J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Dave Mac

Wanderer wrote:Are you here at the moment Dave? Might see you at Dolomitic on Saturday

We arrive on Saturday, guessing around 1.00pm, (from our 6.30am flight to Verona) I guess you are leaving late that day, if you are planning to watch the rugby?

Would be good to meet up, even if briefly. However, if I can get to ski on Saturday pm, it will be very brief!

Snowsnail wrote:
Guys, not sure the public 'feedback' is warranted. They have left a personal email address at the start of the survey... could have used that instead.

We all have different experiences, and we all learn off each other. We could not do this if we could not read each other's observations. Our comments are modified by reading others, adding to our own observations.

In public commenting, we are giving consolidated feedback to the OPs. It is clear that they have a mission, and good luck to that.

The Dolomiti is where I will be.

Survey is quite badly thought out, and some of the questions are loaded.

There is an assumption of global warming, whereas many scientists are now considering a change towards global cooling.

The questions presume man made causes. Nowhere do I see any reference to cyclical nature of sun spot activity, volcanic activity or any of the other dozen or so non man made causes.

Asking skiers which single country they ski in? Over 12 countries in three continents.

You might start by learning about the stringent ecological controls operated by countries such as Austria and Switzerland.

Our group arrives on Saturday, also Val di Fassa.

I like the area, it is quite varied,and for me, the painting opportunities are really good.

Have a great week.

Hi Jonathan, yes my village is Niederau, I instructed there for several seasons, and I go back 2/3 times every year. As you might imagine, I have many friends there.

Alpbachtal is a delightful valley, lift linked with the Wildschönau, Niederau is a village in the Wildschönau.

I would leave Zermatt for another couple of seasons. It is not particularly challenging in the main, (there are several nippy runs, but there are lots of choices) However, some of the runs down to the town are made difficult in certain snow conditions. You will enjoy the area more, when you are at a stronger stage.

If you want a good pointer towards choosing a ski area, look at the back inside pages of the Inghams ski brochure. Look for a high rating of beginner and intermediate.

Re the age thing, given that Frau Mac is a superbly neat skier, and she also tolerates me going off to Niederau on solo trips, it may be that I am pretty fortunate.

Oh, and Grindelwald to Murren travel, including wait time, would take a couple of hours out of the ski day. That was my logic for being based in the middle area.

Jonathan, you are a man of my own heart, you want interesting, historic, different. The village I ski in in Austria ticks these boxes. Engineer Sepp Hochmuth built the first mountain lift in Tirol, and the second in the whole of Austria, in 1947. I was privileged to ski with him. The differential gear was taken from a German tank that was abandoned outside Wörgl rail station! That is history!

You won't see 55 again??? I won't see an age much older than that again. My plan is to ski until I am 90, and then review the situation!

I ski from first lift until the last lift, minimal stops during the day.

The Matterhorn. I just love that mountain. I am currently working on a painting I started about 10 years ago, of Zermatt and the Matterhorn. I started to paint it from my balcony, but my ski buddy kept appearing with a bottle of wine, and my painting was packed away.

Zermatt is a place I always say that every skier should visit at least once in their lifetime.

Hi Johnathan,

You are correct about moving between resorts in the Jungfrau. Transport is a mix of buses, trains, a bit of walking, lifts. It is complicated, and is confusing for first time visitors.

Wengen is roughly central in the Jungfrau, with Grindlewald to the West, and Murren to the East. To get from Wengen to Grindlewald involves some skiing, and the odd bus. To get to Murren you catch a train down the valley, I think to Lauterbrunnen, then train or bus up the next valley to Murren. To get to Grindlewald and back from Murren, you will need to get up very early!

From the top of the main lift in Murren, there is a really good black run down, and an alternative red that joins up with the black at mid stage.

There are other good reasons to be based in Wengen. The Eiger and Jungfrau dominate the skyline, even though there are other great mountains. There is access to one of the great downhill runs, the Lauberhorn, (ironically dwarfed by the main mountains). The Lauberhorn downhill has an amazing surprise hidden turn/drop off!
Also, being based in Wengen, there is access to ski on the Eiger! then, always worth taking half a day and going up on the train inside the Eiger!

Grindlewald is also worth a days skiing, a very pleasant place.

For this area, I would recommend going with a T/O. Crystal and Inghams have daily ski groups. They know the locations well, so it saves a lot of time finding your way about.

My drawing of the Eiger: -