Extended Ski Trip: Where Would You Go?

theholyghost

I've been thinking of having a mini-adventure in the new year and spending a few months in a ski resort. Possibly trying to pick up some work or maybe just a long-ish holidy.

I've been skiing in a couple of countries and I've also been to several French alp resorts in summer. At the moment Im thinking of going to Andorra as I speak resonable Spanish and I know some people there.

Could anyone give me some advice on where to go or things to consider? Has anyone ever done anything like this or done the ski bum thing?

Thanks!

Rew

Whistler in Canada, given the chance thats where I would go.

a148pro

One of my great regrets is never having done this.

Andorra would prob be a good choice financially, its prob one of the cheaper resorts.

Otherwise it depends on what you want out of the trip. Is the culture of the place important, or would you be happy in one of the English speaking resorts in the States? I'd love to ski the big American resorts, and given how much it costs to get out there, it would be good to make the most of it by spending longer there. But I wouldn't be mad on North American culture and would much prefer to go somewhere I'd pick up good fluency in a foreign language.

If you're out to make money or have a good time? I suspect America is the place to make money, chances are you'll be working in service industry and I imagine the rich yanks will tip you blind.

Is the quality of the skiing important to you and will you be on or off piste? I'd imagine the skiing in Andorra is a little more limited than other resorts but I've never been.

There is a good (I think) guide to ski resorts on this website, which also ranks them:-

http://www.welove2ski.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=100

Click on resorts we love for the ranking, doesn't seem to be working at the mo though it usaully does. Bear in mind though that most of the better known resorts will draw huge crowds, and also big crowds of Brits. This was certainly my experience of Val D'Isere / Tignes, St Anton and Chamonix. Depending on your own preferences this may or may not be something which will affect your experience. Also one of the problems in the big resorts with an off piste skiing culture is that when conditions are good the fresh snow gets tracked out really quick. If you're in a resort without that culture you'd have the mountain to yourself on a powder day.

I'm also pretty sure there's a website dedicated to skibums looking to spend a season in a resort. Quick search revealed the following but I'm pretty sure I came accross another one elsewhere.

http://www.seasonworkers.com/skijobs/skijobshelp/

If it was my choice it'd be one of the higher resorts in France or Switzerland. The higher the better the conditions and the longer they'll last. Prob Verbier. Possibly Chamonix which would be a great place to get into climbing and ski-mountaineering / touring. Either way somewhere with feck loads of skiing and off piste. But if I knew a high resort that didn't have the shed loads of brits and was a bit more authentic than Chamonix I'd go with that.

Either way enjoy it, you lucky fecker!

robinph

Personally I'd go Canada or New Zealand, depending on the time of year obviously. Have no languages myself though so I'd prefer somewhere where I can mostly understand what they are saying.

opinion guy

theholyghost wrote: »

Possibly trying to pick up some work or maybe just a long-ish holidy.

Long-ish holiday >> work.
Working in a ski resort is overrated - primarily because many ski resorts will only give out shite jobs to non-locals and you'll end up working when you want to be skiing. That or doing bar work and being too knackered to ski.

There is one noticeable exception to this - if you are IT dude and can work from anywhere you can just bring computer with you, lease flat for season, ski as much as you want, work when suits you.

Of course there is another option. Buying VW hippy camper van thingy. Insulate the beeejeesus out of said van. Drive around ski resorts in France/Austria/Italy etc from resort to resort, scavenge food from outside restaurants/whatever you can hunt, find ways up the mountain avoiding expensive lift passes, beg equipment from ski shops etc etc. Wouldn't be for me but you do meet people doing this kind of hippy/low cash lifestyle from time to time.

theholyghost

Thanks for the replies, I think it will be Europe I can see the appeal of Whistler but Im not too keen on the American scene and it might be a bit constrained financially.

Rew

I was in the 3 Valleys in France in Jan, huge area so a lot of options. Close by road to a few other resorts as well.

pmccormack

I did 8 weeks in Chamonix last season, good bits where the passes we got cheap Unlimited season pass was round €700-800 we got a big discount for buying before a certain date and the Unlimited Chamonix pass covers The 5/6 areas of Chamonix, Courmayeur in Italy and Verbier in Switzerland.
It initially was pricey for accommodation but by the end I was getting apartments dirt cheap just had to keep moving every week which was no biggy.
I liked that Chamonix was a town too so there was stuff to do like Ice hockey matches, Ski comps, freestyle comps other mini festivals and we got some Ice climbing in too which is great fun!

We drove out which if Possible I would recommend as it made being able to head to Italy and Switzerland pretty handy it also meant we could drive 20min down the road and get shopping a sh!t load cheaper.
Otherwise cheap flights to Geneva I think the transfer was between €25-35 one-way and Buses in the valley where free with the pass, the Chamonix Unlimited pass also got u free on a bus to Italy!!

It was a Great experience and I would do It again next time In Canada or the states id say, the one negative was that we got one night of fresh snow in the 8 weeks which was a bummer, But thats the nature of the beast it can be hit and miss!

Def go for it it will be cheaper then U think in the long run.

Enjoy It

Paddy
www.irishcanoekayak.com

happo

Hello,

If you’re looking for a mini adventure with culture I would suggest Japan.

Have a read of this trip report from a guy who spent a few weeks there. http://forums.ski.com.au/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1269314&page=1

It's not as expensive as people normally believe; I have been twice and can't recommend it enough. There are cheap deals now due to the unfortunate accident this year; a lot of people are concerned about possible radioactive fallout but I it would not hold me back.
Also it may be difficult to get work if you don’t have the a work/travel which is apparently a bit of work to get but if you have the money and time, I would forget about work and ski some of the best powder if you will find.

Good luck

Fattes

If you are doing an extended trip, I would look at linked resorts and areas with big multiple linked resort

Pick somewhere close to allot of resorts.

You could stay in Salzburg and you have a huge amount of options from there with plenty of job opportunities in the big city.

Other options would be somewhere on the Porte Du Soleil crossing between France and the other countries on it.