J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Nugget

A few years ago we had lessons with Evolution 2 and in particular an instructor called Philippe (aka Marmotte). The best lessons we've ever had.

My wife and I went there last week. We travelled with Neilson. We had to get up at 2am on Sat (27th) to get a 6:15 am flight from Manchester. We landed at Innsbruck at 9:15 am and were in Sölden for lunchtime.

We stayed at the Gasthof Grauer Bär which is at the southern and quiet end of the town. It was an excellent hotel, the rooms were average sized but nicely decorated, esp. the bathrooms. The lounge/bar and restaurant and meals were excellent, the staff were very professional. The hotel was only 200m from the Gaislachkoglbahn gondola, the longest we waited in a queue for it was 2 or 3 minutes. Each gondola is standing only and took 12-ish passengers; one of the reasons for short queues was that this lift was no good for beginners, all lessons were at the top of the Giggijochbahn and queues there were reported as long if you tried to use it about 9:30-9:45 (lessons started at 10am).

We weren't aware of the partying, we went out a few evenings but the place was rather quiet probably due to being the end of the season. The apres-ski in Valentin's at the bottom of the Gaislachkoglbahn was good though.

For the time of year the skiing was excellent. It snowed on Saturday night so skiing on Sunday was in a couple of inches of powder; picking out the edges of some pistes was difficult as the marker poles seemed to go down the middle of some runs. It snowed at times on Sunday and Monday but visibility was still okay. We skied down to the village on Sunday, lower down it was slushy but not too bad. Midweek it beacme very warm and we made the mistake of skiing down to the other end of the village just before lunch, very slushy and very tiring. A lot of the skiing on the first 4 days was either icy, bumpy or slushy but still good though.

On the 5th day we went to Obergurgl/Hochgurgl (a day there costs €10 but this must be added to the pass on purchase, not later. We pre-booked our passes through Neilson and so the day in Obergurgl was included automatically). It snowed all day there but the visibility in the morning was okay and the snow was excellent. In the afternoon it snowed heavier and several higher lifts closed so we finished early and went to Nederhutte for the apres-ski which was great fun.

On the final day the snow was fantastic and we were able to ski down to the village, only the last 300/400m were slushy.

On a couple of mornings the glacier didn't open until 10 or 11 am and we heard the cannons firing a few times. There's only 1 way up to the glacier and the queues were lengthy if you went there between 10 and 12.

All the mountain restaurants were very good.

Criticisms? I wouldn't recommend Solden for beginners/novices; the area available for them is limited and crowded. The length of the lift queues to get up to the glacier if you didn't go straight away in the morning.

I have stayed in Folgàrida twice (2004 & 2008), both times at Hotel Kapriol. The village is small with only 1 bar and 1 restaurant outside of the hotels there. The Hotel Renzi looked very pleasant but I never went in. The Hotel Kapriol was very nice indeed, good professional staff and a relaxed atmosphere.

The skiing was very good. The links to Madonna make a total of 150km-ish of piste and some good days out. There are some good blacks and some good cruising blues. The links between Folgàrida and Madonna are via difficult reds so may restrict novices. I can't comment on the ski schools. I'd definitely go there again.

All the resorts are linked by pistes/lifts so it's easy to travel between them all, just don't hang around in the afternoon if you go to Montgenevre. Can't comment on the bars/restaurants as we were half board but there are quite a few places in Sestriere

We went there in 2005 (I think). There are 3 main areas all covered by 1 lift pass and each has about 40 km of piste:
1) Skt Michael (where we stayed) and Mauternberg 2) Fanningberg and 3) Katschberg. Katschberg is the best skiing. Buses link the 3 areas although it required 2 buses to get up to Fanningberg. The villages are fairly quiet at night.

We're going to Sölden in March for a week. I noticed that Obergurgl & Hochgurgl are just up the valley and I was wondering if there are regular buses linking the two and if a Sölden lift pass gets you any skiing in Hochgurgl & Obergurgl?

We had a week there in March. I'm certain there was no ski hire in the hotel but there are several hire places in the parade in which the hotel is located. The hotel was good value for money with very friendly staff and a nice owner. Everybody rushes to the buffet at the start of meal times but be patient 'cos there's plenty for everybody. Also straight out of the boot room and you're on the snow.

I was there last year and also in 2004 and I agree with jastem that it's a great resort. There's an excellent long blue back down to the villages of Folgarida from Malhget Aut. The reds linking Flogarida and Madonna are tricky (easier coming back) but nothing ventured nothing gained because once in Madonna there are lots of great blues. The reds and blacks are great also. The mountain restaurants are also good value. All in all one of my favourite resorts (out of the nearly 20 I've been to).