Skiing/Boarding 2009/10 - Who is going where?

[Busamav]

Just buy a 3 valleys pass and go touring , it is all good and very extensive.

Spend a day getting over to Courcheval and enjoy the extremely well groomed pistes there .

I like in particular the black run down from Cime Caron , snow was excellent and we were all grinning at the bottom .

Definitely get up onto the glacier , if it is open .

I have been to the 3 valleys 8 times now and won't even start to contemplate going elsewhere , stuck in my ways ? yes

VT can be very cold , we sat outside in the sun one day enjoying lunch and the top of the Amstel had frozen over

[gingerpaul]

ajcj said:

Busamav said:

gingerpaul said:

I was in Val Thorens a couple of weeks ago. It was beautiful all week apart from one way. Some of the pistes were quite icy by the end of the week but the powder off piste kept it pretty good shape.

Was in Meribel from 17th - 24th Jan, spent most of our time in Val Thorens and the 4th valley

Excellent week , was blessed with the sun on 6 of the days

Just booked Val Thorens for April 3rd, seemed a good high choice, any advice?

We spent most of the time going backwards and forward to Courchevel. They had the best powder by far when we were there. It only snowed properly once the whole time we were there.

For that time of year I'd have thought Val Thorens was a good choice. It won't be as cold as it was when I was there. It was -12C to -15C in the resort in the evenings.

Busamav has nailed it really. If you are confident covering distance then a 3 valley pass is a must. Allow about 1.5 hours to get to Courchevel 1850 and 2 hours to get back to Val Thorens from most places in the Courchevel valley. That way you'll avoid an expensive taxi ride!

Keep an eye on the weather while you're in other valleys too. If it starts to look dodgy you might want to head back early if you think the weather is bad enough that they might shut the lifts.

Also don't buy anything in 1850. I paid €5.40 for a glass of watered down premix coke!

[Busamav]

Guinness in Meribel was 14 euros a pint ! Not that I had a "drink " there. Drunk less that week than I do at home due to the prices , I stayed in the chalet and saupped the free table wine

I was with my lad , and he and his mates were out most nights , with a bar bill of about £140 one night , crazy

I thought one night we would get stuck in Les Menuires , got to a 16.25 last lift at 16.29 and the kind man let us on .

[gingerpaul]

I feel the bar bill pain. We had a big one on one of the afternoons/evenings/nights after going night tobogganing and we ran up a bill about size each. There were 7 of us. It wasn't even a particularly expensive place (in skiing terms). We were not in good shape the next day! The stupid thing is exactly the same thing happened last year in the same bar and we all promised it wouldn't happen this time...

[Sarkmeister]

snotrag said:

R TOY said:

Sarkmeister said:

Just booked a chalet in Tignes Les Brevieres with 6 friends on the 13th March. Really looking forward to it, though slightly concerned that I have forgotten how to snowboard (last went 2 years ago).

Anyone been to Les Brevieres? I know its a bit small, but we got a bit of a bargain....

Great in 'Brev at the moment with good snow right to the Sache bubble . Can get a bit icy tho at lower levels. Quick acess into the Espace Killy and loads to ski/board.
Night life maybe bit limited compared to Tignes or Val d'isere, and dont eat at the resteraunt opposite the lift unless you want a second mortgage.

Got back from TLB on Sunday - really really cheap week, Coach for £50 from London then stayed at Chardons.

It was EPIC. Loads and loads of snow, sometimes a touch icy on the bottom after the sun drops down, but other than that excellent. Couple of great fresh powder mornings too.

Brevieres is small, but brill. Really friendly, not too many pretentios types as most of the accomodation is cheaper end. Loads of Dutch, great fun.

Get your lunches/bits and bobs from the mini-market opposite intersport/chardons door. Theres a Tabac at the far end of the Village up the hill too, You'd miss it unless you know where to look for it.

Vincents do great pizzas and nachos/snacks etc for 2/3rd of the price of the bouida etc, just by walking 100yds off the slope up the road.

Chardons wont be for everyone, but if you want cheap and cheerful, great food, great staff and such amusing things as wrestling with chalet girls and jelly baby Vodka, then its fantastic

I'm seriously contemplating going back end of season.

Also - buy the full Espace Killy area Ski pass - its not a huge amount more. For Beginners/intermediates like me - theres some realyl good slopes on the Val'd side, including the huge Ski-tranquille area - also the Val'd side is easier to navigate.

If you get the first Sache Bubble at 9 am, take the Aguille rouge lift, then 'petis col' blue run stragith down to the aeroski, and you'll be on the other side by 10am.

Also - for cheap dinner - stood in the centre of Tignes looking at the Maison de Tignes in front of you - walk down the road to the right for a cheap burger bar type place.

Food and drinks can be really dear, but by being a bit savvy and with a bit of advice we managed t oavoid too many wallet-rapings.

Enjoy - I bloody did.

Edited by snotrag on Thursday 4th February 12:42

Edited by snotrag on Thursday 4th February 12:42

Cheers for the advice, definitely looking forward to it now...

[Chris71]

Busamav said:

Guinness in Meribel was 14 euros a pint!

One of the bars in Courchevel 1850 charged 22 euros for a pint when I was there in 04/05! Even with a seasonaires discount most places were about 4.5 euros for a Kronenberg.

If you're in Meribel you've got to visit The Ronnie (Rond Pointe des Piste) on a Wednesday afternoon. I can't remember how much it is, but it won't be anything like 14 euros a pint and its got the best atmosphere of any apres ski bar I've been to. Ah happy days...

[maser_spyder]

Some of these prices are frightening....

A half litre (pint) in Kitzbuhel is about 3 or 4 Euros, that's pretty much anywhere. Smart bars, nice hotels, or back street live music places. You won't pay hardly any more than this anywhere.

Mountain restaurant prices are the same (or a little bit cheaper) than in town.

I had a pizza and big bowl of chips for lunch at the top of the mountain in Choralpe (Westendorf) this afternoon, pizza was 2.60 euros, chips 3 euros, bottle of sparkling water 2 euros. That's without flashing a season pass....

I honestly can't understand why France is five times the price of Austria? It's crazeeee!

[DeadMeat_UK]

maser_spyder said:

Some of these prices are frightening....

A half litre (pint) in Kitzbuhel is about 3 or 4 Euros, that's pretty much anywhere. Smart bars, nice hotels, or back street live music places. You won't pay hardly any more than this anywhere.

Mountain restaurant prices are the same (or a little bit cheaper) than in town.

I had a pizza and big bowl of chips for lunch at the top of the mountain in Choralpe (Westendorf) this afternoon, pizza was 2.60 euros, chips 3 euros, bottle of sparkling water 2 euros. That's without flashing a season pass....

I honestly can't understand why France is five times the price of Austria? It's crazeeee!

$7 for a serious bowl of mountain chili, 4 bucks for a pint of proper beer in Aspen. See, I saved money by going there. Honest, that's what I tell myself

[Harry Flashman]

maser_spyder said:

Some of these prices are frightening....

A half litre (pint) in Kitzbuhel is about 3 or 4 Euros, that's pretty much anywhere. Smart bars, nice hotels, or back street live music places. You won't pay hardly any more than this anywhere.

Mountain restaurant prices are the same (or a little bit cheaper) than in town.

I had a pizza and big bowl of chips for lunch at the top of the mountain in Choralpe (Westendorf) this afternoon, pizza was 2.60 euros, chips 3 euros, bottle of sparkling water 2 euros. That's without flashing a season pass....

I honestly can't understand why France is five times the price of Austria? It's crazeeee!

Agreed. France is frightening. I don't actualy ski there anymore - even St Anton is cheaper, with far beter apres ski (IMHO).

Just came back from Bormio. Excellent mini-trip. One of the guys in our Milan office has a (beautiful, Grand Designs-esque custom built) house there. Flights were £67. Accommodation was free (we do this every year - just take him shed loads of champagne). Skiing was excellent - beautiful conditions, fresh dump of snow.

Prices were excellent - it's a really local resort, with mainly Italians there; so rip-offs not such a feature. The food was amazing too - dinner would cost about Eur40 per person, but that was 4-5 courses with good wine, coffee, liqueurs, etc etc.

My skiing has suddenly really come together this year - finaly properly quick and properly in control. We were skiing with locals - half of whom were instructors and racers. Managed to acquit myself well enough to beinvited to compete in their Peak to Creek race next year - have accepted!

Bormio is a beautiful medieval town too - very pretty. Highly recommended, ands 2 hours from Milan. Nightlife is dismal though - but if you want good food, atmosphere and decemt sliing (enough for about 3 days; you'd be a bit bored for a week) and want to do it on the cheap (two star hotel accommodation, perfectly adequate, seems to be Eur25-35 per night including breakfast), I'd recommend this place. We're doing a long weekend every year...

[cptsideways]

Just got back from a week in Sainte Foy - Mega powder all week, its been brill, hardly anybody there (as usual) did'nt have to queue for the lifts once except when there was a brief powercut one afternoon. I spent most of the week doing a yeti impression in amongst the trees

[maser_spyder]

Harry Flashman said:

maser_spyder said:

Some of these prices are frightening....

A half litre (pint) in Kitzbuhel is about 3 or 4 Euros, that's pretty much anywhere. Smart bars, nice hotels, or back street live music places. You won't pay hardly any more than this anywhere.

Mountain restaurant prices are the same (or a little bit cheaper) than in town.

I had a pizza and big bowl of chips for lunch at the top of the mountain in Choralpe (Westendorf) this afternoon, pizza was 2.60 euros, chips 3 euros, bottle of sparkling water 2 euros. That's without flashing a season pass....

I honestly can't understand why France is five times the price of Austria? It's crazeeee!

Agreed. France is frightening. I don't actualy ski there anymore - even St Anton is cheaper, with far beter apres ski (IMHO).

Just came back from Bormio. Excellent mini-trip. One of the guys in our Milan office has a (beautiful, Grand Designs-esque custom built) house there. Flights were £67. Accommodation was free (we do this every year - just take him shed loads of champagne). Skiing was excellent - beautiful conditions, fresh dump of snow.

Prices were excellent - it's a really local resort, with mainly Italians there; so rip-offs not such a feature. The food was amazing too - dinner would cost about Eur40 per person, but that was 4-5 courses with good wine, coffee, liqueurs, etc etc.

My skiing has suddenly really come together this year - finaly properly quick and properly in control. We were skiing with locals - half of whom were instructors and racers. Managed to acquit myself well enough to beinvited to compete in their Peak to Creek race next year - have accepted!

Bormio is a beautiful medieval town too - very pretty. Highly recommended, ands 2 hours from Milan. Nightlife is dismal though - but if you want good food, atmosphere and decemt sliing (enough for about 3 days; you'd be a bit bored for a week) and want to do it on the cheap (two star hotel accommodation, perfectly adequate, seems to be Eur25-35 per night including breakfast), I'd recommend this place. We're doing a long weekend every year...

That's a pretty fair assessment of Bormio, although you probably could do a week if pushed, a day trip to Livigno, etc.

I was there for the World Cup weekend a few years ago when the snow was bad. I managed to wreck a brand new pair of skis, although the World Cup run down was 'interesting'. I've never skied on anything to hard, it may have been made of sheet perspex for all the good new edges did.

I manned up and skied the 'Streif' this afternoon (the Kitzbuhel World Cup run), flat out, on my new Atomic GS race skis, although the best bits are now a little bumpy where they've not been pisted. We did this on the day of the race too, but it was too early in our trip to go balls out (it would be very, very easy to break something, badly).

If anybody is heading out this way, give me a shout, I'll show you the best bits.


I've got a few tobogganing videos that I'll youtube up if I get chance, there were some crazy kids doing jumps, to much applause. You wouldn't see me doing toboggan jumps unless I was the wrong side of about 10 pints....

[Mr E]

maser_spyder said:

I manned up

"Man Up" was the catchphrase of our recent boarding trip. Got me down my first black, my first air and my first off piste followed by digging yourself out of the snowbowl you crashed in experience...

Man up.

[R TOY]

When i got in tonight Mrs Toy informed me that we're off to Claviere on Fed 22nd.. Tough love eh
Bloody hell thats week no 3 this season,business might go bust but i'm going to have fun doing it..
Wonder what the price of bierra is in Italy?? Can always pop next door to Montgenevre and compare it with France.

[b3kaw]

serre chavelier on 22 feb can't wait, feel some new skis being bought this weekend.

any one been there??

[pontypool]

just booked val d'isere this Sunday for week, that webcam they have is looking mighty fine!

[Busamav]

R TOY said:

Can always pop next door to Montgenevre and compare it with France.

Only been there the once but I really enjoyed the " Milky Way "

[R TOY]

Busamav said:

R TOY said:

Can always pop next door to Montgenevre and compare it with France.

Only been there the once but I really enjoyed the " Milky Way "

Looking at the forecast the 'Milkyway' is going to be very milky next week

[b3kaw]

slightly off topic, what website gives the most reliable snow report and forecast?

[Mr E Driver]

Ski club of GB is usually fairly accurate

[gingerpaul]

I can tell you who isn't. http://www.snow-forecast.com. I was out skiing in a white out day and came back to find the prediction for the whole of the day was 1cm of snow fall.

Here's a view from one of the clearer days. The town on the right is Val Thorens.