Who is going skiing and where in 2017

[housen]

snowing in Geneva this morn

[cashmax]

I guess you just need to pick your destination carefully in Europe, esp. in the Alps at this time of year. Early season definitely a lottery nowadays, but when you hit the jackpot it's unbeatable.

A few years ago now, Mont Blanc area, when conditions worked out perfectly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N7t2hU0CNY

[Cheib]

desolate said:

housen said:

14 sounds a lot to me

A resort like Verbier has access to about 60 I think. Verbier is pretty big, but I dont think it's the biggest.

If you are beginner/intermediate it's wasted a bit! but you can ski for hours and hours without skiing the same piste and that is without off piste.

I am not knocking smaller resorts, it just that they don't cut it for the better skiers.

Vertical separation is as important than the number of lifts as to how good a resort is (if not more important). You want a resort with ideally something like 1500m between the bottom and top lift stations and ideally more.

[housen]

Cheib said:

desolate said:

housen said:

14 sounds a lot to me

A resort like Verbier has access to about 60 I think. Verbier is pretty big, but I dont think it's the biggest.

If you are beginner/intermediate it's wasted a bit! but you can ski for hours and hours without skiing the same piste and that is without off piste.

I am not knocking smaller resorts, it just that they don't cut it for the better skiers.

Vertical separation is as important than the number of lifts as to how good a resort is (if not more important). You want a resort with ideally something like 1500m between the bottom and top lift stations and ideally more.

yeah agree

as long as im skiing above 2000m the whole time im happy

these sub/thereabouts 2k resorts struggle a lot these days

[malks222]

Welshbeef said:

I always have enjoyed summer holidays and naturally look forward to it - but asking holidays well I'm feeling like a child on Xmas eve I literally cannot wait.

Once a year
Great fun
Satisfying
Speed
Always a great apres ski
Up early doors
Everyone talking about things they saw on the pistes
The time when if your lucky you are first up and down a Piste you stand there looking at the untouched Piste.

yep, I completely agree. sitting at t=my desk looking at various weather forecasts, looking at piste maps, trying to roughly plan what to do for the first couple of days...... even the girlfriend (this'll be her 3rd ski holiday, 1st was a disaster, 2nd got pass marks) is looking forward to this years trip, bought new boots, even sitting looking up snowforecast on her lunch..... I think I may have finally got her to accept skiing is now an annual holiday for us!

but more importantly- theres a load of snow forecast for courchevel this week!!!! things weren't looking great there, but just like last year my timing looks spot on! we flew out on the 5th of January last year where it snowed about 0.5-1.0m over the 2 days before and first night in resort. so looks like this year should be equally as snowy! cannot wait!!

[foxsasha]

My kids (6 and 9 y/o) have been learning to ski with Snozone for some time now. we don't ski but sent the kids first because if they didn't like it then it was pointless us learning. We are starting lessons next week.

Where would you guys recommend for first timers and why? Looking for good quality accommodation and minimal fuss. Will need to hire the gear. I don't know what to expect cost wise and am one for value for money but we can do a grand a head for a week if needs be.

[malks222]

budget/ standard of accommodation will depend on when you are looking to go- eg: school holidays/ half term/ easter week or you happy to take the kids out of school?

are you happy with self catering or would you want a hotel/ catered chalet? do you want to fly or are you in a location where driving could be an option?

will the kids be in ski school and you/ the wife in lessons, all day or half days? or you thinking half days all round and ski together in the afternoon?

do you have enough kit? this can add a lot to the budget (depending on your taste for labels or happy buying good quality cheaper kit from the likes of decathlon!)

[craig1912]

foxsasha said:

My kids (6 and 9 y/o) have been learning to ski with Snozone for some time now. we don't ski but sent the kids first because if they didn't like it then it was pointless us learning. We are starting lessons next week.

Where would you guys recommend for first timers and why? Looking for good quality accommodation and minimal fuss. Will need to hire the gear. I don't know what to expect cost wise and am one for value for money but we can do a grand a head for a week if needs be.

I personally would go for a catered chalet and childcare. Some of our best holidays have been with Esprit

http://www.espritski.com/deals/?__ja=tsid:53250%7C...

In my opinion you can't but too high a price on good childcare (lessons and after) during a ski holiday. Ours started when age 4 & 9 and we went on 4/5 esprit holidays and no complaints. As a beginners resort La Rosiere takes some beating

http://www.espritski.com/resorts/la-rosiere/

[W99KSY]

Think Laax and Arosa for me this weekend - currently snowing in Zurich and forecast looks good for the next few days

Booked Verbier for Feb this morning and can't wait !

[JQ]

craig1912 said:

In my opinion you can't but too high a price on good childcare (lessons and after) during a ski holiday.

I'd say it's very much age dependent. I'd agree that for a 4 year old childcare is still needed as they don't have the strength to be zooming down the slopes. Our kids did their first holiday last year (aged 6 & 7) with us and we were worried they'd restrict our skiing (mainly reds) so booked them in for lessons and childcare before and after. Dropped them off at 8am and picked up at 1pm. They could ski before we went as they'd had lessons in the UK and on the first day in resort they were skiing reds with us and spent the rest of the holiday flying around like Ninjas. In the end the childcare restricted the time we could spend with them, which was the best bit of the holiday. This year they're booked in for lessons 9-11am so we can maximise how much time we spend with them on the slopes, whilst still advancing their ability.

I'd say after 6 years old think carefully about whether you want childcare.

[Jarcy]

JQ said:

craig1912 said:

In my opinion you can't but too high a price on good childcare (lessons and after) during a ski holiday.

I'd say it's very much age dependent. I'd agree that for a 4 year old childcare is still needed as they don't have the strength to be zooming down the slopes. Our kids did their first holiday last year (aged 6 & 7) with us and we were worried they'd restrict our skiing (mainly reds) so booked them in for lessons and childcare before and after. Dropped them off at 8am and picked up at 1pm. They could ski before we went as they'd had lessons in the UK and on the first day in resort they were skiing reds with us and spent the rest of the holiday flying around like Ninjas. In the end the childcare restricted the time we could spend with them, which was the best bit of the holiday. This year they're booked in for lessons 9-11am so we can maximise how much time we spend with them on the slopes, whilst still advancing their ability.

I'd say after 6 years old think carefully about whether you want childcare.

My kids were aged 5 & 7 when we introduced them to skiing. We took full advantage of the ski school & full childcare with Crystal ('Pepi Pengiun' IIRC). It was worth every penny to have someone else responsible for organising ski kit, putting their boots on, carrying their skis & taking them to ski school. Then collecting at lunchtime and entertaining them for the afternoon with sledging, snowman making etc. We could leave them first thing in the morning, and not have to be back until 5pm. We did this for the next 4 years, although my eldest was getting rather too old for the kids club by then.

My wife & I were then able to enjoy a 'normal' ski holiday - travel around the resort, have a long leisurely lunch and get back when we were ready. However we would quite often get back at say 3pm, or sometimes lunchtime, and take the kids out of kidsclub to go skiing with them for the rest of the afternoon. We got plenty of family skiing in as we'd end up doing this most days. Sometimes you'd get back only to find that they didn't want to go out again - having too much fun with the snowball fights.

[DuncsGTi]

I'm in Val d'isere at the moment, beautiful conditions yesterday then as I came down the face olympique at the very end of the day, I fell and dislocated & fractured my shoulder

I'm now sat in the chalet feeling rather sorry for myself.

The pain seems to have passed now but I'm not sure if would be sensible to have a gentle couple of days on the slopes before I go home.

[p1stonhead]

DuncsGTi said:

I'm in Val d'isere at the moment, beautiful conditions yesterday then as I came down the face olympique at the very end of the day, I fell and dislocated & fractured my shoulder

I'm now sat in the chalet feeling rather sorry for myself.

The pain seems to have passed now but I'm not sure if would be sensible to have a gentle couple of days on the slopes before I go home.

Definietely not!

[DuncsGTi]

I need to do something, I'm climbing the bloody walls here!!!!!

The doc in the English med centre laughed at me when I asked if I'd be fit to race GS on Friday

[Jarcy]

DuncsGTi said:

I need to do something, I'm climbing the bloody walls here!!!!!

The doc in the English med centre laughed at me when I asked if I'd be fit to race GS on Friday

If you fall again you could do some real damage - you're a danger to yourself and other people. You'll now be uninsured. To carry on skiing would be idiotic.
Yeap, when I was younger I certainly would have carried on skiing.

[Tuna]

JQ said:

I'd say it's very much age dependent. I'd agree that for a 4 year old childcare is still needed as they don't have the strength to be zooming down the slopes. Our kids did their first holiday last year (aged 6 & 7) with us and we were worried they'd restrict our skiing (mainly reds) so booked them in for lessons and childcare before and after. Dropped them off at 8am and picked up at 1pm. They could ski before we went as they'd had lessons in the UK and on the first day in resort they were skiing reds with us and spent the rest of the holiday flying around like Ninjas. In the end the childcare restricted the time we could spend with them, which was the best bit of the holiday. This year they're booked in for lessons 9-11am so we can maximise how much time we spend with them on the slopes, whilst still advancing their ability.

I'd say after 6 years old think carefully about whether you want childcare.

Agreed. We cheat slightly as we go as an extended family, but for the last two years our kids (now 11 and 10) have come out with us in the morning, joined us for lunch and then skied through to mid afternoon. Usually at that point someone in the group is knackered and quite happy to use the kids as an excuse to go back to base and put their feet up. It's by no means a full day skiing (we're not early birds), but they go on most of the slopes we go on, and it won't be too long before our eldest is outpacing me.

It also depends on how fit your kids are. Our local school has put new emphasis on daily fitness activity and that plays into longer times out and about.

We looked into ski school and it actually took them away from us for more time than we were happy with and cost quite a bit. I'd rather they did the good bit (actually skiing) with us, than join us after lessons when they're too tired to help us explore the area.

[JQ]

Jarcy said:

DuncsGTi said:

I need to do something, I'm climbing the bloody walls here!!!!!

The doc in the English med centre laughed at me when I asked if I'd be fit to race GS on Friday

If you fall again you could do some real damage - you're a danger to yourself and other people. You'll now be uninsured. To carry on skiing would be idiotic.
Yeap, when I was younger I certainly would have carried on skiing.

Does Val D'isere not have any pubs?

[Marcellus]

JQ said:

Jarcy said:

DuncsGTi said:

I need to do something, I'm climbing the bloody walls here!!!!!

The doc in the English med centre laughed at me when I asked if I'd be fit to race GS on Friday

If you fall again you could do some real damage - you're a danger to yourself and other people. You'll now be uninsured. To carry on skiing would be idiotic.
Yeap, when I was younger I certainly would have carried on skiing.

Does Val D'isere not have any pubs?

WHat time does the ice driving open?

[DuncsGTi]

I think I'd struggle to drive right now

Just sat waiting for the rest of my party to get back from the slopes so I've got someone to go to the pub with

[Marcellus]

DuncsGTi said:

I think I'd struggle to drive right now

Just sat waiting for the rest of my party to get back from the slopes so I've got someone to go to the pub with

I found a lovely new Tea Room with awesome cakes last week up by Morris' and then if you want to be lazy and waited on there's the bar/hotel on the right opposite Val d'Agence!