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Winter Resort Report thread

24567

Comments

  • #32
    Static M.e.
    Registered Users Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭Static M.e.


    1. Where and when you went.
    Livigno, Italy, 26/01/08 - 02/02/08

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

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Conditions were good, they had a great base and even though we had real bluebird days the pistes didn't turn to slush.

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

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    We stayed above Marco's Bar, which was an experience in itself. The apartments were quite nice but because you living above a nightclub earplugs are a must and then some, even with the earplugs in I could still hear the base pulsating through me. On saying that the staff in Marco's are really nice and very helpfully, they also do a decent food and drinks list.

    We ventured out to two different restaurants one called Bella-vista which do good pizza's (You wont need a starter if you order one) and another just past Bella-vista called Ristorante Vallentiun (Or something like that, it has a bright red neon sign, and is located on the basement level) Food and drink is so cheap, on average you will spend more on Wine than on your dinner and the food is top notch stuff, for 10 people on average it was costing us €310 euro, which would include a bit of wine (5 bottles+) starters, mains and some deserts.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    Tax Free, food is excellent and they have some lovely local wines. Anyone I meet was really nice to deal with. They have built a new park on the Carosella Mountain is lacking but has potential, they have also installed a new Mini gondola at the other end of the town but its only for beginners really. The Montolino Park was in great condition, runs were well groomed.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Restaurants mentioned above were quite nice, you will need to book for Bella-vista

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    A good mix of nationalities, meet a good few Irish north and south.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    Going again in March but one of things that will annoy the advanced people is the lack of runs, its not that big of a resort and you could cover each mountain in a day. Also the trek from one side of the mountain to the other is annoying.
    On the plus side they have lots of Free buses running all the time so its very easy to wait for one and just hop on. Taxis are also really cheap if you stay in Montolino for the day its really nice to get a cab home for 4-6 euro.
    The Bus journey is tough too, 5 hours with a stop from Burgamo.
    All in all though its a great little spot with a lot of pluses to it, this was my second time and I'm going back again in March.

    Tea Borch: On a Tuesday or Thursday was great fun, dancing on tables, LOTS Of wine and decent food at a little bar on top of the black. It books out early though. Good for a serious night out.


  • #33
    mcgratheoin
    Registered Users Posts: 1,461 ✭✭✭mcgratheoin


    1. Where and when you went.
    Meribel Mottaret - 3 Valleys - 2nd to 9th of Feb 2008

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

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Unbelievable - snowed the day before we arrived and all night Monday - half a metre of untouched powder on Tuesday morning and nobody on it!

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    Advanced

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Bars were ok, Mottaret is a quieter village than Meribel, but better for skiing.
    Some excellent restaurants there - ZigZag in particular is fantastic - very small though, so needs to be booked for the evening well in advance. Ordered the Cote a boeuf with a friend - let me tell you know that 800gr of medium rare steak is a lot of meat between two people!! - never paid more than €50 a head for dinner (inc wine or beer)


    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    Ideal skiing location - especially good for exploring the entire 3 valleys resort as you are in the middle one. Quicker to the top of Courchevel than if you were in Courchevel itself even!

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    I was the second person on MT Vallon one morning - freshly groomed piste that gets really churned up after about an hour - unbelieveable high speed run when it's fresh - get tucked in and start humming the ski sunday music in your head!
    ZigZag restaurant is also well worth a visit

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    A good mix of nationalities, lots of Brits, but plenty of French as well

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    In the middle of the biggest ski area in the world, what's not to like? Val Thorens may be a little better bet as it's 2700m and will have a better snow hit rate but Mottaret was excellent. Courcheval or Meribel itself may be better for beginners in terms of green runs, but for advanced skiers and people looking for off-piste, I would definitely recommend it!


  • #34
    bonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 15,443 ✭✭✭✭bonkey


    1. Where and when you went.

    Zweisimmen/Gstaad, 09-16 Feb

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

    Ski.

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    There hasn't been any snowfall in over 2 weeks, and the current temps are even too high for the snow-cannons to be fired up. As a result, the pistes were quite hard, with one or two becoming simply too icy to use.

    I tend not to do off-piste, so I can't comment on that.

    The pistes themselves are mostly easy going...a large amount of blues, fewer reds, and only 3 or 4 blacks. But with something like 250km of connected slopes, there should be enough to keep the on-piste skier happy.

    There's also a small snow-park, only opened this year. Not my thing, so I can't really comment.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Good intermediate, I guess.

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Typical Swiss piste-based stuff...so good nothing high-class, and they all tend to serve more-or-less the same type fo fare. We found a proper restaurant just off the bottom of the Saanenmoser station that did a bit more variety, and was a bit higher quality than normal, which only cost a couple of francs more. The tradeoff was that the view doesn't compare to one of the mountain-top stops.

    Didn't do apres-ski and only ate out one evening...so I can't really comment on that side of things.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    Its not-so touristy and very family-oriented. Kids under 10 ski for free (not that this helped us).

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    Not really hidden...but night-skiing on Rinderberg is so worth doing. The lower half of the slope is floodlit, and open from 18:00 or 18:30 till 22:00, and the entire evening costs only 10 CHF. Can take sleds up on that run too.

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

    Mostly Swiss, but with a good mix of tourists. Surprisingly large number of Irish compared to previous years.

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

    I'll definitely go again, cause the region is my "local hill" and I have a holiday home pretty-much beside it.

    I can't really comment on how costs stack up for tourists, cause I only ski in Switzerland (where I live), but the Swiss media have been reporting in recent years how more and more Swiss stay home instead of going to Austria/Italy/France now, because the price-difference no longer makes it worthwhile. With the Euro doing nicely against the Franc, you could find its not unaffordable.

    The region itself is quite low down (1000-200m) so its not the safest bet snow-wise....but other than last year, I've never been let down in the second week of Feb


  • #35
    bohsman
    Registered Users Posts: 8,881 ✭✭✭bohsman


    1. Where and when you went.

    Tignes, France - Le Lac and val claret.

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade

    5 boarders 2 skiers
    .
    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Very Icy, 1 day snow so far in February, saw snow cannons used a couple of times. The more experienced boarders said off piste was better.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Beginner.

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Good but very pricey, 6.50 for a pint, food was a bit more reasonable. 10-15euro for a very good pizza.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    The snow park was very good apparently, the one in VC not as busy as the one in le lac but just as good according to a friend of mine who is out there for the season.

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

    Seemed to be mainly French and English

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

    Val Claret and Le Lac are about a 10minute walk/30minute board apart, Le Lac seems to have more family stuff, bowling, arcade etc while Val Claret has the better nightlife.

    The accomodation was tiny, basically a corridor with a bunk bed and a fold out couch that slept 4 with a cooker and sink in a corner, it came with 3 meals a day which consisted of around 8 boxes of food parcels containing rice pasta, tinned food etc and a sheet listing how to eat them - "day 6 - Rice with eggs" It cost a hidden 50euro to use the tv for the week.

    Id probably go again if I improved as a boarder but Ill probably try somewhere cheaper next time, thinking czech republic in the next 2 months if theres snow.


  • #36
    jameshayes
    Registered Users Posts: 3,772 ✭✭✭jameshayes


    1. Where and when you went.
    16th - 23rd Feb - Mayrhofen - Austria
    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Ski
    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Snowfall was good previous week, poor our week, didn't snow at all and temps got to +8 on slope at night so snow didn't freeze. Lucky we weren't going a week later.
    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    Mix of all levels in our group. Stayed on Blues and Reds.
    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Good value for money, local food was great. Beer ~€3.50
    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    Peter Habelar Ski school is great. (Peter was the 1st person to climb Everest without tined oxygen. Chris(son) now runs the school. Excellent lessons.
    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    The Harakuri 78Degrees flat! Filled my ski boots with pee when I looked down.
    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Lots of Irish, but loads of Germans & Dutch (went on Dutch mid term break)
    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    Dont book it through an agency - Fly to salzburg / munich & rent a car(or get the train)


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  • #37
    gamblor101
    Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭gamblor101


    1. Where and when you went.

    Lillehamer/Hafjell Norway 24/02/08 - 02/03/08

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade

    Ski

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Snowed on the second day. Conditions were great. 1.2m at the top and 0.6m at the bottom.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Started as Beginner. Would say intermediate now.

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Food quality was excellent but bring plenty of $$$$$$$$$

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    The instructors were great (went from green slopes to red in less than 90 min). Not too busy and a good variety of slopes. They are also are nice and wide so plenty of room for everyone.

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

    Majority seemed to be local but most of them were fluent in english anyway.

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

    2hr train journey from Oslo airport to Lillehammer and 20min bus ride from Lillehammer to Hafjell. Bus is free with the 5/6/7+ day lift pass. Would go again in a heartbeat.


  • #38
    Orion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    1. Where and when you went.
    Chamonix. 1st March 2008
    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Ski
    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Icy up high and sugary down low to start due to lack of fresh snow. Got some snow during the week which improved things greatly. Off piste very crusty at start for same reason.
    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    Intermediate
    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    OK. Found one great bar in Chamonix town called Chambre Neuf which rocked but it was jammed. Queues outside most evenings for apres ski.
    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    Not really - see #9.
    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Very mixed.
    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    There is some great skiiing for all levels in Chamonix. 3 main regions all with all grades of skiiing. Le Tour for easier runs, Flegere/Brevent for a little higher level and Grandes Montes for the best skiiing. Grandes Montes also has some excellent glacier off-piste for you experts. Some of our group did it and said it was great. Vallee Blanche is the best known off-piste run in the world and starts at about 3800 metres on a glacier and is 28km long.

    However, I don't think I'll be going there skiing again. The only links between the three regions are by bus - no lifts/cable cars. And you have to then queue (for up to an hour at certain times) to get the cable cars/chairs to the ski regions. This makes it a pain if you have a mixed group skiing in different areas. Difficult to meet up after lessons etc. If you have a group all of the same level though it would be fine - you could just pick a region every day and stay there. The bus system isn't great either - not as regular as some other resorts I've been too. We were blessed in that our chalet owners dropped us to to the lifts in the morning and collected us in the evening but during the day we were on our own for travelling. Once you're up there the lift systems are excellent. The bars in the regions are only ok. But at the end of the day it's a fair trek back to the town for apres ski.


  • #39
    5h4mr0(k
    Registered Users Posts: 520 ✭✭✭5h4mr0(k


    Macros42 wrote: »
    1. Where and when you went.
    Chamonix. 1st March 2008
    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Ski
    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Icy up high and sugary down low to start due to lack of fresh snow. Got some snow during the week which improved things greatly. Off piste very crusty at start for same reason.
    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    Intermediate
    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    OK. Found one great bar in Chamonix town called Chambre Neuf which rocked but it was jammed. Queues outside most evenings for apres ski.
    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    Not really - see #9.
    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Very mixed.
    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    There is some great skiiing for all levels in Chamonix. 3 main regions all with all grades of skiiing. Le Tour for easier runs, Flegere/Brevent for a little higher level and Grandes Montes for the best skiiing. Grandes Montes also has some excellent glacier off-piste for you experts. Some of our group did it and said it was great. Vallee Blanche is the best known off-piste run in the world and starts at about 3800 metres on a glacier and is 28km long.

    However, I don't think I'll be going there skiing again. The only links between the three regions are by bus - no lifts/cable cars. And you have to then queue (for up to an hour at certain times) to get the cable cars/chairs to the ski regions. This makes it a pain if you have a mixed group skiing in different areas. Difficult to meet up after lessons etc. If you have a group all of the same level though it would be fine - you could just pick a region every day and stay there. The bus system isn't great either - not as regular as some other resorts I've been too. We were blessed in that our chalet owners dropped us to to the lifts in the morning and collected us in the evening but during the day we were on our own for travelling. Once you're up there the lift systems are excellent. The bars in the regions are only ok. But at the end of the day it's a fair trek back to the town for apres ski.

    I was there for the same week and I'd have to agree with most of the points.

    1. Where and when you went.
    Chamonix. 1st March 2008
    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Ski 2 days, blade 4
    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    It hadn't snowed in a month and the weather was quite warm in the start of the week. Snow was quite slushy first day. After the snow fall things improved a lot. Last day was very warm and not doing conditions any good
    4. Are you beginner/intermediate/advanced.
    Advancedish
    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Chambre Neuf was great. Live music everyday. Jammers but friendly. South Bar was good two.
    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    Can get to all the ski areas from the centre of the town
    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Some good restaurants at decent prices. The Cavern comes to mind. Most pubs do pitchers of beer - if you're in a round they're great.
    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Very mixed. Seemed to be quite a few Northern Europeans there. Norwegians, Swedes and Finns.
    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    The distance from Chamonix to the different areas by the bus can be 30+ minutes. That in itself ain't bad if you plan to do a different area each day, but when lifts get closed, due to high winds etc., it can waste a lot of time switching areas.
    It's not possible to ski to the bottom in some of the areas. This is a real bummer. Bad enough queueing for 1.5 hours to get up the hill, without having to repeat the process coming down (at least there's a bar at the top for the return journey).
    Overall it was a good week. I'd consider going back, but wouldn't put it top of the list.
    From what I heard from beginners I wouldn't recommend it for lessons.


  • #40
    Orion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    5h4mr0(k wrote: »
    It's not possible to ski to the bottom in some of the areas. This is a real bummer. Bad enough queueing for 1.5 hours to get up the hill, without having to repeat the process coming down (at least there's a bar at the top for the return journey).

    From what I heard from beginners I wouldn't recommend it for lessons.

    Forgot about that bit. You could ski to the bottom on a red from Le Tour and Grand Montes. Didn't do the Le Tour run but I heard it wasn't the best. The Grand Montes red was lovely except for the bottom section which was artificial snow.
    The Le Flegere black run down was closed due to it being green. And I don't mean patches of grass - You could walk it in shoes :D

    as for beginners - one of our group was a first-timer and she loved it. Good greens in Le Tour and gentle blues up top. And at the end of the week she was on blues in Grandes Montes.


  • #41
    justdoit
    Registered Users Posts: 165 ✭✭justdoit


    1. Where and when you went.
    Mayrhofen, March 15-22
    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Board
    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Pistes were crowded and got quite icy quite quickly. Consistent snow fall for the week gave a break from spring conditions experienced in February. To be honest though, barely skied a piste all week, as there was heaps of great spots to be found off-piste. Off piste conditions were better nearer the top, and quite tracked at the bottom. Visibility generally wasn't great, but when it opened up, it was really pretty epic, and most people didn't seem interested in riding powder.
    4. Are you beginner/intermediate/advanced.
    Advanced
    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    We had a pretty big group, so most bars we went to became pretty busy anyway, but Eisbar is a typical cheesy apres spot that gets pretty manic, Mo's isn't an apres bar as such, but can still get crazy...
    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    Loads of terrain and not many people taking advantage. Get a guide and go nuts!
    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Not particularly hidden, but riding under the 150 man lift gives loads of off-piste bowls and powder fields, bringing down to a restaurant doing good pizzas and affording you a great view of the amazing park, where some genuinely video worthy skiers do their thing...
    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    A lot of English, but no one nationality really standing out. A lot of locals also
    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    A bit strange that you have to download at the end of the day, but given that the town is at only 700 metre this is not a surprise. A lot of terrain, and a lot of pistes to suit all levels. Would recommend


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  • #42
    bonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 15,443 ✭✭✭✭bonkey


    bonkey wrote: »
    1. Where and when you went.

    Adelboden, 22 Mar

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

    Ski.

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    There was a fresh dump of snow the previous night, resulting in what were arguably the best conditions all Winter. Pistes weren't fully prepared, so they had a lot of fresh, cut-up snow on them, making them a big mogul-ish.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Still good intermediate, I guess.

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Can't comment, beyond lunch being typical fare for a Swiss resort.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    Large number of varied runs...including an FIS World Cup downhill run.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    Not this time.

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

    Mostly Swiss, but with a good mix of tourists. Again...I was surprised to hear some Irish accents around.

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

    I'll definitely go again, cause the region is the nearest after my "local hill" (Zweisimmen).


  • #43
    edmund_f
    Registered Users Posts: 579 ✭✭✭edmund_f


    1. Where and when you went.

    Whistler 13 - 25th March

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

    Board

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Very varied - freezing level was constantly moving, so could be anything from snow to ice to spring conditions lower down

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    all good, pretty much lived in Dusty's, would not go to Zen (you will know it if you come across it)

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    Fresh tracks
    any of the supergroups
    Dustys


    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    did not even get near blackcomb so no

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

    Am i the only one to find this question slightly racist?


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

    go again - yes
    things to note, they add tax and then a tip, so budget probably 20% extra on everything - for transfers, resort cabs, very good service. Get a lesson of any description as soon as possible after arriving, even just as a guide. Fresh tracks is worth the early rise.


  • #44
    EileenG
    Registered Users Posts: 5,775 ✭✭✭EileenG


    1. Where and when you went.

    Just back from Arabba in Dolomite region of Italy, flew out via Treviso on a Ryanair cheapie on March 23, came back March 28.


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

    Went skiing with my family, including husband and three skiing daughters.


    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Piste conditions were amazing. Very well groomed pistes, excellent snow. It snowed while we were there, but off-piste was variable. Might be good if you were with a knowledge local guide.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    Generally confident on piste, in almost all conditions, need good conditions off piste. The girls started the holiday as slow intermediates and finished as near-advanced.

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Way too many to report. Every single lift seemed to have at least one restaurant at the top of it, and many runs had another couple on the way down. I can highly recommend the local drink called Bombadino. It's a hot mixture of eggs, sugar, brandy, all topped with whipped cream, and very strong. A round of 2 bombadinos and 3 hot chocolates with cream cost around 12 euro in most mountain bars.

    The girls pretty much stuck to pizza and pasta, but enjoyed them over and over again. We tried various things, generally good. Dinner for five, including wine and water, generally cost around 60-70 euro. Lunch was around 40 euro.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    Absolutely massive ski area, around 1200km on one lift pass. We skied the Sella Ronda one day, a popular circuit of around 40km. Watch out for closed link lifts, we had to hike up a mountain ridge carrying skis at one point. Not popular with the children! We skied different areas every day and hardly repeated a run.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    If staying in Arabba, get to Marmalada in the morning, great runs from the top all the way down. If you have a guide, ask about the Hidden Valley.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Fair mixture of nationalities, but generally all pretty good skiers. Didn't seem to be many packages to there. You could order a meal in any language. Actually, my schoolgirl German got me further than my Lingaphone Italian.

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

    Would definitely go again. I've got a long list of runs I want to do again, and ones I want to try. I would not recommend it for non-skiers, but perfect for keen skiers. Lots of easy runs as well, you just have to be keen, not expert. A total disaster if you are on a diet. If you are looking for somewhere cheap to stay google "garni" and your chosen town to get a list of B&B type places rather than 5 star hotels.


  • #45
    Static M.e.
    Registered Users Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭Static M.e.


    1. Where and when you went.
    Morzine\Avoriaz 5-12th April

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

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Pistes were in great shape, plenty of snow and well groomed. We had two serious big Snow drops on the Sunday and Tuesday night so Off Piste was also really good, alot of tree runs mixed with big open mountain made the off piste action very enjoyable

    4. Are you beginner/intermediate/advanced.
    Advanced

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Bars\Restaurants were decent. We mostly ate in a place called Changabang on the mountain, food was good and very reasonable. Down in Morzine, the good bars are The Cavern and the Budda bar. They also have a beer called Mutzig which should come with a warning label..

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    The resort is really nice, we stayed close to the bottom of Avoriaz in chalets and loved every minute of it. We had a 5/10 min walk in the morning but it was very scenic and good for warming up the legs. Its also a huge mountain area, in one week I barely touched alot of the runs. We found two park areas one for begineers and one for Pros. I only tried the jumps in the begineer area but they were big enough and are sign posted as green, Blue, and Red. They also have a park that goes through the trees called the stash. All the Stash features are made from the trees so you find a lot of wall slide, tree rails, Tree boxs and Picnic table jumps, its pretty cool. The resort is only a 90 Minutes from Geneva Airport so its got a very small transfer time.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Not real gems that I can describe. We had a guide for the week so we were shown alot of hidden off pistes areas and hidden runs through the trees which were really good once the main pistes got cut up.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    A lot of English and French

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    I would definetly go again, infact I will be going again this time next year. Its my new favourite resort.


  • #46
    Tripp
    Registered Users Posts: 398 ✭✭Tripp


    2008 Holiday report: Borovets

    1. Where and when you went.

    First week in Feb, Ski-welt Borovets, Bulgaria

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

    Ski

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Conditions where excellent for the most part. It snowed for maybe half of our week long stay. The last day was pretty icey though because the sun was beaming so you had to watch out for the evil black stuff :)

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    The resort had a great selection of good bars and restaurants.
    We could be found in:
    Alpina( Opposite the Gondala ) - Small bar+restaurant, €1 a beer at happy hour, €1.80 at usual hours.
    Alpine - We went to this place for breakfest every morning and it was top quality. Very cheap aswell.
    Samokov Hotel sports bar - We stayed in here some nights because they had couches + pool table ( sort of free if you tip the barman :P ) Lovely little bar. Drink was abit more expensive but still cheaper than home

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    We booked with Topflight so that we didnt have to worry about doing any of the leg work. For the 08-09 season we have DIY'd it and it is working out at about €100 cheaper after Flights,Hotel,Transfer, Ski/board equipment and lift passes

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    Hmm not really

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

    There was 2 many brits :(
    There was also alot of bulgarians + maybe some irish

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

    Already booked again this time without a tour operator.
    We are going back this time a week earlier. Would highly recommend this resort for beginners - Intermediates, There is alot of runs to keep you occupied


  • #47
    edmund_f
    Registered Users Posts: 579 ✭✭✭edmund_f


    1. Where and when you went.

    X-cape Braehead Glasgow

    end of November '08


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

    board

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Indoor slope, so a lot of recycled snow - a lot better than i expected

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    sure they are all lovely, but we stayed in Edinburgh where they are excellent!

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    open 365 days a year, this was our plan B if the Caringorms were closed (which they were)

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    The arena has a lot of other activities, rock climbing, zip lines etc etc

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

    Scottish ;)

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

    Was plesantly surprised, thought it would be complete rubbish.. the run takes about 60s or so - but better than a lot of real pistes I have been on in the past. You have to be able to use a poma, do linked turns and control your speed to be allowed out. If you are a beginner you have to have an instructor and you will have to book a few weeks in advance

    General opinion was, better that we expected


  • #48
    Goodluck2me
    Registered Users Posts: 5,397 ✭✭✭Goodluck2me


    1. Where and when you went.
    Alpes d'Huez - Mid January 2008



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

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Excellent, best many of the lads who often ski 2-3x a year had seen.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    Beginner

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Bars were ok, the nightclub was dodgy enough, where you HAD to pay in your coat regardless, and they sold €20 buckets of drink, literally. Was a trek to get around but good overall/

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    The long black run and "The tunnell" run, are the longest - physically enduring, and the highest (one of) in Europe. Both were ridiculous challenges.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    Snow cars, where you basically could drive BMW's and whatever as fast as you liked around a snowwy track. To give an idea of the amount of snow, you could just see the cross bars of the goal posts in the football pitches.

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

    Europeans on the slopes, but almost exclusivley Irish in the bars etc

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

    Yeah I'd go again, the lifts took an age to get to the top but it took about 15-20 mins or more to ski all the way back down again. It was ski-in ski-out in a lot of the places too which is ridic handy.


  • #49
    istabraq1000
    Closed Accounts Posts: 28 ✭istabraq1000


    Pomporovo 22/02/08
    Boarding
    Fantastic weather. T shirts on, but snow melting for the nexts weeks batch
    Beginner
    Bar & Restaurants OK, but food crap and everytime you went to the toilet they charged 50cent
    Recommend to go, cos its cheap in this recessionary time.
    Mainly Irish and Brits
    No I wouldnt go again


  • #50
    Overflow
    Registered Users Posts: 1,266 ✭✭✭Overflow


    Hmmm cant have been that good ;)
    istabraq1000 wrote: »
    Recommend to go, cos its cheap in this recessionary time.
    istabraq1000 wrote: »
    No I wouldnt go again


  • #51
    skibum
    Registered Users Posts: 2,065 ✭✭✭skibum


    1. Where and when you went.
    Livingo, Dec 11- 18 2008

    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Ski, (brother boarded)

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Excellent snow conditions on and off piste, record start to the season (Locals said best in 20 years), while we were there the visibility was very poor, very flat light, little contrast on slopes to see what the conditions a few meters ahead.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    High intermediate (brother beginner)

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Best bar was "Daphne's", best restaurant just across the road "Bellavista". Staff and atmosphere in both places were fantastic. Huge fillet, cooked to perfection €18 inc. side order, T-bone same price.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    High altitude (Village 1800m, highest lifted point approx 3000m). Booze and cigs very very cheap. 750ml smirnoff €5, 200 marlboro €22)

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Daphne's & Bellavista

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Very few brits / Irish as the package tours don't start until dec 23. Huge amount of polish 80%+

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    If you are hiring a car, make sure that the snow chains (if it is snowing you will NOT make it from Bormio without chains.) are the correct ones for the size of tyre. I was assured by the rental company that they would - they didn't, result: 3 hours wasted trying to fit chains that would not physically fit, find a helpful soul who organised a new set of chains at 9pm.:mad:

    They will give you a bottle of additive to help stop the diesel freezing - it dosn't work. When you arrive fill up the car as the local stations sell fuel with antifreeze in it. However after putting a full bottle of the additive and 35 litres of local diesel the car still froze twice :mad:

    The free local ski bus can get very hectic, every man for himself getting on, didn't seem to be as regular as before.

    What ever you do, go down to the lake and hire the skidoos, they give you a helmet, tell you "this makes it go, this makes it stop, try and keep up!" think it was €30 for 30 minutes, fantastic value, you are taken on a prepared run with bumps, jumps, twists and turns... You can also hire ice karts, quads and a rally car.


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  • #52
    Frank3142
    Closed Accounts Posts: 268 ✭✭Frank3142


    1. Where and when you went.
    I went to samoens in france from the 3rd to the 10th of january
    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Skiing
    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Great slopes were levelled every night and off piste conditions were good (the little bit i did)
    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    Went out there a complete beginner never seen a ski before but thanks to our great instructor I finished the week nearly at an advanced level.
    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Restaurants were nice not much selection. A few bars aswell.
    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    It is a brilliant place to go there is not a lot of tourists and there are a lot of good instructors. It caters for all levels. There is a huge range of slopes for advanced stretching over six towns I think there is about 243 km of slopes.
    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Nice ice skating rink in town. Restaurants are nice. Beautiful place.
    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    There was a lot of both really.
    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    Definately would love to go back next year.

    http://www.samoens-sports.fr


  • #53
    erinn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 70 ✭✭erinn


    1. Where and when you went.
    Went sat 3rd jan to sat 10th jan to Kaprun in Austria (Near Zelll Am See)
    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Skiied!!!
    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    considering it did not snow when we were there the conditions were really good, it got chopped up in the evenings but that can be expected!!! snow plows were going all day keeping the slopes in good condition!!!
    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    intermediate!!!
    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    mose in the mountains are very good, some are mordern but there is also lovely traditional austrian ones, but tend to be harder to find!!!
    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    there is all year round skiing except for 2weeks in june when the lifts get serviced!!! your ski pass bought in either Zell or Kaprun allows you access to ski lifts in both resorts, the lifts to the Glacier (all year round skiing) and to lifts in the moddle of the two towns. buses run every 15mins to half an hour dependind on the time of day. there is good runs for all levels. the ski schools are very good aswel!!! intersport hav shops up the mountains and everything, so any problems and there a great help!
    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    the trad austrian restaurants but i already knew wher most of them were as i had been to both kaprun and Zell before!
    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    mostly mainland europeans but as Chrystal flies from Dublin, Belfast and the UK there was also a good few Irish and Brits.
    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again. now, i wouldnt go again as i have skiied the whole resort but considering i have been in the area three times oer three years i think its safe to say thy i do like the area, as do my family, some of them have been there four years in a row!


  • #54
    Dubhthamlacht
    Registered Users Posts: 400 ✭✭Dubhthamlacht


    1. Where and when you went.
    Went sat 3rd jan to sat 10th jan to Alpe D'Huez in France
    2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
    Skiied
    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Very good on piste. It had a good dump of snow a few days debfore we arrived and also it snowed for a day midweek so that kept the slopes nicely topped top. All through this they were being well groomed. Some of the more challenging black runs were closed for a few days due to high winds/poor visiblity at the very top of the mountain. But by the end of the week they were nearly all open. So i took the chance to do the 16km black Sarenne run.
    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
    intermediate going on to advanced
    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    around the village the restaurants are generaly very good. The pick of the bunch was Smithy's Tavern, a Tex Mex restautant. We came out of that place well and truly stuffed a couple of times. Next door to it was Lounge 21. Even by resort standards that was pricey but had and excellent feed there.
    There is a couple of irish bars off course. Lily's which claims to be a real irish bar e.g. irish staff etc but take that with a pinch of salt as one part time irish bar man doesn't count. Still it's a alright place. We were also in O'Sharkey's which is central enough and the staff are friendly. It's probably been said before but don't expect cheap booze or food in France. Alpe D'huez is not an exception. What you do get is generally good quality so i didn't mind paying that wee bit extra. Food on the mountain restaurants is so so and very pricey.
    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    the sheer huge amount of pistes to ski on was fantatsic. Alpe D'huez is the 3rd largest ski area in france. Getting from one end of the resort to the other was easy as everything is linked by lifts and generally no queues are very small queues. The quality of the pistes was superb and the group of us all agreed it was best ski holiday yet for us. The learners in the group all thought the ski school was brilliant and by the end they were all quite competent. Unlike some resorts the pistes are all layed out so that a beginner isn't going to find themselves on a black slope by accident. To get to the black you'd need to go to the very peek and that's by 3 capable cars/lifts. So it's all layed out very well. Getting from your hotel to the nearest lift if also a very short distance. Hotels provide lockers in their premisice and that means having to lug your gear to and fro from the lifts. But that is about 150m walk so really it's not much at all and the lockers don't cost anything extra which so of evens it out.
    Bus transfer is 1hr 30 mins from grenoble and a short transfer is always good in my book.
    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    not really
    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    mostly brits and locals. small irish contingent. small smatering of russian/dutch/german
    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again. A fantatsic resort with a tremendous choice of runs. The group i usually go with always like to go somewhere different each year so may not be back next year but i would have no complaints about going back to Alpe D'huez again at some point as it's a top quality ski resort and i certainly recommend it.


  • #55
    EileenG
    Registered Users Posts: 5,775 ✭✭✭EileenG


    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.


  • #56
    swiss
    Registered Users Posts: 1,745 ✭✭✭swiss


    1. Where and when you went.
    Obertauern in Austria between the 6th and 13th of January (just back :( ),

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

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
    Conditions on piste were very good, most of the slopes were quite powdery with the occasional icy parts, mostly on sections most exposed to the sun during the day. I also liked the range of slopes, most of the longer runs had several different paths you could try if you felt like taking the gentle sloping blue or the steeper more narrow red. There were a few areas with moguls outside the main slopes but still on-piste, and some slalom and speed runs.

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

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    In general they were very good, I can't say I was bowled over by the quality of the food but it certainly wasn't bad and the bars on the slopes at least managed to maintain the aprés ski atmosphere. In Irish terms the prices were reasonable but I'm sure they were inflated about 20-30% at least above the norm for the country as a whole.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    People there were very friendly, I noticed not one anti-social element about the place.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Not really, though the group did like the town pub 'Nanu' which did have an Irish pub feel to it (a little taste of home). Except for the local brews, naturally.

    8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
    Mostly German and Austrian. A few English and other European nationalities. No Americans/Chinese/Africans that I saw.

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    I haven't had a lot of experience with other resorts, but this one seemed quite expensive. Accomodation in particular was quite ouch, and a 6 day ski lift pass cost nearly 200 euro. Of course it is peak season but I still found it expensive. Nothing was cheap, of course it is a tourist resort but I would still prefer to keep the expense down.

    I would go again, but maybe try to bargain hunt a bit better for accomodation and gear rental.


  • #57
    sineadgalway
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭sineadgalway


    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...


  • #58
    Real FM
    Registered Users Posts: 239 ✭✭Real FM


    1. Where and when you went.
    Kirchberg, Tirol - January 24th -31st 2009

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

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste
    Perfect - have been skiing for years now and have never seen slopes like it. About 1 foot of snow of piste constantly and empty slopes due to recession! One day the slopes weren't groomed but the rest was all good.

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

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
    Brilliant - Tiroler and Londoner are great, Boomerangs just up the hill is a great bar. Check out the VIP table dancing bar if you need a groin massage after a tough day on the slopes!

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
    The main run at Penglestein.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
    Just venture of Piste on the Penglestein and your sorted for great little runs and jumps.

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

    9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
    Will be going back there for years.


  • #59
    kelznz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22 ✭kelznz


    1. Where and when you went.

    Jan 24th-31st, Mayrhofen, Austria

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

    Board

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Conditions where excellent. It snowed every day of our week long stay. Sun was out for most of it, one or 2 morns poor visibility. Good powder off piste.

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    Great! Cheap,filling food, great cheap beer. Must do ICE bar apres ski, all the apres ski rocks. Big village, plenty of variety.

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    Igloo Bar on the Ahorn, Ice bar.

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    Head throughout valley, over otherside don't just stick to Penken!

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

    A lot more Irish this year, mostly Dutch, Germans, Austrians and (working) a few kiwis and Aussies. Good mix!

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


    This was our 2nd time, love the place. Won't go back only coz so many other places 2 try! Great for all levels of ability.

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  • #60
    evil_seed
    Registered Users Posts: 3,444 ✭✭✭evil_seed


    1. Where and when you went.

    Jan 31 - Feb 7

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

    Board

    3. How were the conditions on/off piste.

    Conditions were perfect. It snowed just before we got there. By the end of the week it had started to melt a bit and the grass was showing off piste a bit

    4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.

    Intermediate

    5. What were the bars/restaurants like.

    IMO they are fantastic. Only bar I didnt like was Cuba cos it was a sweat box. All the food is top notch. Roasti-toasti & tiroler grosten all the way :)

    6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.

    See above for food. Scottys, Kandahar, Piccadilly for in town. And of course the Krazy Kangaruh & Mooserwirt for immediate aprés ski up the slopes. Nothing beats the moose!!!

    7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.

    The day long ride from Stueben back into St Anton. Very quiet run

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

    33/33/33 is how i would split it. too many fellas though. missed out on all the ladies by a week

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

    I couldnt recommend this resort enough


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  • #61
    connundrum
    Registered Users Posts: 5,563 ✭✭✭connundrum


    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.


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