Who's going skiing and where 2020

[Speed 3]

Ah well, someone had to !

Got a weekend booked with the boys in Sauze D'Oulx again, wanted to try somewhere else but really difficult to get long weekends in other places for sensible prices although Andorra was an option. Also got a week with the clan and another family near Morzine which we haven't done before.

Looking forward to having my own skis for the first time (K2 Konics that were really impressive as rentals in Samoens this year). Also got some decent second hand ones for the missus and daughters.

Edited by Speed 3 on Saturday 27th April 20:17

[Speed 3]

Welshbeef said:

Got dates sorted for a works do 23-27-1/20.

Now narrowing down where.

I’m suggesting
Ischgl
Val Thornes
Les Gets
St Anton.

Group of min 6
Talent - all can ski, though some are needing to progress from green runs where as others are from there up to I believe able to do Reds.
Socialising will be important too
Cost/budget well for some it will be the only ski trip of the year so can afford to go a bit more (my view is no need for crazy budget instead good resort amazing views great snow and skiing lots of fun and banter).

Where should we go ? Would love ski in ski out / idyllic views but might not be available.

One other to consider is Sauze D'Oulx in Italy, connected to Sestriere and Montegenevre if you've got the legs (has been an Olympics venue). Really good mix of skiing and Sauze is a great village. Accommodation can straddle the weekend (unlike when we've tried to get Austria). We're back for our third trip this January (4 lads). We fly to Milan as the others live in Docklands/Essex so London City is our preferred airport, that's about 2.5 hours but an easy drive. Turin is closer by at least an hour but flight frequencies are lower (and nowt from City). Italy is way cheaper for food/drink in resort than France.

[Speed 3]

Anyone know of a permanent timed slalom area in Morzine/Avoriaz/Les Gets ?

My daughter is doing GCSE P.E. and we need some video footage on our upcoming trip. The standard skills tests are fine but they need evidence of a "competitive" run and timed and/or competed slalom is suggested. We've not been to the PdS before so would be good to know if there is somewhere we can do it.

[Speed 3]

Wingo said:

Speed 3 said:

Anyone know of a permanent timed slalom area in Morzine/Avoriaz/Les Gets ?

My daughter is doing GCSE P.E. and we need some video footage on our upcoming trip. The standard skills tests are fine but they need evidence of a "competitive" run and timed and/or competed slalom is suggested. We've not been to the PdS before so would be good to know if there is somewhere we can do it.

Mont Chery side of Les gets, there is a dual slalom course set up. Maybe more giant slalom that slalom. Only about half a dozen gates but has a proper start gate and timing system open to all FOC. Up the telecabine then up again on the chair lift. Been blitzed on it by my lad on it too many times to mention now unless he makes a mistake


Occasionally you can drop onto a course marked out ski school but be prepared to be shouted at if they spot you on it and no timing gear on it. Down towards the Lindarets Bowl from Avoriaz has a course set up most days.

Fab thanks

[Speed 3]

c32dave said:

Speed 3 said:

Anyone know of a permanent timed slalom area in Morzine/Avoriaz/Les Gets ?

My daughter is doing GCSE P.E. and we need some video footage on our upcoming trip. The standard skills tests are fine but they need evidence of a "competitive" run and timed and/or competed slalom is suggested. We've not been to the PdS before so would be good to know if there is somewhere we can do it.

Almost every ESF in France runs an at-least-weekly event called the Flèche. This is a timed GS course run to national standards (albeit shorter and gentler) with every racer given a score which reflects your percentage slower than the champ. It’s a few euros to enter, although it’s probably best to book a morning’s private tuition the day before, making clear to the instructor that your daughter would like to ski gates and wants to do the flèche the following day. Usually the gates are set up the previous day for training,

Unfortunately private lessons in half term are pretty much impossible to get in our experience.

[Speed 3]

Just back from the lads 4 days in Sauze / Milky Way. Fantastic weather and surprisingly good snow up above 1400m. Not done this particular weekend before and Fri/Mon were wonderfully quiet but jees there's some speedy locals up from Turin on Sat/Sun. We had a tune up lesson on Friday which was really good (€30 for each of us for 2 hours). Managed to graduate from "Good" to "Very Good" according to Marco. Food ace as always and still great value compared to France. We put in 130km in 3.5 days which is as much as I normally achieve on the family 6 days at half term.

First trip on my newly purchased K2 Konic 78's after renting them last year, continue to be mightily impressed with them - so stable.

Only pisser was not being able to get into London City last night due to the 45 mph cross winds and ending up in Manchester with a hotel & train back today.




Can't wait for Morzine in 4 weeks.

[Speed 3]

powling said:

I recently used Captains Cavern In Sevenoaks (not far from you !!). Spent a couple of hours fitting and they were perfect ... most comfortable boots I've had.I think the guy's name was 'pav'.

I have a high bone on the top of my foot. I just found Snow & Rock wanted to put me in a boot that was too big overall to accommodate the pertruding bone on top of my foot, rather than the right volume boot and then adjusting it properly.

One of our party just got a pair from CC and he has very protruding bone spurs, ending up with these between the shell and liners:

[Speed 3]

foiled said:

Avoriaz looks nice but prefer not to drive from South Wales, as the Eurotunnel isn't exactly close, it's the equipment hire and ski lessons that the 5 of us need that I think bumps up the price considerably. I just need to comit to going every year, then eventually if would get a bit cheaper!

I know its further from SW than we do from Surrey but I'd drive all day long over flying with my family and we bump into people that week from all over the North & West of England and Wales that have driven. It works out half the price of flying for us so probably 60% for you and the car gives you so much flexibility. If you can share driving you can always drive through the night to save a couple of hundred quid which many do (we hotel outbound, non-stop back). One year we were stuck on a closed motorway coming back on the Saturday which sounds like a pain but all those heading to Geneva for flights wouldn't have made them nor be able to get on any other flight anytime soon; we had a couple of hours delay in a warm SUV watching DVD's, Eurotunnel just turns into a first come, first board at peak times, irrespective of your booked time.

We went to Samoens in the Grand Massif for a few years to teach the kids and that is a perfect character/family resort and mid range on price. Generally paid €1000/wk for a decent 2-bed apartment (through Homeaway), ski school around €240 each in group lessons. Beauty of self catering & car is you can keep food costs down by taking stuff, using the supermarkets and cooking yourself (plus packed lunches which can stay in the car). Lift passes generally around €240 each in France. Equipment hire shouldn't be more than €120/week for blue class kit.

Resorts suitable for beginners are cheaper in places like Bulgaria & Slovenia but I don't have any experience of them. Italy is much cheaper than France on-slope, similar on kit, passes & lessons.

[Speed 3]

If there's a few of you just hire a car.

[Speed 3]

Welshbeef said:

Speed 3 said:

If there's a few of you just hire a car.

It’s either 7 or 8 people. The last one can only confirm mid way though Feb.

So two cars would seen hugely expensive

Two's probably cheaper than an MPV or minibus in my experience. 8 transfers at a couple of hundred Euros each is going to be way more expensive.

[Speed 3]

Welshbeef said:

Speed 3 said:

Two's probably cheaper than an MPV or minibus in my experience. 8 transfers at a couple of hundred Euros each is going to be way more expensive.

Everywhere I’ve been before offers minibus so plenty of seats for all and luggage plus it’s cost effective too.

Why is Lyon different?

200km to resort......I meant hiring a minibus to drive yourself. You can get a Focus for 5 days for £140 so two plus fuel & tolls is gonna be about £50 each. If you can get return transfers for that I'll stop giving advice.

[Speed 3]

keo said:

I am currently in Avoriaz. Fantastic sunny conditions today and we had a lot of snow yesterday. Was miserable raining when I skiied Sunday first day I have stayed dryer scuba diving!

We're there from the 15th and I'm getting nervous about the temps. Only had had rain once in 13 previous trips and it was absolutely horrible.

[Speed 3]

Weather looking a bit mixed for HT next week in the PdS. Too warm to start, then thundery showers and gales. Not going to get continuous skiing this time methinks.

[Speed 3]

Morzine is heavy rain just now, we came off the slopes at 12:30. Temperature not forecast to drop below freezing until well into the night so it'll be interesting to see tomorrows conditions given the amount of rain we're having this afternoon. If it had been 5 deg cooler it would have been a very welcome dump but I suspect the already slushy pistes will be wrecked tomorrow. Yesterday was showing 16 deg at some lifts, suspect it was actually around 12 deg but still way too warm. Never seen so much greenery in the Alps this time of year.

[Speed 3]

Wingo said:

Speed 3 said:

Anyone know of a permanent timed slalom area in Morzine/Avoriaz/Les Gets ?

My daughter is doing GCSE P.E. and we need some video footage on our upcoming trip. The standard skills tests are fine but they need evidence of a "competitive" run and timed and/or competed slalom is suggested. We've not been to the PdS before so would be good to know if there is somewhere we can do it.

Mont Chery side of Les gets, there is a dual slalom course set up. Maybe more giant slalom that slalom. Only about half a dozen gates but has a proper start gate and timing system open to all FOC. Up the telecabine then up again on the chair lift. Been blitzed on it by my lad on it too many times to mention now unless he makes a mistake

Thanks Wingo, worked a treat today. Didn't see any timing but they have 10 gates now so somewhere half way between Slalom and GS. Daughter got a rapid getaway and I never caught her

Edited by Speed 3 on Thursday 20th February 20:38

[Speed 3]

Abbott said:

What is it with the yoof of today who think it is a good idea to be out on the mountain with music (in its loosest possible definition) blasting from a backpack. In most cases they are not even in a group who may be enjoying the beat.
GET SOME HEADPHONES

Agree, very annoying but I think headphones should also be banned - you need to be fully alert to everyone around you. If you can't get enjoyment from navigating a path on snow without music there's something wrong with you.

[Speed 3]

lemmingjames said:

Im tempted to go to Aspen @ Easter for a long weekend. As its abit far to go for 4 days, what other resorts nearby would people recommend?

Also, cost of a daily ticket out in USA, wtaf!

If its a bit far for 4 days how does somewhere "nearby" help

[Speed 3]

CAPP0 said:

Someone I know has just binned their paid-for ski trip to northern Italy, not through fear of coronavirus itself but because of concerns around being banged up for quarantine whilst there and/or another 2 weeks upon return. Lost all the money on it.

Same with a mate of mine. In his case his other half has a start-up business launching the week after they were due to get back so the quarantine risk is also their driver.

[Speed 3]

Wingo said:

S3, no probs. We were up the Mont Chery side around new year, nothing set up at all then so pleased they was something to have a go on when you were there.
A mate has a place not too far away, but in all the years he's been skiing in the area he'd never been up Mont Chery, dragged him up there at new year and he was pleasantly surprised with the decent empty runs, one on the better kept secrets in the area................but don't tell everyone.

Many get put off by the trudge across town or the ride in the petit train if you are on the slopes on the opposite side of town. I break the trudge with lunch so no big deal

It was nice over there but a bit odd that you couldn't ski back down to the bottom of the gondola. We did have a very nice lunch in the town too.

[Speed 3]

//j17 said:

cashmax said:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8043281/H...

Now thats what I call lucky. Its hard enough to located someone with a transceiver when you can see where they went in, but to get a lift back up and figure it out like this is unheard of.

Or for people who prefer not to give money to the Daily Fail - https://www.facebook.com/chamoniarde/videos/542423...

Any sites for people who don't do either ?