2021/2022 winter season thread

maddness

Val d or Val Thorens in France. La Thuile or Champoluc in Italy are good bets too as not too bad from Geneva and both have very good snow. To be honest most resorts have loads of snow at the moment, you just won’t find any fresh powder next week so will be confined to on piste.

RedB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118476409#Comment_118476409

I’m in Breuil-Cervinia since Tuesday and have had great snow on the slopes. It’s been quiet during the week but picked up a lot today. Plenty of lifts and slopes open and lovely conditions.

Rowley Birkin QC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118471111#Comment_118471111

Not sure I follow your question?

Will be staying in Ponte Di Legno and thinking of just driving over for a day. Not too bothered about aprés, just that some of the runs in Madonna sound pretty scenic.

this.lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463346#Comment_118463346

Madonna is a great spot, well worth a visit. You can extend your lift pass I think for a day from ponte di legno, adamello ski?,

There is plenty of skiing there for a day, some excellent runs on both sides of the valley.

a148pro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118488580#Comment_118488580

I have the sense its this really classy resort with ferraris and pop stars (Madonna perhaps?) walking around so I'd like to catch a bit of that and some fine dining either side of the skiing

Its probably a total sh*thole but I like the above thinking

skinnyfries

Anyone been to Bardonecchio?

Rew

Switzerland have dropped the PCR test requirement for entry if your vax'd, we're flying to Geneva on Thursday

this.lad

All good news, hoping Italy follow suit, the decree is due to expire on 31st January. Heading for the midterm break.

a148pro

Looks like Switzerland may drop the Covid cert in general. You can also ski on a test there.

skinnyfries

Yes I’m currently in Bardonecchio!

staying half board in Ca Fiore. Ideal location, great food. Blue skies every day.

could do with fresh snow, which is due on Monday. Great skiing and we will definitely be returning.

Some12

Hitting the slopes this year was a tough decision but I bit the bullet. Covid was/is a travel risk and now, so is the potential Ukraine conflict.

I'm heading out to Big White in Canada in a little over a week for a first-time visit. From videos I've seen, along with the trail map, Big White looks great and has a lot of praise for the dry, crisp and deep powder.

The cliff run looks to be a challenge. I hope I don't "Nope!" it when standing on the edge. I haven't dropped a double black in many years.

Anyone been there and can offer recommendations?

Ryans1993

We are flying to Geneva the beginning of March. 1st time skiing so will be looking at some beginner slopes and some good apres ski. Would anyone have any recommendations where to go from Geneva airport? We were looking at Chamonix but accommodation seems to be fairly booked up.

maddness

Don’t go to Chamonix if you are a beginner, it’s not suitable at all.

Try Morzine or Flaine, both only an hour or so from Geneva and plenty of good beginner areas.

Regarding apres, Morzine is a good town but Flaine not so much.

a148pro

The only exception to that is one of the areas in Chamonix, think its called Le Tour / Balme, is good for beginners. But the resort is too bitty for a first time trip. You want everything in the one location and Chamonix aint that. I've heard Flaine is good for families so presumably good for beginners, perhaps less for boozing! Morzine gets a lot of brits so I would think there are appropriate rehydration facilities.

Rowley Birkin QC

Just back from Ponte di Legno / Passo Tonale. Slopes were in good nick with 37/41 open throughout. It was also nicely quiet mid week and there was 3 nights of night-skiing. Good atmosphere around but no queues for lifts, food etc. The weekend was rammed busy. Lots of snow fell yesterday.

It's a really affordable (~€700 all in excluding spending money), accessible resort with a good amount and variety of runs.

a148pro

€700 for flights, accomodation, gear and lift pass or?

Rowley Birkin QC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118637704#Comment_118637704

It was a shade over at €730 now that I go back and look at it.

EDIT: Had a mistake in the original calculation, it was actually a shade under €700 at €669 per person. The car was ridiculously cheap for what we got.

Flight was into Bergamo, car hire was a 10min shuttle from there and the drive is a v.straightforward 2 hours or so.

Details below.

Rew

Got back from Morzine Monday last week. Great weeks skiing apart form 1 day of rain in the village. Morzine is a nice spot, good mix of slopes and loads to do after skiing. We are a family with kids 8, 7 and 5. Kids did ESF in the mornings and skied with us in the evening. 5th trip for all of us together (youngest was 3 months first trip) so the older 2 kids flew arounds the pistes no problem. ESF were fine but did have to have words with the 5 year olds instructor, they can be very rough and gruff with the kids. I also had to get the 5yr shorter skis as he was visibly struggling and no one had picked it up. I'd def consider an independent school if we go back to France, found instruction the prev 2 trips in Austria better I have to say.

COVID pass was checked pretty much everywhere (including before getting on the bubble up a few times) and was combined with photo ID a few times, face coverings were required anywhere enclosed same as here.

We did 2 days either of the week in Morzine in Geneva which was great and really relaxed the pace of things (and made the flights much cheaper). Geneva is very, very expensive but got package deals on the hotels. I got hit for €50 roaming when we landed and I turned on my phone and received whatsapps that were sent while I was in there air (8.6 mb was €50!!!) so check your data plan before you go and turn off data if needed. Once in France it was fine, 20gb included.

DIY trip, cant remember what the flights were but the rest:

Private transfer Geneva<->Morzine €460

2 bedroom apartment close to lifts €770

Passes €84 each for the kids (this was a bargain as I expected them to be €165, bought via ESF), adults €240 each. Didn't bother with the full pass and got the Morzine - Les Gets one.

Lessons for the kids €156 each for 6 mornings

Gear (adults have own boots) €360 from Intersport (+€40 to store skis and boots for the week).

a148pro

Good value. I thought I was getting a bargain at about 3.5k all in for 4 days skiing in a hotel but this seems to be about average, maybe should have waited till last minute to follow the snow! Could still do DIY in Austria next week for similar price.

I've been done outrageously for the roaming twice, once in Switzerland and recently in Andorra. Both times I got on to the phone company and told them it was outrageous and I wouldn't be paying it and both times they dropped the charge so get on to them.

Some12

I'd posted earlier that I was visiting Big White in Canada this year as Covid was looking to add a lot of overhead to visiting Austria. I'm back and thought I'd check in.

In short, Big White is a fantastic resort and I’m looking forward to going back in 2023.

The snow was crisp dry powder for the full week. The temperature never rose above -4 or -3 so even the bright sun did not thaw much. We were lucky – no snow or fog days.

One of the things I really enjoyed was starting down a groomed run then veering off into the woods dodging the trees. There were a lot of opportunities to run the trees around the whole resort.

The accommodation range was top marks and good value. We had a condo right on the slopes with a hot tub on the balcony. A good end to the day was sitting in the hot tub with a bottle of champaign watching stragglers ski by – this became a daily event...

The lift pass was slightly more expensive than St Anton but we got our monies worth.

The only thing I didn’t like was that all the main food/drink places were located in the small village centre. At lunch and lift close time, the crowds headed to the village centre so the small area got very busy very fast and some places filled quick.

All in all, I’m looking forward to getting back to Big White for another week in 2023!

prunudo

Just back from a weekend in Champoluc, Italy. Relatively last minute as we got a good deal on Ryanair flights. Nice little resort village about 45mins drive up from the Aosta valley floor.

Unfortunately they've had a very dry winter with little to no snow over the last month but the temperatures have been cold so the slopes are holding up pretty well considering. Off piste was non existent but would have great potential in a regular season.

Its part of the Monterosa ski area so there is plenty to keep the mile munchers happy. Pistes are mainly nice long cruisey reds, most of which are connected with 4 man chairs. There's an old slow 2 man which is the only crappy lift we came across.

Resort was very quiet, with mainly Italians, Scandinavians, Dutch and some English, didn't hear any other Irish. The bonus of it being quiet meant there were no queues at the lifts, not sure if this was due to covid or due to the lack of snow keeping the locals away.

Overall an enjoyable few days on the slopes, nice food and friendly people so will definitely be adding it to the list for future resort options.

Re.covid, ffp2 masks on closed in lifts (gondolas/cable cars) and indoors. Only got asked for green pass (covid cert) in one restaurant.