2022/2023 winter season thread

AH, am flipping and flopping from Zell to a chalet in France to Fiss to Kronplatz... I'm bamboozled. But I need to get my arse in gear and get it sorted. I've spent DAYS researching resorts. I'm humped over and goggle-eyed! We're a quite late booking this year - usually we're boxed off by May or so. I'm sure I'll find something 🤪.

Sure! I'm open to any suggestions!

I used to torture myself each year like this. But then I realised there's always next year (or later this year if you spoil yourself). So just find one resort that works and book it and you can try the other ones in future years. You'll get there in the end, if global warming doesn't get us all first. Don't be worried about the perfect trip this year.

The reality the last few years is this has become a bit more unpredictable. I wouldn't say it's guaranteed, there definitely will be snow but the condition it will be in can depend. You take your chances and just deal with the conditions when you get there, fingers crossed it's a bumper powder year 😊

Decent dump of snow in most of the alps last two days, thankfully, early snow low down was washed away with rain.

Heading to grand massif in early feb, can't wait.i

Checking weather and webcams daily now.

Enjoy any time you get on the slopes.

I heard Norway got record breaking snow. Love the idea of skiing in unusual places, enjoy. Is it crazy money?

We love it, this is our second year in a row there. It was plenty big enough for us, 81km of runs spread over 69 slopes and 32 lifts. Not sure I'd call that a "ski hill".

Food and drink is eye-wateringly expensive alright and they don't do aprés but that doesn't bother me in the least as I've absolutely zero interest in it anyway.

Cost is the biggest downside imo, but the pros are that it's unbelievably well-run, there are virtually no queues for the lifts (depending on when you go), the whole resort is pretty much ski in/ski out and it seems to attract a uniformly polite type of skier.

Oh, and it's a nice short flight too - an hour and 45 minutes from Dublin to Oslo.

There's one bar (Laaven) that does (tame, by Alpine standards) aprés and is also the only nightclub in town.

The other good thing about Norway is that you can get duty free both in Dublin and when you land. If you pick up a few boxes of wine/bottles of spirits and are happy to do most of your drinking in your apartment, it makes the trip significantly cheaper than going out every night.

Skied Cervinia above it a few times. One of the longest piste desents in Europe is said to be from the top of Cervinia / Zermatt down to the bottom of Valtourneche, though from recollection there is one short button lift over a hump that interrupts it

A great thing to do in Cervinia is to get the last lift up to the top of the ridge, wait about half an hour then ski down with the Alpenglow on the Matterhorn (Mont Cervino in Italian). Majestic wide pistes and views, totally empty at that time, and its a really long run, superb. Could probably do similar to Valtourneche or get a bus from Cervinia.

Good eating on the pistes in Cervinia, Chalet Etoile for some Greta pleasing seafood at 2000m 🙄

The only tip I would have is be wary of the international pass - it gets you in to Zermatt but if you get a week long one you don't get the free days in the other Aosta valley resorts, which can be necessary as wind can sometimes close the entire Cervina / Valtourneche area. If that's a risk maybe upgrade your Aosta pass for the day that you want to go over to visit Zermatt. Definitely worth one trip for the Toblerone view of Matterhorn, the remarkable lift system and Europe's highest ski lift

If going turn off your phone as they will try and do you for 70 euro for sending a whats app

Only here for a short break and have done Courmayeur before so staying put. We were in the linked French resort (La Rosiere) today and the off piste was everywhere. Totally tracked out but the snow is so cold that it was still lovely and soft. They have this freeride zone thing which is just fantastic.

Aosta has so much to offer and I still haven't managed those three other valleys.

There are beginner slopes in almost all resorts and schools too.

Your choice would probably be dependent on the costs.

A small ski area would do for first week or weekend of skiing as you won't be travelling as far.

Some places even have couple of free lifts in beginner areas.