Re: Xmas ideas?

[BrritSki]

On 31/10/2011 13:39, Switters wrote:
> Assuming this place is still alive...
>
> I'm looking for ideas for this year, as the mrs and I feel like something
> different from Flims/Laax, which is getting very commercialised and it's
> now very busy over the xmas period.
>
> And that seems to be the problem. Is there anywhere left that isn't
> rammed over the week leading up to New Years day?
>
> Want a good mix of intermediate terrain for her and advanced terrain for
> me. I'd like some good "side-piste" options, as I won't be able to wander
> off-piste, coz she won't do it and isn't avalanche aware. I'm happy with
> drag lifts, but she isn't, so it's OK if the area has some, but not too
> many.
>
> Not interested in getting pissed up in the evening, so a quiet, family run
> hotel or chalet would be ideal. Within a short walk from the lifts, or a
> short walk to a good free bus system, that kind of thing.

Have a look at La Thuile - no idea what it's like over Xmas/NY tho'.

[BrritSki]

On 02/11/2011 14:30, Switters wrote:

> On Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:40:33 GMT, BrritSki wrote:
>
>> Have a look at La Thuile - no idea what it's like over Xmas/NY tho'.
>

> We like Italy, so that's a good start. It certainly looks like it has
> potential too. Does it really have a 71% slope? That could be fun.
>
> Thanks.

Pleasure. No idea about a 71% slope - but there are certainly some
interesting runs. Daughter was in Pila all last season and spent the
last week instructing at LT and said it was "challenging".

There are lots of opportunities for off-piste right next to the pistes,
including one short steep slope that we did after a big dump that was
like going down in a lift :) Of course being Italy very few people go
off-piste so you can farm the slopes all on your own.

There's a nice long easy red to get home, otherwise the main run is a
bit of a skittle alley when the snow's poor and it's crowded.

Some good restaurants on the mountain and also in the resort, as well as
plenty of nice hotels and chalets, including these guys (never stayed
there, not affiliated, but we get their newsletter for some reason):
<http://www.chaletalpina.it/newsflash.htm>

Pila is OK for a day visit if the snow's good - lots of wide open empty
slopes, and the Wall is steep and fun. Full of school parties with
Interski, but they stay on the bunny slopes mainly, so never crowded.

[Ian Blake]

On Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:39:46 +0000 (UTC), Switters <m...@privacy.net> wrote:

>Assuming this place is still alive...
>
>I'm looking for ideas for this year, as the mrs and I feel like something
>different from Flims/Laax, which is getting very commercialised and it's
>now very busy over the xmas period.
>

The best over Christmas holiday I had was at hotel Alpino Plan - Wolkenstein
Gröden (Selva Val Gardena) The food and wine was great. The selle ronda is an
intermediate skiers paradise although the amount of truly challenging skiing is
limited. The downhill course in Selva is well known but I can not think of
another remotely challenging black. There are however a few long reds. One at
the top of a three stage gondola.

The hotel is near the bus station. So buses are available. The hotel offered a
weekly bus ticket when I arrived. You can ski back from one direction. The
main ski lifts are walkable if you do not want to wait for a bus.

The area was quiet over Christmas but got busier as new year approached but I
did not feel oppressed by crowds at all. No significant lift queues, on piste
restaurants served promptly.

[PipL]

On Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:46:00 +0100, BrritSki <rtilbur...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>There are lots of opportunities for off-piste right next to the pistes,
>including one short steep slope that we did after a big dump that was
>like going down in a lift :)

Sounds like the sort of slope I'd need a .... err, never mind.
--

Pip

[Ace]

On Thu, 3 Nov 2011 11:56:18 +0000 (UTC), Switters <m...@privacy.net>
wrote:

>On Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:46:00 GMT, BrritSki wrote:
>
>> Of course being Italy very few people go
>> off-piste so you can farm the slopes all on your own.
>

>I wish that were true in Gressoney.

Oh, is it getting too crowded there these days? Must be about six
years since I was there, when that certainly was not the case.

--
Ace
Ski Club of Great Britain http://www.skiclub.co.uk/
All opinions expressed are those of the poster and in no way reflect those of the Ski Club or its members

[Roger Moss]

"Switters" <m...@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:Xns9F918958361C...@88.198.244.100...

> On Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:40:33 GMT, BrritSki wrote:
>

>> Have a look at La Thuile - no idea what it's like over Xmas/NY tho'.
>

> We like Italy, so that's a good start. It certainly looks like it has
> potential too. Does it really have a 71% slope? That could be fun.
>
> Thanks.
>

It does indeed (I've skied it) but that section is relatively short and
quite wide, so nothing a competent intermediate couldn't cope with unless
really icy.

The other plus-factors about La Thuile are:

Snow quality which often holds up better than on the French side
Some nice long cruising runs
Lo Riondet - a truly great mountain restaurant beside the longest (No. 7)
A run (in good-weather...) over to La Rosière, if you're feeling inquisitive
Courmayeur is not far away, should you feel like a day in another Italian
resort.

Our impressions (from our base on the French side) here:
http://www.mountainpassions.com/winter_ski/resort_reviews/alps/ski_la_rosiere.html

Good luck!

Roger
www.MountainPassions.com - Independent, Expert Insight with Altitude

[BrritSki]

Nice report.

I've just booked a week with some friends in Courmayeur which I've never
actually skied in despite several visits to La Thuile and Pila.

Am I right in thinking that the access to the Valle Blanche from the
Italian side does NOT involve the hike down that arrete ?

Any comments on good runs - if there are any :) - and mountain
restaurants in Courmayeur ?

TIA

[BrritSki]

Of course I've now looked at the website properly and seen the report on
Courmayeur, so have answered the questions apart from VB access...

[Ace]

You are correct in your assumption. Not done it myself, but the lift
up goes nowhere near the Aig de Midi, and you effectively start on the
opposite side of the bowl/valley from there, with a different route
down that joins up with the normal routes half way down (or a lot less
than that, in altitude terms).

[BrritSki]

On 06/11/2011 11:33, Ace wrote:
> On Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:18:36 +0100, BrritSki
> <rtilbur...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On 06/11/2011 10:11, BrritSki wrote:
>
>>> Am I right in thinking that the access to the Valle Blanche from the
>>> Italian side does NOT involve the hike down that arrete ?
>>>
>>> Any comments on good runs - if there are any :) - and mountain
>>> restaurants in Courmayeur ?
>>>
>>> TIA
>>
>> Of course I've now looked at the website properly and seen the report on
>> Courmayeur, so have answered the questions apart from VB access...
>
> You are correct in your assumption. Not done it myself, but the lift
> up goes nowhere near the Aig de Midi, and you effectively start on the
> opposite side of the bowl/valley from there, with a different route
> down that joins up with the normal routes half way down (or a lot less
> than that, in altitude terms).
>

Thanks as usual. That means also that you need to get transport back
thru the MB tunnel. Hmm, gonna be expensive with a guide etc...

[Ace]

On Sun, 06 Nov 2011 12:54:38 +0100, BrritSki

Yeah, would need a fair bit of planning.

Although apparently it is possible by train, for once-per-day, 5 1/2
hour, leaving at 1330, values of 'possible'.
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/dn

[Brian Mc]

BrritSki <rtilbur...@gmail.com> wrote:
: Thanks as usual. That means also that you need to get transport back

: thru the MB tunnel. Hmm, gonna be expensive with a guide etc...

Vallee Blance lift is on opposite side of valley from "normal" Courmayeur
ski area, needs pass extension to normal passes (and guide obviously!).

Also not always possible. I was in Courmayeur last January (~7th) and the
Vallee Blanches had not been open so far that season by then.

[Ace]

On Mon, 7 Nov 2011 13:11:30 +0000 (UTC), Switters <m...@privacy.net>
wrote:

>On Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:20:36 GMT, Ace wrote:
>
>>>> Of course being Italy very few people go
>>>> off-piste so you can farm the slopes all on your own.
>>>
>>>I wish that were true in Gressoney.
>>
>> Oh, is it getting too crowded there these days? Must be about six
>> years since I was there, when that certainly was not the case.
>

>Not so much crowded, but certainly the off-piste is getting tracked out
>quickly. Though obviously not to the level of some of the more famous
>places.

Which reminds me - AFAIK you've still never skiied Engelberg. Doesn't
really suit your bill for a good supply of "intermediate terrain",
unless you count steepish reds in that category, but right up there in
the must-ski of the off-piste world. And absolutely tons of the
'side-piste' stuff you mention.

[PipL]

On Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:36:58 +0100, Ace <b.ro...@ifrance.com> wrote:

>Which reminds me - AFAIK you've still never skiied Engelberg. Doesn't
>really suit your bill for a good supply of "intermediate terrain",
>unless you count steepish reds in that category, but right up there in
>the must-ski of the off-piste world. And absolutely tons of the
>'side-piste' stuff you mention.

Talking of which, I assume there's only one Engelberg, the one with the Titlis
mountain, yes?

Looking at the piste map, there appear to be a few langlauf tracks there. This
is probably not your area, but are they likely to have novice friendly tracks
& instruction?

As the family ski holiday plan has been shelved this year, I'm currently
looking at the idea of doing two separate weeks: one week novice Nordic skiing
in Norway (I've wanted to go back and do this for years) and one earlier week
mostly snowboarding (probably on mostly pistes or edges of pistes and novice
areas of the snowpark), but maybe with a couple of mornings of Nordic skiing
instruction in preparation for the Norway trip.

--

Pip

[Ace]

On Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:15:59 +0000, PipL <plus...@live.co.uk> wrote:

>On Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:36:58 +0100, Ace <b.ro...@ifrance.com> wrote:
>
>>Which reminds me - AFAIK you've still never skiied Engelberg.

>Talking of which, I assume there's only one Engelberg, the one with the Titlis
>mountain, yes?

Yes.

>Looking at the piste map, there appear to be a few langlauf tracks there. This
>is probably not your area, but are they likely to have novice friendly tracks
>& instruction?

Yes. I'm not sure how novice-unfriendly they could be, but there are
quite a few at village level as well as some higher up. Not my thing -
when I tried it I was just wishing I had my normal touring skis on -
but instruction is available, certainly.

>As the family ski holiday plan has been shelved this year, I'm currently
>looking at the idea of doing two separate weeks: one week novice Nordic skiing
>in Norway (I've wanted to go back and do this for years) and one earlier week
>mostly snowboarding (probably on mostly pistes or edges of pistes and novice
>areas of the snowpark), but maybe with a couple of mornings of Nordic skiing
>instruction in preparation for the Norway trip.

Any idea when?

[PipL]

On Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:56:58 +0100, Ace <b.ro...@ifrance.com> wrote:

>>As the family ski holiday plan has been shelved this year, I'm currently
>>looking at the idea of doing two separate weeks: one week novice Nordic skiing
>>in Norway (I've wanted to go back and do this for years) and one earlier week
>>mostly snowboarding (probably on mostly pistes or edges of pistes and novice
>>areas of the snowpark), but maybe with a couple of mornings of Nordic skiing
>>instruction in preparation for the Norway trip.
>
>Any idea when?

No fixed dates.

The Norwegian trip I've looked at starts 25/3/12, but they recommend some
instruction first. I'd have to allow a week between trips, and try to avoid
the Feburary crowds & prices. I assume (there's that word again) that the mid
schoolterm break affects Switzerland as much as France. I don't think getting
the time off work will be a problem.
--

Pip

[Ace]

Not really. The roads may be more crowded on specific days (with
foreigners) but places like Engelberg are not so high on the list for
family holidays,

[Alun Evans]

On Fri 11 Nov '11 at 12:15 PipL <plus...@live.co.uk> wrote:
>
> On Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:36:58 +0100, Ace <b.ro...@ifrance.com> wrote:
>
>>Which reminds me - AFAIK you've still never skiied Engelberg. Doesn't
>>really suit your bill for a good supply of "intermediate terrain",
>>unless you count steepish reds in that category, but right up there in
>>the must-ski of the off-piste world. And absolutely tons of the
>>'side-piste' stuff you mention.
>
> Talking of which, I assume there's only one Engelberg, the one with
> the Titlis mountain, yes?
>
> Looking at the piste map, there appear to be a few langlauf tracks
> there. This is probably not your area, but are they likely to have
> novice friendly tracks & instruction?

Be aware that being good on alpine skis does not help you that much on
touring :)

You can certainly do wedges on nicely bashed stuff, but in the soft snow
it's terrifying, I spent a lot of time on the ground at all odd angles.

> As the family ski holiday plan has been shelved this year, I'm
> currently looking at the idea of doing two separate weeks: one week
> novice Nordic skiing in Norway (I've wanted to go back and do this for
> years) and one earlier week mostly snowboarding (probably on mostly
> pistes or edges of pistes and novice areas of the snowpark), but maybe
> with a couple of mornings of Nordic skiing instruction in preparation
> for the Norway trip.

I did a full week ski-tur through DNT hytte with a Norwegian friend,
that was with a largish backpack (5kg), and no XC experience.

Was great fun.

The following year with the full 10-15kg pack was great fun too, even if
often I was head down in powder with a backpack holding me down, whilst
Norwegians "friends" skied passed an hit me on the rear with their
poles.

Ahh, good times :)


I think the DNT does tours, though they may be at busy times of the
years.


A.

--
Alun Evans

[BrritSki]

On 03/01/2012 14:43, Switters wrote:
> On Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:40:33 GMT, BrritSki wrote:
>

>> Have a look at La Thuile - no idea what it's like over Xmas/NY tho'.
>

> Pretty good as it turned out. OK, so it got crowded, but I had to expect
> that.
>
> Considering that they only had 40cm snow up top, it was surprisingly good.
> The snow in La Rosiere was much deeper (upto 2m apparently), but being
> south facing it didn't stay in as good condition so long.
>
> Lots of psuedo-upper-class twittery going on, and a ski school that seems
> to teach people to stop and stand in the worst of places were about the
> only downsides. Oh and the couple of long flat or uphill sections.
>
> I didn't get to do "the" steep slope as it was officially closed and
> effectively closed by having piste-bashed-but-not-groomed hard-pack snow
> all over it. The adjoining slope was OK, but very very hard and my edges
> didn't turn out to be as sharp as I thought.
>
> Despite the snow depth, I had few problems in the side-piste and off-
> piste.
>
> All in all, a good time had by all. And it was dumping when I left at the
> weekend, with multiple lorries getting stuck going upto the Mt Blanc
> tunnel.
>
> Thanks for the recommendation.

Delighted to have been of assistance.

We are still in the UK but are leaving early next week to go home to
Italy via 3V where they are getting pnuked.

Cheers Rog

[Ace]

On Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:09:09 +0100, BrritSki
<rtilbur...@gmail.com> wrote:

>We are still in the UK but are leaving early next week to go home to
>Italy via 3V where they are getting pnuked.

Getting what now?

[BrritSki]

On 03/01/2012 16:43, Ace wrote:
> On Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:09:09 +0100, BrritSki
> <rtilbur...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> We are still in the UK but are leaving early next week to go home to
>> Italy via 3V where they are getting pnuked.
>
> Getting what now?
>

A lot of snow old chap... or they were last time I looked :)

[Ace]

Well aren't we all? Tons of it in the last couple of weeks.

But 'pnuked'?

[BrritSki]

On 03/01/2012 17:07, Ace wrote:
> On Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:05:27 +0100, BrritSki
> <rtilbur...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On 03/01/2012 16:43, Ace wrote:
>>> On Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:09:09 +0100, BrritSki
>>> <rtilbur...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> We are still in the UK but are leaving early next week to go home to
>>>> Italy via 3V where they are getting pnuked.
>>>
>>> Getting what now?
>>>
>> A lot of snow old chap... or they were last time I looked :)
>
> Well aren't we all? Tons of it in the last couple of weeks.
>
> But 'pnuked'?
>

A neologism m'lud, coined by a bunch of higgorant yankee friends of
mine, based on "puking snow" with the added refinement of being "nuked"
to show just how awful it is....