J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Gaz C

'Surface of the Moon' in December for me. EK has been on my bucket list for quite some while now, so it's time to scratch that itch.

Iceman wrote:
I will reply to your great post shortly Gaz - but what makes you think I like a drink

Oh, I dunno. Just a hunch?

Does it have to be France? If so, then flip a coin between ADH and Serre Che. Great skiing for all abilities at both resorts, although I reckon ADH offers more for advanced skiers. Serre Che beats ADH for apres IMO; La Grotte in Villeneuve and The Station in Chantemerle get lively when the pistes close. Both have a great atmosphere and live music. I think you,d have a great time in either resort.

I get the impression from your posts that you enjoy a beer or two -) That being the case, here are some other (non-French) suggestions:

St. Anton: Great skiing, great apres, not expensive by French standards in my experience. My favourite.

Kitzbuhel: Often dissed for being too low. The only place I've lost ski-time due to there being too much snow. Great apres, even better when you discover that there is life beyond The Londoner.

Sauze d'Oulx: Not a great deal for advanced skiers but 400km of intermediate piste; much of it in the trees. Snowfall can be 'iffy' but the Italian pisteurs sure know how to look after it. Probably best to leave it till much nearer the time; you will get sorted, unless you are in a large group, and you'll probably get a bargain. Apres is as good as anywhere in Austria;I'd go back any time. Just make sure you are based in Sauze.

Madonna di Campiglio: I've never stayed there but I have stayed with my family in Folgarida, which is linked, twice. Great area, which also includes Marilleva and Pinzolo. When I return with the lads we'll stay in MdC.

Canazei: See my post in a previous thread re Dolomiti Superski.

Just my two penn'orth. I think you'll get loads of suggestions for this. Just take your time, choose carefully and, wherever you decide to go, have a good one.

http://www.skipeak.net/off-piste.html

Here you go mate. Check it out.

Yep. They are the situations where you really appreciate the skills of the professional driver and keep everything crossed in the hope that 'your guy' isn't having an 'off day'.

+1 for AdH. I found the (on-piste) skiing to be as good as, and possibly better than St Anton! The nightlife was nowhere near as good: that probably won't be an issue for you. Loads and loads of choice of runs for all abilities.'Le Tunnel' is much more of a challenge than 'La Sarenne',(I'd still recommend you do both though). Personally,I found 'La Combe Charbonniere' tougher than either of its more (in)famous companions, (think 'dodgy traverse along 2' wide icy track above near-vertical snowfield, before dropping off to take your chances in huge mogul field.' One guy crashed at speed, while we were gingerly picking our way down, scattering his skis and poles to all four corners. That was in 2003; I reckon he could still be looking for his gear:-) All in all, it's a top, top place. As an aside, Marco Pantani rode the 21 hairpins from Bourg d'Oisans to the ski station in 37 minutes and 35 seconds. That is less time than it took our coach to get up there! Have a great time.

From experience, may I recommend Canazei? Yes, the more challenging skiing may be in Arabba and Selva, but Canazei is handily positioned about halfway between the two. It is a pleasant ski to either, Arabba especially, from Canazei and your legs would be nicely warmed up before you hit the Marmolada in the Arabba sector or the FIS men's downhill Sasslong or the 10.5km La Longia if you choose to go in the other direction. Our group found it to be a bit of a drag skiing the section of the Sella Ronda between Selva and Arabba.
If an 'apres' beer or two is a priority, then the bars in the square around the church, (about 100m down from the end of the Lupo Bianco piste) are banging until about 8pm. If you like to stay out late, there is a good nightclub/bar in the basement of one of the hotels, (I forget the name) almost directly across the road from the Belvedere gondola. I can't compare it with Selva because I haven't stayed there, but it is much livelier than Arabba.
The Ciampac gondola in Alba, (5 minutes by frequent and regular ski-bus) gives access to a varied day's skiing between Alba and Pozza di Fassa. If you are hiring a car, the 30 minute drive to Moena is well worthwhile for a day's FAST cruising on wide, almost empty and perfectly groomed red and blue pistes. A slightly longer drive in the other direction, (towards Cortina d' Ampezzo) takes you to the equally empty pistes and stunning scenery of Lagazuoi and Cinque Torri.
I could go on and on about the Catinaccio and San Pellegrino areas but they are not particularly relevant to why you should stay in Canazei. Are you starting to get the impression that I like the place? Oh, and just one other thing; Don't go telling everyone;-)

Mmm, call it progress I suppose. I found the Monte Rosa area to be absolutely unique and personally, I would be sad to see it lose it's individuality if it were to be 'swallowed up' by Zermatt/Cervinia. Having said that, I would be back like a shot to check out the 'domaine'.