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Winter Resort Report thread

12467

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭Static M.e.


    1. Where and when you went.
    January 2010 in Avoriaz France

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Board

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Did a lot of Off-Piste, conditions were perfect, dumped snow all night, blue Sky's during the day.

    4. Are you beginner/intermediate/advanced.
    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Bars / Restaurant's were good, expensive through. Pints were €5-6 euro, a bottle of water and a can of fanta was €6.50, some friends payed €11 for two Hot Chocolates..

    Some restaurants (Mains + Wine);
    Les Bistro: Very good food, expensive though, we payed €50 a head
    Les Intrets: Pizza Place, we payed €20 a head
    The Cabin: Food was OK, has two pool tables and a table soccer, turns into a disco bar later on in the night. We payed €40 a head

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    Loads of Snow Parks. They have "The Stash" a park in the middle of a forest with a lot of wooden features to play with, a couple of new ones this year. They just opened another run to the right of the Stash with more Red Park jumps. Once you get to Avoriaz everything is within walking distance, lifts, shops, bars are all very accessible. Have a nice half pipe too.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Lots of Off piste areas but you would need a guide, take a wrong turn and you'll find cliffs very quickly.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Good mix I think.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    Definitely go back, my favorite resort. Other points, if you get the Les Prodans Gondola and don't have a Ski Pass, its €7 each way. You can get a Transport, horse + Sleigh to Taxi you around, costs about €8. During the day we eat in Chanabang a lot, lunch was around €10, very popular and near the Prodans gondola.


  • Registered Users Posts: 22,734 ✭✭✭✭The Hill Billy


    1. Where and when you went.
    Männlichen, Switzerland - Jan 2010
    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Sledge
    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Snow not particularly deep, but powdery.
    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    Absolute beginner.
    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Fairly decent in both Männlichen & Wengen.
    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    Easy to get to. Not crowded (granted it was a Wednesday afternoon), very friendly medical staff - one of my mates badly fractured his foot 200m into a 6k sledge run.
    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Not really.
    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Mostly Swiss.
    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    Would definitely go again (only just down the road from where I am working).


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,107 ✭✭✭mr spuckler


    1. Where and when you went.
    mayrhofen 30 jan - 6 feb 2010

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    ski

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    mostly excellent though slightly icy on duller days or when sun moved around behind the mountain. on sunny days the pistes were as good as i've skied before.

    4. Are you beginner/intermediate/advanced.
    intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    really good. beer was cheap, zillertal (local beer) was under €3 a pint in most bars and restaurants and was very nice. every restaurant we went to in the village served excellent food at very reasonable prices. on average i'd have spent €20 for a starter and mains.
    the mountain restaurants i went to were all good and for example charged roughly €6 for a spag bol / schnitzel so were good value too.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    plenty. combines lively nightlife and excellent skiing, i didn't find it expensive or too crowded. i've previously been to italian resorts which had good skiing but poor nightlife and average restaurants.
    cheap accommodation wasn't easy to find but what i got in the end was good value and very central.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    probably not a hidden gem as such but i went to the hintertux glacier one day on the advice of our ski rental guy. he said to stay away from it if the weather was bad and thankfully it was a perfect day for it. almost certainly the best days skiing i've ever had, pistes were in perfect condition and quiet. bus (about half an hour from mayrhofen) was free and ran every 20 mins or so.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    very few irish, good few brits if you listened out for the accents but mostly continental europeans. good few russians actually, most restaurants had menus in english, german, french and russian!

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    would definitely go again in a few years time but have plenty of other spots to go to first!
    for ski rental luggi was the man. €58 for beginners skis and boots for 6 days and €70 for intermediate. http://www.rentski.info/indexuk.htm
    there are long gondola queues at penken morning and evening (about 45 mins) on weekends and mondays so maybe best to go early or bus to another station by bus. the ahorn gondola seems generally quiet but skiing is quite limited there. midweek and friday queues at the penken were fine.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,204 ✭✭✭a148pro


    Ok, just back from Tignes. Spent a long time reading about it before going (even though I had been in nearby Val D’Isere before - ?) and a long time thinking about it while there since I mostly skied on my own. As such, may as well pass on the benefit of those thoughts for anyone going / thinking of going.

    WHERE:

    Tignes le lac, France

    WHEN:

    29th Jan – 3rd Feb, 2010

    LEVEL:

    Intermediate skier

    CONDITIONS:

    Very good, mixture between heavyish snowfall, whiteout and blue skies on the various days

    THE SKIING:

    On piste skiing very good. There’s enough in the Espace Kily to occupy an avid skier for a full week if not more, enough in Tignes itself to occupy most skiers for a full week. Combined with off piste, again, Tignes would be enough in itself, more further afield if you want. Some very accessible off piste routes. Provided you’ve got a decent level of competence and cop on, you could follow the more obvious lines leading off from the various lifts. If you got a guide the possibilities would be near endless.

    Favourite runs were the blue and off piste off the Palafour and the black / red which hovers over the face of the town. Do it in the morning before it gets chopped up, or off the last lift once everyone is off it. Ensure you Herminator it straight down from about 2/3 way up the last face or you’ll have a bit of Nordic action to get back up to the lift. Plenty of easily accessible off piste off the Palfour runs and also off the black. You won’t go too far wrong if there’s been fresh snow but there are a few cliff faces and a lot of rocky bits.

    There are a number of 'naturride' pistes in the resort, which are basically patrolled and de-avalanched but are not groomed. My view on these is that they’re a poor substitute for good off piste routes, as they get overskiied and as such, icy and mogully. If you want to brown your trousers try the black one immediately under the Aeroski lift. Very steep with a few small rock faces and chutes and three foot deep snow to ensure you lose your skis like the amateur paddy you know you are. There is a particularly scenic natureride, the Aiguilles Piercie, complete with a natural arch at the top. There is also a very nice off piste along a well worn track to the left of this lift as you come up it. It takes about 10 minutes to ski along to a wide open face where the snow remains fresh and deep. Its then a 30 sec ski down through (hopefully) beautiful powder, with accompanying slog if you fail to keep your speed. Be careful as the track out is icy and its thus not easy to control yourself on it. The route suddenly opens to an exposed face on the right at one point and if you’re bringing an over enthusiastic beginner with you you may be calling out the helicopter. The actual face would be very avalanche prone at times too so better to do it once there’s a good few existing lines down it.

    Above and to the left of this face is an even more impressive off piste run off a very steep shoulder, borderline worthy of a ski video. Not going to post how to get to it lest someone follow my directions and die. The day I saw people climbing up to it they looked like ordinary mortals so it is presumably doable, though I didn’t realise till afterwards where they were going, so didn’t join them. Its on the list for next time...

    Tignes isn’t very good for absolute beginners though. There are two crap greens in the resort but not much to encourage a nervous skier up beyond that. There are blues off the nearby Pallafour lift when they’re ready for them. There is a lovely blue (Creux) off the back of the Aeroski Bubble lift which would be perfect for beginners but again, nervous skiers will not be too enthused by the prospect of gaining that much altitude, particularly with the impressive looking black which hangs over the training slopes awaiting them by way of descent (just put them back into the cable car down then nail the black yourself!). There are plenty of greens in the area between Tignes and Val but they are spectacularly slow and will involve impromptu Nordic skiing. In fact the main criticism I would have of Tignes is that there was a lot of flat areas. I was on semi off piste skis, which run slower on pistes than standard skis, so I felt it a little more. Boarders could encounter real difficulty.

    There is a good summary of the pistes at welove2ski.com. There is also a lengthy guide to some off piste routes available elsewhere on line, but I’m not going to link to it as, imo, you shoudn’t be going anywhere near the routes contained in it without a guide or proper mountain skills.

    NATIONALITIES:

    Mostly French actually. Disconcerting amount of ski lift trips with 40 something Brit males talking complete sh*te to their (usually mute female) companions. Some Scandis and one or two Spanish. Not a Paddy to be seen though my mates did encouter one or two.

    COST:

    I think in the current climate this should feature in all reviews;

    Price breakdown:

    Flights – Aer Lingus – Lyon - €165 including taxes etc and bag

    Transfer – Satobus Alpes - €100 return

    Accommodation - €370 pp per week in 6 person apartment

    Ski pass - €40 odd per day, less in bad weather

    Ski gear - €30 per day for top level skis, boots, poles

    Lesson - €65 for one and a half hour private lunchtime lesson

    Food in town – actually quite cheap, decent food at better prices than at home. Could get a nice hot Panini for a fiver, oversized burger for 7.50 at Tschuss. Having been to Chamonix the last few times I expected to drop almost as much on meals as I did on ski passes and gear, but was pleasantly surprised. You could conceivably survive on 20 – 30 euro per day on decent hot food.

    ACCOMMODATION:

    Stayed the first night in Hotel le Refuge. €94 single room B&B. Bed felt a little cold and I felt a little guilty having to get the staff out of bed after I arrived late at 1.30 in the morning. I suspect the room just hadn’t been occupied all week, hence coldness. The staff were exceptionally friendly and a pleasure to stay with. Good self service continental breakfast set me up for the day. Hotel is bang on the front of the main Tignes le lac pistes.

    Stayed the rest of the time at the Village Montana apartments. Cost me €370 in a 6 person apartment with 4 other adults and one child. Paid for a weeks accommodation and the price I paid was basically the difference between a 4 person and a 6 person apartment after I joined a group of mates who had already booked there. Apartments quite nice and relatively spacious by ski standards. Hotel was also nice, good bar area with comfy seats and fires, pool table, pool, Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna facilities (nominal admission fee of €10 for those staying in apartments, free for those who give a hotel room number instead!). Restaurant looked good but never ate there due to failure to offer veggie options for my mates.

    Apartments were nominally ski in but only directly accessible from one run. Otherwise it was a 150 yard slog up a piste / icy road with your skis. Also, there was only one communal ski room and no direct access to the apartment. This meant you had to walk through the lobby to get to and from the ski room / apartment. This wouldn’t ordinarily present a problem, except that the greatest faux pas in the Hotel Village Montana is to walk through the hotel lobby in ski-boots (I mean wtf, we’re at 2100 meters, we’re in a purpose built ski resort, what do you expect?). Thankfully, they also only give you two keys to the ski locker (for a 6 person group?) which means you will have ample opportunity to piss them off by clanking past the reception desk and feigning non-comprehension en route for the key / another pair of shoes after your mates go home early. The skiroom on a busy weekend morning was also pretty ridiculous as the entire hotel bump into each other in the under 15s footie style changing room, trying to not block somebody’s locker while propping up your skiis / putting on your boots in a frantic rush to get to the powder.

    Apart from the odd stiff the staff were quite nice though. You can also buy your ski pass in the hotel on weekend mornings, which is handy and can pre-order baguettes for the mornings too, which is even handier (didn’t stay around for the bill so not sure how much they were).

    GETTING THERE:

    The transfer took 6 hours on the way in due to ice in the tunnels which ground the motorway to an absolute halt. The transfer on the way out left without me after the driver repeatedly told me he was not the bus I was looking for. In fairness, when the girl in the office realised his cock up the bus was called back for me. Don’t imagine the other passengers were much impressed mind.

    There is the option of getting the train instead. You get it from the airport to Chamberry and then on to Bourg St Maurice and it can be booked online. That much would cost you £29 sterling one way. Then its possible to get an occasional bus up to Tignes le Lac (€10 each way) or a taxi (prob about €40). The train out lines up reasonably well with the current Aer Lingus flight time. However, there is only one train back and it leaves in the evening, thereby missing your flight – you’d have to overnight in Lyon and wait around all day the next day.

    There is also the option of a train direct from England for the ultra green route, I think the train only runs Sat to Sat.

    If you had 3 or 4 people you’d prob be best off renting a car. Bear in mind that you will have to pay motorway charges on top of that as well as parking in Tignes if it isn’t free with you accommodation (€70 per week in the public carpark).

    Chamberry is a closer airport – about 2 hours away – and there is a Saturday flight from some budget airline out of Belfast. Alternatively, Geneva airport may also be closer. Grenoble and Turin other options (my mates drove up from a Ryanair flight into Turin – about 4 hours and €70 in motorway fees).

    TIPS:

    Bear in mind in choosing a place to stay that there are a number of different towns in Tignes. Tignes le Lac and Val Claret are the main ones. There are also Tignes les Boisses (has a youth hostel and is served by the skibus) and Tignes les Brevieres (has a ridiculously cheap budget chalet – Chalet Chardons, which quoted me €45 pp half board on a single basis and has some very cheap off season deals on its website) but is only served by the occasional bus. As such, it would be two lifts up in the morning to get to the bulk of the action, and a long ski baCK in the evenings. When I was there, notwithstanding lots of fresh snow, the red down was an ice scrape fest. Still, the option for a very cheap holiday to a world class resort exists here.

    Beginners might bear in mind that, as far as I’m aware, the greens in the town are free. As such, it may be an idea to not buy your lift pass until you’re going higher.

    Final tip – get a balaclava, it was mighty cold on the higher lifts.

    RESTAURANTS / BARS:

    Ate in the Bogus bar one night – very good food but bad service – some of the food served cold, others the wrong order or without accompanying sides. Your burger cravings will either be satisfied by Tschuss (7.50 for a lovely burger the size of a small pizza – no chips needed!) or Loop. The later serves good, very cheap food (about 8 mains for around a tenner or less) and was the only bar we saw with any après ski to mention, though in fairness we didn’t look.

    WOULD I GO AGAIN:

    Yes, but the transfer relative to places like Chamonix, Avoriez and Verbier is frustrating. Great skiing though. Want to get an off piste guide and knock off that line above, so will return at some point.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭am i bovvered


    very well written review, lots of info, thanks !


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,045 ✭✭✭rn


    1. Where and when you went.
    Livingno, Italy

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    ski

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Exceptionally cold on the first two days... unusually -24c. But then warmed up big time to a more comfortable -6c to +1c. Fresh snow down on the Thursday (little bit) and lots on Friday leaving the pistes fantastic. Wasn't off piste.

    4. Are you beginner/intermediate/advanced.
    Beginner

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    All in all good to excellent. Had a few things in Bennys which is beside ski school mainly because directski operates out of it. Its only ok and a tad funny with the times they serve food. There was a really nice resturant around ski lift 23-24... there is a large harry potter statue on the street side... can't remember its name. Food lovely, huge portions and very reasonable.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    Its more relaxed than we experienced in France last year. Very scenic at this time of year. If you are not a complete beginner, do the intermediate ski school (4 day one).

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    The skidooing is highly recommended.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Mainly mainland europeans, all nationalities. Very few british. A few Irish.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    Two minor things to avoid: If you travel with directski, avoid the all you can eat on the transfer to livigno for 10 euro. Its just bread and two types of pasta. Total rip off for whats on offer. Bring your own sandwhichs or hold out till you hit livigno. And the Aquagrande wellness park is very expensive for whats on offer (€20 PP for standard, €39 PP for exclusive i.e. thermal suite plus €5 PP to rent a towel) - so only go if you are sure you want/need it.

    We stayed in the Chalet Moon. Nice little place and very comfortable.

    I would be only 50/50 as to whether I would go again. The long transfer and terrible departure times of flights would be the biggest downside for us. However I wouldn't rule it out if there was a gang going... :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 kelznz


    1. Where and when you went.
    Bardonecchia, Italy - 31st Jan-7th Feb 2010

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Boarded but had one skier in the group

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Great! The first few days were sunny and decent enough cover on the slopes, the snow makers were going each night. Some patches were icy but in general very nice. The last few days it snowed heavily and both on and off piste were amazing - powder up to waist deep in the off piste runs and beautiful soft snow on piste.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    Intermediate but had a beginner skier and beginner boarder with us.

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Quiet enough in that you wouldn't go for the clubbing but amazing red wine everywhere and delicious pasta and pizza. All the bars serve free snacks with your drinks like mini pizzas, cheeses and meats etc. You can still have a late night out boozing and a great time but it's a bit more civilized than say Austria!

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    The off piste was great on all mountains. Free ski bus between the 3 main: Campo Smith, Melezet and Jafferau. Friendly locals and great food and drink. Melezet has the Olympic half pipe and ski run for those interested.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Was told to head to Jafferau on the Saturday by an Aussie working in a bar at Campo Smith - all the Italians head to Campo Smith on the weekends from Turin and the place is mobbed. Jafferau was quiet, excellent slopes and mint conditions all round with no waiting at all!

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Majority were Italian, few French, a lot of European ski teams training and a few Irish on the package holidays from Dublin :)

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    Would definitely recommend for beginners and intermediates and people that love Italian cuisine and people. Boarders beware the amount of drag/button lifts that are in the area - not a fan myself and was hard to avoid them if you wanted to get to the top! Definitely mix it up at the 3 different resorts as they all offer different terrain and options. Don't like going to the same place 2 years in a row but if I was one of those I would definitely head back here.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,444 ✭✭✭evil_seed


    1. Where and when you went.
    Ischgl, Austria. 1st week in Feb

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Board.

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    it never stopped snowing. fresh powder on piste all the time. perfect conditions, though visibility was real bad 1 of the days. 1st time off-piste, again it was perfect, but deep as I found out by losing it

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    the bars were very lively as expected for apres ski. this atmosphere stayed going throughout the night. the drink was a bit more expensive than here. the reteraunts and food was fantastic

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    the toboggan run. 7Km. great craic altogehter

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    i wouldnt say they were hidden gems, but we found the good spots by accident lol

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    swiss, german, dutch, italian & local. only 1 other irish group there, apart from us. no english at all

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    definately go again


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,730 ✭✭✭yankinlk


    1. Where and when you went.
    Sauze d-Oulx, Feb 6 - Feb 13

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Skied for 20 years but considering boarding after this visit

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    It snowed just before we arrived, 2 days while we were there and often at night. 5 days of beautiful blue skies and sun. The snow was perfect on the sunny days on piste and I only saw one run on one day ice up, and it was closed immediately. I dont board yet, but I went off piste and it was the business. Deep powder everywhere that was replaced with fresh snow several nights during our visit.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    Intermediate +

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    This was a family trip so I have a limited perspective on the night life. It was never very rowdy and we stayed in the heart of town. Hotel had wooden shutters we could close, so i braced for the worst - nah - go to Austria for the wild times. Rounds were cheap in the hotel (Holiday Debili) and food was good. I preferred the food here to Austria as they seemed to stick to traditional Italian rather than a buffet style sample of various european food like in Austria. Food was decently priced on the slopes I thought, but the Austrians know how to dot the slopes nicely with little bars/restuarants everywhere. Italy only had a handful closer to the bottom.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    The weather is its best factor, shortly followed by the stunning views, wide open terrain, and great snow conditions. You have to ski off piste and through trees as its just too easy and fun. The resort is mostly red runs and off piste - nothing else really - book somewhere else with beginners or families.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Not really, the village is pretty small and basic...but you can ski to France!

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Mainly Italians with some English.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    Thats a tough one. At the start of the week I was comparing this to Austria and calling it Sauze D'ont, but after a week of fabulous weather and great snow I have calmed down a bit. Its not for families, kids, beginners. I cannot stress that enough. Sportina is the central point to meet for lessons and its halfway up the mountain. There is only one lift chair up to it, and one 2-man chair out of it (2nd chair was closed usually). There is only red runs down from it! Trying to haul a 4 year old beginner around is a nightmare. the entire resort is built on the side of the mountain rather than in the valley below, so forget about fat poeple or oldies (unless your fromt he north side of cork and used to walking hills)

    Do yourself a favour:
    1. Consider Booking ski rental within walking distance to the main sportina lift.
    2. Leave your skis in Sportina over night - for godsake do not bring them home @ night

    Lessons, well Austria is just better value. Lessons were from 10-12:30 for the same price as Austria where we could get 10-3 including lunchtime cover for the kids.

    Someone in Sauze needs to invite an Austrian engineer to pay a visit and re-design everything. Italians must be the only ski slope designers to build the top of a lift at the bottom of a hill. No kidding this was standard everywhere.

    There are no blue runs to speak of. There was one that looked great on the map, but half of it was actually uphill. If you can do red runs, into blue, than into trees, than in to red, than into blue, and finally down to the bottom on red you will be fine.


  • Registered Users Posts: 891 ✭✭✭Mmmm_Lemony


    WHERE:

    Söll, Skiwelt Region, Austria

    MAPS and WEBCAMS:

    Piste Map
    Webcam

    WHEN:

    20th Feb – 27th Feb, 2010

    LEVEL:

    Intermediate skier, Beginner Boarder
    Found the level of most on the slopes to be very good compared to where i have been before

    CONDITIONS:

    Very very VERY! warm unfortunately. Start of the week was icy in places and slushy in others. Spent 3 days on the board then switched to twin tips. Got very choppy and slushy in the afternoon most days. Made it very strenuous to ski and made the chance of injury more likely.

    There was a big dump on the friday and around the sheffau and ellmau area there was some fantastic chances for a little off-piste just beside the pistes. The main runs seem to be an alful lot wider here too.

    THE SKIING:

    On piste skiing was very good in the morning considering it was so warm, because the groomers looked to be going all night but as it is a busy time of year, by the end of the day you were fighting with the slush/ice/moguls to get back home.

    Off piste was very dodgy until the last day. Not a huge amount but enough to change it up a bit and easily accessible from lifts and gondolas. On the last day I pretty much had every slope to myself, it felt eerily quiet.

    Not alot of blacks in Soll but over the area there is enough. There is something for everyone here. And if the conditions are very good, it would be absolutely fantastic. I don't think its that boarder friendly though in Soll. And there isn't alot on offer in Soll itself as a beginner either.

    As I am only a beginner I chose mostly blues and a couple of traversing reds for the first day. Some of the blues are terrible though. Narrow and too flat in areas which can be a nightmare on a board. I ditched the board after the third day as I kept catching my heel edge and pounding my tailbone on these runs.

    That said, there is well over 250km of piste availble in the greater skiwelt region. Parts of sheffau and ellmau and going were beautiful and not as busy as soll which meant the conditions held up alot better over the day. Lots more blues here too and the same said for westendorf.

    If I could give anyone advice who is staying in soll it would be from the very first morning to spend the first few days skiing/boarding your way around the different areas of the skiwelt. We didn't really do this until mid-week. Exploring the mountains early is the way forward. It can be a little confusing at times but well worth it.

    Sunday is a bit of a headache for lift queues in the morning, and the home run from 4 onwards would be like trying to ski down grafton street in the january sales. Ridiculous! I'm ashamed to say we got the gondola down most days :O


    NATIONALITIES:

    Mostly Irish! Few english and a few Scots. Obviously alot of austrians and germans. It was Dutch mid-term and there was a few dutch about the place but not much. Apart from this mostly Austrians and Germans as you can imagine.

    COST:

    Went with a Package, DirectSki

    Dublin - Innsbruck, Directski, 3* HB, Allocation on Arrival
    Stayed in Hotel Austria, with a bus load of Irish.

    Ski pass - €189 for the entire region. I think you can pay an extra 20 to cover kitzbuhel as well but there is enough to keep you going in the skiwelt for 2 weeks, never mind 1!

    Ski gear - €75 for 3 Days Twin Tips, boots, poles

    Private Lesson - €45 per hour (Min of 2hrs with Blacksheep)
    My brother got this and thought it was well worth it

    Food - All very good, never had any problems. About 30-40 for 2/3 course for 2 in most places. Reasonable enough.

    Some of the station restaurants can be a bit pricey but the food is all good.

    Pint - 3.20 -3.60,
    Jaerger Bombs - Not sure (Could never remember, but never had a penny coming home :O)

    ACCOMMODATION:

    Hotel itself was basic enough. Austrian Twin, balcony. No laundry service in the hotel or soll which was a bit weird. Room was tiny, but everyone was really nice, apart from a blonde waitress who was touch and go what kind of mood she was in.

    Food in the hotel was again basic enough but delicious at the same time, well cooked. Breakfast was continental. Dinner was 3 courses, with a choice of 2 Mains. Vegitarian on request It was just me and my brother and each room is assigned a table of about 6/8 which is a good way to meet new people (while sober).

    Hotel Bar on ground floor was grand and the staff were great craic and very helpful too. There was a bar on the same floor as the restaurant which was handy for a late pint and ham and cheese toasty before bed.

    GETTING THERE:

    Flight was about 2.5hrs. Innsbruck airport is a shoe box. Then 1.5hr transfer by coach.

    You could also fly to munich if not with a package and get a train from there.

    TIPS:

    As I said above, get out and explore the Skiwelt as early in the week as you can. You will not regret it.

    If you need a board waxed or something setup, or even need to rent, Freaks on Snow is the guy to go to. Guys name is Peter, and looks like macGyver but is really helpful.

    If you want to try night skiing, make sure you use the Erdinger garage to store your gear for the week. Shtoll is closed at 6 on the button!!! Made this mistake :(

    Be prepared for a lack of WiFi. The hotel charged 5 per hour and I've had dial-up connections that were quicker!

    Never walk into the WhiskeyMuhle sober...never ever...Its the austrian copers!

    RESTAURANTS / BARS:

    Dorf Stub'n is really good ts right opposite the Hotel Austria. There is a kebab place in Rossinis too and they are awesome. Frenhaurs just above freaks on Snow shop do a nice shnitzel but I wasn't mad about the ribs special, although it was just lacking some pep in the sauce.

    WOULD I GO AGAIN:

    Yes, it's a really great place. I like the food, I like the diversity of the resort and its ease of access. If I was an advanced skiier or advanced boarder I might pick a more 'snow sure' resort. Conditions can be a bit dodgy here. But it was still a great week.



    Heading to Zell am See next saturday...praying for lots and lots of pow!!!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,445 ✭✭✭bovril


    Post above has pretty much it all covered.


    The Skiing

    I skied for the week. Found the school very different from last year even though it was the same one. They were like militry trying to progress people up the ranks. Had two lads who were out of their depth in my class be rescued from a steep red on the 2nd day, 1st by a piste machine because he was scared of heights and the instructor hadn't told us we were doing a steep red. The 2nd guy was rescued by a snow mobile because he couldn't make it down. Neither had injuries I might add. The classification was terrible on the first day.

    For beginner skiers there is very little runs. There is one blue at mid station but it gets crowed with kids lessons and every other beginner in the place. The next step up in run is a big enough jump so unless you are a quick learner you would be stuck to one run for the week. There are more beginner runs in Scheffau and Ellmau but they are supposed to be quieter towns.
    I think the Soll area is mainly suitable for intermediate skiers and at that level you can take advantage of the Skiwelt pass and travel/ski to other areas in it.

    Equipment

    Rented equipment in Edinger Sports booked this online http://www.sport-edinger.at/ They also have a garage facility and are located under the gondola in Soll.

    http://www.stoll.at/skicenter/ who the tour operators use are useless. Fire boots at you and don't ask how they fit etc.

    Snow and Fun in the centre is also supposed to be good for rental although I haven't used these guys.

    Restaurants
    Giovannis across from hotel austria does amazing pizza and pasta. Lasagne regularily sells out and is 7.50. Pizzas are 9 Euro. Bottle of house red for 17Euro.

    Place across the road from Whiskey Muhle is great for trad austrian food and cheap and cheerful.

    Bella Vita few doors up from SalvenStadl pub is great for steaks/lamb and it also has lovely thai cuisine. It's a bit pricier that the rest in the town.

    Salvenstadl is great for your apres ski, regularily has live bands. Beer is 3E and pizza is 6E.

    There is the most amazing cake shop at the miribell Pension. Worth skipping apres ski one of the days for a cake and tea. I'd go back for this place alone!

    Things to recommend
    It was dutch half term when we went and the beginner slopes got very crowed. I'd advise to do homework (like I should have) and go at a time when there are no mid terms for ANY country. We had lots of space to ourselves last year at a different time in the season.

    Would I go back?
    Might go back in a year or two when the beginners in our group get experienced on slopes elsewhere.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,228 ✭✭✭techguy


    Where and when

    Livigno, Italy. March 6th - 13th. 2010.

    What did you do there?
    Ski.

    Conditions on/off piste
    First few days were acceptable with some hard, icy patches that were a little tedious. Snowed on the Wed/Thurs so the rest of the week was incredible.

    Nights got pretty cold. The first morning I went for a stroll at 7 am, it was -24. Warms up as the days goes on. Lower slopes can be nice but the higher ones usually stayed chilly enough..

    Are you a beginner/intermed/advanced
    Intermediate. (This was my second week)

    What were the bars/restaurants like
    Firstly, stay away from Bennys (Original Galli's). The place is a dive and it's the only place that makes me feel like a package holiday type punter where all they want is my money. The service is really bad, go to the other bars where you will get complimentary snacks.

    We went to Marios most nights as we found the food pretty good. You can do it for as little as €12.40 to twice or even three times that.

    Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    If you plan on buying any electronics/ski gear/tobacco then this is the place to go.. Livigno is tax free so these are all really cheap. I saw an iPod nano (€139 in irl) for €90.

    Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Not really. maybe just the tax free aspect..

    Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Mainly Italians with a few Eastern Europeans/Germans.. A few irish and even less Brits.

    Comments

    The runs are broken down as follows:
    Blue: 26%
    Red: 57%
    Black: 17%

    This resort is best for beginner and intermediate skiiers. If the finances are in order next year then I will be pushing to back here. I'd say 2-3 years there is loads as there aren't really that many runs. I think I covered 85-90% of the resort in 5.5 days.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭am i bovvered


    bovril wrote: »
    Things to recommend
    It was dutch half term when we went and the beginner slopes got very crowed. I'd advise to do homework (like I should have) and go at a time when there are no mid terms for ANY country. We had lots of space to ourselves last year at a different time in the season.
    QUOTE]

    We were in oberstdorf from the 1st~9th march and was told it was a good time as there were no mid-terms in europe that week


  • Registered Users Posts: 891 ✭✭✭Mmmm_Lemony


    WHERE:

    Zell am See/Kaprun, Austria

    MAPS and WEBCAMS:

    Piste Map and Webcam and WebTV

    WHEN:

    6th Mar – 13th Mar, 2010

    LEVEL:

    Intermediate skier, intermediate(Think I've improved after 5 days of lessons) Boarder :)

    CONDITIONS:

    Very good throughout the week. There was a big dump on friday night and saturday morning before we arrived. All pistes were well groomed. Only really late in the evening 1 or 2 runs were very choppy and icy, particularly the valley run and the 13 and 14 black.

    THE SKIING:

    Was boarding for the entire week. Conditions were really good. I was in two minds whether or not to get classes for the week. My GF wawnted it so we decided we both would.

    Glad we did as the Board instructor brought us to Kaprun for a day trip. Kaprun is 3000m snow sure and well worth a visit. Its very windy and will get very cold too, but if its too warm in Zell then you can jump on a bus and come here instead.

    Only thing I didn't like was the lack of runs at the bottom of the mountain. Your only choice down to the village is 2/3 back runs so for beginners and some intermediates it means a gondola home every evening. They also get pretty icy when there hasn't been alot of snow.


    NATIONALITIES:

    German and Austrian mostly, Loads of Dutch too, good few english irish and scots though.

    COST:

    Went with a Package, DirectSki (850 pp)

    Dublin - Salzburg, Directski, 4* HB, Der Schmittenhof
    After the first night I complained that it wasn't 4 star as the whole holiday was a valentines gift for my gf. The hotel itself was fine but the room they put us in was in another building and was not up to a 4 star standard. (I'd sleep in a shed but the GF is a little picky) after the second night we were moved to Neue Post.

    The Neue Post is the bogs dollix! Great food, great room and great facilities. Its right in the centre of town too. If you were going to book yourself, they have a 'Snow Okay' package for 626 pp which includes 7 nights 4 Star half board and a lift pass. The lift pass is just shy of 200 so you are getting HB in a 4 star hotel for 430 euro. Its well worth it. You also get a 100 drinks voucher for drinks in the restaurant during evening meals. Honestly, cannot recommend this place highly enough. They have there own secure ski garage, with heated boot racks, outdoor heated pool, steam and sauna, solarium, the works. The breakfast buffet is continental with some hot stuff thrown in but the evening meals are the best I have ever experienced on HB. The salad bar alone is worth it. We've already decided if we can get the flights cheap enough we will stay here next year.

    Ski pass - €197 for Zell am See and Kaprun. I think you can pay an extra 20/30 to cover Saalbach and hinter. If I had of known I would go for this.

    Ski gear - €53 euro for boots for the week. Its pricey compared to soll.

    Private Lesson - €155 Intermediate board lessons for 5 days through directski. School was the 'Carve In' school. My instructor had been boarding for 16yrs and instructing for 12 so probably one of the longest serving out there. We had a class of 5, 2 dutch girls, 1 english girl, 1 german girl and myself. The 2 dutch girls were a bit week but he managed well by getting us to practice switch while they were using magic sticks etc.. He also brought us on a day trip to kaprun, to experience some pow and some back country...AMAZING. If we had the bigger ski passes he would have taken us to saalbach for a day which was a bit unfortunate. He also spent a half day in the park which i really enjoyed.

    My GF wasn't so lucky with her instructors. She has been twice before and was at the stage were she was starting to parrallel ski. The instructor she was assigned brought the entire class of 8 straight out of their depth. Too sttep terrain. She was then moved back to the beginner class, which spent most of the week building up to a DVD of them 1 by one waving at the camera and doing little jumps. She still had a great laugh but if anything she went backwards rather than forwards regarding skiing progression after the week was up. Price was the same for her lessons.

    Every class is different but I'd recommend My Instructor (Uwe) for boarding and maybe a different ski school altogether for skiing lessons.

    Food - All very good, never had any problems. About 30-40 for 2/3 course for 2 in most places. Reasonable enough. Couldn't really see much of a difference between Soll prices tbh.

    Pint - 3.20 -3.40

    ACCOMMODATION:

    As I said already, hotel Neue Post was awesome. Breakfast was great, good selection. They also had an Apre Ski buffet from 4-5 which was a basic pasta salad, few cakes and breads some cheese tea coffee etc. Dinner was exquisite!

    GETTING THERE:

    Flight was about 2.15hrs. Salzburg airport is a shoe box too. Slightly better than Innsbruck but not by much. Then <1.5hr transfer by coach to Zell.

    You could also fly to munich if not with a package and get a train from there.

    TIPS:

    There is a restaurant station on the Breitechalm. (Route 1) They brew there own Jagatee, and its the best on the mountain. You can reserve a room upstairs if you have a big group and it has a stained glass window and original blueprints on the wall of the church from the top of schmitten.

    Also if you get a chance, there is a small pathway just beside the bottom of the kapellenbahn lift (route 3), which leads you to a small restaurant called Pinzgaur Hutte. The view is great, its never that busy and its a really nice spot. The only way to get back is being pulled by skidoo. Its really worth the effort as it was a great experience.

    Get to Kaprun if you can. Its got alot to offer for those looking for Off-Piste, parks or just something different. You ski pass covers you on the bus too. There is a freeride run from the top (red dot from black 1), after you take the little train down that is a little exposed but always looks fresh and you can really get some speed up!

    RESTAURANTS / BARS:

    We had pizza in giseppis that was pretty good but apart from that we ate every night in the hotel. It was too good. In breiteckalm, the same place they do the homemade jagatee, they do a dish you wont get anywhere else on the mountain. It comes in a frying pan and its made of a type of gnocchi with dear bacon mixed in. Can't think of the name but its really good.

    WOULD I GO AGAIN:

    Yes. With Kaprun just up the road, You are gauranteed snow! There are plenty of parks on the glacier too. Plenty of runs in Zell, lots of restaurants hotels and shopping. Its a great spot. A little bit quiet compared to soll but its a great spot. Will be hear next year at least once.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭Fattes


    1. Where and when you went.
    Saas Fee Switzerland March 12th - 20th 2010
    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Ski
    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    On Piste excellent conditions with wonderfull snow and quiet slopes not a lift q in sight. Off piste could have done with a big snowfall but there was still pockets of fresh pow to be found and great conditions in the trees
    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    Group of 7 Instructors
    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Amazing food and great quality eatires both on and off the mountain Don Chichio in the Village is one of the best Italian resteraunts you could imagine.
    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    It is incredibly high 3,900 at the top pure picture postcard territory with a car free village and surrounded by 14 mountains that tower over 4,000 meters
    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Amazing tree skiing under the plattejan bubble with no one around and very few tracks with fresh pow to be found days after a fall
    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    A mix of everything with no one nation overwhelming the resort.
    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    An amazing resort within easy reach of Geneva and Zurich airport and close access to Zermatt and Verbier for day trips quiet, beautifull resort with skiing for everyone. A little on the pricey end but overall I would consider it value for money


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 15 halcyon4


    2010 Holiday report: Spinderluv Mlyn, Czech Republic
    http://www.spindleruv-mlyn.com/en/

    1. Where and when you went.

    Jan 11th - Jan 15th

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.

    Ski

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Conditions were perfect for the first 2 days. There had been some fresh snow, and not a lot of people on the slopes. 3rd day got more of a crowd, and 4th day had small patches of ice on the slopes and the largest crowds.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Good food, good beer, Quite cheap in comparsion to other ski resorts. Beer would have been no more than 2 euro anywhere. The pubs are really nice, but are quiet at this time of year.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    The price was as good as you can get:

    Ski Pass for 4 days ~80 euros.
    Ski equipment ~40 euro for 4 days.

    Accomodation - twin room for ~25 euro per night for the room in
    http://www.spindleruv-mlyn.com/en/&ubytovani=21


    Flights were really cheap also, as we booked early to Prague. I think they were only about 80 euro return. The train journey to Spinderluv Mlyn is about 2 hours.


    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    The resort itself for price and value.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.

    German & Czech.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.

    I would go again, probably at the same time of year. I guess later on in the season it gets very busy.


  • Registered Users Posts: 31 skiman


    2010 Holiday report:

    1. Where and when you went.

    Livigno, Italy, Jan 2010

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.

    Ski & Snow Board

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Conditions were perfect for the entire week we were there. New snow every second day or so. Plenty of bars and rstaurants.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate


    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Great food, good beer, reasonably priced.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    Free bus to all slopes. Check out Federia, there's a slalom run there that times your runs, great fun.

    Excellent slopes for begineers, nice and wide.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    LEGO shop for the children in the group. Good shopping and tax free, if you're into shopping on a ski holiday.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.

    Europeans.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.

    I would go again, at the same time of year, maybe even in 2011. Even the five (5) hour transfer by coach was okay. I've even put posts on Trip Advisor about the restaurants. The one at the base of the night ski run is excellent.


  • Registered Users Posts: 31 skiman


    1. Where and when you went.

    Halfjel, Norway, Jan & Mar 2009


    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.

    Ski

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Conditions were perfect for the entire week we were there in Jan 2009. New snow every second day or so.

    Got a bit patchy during Mar 2009.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate


    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Great food, good beer, can be a bit expensive, but NO more than Ireland.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    Free bus to all slopes when you purchase a five day ski pass. .

    Excellent slopes for begineers, nice and wide. But as you progress up the mountains slopes get narrow. Some of the BLUE runs are more like REDS. The REDS can be more akin to BLACK.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    The people are so friendly.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.

    Europeans.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.

    I would go again, the trainn transfer was 1.5 hours from OSLO Airport. Don't check out the Wunderpark opposite the Hafjell ski resort. It's a rip off. When I went in Jan 09, fog posed some difficulties, slowed down your runs. It took 15 or so minutes to get to the extreme top (Low peak crowds), 7 - 8 mins to get down to the base. If you fall add extra time....

    The Birkeenbireeen Hotel is top notch. Stayed there both times. You can save money by booking your flights direct, your train tickets and hotel direct. I went package first time and still had to pay for a taxi from railway station to hotel.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 15 halcyon4


    halcyon4 wrote: »
    2010 Holiday report: Spinderluv Mlyn, Czech Republic
    http://www.spindleruv-mlyn.com/en/

    1. Where and when you went.

    Jan 11th - Jan 15th

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.

    Ski

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Conditions were perfect for the first 2 days. There had been some fresh snow, and not a lot of people on the slopes. 3rd day got more of a crowd, and 4th day had small patches of ice on the slopes and the largest crowds.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Good food, good beer, Quite cheap in comparsion to other ski resorts. Beer would have been no more than 2 euro anywhere. The pubs are really nice, but are quiet at this time of year.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    The price was as good as you can get:

    Ski Pass for 4 days ~80 euros.
    Ski equipment ~40 euro for 4 days.

    Accomodation - twin room for ~25 euro per night for the room in
    http://www.spindleruv-mlyn.com/en/&ubytovani=21


    Flights were really cheap also, as we booked early to Prague. I think they were only about 80 euro return. The train journey to Spinderluv Mlyn is about 2 hours.


    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    The resort itself for price and value.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.

    German & Czech.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.

    I would go again, probably at the same time of year. I guess later on in the season it gets very busy.


    booking this again for january 2011

    aer lingus return flights to prague - 100
    1 night accomodation in prague city centre plus 4 nights in spinderluv mlyn - 75 euro ( 2 sharing)
    2 hour bus transfer from prague-mlyn about 6 euro each way
    4 day ski pass & equipment ~120 euro again ( may be cheaper to rent in pension also rather than at the slopes)

    beer ~ 2euro max


    ...........great deal


  • Registered Users Posts: 175 ✭✭rjp123


    1. Where and when you went.

    Verbier, Switzerland, December 4th - December 11th

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.

    Ski

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Really good. Pistes were very good (icy only one day as it rained the day before), Off piste was a bit chopped up with not a huge amount of cover under ski in places so rocks were a small bit of a concern but i cant complain really. I've skied worse some years in January. In all we got a few dumps throughout the week and temps were cold throughout except the day it rained when the freezing level weirdly shot up. If you offered me those conditions pre trip i would have taken them!


    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Class but expensive enough. few good nights there but season was only starting so it wasnt in full swing. Good eating available and mont fort was good for comfort food (quality food and good bar). Fer a cheval was good for apres ski and pizza but is a bit small. offshore cooked us a good fry one morning after their breakfast time was over so they get special mention as i could have died without it. nice too! cant remember the other places.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    Huge ski area, very accessible (from geneva). Proper big village. Loads of nightlife and bars and restaurant and shopping.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    Didnt go anywhere else. Apparently there is a spa in martigny (45 mins away) if you want to chillax.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.

    all nations. alot of english. who cares though?

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.

    I would go again but it is quite expensive. Lift pass was expensive and as it was early season the full resort was not accessible yet the f~~kers charges us full prices which is bs. the main lift we had to go to was at the top of the town up a bit of a hill which was hard going in the mornings. there did not seem to be a huge amount of mountain restaurants open for lunch. Ate in one (chalet carlsberg) one day which was good but the other days was in crap buffet canteens who served chips/bolagnaise at outrageous prices. brought pack lunches in after day 1 but still managed to spend money in the bloody place. Acommodation was good quality in s/c apartment and we got a very good deal as it was so early season. if i was going that early season again and the snow was good id try go 11th-18th as they open a rake of more terrain on the 11th.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 18 pmeehan


    1. Where and when you went.

    Revelstoke, BC, Canada - 3rd to 11th December 2010

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.

    Board

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    It's a unique resort that needs a lot of snow due to the steepness of the mountain. There was decent amount of snow when we got there but, even though there were brilliant patches of powder, rocks and tree stumps were still visible. We then had a brilliant dumping of snow on the Tuesday and the powder was sensational. Only one run on the entire mountain was groomed which meant the entire place was full of fresh lines to explore, it was epic stuff for the remainder of the week.


    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Not great. It's an old, backward town that was built long before they decided to plonk a ski/snowboard resort on their mountain so it's the complete opposite to a purpose built European resort. There's a fairly swanky bar/restaurant at the foot at the slopes but, like everything in Canada, it's pricey.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    Epic mountain for itermediate to advanced skiiers/boarders. The mountain is seriously steep and there are fresh powder lines to be found all over it, even when the snow cover isn't great. The tree lines are amazing too!!

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    Didn't go anywhere else but I imagine a roadtrip along the TransCanada highway from Calgary to Revelstoke would be savage cause you pass by about 10 resorts, including Banff and Lake Louise.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.

    Mainly Canadians. A lot of Aussies and Newzealanders too!

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.

    I'd definitely go again. Best snow I've ever boarded on. It's not a place for a big group hol with beginners etc and it takes a lot of travel to get there but once you've ridden your first powder line from the subpeak, you'll be hooked on the place!


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,139 ✭✭✭olaola




  • Registered Users Posts: 37 MaggieMc74


    Hi

    Does anyone know anything about the Haute Savoie resort Megeve, ski lessons, night life etc.

    Cheers

    Maggie


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,139 ✭✭✭olaola


    1. Where and when you went.

    Ischgl, Austria 15th-22nd Jan (second time to this resort)

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.

    Ski

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.


    Great skiing overall. Good to excellent conditions on piste. Well groomed and didn't get too mogul-ey after lunch. Loads of runs to choose from, so the traffic is quite spread out. Blues were challenging, and questionably blue!! Some reds were easier - so not for beginners. The only difference was the width. Runs to the village are tracky/icy and busy. People sit at the bottom (at Hotel Elizabeth) just to see people snot themselves as they attempt the final run home!

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Après ski was pretty full on, some great spots - dancing on the tables and all that craic. BUT I have to say this resort is what you'd have to call a wurst-fabrik. TOO many men, it's a funny vibe. We had great fun as we were in a group, but generally it's Danish stag parties and drunk Russians! Nightlife is pretty lively too, but some of the bars can get a bit dodge. Some scams going on in the Kuhstall, where they'll take your jacket off the hooks and hide them behind the bar for ransom. Our hotel staff were lovely, and the bar there was very nice. Everyone comments on the amount of men in the resort.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    Red 60 down into Samnaun Compatsch, it's a mojo-topper-upper when you're feeling the fear! And virtually empty. The Pizzeria at the bottom is fabulous. We went back 3 times, and the staff were lovely. (take the right turn)
    Lots of runs to keep you busy, over to Switzerland and back. Don't be fooled by the Duty-free though, it's bleedin pricey!

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    I suppose the Red 60 down into Samnaun. Oh and Bodenalp mountain hut - some great local grub. Kicking myself we only found it at the end.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.

    Mainly Danish, Germans and Russians. Very little English speaking visitors.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.

    Having been twice, I think we've done it. The whole male majority really put all of us off - even for the guys, gays and girls.
    The skiing is good, but as a resort it's VERY expensive, and as a result quite an older crowd. For example the price was €215 or so for the rental of Atomic Cloud 8s from the Intersport (we got a 15% discount on top of that) and last year I paid €235 for the same skis from Intersport AND skischool for 5 days in Saalbach. The mountain huts aren't great, some of them are quite modern and big. I personally like the smaller, traditional ones. The village is very big, and has an odd configuration straddling two sides of a mountain.


  • Registered Users Posts: 303 ✭✭slavedave


    1. Where and when you went.

    Livigno, Italy 22nd - 29th January

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.

    Ski

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    On-piste only! Overall- very good. Runs are well groomed and never got chopped up due to little traffic and cold weather (veeerrryy cold!). Very little ice around at all. 1cm of fresh snow fell during the week otherwise blue skies every day. Amazing. Bit crunching on slopes that were in shade but as soon as the sun hit them everything became even more skiable.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Had to do a bit of digging around/ walking around to find them to be honest. Had one drink in Benny's pub but the drains smell meant a move after one pint. Daphne's pub up the road (10 minutes walk - this is Livigno) was small but nice. Bars on the slopes were ok-ish except the Pasta restaurant on the Mottolino side that was excellent for food (first floor up the stairs). Ate there twice during the day.
    Bellavista restaurant in town was the bees-knees and lived up to the hype. Highly recommended. As was the pizzeria, Canoa near the ski school. Mikeys pub was ok, the 1816 microbrewery showed promise but was empty when we went.
    Overall, food was great and much better value than Dublin (and France!)

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    I would say it is the best resort we have been to for beginners & intermediates. Ski school was praised by our "learner" on the trip. I think I preferred the Mottolino side to the Carosello side (esp the Trapalle runs first thing on a sunny morning).

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    Bellavista Restaurant. The purpose built spa in town, the Aqua Grande - fantastic design and function - ask for a discount card from your hotel and you can get in for a fiver for 75 minutes rather than nearer 30 euro. Amazing choice of pools, saunas, steam rooms etc but you will get lost in it AND you get charged full whack as soon as you overstay your 75mins allocation. never got changed so fast in my life!

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.

    Mainly Italians, Poles, Russians judging by accents and number plates. A few Irish and British skiers too.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.

    Would definitely go again but would try to get a hotel in the main area of town. We were on the hill away from town so had to take busses and taxis everywhere (free bus and cheap taxis - no more than a tenner a journey). This is a stretched out resort with 2 main ski areas only connected by a trip in a taxi/bus. Lots of walking/fares in the resort. Bus system is good but needs getting used to - would hate to do it all with kids in tow. Ski hire and passes are much cheaper than France /Austria. There were a few button lifts. Lift system was okay in general but the interconnections between the two main gondolas on the Carosello side left a little to be desired especially at the bottom of the valley runs. The old chairlift on the Mottolino side that takes you to the very top of the mountain is LOOONG. I got cold on it in bright sunshine so it would be a killer in wind / snow. Avoid it if you can.
    Otherwise, a belter of a holiday.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,045 ✭✭✭rn


    1. Where and when you went.

    Morzine, 22-29 January

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.

    Ski

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Was only on piste - conditions were bad. Very very icy. Not at all suitable for beginners. Having said that some lovely blues and reds. Some of the blacks were closed due to the ice. Few mates attempted the offpiste. Same story very icy between moguls and one of them picked up a minor sprain.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Good. Avoid the Tibeten Cafe like the plague. Had a very bad experience with very over-reactive bouncers when they landed a few punches on one of our mates, and we wouldn't be a roudy bunch at all. Then they apologiesed when we threatened to call the police... very wierd crowd control from one physco bouncer - best to avoid the place altogether. Anyway head right past that place for the Cellar bar - door opposite the Cavern... mighty craic... Even a bit of Horse outside played - which made the well out numbered Irish pipe up! :D Was in the nightclub one night... wouldn't be in a massive hurry back. It was very expensive at €12 cover, €2 for the coat and €8 for a pint after that! Generally the resturants, while the quality of the food is excellent, are on the expensive side. We ate in the appartment all nights bar one. There are good places to eat just down the blue from Les Linderets in the Ardent direction... a little bit hidden.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    Lots of long blues and reds to keep intermediates very very happy, esp up in avoiraz Was just a pity about the piste conditions on the particular week we were there.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    Not really

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.

    Mainly French and a hell of a lot of British. Irish few and far between.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.

    Yes would def go again, particularly if it was a snowy year.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,204 ✭✭✭a148pro


    Where?

    Avoriaz, France

    When?

    26th – 30th January, 2011

    How / Cost?

    Aer Lingus to Geneva – can’t remember cost, but I got a (very) early flight on Wednesday morning and a return flight on the Sunday afternoon at 15.45. This allowed of a half day’s skiing on each of the arrival / departure days.

    Transfer – skilifts.com, think it was €80 return with a drop off in Morzine and a pick up in Avoriaz, which I thought was okay given that I was on my own.

    Accomodation:

    Morzine – stayed one night in the Ridgehotel. Cost €88 for their smallest room, en suite, with breakfast and dinner included. Place was clean, well run, friendly and cheap. May have been the same price if two of us were staying. Food was also good. Located a little outside Morzine town but you could walk to one lift and was on the bus route to the Ardent lift which gave prob the best access to the best slopes which were in les Hautes Fortes region in Avoriaz.

    Avoriaz – stayed in a Pierre and Vacance apartment in the Elinka complex. €212 per person five people sharing from Thurs through Monday. There were five of us and it was about the right size for that number with two bathrooms and two toilets. I slept on the couch bed downstairs. There was talk of access to a swimming pool and sauna but we didn’t get that far and I doubt there was one.

    Anything about the resort I liked:

    Liked the fact that it was car free, I am convinced I am more at risk of death walking around resorts than on the slopes. You either get a horse and cart transfer (expensive) or walk from the car park / drop off point carrying your bags or dragging them in a sledge thing behind you. Ski in is a massive boost to any ski holiday.

    Bars / restaurants / apres Ski:

    There were lots of restaurants but it was all the same fare – burgers, pizzas, Savoyard specialities. Could do with an Indian or a chinkie but these rarely seem to be found at altitude.

    Didn’t massively indulge in après ski. It certainly wasn’t Austrian style but there were plenty of bars with Frenchies watching hand ball games. Good few cute French and English chicks but, alas, I had just returned from my honeymoon.

    Level:

    Intermediate skier.

    Conditions:

    Very bad for Jan. Had been unseasonably warm and apart from 1cm snow the night before I arrived it hadn’t snowed in over a week and didn’t snow while we were there. That said, gorgeous blue skies every day.

    Pistes:

    As such, the pistes that were low down or facing the sun were no fun. Ice was also a massive problem. Some of the popular blues would have forty meter long ice stretches that you got zero purchase on. In fact the only real half decent skiing was in les Hautes Fortes and on the ungroomed mogul fields / canyons off and around the Fornet lift. Both regions had ungroomed semi off piste mogul fields / blacks which in parts retained something approaching good snow. Went into Switzerland and the slopes seemed to be getting a lot of sun and had taken a real hammering as a result. Didn’t try the pistes above Morzine or elsewhere in the Portes du Soleil (the wider lift pass region) as they looked bad / were lower down.

    That said, if conditions were good there was prob two weeks worth of pistes to explore in the broader region.

    Off piste:

    Off piste was almost without exception out of condition. Did do a few private lessons which included a class descent down a chute into Switzerland which was prob the best line I have ever skied. There were a lot of obv off piste lines around and if there was snow a guide would be a great investment. Also a lot of accessible semi off piste / ungroomed blacks with moguls around the lifts. So it would be good if there was snow.

    Any hidden gems / hints or tips:

    Best skiing in bad conditions as noted above. In particular the furthest ungroomed black to the right off the lifts in les Hautes Fortes. If the lower runs are closed you must keep your height on this run and follow the lines of poles to get to the next piste. Otherwise a steep ice mogul fest or forest walk awaits you, both of which I subjected myself to with equal measure and equal frustration.

    If a piste is closed do not think, ‘great, I get to ski something with feck all others on it, less icyness etc.’ while ducking the fence. These were without exception rock hard steep ice mogul fests. Unless you are an expert you will not be able to ski them without fresh snow, you will spend your time in damage limitation and will come off them tired and with reduced confidence. This was particularly the case with ‘the wall’ – le chavanette, which every gringo, including yours truly, has to ski. Twas closed, crap, and to be honest, wasn’t steep enough to be scary. The fear was rock hard waist high ice mogul related.

    Buy one of those lift maps on your goggle cleanser on line, assuming they're not a complete spider as I've never seen one. There are next to NO piste maps on display at the lifts. You expect this kind of crap in Italy, and to a lesser extent in France, but you’d expect better from the Swiss. To my astonishment, the only such display I came across there was a map of mountain bike trails – very useful in January. How hard is it to put up a few displays at the top of major lifts? In circumstances where there are almost a dozen little towns in the area, some in different countries and some a couple of hours apart by road, this isn’t really good enough. My rental place the first day had no paper maps so I was skiing around, in different countries, with no real idea where I was going or how to get back. My transfer driver confirmed that calls for expensive pick ups after the lifts have left people stranded elsewhere are regular.

    Population there:

    Mostly French. The après ski handball matches were intently watched. A lot of English, a handful of Irish, Spanish, Scandies and unknowns.

    Would I go again:

    If there was fresh snow, yes. A lot of other resorts around Geneva I need to tick off though....


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,847 ✭✭✭glanman



    Mayrhofen, Austria

    When?

    29th – 5th Feb, 2011

    How / Cost?

    Had flights to Salzburg booked, live in UK, but got last min deal of flights(the evening before), accom and transfers from gatwick to innsbruck, £250 all in. Lost £100 on Salzburg flights...


    Accomodation:

    B&B called Pension Steiner, excellent, good host, good food and 100 yards from the Penken... Heat boot rack and gear room... couldn't fault it...


    Anything about the resort I liked:

    Excellent resort, big enough to have lots of options for food and drink...


    Bars / restaurants / apres Ski:

    load of restaurants from takeaway up wards. reasonably priced, beers about €2.50 for 300ml... 2 main apres ski bars in the town, 2 main nightclubs and a good few bars. a casino if interested too.

    Level:

    Intermediate skier.

    Conditions:

    Not bad for us. Sun shining but good snow the week beforehand. a lot of cannons stopped it getting icy where needed as it was cold enough in the mornings to run them. It was getting hotter and the week after had no sight of cold or snow so conditions would have got a lot worse...

    Pistes:

    Well groomed... 550km+ in the whole resort but had to travel to most, some over a half hour away... about 180km accessible in the town.



    Off piste:

    not enough experience to comment as did very little

    Any hidden gems / hints or tips:

    Ahorn has the Ice Hotel which is very cool and good place to chill out if having a quite day. good for all levels as nice easy blues at the top and can get the gondalla back down. 5.5km home run is good, nice mix of challanges... worth going up to once...

    A lot of people give out about the Penken Gondola as there is no home run in mayrhofen and it is the only way up but get there before 9am and its fine and do apres ski, which is lively, at the top until they shut the bars, no problems!

    Population there:

    Russians, some English, Irish and Germans, never had any problems.

    Would I go again:

    Definitely, it has everything... next time I would travel to the other areas covered in the lift pass for sure...


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,775 ✭✭✭EileenG


    1 Where and when

    Courchevel, 29 January 2011 to 2 February.

    2. Skiing on my own. Pretty good skier. Much better at skiing ice when I was finished.

    3. Conditions
    Not even the valient efforts of the pisteurs could conceal that it had been a month since there had been any real snow, and runs were like sheet ice. Even the pisted runs were bashed back into ice by afternoon, and the ones that hadn't been pisted that day were seriously scary. They did make a point of pisting all the green and blue runs, and a couple of the interesting reds and blacks every day. The bottom lifts had a sign saying "Pistes de jour" telling you which reds and blacks had been done.

    Conditions were slightly better in other parts of the 3 Vallees, but often much darker.

    Don't even think of going off-piste. If the pistes were like ice, off-piste was like badly set concrete.

    4. Bar/restaurant
    Bring a second credit card, this is one expensive resort. Typical coffee is €3.50 up to €6, and a pizza costs between €20 and €48 euro. For obvious reasons, I didn't eat out much. If you must, then head over to one of the other valleys.

    5. Resort.

    Amazing. I swear, I've never been in a resort like this. Original artwork all over the piste. Bronze and marble statues scattered throughout the resort, including the toilets. Horse drawn carriages. An altiport for your private plane. Polo ponies playing matches on the snow. An Olympic ice rink. A gym (only €20 a session). A picnic room that's heated and fully equiped. Free Wifi everywhere.


    6. Flew to Paris on Ryanair cheapie, overnight train to Moutiers, then bus to Courchevel (worth 20% discount in ski hire shop). Stayed in Courchevel 1550 in Renouveau Vacances "Roc Merlet". Must be the cheapest place to stay in the whole resort, had my own room and bathroom, and fully catered, including all the wine I could drink (and that's a lot). Also cheapest bar on the mountain, beer from €1.20 a glass, coffee €1.30, vin chaud €1.70.

    I reckon the only way to do Courchevel is to stay somewhere which is totally catered, or in an apartment where you cook everything yourself.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,445 ✭✭✭bovril


    1. Where and when you went.
    Zell Am See 5th to 12th February 2011

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Ski

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    It hadn't snowed in a week or two but the pistes were pretty well prepared every morning. Most of the runs I was skiing were south facing which meant they were slushy in the afternoon and hard work to ski on. Off piste - cannot comment.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    Timid early intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Did the hotel half board so can't really comment on the restaurants. We did go out to a pizza place one night recommended by my instructor and it was very nice and cheap. Can't remember the name, 2 doors down from the Irish bar (Flannigans).

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    This place is great for long cruisy blues especially if you start school from the middle station and not schmitten. The quality of my ski instructor was excellent. I feel I really improved my technique and was much more comfortable skiing reds by the end of the week. I was also better at coping with ice. The school was http://www.ski-zellamsee.at/en/index.html and I would definately go back to them. Lifts are very modern and fast.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    We were brought to this amazing mountain restaurant one of the days for lunch where we had to ski this narrow track through the trees. The restaurant itself had lovely food. To get back to the piste we had to be towed out the back of a skidoo. It was great fun. Pinzgauer Hütte to the left of blue number 3.

    Also it's not so much hidden and not a skiing activity but going down to walk on the frozen lake is a nice thing to do after your days skiing. They have signs by the grand hotel and a path lined with Christmas trees across the lake to the town at the other side.

    Tauren Spa was recommended which is a new Spa/Baths place on the bus route to Kaprun. Never made it over there.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Lots of Irish, lots of Brits.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    Would definately go again and try get more confident on the reds. Would also like to experience the place after fresh snow. It's not a cheap resort in Austria terms. Price of a pint is 4.20+. Gluwein is 3.50+. Lunch on the mountain is 10-15Euro (slighly cheaper if you go with soup instead of something more substantial). I went half board this year. Might try and not go this way next year as I like the variety and I think you could definately save money this way. Supermarkets were cheap enough in the town as were any of the italian cafe/pizza places. There is also a youth hostel which someone in my ski class was staying at and recommended. She said it was 20E a night including breakfast and was very nice.


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