Rate the resorts you've visited.

I like the pros and cons - short and snappy - and they augment the longer trip reports which are great to read. I think the short reviews should be organised as adders suggests or you'll never find them - or maybe my ability to use the forum search function is rubbish.

I tried doing a search for my review on Courchevel 1550 and I couldn't get the forum search to go back any earlier than January 2011 :(

Most of the following places have been visited as an enthusiastic intermediate or in more recent times an adventurous skier who will have a go at anything, on or off piste. Mainly I like to ski all day everyday day and spend as little time as possibly stoping for lunch or drink breaks.

Champoluc - Monte Rosa, Italy
PROS - Cheap on and off the slopes. Ridiculously uncrowded. Lots of great pisted runs. Good off piste mileage off the main runs. Great food and drink. Stunning location and scenery, you feel like you are actually skiing through he peaks. Short transfer from Turin. Great accommodation and prices. Locals are very friendly. Lots of Pretty villages. Lift system has been massively upgraded. One of the best long runs down to alagna mid station I have ever skied. High altitude and fantastic snow record.
CONS - Maybe too quiet for Some people. One or two annoyingly slow lifts. Pistes travel good distance but little variety in terms of direction.
8/10

Serre chevalier, France
PROS - huge ski area above 4 good base stations all well linked. Big variety of terrain. Good amount of off piste. Lots of lifts to take you to different places. Wonderful long red cucumelle run and 2 superb blacks luc alphand and cases de boeuf. Cheap for France. Good choice of accommodation old or new in all 4 bases. Shortish transfer from Grenoble or Turin. Relatively easy drive from Calais. Excellent mountain restaurants. Sensibly priced lift pass. Excellent valley bus service linking all 4 bases. Relatively unknown to uk skiers. Lovely old rustic feel to Villeneuve and monetier. High altitude. Close for exploring other resorts such as Milky Way. Adh and l2a.
CONS - some older lifts need replacing, road across col du lautaret often closes in bad weather, does get very busy drug French school holidays, run off the mountain can be busy and dangerous above Villeneuve in particular.
9.5/10

Alpe d'huez - France
PROS - high altitude skiing, wonderfully spread out area, high peak at 3300m, ridiculously long and glorious sarenne run, rustic part of old village is pleasant for France, well priced for France, lots of ski in/out and easy slope access, good modern lift system, sunny so good in cold weather early season mainly! short transfer from Grenoble and chambery.
CONS - early morning queues to leave main resorts can be an issue, one or two ugly tower blocks, sun can be a problem late season.
9/10

Verbier - Switzerland
PROS - huge ski area, good lift system which is beg regularly upgraded, lots of quality accommodation, several alternative lifts to take you up to the slopes, cracking off piste, stunningly scenery, great feeling of travel across the valleys.
CONS - horribly expensively due to the currency and generally high Swiss prices, mountain restaurants not great in vernier area, main median
Iidt does get very busy in the mornings, 2.5 hour transfer form geneva, expensive lift pass.
8.5/10 marked down because of costs

St Anton - Austria
PROS - epic runs on and off piste, superb scenery, massive peaks, great snow record, good altitude, well linked with lech and other areas, Hugh extent overall, cracks atmosphere in town, lively bars, cheaper than France generally, epic place to ski, lots of chalet type accommodation, short transfer from Innsbruck,modern lift system. Places to head off to which are quiet.
CONS - does get horribly crowded at certain times of the season and also mornings and evenings coming off, may be too rowdy for some, lots of difficult challenges, piste grading bad, not a huge choice of restaurants and huts high up.
8/10

Sauze d'oulx - Milky Way, Italy
PROS - cheap as chips for package holidays, nice old town, massive ski area with contrasting areas linked, quiet slopes, big improvement in lifts in recent years, short transfer, lively bars.
CONS - still has a bad name with people for being rowdy, snow fall can be erratic, lower slopes often closed including run into town, still too many old slow lifts, some accommodation can be a long walk, rubbish ski bus service.
7/10 because of snow problems

Mayrhofen - Zillertall Austria
PROS - high for Tirol with good snow record, lift links to other areas, massive mileage to ski on the one pass, cheap prices to get there and in resort, glacier at hintertux, fantastic ski bus service in town and the valley, short transfer frm Innsbruck, good standard a commotion, nice towns feel to the resort, local beer is fantastic
CONS - only 1 run back for escort which often closes, morning lift can get busy if you time it wrong, have to take lift down from main ski area into town, lots of German and Dutch all male parties and can be a little raucous in the evenings.
7.5/10

Val Thorens
PROS
Large ski area well linked with the 3 valleys lift pass
Quick lifts
Great for all abilities
High altitude and glacier so guaranteed snow
Slope side accommodation mainly

CONS
Miserable as hell in bad weather
Lifts often shut when windy or bad weather
Gets horribly over crowded when snow low down is poor, bus loads come up from les menuires
Miserable soulless town
Expensive food and drink
Long transfer from most airports with a hideous long and scary final climb to resort which often closes during heavy snowfall
Long trip to courchevel and back in a day only recommended for very competent skiers
Horrendous taxi fare if you miss the last lift from one of the other valleys
Expensive lift pass
5/10


Niederau - wildschonau, Austria
PROS - cute little village, great for beginners with well reputed ski schools, cheap as chips to get holidays there, recently expanded lift pass to include alpbach, good for a short break or base to explore from, easy access from main inn valley motorway.
CONS - tiny ski area not enough for a weeks holiday for intermediates and above, no lift links between niederau, oberau, and auffach, very quiet at night, low altitude means risk of lack of snow.
2/10 just not the place for me

Bad Klein kircheim
PROS - off the beaten track and not busy, quirky village, cheap prices, mainly modern fast lift system, good for short breaks.
CONS - one or two antiquated lifts, difficult to get to, spread out village means lots of walking, not extensive area means limitedl skiing available for a week.
5/10 would like to go back and see it again sometime

Andorra (generally)
PROS - very cheap holidays and prices in resorts, good lift linked ski area, lots of modern lifts in grandvalira area, good ski schools in some resorts, hidden gem at arcalis
CONS - somewhat erratic snow fall, long painful transfers, rowdy resort at pas de la casa, doesn't feel like a mountain resort.
3/10 really didn't get at any kind of feeling for any of it apart from arcalis which is itself limited

Forgot one, well prompted Tony.

Soldeu

Pros
Part of the massive Grand Valira ski area
Ideal for beginners and intermediates (At least 75% of the skiers there were beginners)
Anything remotely challenging was largely deserted.
Great lift system.
Miles and miles of cruising runs.
Inexpensive food and drink.

Cons
Over-generous piste rating. The reds would be blue in most other resorts.
Only a couple of genuine black runs.
In recent years the price of a lift pass has spiralled

7/10 Loved my week there despite there being no advanced skiing to speak of. With the cost of the lift pass now that score would have to drop to 5/10.
Prices off the slopes were inexpensive, quality wasn't always very high.
Went we went it was fantastic value for money, we ran the trip as a beginners holiday, to bring new blood into the club. However since then the cost of the lift pass has risen and it's questionable whether Andorra still represents the value for money it once did.
No plans to go back.

Pretty much exactly what I felt about Andorra Andy (and reviewed earlier) - pity as its a great place for beginners but its not "cheap cheap" anymore