J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Ranchero_1979

Local knowledge is nice, but a good guide needs to sometimes make a call on moving out of their home turf. Better to try something / somewhere new than accept poor conditions even if there is no guarantee. Honestly is also definitely the way forward, if snow is bad better to spend day skinning than trying to do tons of downhill. Too easy to say conditions are not great lets mess about at edge of piste, which is definitely not what you are paying for.

The simple answer to that is no. Europe doesn't have the same concept of in-bound skiing, only on piste and offpiste.

Whilst it would be wrong to say that Europe doesn't have good tree skiing, it does tend to be a bit bush whacking for 2 simple reasons.
1) Offpiste and hence not managed
2) Not same amount of old growth trees. Small trees = tight spacing which also prevents you getting a good snow pack to cover stumps etc.

Avalanches zones tend to be a bit thinner on the spacing with one obvious downside, especially as you end up gravitating to the more open terrain.

If you want tree skiing then Europe does simply not compare to Canada.

We should try not to confuse competence with a qualification, that argument only works for those people receiving grandfather rights, which is not your average ski host. Based upon your logic it would be fine for people to drive without a license etc etc.

A guide or instructor does not magically remove the intrinsic danger of skiing offpiste anymore than a pilot being trained. It only guarantees that they will have a predefined level of competence, that has been tested. Something which is impossible to ascertain when you just meet someone off street.

I would be slightly more positive. China is a mountainous country including the Himalayas, it is a bit arrogant for Westerners to believe we have a richer alpine history and should be holding the games. The growing middle class has seen a boom in Chinese going abroad to ski (Japan and Europe) and at same time, Europeans heading over to challenge themselves on some of the Chinese giants. Yes not an 'Alpine' country in many people's minds but I guess that is the risk of being then 2nd biggest country in the world. High speed train will fix the logistics and will be a good way to remind people that many of the world's mountainous regions are arid.

Do agree would be nice to have something in Europe again at some point however there seems to be an acknowledgement that as a continent we are broke, a winter Olympics being and indulgence we cannot afford.

British companies have been offering illegal hosting, which has taken away work from trained professionals. App moves them away from this dubious practice.

Victory for dedicated ski professionals.

You can always say hello to anyone on the lift :-).

When in March and how many weeks skiing is a beginner / intermediate.

PDS: If is late March I would only consider Avoriaz which is probably the worst of European ski experiences. Is the unfortunate result of a mad man with concrete. If early-mid March then Les Gets, Chatel etc are lovely places to be although you might find them a bit small in terms of night life etc. Not the sort of places I would travel 1/2 way across world to ski.

Chamonix: Probably the best ski town in the Alps and for very good reasons. Amazing scenery, massive diversity of hotels, hostel, restaurants which makes for an eclectic mix of people; ski bums, ski pros, locals, tourists, seasonal workers, weekenders etc. There is ample skiing for beginners and intermediates to go at (Chamonix is not famous for black runs), if you want something challenging you need to go and find it. Le Tour, Les Houches, Flegere, Brevant all have great skiing for mixed groups from 2nd weeks skiing onwards. Only downside is that you have to get a 10min bus, or drive to your chosen area from centre of town.

La Plagne: I guess this is what France is famous for; a pleasant high, ski in and out resort with more motorway skiing than you can wish for. On paper it ticks a lot of boxes but you might want to check which village to stay in if you are after a more authentic feel to your holiday.

I can't help feeling that maybe Italy or Austria is calling you.

I do ~10 days a year with professionals, 7 days + with guide and 2 days with a ski instructor.

For the instructor is simple : Used same 3 people for last 5 years with one additional bad experience
1) Someone technical who can give me a few keys things to focus on and some simple drills which I can revert back to.
2) Pushes your skiing, makes you ski faster or more direct, it pretty easy to revert to pottering about on the slopes.
Definitely looking for more than someone just to ski about with and video is a big plus.

Guides: I have only used 2 guides for last 5 years , both super.
1) Access terrain that you might not otherwise feel comfortable getting to
2) Someone to learn from; be it rope work, assessing slopes, perhaps crevasse rescue to fill in time if you are stuck in a hut (basically make sure you get your money's worth and can leverage the experience on non-guided days)
3) Someone to push you physically
Ultimately to get the most benefit from a guide you need to have them trust you, be it fitness or that you will behave. By which I mean ski within set corridors, ski in a controlled manor where required, be organised and efficient with your equipment. This is when you can get interesting things done.