Ski season 2016/2017

maddness

Sorry to hear your bad news. April might be very dodgy for the PDS. You might get away with Avioraz but I'd imagine the rest of the region would be pretty bare.

masseyno9

As above, April might be a bit late, with the exception of Avoriaz. You'll never know how the weather will be. Based on my limited experience there (1 season working in Les Gets), Morzine and Les Gets might be challenged at that point. Avoriaz will most likely have some snow left, and getting there form Morzine is easy, so you should be able to salvage something. Can't comment on booking.com's policies, but I'd try contact the accommodation directly, they're mostly reasonable people who would have the foresight to see that helping you out now could pay off with more bookings in the future and recommendations etc.

a148pro

That's funny - whenever I book anything on booking it seems to blurt free cancellation constantly. If there's no loss to you you may as well keep the accommodation? Might get lucky with late snow and I'm sure avoriaz will be good. Could alternatively go in summer and do some mountain biking? May even be able to mountain bike in april if snow is bad?

Sorry to hear you had to cancel but bad season for snow this year anyway so if its going to happen this might not be the worst year for it to happen in, if that's any consolation

Rew

q85dw7osi4lebg

Guys / Girls,

Hoping to get away in March for a week and looking for a few suggestions.

There will be 5/6 of us travelling, a mix of beginners and intermediates. Criteria are a resort with a relatively high altitude, reliable-ish snow for second / third week March, and decent apres ski. We aren't p**s heads but have been to La Plagne (great skiing) and a few other resorts that have been DEAD after 5pm.

Any suggestions welcome!

d2ww

Big difference between beginning and end of March conditions/options wise. Earlier, obviously being the better.

Rew

Cecilia Scary Ball wrote: »

Guys / Girls,

Hoping to get away in March for a week and looking for a few suggestions.

There will be 5/6 of us travelling, a mix of beginners and intermediates. Criteria are a resort with a relatively high altitude, reliable-ish snow for second / third week March, and decent apres ski. We aren't p**s heads but have been to La Plagne (great skiing) and a few other resorts that have been DEAD after 5pm.

Any suggestions welcome!

L2A has a glacier and good altitude, heading there my self that week with the family. Havent been before so not 100% sure what the apres is like but I believe its decent enough. Good mix of slopes there. Got very cheap flights to Lyon out of Belfast.

Meribel is always good craic, 3V lift pass gives options for the better skiers. You can get cheaper accommodation up the hill in Motteret the down side being you have to get the (free, short trip) bus it back there if you go on the piss in Meribel centre. We did it 2 trips there and had a fantastic time, esp in a bar on the slopes called Le Rond Point.

Doing a trip with the lads to Andora in early March, cheap booze and good slops for beginners and intermediates. Its gotten a good dump of snow so far.

q85dw7osi4lebg

Rew wrote: »

L2A has a glacier and good altitude, heading there my self that week with the family. Havent been before so not 100% sure what the apres is like but I believe its decent enough. Good mix of slopes there. Got very cheap flights to Lyon out of Belfast.

Meribel is always good craic, 3V lift pass gives options for the better skiers. You can get cheaper accommodation up the hill in Motteret the down side being you have to get the (free, short trip) bus it back there if you go on the piss in Meribel centre. We did it 2 trips there and had a fantastic time, esp in a bar on the slopes called Le Rond Point.

Doing a trip with the lads to Andora in early March, cheap booze and good slops for beginners and intermediates. Its gotten a good dump of snow so far.

Thanks for the steer!

Was in Pas De La Casa last year with the lads, great craic and very very cheap. We had looked into it this year but struggling with any half decent accommodation offerings for the group!

Rew

Cecilia Scary Ball wrote: »

Thanks for the steer!

Was in Pas De La Casa last year with the lads, great craic and very very cheap. We had looked into it this year but struggling with any half decent accommodation offerings for the group!

Its Pasa we are going to, an tips/info appreciated! I've never been to Andora and the couple in the group that have it was 5-10 years ago.

We were in St Anton last year, good skiing and apres but I wouldn't recommend it for beginners.

q85dw7osi4lebg

Rew wrote: »

Its Pasa we are going to, an tips/info appreciated! I've never been to Andora and the couple in the group that have it was 5-10 years ago.

We were in St Anton last year, good skiing and apres but I wouldn't recommend it for beginners.

Last year we had no beginners with us but of the few beginners we met I don't think it was the most suitable for them either. There is one main lift up out of the resort and they are nearly all blacks and reds to get back down.

Some people complain about Grandvalira being too small but we managed to find new runs every day for the 5 days, some nice bars and restaurants in each valley too so you won't go hungry. You can ski to Soldeu for lunch and its a nice cruise back.

There was decent apres 1/2 days a week last year in Aparthotel Olimpiades which is a ski in / out hotel near the main lift in Pas.

Good choice of restaurants and bars too although it is a fairly young crowd and they are mostly Spanish.

Here's last years footage.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQj9fsWoo4g

pgibbo

Rew wrote: »

L2A has a glacier and good altitude, heading there my self that week with the family. Havent been before so not 100% sure what the apres is like but I believe its decent enough. Good mix of slopes there. Got very cheap flights to Lyon out of Belfast.

Meribel is always good craic, 3V lift pass gives options for the better skiers. You can get cheaper accommodation up the hill in Motteret the down side being you have to get the (free, short trip) bus it back there if you go on the piss in Meribel centre. We did it 2 trips there and had a fantastic time, esp in a bar on the slopes called Le Rond Point.

Doing a trip with the lads to Andora in early March, cheap booze and good slops for beginners and intermediates. Its gotten a good dump of snow so far.

L2A is very good. Up at the glacier is beautiful. The last couple of times I've been there, 2015 & 2016, the only way to ski back to the resort was via a black that was quite cut up. Queues for the lifts back down are nuts if you're not competent on the blacks back to the resort.

Some very good apres ski too. An excellent selection of bars and restaurants. It's very family friendly too. I went with the lads in 2015 and family in 2016. It caters for both holiday types very well.

P.

omicron

pgibbo wrote: »

L2A is very good. Up at the glacier is beautiful. The last couple of times I've been there, 2015 & 2016, the only way to ski back to the resort was via a black that was quite cut up. Queues for the lifts back down are nuts if you're not competent on the blacks back to the resort
P.

There's a new blue run back to resort now, opened last year.

pgibbo

omicron wrote: »

There's a new blue run back to resort now, opened last year.

Correct, it was closed most of the week as conditions deteriorated and snow melted. It was like soup at the end of the day early in the week we were there. That was the 1st week in Feb IIRC. Nice run though early in the week when it was open.

a148pro

Ischgl, Val Thorens

Not sure about either for beginners though?

olaola

a148pro wrote: »

Ischgl, Val Thorens

Not sure about either for beginners though?

Ischgl is good for beginners when you get up the first Gondola, loads of lovely blues about Idalp & over to Alp Trida. And some nice blues into Switzerland when you get the hang of things. No real options for getting back into the village, but you can always take the gondola down.

DoraDelite

Saalbach bound tomorrow

cormee

DoraDelite wrote: »

Saalbach bound tomorrow

Is this your second trip?

T-b0n3

DoraDelite wrote: »

Saalbach bound tomorrow

I booked Saalbach Hinterglemm during the week.

Never been to Austria before, looking forward to experiencing a new country and can't wait to get back skiing again.

Anyone that's been before have any tips or advice for the area?

olaola

T-b0n3 wrote: »

I booked Saalbach Hinterglemm during the week.

Never been to Austria before, looking forward to experiencing a new country and can't wait to get back skiing again.

Anyone that's been before have any tips or advice for the area?

Austria is my preferred destination, and my fave resort is Saalbach! If I won the lotto, I'd be buying a spot there. All roads lead to home, great lifts, good apres, decent snow, nice mountain huts and not wildly expensive.

If you're in the market for ski school, I really recommend this crowd: http://www.skischule-saalbach.at/en/ they have a really decent rental/school deal. Also, a night up at the Spielberg Haus is recommended, incl the toboggan down afterwards. The ski school organise a night up there, it's really great craic.

Lunch in Alte Schmeide is worth a trip, and the runs into Leogang are lovely. Taverne in the village is good for some apres apres apres.

fmlarnapairce

Just back from Montafon valley in Austria, good spot. Not the biggest resort but had everything that was required. People very nice. Didn't snow at all, blue skies, but pistes held up very well and a bit of powder to be had if you were prepared to put in the work for it. Stayed in Gaschurn, small enough town but bit of apres, couple of restaurants etc. also came across the best apres ski bar of my travels, Lama Hutte on the red route back to town. yes, better than krazy kangaroo or mooskwirtz. All in all, highly recommended resort!

a148pro

fmlarnapairce wrote: »

also came across the best apres ski bar of my travels, Lama Hutte on the red route back to town. yes, better than krazy kangaroo or mooskwirtz. All in all, highly recommended resort!

Bold claims, but ones I welcome - what was so good about them? Am fascinated about discovering an undiscovered Moose, i.e., a mad Austrian apres bear with only Austrians there

fmlarnapairce

a148pro wrote: »

Bold claims, but ones I welcome - what was so good about them? Am fascinated about discovering an undiscovered Moose, i.e., a mad Austrian apres bear with only Austrians there

for once in my life i can stand beside my bold claims!!
ACDC (hells bells) was rocking the joint when I went in on Friday last run home, for some reason they have a huge bell hanging outside the pub, which went off at appropriate times during the song (and various intervals afterwards). As you say, seemed to be all Austrians, plenty of lads standing on tables, crazy (non-hipster) beards and 'taches on show, just good ol' fashioned Austrian apres. It is based half way down a trickyish ski route to the town, and was even trickier after a few beers! I heard talk that they have planning to do a proper run down to the valley next year or year after so this particular spot is going to take off as will be more accessible. it is much smaller than KK or moose, but that adds to its charm!!

pgibbo

Any difference between Sport 2000 & Intersport for ski hire folks? I've always used Intersport but Sport 2000 are cheaper in Brixen than Intersport. Cheers.

P.

Rew

https://www.facebook.com/ns.newschoolers/videos/10154270181299103/

Rew

https://www.facebook.com/ns.newschoolers/videos/10154270181299103/

kal7

pgibbo,

I have found them to be similar, in two different resorts.

depends more on the shop itself.

Scarlet42

just back from my week in Chamonix .. took a while to get used to all the bus routes .. 18 of us went and was hard to hook up as we stayed in three different parts of town.. lessons all over the place with ESF.. so was hard to arrange to meet up with those in the ski school. my two kids where in Planards for the week .. which they got completely bored with at the end of the week .. I was hoping to bring them up to Brevent at the end of the week but high winds on sat closed all the lifts!
price of beer was 7.50 - 8.00 a pint .. didn't mind too much as wasn't drinking that much anyway
I have never skied a black run before .. so managed two this year which I was delighted with .. one out in Grande Montes .. starting up at 3200 meters "pont de vue" and finished at the car park .. it was amazing .. would loved to have stayed out there longer but had to get back to the kids.
overall the skiing was fantastic would love to get back again now that we know the lay of the land ..

one evening we got a bus into town and typical tourists missed the stop .. thinking that the bus would be returning we stayed on, turns out it was the last bus, the driver dumped us in the middle of nowhere AND it was pissing down ..three adults and two kids .. we thumbed a lift .. a lady stopped and was gong to drop us to the night bus stop .. she ended up leaving us back into town without her it would have been a complete nightmare!!

thanks to all who replied to my queries before we went

Sean

cormee

Scarlet42 wrote: »

I have never skied a black run before .. so managed two this year which I was delighted with .. one out in Grande Montes .. starting up at 3200 meters "pont de vue" and finished at the car park .. it was amazing ..

The piste that goes down to the car park is a red called the Pierre a Rich? Both great pistes, two of my favorites in the area. The Point de Vue is a difficult enough black too, so, good start to your career!

Scarlet42

So depressing going back to work in the rain this morning!
That red was very nice...but a bit icy!

cormee

Scarlet42 wrote: »

So depressing going back to work in the rain this morning!
That red was very nice...but a bit icy!

Yeh, there doesn't seem to have been a lot of snow in Chamonix in the last few weeks, so I'd say the busier slopes were threadbare. It's bucketing down now, and forecast to keep doing so for the next five days - I'm hoping to go there in early April, so I have the countdown/weather/webcam app set up on my phone and watching it closely
How would you rate Chamonix for children - would you bring them back there or would you try a different resort? I have neighbours who are bringing their kids in March, I'd never have considered it an ideal destination for young 'uns, myself.