Ski Season 2019/2020

Donie75

Thanks a148pro. I'm looking forward to trying out France. I've done Italy twice and Austria around 14 or 15 times. I've heard so much talk about France I had it on my list for a while. Conditions look great.

Rew

I find piste layout, grooming and marking generally better in France but prefer the towns and restaurants less then Austria. The lack of German music in the bars is a plus though

maddness

Donie75 wrote: »

I'm off to Val d'Isere next week for a few days with Highlife. Staying outside the town in Le Fornet. Never skied France before, I usually ski in Austria, Mayrhofen, Zillertal, Soll, etc. Is there much difference? I know beer & food are pricey but I don't mind that.
Are the slope classifications the same? I read somewhere that the reds can be tougher in France than Austria.

I was there two years ago at the same time of year, it’s a brilliant but very expensive spot.
Le Fornet is a bit of a hike outside Val but there are regular busses. As for variety of skiing there are hundreds of pistes and you’ll never get bored.
Skiing in France is absolutely awesome but paying the prices for lift passes, food and drink are less awesome.

Billy Mays

Haven't been to the EK since 2015 but I don't remember there being much of a difference in the price of the lift pass between there and the larger Austrian resorts

Northern Monkey

I prefer the skiing in France but the apres in Austria

Bloody Nipples

Northern Monkey wrote: »

I prefer the skiing in France but the apres in Austria

What makes the skiing in France better? I've skied Austria, Andorra and Romania and Austria is definitely king of the bunch but price has put me off France and Switzerland. I'd miss the Grostl and Spatzl as well

maddness

Bloody Nipples wrote: »

What makes the skiing in France better? I've skied Austria, Andorra and Romania and Austria is definitely king of the bunch but price has put me off France and Switzerland. I'd miss the Grostl and Spatzl as well

Bigger resorts, more pistes and longer descents if you pick the right resort.

Rew

Bloody Nipples wrote: »

What makes the skiing in France better? I've skied Austria, Andorra and Romania and Austria is definitely king of the bunch but price has put me off France and Switzerland. I'd miss the Grostl and Spatzl as well

Go ski the 3 Valleys, thats pretty epic, you can do it for reasonable money if you look out for deals.

kal7

Agree France , has much larger areas, longer pistes, much quieter apres.

Rew

kal7 wrote: »

Agree France , has much larger areas, longer pistes, much quieter apres.

Best apres we have ever done was Le Rond Point Bar, Meribel. Quiet is not a word you could use to describe it!!

irlirishkev

France also better for self catering and ski in/out in my experience too.

Rew

irlirishkev wrote: »

France also better for self catering and ski in/out in my experience too.

Def better for ski in/ski out and for chalets (which would make sense ) self catering id say is much the same or better in Austria.

trashcan

maddness wrote: »

If you have a 100% tear I’d strongly recommend getting it repaired. I did the same over ten years ago and have no issues now skiing but would feel a lot less confident without the reconstruction.

Appreciate the advice. The MRI wasn't definitive, but said it was either a high grade tear or a complete one. The surgeon I spoke to at the time didn't recommend surgery, given my age, and level of activity.(i.e not much !) I'm investing in a good quality knee brace specially designed to support, or compensate for the lack of ACL, so hopefully that will do the trick.

Northern Monkey

Rew wrote: »

Best apres we have ever done was Le Rond Point Bar, Meribel. Quiet is not a word you could use to describe it!!

We are off to meribel this year. Will have to look out for it!

Rew

Northern Monkey wrote: »

We are off to meribel this year. Will have to look out for it!

https://lerondpointmeribel.com/#1

If you ski down after watch out for snow cannons and piste bashers :eek::D

irlirishkev

Rew wrote: »

Def better for ski in/ski out and for chalets (which would make sense ) self catering id say is much the same or better in Austria.

For us it's the combination of the 2 together (aparthotels over chalets for us), and then with the vastness of the three valleys that makes France a winner over Austria. Spent many years skiing Austria before needing those two boxes ticked every time.

blue note

Surely the skiwelt and ski circus in saalbach would be up their with the biggest French resorts for size.

a148pro

You can't beat 3vs for balls to the wall piste skiing. And it has been measured as the largest interconnected ski area in the world. What the resorts publish is exaggerated by about 30 per cent. Dolomites has more kms under one lift pass but not interconnected.

A good day in the 3vs with headphones is hard to beat. But you do have to interact with the french and the sense of you are the quarry / inconvenience is a real annoyance.

fulldnod

i prefer austria over france due to value for money and the apres, pint in arlberg €5.50 or less in Zillertal ect compare to val d'isere €8, and the lifts are better quality in austria, the only place i didnt like in austria was saalbach

maddness

fulldnod wrote: »

i prefer austria over france due to value for money and the apres, pint in arlberg €5.50 or less in Zillertal ect compare to val d'isere €8, and the lifts are better quality in austria, the only place i didnt like in austria was saalbach

Try Italy, it’s a bit cheaper than Austria and full of charm.

fulldnod

maddness wrote: »

Try Italy, it’s a bit cheaper than Austria and full of charm.

i must do, just for the food alone:D

maddness

fulldnod wrote: »

i must do, just for the food alone:D

I’m fairness I’ve had some of the nicest food I’ve ever had in mountainside restaurants in Italy.

Donie75

Madonna Di Campiglio in Italy is worth a try. Maybe not as challenging as some Austrian or French resorts but very nice town with great food. It's a great place to go if you are trying to build your speed and confidence on ski's as it is easy skiing.

a148pro

I am dying to ski madonna. I think it's number one on my list, beyond maybe the states. Hopefully this year.

Jcarver

fulldnod wrote: »

i prefer austria over france due to value for money and the apres, pint in arlberg €5.50 or less in Zillertal ect compare to val d'isere €8, and the lifts are better quality in austria, the only place i didnt like in austria was saalbach

What did you not like about saalbach? I've just been recommended there by a friend

olaola

Jcarver wrote: »

What did you not like about saalbach? I've just been recommended there by a friend

It's our favourite resort, the only one we've gone back to time and time again in the last 21 years. We stay in Hinterglemm now. But great skiing and the link over to Zell has just opened up. So huge amount of pistes to be covered.

fulldnod

i didn't like the apres, the skiing is very good but i wont be back

a148pro

fulldnod wrote: »

i didn't like the apres, the skiing is very good but i wont be back

Interesting. I just walked through the town with skis once but thought it looked charming and had a few nice small bars. What didn't you like about the apres? Sorry to ask I'm just interested. Headed there in Jan but with kids so no apres for me beyond maybe the sauna.

ep71

Hi All,

have not posted in here before but going skiing in La Plagne on the 27th for a week.

Went there last year at Christmas, also Skiied Flumserberg in Switzerland last Christmas for 1 day and Zermatt for 3 days at Easter.

In 2017 / 2018 I lived in Vancouver, Canada and Skiied the following
Cypress mountain - Vancouver
Mt Seymour - Vancouver
Mount Baker - Washington
Whistler - Canada
Big White - Canada
Mt Washington - Vancouver Island
Revelstoke - Canada

Looking forward to this years trip and would also like to try a weekend in Scotland and possibly Sierra Nevada in southern Spain this season if funds and time allow.

fulldnod

a148pro wrote: »

Interesting. I just walked through the town with skis once but thought it looked charming and had a few nice small bars. What didn't you like about the apres? Sorry to ask I'm just interested. Headed there in Jan but with kids so no apres for me beyond maybe the sauna.

before i went, i was told the apres was one of the best in austria but it didn't come near any of the rest of the places i was before and full of ignorant german middle age men