So who's going skiing 2011 and where?
Discussion
sleep envy said:
Ok, thanks.
Btw, that's an incredible amount of snow - is it whiting out all the time and how cold is it?
Sat / Sun where minus 5 and gorgeous blue skiesBtw, that's an incredible amount of snow - is it whiting out all the time and how cold is it?
Yesterday was snowing - vis was ok except right at the top of the mountain. At the top of Blackcombe, I went to Seventh Heaven and couldn't see s
t. Not ideal. But was ok further down. A bit colder yesterday as well, felt like minus 15Today looks like another nice day, not much cloud and some sun. Lots of fresh powder as well!
The resort has really quietened down as well. Apparently it will be quiet until easter now.
Re: comments on restaurants. We haven't had any problems but then we've been eating early (7pm). We did need to book the chinese the other night but that was booked same day and they got us in at 7:45. Depends where / when you want to eat I suppose
flyingjase said:
Sat / Sun where minus 5 and gorgeous blue skies
Yesterday was snowing - vis was ok except right at the top of the mountain. At the top of Blackcombe, I went to Seventh Heaven and couldn't see st. Not ideal. But was ok further down. A bit colder yesterday as well, felt like minus 15
Today looks like another nice day, not much cloud and some sun. Lots of fresh powder as well!
The resort has really quietened down as well. Apparently it will be quiet until easter now.
Re: comments on restaurants. We haven't had any problems but then we've been eating early (7pm). We did need to book the chinese the other night but that was booked same day and they got us in at 7:45. Depends where / when you want to eat I suppose
Hopefully, post Olympics, they've sorted the restaurant numbers.Yesterday was snowing - vis was ok except right at the top of the mountain. At the top of Blackcombe, I went to Seventh Heaven and couldn't see s
t. Not ideal. But was ok further down. A bit colder yesterday as well, felt like minus 15Today looks like another nice day, not much cloud and some sun. Lots of fresh powder as well!
The resort has really quietened down as well. Apparently it will be quiet until easter now.
Re: comments on restaurants. We haven't had any problems but then we've been eating early (7pm). We did need to book the chinese the other night but that was booked same day and they got us in at 7:45. Depends where / when you want to eat I suppose
Whistler is cold, there is no doubt about that. Minus lots every time I've been there. But as long as you wrap up and cover exposed skin, I don't find it a problem. You know it's really cold when your boots squeak and the loops on your poles go solid.
DeadMeat_UK said:
Hopefully, post Olympics, they've sorted the restaurant numbers.
Whistler is cold, there is no doubt about that. Minus lots every time I've been there. But as long as you wrap up and cover exposed skin, I don't find it a problem. You know it's really cold when your boots squeak and the loops on your poles go solid.
Not as cold as Banf though! I'm flying to Calgary on Thursday, and that always seems to be 10 degreeds colder that Whistler....ouch!Whistler is cold, there is no doubt about that. Minus lots every time I've been there. But as long as you wrap up and cover exposed skin, I don't find it a problem. You know it's really cold when your boots squeak and the loops on your poles go solid.
maser_spyder said:
Sounds like you went to the wrong part of Austria...
Does it? I've always enjoyed skiing in St Anton.You think the food on the mountain there isn't typical?maser_spyder said:
The area I'm in now;
• 350 lifts and cable cars
• 1,067 km of pistes
• 811 of pistes with artificial snow
• 1 glacier
• 90,820 vertical metres
• 100 km of marked ski routes
• 254 ski huts
One or the largest ski areas in the world.
It is,now.However France has more large ski areas.• 350 lifts and cable cars
• 1,067 km of pistes
• 811 of pistes with artificial snow
• 1 glacier
• 90,820 vertical metres
• 100 km of marked ski routes
• 254 ski huts
One or the largest ski areas in the world.
goldblum said:
maser_spyder said:
Sounds like you went to the wrong part of Austria...
Does it? I've always enjoyed skiing in St Anton.You think the food on the mountain there isn't typical?maser_spyder said:
The area I'm in now;
• 350 lifts and cable cars
• 1,067 km of pistes
• 811 of pistes with artificial snow
• 1 glacier
• 90,820 vertical metres
• 100 km of marked ski routes
• 254 ski huts
One or the largest ski areas in the world.
It is,now.However France has more large ski areas.• 350 lifts and cable cars
• 1,067 km of pistes
• 811 of pistes with artificial snow
• 1 glacier
• 90,820 vertical metres
• 100 km of marked ski routes
• 254 ski huts
One or the largest ski areas in the world.
Maser, enjoyed reading some of your tips, many thanks
im off to Igls saturday with my gf, stopping in igls village but will be getting the all area pass (stubai, schlick etc)
do you know what the conditions are like in the igls area? reports say they are quite good but id trust your judgement more. the reason i ask, is that my gf will be having some more lessons on the blues around igls (the moutntain is patscherkofel i think), whereas i will be venturing slightly further away, i do however love the olympic runs on patsch, could do them all day!
many thanks
im off to Igls saturday with my gf, stopping in igls village but will be getting the all area pass (stubai, schlick etc)
do you know what the conditions are like in the igls area? reports say they are quite good but id trust your judgement more. the reason i ask, is that my gf will be having some more lessons on the blues around igls (the moutntain is patscherkofel i think), whereas i will be venturing slightly further away, i do however love the olympic runs on patsch, could do them all day!
many thanks
Richard-G said:
Maser, enjoyed reading some of your tips, many thanks
im off to Igls saturday with my gf, stopping in igls village but will be getting the all area pass (stubai, schlick etc)
do you know what the conditions are like in the igls area? reports say they are quite good but id trust your judgement more. the reason i ask, is that my gf will be having some more lessons on the blues around igls (the moutntain is patscherkofel i think), whereas i will be venturing slightly further away, i do however love the olympic runs on patsch, could do them all day!
many thanks
im off to Igls saturday with my gf, stopping in igls village but will be getting the all area pass (stubai, schlick etc)
do you know what the conditions are like in the igls area? reports say they are quite good but id trust your judgement more. the reason i ask, is that my gf will be having some more lessons on the blues around igls (the moutntain is patscherkofel i think), whereas i will be venturing slightly further away, i do however love the olympic runs on patsch, could do them all day!
many thanks
Not sure about Igls, it's the other side of Innsbruck and we haven't ventured that far this year yet. However, conditions here are still pretty good (and we're only about 120km away), and more snow is due on and off over the next week or so. Most importantly, it's now staying colder during the day, not getting above one or two degrees at most, so the snow that's still on the ground is holding up well. It was very warm two/three weeks ago, making it slushy, but that's now passed and we're back to good skiing all day. So far, March looks more promising than February was.
Dutch and British half terms are both now passed, so the slopes should be getting a lot quieter from this coming weekend, which can only be a good thing. It's actually been a lot quieter this week than the same half term week last year. Not sure if that's us knowing where to go to avoid the queues, or if it's generally quieter all round. We did see a couple of British coach parties at the toboggan course in Kirchberg last night, so there are a fair few about.
I did a couple of weeks on the Stubai glacier many years ago (about 1991), we went in mid April, and skied fresh powder every single day for a fortnight, some nights up to one metre fell. Good memories.
I wouldn't worry too much about snow conditions anyway, it looks all good right now.
We're off to Soelden in just over 2 weeks
We've been going to Austria for the last 20 years. Gave up with France, too expensive, terrible food, too ugly, too many unfriendly people.
Austria provides fabulous skiing/snow boarding, beautiful, real villages - not artificial resorts, great food, great prices and generally very welcoming locals. Italy also very good but only been there a few times.
We've been going to Austria for the last 20 years. Gave up with France, too expensive, terrible food, too ugly, too many unfriendly people.
Austria provides fabulous skiing/snow boarding, beautiful, real villages - not artificial resorts, great food, great prices and generally very welcoming locals. Italy also very good but only been there a few times.
My experience is thus:
France = Best pistes, best lifts, best snow-parks, worst food, ugliest towns
Austria = Best food, best hospitality, worst queueing etiquette
Switzerland = Prettiest villages, best restaurants, best off-piste
Italy = Best value, quietest pistes, worst lifts
You might well disagree, all of the above at subjective, but this is what I have found anyway.
France = Best pistes, best lifts, best snow-parks, worst food, ugliest towns
Austria = Best food, best hospitality, worst queueing etiquette
Switzerland = Prettiest villages, best restaurants, best off-piste
Italy = Best value, quietest pistes, worst lifts
You might well disagree, all of the above at subjective, but this is what I have found anyway.
Mr Gear said:
My experience is thus:
France = Best pistes, best lifts, best snow-parks, worst food, ugliest towns
Austria = Best food, best hospitality, worst queueing etiquette
Switzerland = Prettiest villages, best restaurants, best off-piste
Italy = Best value, quietest pistes, worst lifts
You might well disagree, all of the above at subjective, but this is what I have found anyway.
Pretty much spot on with my experiences too, but in recent years, the queues here and pretty much non existent apart from early morning on the first couple of days of half term. I totally agree, it used to be pretty bad, but a lot has changed here with the huge investment in new lifts. Other resorts are obviously different!France = Best pistes, best lifts, best snow-parks, worst food, ugliest towns
Austria = Best food, best hospitality, worst queueing etiquette
Switzerland = Prettiest villages, best restaurants, best off-piste
Italy = Best value, quietest pistes, worst lifts
You might well disagree, all of the above at subjective, but this is what I have found anyway.
The lift system here is now pretty much spot on, apart from one single lift that can get busy near the end of the day (for about half an hour), every other lift is nearly always empty. They've been replacing four man chairs with eight man chairs or ten man gondolas, so have doubled or more the capacity. We've not waited more than five minutes to get on a lift all season, including half term, which is so much different to how it used to be!
I remember skiing in Westendorf in the early 80s, where the only lift to the top was a one man chairlift, queues in the morning were horrific!
Maser,
What is the snow/weather like in your region towards the end of March? My cousin is looking to get back on the mountains with his young family (wife and 4 yr old twins). He and his wife both board well, and the kids will be in ski school. Will there be enough (given previous years) to go on, or should they try and go to a higher French resort?
Cheers,
Dom
What is the snow/weather like in your region towards the end of March? My cousin is looking to get back on the mountains with his young family (wife and 4 yr old twins). He and his wife both board well, and the kids will be in ski school. Will there be enough (given previous years) to go on, or should they try and go to a higher French resort?
Cheers,
Dom
Dominic H said:
Maser,
What is the snow/weather like in your region towards the end of March? My cousin is looking to get back on the mountains with his young family (wife and 4 yr old twins). He and his wife both board well, and the kids will be in ski school. Will there be enough (given previous years) to go on, or should they try and go to a higher French resort?
Cheers,
Dom
Glaciers will be guaranteed good, other places, this year, who knows!What is the snow/weather like in your region towards the end of March? My cousin is looking to get back on the mountains with his young family (wife and 4 yr old twins). He and his wife both board well, and the kids will be in ski school. Will there be enough (given previous years) to go on, or should they try and go to a higher French resort?
Cheers,
Dom
It's a strange season, getting warm, then cold, for two weeks-ish at a time. We skied spring snow in mid February, then it went cold, and conditions have been great for another two weeks. I have no idea what it'll be like in a couple of weeks, there's no real pattern to the weather right now. More snow is due next week, but the forecast has said that all season!
Even french resorts are struggling, some have been for pretty much all season. I would recommend anybody booking now to do some research on to a specific area, near to the time of leaving, and to book as late as possible so as to get the best chance.
I've skied in this area (Westendorf) for the last two weeks in march for many years, and apart from one duff year, it was always good or ok.
Sorry that's not a whole lot of help!
Dominic H said:
maser_spyder said:
Dominic H said:
Maser,
'Crystal ball' question..
Cheers,Dom
Glaciers.....'Crystal ball' question..
Cheers,Dom
I'm off to the Sierra Nevada in 3 weeks, might take tennis racket and shorts at this rate....Q
Actually, you should be ok in most places, it's just been quite unpredictable this year. Forecast always says snow, which never really comes, although piste conditions remain mainly very good (through bloody hard work I would guess).
Off to Salzburg for the day tomorrow with Mrs Maser, sound of music tour, etc. and behave like proper tourists.
The hills will be alive with sounds of 3.4L V6's....
Just got back from Kitzbuhel this evening. Took my group of corporates out skiing with Stefan Eberharter (current world cup winner and fastest skier down the Hahnenkamm Streif) and they all had a great time so my job was done Gorgeous weather, absolutely blissful. Beautiful blue skies. It's practically colder back here in London!
Gorgeous weather, absolutely blissful. Beautiful blue skies. It's practically colder back here in London!SunnyD said:
Just got back from Kitzbuhel this evening. Took my group of corporates out skiing with Stefan Eberharter (current world cup winner and fastest skier down the Hahnenkamm Streif) and they all had a great time so my job was done Gorgeous weather, absolutely blissful. Beautiful blue skies. It's practically colder back here in London!
And you didn't say hi... Gorgeous weather, absolutely blissful. Beautiful blue skies. It's practically colder back here in London!
Glad it was successful, and I hope you liked it here!
Weather seems so changeable in the Alps at the moment.. St Anton was OK for snow but some of the lower resorts are still struggling this week.
I'm in Ratschings just south of Innsbruck today and snow seems good here.
I'm back in St Anton on Saturday then around St Johann and Soll on sunday, so will give reports then too..
I'm in Ratschings just south of Innsbruck today and snow seems good here.
I'm back in St Anton on Saturday then around St Johann and Soll on sunday, so will give reports then too..
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