Messages posted by : AllyG
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Any decent hire shop will let you change your skis and boots if you're not happy with them.
Last year - 2010 - (first time of writing that!) my hired boots didn't fit very well because I'd had to rush through fitting them and I took them back and the staff were perfectly nice about re-fitting me some more. And a few years ago my daughter's hired boots and skis were in a dreadful condition and we took them back and the shop was totally mortified and got her some new superb quality ones. The last couple of years we've always paid extra to rent top quality boots and skis and the stuff is practically new and very good quality, and costs about £100 for skis and boots (after the early booking discount). Ally |
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Happy New Year everyone :D :D :D
Ally |
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Ian, You can't really manage on one pair of ski socks all week :shock: And I hope that's not underpants that you only bring two of :lol: If other people are also ski-ing in one pair of socks all week it's not surprising the ski locker room really stinks sometimes :lol: Tony, The point about stylish/chav is that in some resorts one would feel a bit out of place wearing cheaper gear, but Borovets has plenty of beginners wearing all sorts of odd, cheap, non matching stuff (or at least there were when I was there). Sm4sh, I bought cheapish ski gloves and they were fine for several years until they got ripped up on the drag lifts in La Rosiere, and I had to buy some very expensive replacement ones in resort. But as the others have said if you can afford it a good pair of ski gloves will be much more comfortable. A tip about the goggles is to try wearing them around the house before you try ski-ing in them. It took me several ski holidays before I felt comfortable in them, and I know several other people who had the same problem. As a beginner you could probably manage in sunglasses on the nursery slopes okay, but once you're moving at speed on the mountain in a blizzard, or in 'flat' light when you can't see the bumps and dips, you really need goggles. Let us know how you get on with your shopping trip. If possible I think it's much better to try the gear on first rather than buying on the internet, because it's such a drag returning stuff. Ally |
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Sm4sh,
One of the good things about Borovets is that no-one is going to care how stylish/chavvy you look, and there is plenty of cheap okay ski gear around. I reckon Dare2be is fine, but there is even cheaper stuff around if you're on a very tight budget. I bought my salopettes (ski trousers with shoulder straps) from TKMaxx for only £30. They don't look at all stylish but I've worn them on 2 ski holidays now and they were fine. You don't even really need a special ski jacket if you already have one that's waterproof and breathable. I wore my normal jacket for my first few ski holidays. And I never wear special 'thermals' - I've got very old cotton leggings to go under my salopettes and thin stretchy jumpers to go over my T-shirt and under my ski jacket that I've had for years. I'd say you need 3 pairs of ski socks - cheap tube socks are okay although the very expensive fitted ski socks are possibly better, and wash the socks half way through the holiday so you can wear clean ones every day - feet get very sweaty ski-ing! One pair of ski trousers/salopettes 3 pairs of thermals/tops and leggings - or cheap substitutes to wear next to your skin 1 Ski jacket or similar 1 pair of warm waterproof gloves 1 woolly hat or helmet A neck warmer in case the weather is awful (but it's not essential) which can be pulled up to be like a balaclava. Goggles and sunglasses Lipsalve and high factor suncream - it's amazing how one's lips dry out at altitude |
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Hi Dippy,
Well, at least if you pay the extra money for a taxi you should get there quicker, which would be handy since your flight gets in quite late. The bus seems to take 2 hours and 20 mins whereas the travel section on this website reckons it's only 1 1/2 hours from Geneva to Chatel, and the taxi website I looked at allow 1 hour 50 mins. I tried booking a taxi for us to go from the train station at Moutiers to Courchevel but I couldn't find one that wasn't booked already, and that was about a month ago! So we're going on the bus again, as usual. The bus is cheaper but takes longer. Ally |
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Hi,
There is also the bus. Altibus.com do a return fare from Geneva airport to Chatel for 58 euros per adult and 29 euros per child. However, there seem to be only 2 buses per day, so I don't know if it will suit your flight times. But I wouldn't think you'd find anything cheaper than this. Out 1330 and 1705 Back 0950 and 1345 e.g. out 1705 arrive 1925 Back 0950 arrive 1215 I am also going ski-ing during half-term and things book up very fast, so you'd better get it sorted. I have used Altibus several times (not to Chatel though) and they seem very reliable. I buy the tickets on the internet and they post them out to me within a few days. I have, however, found several times that their website doesn't work properly (I get error string messages) when I do it in English and I have to use the French version to get my tickets. Best of luck and I hope you get your transfers. Chatel looks a lovely place :D Ally |
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Ian,
Maybe I should buy some of those special chains to wear under my trainers, to be on the safe side :?: :lol: I wouldn't like to risk damaging my new helmet :lol: Ally |
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The only time I've ever fallen over walking in a ski resort was in Borovets when I was wearing my wellies. And that was a pretty awful crash, because I had my broken shoulder in a sling and I was carrying my daughter's skis for her. They hadn't cleaned the pavements at all. Luckily, the only thing I hurt was my elbow, and my shoulder was fine.
Last year, one of our party was wearing walking boots and she fell over with a nasty bang crossing the road in Courchevel and hurt her neck. Is this going to become another helmet type thread :?: :lol: I'm going to continue wearing my trainers, as I haven't had a problem with them yet :D Each to their own I suppose :D Ally |
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