J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Wanderer

..... have you considered Innsbruck airport. I think it is reasonably close to Madonna, though probably does not have public transport links.

Nice to see that the authorities have finally caught up with this. Hopefully, this might mean some opening up of competition and lower prices :!:

This is a common phenomenon. While cars have become infinitely safer over the years, the benefits have been significantly undermined by faster and/or more reckless driving.

There are also studies that suggest that wearing cycle helmets actually increases injuries, though there are suggestions that this is partly because drivers are more careful around cyclists who are not wearing helmets :roll:.

In sports, especially rugby, players are happier to commit more recklessly to tackles because of protective gear. However, all the indications are that injuries are rising.

On a side issue, I just renewed my annual travel insurance. It does cover me for winter sports including off-piste (unless the off-piste is closed, guide required, beyond my capability, etc). Curiously, and I think this is new, it does appear to exclude skiing in fun parks (unless you are under 50 and pay an additional premium) :twisted:.

.... they should also get those going off-piste to leave a trail of breadcrumbs after them so that ski patrol can find them if they get lost :mrgreen:

Jacuzzi for 50 in the restaurant does not sound terribly Swiss :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I used this crowd for recent ski trip to St Anton (though, the shop is actually in Pettneu about 6km away - no hassle if you have a car but lots if not!). Prices were waaay cheaper than the St Anton standard price provided you book early enough.

You get exactly the skis that you book - great if you know what you want/need. Perhaps less good if you don't know what type/length, etc, suit you :oops:. Though, I suppose if you are in the latter category, you probably take whatever the ski shop shoves at you anyway :roll:.

No hassle picking up skis so overall, I was very happy with the choice and saved at least €150 between the 3 of us on the trip :mrgreen:

Sadly, in the weeks coming up to a trip, I visit multiple forecast sites hoping for the best possible conditions. Sometimes they agree and sometimes they disagree violently :roll:.

However, the reality is that it doesn't really matter to me as I am usually booked onto flights and into accommodation months in advance and I am going regardless of conditions :shock:. Not quite sure why I torture myself like this :oops:.

When in resort, I find the local forecasts for the rest of the day tend to be pretty accurate :wink:

Ranchero does raise an interesting point about the value of large linked resorts. This year, I skied in the Dolomites and in St Anton/Lech. Both large areas by any standard.

However, my experience in the Dolomites was that using the "links", i.e. the Sella Ronda tended to bring you into competition with the crowds for piste space :evil:. However, if you forgot about seeking to complete the circuit, it was easy to find lovely areas with plenty of skiing for a day or a half day :lol:. We actually skied in the San Pellegrino area a couple of times - probably not big enough for a weeks holiday for most people but certainly plenty for a day or two. We also skied in the Buffaure and Vigo areas which were really quite small but nice skiing for probably a half day each with a few great runs. Best of all they were practically empty :mrgreen:.

Similarly, we were staying very close to the lifts in St Anton so pretty close to ski-in, ski-out but actually passed on this "convenience" 3 days out of 4 to drive to Lech or Zurs for quieter and probably better skiing.

Of course, this is much easier if you have a car which I did have on both occasions. But my experience has thought me that a resort that is broken up into several separate ski areas should not be dismissed just because they are not all linked. On the contrary, such places can offer an interesting mix of different types of areas and also let you get away from the crowds. Good transport links are probably essential, so either hire a car or hope they have a great skibus service :wink:.