Who’s going skiing and where 2019

[flight147z]

Back from Engelberg (Switzerland) earlier this week - I haven't seen much about it on here so I thought I would post my thoughts

• We did 3 days which is about right for the amount of different skiing that is available
• The resort is sort of split into two, with a flat (and slow) lift taking you from one side to the other which limits the continuous vertical drop given the highest peak and the run down to the village are on opposite sides of that lift
• The skiing at 3000m isn't as good as the skiing on the lower slopes. The best slopes are around Jochstock/Jochpass
• It isn't as expensive as I expected though it does cost more than other European resorts being as it is Switzerland

Looking forward to the 2020 thread now I am done with 2019

[Jarcy]

flight147z said:

Back from Engelberg (Switzerland) earlier this week - I haven't seen much about it on here so I thought I would post my thoughts

• We did 3 days which is about right for the amount of different skiing that is available
• The resort is sort of split into two, with a flat (and slow) lift taking you from one side to the other which limits the continuous vertical drop given the highest peak and the run down to the village are on opposite sides of that lift
• The skiing at 3000m isn't as good as the skiing on the lower slopes. The best slopes are around Jochstock/Jochpass
• It isn't as expensive as I expected though it does cost more than other European resorts being as it is Switzerland

Looking forward to the 2020 thread now I am done with 2019

I love Engelberg, but it's true beauty and much of its appeal is as an off piste destination.
I got around all of the pistes in an afternoon, and then spent a week with a guide.
With delights such a the Laub, Galtiberg and Jochpass down to Trubsee there's loads for an experienced backcountry skier.

[Amateurish]

j_4m said:

Just got back from Les 3V. Conditions were... not great. Plenty of snow but high temperatures, concrete slopes in the morning and porridge in the afternoon, best skiing between 12-3. VT has the most consistent conditions by far, don't even bother with Meribel.

Had an interesting trip home utilising French public transport and the ferry. It takes a while but perfectly doable, cost me £130 to get from the Alps to Dover. I wouldn't recommend it...

Any reason you used the ferry not the tunnel?

[dirty boy]

Well....

I'm off to Italy tomorrow for my first family ski trip

Seeing the snow melting on the webcam over the past few weeks has been a bit worrying, a white mountain gradually bathed in sunshine was showing ever more bits of rock....

However..

They've been dumped on completely over the past 48 hours and i'm now less worried that i'll have nothing to ski on!

Wish us luck!

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lo...

[j_4m]

Amateurish said:

Any reason you used the ferry not the tunnel?

I flew out but get panic attacks on planes sometimes, this was one of those times despite taking diazepam so I skipped the flight home. It would have been £300+ to get the Eurostar back but it was only £130 to use public transport and the ferry, less the 65 Euros I saved by not getting a transfer to Geneva. I only paid £60 for my flights in the first place.

[The_Doc]

//j17 said:

j_4m said:

Just got back from Les 3V. Conditions were... not great. Plenty of snow but high temperatures, concrete slopes in the morning and porridge in the afternoon, best skiing between 12-3.

So...basically exactly what you'd expect late March/early April.

About 6 pages back someone asked what April skiing was like, and trying to be helpful I suggested "very unreliable,.... Get above 2000m" and I got majorly slapped down

I maintain my personal opinion

[The_Doc]

4Q said:

La Cluzzaz or Samoens are both nice year round proper villages, rather than a resort like Les Gets or Morzine which are pretty much deserted outside the winter/ summer season and both are around an hour from Geneva. There’s plenty of new build stuff going up in Samoens which would fit your budget.

I've been to Morzine every week out of the 52 in a year. It is a proper village rather then a resort, but you are right, from late April to June and again from mid September to mid December things are quiet. The interseason.

But not dead, and in fact there's still lots to do in the interseason. The restaurants open in rotation through the week (a list of nights posted on the tourism centre door) there are shops and bars open and the tradesmen are VERY busy doing jobs. We do our upkeep and DIY, the roads are quiet, you can get to Geneva Airport in 50 mins!

The mountain and village is very beautiful without people, personally I adore November in MZN, sometimes it snows and the trees are burnt orange and you have the place to yourself.

[j_4m]

The_Doc said:

About 6 pages back someone asked what April skiing was like, and trying to be helpful I suggested "very unreliable,.... Get above 2000m" and I got majorly slapped down

I maintain my personal opinion

Even above 2000 it wasn't great. Some of the highest slopes in VT were hardpack and full of people doing window wiper turns, at the base station (2300) it was a slush puppy. It's fine if you're a confident skier, there's still loads of fun to be had, but I can see how less experienced people wouldn't enjoy it.

That said just had a WhatsApp from my brother and it's snowing down to 500

[RVVUNM]

Just back from Meribel and off back again on Sunday.

[DeejRC]

Am I the only person who enjoys the hard pack icy skiing?

[j_4m]

I do enjoy hitting terminal velocity on it, but it doesn’t compare to freshly groomed snow. Not even the same league as a bluebird day.

[flight147z]

DeejRC said:

Am I the only person who enjoys the hard pack icy skiing?

I like it

[Condi]

DeejRC said:

Am I the only person who enjoys the hard pack icy skiing?

Going fast in a straight line is fine first thing in the morning, but dropping into fresh powder and leaving your own lines where nobody else dares to go is something truly special.

[ClaphamGT3]

Had a great long weekend in Tignes

[EddieSteadyGo]

DeejRC said:

Am I the only person who enjoys the hard pack icy skiing?

Not really my first preference. Unless you have great technique, your skis are going to chatter rather more than carve.

It's nice though being out on the mountain in Spring, when the snow might be icy but typically the sun is out and the weather is going to be warm.

I'm going out on Saturday for the last 2.5 weeks of the season, so fingers crossed we do get icy slopes to start with as at least then by 10:00 they will have softened.

[4Q]

I’m off to the airport for what will probably be our last weekend of the season, after last weekends heatwave and slush fest, it looks like being a good one after a fresh dump of snow. Fat skis and an early start tomorrow.

Edited by 4Q on Friday 5th April 07:21

[mikeiow]

dirty boy said:

Well....

I'm off to Italy tomorrow for my first family ski trip

Seeing the snow melting on the webcam over the past few weeks has been a bit worrying, a white mountain gradually bathed in sunshine was showing ever more bits of rock....

However..

They've been dumped on completely over the past 48 hours and i'm now less worried that i'll have nothing to ski on!

Wish us luck!

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lo...

Good luck!!

We got back last weekend from a cracking week at Les Arcs.

Snow got a bit slushy (like going through porridge!) towards the end of some days, it felt like unless there was a major dump overnight, then the season is coming to an end.
For us, as we are a bit knackered now, we didn’t mind the occasional 2-3pm finish.

Beautiful blue skies, very pleasant indeed: I can’t remember the last time we got 6 full days skiing in: generally there is a bad weather day or two sliding in somewhere.

Must return next year

Oh yes, we also drive down: I find driving on the tolls an easy pleasure. Stopped at Saint-Quentin on the. Way down, but left 7am on Sat & we’re home by 10pm. It is always a sharp contrast getting off the Eurotunnel on the return...a lovely day with zero traffic queues or issues, then straight into gnarly British traffic

Edited by mikeiow on Friday 5th April 07:32

[housen]

4Q said:

I’m off to the airport for what will probably be our last weekend of the season, after last weekends heatwave and slush fest, it looks like being a good one after a fresh dump of snow. Fat skis and an early start tomorrow.

Edited by 4Q on Friday 5th April 07:21

good work

ill be on first lift in flaine tom morn

as to hard packed ...yes its great for carving and seeing your line

[//j17]

flight147z said:

DeejRC said:

Am I the only person who enjoys the hard pack icy skiing?

I like it

Me too. Anyone can ski fresh snow (until everything becomes a mogal field after lunch at least) but on ice you really have to earn your turns. It's so much more rewarding when you commit forward, really roll the edges in and feel them bite and turn - while those around you wimp out so clatter and slip around or just give up and go to the bar.

Yes, fresh tracks in powder look nice but for most people this seems to mean "Cut in to the off piste next to a piste and go in a dead straight line untill you rejoin the piste". Christ, what's the point in that? If you're going to use that fresh powder at least make some proper jump turns!

[DeejRC]

Heh, conversely I hate powder. Give me hard icy and driving in hard to get your edge.