J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Ranchero_1979

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUvvjYP5aZY

Life is great when you get to ski in the track of your hero's. Read a Marvel Comic or ski Chamonix.

If there is no financial benefit in getting pass now I would consider waiting until you arrive.
1) Is early season so will Les Houches have good snow.
2) Last few seasons there have been substantial falls at this time of year making Les Houches the best place to ski.

Obviously given you are already looking maybe you don't want to leave until last minute. Still can get from in town so would not be a big deal and resort will be very quiet when first arrive.

Think you could argue that at least some of group should have skins and touring bindings. Anyone who has tried to walk uphill in powder knows just how long it would take to reach someone who was in trouble above you e.g. last person is group triggers. Of course best mitigation for this is skiing short pitches but easy to get carried away sometimes.

Did you book lessons for anyone (are you planning on skiing as a family) what time of year are you going?

For such a mixed group I would.
1) Trust Children with the Chamonix bus system (sounds like anyway they will be in pairs and figure it out). Most ski schools will also do the transport if booked for full day. French ones will only work in areas covered by normal lift pass. If using a British school they may use Les Houches as lets people get on mountain straight away.
2) Certainly the advanced skiers should get the Unlimited as gives access to the Midi (you should definitely book a VB) and top bin of Grand Montets.
3) If weather is bad unlimited will allow you to access Les Houches, which is nice resort.

humm cruisy skiing, 1300m, trees and a bumper season sounds like Les Gets (but all of Northern Alps did pretty well this time). Never been but did have a good week in Chatel once, unlimited skiing and great weather. For low altitude and trees Les Houches, Les Contamines (especially when cold and dumping)are difficult to beat. Still there is only so much sense of adventure these places can give you. Get into the glaciers and you have skiing, mountaineering, wilderness all together. Everyone remembers their first VB even if the normal route is not great. Harness, rope, crampons and smiles of peoples face realizing they are doing it are things that get imbedded in the mind. You just don't get that in many resorts. In fact no resort in world has a red run that can touch it for adventure, vertical (factor of 2), length (by a factor of about 5)etc etc. Add in 2nd best pizza restaurant in world (is official), that also claims to have best Tiramisu in world (this I don't doubt) and am really struggling to think of what more a man could want. Obviously at this point Sweden would move up the list but skiing doesn't cut it.

Wow where are you living, -30 is a bit much for me?

However Chamoniox having a lift to 3800m does give it 2800m of vertical. Never a bad thing unless you like lifts.

"I've been to Zermatt, although the skiing there is good it's very boring... there are no trees to ski amongst"
Is this as in tree line skiing or skiing between trees in which case you really need to go to US/Canada. Most of the tree skiing in Europe is bush whacking in comparison.

Altitude does 2 x things for given region, one you get more snow and two it is lighter (lower temperature) so when you get into the powder is easier and hence more fun. No problem to ski on wet snow on piste myself but places like Whistler would be much better resorts if they were a bit colder. Of course wind often associated with altitude is enemy of all.

Well I would consider most important to me.
Terrain, both variety and vertical. Anyone who has skied north America will understand the frustration of skiing with limited vertical despite having some fantastic terrain. To get both you are only really that left with Switzerland and France (I agree 1-2 exceptions but that is it).

A real town:- Again try somewhere like Whistler mountain resort and you will realize the downsides of 1 company influencing whole resort, Disney Land. Realistically this means that resort need to sustain year round activity and have reasonable permanent population, so you get those great restaurants, bars, locals etc. Problem with some of the high remote towns that have limited number of months with a real population they become hyper touristic. Think Marbella/Meribel. I would prioritize this over ski in, ski out (they tend to be lower). Never really understood why this is so important to people, not as if you go for a lunchtime snooze. Nice but certainly low priority.

Having said that have never had a bad days skiing anywhere in world. Yes there are resorts I would never return to Livingo/Whistler/Les Deux Alpes/Banff and there are others I would love to do despite not really matching above e.g.Telluride. Have never been there but I would suggest Zermatt Is probably as good as life gets. Chamonix probably has best terrain in world and certainly more classic runs that are accessible to strong recreational skiers than anywhere else in world (Col de la Gliere Traverse, Col Du Passon, Crochues-Bernard, Col Du Chardonnet, Col De belvedere, Dent Du Gent, Vallee Blanche, Trient, Col Du Tacul, Couloir Rectiligne, Pas De Chevre etc etc etc). Engelberg for massive snow and great offpiste. Would definitely recommend Bulgaria as great ski instructors and fun country. Italy certainly has the best food and coffee which counts for a lot ?.

With friends Chamonix.
With family or mixed group Cervinia.
With love Zermatt.
With cowboy boots Telluride.