 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
I am looking for your personal recommendations for ski resorts. I have spent a lot of time reading where to ski and snowboard but I get overwhelmed by the choice on offer and their 'often critical' opinion.
We are off to Portes De Soleil in Jan, having stayed in Morzine twice already in past years. Other than that I've only been to Whistler about 13 years ago and Scotland! To me it seems that Portes de Soleil is not one of Ski and Snowboards favourites but I have to say that I love it, but then again I not much else to compare it to. However I really would like a change but am struggling to decide.
General requirements are:
Reasonably Snow sure
Vast extent
Treeline and exposed skiing.
A varied level of terrain for youngest who is blue/red run level and up to us - red/black. Kids are aged 12 and 8.
We like Chalets but are open to stay in a hotel
Budget - Courchevel 1850 prices is probably a step too far!
The other additional requirement is that we might go next xmas/new year which means we would probably need to book soonish.
I did like the sound of Cervinia/Zermatt and La Thuile keeps coming up on Crystal ski.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi Mini-Mo
Val D'Isere is just amazing. I kept away from it for years as I assumed it would be too posh and stuck up. It really is not, and the skiing is superb.
Avoriaz is great too. Different in scale.
Zermatt is excellent (not quite so linked) skiing and a stunning town.
As a started for 10
J
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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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They're basically all the same. You go up and come down again, and get a cup of beer sometimes.
Your requirements scream '3 valleys' quite loudly though. Stay in La Tania.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Tignes / Val D'isere & Milky Way
Still looking for more challenging areas
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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mini_mo, let me pitch the Dolomites in here, before somebody else does - if you are not looking for rip roaring apres ski then Arabba would be a great base. Vast extent of skiing, reasonably snow sure, plenty of tree line skiing and the Marmolada to get above it all. Budget will be well below the French 'ski sheds' and the food and ambiance well above ( AIMHO of course ).
Oh I forgot to mention the scenery, which to be honest is very hard to beat 
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Go to Les Arcs.
"Reasonably Snow sure"; tick. One of the most snow-sure resorts in France.
"Vast extent"; tick. Over 200kms of pistes in the local area, or you can get the Paradiski pass which also gives you access to La Plagne and anther 225km of pistes.
"Treeline and exposed skiing"; tick. There is a glacier, the exposed Arc 2000 bowl is nice, and plenty of tree lined runs around Peisey/Vallandry.
"A varied level of terrain for youngest who is blue/red run level and up to us - red/black. Kids are aged 12 and 8". Tick. Plenty of gentle cruisey blues to improve on, and some brilliant reds. A really good place to learn and improve.
"We like Chalets but are open to stay in a hotel". Tick. Arc 2000 has the most chalets, plus some hotels. Arc 1950 has apartments in the main plus hotels and is the most expensive part of resort. Arc 1600 is fairly quiet but has hotels and apartments. And Arc 1800 is the liveliest with a variety of hotels and apartments.
"Budget - Courchevel 1850 prices is probably a step too far!". Tick, there are all sorts of options from 2* self-catered apartments to higher end hotels and apartments.
I'm biassed as I did a season there, but its my favourite ski area anywhere, I think its an amazing place.
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Thanks all. Will investigate further 
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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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Alpbach Austria or Kimberley BC or Panorama Canada are good for quiet ski holidays can be good value - book direct in alpbach
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Alpbach has some good plus points, but "vast extent" isn't one of them.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Val d'Isere, Vail, La Praz, or at a push Val Gardena
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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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Sounds like what we're after for our 2014 family trip, but "shortish transfer" also applies (hence PdS for the last couple of years).
I'd be interested in any other suggestions, particularly of the "not France but with decent lift system" variety...
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pam w, Wrong, the new link with the Wildschonau has opened up loads more skiing. Snow sure and modern uplift with drag lifts being replaced with detachable 6 & 8 seater heated chairlifts. Austria offers way more these days than people realise. Too many still living in the past and not keeping up to date with things.
Way too many Brits are hung up on the size of an area. Remember guys it's not how big it is that counts, but what you can do with it!  Sorry but the vast majority of tourist skiers I see on the pistes are definitely not the ski gods they think they are!
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You know it makes sense.
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Agrre Pam Nothing better than repeating the same great run a few times Extent is way over-rated.
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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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As noted Alpbach has been linked by a new gondola to the next door resort - the original resort is a quality resort and we returned in jan 2012 as we learnt to ski there - the adage if you can ski alpbach you can ski anywhere is still true and now it is larger should suit the quantity over quality brigade
The accommodation and restaurants match the ski content - we re off to sun peaks this time where the Austrian ski team train - as well as Alpbach think about it .......
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Poster: A snowHead
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Samerberg Sue, Where is it you are based, you've good knowledge of many resorts in Austria. Do you have appartments etc
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
Way too many Brits are hung up on the size of an area
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Well count me out. I have skied the same limited (185km) area for months, for the last ten years.
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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've been to Hemel about ten times.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
Way too many Brits are hung up on the size of an area
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Well count me out. I have skied the same limited (185km) area for months, for the last ten years. |
Not sure if I'd call 185km of pistes a limited ski area.
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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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Val D'isere and ADH are two resorts I'd go back to in a heartbeat - high, loads of snow, masses of varied terrain, good sized towns with plenty to do, self-contained without being in tiny satellite villages scattered around the hill.
Val probably has the better tree coverage up in Le Fornet, but there are plenty of alpine runs in both resorts for when the weather closes in.
Budget-wise, we got great deals in both resorts.... £350 for a CC for a week in VD, flying from gatwick at the start of December 08, though Yseski..... £300 for a week in a catered chalet-hotel in ADH through crystal in March 09.... Euro was pretty strong against the pound both times so didn't really get bargains but we did a fair bit of drinking without having to remortgage the house 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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What's the transfer time from Grenoble to Alpy Doopers?
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| andy from embsay wrote: |
| What's the transfer time from Grenoble to Alpy Doopers? |
About an hour if I remember rightly, maybe 90 mins if there's traffic
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| Specialman wrote: |
| andy from embsay wrote: |
| What's the transfer time from Grenoble to Alpy Doopers? |
About an hour if I remember rightly, maybe 90 mins if there's traffic |
Cool - sounds reasonable for a family trip. Near La Grave too...
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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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Hi
Ski and snowboard have always slated the Portes du Soleil, they need to research the area more as it has some of the best snow falls in France, any photos of the publishers of ski and snowboard always seem to be in Val D'Isere where they always give it a glowing report, what a suprise!!! Something going on there!
Paolo
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snowfit, I live on the German Austrian border and ski in both Tirol and Salzburgerland. I've been skiing for more years than I care to remember and should be a lot better than I am, but I get by. I also lived and worked in France for many years so I also know a large number of resorts there as well as in Switzerland and to a lesser extent, Italy. However I rarely comment on French resorts as it is many years since I skied there regularly so my actual information is not exactly up to date. Despite being half French, I prefer the skiing and ambiance in Austria. It reminds me of how wonderful France used to be before the Parisians, Lyonnaise and Marsaillaise racketeers moved into the Alps.
I do not own any apartments, I even rent my current home. I work in Germany full time and spend my hard-earned money skiing in Austria! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If I am staying mostly on piste I will def want a vast ski area. I would cover 150km in one day and it becomes tedious repeating that for another 6
No-one has mentioned 3V but courchevel is too expensive and this is best base. Val Thorens has no trees
Val dIsere may not be good for blue/red slope skier as they won't be able to ski back to resort. There are few enough trees there. Tignes perfect but no trees. I think les Arcs great recommendation
Never skiied PdS. Always backed off on basis it seems very low so would be first place to suffer if poor snow or rise in temperatures, plus seems biggest descents only about 500m (I love long runs with 1000m descent in EK)? Plus I understand far more awkward to get around than eg 3V? But I stand to be corrected
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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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errr yes they did......
| Mr Piehole wrote: |
They're basically all the same. You go up and come down again, and get a cup of beer sometimes.
Your requirements scream '3 valleys' quite loudly though. Stay in La Tania. |
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ansta1, thanks for pointing out. Clearly I was skimming replies
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You know it makes sense.
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| patricksh wrote: |
| I would cover 150km in one day. |
Average speed ~20kph all day, including the time spent on lifts. Pretty good going.
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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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| alpineconnection wrote: |
| Ski and snowboard have always slated the Portes du Soleil. |
No, they haven't.
Hope that helps.
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