Winter Resort Report thread

1. Where and when you went.
Val Cenis from December 28 to January 3. Now linked with Termignon so much bigger ski area.

2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
Skied, but a couple of children in our group boarded.


3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
Amazing. Great snow on piste, lots of fresh snow off piste. One day, we were skiing powder on piste on all the red runs in Termignon.

4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
Good intermediate/advanced. Able to ski any piste, not so hot off piste.

5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
Fine for snacks and drinks. Not a huge choice on the mountain.

6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
Excellent resort for families or mixed groups.

Ski school takes children from 3 years, creches takes babies from three months. There is also the longest green run in Europe, L'escargot, which zigzags across the mountain and allows even the most timid or tired skier to get down safely.

There is quite a bit to do as well as skiing. Good pool, ice rink, decent shops etc, historic churches and a husky village, as well as a lot of organised free stuff like welcome drinks and snow shows etc.

Also, it's cheap!!!! Half the price of some of the resorts a valley over, and much more friendly.

7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
Termignon which is now linked has some very nice skiing. I keep promising to go to ski in Bonneval but never get there.

8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
Apart from my group, very few Brits or Irish.

9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
We stayed in the CIS there and would recommend it for anyone who wants to be stuffed with lots of food and wine and not pay a fortune. The best bit is that they organise a little bus to take your children to ski school and back again, so you don't have to slog up and down. If you are not a complete beginner, you can ski to the door.

Ski school was a bit chaotic, they could do with a bit of competition.

Piste bashing was sometimes a bit hit and miss. All the busy runs got well pisted, but some of the link runs could have benefited from more.

Definitely would go again.

1. Where and when you went.
St Johann in Tirol, Austrian. January 24th to 31st

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

3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
Lots of fresh snow, c90cm on top, lots of powder off piste (but off piste limited)

4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
Intermediate

5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
We were half board at Goldener Lowe, rooms were only ok and food was ok except for Knoodlefest, local dumpling festival. Lets just say there is no need for liver dumplings....Most of apres ski was in Max's bar at bottom of slope. Hopping from 5-8 then everyone leaves. Quiet around town after that. Sports bar on square and bar on the balcony pretty good. It was still off season so slopes were empty which was good but it meant that apres ski wasn't as lively as usual....

6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
Freindly and small. Easy access to Kitzbuhel by train for €5 return so you can ski there without expense of staying there (but not included on local lift pass, its €36 for day)

7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
Stienplatte worth a day trip for the views alone and you can ski into germany

8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
Mostly Irish, Dutch and Germans

9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
Ski school Wilder Kaiser was really good...

1. Where and when you went.

Arisnal in Andorra. 7th - 11th Feb

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

Boarded

3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

As we arrived it was snowing and there were a couple more hours of snow interspersed with grand sunshine.

We only tried the one green and blue slope over and over again as we were all beginners and only felt comfortable on these slopes. There were however loads of ski runs available and I was told that the one ski pass would cover 2-3 slopes (again, can't verify as we stuck to what we knew.)

Didn't venture off piste due to fear of death, but was reliably told it was good.

4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

Beginner.

5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

A few good spots although we only stayed a few nights so got to see relatively little of the town.

Restaurant 360 - Savage food, we had dinner here all three nights. Get the steak, seriously.

The Derby Irish Bar - spent a few nights in there. The two South African guys who run the place are dead sound - hooking us up with free pints, toasties, games of pool, tshirts etc. They also helped when our car got towed, and came out to help when the car got snowed in. Cool guys, can't recommend this place enough (although the beer is quite a bit more expensive than other places i.e. €3.50 for 500ml San Miguel)

6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

The friendliness of nearly eveyone in this place, the good food (from a small pool of restaurants), the good craic to be had. I thought the slopes were really good, but again this is coming from a beginner.

7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

Can't think of anything tbh

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

Good mixture of UK, Irish, Norn Irish and a load of Spanish.

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

Bring ear plugs. If you want to sleep bring ear plugs. Every night it sounded like there was a party going on outside the room window (and we weren't even near a pub), and the noise from guys racing quad bikes and cars up the hill can be quite annoying.

If you're renting a car like we did - be sure not to park on the street as your car will either get towed (€120) or you'll get €30 fines.

I don't really know if I'd go again tbh. I'll reflect again in a few months.

Dave.

1. Where and when you went.
Sauze d-Oulx, Dec 27 - Jan 3

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

3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
As with every other resort in Europe this year, snow conditions were perfect although I think this may have given those in charge of the pistes to sit back and take it easy. It looked like only some of the pistes were groomed at night so pistes, while in pretty good shape, could have been better.

4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
Intermediate

5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
When one of the main bars in the town is called Paddy McGinty's you would be worried but there were a few other decent spots. Plenty of nice mountain top restaurants for lunch breaks but the queues were frustrating - we were there at probably the busiest time of year so possibly a similar scenario in all resorts.

6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
It's proximity to Turin airport. You can be on the slopes nearly an hour after landing so suitable for short breaks.

7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
Not really but we didn't go looking for any either. Plenty to keep us occupied where we were.

8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
Mainly Italians I would say. Not too many Irish or Brits and no Dutch which probably wasn't so good as it made for a relatively quite aprés ski scene.

9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
Not sure if I'd go back. The lift system is a bit antiquated which resulted in long queues at all the key lifts. The lift operators could do with a bit of a kick up the backside as they made no effort of making sure all lifts were full despite the massive queues :mad:. They only clean the snow off the returning chairs also if there happens to be a girl waiting to get on . The town itself is picturesque and has some nice places to eat but the lack of aprés ski options was a bit dissappointing. The ski hire service was a bit like the ski lift operators - half arsed.

2009 Holiday report: Oberstdorf

1. Where and when you went.

26-29 Dec, Oberstdorf, German Algau Fellhorn and Sollereck
Only got in 2 days skiing though

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

Ski

3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

On - Not great, very icy, both resorts had alot of snow machines in action though.

Off - Not bad from what I tried but not alot of info available in resort.

4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

Intermediate. Went with 2 beginners, looking to improve parallel skiing technique. I wouldn't recommend either resort for this.

5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

German beer is the bogs dollix! But found it a little dead at night. Restaurants had really good food and some great prices.

6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

Views are stunning, German beer is great. Not a bad spot for a few intermediate skiers to go for a few cheap days skiing, but not around this time of year, later in the season would be better. Definitely not for beginners!

7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

The greatest Beer hall in the world is in Munich, and if your flying in to MUC its a must on the tour.

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

Germans. It helps to know a few words too.

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

Germans can be a little sharp in general but some really nice friendly people amongst them. The german transport system is the best I've ever seen in all my travels, so moving around its never an issue. The beer is great and the food is too. For this reason I probably would go again, as I want to check out Nebelhorn, but I won't be taking any beginners with me.

Not for beginners, very narrow for snowboarders. There is a blue run on Felhorn, number 10, and it aint blue! Brought 2 inexperienced girls up there and it was about as wide as a country road at the start, and had a practically vertical drop each side. Wayyyyy too steep for a pizza fries approach. Also, both resort were poorly sign posted. Went for a spin down number 5 on sollereck which is to the right of the main run and ended up on some off-piste forest runs. Nice with a bunch of mates who know what they are doing, not so nice when you are on your own, and its getting dark...

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).

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.

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...

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

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!!!