Soldato
Cervinia. Huge motorway cruisers all over the mountain.
Ski Resort with Long, Wide Green Runs
- Thread starter Snubber
- Start date
Soldato
Yeah of the four I mentioned I'd probably be keenest to go back to La plagne, mainly as I did the least of it.
The tunnel through the mountain is good! Although was difficult at the time on a snowboard when busy!
I can’t claim to be particularly proficient at skiing or snowboarding but I have tried both. Snowboarding at Borovets a few years ago, and skiing over Christmas in Kaprun.
The main red slope in Borovets (opposite the Rila Hotel) is tame in comparison to the main blue in Kaprun Centre. The blue at Kaprun is longer and steeper, and while it is wider for most of the run, there is a pinch point where it goes quite narrow and then you hit the steepest point of the run.
All of the runs from the Glacier at Kaprun (Kitzsteinhorn) looked particularly narrow (although I didn't ski on the glacier), so I would probably avoid Austria.
However, as others have said, a slightly steeper blue run might be better for you than a green.
My work colleague suggested Canada if you can stomach the flight.
The main red slope in Borovets (opposite the Rila Hotel) is tame in comparison to the main blue in Kaprun Centre. The blue at Kaprun is longer and steeper, and while it is wider for most of the run, there is a pinch point where it goes quite narrow and then you hit the steepest point of the run.
All of the runs from the Glacier at Kaprun (Kitzsteinhorn) looked particularly narrow (although I didn't ski on the glacier), so I would probably avoid Austria.
However, as others have said, a slightly steeper blue run might be better for you than a green.
My work colleague suggested Canada if you can stomach the flight.
Associate
The main resort centre at Alpe D'Huez is littered with greens, some very wide indeed.
https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Alpe-d-Huez/pistemap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb2trxIpqWU
It'll be your best bet in Europe, for sure. I went for my 3rd week boarding about 10 years back, lots of variety.
Some decent blues aswell, and you really want to be moving onto blues sooner rather than later.
Associate
Been a long time since I've been there, but seem to remember Tignes had quite a few Green and Bue runs which was great when I was learning to Board. Also can use Val d'Isere slopes
Hmm, a bit of update to up the thread:
Borovets is Europe’s Best Value Ski Resort – UK Post Office (ittn.ie)
post-office-travel-money-ski-resort-report-2019.pdf (postoffice.co.uk)
Borovets is Europe’s Best Value Ski Resort – UK Post Office (ittn.ie)
post-office-travel-money-ski-resort-report-2019.pdf (postoffice.co.uk)
That report is from 2 years ago though? Not sure what use it is now.
Associate
From memory most of the large, popular resorts have a reasonable selection of beginner / intermediate runs. I went to Whistler a lot when I was younger which has loads of runs of all types but the last few years I went it was just too busy to be fun, and it's also not conducive to building confidence.
Fair play to you for learning at 49. I learnt to snowboard when I was about 13 and my arse took a real beating for the first day or so even then
Fair play to you for learning at 49. I learnt to snowboard when I was about 13 and my arse took a real beating for the first day or so even then
Yeah, I think the same is still relevant for the 2021-2022 winter season.
Soldato
I went Borovets a few years ago with friends that have never been skiing. I decided to try snowboarding so that I can get lessons same time they were and then meet up after. (I went back to skiing after 3rd morning, skiing is much more me )
Previously I have been 3 times skiing in various locations, so not advanced but more than basics.
It's a great resort to learn on I'd say (because it's so cheap relatively), but you wouldn't want to go there a second time (well I wouldn't anyway). It's a fairly small resort, so the runs aren't particularly long, nor as many. You do have some fun runs, but I felt it getting a little same-y after doing it over and over. And yeah at the top (where the better runs were), the gondola was closed for a some days because of weather I think. Whether that's more usual than not for this resort I don't know.
After 1 or 2 trips, I'd pay the extra to go somewhere bigger/better.
)Previously I have been 3 times skiing in various locations, so not advanced but more than basics.
It's a great resort to learn on I'd say (because it's so cheap relatively), but you wouldn't want to go there a second time (well I wouldn't anyway). It's a fairly small resort, so the runs aren't particularly long, nor as many. You do have some fun runs, but I felt it getting a little same-y after doing it over and over. And yeah at the top (where the better runs were), the gondola was closed for a some days because of weather I think. Whether that's more usual than not for this resort I don't know.
After 1 or 2 trips, I'd pay the extra to go somewhere bigger/better.
I went Borovets a few years ago with friends that have never been skiing. I decided to try snowboarding so that I can get lessons same time they were and then meet up after. (I went back to skiing after 3rd morning, skiing is much more me
Previously I have been 3 times skiing in various locations, so not advanced but more than basics.
It's a great resort to learn on I'd say (because it's so cheap relatively), but you wouldn't want to go there a second time (well I wouldn't anyway). It's a fairly small resort, so the runs aren't particularly long, nor as many. You do have some fun runs, but I felt it getting a little same-y after doing it over and over. And yeah at the top (where the better runs were), the gondola was closed for a some days because of weather I think. Whether that's more usual than not for this resort I don't know.
After 1 or 2 trips, I'd pay the extra to go somewhere bigger/better.
Skiing from the top to the bottom where the gondola starts is pretty long, actually.
The gondola gets closed only under windy conditions, rarely.
Better there than in the super expensive Austria, where if something happens to you, you would pay a lot for the health service. Better don't go to Austria.
Caporegime
I liked Meribel, there's a lot of nice runs for Snowboarders there, and a lot of bubble lifts rather than chair or (horror of horrors) drag lifts. Accommodation in Mottaret (slightly higher up the mountain) is usually cheaper. It's part of the Three Valleys so there's masses of slopes available, but as a beginner you probably won't need to go out of the valley you're staying in.
Just be careful of a few narrow, winding green runs through the trees that are a nightmare for borders.
Just be careful of a few narrow, winding green runs through the trees that are a nightmare for borders.
Associate
Still true
