J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Dave Mac

Stayed in Brides les Bain, it is about 200 metres below sea level. The gondola was built so that BLB could accomodate journalists. So you have a 30 min journey just to reach the Meribel area. Then you have the ongoing lift system. I understand that most of the time you have to go down on the BLB gondola.

We were with a TO, but I would suggest that you consider looking on the TO sites to see if you can do a "transfer only" deal. Some of them do this. 3V transfers are costly, but I would be targetting £80 return.

Andy, this has to be a phone call job to Crystals. RoseR did that, I think with Inghams, and she was offered the deal retrospectively, no questions asked. Be polite, but firm, that you expect to be offered this. State that they should be fair.

If you do not get any joy, you state that you wil be sending in an email, and copying it to the travel editor of the Sunday Times.

Then do it. Show on the email that you have copied it.

Have been fortunate to meet a lot of J2skiers, and all good value folk. Introduced my OH to them when she was there at the same time, it actually eased her view of my writing on J2.

I am a bit charry about what I tell my ski buddies, they are mostly hot shots, and don't take prisoners!

Baillie, if you want to get the cost of skiing down, don't go for two separate weeks, go for two consecutive weeks! Why?

Regardless of resort, let us say that you can get flights for £100, transfers for £60, half board for £30/night.

Total for one week, £370, 2 weeks £570. However, in the two weeks, you get 13 days skiing, as opposed to 6 days in one week.

Cost per day, one week = £62
Cost per day, two weeks = £44,

This is improved when you also add the lift pass, since a £150 6 day pass might only rise to £200 for a 13 day pass.

Remember to remit me 10% of your savings over three years. :wink:

Two good postings, Finn, Wickers. It is the everydaythings that get forgotten, or in my case, remembered and dismissed. I drove to Braemar with frozen Windscreen wash, at -12 degC, then up to Glenshee at -19 degC.

Have now put neat screenwash fluid in, and I am wandering what the landrover garage put in the radiator at the November service.

Interesting week at Braemar, just 15 min from Glenshee. We drove through Glenshee on the way, and the coverage looked good. There were a limited number of runs open, I think this was a staffing and management issue.

However, the skiing was good. Mixed weather, from beautiful clear skies, to whiteout, and to windy unpleasant. It was pretty much to Pablo's description, the best offered silky smooth, sqeaky snow. The worst, doesn't bear going into.

Even on the best days, many runs get wiped down to bare rock on the tight transition corners. So my new Volkls have taken some stick. OTOH, they have turned out to be a good turning ski, very responsive and I am glad I bought them.

The next day, I switched to some old Head Cybers that I had dug out of the loft.(I cannot remember where or when I got them!) They too, were good for the conditions, so I stayed on them for the remainder of the time.

Sunnyside offered fewer queues, and good, if short runs. The queues on Cairnwell were significant, 15 to 20 minutes sometimes, for 2 minutes skiing.

It dumped snow every day. One of the issues at Glenshee is that the police tightly control road access, until the car park areas are clear. So, some days, it was well after 10.00am before the road was opened. Ah, well, I managed to get some painting done!

Pablo Escobar wrote:It is just a really old style of skiing (if I have your description correct). Pretty outdated now and it is generally accepted there are far more efficient (and arguably better looking) ways to ski.

Soooo, in say thirty years time, Pablo, will your current style be called ~ "Modern"???

bandit wrote:
(as for rear-entry :shock: my god I thought Dave Mac had the only pair)

My OH has rear entries. So do all of my ski mates, with the exception of my two closest ski buddies, but then, I am usually half way up the mountain before they have finished clipping up their boots. :wink:

I have always been noted a trend setter!

So, get a good holiday deal, hire your stuff from skiset. Buy boots at the right time, end of season, (I bought mine in July, in the UK!)