Skiing/Snowboarding
 

... does anyone on here do it?

Next year I'm planning to go for my first skiing holiday, even though I'll be snowboarding to Meribel, France.

Got to get a few lessons booked in before then.

Can anyone recommend any other resorts they've been to? We've not booked up yet but are looking about still!

James

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

I've been to

Sol Deu ( sp ) and Pas de la casa ( sp ) both in Andora
Meribel
Verbier

Verbier & Meribel were by far and away the best places. Meribel and The Three Valleys area has a huge amount of runs / slopes and stuff to do. Verbier was the same, But neither were particularly cheap.

Andorra was cheaper, but I found didnt have quite the amount of slopes and runs to offer, but that was offset by the cheaper cost.

I never had lessons in Verbier, but the other resorts I found the instructors were all very very good, they'd push you if you wanted technique tips, but were also incredible patience and all of them spoke very good english.

I'd say you wont have any disappointment with Meribel, it really is IMHO a really great place to go and will have everything you want, and more.

I can particularly recommend the Medcal Centre in Verbier, make sure you take travel insurance, E111 and a credit card with you though.

Seriously if your boarding it hurts when you fall.. body armour is a good idea, particularly wrist guards. If I had been wearing mine, I more than likely wouldnt have bust my wrist last time I went...

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

I've been skiing in Slovakia/Austria/Italy/France and the USA. All very different resorts. Austria 2 years ago skiing in Lech was amazing great weather tonnes of snow and loads of slopes for miles around.

Slovakia last year was reasonable however it was at Easter so the snow got a little slushy by mid afternoon. However Slovakia is cheap..ish, Slopes are not too long and night life is limited dependant on which resorts you go to. Great place to learn to ski as prices for 1:1 lesson still are around £20 euro's per hour.

Sauze doux on the border of Italy?France is a great resort with good night life and also slopes that cater for all abilities.

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

I've been told Slovakia is quite cheap, but I'll probably leave that till the end of next year to be honest!


Thanks Fizz, yeah a few of us going are newbies and a few have been several times. My mate whos been double figure times said that boarding you'll spend most the time on your ****!

My cousin is currently in Andorra doing his second or third ski season, but haven't managed to contact him yet!

Travel insurance is vital yeh... make sure it includes skiing and snowboarding I've been highly informed of too! Crazily, two mates when last year without it, bit of a daft risk!

It'll be the first time I go, all the people who do it have said I'll like it and I share similar interests to them so I can imagine I'll go more than once!

Regards wrist protection etc, any thing you can recommend? Don't really want to be breaking anything but its bound to possibly happen!

James

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

+1 on Sauze D'Oulx, it's on the Milky Way so nearly 400kms of runs. You can go from the resort right over the top of the mountains and down into Sestriere using 3 or 4 lifts/cable cars, it was amazing :cool:

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

Just get something, I have a set of gloves with integrated guards, but the day I fell over and bent my wrist in a way it was never intended to go and bust the end of the radius bone at the wrist joint I didnt have them on.

I've seen plenty of people with fancy kit, Dainese seem to have branched out into ski / board body armour. But I've also seen people use skateboarding pads and wrist guards and that stuff is much much cheaper.

Just remember to wear it ;)

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

I only started skiing last year, so I can only comment on one area I've been to in Austria. I went to the Fieberbrum/St Johann/St Jacob/Steinplatte area. It's all covered by one ski pass. Found it to be very good for a beginer, but it's probably a bit limited if you're an advanced skier. Ibby is a good skier and she likes the area. In fact we're going their over Christmas. It's not too expensive and Ibby says that it's not as crowded as French resorts, so no half hour queues for ski lifts.

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

I'll keep an eye out for some! All I need is a jacket and gloves, a mate has a fair bit of kit to lend as he has a family full of skiers!

That sounds bloody painful to say the least, not soemthing I'd like to try out!

We're going the week before Easter half term so hopefully avoiding the crazy ski lift queues, they were saying last year it was half hour wait...

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

Been to Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland.
Loved them all very much. We want to go again this year, Im not sure exactly which country or resort but it has to be done again, I am a competent skiier and snowblader (have my own boots and snowblades) but snowboarded with Mr VT last time. He had a couple of lessons and was fine after that, I had lessons in Austria with the police instructors for free.

Yes wear something comfy to land on your a$$ with and we both have the integrated wristguards in the gloves, if you dont, you can always buy a pair that they sell for rollerblading.

Costco is doing some really good Ski/Snowboarding gear now, we just bought ourselves a few more bits and they are really reasonably priced and good makes too.

You will absolutely LOVE it ...pics when you get back pls :)

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

A bit of experience in the snow! :p

I've just spoke to my cousin whos in Arinsal in Andorra :).

I'm probably gonna have 2 / 3 lessons before I go, pad my **** and protect my wrists then face a day with a sore **** when I get out there!

I just found a photo of one of my mates a few years ago, hes the one round the pole;

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-...59796_6796.jpg

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

I went to Whistler at the northern end of the Rockies in Canada. I was amazing. And I can +1 the wrist guards although I put my weight on my hands to shuffle over when we were waiting for a mate to catch up and I popped both thumbs out! Fortunately it was a quick in and out ;) job and there was no more damage than brusing, but it fu**ing hurt. I didn't have lesssons, and it was my first time, but I had skated quite a lot so had more than the basics covered. We were on Black runs on the second day.

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

Aww! I soooooooooooo want to go and try snowboarding!

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

DOne snow boarding for a few years a while ago. Going with the Army to France in January for a week ,at the huge cost of £200!! cant wait to get back on the slopes again :)

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

Done Scotland, Sweden, France and Switzerland so far - hoping to get away this year somewhere but all depends on the £££ (doesn't it always?!)

The Scottish slopes can be amazing on their day (or totally frustrating when they don't open!) and are well worth a trip.

The place we went to in Switzerland was a bit of a hidden gem - Anzere. About 2 hours from Geneva, not too busy and the snow was awesome!

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

Went to Milton Keynes snowboarding on the weekend to try out my new board and it was a right giggle which surprised me. It's great to go there for lessons or just to refresh your legs (which a lot of people were there doing) ready for your holiday. It wasn't too crowded either. If it's your first time boarding I'd head over there and grab a few lessons just so that you don't crucify your a$$ or knees on the first day of your trip.

We're going to try and go to Austria next year to a place called Kaprun which is supposed to be good for boarding and isn't expensive compared to France or Switzerland, although I'd love to give Meribel a go.

Cheers,

Paul

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

Been boarding since I was 17, now 30+. I didn't make it last season though. Wrist gaurds or gloves with internal guards are well worth while - as is a helmet. Boarded in New Zealand, France, Switzerland, USA, Canada, Austria, Germany and Italy a bit.

Meribel is a great spot - have fun.

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

quite into my boarding too, been all around scotland, its grate on its day, but they are a bit hit and miss to find! but worth it for a quick day out on the hills.

abroad, been to les deux alpes and courchevel. courchevel/three valleys is just amazing. its so huge you will never even get close to going around it in one week. courchevel is classed as an expensive resort, but to be honest i found it no worse than les deux alpes. obviously it will be expensive if you go to the michelin starred restaurants and want driven round the resort in a maybach (yes i did see a maybach in resort!) but its just such a phenominal area with really good fast lifts etc.... def worth a visit at some point!

les deux alpes was ok, but i didnt like it too much. though the runs were a bit limited and didnt like the way the flowed together (or as i found didnt seem to flow together) i was having to get off and push away from lifts etc instead of just sliding away. not to mention the pain in the ar$e way back to resort at the end of the day. the options are either a steep black (with loads of people on it falling everywhere causing chaos!) or a green cat track that was about 3m wide at most that just went in a massive zig zag down the hill. again people just littering the slope and carnage ensueing as it was a beginers runs and the easiest option to board home!

as for kit, really any decent outdoor gear (waterproofs, jackets) will do. layers are also your friend! you will be roasting when moving about, but sitting in an exposed chair lift half way up a mountain can be chilly!

ive never bothered with wrist gaurds to be honest, do they not also tend to cause more trouble in the arm/elbow anyway if you fall? the only piece of kit i would say to get as a beginner are a pair of impact short! they are absolute lifesavers. a pair of padded shorts with plastic protection in the hips and tail bone. i feel naked boarding with out them. since buy them ive never had a sore ass bone or hips from falling. you will spend a lot of time on your ar$e too. oh and they keep your bottom nice and warm when sitting on the snow!

ps: james mio, do you sometimes post over on winterhighland.info???

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

Been to quite a few places, although not for ages since the kids arrived

France - Val d'Isere (the best) & Le Duex Alpes - great skiing
Italy - Sesstiere (Poor snow that year) great food
Andorra - poor snow but cheap that year
Bulgaria - Borovets, great accom, good snow, cheap, good for beginers
Romania- really cheap (not now I guess) food was ok skiing was good
Yugoslavia - great food, great scenery & good skiing

Slovaki is cheap at the mo, but another unkown gem is Norway. Everyone assumes its expensive, but a mate went on an all inclusive deal with his family and I was really surprised at how cheap it was.

I want to go again, but I'll have to drag my daughters with me, as I don't think the wife will do it.

Pity C&A shut, because their ski wear was ok, but there's plenty of shops that sell ski ware, mountain warehouse is new and cheap.

Once you've got the bug, get your own ski boots, better than hire ones. One esential for my rucksack was a swiss army knife. Great for fixing loose bindings half way up the mountain. Plus a hip flask!

Dependant on your fitness, work on ski leg exercises, cos you'll feel the burn for sure :p

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

I've skied in France, Austria and Switzerland at various times. I'm off to Kitzbuhl in January with the army to do a bit of downhill racing against other Yeomanry units. It's normally held in Verbier (last 15 years) but were off to try somewhere different this year.

You just have to make sure you pack a sense of humour as it can be quite infuriating as a beginer when you see 3 year olds whizz past you.

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

+1

I went there in 2003. I've done a lot of skiing and snowboarding in the US, but not so much since I've moved to Ireland.

If this is your first time, I would recommend against snowboarding. Learn to ski first, it's easier as you can stand up easier. Once you've figured out the edges and are OK at skiing, then try snowboarding.

And wear a helmet. If you whack your head it really hurts. Plus they're warm :).

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

Thanks for the responses and to where people have been, if I can get the funds together I think I'll be going twice next year!

Had a lesson today, went quite well didn't spend as much time on my bum as I originally thought, just a sore wrist where I flipped over twice cos of somebody in the way but it looked good my mate said so its fine :) although it was only on a 30m slope, just think I need a bit more space to pick things up such as controlling turning a bit better, fingers crossed that'll come when I'm in the Alps :).

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

Yep I quite agree..

If you bump into my Bro, Gaz Williams , He a Civvy ski instructor out there for the Army..
Say. Hello from me please... but please Don't Kiss Him..

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

santa came early to my house over the weekend when the parentals took me to get a new boarding jacket! hopefully the snow up north will stick around and i'll get to try it out soon!

altho my mates are talking of doing vegas again for a summer holiday which may mean i have to give snowbarding early in the year a miss so i can afford vegas. decisions decisions.....

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

Been to Tremblant, Saint Sauveur and Edelweiss (Canada), Lake Placid (USA) and Brasov in Romania. If you're learning don't go looking for resorts with big runs - you'll spend most of your week on your butt on the nursery and green slopes. Romania and Bulgaria are both v good for learners as the snow isn't too challenging, the faciltites are surprisingly good, and it's cheap.

and if you've got good winter cordura bike gear, use it rather than forking out on specialist snow-wear for a first-timer! it's waterproof, got padding in the right places and will keep you plenty warm.

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

My only piece of advice on the matter( um, for now...!), if you're gonig with friends - go with friends that are snowboarding. If all your friends are skiing and you're boarding, from my experience, you'll not enjoy it.

I went with "beginner" skiers and they wanted to do the easy blues i.e. the gentle slopes, as a boarder you need a bit of momentum behind you to get going....so I was always wanting to do the reds/blacks otherwise the lack of momentum would mean I would just stop thru' lack of power. Consrquently, I spent a lot of my holiday on my own.....an then there were all the apres-ski jokes about baorders being ghey etc.

Re: Skiing/Snowboarding
 

Thanks, well luckily its half and half out of us who are going, I think 5 are boarding, 5 are skiing, but there maybe more going.. We were saying yesterday just go down on your own and meet at the bottom or something, but as it goes we'll just carry on.

One of my mates was saying its bindings off on the flats then get running to the next slope.

Cheers CoolGirl, I've got a few thermal bike bits which maybe appropriate, however I got a ski coat from TKMax two years ago which still fits .. and friends are lending me gloves, helmet and goggles which is quite lucky!