J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by AllyG

I've just checked the price of the EasyJet Gatwick to Verona flights, out on Sunday 2nd Feb and back on Sunday 9th Feb, and they're only £91-41 return including one item of luggage in the hold.

But EasyJet say their seats are currently on sale, with up to 20% off, and this sale will finish at midnight tonight ...

Tignes le Lac webcam photo today, taken from:
http://www.tignes.net/en/skiing-in-tignes/webcams-290.html



And in Tignes Val Claret they've opened up the Dahu and the Double M, according to:
http://www.tignesnet.com/lifts/status.html

OldAndy wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:As long as you pass the J2ski holiday exam Baldy …. -)

Answers available - just PM me :thumbup:

(Correct answers cost though) :mrgreen:

Andy - you know perfectly well that there's only one thing I insist on from anyone wanting to join our group, and you can't achieve it by cheating ;)

Here's a photo from the Folgarida ski area web cam today, at Daolasa:

I am on minus 3 sleeps now, as in I finished ski-ing on the Grande Motte glacier at Tignes on Thursday. There is plenty of snow there now, but high winds and the avalanche risk meant that there was no ski-ing at all on one of the 3 days I was there, and the slopes opened late on the 2 other days.

Here's a link to the FB page of the Inside Out ski coaching people I was with, showing how much snow is on the terrace outside the chalet we were in, in Tignes Les Boisses at 1850 today.

The glacier is shut today as well, because of 80 Km/hr winds and the high avalanche risk.

They opened the Dahu piste yesterday, below the Grande Motte cafe, so the ski area is beginning to open up :)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152018964943735&set=a.10150161775843735.333232.112386753734&type=1&ref=nf

As I have already said, what particularly annoys me about this is that the French seem to be wanting a ski instructor fully qualified to teach in France to act as a ski host.
I am quite sure 5 years or so of instructor training is not required to show guests their way around the mountain and help them to find the best restaurants etc.

I think ski hosts should be licensed and regulated, but I'm sure a new qualification could be sorted which would cover the requirements for the job, and which wouldn't take 5 years of training to achieve!

A couple of days ago I was talking to a British ski instructor who teaches in France, and is therefore very highly qualified, and he said he has been asked to carry out ski hosting for a British tour operator.

bald-eagleman wrote:Well I think that sounds like pretty good value and would come if it wasn't for the small problem of working in a school. Next year maybe!!

Thanks :)
We looked for a quality reasonably priced ski holiday for ages before we found this one ...

We didn't organize it for the school holidays because this way it was much cheaper :)

That would be great if you could come with us next year :)

Watterski wrote:This thread is so long I haven't had the time to look through to see when and where you are going and whether there is room for anyone else.... Would some mind giving me a summary!? Thank you

The group ski holiday is from Sunday 2nd February to Sunday 9th February to Folgarida which is in the Brenta Dolomites, i.e. northern Italy and shares a 150 km ski area with Madonna di Campiglio.


There is still room in the hotel for you if you'd like to come. The flight prices and availability change all the time so you'd have to check this yourself.
The taxi is rapidly filling up but there is still the shuttle bus option from Verona to Folgarida, or from Milan Bergamo to Folgarida.
We now have 18 people coming with us on this holiday.

I have copied the summary I wrote on page 53 and pasted it below:


Ian has booked a mini-bus for the return transfer between Verona airport (VRN) and the Gran Baita hotel in Folgarida, timed to fit in with the EasyJet flights between Gatwick and Verona - out on Sunday 2nd and back on Sunday 9th.

He has negotiated a price of 78 euros per head, return, for 9 people in a 12 seater mini-bus. So, as he said, we currently have room for 3 more people, which will also slightly lower the price per head. The expected journey time is 2 1/4 hours on a clear road, but seeing that it's the ski season and there may well be snow on the roads, it could be rather longer that that.

There is a public shuttle bus between Verona airport and Folgarida, but the times don't fit in with the EasyJet flights, and it's a 3 1/2 hour journey on the bus, which is why we booked a private mini-bus taxi.

The EasyJet flights are currently on sale and cost £87-50 return including luggage (but not skis or snowboards). The flight times are as follows:
Departs Gatwick 08-30, arrives Verona 11-30 Sunday 2nd Feb
Departs Verona 12-05, arrives Gatwick 13-05 Sunday 9th Feb

There are also RyanAir flights between Stansted and Milan Bergamo, which are slightly more expensive then the EasyJet flights, and the price seems to be increasing. The public shuttle bus goes between Bergamo and Folgarida and suits the RyanAir flight times. It is cheaper than the taxi and only costs 22 euros one way and 35 euros return, but it takes 3 1/2 hours.

http://www.flyskishuttle.com/start.php?page=linee_ed_orari&lang=EN

The Gran Baita hotel has confirmed that if anyone else wants to join us they can also have the discounted rate of 700 euros for a double or twin room, and 990 euros for a triple room, half board.
And luckily for us the lift passes are also discounted for that week, if we book them through the hotel.

The full Superskirama area lift pass, which includes the 150 Km lift and piste linked areas of Folgarida and Madonna di Campiglio as well as the non linked areas of Folgaria and Passo Tonale normally costs 257 euros for 6 days adult rate. This is being reduced to 210 euros.
The local Folgarida Marilleva pass normally costs 187 euros for 6 days adult rate, and this will be discounted to 150 euros.

Ski hire from Taller Sport, by the main gondola and ski slopes and about a 5 minute walk from the hotel, costs 76 euros for mid-range skis and boots.

So, I can now produce more accurate sample costings for this holiday (priced up today). However, there are other alternative ways of getting there, like driving.

EasyJet return flight Gatwick to Verona = £87-50
Private return transfer taxi = 78 euros
Shared double or twin room half board = 350 euros
Mid range ski and boot hire = 76 euros
SuperSkirama lift pass at the discounted rate 6 days adult = 210 euros

Grand Total = £87.50 + 714 euros
At a currency conversion rate of 1.16 euros per pound that works out at £87.5 + £616

Grand Total = £703.50

If anyone else would like to come with us would you please either post up on here, or send me a private message. We are not making any profit for ourselves on this holiday, and no-one is getting any perks from it other than the support, help and friendship we give each other. We welcome skiers, snowboarders, families with kids, those who are beginners and those who are more advanced.
We currently have 17 J2Skiers and their friends and families booked on this holiday, but it's a big hotel and there's plenty of room if anyone else would like to come with us

That's a shame you're not coming with us on the 2014 J2Ski group holiday Sm4sh :(

However, I don't think you'll find a week half-board, 6 days ski-ing, for much less than £700, including ski passes, transfers, and ski and boot hire.

Are you back to looking at short breaks now?