J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by lilywhite

We stayed in Maria Alm in january at a lovely guesthouse, Aberger rosina, lovely older couple running it, we were the only Brits so had to play charades with the other guests over breakfast! Was good fun tho, very clean, quite spacious, close to bus stop, 10 min walk to town centre. Would go again, had previously steered clear of guesthouses, now I wonder why!

Very jealous! Never been heliskiing and I need to improve somewhat before I do! Don't forget cat skiing is an option too and a little cheaper. Banff/Lake Louise/Sunshine are all lovely areas, Lake Louise is the better on a stormy day as you can still ski amongst the trees for a bit of shelter while sunshine is lovely in the sun if its not crazy windy but not as warm as its name would suggest!
I'd be tempted to see what the snowfall is like nearer the time before deciding on an itinary.

If your looking at skiing a week a year then quite honestly I'd keep renting, by the time you've bought ski's,had bindings mounted, bought a bag,paid for ski carriage and waxed them a couple of times you could have rented several times over! Boots that fit well are more important, if your in naff ill fitting boots then you could be on the rolls royce of skis and make a pigs ear of it. Maybe if your set on buying and are likely to use your skis a couple of times a year then this trip might be well spent demoing a few pairs to see what gets you excited? If theres nowhere offering demo's then rent from somewhere that carries a good variety of ski's and see if you can swap a couple of times while your out there.

Do people actually buy powder tracers? Pinch some red wool from your nan, tie one end of a 3/4 metre length to your ski brake and stuff the rest of the wool up your trouser leg.

Hi guys, my name is Lily, I too am an addict, My partner is an addict and an enabler, he keeps leaving reminders on the telly when anything even remotely snow related is on, he checks web cams more often than I do! I blame myself for his addiction tho, I introduced him last year and the greedy monkey has clocked up 5 weeks plus numerous fridge trips already! We are also financially embarressed at this point in time and may have to resort to that well known rip off artist MR MASTERCARD to finance our next fix.

You gotta be looking at higher altitudes, resorts further north or glacial areas for RELIABLE snow. We usually go to Are Sweden last week march/first week April and have had fresh powder each time, not the cheapest area tho, Swedes know how to party and their season usually continues to 1st may. At the moment it certainly looks like its going to be a long season as most euro resorts have had plenty of dumps and regular top ups, might be worth biding your time and keeping your options open.

TBH I don't remember individual prices, 6 of us went the first time and we took turns to buy lunch, it was in the region of £15 a head for a main course and a drink. Some of us had burgers/pasta/goulash or whatever.
If you go to the copperhill hotel lunchtime their pizzas are large enough to feed 2 hungry adults, be warned the reindeer pizza is awful unless you like really fatty beef!
Self catering at the Fjallby was the way we did it the 2nd time, reasonably equipped and very convenient for the ski bus and the vm8 lift, not quite ski to the door but pretty close.
If you pack carefully you should be able to fit most of the dry goods youll need for a week in your case, def bring tea/coffee from home and a few herb/spices or packet mixes for stews etc, oxo and jarred herbs are expensive out there.
Tap water is fine in Sweden so don't waste money buying it in supermarkets/cafe's.
A lot of places do free refills on coffee and most will supply free tap water for the table as well.(leaving you money for a beer!)
There are warming huts and bbq facilities in a few places on slope, not sure what arrangements there are for these as we didn't use them but it seemed like people were just bunging on their own food to reheat!
Even tho you are clearly not a child DO visit the bjornparken- its the kids area and utterly delightful and if your returning to ski after a long break its very gentle! There are some nice (easy) tree lined runs as well as animated cartoon animals that sing to you!
The black sheep pub is worth checking out, right next to the vm8 and when you come out of your apartment and face the lake its to your right, friendly, can get quite lively about 4pm when the lifts close, sometimes has live music, decent food. Beware apple sourz.
BYGGET nightclub is on your doorstep, can get real busy and you may spot swedish celebs but ridiculously pricey. The swedes take apres very seriously but you wont see trouble, they are too busy laughing!
Please take pics and post them on here so I can have a mini fix before I go back myself!

Out of interest, what week are you going to Are? We are flying out the 25th march.