J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by lilywhite

We are off to Maria Alm next Saturday, snow conditions look good, anyone been before? Any advice? Off piste for the nervous? Good eating on/off the slopes? Anyone else gonna be there?

Worked the door with a migraine, hoped to sleep it off, feel better than I did when I first woke but typing with a bowl next to me just in case! :(

The blues are not crazy hard but they are a big jump from the beginner lift, my second week on skis was in borovets, I did just fine I'm sure you will too. The word of caution was because it sounds like your away with family and not taking lessons, going from a relatively flat wide slope to something steeper and a lot narrower on your own or with someone of limited exp could spell trouble.

I was in Borovets a few years back in February, my favourite photo of our trip the 3 of us are at the top of the mountain sitting on sun loungers in t-shirts and shades, it was +19c! Snow cover was very good that year. Best advice and hope your not there half term week, either get to gondola before it officially opens at 8;15 or head to the lifts near the Rila until at least 10am or you will queue for an hour or more. Friendly warning, the chair in front of the Rila although does access a couple of blues these are a very steep jump up from nursery slopes for a near beginner especially in poor conditions. I'm sure you will have fun regardless x

Re Sweden, Theres a chondola from base to 3/4 way up then a smaller gondola to the very top, if your GF is very nervy it is unlikely she will want the very top of Areskutan tho. There is also a cable car to the very top that usually runs from Feb onwards, an 8chair, 6pack and twin chair not to mention the funicular railway which all access parts of the main Are and Are By slopes which are interconnected, the other areas Tegerfyall and Duved have only 1 6chair and the rest are drags.
If your GF is planning lessons she will almost certainly unless private lessons have to use the drags at least part of the time. I'm a lower intermediate with a serious back injury and struggle with drags, I had a couple of private lessons the second trip (not so cheap but learned more in an hour than a week of snow school!) Then avoided all but the shortest drags for the rest of the time without feeling short changed on choice of terrain. However my first time snowboarder BF progressed very fast BECAUSE of the drags, he fell a lot first few days but was competently doing red runs on day 3. He's in his 40's and not very skinny so anything is possible!
P.s best restaurant on the hill is Ulladalsstugan which is well worth suffering a very long drag for- potato pancakes, smoked bacon and lingonberry preserve, AMAZING!!!

I'm an oven, my BF is a fridge! Took 2 years to convince him to give snowsports ago and an xmas gift of decent baselayers, socks, gloves etc. He finally joined my friends and I for our annual snow worship, enjoyed himself immensely, immediatly booked a trip a fortnight later for himself and the kids (without me! RAT!) then redeemed himself by taking me again 6 weeks later.

Thats mental, SAGA call them selves the best in the industry and put adverts out showing more active oldies yet don't insure them! MENTAL!

Check out tk maxx, some decent deals still about.