J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Wanderer

Forecasts now showing at least 60cm for Dolomites this week. Off there on 14th so looking good :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Not sure if you will find Frog on the Tyne but should be plenty of nightlife ......
http://www.kitzbueheler-alpen.com/en/westendorf/winter/apres-ski-bars-pubs1.html

Enjoy :mrgreen:

Tony_H wrote:.....and Wanderer has perfectly summed up why I have always been put off going there, despite the obvious attractions.

Tony - I don't think you should be so quick to write off what is a great ski area. It really is fantastic for intermediates. Yes, the vertical is not brilliant but then, like I am guessing most recreational skiers, I am not fit enough to ski a long run without a break (or more likely, several of them) anyway :oops: :oops: :oops:. So taking another lift is no real hardship :wink:. The extent and variety of runs makes up for any lack of vertical :lol:.

I know you also have reservations about snow quality due to low elevation. Again, I would argue that the Skiwelt is probably the best area at piste preparation and maintenance. Admittedly, I would not go there earlier than mid-January or later that early March. But between these dates, you are pretty much guaranteed decent skiing conditions on piste :D. When you add in the great value, the great après-ski and easy access from several airports, I certainly think it is a top resort :mrgreen:

I would happily concede that its not a resort for off-piste lovers :!:.

I have just gone through a similar difficulty with Venice airport. While "winterization" is now a requirement in the North of Italy during the winter months (not exactly sure where the North starts for this purpose), winter tyres are definitely not the norm and do not expect them unless you have confirmed at time of booking. All the car hire companies offer chains and this is sufficient to meet the legal requirement :roll:. I don't think this is adequate and would not drive into the mountains without winter tyres.

The main carhire booking agents, e.g. rentalcars and cartrawler, were not much use. I eventually managed to get something through Europcar but only by going through the local, i.e. Italian website, which offered a greater selection of cars than on the international website :shock:. It was a bit of a challenge to be sure of what you were getting because of the language issue but I got there in the end. It even proved a little cheaper as they offered a limited mileage option at a discount - up to 800km for 8 days hire - as I will mainly be using the car to get to the resort from the airport, I should be able to remain comfortably within this allowance.

So bottom line is, have a look at the local websites of some the main car hire companies and you may find more options :wink:

Its astonishing and deeply disappointing that the car hire companies are not more responsive to the needs of skiers :twisted:. I would have thought it was good business for them. If I hand't gotten sorted out, I was ready to book a taxi for the transfer so they would have lost the business because of their failure to properly provide for the needs of a particular, and not insignicant, market segment :shock:.

For the intermediates, I would definitely opt for Scheffau or Ellmau. These get your directly onto the main extensive Skiwelt area which is pretty wonderful for intermediates. Endless supply of blue/red runs with great variety :lol:. The only issue is that the vertical is not great unless you go down to village level :cry:. Worth doing if the snow conditions are good, especially early in the day when they tend to be largely deserted :lol:. I think there are nice beginner areas as well but not sure on that point. Westendorf is a more limited area and while you can get over to the Skiwelt, the other villages are better located in my view. Just don't take the beginners/kids down the home runs in any of the resorts - they are all fairly demanding, especially in the late afternoon when they can be a mix of icy, slushy and mogully :wink:

Downhill was a big disappointment. Race dramatically shortened due to fog higher up. As a result it was a short sprint to the finish line - not the usual exciting marathon it usually is :(. By contrast, the Wengen downhill the previous week was great. Amazing to see these supremely fit athletes literally unable to hold a turn by the time they reach the end zone with several of them clattering into the protective padding :shock:. Its only about 2mins, 35secs but incredibly intense :roll:

Off there is less than 3 weeks :mrgreen:. Sounds like a great addition to the area :D. It so vast that this type of information should be really useful, especially if there is any hint of bad weather. It should also make some of the tours more enjoyable because it can be a challenge to figure out how much time to leave to get back to your own valley. Its very easy to find yourself rushing and feeling under pressure only to realize that you are back to your starting point by 2.30 :oops:

While it is fun hopping from valley to valley, that can turn into a nasty and expensive surprise if the weather turns and you can can't get back to your own valley on skis - road journeys tend to be long and taxi fares steep :twisted:

Its in Switzerland which was bloody expensive even before the Franc went through the roof :twisted:.

I haven't been to Lenzerheide itself but did ski Laax which is fairly close. We did manage to find accommodation at a reasonable enough price but it was only B&B. Dining out is expensive, especially if you want wine with your meal. Beers were also on the steep side so perhaps a country to be avoided if you want to party hard :oops: On the other hand if all you are having is a couple of beers each day, an extra €1 or €2 should not break the bank :shock:. If budget is tight, self catering should take the sting out of it somewhat :wink:. And remember, it is outside the EU, so you will be able to able to pick up duty free booze on the way over :mrgreen:

Its an interesting looking area and now that they have the new link to Arosa, they are claiming a very impressive 225km and a top lift at over 2,800m with several peaks over 2,5000m. All-in-all, I would say worth a look :roll:.