J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by AllyG

sami_glasgow wrote:Thanks Andy.

I spoke to skiworld, who won't sell me flight and transfers without accom...BUT ...they said speak 2 the rep at Chambery and IF there are spare seats they can sell us them :)

Also spoke to the airline, snowjet, who said there are 12 seats left on the plane which can be bought.

The flight is due to go ahead tomorrow and if there's any update it will appear on the websites at 6pm.

I think I'll wait till later, check weather forecasts for Chambery (and the airlines websites for updates), and if it looks ok book (and hope there's space on the coach!)

Currently on the way 2 london on the train. What a day this has been.

Sami,
I have never been to Alpe d'Huez, but I would rather think there's a scheduled bus service to it from Chambery airport. We have used the Altibus bus service to get to other resorts, and you have to book more than 7 days before to get confirmed seats and tickets, but you can also book at their office in the station/airport once you're there. Hopefully there is a similar system at Chambery airport, so that if you end up there and there's no space on the chartered coach you can go on the bus.

Best of luck :D.

I think if it was me, and I could afford it, I'd buy the extra plane tickets just in case. How much do they cost?

Ally

Tony_H wrote:BTW SnoaBandit has just arrived safely in ADH after a difficult journey, and has never seen so much snow in her life!!!!

Thanks for letting us know, Tony, and please say 'Hi' and congratulations on her safe arrival from all of us :D

Ally

Tony_H wrote:With that kind of saving Ally, you should book early and go for VIP skis and find out first hand what a difference better skis and boots make.

Tony,
Don't worry, I have already booked our skis and boots months ahead with the full discount, and reserved the expensive 'black' ones for my daughter and myself :D.

I have said somewhere else before, that last holiday my rented skis were so fast that I overtook everyone, including the instructor, on the schuss etc. And they were brilliant at going over jumps, skidding turns, and carving turns. The only thing they were useless at were moguls, and I rather think it was probably me, and not the skis! I have no idea what sort of skis they were, but they looked pretty new, if not actually new, to me, and I was very sad when I had to hand them back at the end of the week :cry:.

I hope my next pair of hired skis and boots will be just as good. I developed a very strange sense of confidence in my skis during the week - sort of like riding a very talented horse - I just pointed them in the right direction and let them do the rest - and over the jumps I went, and round the turns etc. All I had to do was think which way I wanted to go and hey presto the skis took me there, even places I'd never dare to go normally like flat out through a boarder cross park and up and down the sides of a natural snow u-tube (following the instructor).

So, in my experience hired skis and boots can be very, very good. I remember my instructor thought they were my own skis, and was rather surprised when I said I'd only hired them.

Ally

stevesmoothie wrote:Great advice again, thanks Bandit. I suspected as much but Mrs Smoothie needs convincing the extra cost is worth it!

Steve

I think it only costs about an extra £20 each to upgrade one level on skis and boots. I don't know anything about skis or boots, but I have noticed that the more expensive skis seem to go faster and turn better, and the boots are more comfortable.

I have found that booking skis and boots very early on the web saves about £50 per person. They seem to get more and more expensive the closer it is to one's holiday, and presumably if one books them in resort they're full price (rather than at up to 40% discount).

Ally

Latest news announcement is that half the Eurostar trains have been cancelled/delayed, presumably because one got stuck in the tunnel again.

I hope you all manage to get out to Alpe d'Huez (and Snowbandit manages to get back in time for her interviews).

This cold weather is pretty amazing. I couldn't get out of our door today (the only external door we have) because it was so cold something seemed to have shrunk and it wouldn't open until I left our inner porch door open for about half an hour - which also melted the ice frozen on the inside of the glass outer door :shock:

And the stream on our beach was frozen right down to the sea - I haven't seen that before - it doesn't usually freeze because the stream is moving and the beach is naturally all covered in salt :shock:

Ally

Tony_H wrote:Yes, she left Gatwick, but didnt end up in Grenoble as planned. A massive storm socked in, and they diverted to Lyon. She texted me to say the conditions are dreadful as they have got to Grenoble. Airport is closed for the time being, and they have been warned this may not change until 18th Jan.
Effing fantastic.

Thanks Tony,
Oh dear, poor Snowbandit :cry:

I wonder if she's been walking under a lot of ladders lately, or something :roll:

Ally

Does anyone know, did Snowbandit get her flight from Gatwick this morning?

Ally

DaveD,
I am nearly an 'old duffer', and I'd love to come, but unfortunately I'm otherwise engaged i.e. I'm busy doing something else.

Maybe another year, if you still have a spare place in the front seat of your car (so I don't get car sick) and you reckon you can deal with a tea-total, vegetarian, middle-aged female cave dweller from Wales who keeps falling over :D.

Have fun, it sounds like a good deal,

Ally