 Poster: A snowHead
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My partner and I have just returned from a week in St Anton where we made our first forays into off piste skiing with instruction from the Arlberg ski school. We really enjoyed it and are thinking about what other resorts in Europe have good amounts of off piste with a reasonable amount of easy stuff, as well as good instruction or guidance available.
Can anyone give any recommendations for other skiing areas that would fit in with what we’re looking for ? Other factors would be interesting on piste skiing, nice town/ resort although not really worried about the whole “apres” thing and ideally not too expensive.
Any suggestions much appreciated.
Thanks
PeteH
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ste Foy is worth a try.
Zinal (www.skizinal.com).
Mountaintracks, who sponsor this page, also worth a look.
Ski Freshtracks (linked to Ski Club GB) worth a look as you can see which resorts they favour for your standard.
Some of the US resorts also great and not that expensive once there eg Grand Targhee. Liltle known outside US.
Have fun looking (because that is all part of the joy if skiing ie finding new places)
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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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Thanks for those suggestions, I'll have a look.
I agree finding new places is part of the fun of it !
cheers
PeteH
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Starting off with St Anton is setting the bar pretty high...  I'd just go back there (and do, far too often).
Val d'Isere has a lot of off piste and a lot of schools do off piste tuition, Tignes might be a cheaper option for the same network.
Engelberg is a major off piste resort, again a few local guides based there.
Andermatt - I've yet to get there myself but has a similar reputation to Engelberg.
Chamonix has tons and tons, lots of it very serious but lots is not so serious.
Les Contamines is a nice area with good off piste, but I suspect not so many off piste courses run there (but worth checking with the ski school).
The Monterosa area in Aosta (Champoluc/Gressoney/Alagna) has lots of great off piste and a few guides work there.
Zermatt (the other side of the ridge from Monterosa) has a lot of off piste and good tuition options.
And if you are up to it La Grave has only off piste ... Not been (yet), but if you are fit and have a bit of experience it's something to look at, but maybe get a few more weeks under you belt first to get the most out of it.
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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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Off to Les 2 Alpes for a first go at it, probably doesn't tick the nice town box for you but loads of piste and off piste skiing ranging from dead easy to as extreme as it comes and La Grave is just round the corner. I'm having lessons with Charlotte, www.easiski.com .
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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If youve got a guide then I'd agree with the comments above but if you want to potter yourself off-the-side-of-the-piste (ie. not proper middle of nowhere jaunts) then I've come to a recent conclusion that the "family friendly" resorts are very good for this. Generally speaking the families all tend to be faffing around the beginners bits leaving lovely untracked and easily accessible areas untouched for days after the last snowfall. Anywhere easily accessible after a dump in Chamonix or Verbier is tracked out before breakfast!
It's worked well for me for long-weekends in Flaine, Chatel and Wengen.... 
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More useful advice - thanks!
Agreed, starting with St Anton did make it difficult to go anywhere else. We would like to go again, but it's not cheap!!
cheers
PeteH
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Baqueira Beret. Allegedly ran on the US model where in-bounds off piste is controlled. Lots of easy and not so easy stuff to dip in and out of. Better yet the local Avi information is excellent.
www.baqueira.es
Beer in the valley is cheap too 
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