enjoyed the walking, the train journeys and all the mountain restaurants where he met the skiers every day. And, as an intermediate skier, I loved the skiing.
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Zell Am See (Austria). Beautiful, lots to do for non-skiers as it's a proper town, and decent enough skiing to keep you happy. Very easy to meet up for lunch up the mountain, which we did for someone in our group who was injured and couldn't ski.
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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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Innsbruck?
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+1 for Zell. The tourist office print a map of walking routes, mostly intended for the summer months, but you may find some use for it in March.
Simply walking round the lake is worth while on a sunny day. Nice 10k stroll.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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agw, slightly OT but congratulations on engineering such an agreeable position. Any monies spent on high-end accommodation will be recouped ten-fold in the many days of nag-free sliding.
May I ask what technique you used to induce the injury in the good lady wife?
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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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| Quote: |
Meribel could be a good choice
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-1
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1. Zermatt;
2. St Moritz;
3. Davos.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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| red 27 wrote: |
agw, slightly OT but congratulations on engineering such an agreeable position. Any monies spent on high-end accommodation will be recouped ten-fold in the many days of nag-free sliding.
May I ask what technique you used to induce the injury in the good lady wife? |
All her own work, honest. Low-speed falls, stumbles really, bindings not releasing immediately, over extension and "ping!". Quite scary at the time - bruising from ankle to above the knee is not pretty.
I have explained that what we save on her lift pass can be spent on better accommodation though and she seems to be buying that.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Have a look at Collett's holidays in the Dolomites.
I had a great ski trip staying in one of their catered chalets in Badia (near Corvara) last year. Loads of intermediate level skiing in stunning surroundings, and they run daily hosted walks and snowshoeing excursions, plus some cross-country skiing. There were lots of non-skiers staying at the chalet going out on the walks etc everyday. They also do hosted skiing if you don't like skiing on your own.
A bonus was that the food everywhere was fantastic and it was cheaper than France on every front too!
Not sure if mid-March is getting a little late in the season there though - I'm sure other Snowheads can advise.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wengen. I even take my mum nowadays. Perfect for non-skiers, and no noisy traffic  As DGO has pointed out, you can get pretty much everywhere using trains & lifts.
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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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Megeve? Big leisure centre, 'aspirational' shopping, diverse people watching, very pretty town.
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| Quote: |
Wife might even try classic x-country. What company did you use?
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We booked the holiday through Inghams and the cross country lessons were pre-booked and run through the excellent ski school. I think that holiday is still the most all round enjoyable holiday I have ever had.
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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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For your purpose:
1 Zermatt
2 Grindelwald
3 St Moritz
4 Cortina
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Switzerland seems to be featuring quite a bit here - any opinions on Saas Fee?
Annie, we know Megeve slightly having been to St Gervais a couple of times - I have a personal fondness for Les Contamines. To get the best out of that area you really need a car, imo, and we would consider driving out there.
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agw, Literally hundreds of snow sure Austrian resorts would fit your bill as well, including the VFM high-end hotel 
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agw, have you looked at Serre Chevalier?
Easy mountain access for non-skiers (particularly from Chantemerle, where the telecabin provides access to the first stage, Serre Ratier and a range of restaurants for meeting, several of which have decent sized, South-facing terraces). Plenty of activities and walks either in the resort towns or just a little higher in and around the larch forests.
The main towns/villages are all served along the valley by a good bus service, so getting about is relatively easy. The main town, Briancon is well worth a good look around, especially the old fortified area.
The terrain is well suited for your skiing criteria. The black back into Chantemerle is a stunner and, if you don't fancy the last 200m or so (it is pretty steep and can get busy at the end of the day), there is a green track that one can jump on. Of course, there is the download option too).
Being France, plenty of catered chalet options - I've recommended Les Marmottes quite a bit. Look at www.hannibals.co.uk - its first rate for ambience and cooking. They do have a balcony, but it is East-facing. I've stayed there on 3 occasions, and would definitely do so again. Its a 5 minute walk max to the centre and lifts.
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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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| agw wrote: |
Switzerland seems to be featuring quite a bit here - any opinions on Saas Fee?
Annie, we know Megeve slightly having been to St Gervais a couple of times - I have a personal fondness for Les Contamines. To get the best out of that area you really need a car, imo, and we would consider driving out there. |
Saas Fee pros that it is high altitude and has glaciers so you don't have to worry about snow in March. It is also a car free resort, nice to walk around and you certainly have plenty of mountains to look at (no wonder it is called the pearl of Alps). You can find very high quality accommodation with great facilities.
The cons for me is that it is pretty shady and can be very cold even later in the season and bad weather can mean piste closures. As far as I know there is some cross-country skiing but it's not what Saas Fee is famous for. Probably plenty though if your wife wants to learn it. Walking is good, especially around Saas Grund.
I would probably still favour Zermatt but maybe because I have spent a lot more time there...
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Arosa.
You can get up and down the valley to Chur by train.
Not so cheap, but for an all round experience, it should fit the bill and this misconception of Switzerland being expensive is just plain wrong, IMO.
If you avoid the mega resorts like Verbier and Zermatt, you can find authentic villages that are set up for the complete winter holiday that don't break the bank.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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May I suggest you need a resort at the floor of the mountain, not in the midst of 3V etc. So you have to put up with a cable car up every day and your wife has the benefit of a resort and a road to somewhere if needed.
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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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Westendorf in the SkiWelt. Quaint town. Very importantly completely flat. Good bit to do. Some nice walking routes, i.e. over to Brixen, you can ski down, and have lunch in the Fischerstadl, really nice restaurant.
2 Gondolas restaurants at the top and middle stations of both. Kitzbuhel is a few km away. Schermer Hotel has really nice pool and spa. Also you can walk up the nursery slope to to meet meet at the cow shed for the apres ski, slope is easy to tandemly drunkenly ski back down.
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and when I think of it the Jakobwirt Hotel has a pool aswell.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. All are being looked at and although Switzerland is looking favourite at the moment it's far from a done deal. As I hoped a few  ideas have helped to concentrate the old grey matter a bit and look beyond the French mega-resorts.
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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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AGW, 90 min south of Innsbruck airport, is Val Gardena and Ortisei. The village sits below Alpe di Siusi, Europe’s largest, highest skiable plateau where your wife can walk, sledge/toboggan, snow shoe, take a horse sleigh while you cruise the rolling hills. If the skiing is a little too timid, then you can gain access to the Sella Ronda from the other side of the valley - lifts giving access to both areas are within very easy walking distance of the town center.
As for accommodation - so many options. Depends if you want to be in or near town or on the slopes and a little quieter.
Visit http://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en-US/ski-holidays-11EN.html or try http://www.inspireditaly.com/ski/tirler-hotel/ & http://www.inspireditaly.com/ski/hotel-gardena-grodnerhof/ for a couple of the higher end hotels.
If I can help further, drop me a note - we live in the valley for the winter months.
Thanks, Tim
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Poster: A snowHead
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| CathS wrote: |
Have a look at Collett's holidays in the Dolomites.
I had a great ski trip staying in one of their catered chalets in Badia (near Corvara) last year. Loads of intermediate level skiing in stunning surroundings, and they run daily hosted walks and snowshoeing excursions, plus some cross-country skiing. There were lots of non-skiers staying at the chalet going out on the walks etc everyday. They also do hosted skiing if you don't like skiing on your own.
A bonus was that the food everywhere was fantastic and it was cheaper than France on every front too!
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This
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Have a look at Whistler. If you go late enough i the season the skiing is still great but the valley is clear of snow on all the hiking trails. Your dates are too early for that but there are plenty of organised snowshoe walks, or just do your own thing on the trails if you prefer that.
Gondola to Mountain top so can join you for lunch too, although that blows the lift ticket saving.
Most hotels have balconys and pools and the shopping is there aplenty. Always a trip down to Vancouver is feeling adventurous.
You have to do it at least once.
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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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There is a company called MGS ski that operate in a resort called Val Cenies There are a few reds and blacks on the mountain and some of the best off piste in southern france they also do guided skiing in the afternoon, mostly some off pite depending on ability. most of the acommidation has Verandas and I reccon the sik school does walks there are also social events almost every night. there is a swimming pool in resort and some ace piste front/ not piste front acommadation give them a ring and rachel should be able to tell you everything you need to know they are really nice and helpful and will do all they can to make sure you enjoy your stay.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anywhere there is a big (ish) town. Chamonix fits the bill well with lots to do and easy access to restaurants at the top of mountains etc to meet for lunch. Catch a bus to one of the other areas and walk back (there are loads of snow walks maintained along the valley). And a trip up the Aiguille du Midi.
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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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Well, thanks again folks, especially CathS and Frosty the Snowman, we've booked with Collets to go to Corvara in the Dolomites. They seem a good independent company with someone on the end of the phone who knows the product well.
Got flights with BA at civilised times for <£200 - complete with a nice 23kg baggage allowance, in flight snacks and drinks.
As I said all suggestions were looked into and all helped us decide what we really wanted. Luxury Swiss resort next season, maybe.
Let the webcam obsession begin
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I would look a Wengen. The train makes access for non skiers very easy.
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agw, Kronplatz has what must be the most modern or at least one of the most modern lift infrastructures anywhere. Very high proportion of gondolas so easy up lift and down lift for pedestrians. Look at www.kronplatz.com
We stay at www.mareo.it but that is self catering. Plenty of hotels. Swimming pool is in Reishach and plenty of accommodation there. Leisure centre / pool website is at www.cron4.com Top right of web page for the website in English
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I am a non skier (my husband skis) - and we go to Wengen every other year for a fortnight. I think it is great for non skiers - the trains make it very easy to travel around (with and without your other half) - and the wealth of footpaths mean there are loads of walks to do from the dead easy to the more challenging. And I agree - a balcony is essential - we stay at the Alpenrose and sitting in the sun on the balcony with a cup of tea after a walk is bliss!
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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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I'm grateful for all the sugggestions, but we have now booked to go to Corvara (see a few posts ago).
The deciding factor (apart from the recommendations here!) was that Collet's do their own, in house, guided walking and have a lot of experience with that.
SWMBO decided that was more important than some of the other things on her wish list.
Thankfully the Italians seem much more tolerant than the French of British companies guiding/ski hosting their guests so I'll have someone to ski with too.
Collet's seem to have a good relationship with the local ski school which no doubt helps.
Also - snow forecast for next week! (I know it's a long time until March but we all do this, don't we?)
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alisonw44, welcome to snowHeads
agw, hope you have a great time. Heading to Sella Ronda (Arabba) for the first time in 4 weeks, so similarly hooked on the web cams and snow reports for that region.
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FAQ
