Who is going skiing and where in 2016

[Welshbeef]

New thread for next season


Who's booked up already taking a punt on conditions?

We've booked up a week end of Feb so fingers crossed for good snow else Après Ski will be fun

[Welshbeef]

schmalex said:

My wife, son and I fly to Geneva and then drive up to les Saisies on Boxing Afternoon. At 1650m, it's a bit of a risk but, due to its location, it has a better than average snow record. We've not skied New Year week before so it'll be lovely to actually use those dead days between Christmas and New Year productively

Lucky you I've year end!!! Every year then and miss x mad too

[Welshbeef]

Would anyone go to Sochi?

[Welshbeef]

OscarIndia said:

4 weeks in Les Gets for me this year. It helps owning a chalet!
We will probably travel around a bit as there are some great hidden gems of resorts nearby.

Are you retired or a business owner who can leave management run it whole out of the country? Or simply no need to work? Very envious.

[Welshbeef]

tivver500 said:

Being totally different to all above.....
We're heading back to Bansko (in Bulgaria) next March.
Skiing not particularly challenging but good enough for us 'senior citizens' but the food and drink in the old part of the Bulgarian town is excellent and worth the trip!!
It is, after all, a holiday

27/2/16 for us.
We've been there many times and it is certainly a holiday with Skiing for us. Not sure if you've attacked all the runs but I'd not even attempt Tomba Black 9 my God is that steep and always icy blue for the competitions they hold on it.


Old town food is so good they really do this well - mulled wine however thy don't it's literally boiling red wine so we give that a miss.

Not sure if you have done the hidden locals cabin on the ski road ? If not its on the left hand side probably 3/5ths of the way down. You'll see it like a tee pee - dirt cheap beer and great food (though eating full meals in the mountain is cheap anyway this takes cheap to another level and it's where those in the know go).

[Welshbeef]

I quite like starting on the top Red and drift over to one of the top blue runs leading into run 10 into 12 cut through on orange dotted 2 do the tiny blue to avoid the too steep black and then red run into the ski road.


Followed by 4 swift beers at the Gondela base then back up for a different run.

[Welshbeef]

Wow make sure see didn't see that post.

Anyway - absolutely stick with it you'll ideally want to get to the same level together and you can enjoy the skiing. Remember you'll be taking your kids up there and having a mum who cannot ski means it's not a family holiday and will then frankly not happen and you'll have to make do with "beach" holidays instead.


Why not get one mate to bring his wife or lady along too - choose one with utter novice skill on the Mrs side then happy days.

[Welshbeef]

SilverSixer said:

Annual trip to Jahorina in the pipeline for February as usual.

Cheap - quality snow near guaranteed, and great (and there's that word again - cheap) food and drink.

Yeehaw.

28Km from Sarajevo so good for airport.

However reading up on it online it states it has 20km of pistes.... That's really really tiny. You could ski all those runs between 4 & 5 times every day without too much hassle.

[Welshbeef]

SilverSixer said:

Welshbeef said:

SilverSixer said:

Annual trip to Jahorina in the pipeline for February as usual.

Cheap - quality snow near guaranteed, and great (and there's that word again - cheap) food and drink.

Yeehaw.

28Km from Sarajevo so good for airport.

However reading up on it online it states it has 20km of pistes.... That's really really tiny. You could ski all those runs between 4 & 5 times every day without too much hassle.

It's enough for me, I'm not a hugely advanced or fit skier, and I accept it might be a dull place for the advanced. Was used for various Olympic events in 1984 so can't be all dull though. But at less than half the price of the Alps it suits me down to the ground. This year a week's lift pass was 150 euros. For 4 of us. Excellent place for families and the non-hardcore amongst us. It's just a holiday to me, not a Mr Universe contest.

Bansko is considered a small resort and that has 75km - the big resorts can have 300-500 km of skiing so you'd never do the same run twice and have lots of room.

part of the reason lift passes are cheaper is due to the fact there simply are not many of them so low running costs v the hundreds at some resorts.

Why not give Bansko a try - cheap - and it matters not one bit how much or little you ski again it's more a holiday over hard core skiing but you have the option v 4-5tikes skiing every run every day.

[Welshbeef]

SilverSixer said:

Because my wife's a Yugo and we go to meet up with friends and family too. There's always lots of room, even though it's a small resort. Pistes are never crowded. Never wait more than a couple of minutes for a lift, and usually there's no wait at all. I spend about as much time in the restaurant/bar/spa in the hotel as I do out on the slopes. Children are never far away from us, we speak the local language.

Not a place I'd recommend for everyone, but for us it's perfect.

Fair enough sounds good.

Do you have any pics from up the mountain to post here? (Trying to find some online not much success)

[Welshbeef]

Having never bought ski poles before I'm thinking of the below. I've no idea the difference between good bad indifferent but from the conversions o need 130cm poles. For £15 are these a good buy or utter garbage and spend a touch more (on what brand model etc) would be the best move.

Happy to buy used but again I've no idea what I should be looking for.

Ski ability comfortable on all blues more than happy to go onto reds / do struggle on some of the more challenging reds. I doubt I'll improve much happy to hover around this level as its a holiday more than a time how fast I can get down.


http://www.decathlon.co.uk/boost-500-p-poles-id_83...

[Welshbeef]

a311 said:

They look fine to me Beefy, even for advanced skiers and beyond expensive poles are a waste of money IMO. You can go carbon but they are more susceptible to breaking and potentially thievery when parked up for lunch etc.

Telescopic poles are handy when off piste if you're hiking. Hard core ski tourers obsess about saving weight down to the gram.

If you see yourself going off piste at all you can buy some bigger baskets for your poles, they're cheap as chips (couple of quid) and interchangeable. You need bigger baskets when you're pushing down into deeper snow.

Ordered them so boots skis helmet and all clothing owned no more hiring or any stuff.

[Welshbeef]

a311 said:

Welshbeef said:

Ordered them so boots skis helmet and all clothing owned no more hiring or any stuff.

Did you invest in your own skis last season? They're an arse to carry about to and from the airport etc , I like having my own gear though.

We hire a mini bus from airport to resort anyway.

[Welshbeef]

GreatGranny said:

Going to keep an eye on this thread once you all return :-)

Planning a ski holiday with 3 families in 2017.

Varying abilities from complete beginner to good/fearless type skier.

6 adults & 6 kids aged 7 - 17.

Going Feb half term or first week in Easter.

Interesting to get approx. costs pp off people who are going next year so we have an idea on budget.

Buy BA flights 51 weeks in advance. You know the time so get them booked up you'll save a lot v waiting.

[Welshbeef]

14 weeks to go


Has anyone tried the Bracknell dry slope? Is it worth a one hour session a few times before we go ?




I used to do dry slopes about 25-30 years ago so cannot recall and then as my parents couldn't afford it never managed real snow skiing until about ten years ago.

I just fancy a local ish bit of fun just wondering if it's going to be really pants (thinking of doing a management meeting for 8-1pm then two hours there /lesson for total beginners then meal + booze).

[Welshbeef]

shunt said:

Great week in Hochgurgl, can really recommend an early trip there, lots of snow forecast this weekend,looks like we got out just in time:

Looks great.

What was the all in cost?

[Welshbeef]

downthepub said:

Just booked flights heading out to Lyon on the 17th March and returning on the 22nd March. Nothing fixed, just the flights and a car. Will AirBnb it (probably); got a couple of months to figure it out, might even do a wee tour of a few hills.

Just retired or independently wealthy to take 4 months off work at some of the most expensive resorts in Europe.

[Welshbeef]

feef said:

Late to the game on the thread this year

3 weeks in Grindelwald in March, and perhaps a week in Avoriaz at half term with the boy if I can

That's some pass getting to leave the Mrs at home while you and the little in go for a skiing holiday - well played.

[Welshbeef]

Looking for an extra short break for a group
Fly out late Wednesday 16/3 back on the Sunday for 3 days on the slopes.


Any ideas where - every website I look at will not do those dates most are week only and Friday changeover....

[Welshbeef]

Thanks