View Full Version : Snow Skiing..
Anyone do it? I learnt on a very sad snow slope last winter. When i was in Dubai i had a crack at the ski slope and instantly loved it.
Im thinking of going this year of rather than dealing with over charging UK prices, maybe going skiing over New Year period somewhere.
I've been looking around, and it seems you can mostly only get 7 days, is this right?
Does anyone know wheres good to go? For a Novice + Intermediate skiers? Im not tooo fussy on location, but just wanna be able to go away, have some fun skiing without major hassles.
Can anyone point me in the right direction of things to look at and places to go? So many locations, just lost completley.
diamond
12-11-07, 11:37 AM
I'm off to Verbier in Switzerland in January with the army. A few days skiing and then the last 2 days is taken up with a downhill racing competition.
Sking is for puffs!! go boarding instead!!!
not that i have ever done sking just done boarding, you look better and can do better tricks!! no spandex for me just cool looking clothes!
Do any of your friends ski? Then it's best to go with them. Much more fun with a group of people.
Skiing is great and snowboarders are just the vandals of the slopes!!!
Try Andorra, very good for beginners and intermediates, check snow reports though as a few of my friends skied europe last year and the snow wasn't great.
You'll love it and it is nothing like dry-slope or artificial.
Dave The Rave
12-11-07, 12:13 PM
Mate,
I have been skiing most of my life. All over Europe/USA/Canada. However I fallen in love with Andorra. I cannot praise the place enough! see http://www.andorramania.com/index_gb.htm
+ points:
-Fantastic snow record.
-Great skiing for everyone. My wife does Blues/reds. I do everything mostly blacks/reds and some jumps in skiparks. Grandvallira has it all! Close to 200km of skiing all interconnected.
-Cheap (drinks/meals) compared to Austria/Swiss. Some real bargains for drinks etc.
-We stay at the hotel Nordic (you can get 1 week in Jan for £1,200 for 2 people including skis and passes). I love the hotel you ski in/out. the food is great! The rooms fab!
Give it a go!
Snowboardings for the "dudes" that can't learn how to ski :P
Dunno, snowboardings much easier, didn't appeal to me so much. Done skateboarding and wake boarding in my time, so wanted to go down the skiing route.
Andorra, heard of that before (off to google :lol: )
Skiing is great and snowboarders are just the vandals of the slopes!!!
.
you are just jelous cos we look better and can sit over the brow of a hill and chat so you lot cant see us and have to go and crash!!! LOL
oh and our tricks look sooooooooooo much better than you,
skiers = Di*ks with sticks!! ;) LOL
Mate,
I have been skiing most of my life. All over Europe/USA/Canada. However I fallen in love with Andorra. I cannot praise the place enough! see http://www.andorramania.com/index_gb.htm
£1200 for one week, owwwwwwwww. Pricey....
Like the site though, checking the webcams, not seeing much snow atm though :lol:
If you are going alone and like the social side then check out Alpenrider.com owned by an Aussie chap Paul - He has a good rep, mainly Antipodeans at his place, ski to the door and a good bar. They are based in Kirchberg a little ski town in Austria.
Kitzbuhel (sp?) in Austria is also very good.
You can get to Andorra much cheaper than that. It is tax-free too so buying your own gear is really cheap there. Nightlife can be good too.
It'll be a couple thing, not really into the big party drinking life. Just want to ski and make snowmen... :lol:
Mate,
I have been skiing most of my life. All over Europe/USA/Canada. However I fallen in love with Andorra. I cannot praise the place enough! see http://www.andorramania.com/index_gb.htm
+ points:
-Fantastic snow record.
-Great skiing for everyone. My wife does Blues/reds. I do everything mostly blacks/reds and some jumps in skiparks. Grandvallira has it all! Close to 200km of skiing all interconnected.
-Cheap (drinks/meals) compared to Austria/Swiss. Some real bargains for drinks etc.
-We stay at the hotel Nordic (you can get 1 week in Jan for £1,200 for 2 people including skis and passes). I love the hotel you ski in/out. the food is great! The rooms fab!
Give it a go!
+1 for andorra. Have been twice now. the town is a bit of a concrete jungle not a log cabin filled alpine retreat but its cheap and the skiing is good. Even with the crap snow last year we still had an awesome time...
also www.wastelandski.co.uk (http://www.wastelandski.co.uk) are good for very cheap deals, as they INCLUDE SKI PASSES! you may end up with a hotel full of students though...
i'll write a bit more later and post some pics but i'm at work at the moment.
its snowing in the alps already though, certainly a better start than last year (touches wood!!)
fizzwheel
12-11-07, 01:04 PM
Andorra is cheap and they have lots of facilities for newbies
I went to Meribel ( three valleys ) a few years ago and it was really really good, good mixture of slopes for newbies and experienced skiers and good nightlife to, but it was more expensive than Andorra...
Val D'isere / Tignes 2006 - Awesome my best so far
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v669/gladey/Val%20D%20Isere%202006/
Andorra 2007 - Good budget resort can't fault it
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v669/gladey/Andorra%202007/
Have been to Risoul in france - rubbish don't bother. Did more drinking than skiing.
This year we're trying Alpe D'huez in france.
rubberduckofdeath
12-11-07, 04:04 PM
It's all about 'boarding.
I've only done a few resorts in France:
Val Thorens
Val d'Isere
Tignes
I'm off to Alp d'Huez next Jan, too :)
It's all about 'boarding.
+1 indeed it is. Never tried Ski's and i dont want to. I dont feel the ned to dress in skin tight dayglo lycra
Dave The Rave
12-11-07, 04:49 PM
£1200 for one week, owwwwwwwww. Pricey....
Like the site though, checking the webcams, not seeing much snow atm though :lol:
sorry didnt i say thats for 2 of you?
I'm off to Alp d'Huez next Jan, too :)
I'm out there on the 19th.
Got a ski-in, Ski-out place for the first time this year. can't wait.
There's snow out there now, the alps have had their first dusting... better start to the season than last year!
BristolMatt
12-11-07, 08:19 PM
Consider the USA and Canada too because
1 - Great snow last year whilst Europe has a few snow issues in places
2 - They pretty much 'speka de lingo'
3 - Great hospitality, food, accomodation etc
4 - Doesn't have to be expensive. It is possible to get a USA / Canada trip for less than Europe
BUT don't forget to budget the cost of the lift passes in as these can £200 depending on where you go and the time of the year. Also budget for your equipment hire too. Some companies do free lift passes and equipment with the holiday, so look out for these.
And as for snowboarding, to put an up-to-date edge on it, it's a bit like the iPhone - loads of hype, seen to be fashionable, supposed to have bells n whistles, but at the end of the day, it's a bit 5h1t :bom:
Vickster
12-11-07, 08:28 PM
I am so glad this post has come up ! - Sarah, Eviltwin, Xan and I are of to UTAH in January - I know I hardly ever mention it !
Been a few places in Europe and N America.
Personally I would rather go back to Tamworth than ride in Europe. It sucks, I would recommend you shop around, look at doing it yourself rather than booking through an operator and of course if you go to the States you can take advantage of the awesome exchange rates.
I would recommend CO for your first trip, Breckenridge area has loads of resorts all within about an hour so you won't be bored. Just don't expect to be the only brits there, its full of them.
if you're skiing go with skiers
if you're boarding go with boarders
To quote Egon Spengler: "Never cross the streams"
northwind
12-11-07, 10:26 PM
Snowboardings for the "dudes" that can't learn how to ski :P
I reckon boarding's far harder, I learned to ski adequately in about half the time I've spent learning to board, and I'm still totally rubbish. But then, I was younger when I learned to ski, that could have been part of it.
Cool. Some really sound advice coming on here. Got plenty of places to look at again now.
Considered canada for the fact its no more expensive but probably overall a better place to go?
Wasn't aware of that, noted, cheers dude :) Wouldn't expect it to be loads colder, but i suppose thinking about the position of Canada Vs Europe, its much closer to the pole...
the Signals hold our championships at Kuprun in Austria on the Kitchsteinhorn and Zell am see begining to mid december as its a glacier its normally covern in snow in december.
trickywoos
14-11-07, 02:25 PM
I've worked two seasons in Megeve (near Chamonix), which was fantastic- it's a quieter resort (as far as partying goes!), very French Chic place!
There's prob about 5 english hotels in the resort.
Last year was the worst year ever for Skiing in the Alps, but seeing that it's been dumping it already, I can't wait for the skiing to start! Off to the Pyrenees to see the family at Christmas, and hope to do some skiing then!! WOOHOO!!!
It's definitely worth bearing in mind. The difference in conditions can be significant and you will certainly notice the difference betweena cold day in Cananda and a cold day in say, France ;)
Friends live in Regina SK and every winter report -40 or -50C:sunny:
I ain't been skiing or boarding. Would like to try though. One day...
i'm trying to book up something just now so reading this with intrigue. my situation is this, i work in construction: 2 weeks holiday over xmas and new year whether i like it or not. so i'm wanting to go away, 7/10 days i dont mind. bored of staying at home and spending 2 weeks drunk as i've nothing to do!
but do i bite the bullet and pay the extra cost of canada/usa straight up. look somewhere high in the alps val d'/tignes/arc 2000... or seeing i'm off for the 2 weeks wait till literally days before and just see where i can get last minute with good snow. i have all my own stuff, wont be doing anything and will be happy to travel to an airport where ever. i'm thinking hold out for states/canada but book last minute and see what comes up. thoughts?
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