J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by verglas

Hi everyone, I posted a few times last year about my previous thrifty holidays to East European resorts, which were all very enjoyable, (Poiana Brasov and Borovets).

Last year however we went to Mayrhofen instead and I have to say it was fantastic.

This year we are going to try Le Grand Bornand at Feb half term and in order to get it within my self imposed "budget of meaness" we are driving down and staying in a mobile home!

Because I have used my Tesco vouchers for the tunnel and I dont pay for Diesel, this holiday will I am sure be my most prudent yet!

I apreciate food and drink will be more expensive, but most of our evening meals will be travelling down with us.

Any tips for that part of the world? (not France in general as my summer hols are always taken there anyway, so I know that script)



Cheers.

It didnt Ian, as i said I missed my lunch!

I told the family (5) all to follow "blue 3 to the end, as we are all mixed abilities and go at different speeds, we always stop at various points on the way as well.

I usually "sweep up" behind, when I got to the rest of the family my eldest was not there and had not passed them, so I walked back up the slope to a junction where I guessed she took the wrong turn (she had), I then went up down sideways left right you name it but couldnt find her.

She had no mobile with her, so we started making our way back to the gonola up and down slopes we were at Egghalm the lift down was at Penken so quite a trek. Asked at various info booths along the way if she had shown up, but she had not

Got to Penken and got them to send a message out on the tannoy, about 20 minutes later the wifes phone rings and the daughter is back in the hotel in Mayrhofen.

She was spotted by a nice German couple crying and they helped her back to base! She couldnt remember any of our mobile numbers until she got to the hotel and her own mobile!

If she had just checked in at one of the info boothes to report she was okay we could have breathed easy, but as time wore on and it was getting late we started to panic a bit.

She is 16 and has hemiplegia which means she cant use her left arm has limited use of left hand side (still skis reds in the weirdest style you have ever seen!)

So lesson is everyone has mobiles from now on, that work and are switched on.

Worst bit was we missed lunch in the Voegelnest (roast chicken!)

Just back from Mayrhofen and last Tuesday went to the Tux Glacier, was going down a wide fast Red doing consistant narrow carved turns all the way in clear sunlight, from nowhwere this guy slams into me and over the front of my skis.

When I removed my head from the snow my helmet was twisted round and my goggles likewise, I believe my helmet hit his shoulder, cause my head throbed and my neck ached, he was clutching his shoulder.

I hastily tried to reattach my skis to pursue the git who stopped momentarily at a flat area further down, but as he must have detected my displeasure via the barrage of swearing and threats he scarpered quickly.

I am not violent but if I had got hold of him at that precise moment, I know I would have retaliated, I reported the incident to the info booth, but that was that, never saw him again.

Moral of the story for me is helmet saved me from a sore head this time and if his head had hit mine rather than his shoulder it would have saved me from more severe damage.

Was on a bit of a downer the rest of the day and I have two nice slices accross my skis and a 1/2" chunk missing just above one edge.

I have to say that I found a general lack of respect for slow signs as well in Mayrhofen/Tux etc, many skiiers just seemed to ignore them and steam into the lift waiting areas in a cloud of powder and bravado.

Super holiday apart from that and loosing a child for 3 hours!

I am in the same boat (hiring a car from Munich), all the sites I looked at charged extra for winter tyres.

Regards making things clear.

I ended up going with car hire 3000, when they e-mailed my voucher through it was for Thrifty hire. When I looked up Thrifty I found out they are not based in the airport and that I needed to get a bus to the compound on some industrial estate 10 minutes away.

I rang them and after they checked they agreed with me that it was off site and that they should make it clearer during booking and on the voucher that they are off site. They changed my booking to Avis which was slightly more expensive.

Still cheaper than Avis direct.

Of piste is hazardous enough without skiing pigs getting in on the action, I for one think they should be confined to their stys where they belong.

On a more serious point I hope they are wearing helmets )

I went to Sayers in Yarm this week for some new boots and can recomend them wholeheartedly.

Dave is the owner and he spent close to two hours with me working through various pairs to find the right fit. Best to try and go midweek to ensure he has the nescessary time to devote to you.

Same as Pablo, going tomorrow for some more pain or pleasure, not sure which till I get there!