J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by jonG

:Dhi ,t.Anton has one of the best snow records in the alps,as the Tyrol well sighte to take advantage of different weather pattens,if you are looking at an early april trip you wil have some time to keep an eye on the alpine conditions and make a more informed choice.As far as Austria goes i have only skied St.Anton and Livigno and would say both should still be good places to go that time of the year,in france you could try Val D'isere (closes 6 may 2008 this year i think),Tignes (shares the L'espace Killy ski area with Val D'isere,also another excellent place in april would be Les Arcs 1600,1800 1950 and 2000( last day skiing is 26 april 2008)i usually go for the last weks skiing in Les Arcs and most years have been rewarded with excellent snow with good dumps off snow in april.Other places you could look at are the three valleys Val Thorens,Meribel and courcheval.
To help with your choice narrow it down to ski areas with skiing that goes over 1600+metres and have skiing as high as possible,also a resort with a glacier will ahve better snow,if a resort does not then try to find one with more northerly and eastery slopes that go up to and over 2800-3000 metres.
i hope this info is of some use and wish you a very safe and enjoyable trip.
many regards
jonG.

:Dhi again the reataurants name from the chaz dura chairlift is called le riondet.
many regards again.
jonG.

:D hi have not stayed in la thuile before but have skied over from la rosiere a couple of times,there are some great tree lined runs down into la thuile but and some of these are considered to be serious runs,also there is a great beginners area towards the bottom.There is also an excellent restaurant on the way down from the chaz dura chair lift(dont think the restaurant was marked on the piste map)and its a gem,in summer there is a duck pond outside but in the winter you ski right over it.once you get off the main cable car from the bottom a lot of the skiing is in a large open bowl which catches the sun,but this can be deceptive as if then you want to go over the border to la rosiere the chairlift journey over the top is bitingly cold(seriously on some days so make sure if the weather is cold and windy you can cover your neck).There is also the option of heli-skiing on the ruitor glacier(heli-skiing is illegal in france) and some great off piste.
If you are taking a car from the airport you also have the option of going to Courmayeur for the day which is about 45 minutes away from memory(on the italian motorways you must have headlights on at all times by law).
hope this is of some help and wish you all a pleasant safe trip.
jonG.

:D Hi all,
have been nosing around on the net for info on Annecy Airport,does anyone know if there are any UK flights to there,had a look on the airport site and it looks like you can fly there from Norwich Airport.Is this true?,if it is this would be great as it would knock an hour off the transfer time from Geneva and Lyon to the Trois Vallee's resorts,Les Arcs,La Rosiere,Ste.Foy, Tignes and Val D'isere.
many regards
jonG.

:D Hi,have posted a reply to your private message
many regards
jonG :D

:D hi,mate text me earlier there is nearly a foot of snow outside the hotel Le Monal in Ste.Foy today.,but reckons a slight thaw for a day or so then will be freezing temps agin and more snow early to late next week.Good year this year,think i will sacrifice my last worthers original to the snow gods when i come out next week. :D

:D that sounds great,will be comming out to Bourg-saint-maurice in a few days to fix my leaky tap,so will enjoy a nice hike in the nice snow,hopefully this is going to be a good year.fingures crossed :D

:D as far as insurance goes for price there are still some people around who chance not having an accident and dont buy.But this is foolhardy my friend dave broke his leg just outside the first stage cable car station on the Valluga in St.Anton about ten years ago,hed his boots unclipped and as he was walking from the station slipped and broke his leg in the middle of his shin,luckily he had insurance as to get the helicopter off the ground at Landeck near innsbruck cost £4000 and then cost £600 per minute it was in the air for the the 15 minute flight to the top of the Valluga (miracle piece of flying by the pilot) and back.He was in the hospital for 2 weeks before they would let him go,with the operation costs,helivac costs and the air ambulance back to the uk the total cost was in the region of £35,000 so paying between £15 - £30 for a single trip or £60 -£80 for a yearly insurance policy is small potatoes.