J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by verbier_ski_bum

Well, prices are driven by demand and in the end business don't care where their income is coming from, so it's understandable. Make money once you have an opportunity to do so seems to be the way most are operating these days. I don't know how the resorts compare in terms of terrain, entertainment etc. whatever you are looking for from a ski resort or ski holiday, but certainly if you feel you are ripped off you will be going to other places that will offer you better value for money. I don't know about dual prices though - sounds strange and not particularly legal, though locals may sometimes benefit from a saisonnaire card. Typically they would need to be employed in the resort though, but sometimes you can get it without it if you have a season-long accommodation. Ski instructors working for certain schools also may get discounts in some places. And patrollers as they are usually associated with the company running resorts lifts which negotiates this deal and offers it as a part of fringe benefits to their employees. But this would be fair and only expected as pay is not too high in resorts.

How much is a regular ski pass? I don't ski much outside Verbier, Chamonix sometimes and Mt Blanc ski pass is only 52 Euros, so 20 Euro is a reasonably big doscount.

When ou shut down you save a lot on running lifts, first of all on electricity. You also reduce personnel-related costs greatly.

You comparison with flying to Milan over holidays to normal flying is not a valid one. Airlines and car hire companies are ripping you off generally over holidays periods. The same is with restaurants example - you pay per course there generally, but you don't pay per run or per lift in ski resorts, so the same logic cannot apply.

Don't be too upset about it. The deal was probably good (I am not in the loop regarding prices for kids ski equipment) but it's not something your daughter truly need. There is a difference between buying something you WANT to buy and buying something you NEED to buy. My friends son got his first boots when he was 13 - and he'd been skiing since he was 3 for two weeks every year, so the boots were bought because he really needed them as typical rental stuff was simply not suitable anymore for his skiing. He's 16 now and still growing so all of a sudden the whole thing became very expensive - he needs a pair every year and prices for junior race boots are comparable to prices for high end adult boots. Plus if you really want your daughter to have her own boots now you can keep looking for online deals or even wait for begining of the season and have your daughter try the boots you want to buy. With footwear it's often a pot luck - she's at the age when her feet may start growing and will grow half a size per year for the next couple of years or not grow for a while (or at all). Buying too big shoes thinking that feet will grow IMHO is the same as buying too small clothes thinking you will lose weight. If you want to buy, buy something that is usable now and be prepared to buy again once it's not usable.

I think Austria traditionally has been cheaper for skiing than France or Switzerland, though I heard that prices in St. Anton were quite on par. And weak pound means that British skiers lost additional income they were getting from exchange rate so they are looking to compensate it by going to cheaper destinations. As for prices themselves, they haven't changed much in recent years (prices in mountain restaurants in Verbier are exactly the same as they were 8 years ago, the same is true for ski passes or ski school prices), but perception of what is affordable has changed for many people. I know it sounds selfish, but I hope it will stay like this for couple more years, season rent for me certainly went down a bit, and prices in ski shops have been adjusted to reflect strong franc, steeper discounts at sale times AND fewer people on slopes. This season the only time when there were considerable lift lines was during Christmas period. But resorts have to operate at a profit, and pay their staff too (wages never go down) so there is a limit to how much discount a shop/hotel will give.

You might want to call Gare Routier Les Menuires at (33)479-00-61-38 to reserve seats on a bus that runs a few times daily and get a quote. I think it will be altibus mentioned above. But for 5 of you hiring a car might prove cheaper.

Thank you all for pointing me in the direction of Freerides. Finally got to ski them and really liked them on the downhill, they felt pretty solid and zero ramp makes them very easy on the legs. I am considering now taking all my bindings out and putting them back on with some sort of shims under the toe pieces to eliminate the ramp. Tried to skin too as one of the lifts is closed for repairs and untracked powder under this lift made short skin uphill really worth it. Very easy, almost intuitive, to operate. My legs are toast now but I guess it has more to do with 7 hours powder skiiing on Saturday then bindings.Only managed 3 hours yesterday - but more fresh tracks due to more snow overnight. They will be probably a bit too heavy for long tours, but I am not planning any of those, at least yet. But for short tours they should be very adequate and I am very happy with my purchase.

Dave is 100% spot on. There is more to costs that pass prices cover than operating lifts. Just as lift prices isn't the main factor effecting the crowds at the end of season. And resorts might not want to operate longer than initially planned closing dates. I wondered myself why resorts might close earlier (and often do) but rarely extend their season, unlike it happens in NA, but then I realised that wage rate is generally higher in Europe so the costs of staying open later are not likely to be recuperated. And cows want their pastures back too.

Trencher wrote:

verbier_ski_bum wrote:I have a good selection of boots in my basement that I can't ski in. They were all "snug" until liners packed out - which for me happens in well under one season.

Sounds like me. Although ebay has helped reduce the collection :lol: Recently it has had more to do flex, than size.

When I have guests visiting and they want to go skiing, they don't need to rent boots - they can always take mine. Size 24 is one of the most common, so at least my boots are useful for some people. The flex of these boots also varies - I have from softer beginner boots and up to flex 90. I stopped on a 100 for myself. Also think that I found a perfect shell, so with ZipFit liners hopefully there will be no more money spent on ski boots for long time.