Skiing/Boarding 13-14

[mr tommo]

Anybody booked yet? Where are you going? Got a good deal?

Share all!

We have decided to go over Christmas this year (21st Dec - 28th Dec). Only ever been to Val Thorens (April 2013) and Obergurgl many years ago. Anybody been away over Christmas before or can recommend any other resorts.

I thought VT was brilliant but lacking in a bit of Character in the actual village, but for the range of runs I feel a bit spoilt now and hesitant about going to a smaller resort with less runs

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Cheap/recommended ski Accomodation.

Thought it might be an idea to share any cheap accomodation that we have stayed in or managed to find. Might be helpful as I find searching for accomodation a nightmare with just a handful of places offering packages only.

We always self drive and as of yet have not come up over £600 per person including accomodation, lift passes, equipment hire (now have my own board and boots however) + travel.

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I'll kick things off with an awesome apartment which is cheap as chips in VT...

Val Thorens, 3 valleys - http://www.homeaway.co.uk/p895717a
Sleeps 6
Great Location next to all the bars in VT, 30-40 steps from the slopes or there is a black run that takes you right next to the accomodation.
Price (for the apartment NOT per person) - Between £420 - £800 depending on time of year. We paid £550 in April half term last year

Would certainly recommend, and our view from the glazed balcony :



Perfect for anyone looking for a cheap apartment and looking to keep the costs down.

 

[mr tommo]

That sounds good to me. Is the nightlife good? Doesn't have to be as crazy as VT but as long as there are a few bars to go to at the end of the night that's good with me. I never got across to Courchevel although the accomodation seems a bit pricier.

Also been told to check out Alpe d'huez but not looked into this yet.

 

[mr tommo]

Off to Val D'isere on friday. We are driving down with accommodation booked from Saturday. Looking forward to the outdoor heated swimming pool!!

Been a bit exoensive this time around as we we bought our own boards, bindings and boots.

Thinking of wearing a helmet this time, not worn one before. Any recommendations for a pretty cheap helmet?

 

[mr tommo]

Thanks guys will see what I can find. Not worn a helmet before but just presumed they would all be tested? For example Trespass have some at £25 so presumed a well known brand like that would be ok?

 

[mr tommo]

I've only ever been boarding on 2 occasions. On both of those there was over 1m of snow on the slopes IIRC.

What will it be like with the below, have people been away with conditions similar and was it ok? A little bit worried as I go on Friday. Expecting 12cm on Thursday though..

Val D'isere current conditions :
Upper slopes: 75 cm
Lower slopes: 40 cm

 

[mr tommo]

Just make sure you head to La Folly Douse one afternoon for some early Apres and then enjoy the wobbly trip back down to La Daille.

Also if you are still learning as such, avoid La face in the late afternoons as it is a mogul infested death trap with loads of skiers trying to get down in one piece. If you do make it there is a decent bar near the bottom, Bananas.

We did this in Val Thorens a few times. Not keen on the £9 bottles of Corona though! Beers + Rucksack this time around! Great atmosphere though.

Still very much a beginner I'd say. My second trip this year and had a few lessons at Chillfactore along with a few 4 hour sessions there over the summer to get my technique right. I can confidently board now, just nothing fancy. At least I will be able to take in some of the scenary this time

It's La Folie Douce you dousch - still not sure about its meaning, sweet madness, it's a very marmite place full of punters, but hey you will be a punter so enjoy it!

The conditions out there right now are below average but as you say there is a nice dusting coming in tomorrow night so that will freshen things up, enjoy what promises to be a few days of bluebird powder then do a few snow dances and see what happens

Do you go out every year will? Not really up to scratch with snow fall, will 10+cm be classed as a decent fall?

 

[mr tommo]

Yep, I try to do a minimum of 3 weeks to a month skiing every year

5cm+ is enough to freshen up tired snow, it will be bashed into the piste almost immediately but give some nice on-piste conditions. the problem comes when people think a nice dump of 5cm means all the off piste is full of virgin powder. What it actually means is all the rocks are now nicely hidden and ready to blow your ACL or worse....

Best dump I ever saw was 1.5m overnight, you could back flip of anything you liked, crash as hard as you like and never hurt yourself, only problem was losing skis!

Sounds awesome!

Am I right in thinking that's prime avalanche time too when snow has been sitting for a good 2-3 weeks in cold conditions and then you get a fresh covering? Not really been off piste before, go slightly off the piste but I'm talking proper off piste.

 

[mr tommo]

I'm driving down to the mountains first thing in the morning to sort out the apartment for a rental this weekend. Joys. 6hr round trip in the forecast snow.

Will I'm loving the look of those. Really different!

As for fractured skull, I'd go but that's me and I'd not miss skiing for most things. I went skiing 6weeks after a car crash when I wasn't supposed to weight bare on my broken ankle but bought some new tight fitting boots, painkillers and sucked it up.

Hows the rental go for you? Something I've considered recently. Especially as I'd like to go 2-3 times per year and I imagine an average 4 per apartment rents our for about £500 per week?

 

[mr tommo]

Its never ending. I swear the last time I went away in April I had everything I needed. Still hasn't stopped me from buying loads of kit again. Better gloves, new trousers, new jacket, new rucksack, gopro, million and one gopro mounts and accessories, new boots.

 

[mr tommo]

Heading off to Tignes on the 1st of March for a week. First time abroad so slightly nervous but excited at the same time. What are peoples thoughts on Tignes? Always good to hear first hand opinions. From doing a bit of research I can see tat a coupe of the zones are on school holidays during these dates, hoping it won't be too busy.

Staying at Chalet Glacier, fully catered including transfers and flights from Glasgow for £640. Just need to get lift passes now. I take it lift passes are generally a set price or is there anywhere you can get them at a discounted price?

Just got back from Val d'isere last week. Nice dumb on Christmas day meant the conditions improved over the week we were there. I never went into tignes but spent a lot of our time around Val Claret and the slopes around there, has some great fun! Will stick a few photos up in the next couple of days.

Would love do a cheap weekend in march/april but cheap doesn't seem to be possible

 

[mr tommo]

Rent my apartment... it's 1.5hrs away from geneva (cheap easyjet flight), hire car up for the weekend, cheap digs, boom

NOT SELLING. HONEST!

I just got back from a week. The snow was falling like MAD on Saturday when we were leaving. Gutting to miss that but it was a good week. Warm for the time of year but snow was so so. Needs a good few feet dump really in most places for a nice base but keeps going cold > warm etc. which is a nightmare for the base.

Price/location?

 

[mr tommo]

Might be a waste of time but if one of us finds a decent deal in a resort then its worthwhile.

I will happily update the OP with any other deals/accomodation you have come across. I am currently looking for somewhere to go this new year..

Thought it might be an idea to share any cheap accomodation that we have stayed in or managed to find. Might be helpful as I find searching for accomodation a nightmare with just a handful of places offering packages only.

We always self drive and as of yet have not come up over £600 per person including accomodation, lift passes, equipment hire (now have my own board and boots however) + travel.

**************************************************

I'll kick things off with an awesome apartment which is cheap as chips in VT...

Val Thorens, 3 valleys - http://www.homeaway.co.uk/p895717a
Sleeps 6
Great Location next to all the bars in VT, 30-40 steps from the slopes or there is a black run that takes you right next to the accomodation.
Price (for the apartment NOT per person) - Between £420 - £800 depending on time of year. We paid £550 in April half term last year

Would certainly recommend, and our view from the glazed balcony :



Perfect for anyone looking for a cheap apartment and looking to keep the costs down.

 

[mr tommo]

Few photos from Christmas week in Val d'Isere...
1. The car for the 32 hour journey (thanks M25... & P&O)

2.

3.


4. GoPro with £5 hiking pole!

5. Top of the Olympic lift

6.

7. Le face

8. Awesome fun riding over the bumbs of snow where the basher had come down in straight lines

9.Christmas night light descent

10. and firework display

 

[mr tommo]

Going to fly to Munich on Friday for a long weekend. Hopefully an awesome weekend!

A couple of questions...

For the snowboarders, do you just check your snowboard bags as regular baggage (filled with your clothing) or do airlines force you to check it as special luggage and pay more? We're flying with Lufthansa and it's free ski carriage but they want to charge 50 euros each way for the board... I'm wondering if I can ring up and cancel the board carriage and get it under the GF's normal luggage allowance.

Second - Any recommendations for good resorts within a couple of hours? There are so many I don't know where to start... I'm tempted by Soll but its not the steepest. St Anton is a little far away as well. Tempted to stay at a small scenic hill one day and then move to another for the next two.

Any reason you are flying to Munich? I love the sound of a long weekend boarding but doesn't it work out to be pretty expensive? Mind me asking ow much its costing you?

Can anyone recommend a good destination to go with the family, I will be snowboarding (possibly wanting to go on an improver course if I don't get ) and the girlfriend and two boys will want ski lessons.

Will also need to hire all the gear.

Thanks

So far I've been Obergurgl Austria, Val d'Isere France & Val Thorens France.

As a village I much preferred Val d'isere and heading out to the Tignes ski area was just brilliant.

I see you have the same predicament that I do though where you can only go at half term. good luck with that!

 

[mr tommo]

That looks crazy!

 

[mr tommo]

Really liked Val Claret. We stayed in Val d'Isere but spent most of our time around Val Claret. Lovely little cheap fast food place too (hidden away with bright orange signs) when you get tired of spending 20 euros on lunch every day!