Summer skiing in Europe - worth the effort?

[LooneyTunes]

Harry F's chalet thread has got me thinking about skiing again...

Never really looked into it properly before, but am aware that a few European resorts offer summer skiing (albeit limited to earlier on in the day).

With a while to wait before the first proper trip of the 25/26 season, and kids increasingly addicted, wondered if anyone has anyone tried it?

Clearly it's not going to be as good as the main season but is there anywhere that is actually worth the effort?

[HocusPocus]

My kids used to train in the summer months. Kandahar Club run courses for young GB skiers I believe in Alp d'Huez, and international FIS rated snowboard athletes gathered to train in Hintertux. Both glacier. There are also high performance programs run in Whistler in the summer. Summer skiing is pretty hard-core stuff, blazing sun, crystal snow...a far cry from a fluffy chilled winter snowscape.

The other cross over sport those athletes practise in summer is fast downhill MTB along specially made tracks. Aerial skills, balance, acrobatics, landings etc... Mental!!

Personally I'd rather be on the beach or, better still, a boat.

[AndrewIC]

I did a couple of weeks in Val d'Isere when I was 13/14 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Very early starts to get to the Glacier in Tignes and you were water skiing in places by midday and what must have been the ripest toilets on earth at the top of the funicular. As already mentioned there is a lot of race training going on, but they had a snowpark and a couple of other runs on the go. Plenty of MTB activities in Val along with hiking and climbing plus you can get over to Italy relatively easily.

[JQ]

I was mountain biking in Les Deux Alpes last year and there were lots of international ski teams in the town heading up the glacier every morning. I did want to go up and have a look but ran out of time.

If your kids love skiing get them into mountain biking, they'll love it.

[oddman]

JQ said:

I was mountain biking in Les Deux Alpes last year and there were lots of international ski teams in the town heading up the glacier every morning. I did want to go up and have a look but ran out of time.

If your kids love skiing get them into mountain biking, they'll love it.

Agree very good crossover for skills and fitness.

In addition to race training on glaciers, the ski mountaineering the season is still going and might extend into June or beyond on the really cold North Faces. Neither of these are family activities.

[LooneyTunes]

Thanks guys, even with the limitations, we might give it a look.

Zero interest in mountain biking... same child is in the process of selling bike having decided that it’s not for them.

[a1butch]

LooneyTunes said:

Thanks guys, even with the limitations, we might give it a look.

Zero interest in mountain biking... same child is in the process of selling bike having decided that it s not for them.

Did you end up booking?
I'm considering August in Hintertux but looking for any first hand experiences or recommendations, i will only really be interested in boarding.

[LooneyTunes]

a1butch said:

Did you end up booking?
I'm considering August in Hintertux but looking for any first hand experiences or recommendations, i will only really be interested in boarding.

Found it tricky to sort this year (was struggling to find routes that worked) but have subsequently been told that the easiest way to do it is to fly to Munich (lots of flights with Lufthansa and apparently they’re good with respect to ski carriage), hire a car and drive from there. May try that next summer but, in the meantime, have used not going as an excuse to book another week in the winter season…

[-Cappo-]

I've only skied outside the main season once, on the glacier in Tignes. Almost the entire area was taken over by race teams training, who roped off the sections they wanted to use and got very stty if anyone else transgressed those parts. Kinda understandable that they don't want some wobbler getting in the way of their next world champion, but it left, iirc, about 3 or 4 runs open for general use, so there wasn't a great deal of actual skiing available.

[vaud]

-Cappo- said:

I've only skied outside the main season once, on the glacier in Tignes. Almost the entire area was taken over by race teams training, who roped off the sections they wanted to use and got very stty if anyone else transgressed those parts. Kinda understandable that they don't want some wobbler getting in the way of their next world champion, but it left, iirc, about 3 or 4 runs open for general use, so there wasn't a great deal of actual skiing available.

Same in Zermatt. Lots of super pushy race teams.

[ChocolateFrog]

-Cappo- said:

I've only skied outside the main season once, on the glacier in Tignes. Almost the entire area was taken over by race teams training, who roped off the sections they wanted to use and got very stty if anyone else transgressed those parts. Kinda understandable that they don't want some wobbler getting in the way of their next world champion, but it left, iirc, about 3 or 4 runs open for general use, so there wasn't a great deal of actual skiing available.

It's dangerous that's why. Used to do a bit of racing and had idiots ducking the ropes quite often.

[a1butch]

LooneyTunes said:

Found it tricky to sort this year (was struggling to find routes that worked) but have subsequently been told that the easiest way to do it is to fly to Munich (lots of flights with Lufthansa and apparently they re good with respect to ski carriage), hire a car and drive from there. May try that next summer but, in the meantime, have used not going as an excuse to book another week in the winter season

This is the way, Lufthansa is pretty cheap. Innsbruck is closer but fights are more expensive and fewer available. Plenty of hotels and pensions around 100 a night in Tux, some full board.
I've emailed the Glacier to understand if they can advise on race setups or schedules to help avoid peak times.
I guess most of them are out early for the best conditions and done by midday.

[a1butch]

Hintertux glacier for skiing is closed from 27th July until September 'as its summer now' and conditions not great. Looking at Saas Fee now :-)

[-Cappo-]

ChocolateFrog said:

-Cappo- said:

I've only skied outside the main season once, on the glacier in Tignes. Almost the entire area was taken over by race teams training, who roped off the sections they wanted to use and got very stty if anyone else transgressed those parts. Kinda understandable that they don't want some wobbler getting in the way of their next world champion, but it left, iirc, about 3 or 4 runs open for general use, so there wasn't a great deal of actual skiing available.

It's dangerous that's why. Used to do a bit of racing and had idiots ducking the ropes quite often.

Yes, as I said, it's understandable, but my point was that it leaves very little of the available area to non-team skiers.

[Mikehig]

Chatting to the owner of a bar in Mottaret (3 valleys) last month this subject came up. His daughter (12 - 13?) is in the regional ski team. They were away in Norway, despite having the VT glacier next door.

[Whoozit]

HocusPocus said:

There are also high performance programs run in Whistler in the summer.

No longer. The glacier has receded so far it won't sustain a ski camp, sadly.

[baconsarney]

Skied the glacier in Verbier many years ago, scared the crap out of me