J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by dustyfog

last year researched the choices of chile vs argentina. never went - bad decision, since should have liquidated portfolio and gone skiing, thought would assess treasury's actions and well hank paulson lost his marbles and evryone knows what ensued, anyway here is what i gleaned.
1. bariloche, argentina genuinely less expensive but being closer to volcanic eruption in chile, messed up flights and sky and air quality in bariloche - chilean resorts of valle nevado and portillo much further north and hence not affected. plus argie economy is on quasi-permanent life-support so the currency is basically in the ditch perpetually and stuff is just cheaper for those paying in USD or Euros or Aud
2. valle nevado even closer than portillo to santiago and bigger place, in terms of places to stay and hence broader offering in terms of price etc
3. portillo is all skiing - that is what i was looking for, but for apres stuff, valle nevado better bet
4. valle nevado because of connections of adjacent resorts much bigger than portillo. bariloche in argie-land is pretty big too
5. bariloche seems like a fun town - am not really interested personally, since rather simply stay ski-in/ski-out but it was apparent bariloche is far more amenable to partying, babes and all those other good things in life
6. bariloche a bit complicated to get to but folks swear by it once you get there. though note the supposed best "steeps" are mostly unavailable because of winds and weather, i.e. lifts to them are closed 66% of the time.

trust that fly-by helps

Read on a different thread someone requesting a TR so I thought will share ours with folks on this forum who have also been most gracious. So here it is:

This was the "Heavens coming down to Earth" ! What a place, Lech-Zurs is! My boy and I skiied 7 days straight in 60deg weather, with so much snow though not one flake showed up while we were there (April 8 to April 16, 09). Though the day we left, I believe snow fell that evening. The place is really all about "soul". Facilities are tremendous, staying at Oberlech was perfect, ski right up to our Hotel Montana and ski right out. Lech-Zurs by itself is huge (as big as Sunshine and Lake Louise put together is my guess), and probably only Whistler-Blackcomb in North America is bigger. We did'nt even get to ski all the runs. They are endless. The White Ring (Der Ring Weisse, 11miles to 13.75miles depending on who you ask, but its long!) is awesome. The runs at the back of Lech, i.e. over the top of the Kriegerhorn lift, especially off the Steinmahder lift - they are reds but trust me, anywhere else, they'd be Black Diamonds, steep as sh*te, sheer drop-offs, and in spring conditions, mogully and piles of soft snow after 12noon, very, very hard to ski through. The runs off the Ruffikopf lift in Zurs (you get up there from Lech) are long and endless and then there is the Trittkopff lift with all red runs. The blues off the Ruffikopff were about the gentlest and some off the Petersboden lift above Oberlech too, that is they were North American blues, only time one can call anything Greens were the kids training slopes or approaches to Zurs at the bottom. And yes, the approach into Lech is pretty much a Black at many NA resorts but broad and wide so traversing down is possible until the bottom where there is a "chicken neck" so to speak and can get pretty crowded. Lots of hard off-piste for the die-hard and hard core skiier.

For my son, it was incredible, great racing (he did his first slalom race) and finished well, and is now way ahead of his proud dad! He skiied seven straight days, as did his Dad. Dad's body is now feeling the effects, Dad skiied with torn rotator cuff and shredded bicep tendon (lots of advil, and shoulder armour for mental fortitude). We skiied with Klaus Mair of sofaskischool fame and what a class act he is. A friend now and the guy de-programmed and re-programmed Dad, and took son's skiing to the next level.

The Montana in Oberlech is something else. The hospitality of the Ortlieb family who own and run it was out of a fairytale, took my son in like family, and treated us as if we were guests in their home. And the food, holy guacamole, wwe live in Manhattan, none of the fancy-schmancy places in NYC like Le Cirque, Bouley or Le Bernardin etc etc, or places in Paris and London or wherever could compare. This was everyday, the menu was a treat, even got my son off his beige diet. The rooms were really nice, heated pool in the building and location to die for with alpine views for miles. We even got to see and hear two pretty large and scary avalanches!

The town of lech is nice, bars etc, did go there a couple of times for late drinks, pleasant place.

For families its the ideal place, especially staying in Oberlech (I'd give the nod to the Montana ) and skiing with Klaus, well we made a superb new pal.

Go to Lech-Zurs, experts will find a lot to ski, and for others its an ideal place, for couples, families etc. Note though, the Blue runs are harder than most Greens in North America, and some of those Red Runs would be Blacks for sure, while there are parts like the Blues here in NA, sections are real tough going, and some lifts have NO blue runs down, so pick and choose sensibly. It is serious big mountain skiing.

Note three NEGATIVES:
1. Europeans are somewhat rude on the way onto chairlifts, they jostle and kind of push, its really weird since what's the big hurry they are'nt going to get up any faster and the lift system in Lech-Zurs is state of the art..I found that really anomalous given the otherwise most gracious Austrian conduct.
2. Some east german skinheads were lurking in the bars even in Lech, nothing major but sure did'nt fit with the environs
3. Ski schools do "lose" your kids..no kidding..be alert..this happened at Oberlech - shocking but true so let kid know exactly what to do in the event this transpires.

Now for some film:
1. Lech by KMair:
http://www.vimeo.com/4568835

2. Oberlech in front of the hotel montana by KMair:
http://www.vimeo.com/4568861

3. Downhill kids ski race-son did it without a practice run and lifetime 1st race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW5AF-WBFIA

4. top of trittkopff by KMair, all red runs(really blacks) downhill from here
http://www.vimeo.com/4568934

5. for those who have not seen the other post with the link: two days in lech..carve-o-rama
http://www.vimeo.com/4335854

Lech-zurs is a ski paradise and oberlech literally ski in/ski out

tremendous, got to give it to the man for his recovery and presence of mind, that is worthy of much respect.

Thanks folks. It really is an ode from a father to his son...I do lots of things today, some long-forgotten and some new like skiing because he came along, and for that his mom is key..she is quite the incredibly unconventional mom with a lot of italian in her mommy-ness..my son is lucky

And yes, I did the editing, you should be able to tell a rank amateur did it, though I was taught by a skiier, Adrian Seligman in Canada who made us the first video as a gift...he is a photgrapher/artist/ski bum/level III instructor who skis around the planet, young kid too..

Anyway here is the old video ... from April 19-26, 2008... I was a rank beginner, since really strapped on skis in very early Feb 08..but Adrian taught me the first key things..and is now a globetrotting buddy, this is in sunshine village alberta, canada..this was Adrian inspired while the recent one is klaus inspired:



Have a good day all, just an ode from an old man to his son, who gave him so much to live for! As my friend Kenny's granny said" We are'nt here for a long time, make sure its a good time" - figured that out with the arrival of my boy...

That is hilarious, been a long time since I heard the word Alsatian ! Its German Shepherd across the pond..

While we are at it, how would you folks with the on-the-ground knowledge compare cervinia, to Espace Killy, Lech-Zurs, Sunshine Village, Canyons, Whistler-Blackcomb and Zinal ( a home-base for ski expert here)? Thanks

Here is a video of the trip..its fun..though it is 9 minutes long..

Nice ! ) Not only is the slope long and steep, one has to worry about an avalanche chasing one down ... i think i'll bus it! :lol:

Thanks, looks really steep and quite long, for me would require serious pivot slips and sliding all the way down!...i posted some of Black at Zurs with my boy in Austria thread...just learning more about mountains and difficulties..

here is one of Red at Lech of the Steinmahder lift, at the back above over Lech and under the Mohnenfluh, for an low intermediate skiier like me, these were brutally steep and mogully ... if you have opinions on difficulty please elaborate


and this is the Red above Zurs off the Ruffikopf, all pretty hard for yours truly:


You have kids and family who ski with you in Zinal?