 Poster: A snowHead
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On another thread "St Anton is by no means rubbish. I just think it's been over-hyped over the years. Most of the main resort skiing is also south facing which is never a good thing. I'd compare it Meribel. Full of Brits who swear by it, but for the Europeans in the know, there's better out there".
Which got me thinking; Which are the better resorts for Europeans in the know that the Brits don't swear by?
Any thoughts?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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continuing the tyrolean theme Serfaus fiss, Expansive area, seldom visited by brits.
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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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What are the factors that make one resort better than others?
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The only people who find the Arlberg over-hyped are piste skiers.
For piste skiing, they are correct IMV!
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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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Wot clarky999, said
DavidYacht, try a French/Swiss/Italian/ Austrian forum
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I agree with clarky999, St.Anton is not over-hyped. The Austrians themselves consider the Arlberg to be the best resort in Austria. You'll find an awful lot of Swiss from the Zürich area ski there as well!
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is also a great resort which for some reason has not yet been discovered by the Brits. There are a load of such places though. Take a look at the Montafon maybe.
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I'm not sure that anywhere the cloggies, moulesfriteois or zee Germanz mob has anything higher to recommend it than rosbif favoured resorts.
The only people I tend to take notice of are ski pros going skiing elsewhere as a badge of recommendation - e.g.the Chamonix ski instructor I spoke to on a lift who was stoked about going to Alagna the following week to do some guiding.
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Good skiing is what you enjoy not what someone else defines it as. Virtually all resorts suit some skiers some of the time very well indeed, no resort is to everyones taste.
Don't know that any nationality has identical tastes or is either wrong or right, there are as many Brits abhor as adore Meribel.
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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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Engelberg, Andermatt, Monterosa, Val d'anniviers, Courmayeur are a few less Brit popular places with some great terrain
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I don't know if 'The Good ski Guide' is still published every year but at the end it had a section where it had a table full of such as beginner, off piste, expert, nightlife, scenery etc etc. there were about twenty five boxes and every resort was given ticks in the areas that it excelled in.
It was a good way of choosing the resort for you. A friend an I decided to look which resort had the most ticks and go there the next year. the resort that had most ticks, by some margain, was Whistler. So we went and it was, indeed, pretty awesome.
I once did a ski leaders course and the guy who took the course seemed to have skied more resorts than anyone I'd met. I asked him if he could choose one resort where would it be. He responed with 'Heavenly' in the States. I've asked this question of many people since and you get a different answer from each.
It was me who wrote the stuff about St Anton. It always appears in world top ten lists and I was slightly disappointed in St Anton itself rather than the whole Alberg area which is great.
I think a lot of it depends on age. fifteen years ago I was happy to jump into the Whistler bowls and ski the powder all day. Now I think the Dolomites are about as good as it gets where I can pootle about from village to village under the most breathtaking of backdrops.
I spent all last week talking round the dinner table with lots of older folk who'd skied all over the world. some of places everyone seemed to love were: courchevel and VT (Not Meribel), Lech and Zurs, Cervinia and Zermat (Much cheaper to get the linked pass in Italy and ski over every day) Mayrhoffen, Verbier, Vail, Whistler, Arraba, and Ishgl. These were older folk. I'm sure a group of extreme type youngster would have gone for Jakson, Le grave, Chamonix Alaska etc.
I think the weather when you go is so important. Whistler wins more awards than most but but it often rains there lower down as we know from the olympics. A sunny day in fresh powder can make any resort the best in the world. One of my most memorable days skiing ever was at a tiny resort in Andorra called Pal...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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DavidYacht, Letting the cat out of the bag.........................
1....No where in France.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Tue 23-04-13 17:03; edited 1 time in total
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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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Grimentz, Zinal, Disentis, Andermatt, Alagna, Stubai, Sonnenkopf, Riezlern etc - you hear few English voices here, just the occasional Lancastrian and one or two others in the know. Been to the three Valleys on a few trips and whilst I have enjoyed the terrain, once you sit down for a bit of lunch you never feel like feel like your in France more like Surrey sur le neige. Same in the summer why go to the Dordogne when you can go to the Alsace region.
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You know it makes sense.
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| theskibob wrote: |
5......Orelle
7......No where in France. |
Did they move it?
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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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A lot of British people who seek resort recommendations on Snowheads appear to "want it all" - often long lists of criteria to be met. People living close to the mountains, and knowing them well, probably have a whole list of places where they might go to spend a day, when conditions are propitious. They possibly don't expect to find it all in one place. For example there's apparently some excellent off piste skiing and touring opportunities in Areches-Beaufort. I've enjoyed some good days there (on piste) but the place still wouldn't suit the average British holidaymaker who wants endless different pistes to ski and lively "apres".
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Poster: A snowHead
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Val d'Isere
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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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I was talking to a Grenoble local in L2A at Easter. Rather than L2A and ADH (she was there for work) the locals use the smaller closer resorts. She usually goes to Les Sept Laux.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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In my experience, Brits are fixated by no of km in a resort in a way that the locals aren't. Many Swiss/Austrians/Germans* will head for a small resort because they've learned that they won't internally combust if thy have to ski the same run twice in a day!
*its entirely possible that other nations also do, it's just these are the ones I have experience of.
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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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Civetta
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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
In my experience, Brits are fixated by no of km in a resort in a way that the locals aren't. Many Swiss/Austrians/Germans* will head for a small resort because they've learned that they won't internally combust if thy have to ski the same run twice in a day!
*its entirely possible that other nations also do, it's just these are the ones I have experience of. |
From reading these blogs, I got the impression that the fixation was on the quality of the après. First, and sometimes only, question asked about a proposed destination. 
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I think that resorts in the 3V's or Val D'Isere appeal to Brits because 1, we come a long way; 2, concentrate all our skiing in one week; 3, want cruisy piste skiing without covering the same ground, because many of us don't have the skills of the natives. To be more precise, these are probably the criteria of the TO's (+ altitude).
The reason for the post was I was intrigued to see what other "secret" resorts are out there that may have been overlooked by British TO's that are worthy of consideration. For instance we regularly see Serfaus mentioned, but this does not make the main pages of WTSS.
This year a skied in La Clusaz and Valmorel, both perfectly good resorts, which no longer warrant a listing in the WTSS, presumably because their low height makes them unattractive to the Tour Operators who advertise in the publication.
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Many of those "secret" resorts overlooked by the british TOs might often just be a different village linked in the same ski area.
The Dutch all go to Mayrhofen anyway, mainly for the apres afaict. Probably outnumber the Brits there? and that is one on the Brit TO radar. But Zell am Ziller, Gerlos, Kaltenbach etc. all on the same pass you'll be lucky to hear an English voice, and occasionally you hear a Dutch group. IME. Free multistorey or open parking a few minutes from the Autobahn make those popular with day trippers. And on a Saturday am, the road out is chokka with Dutch, Belgian and Brit cars, but going in to the valley is empty. Plenty of other Austrian resorts in a similar situation... autobahn nearby, free parking all day,...
Define "best"... just snow, terrain, etc.? or resort facilities, access, apres, etc.?
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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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Claude B, Les Sept Laux may be smaller than Alpe d'Huez and Les 2 Alpes but it is hardly a small resort. Like other pretty big resorts such as Vars it just doesn't register with the UK tour operators.
One of the reasons it is popular with the people from Grenoble is that there are huge traffic jams out of the city along the N91 at weekends. And the skiing is pretty good as well.
For really small resorts try the Chartreuse http://pistehors.com/backcountry/wiki/Ski-Areas/Chartreuse.
France has hundreds of these tiny resorts, not only in the Alps, but also in the Voges, Massive Central and Pyrenees. I was investigating some of the tiny resorts in the Apennine mountains of central Italy for a weekend trip last winter but eventually settled on Gressoney.
In fact the resorts used by the British are only a tiny fraction of the number available. However I am not sure that the situation is any different from the other European nations. Most of these these smaller resorts are happy catering for the local population.
I am surprised that Valmorel has made the main pages of WTSS since this appears to be a popular resort for UK tour operators, or at least used to be.
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| pam w wrote: |
| A lot of British people who seek resort recommendations on Snowheads appear to "want it all" - often long lists of criteria to be met. People living close to the mountains, and knowing them well, probably have a whole list of places where they might go to spend a day, when conditions are propitious. They possibly don't expect to find it all in one place. |
Very good point. There are some tiny places around here that, when conditions are right for them, easily rival any of the well known spots. The problem is, if conditions aren't right, you generally have to work harder to find fun stuff, as they don't have so many options. It's great when you're able to pick and choose between them, but would be hard work for a week's holiday.
Nordkette, Stubai (ok, that one's bigger, with loads of options), Schlick 2000, Axamer Lizum, Achensee, etc... Pack a pair of skins and there's always something rad to be had, and much less competition for powder. Check the wePowder resort list for lots of 'unknown (or at least not talked about) gems...'
Only a couple of lifts, but they open up a hell of a lot of terrain at Nordkette, even without counting the touring stuff off the back:
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Mon 22-04-13 18:11; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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johnE, True, it's still quite large. I've heard very good reports of Col D'Ornon, which is small and I think only opens a day or so a week outside of the French holiday.
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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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Les 7 Laux is great but does get quite busy at the weekends because it is so close to Grenoble
i went there on a weekday in January and it felt like there were only about 50 people on the hill. good times (esp since there was about 10cm of fresh and blue skies) 
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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
In my experience, Brits are fixated by no of km in a resort in a way that the locals aren't. Many Swiss/Austrians/Germans* will head for a small resort because they've learned that they won't internally combust if thy have to ski the same run twice in a day!
*its entirely possible that other nations also do, it's just these are the ones I have experience of. |
Add Americans/Canadians.
But I'm curious, do "local" mountains in Switzerland/Austria advertise (in local language) the number of km's in their resort as prominantly as the English?
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You know it makes sense.
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Skiing Heavenly is truly something to behold, if you appreciate scenery...skiing off most of the runs, I felt as though I was going to ski right into Lake Tahoe. Stunning.
Dug out my old onsie, had lift passes from Heavenly on there from 1998~
But in terms of terrain, Kirkwood is actually the better mountain, but that again is one of the secrets better known by the locals, that's where we went, let the tourists go to Heavenly.
I thought the skiing at Verbier was super fun, apart from the red and blue runs, which were akin to the M25 of skiing...
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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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| Quote: |
Good skiing is what you enjoy not what someone else defines it as. Virtually all resorts suit some skiers some of the time very well indeed, no resort is to everyones taste.
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Spot on
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Poster: A snowHead
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The red run into Alleghe in Italy is almost addictive. We just couldn't leave it and had to keep doing it over and over again. Great resort and just up fromTreviso airport.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hochfugen , is a real little gem , with great OP, when we stayed there last year , the hotel had to specially print the menus in English for us ,
Great access to the rest of the valley to 
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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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| cameronphillips2000 wrote: |
| The red run into Alleghe in Italy is almost addictive. We just couldn't leave it and had to keep doing it over and over again. Great resort and just up fromTreviso airport. |
The point just above is so true, I did not like the Alleghe side of the mountain as it is almost entirely in the shade, much preferred the runs on the other side going down into Zoldo Alto.
Horses for courses.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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The thing about the Alleghe run is that it winds through the trees like a snake and, unusually seems to tilt like a bobsleigh run on each bend. Truly sensational treeline skiing. I haven't met many who've skied Civetta, but those I have found agree, for a weekend away, it takes some beating. The backdrop against Civetta and looking over to Pelmio is as good as it gets.
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Spent winter 2004/05 in Civetta skiing Val Zoldano and surrounds.
Superb area and the first place I'd take an absolute beginner in Europe.
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| DavidYacht wrote: |
On another thread "St Anton is by no means rubbish. I just think it's been over-hyped over the years. Most of the main resort skiing is also south facing which is never a good thing. I'd compare it Meribel. Full of Brits who swear by it, but for the Europeans in the know, there's better out there".
Which got me thinking; Which are the better resorts for Europeans in the know that the Brits don't swear by?
Any thoughts? |
Thats why the folk in the know 90% ski the North facing ie Rendl & Stuben.
The other 10% is just to get to the Apres Ski on the south facing side.
St Anton is truly international.
On average the British or English speaking Americans,Candaians,Australians etc) make up about 50% .
This is matched By the Germans (just look in the car parks) wheo tend to come for only 2 or 3 days.
Only the Germans from the North come for longer. Most germans stay out if town.
As mentioned a lot if Swiss from Zurich area.
Scandinavians have always had a large presence. Dutch have been increasing over
The last few years now with their own operated chalets.
Russians Eastern Europeans and Spanish are exponentialy increasing in numbers.
In truth you meet people from all corners of the globe.
If its Piste skiing you want just go to France.
People go to St Anton for the easily accesible lift served Off Piste.
Apres Ski is a bonus but there is better in places like Ischgl,Saalbach,Solden.
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