J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by LOTA

If you break overnight, do not follow the advice of a previous correspondent and book a Formule 1. Handy for the motorways, yes; but uncomfortable, concrete rooms with metal fittings, toilets and showers in plastic compartments down the corridor and few facilities. Spend a bit more and have a decent night's kip!

Thanks. I have no doubt the Otztal shuttle would do the job, but there's a fair chance I could be waiting at Innsbruck airport for four hours, even the flight is on time!

Will investigate the service to Otztal railway station from Innsbruck and a bus on from there - as a back-up plan.

Has anyone used the Otztal shuttle from Innsbruck airport to Solden?

I'm looking at travelling independently in January and there are only three scheduled services during the day - none of which on the outbound trip fit very well with the flights.

Any advice, or alternative suggestions for transfer (perhaps by rail?) would be appreciated. None of the tourist office websites etc are particularly helpful. Thank you.

In 40 years of ski-ing , I've been incredibly lucky - even in poor seasons (and judicious in choosing high, snow-sure resorts!).

But my second trip to the 'temple of powder' was the worst conditions I've ever had; ironically, there was an organised Ski C;ub of Great Britain holiday in resort for one of the weeks. The title was marketed as 'ski the legendary powder'!

Good - I turned away from my beloved Swisserland last year - and went to Italy, where everything was much cheaper. And this year, I'm strongly considering Austria (which amounts to heresy for a Swissophile like me!)

Fair call...but you must have been driven mad by Fernie's shoddy lifts?

And as for a 'temple of powder', the last time I was there it was more like a 'symphony of slush' with most of the lower mountain closed - and the rest unskiable after lunch!

A new lift, taking skiers to Polar Peak, will be open for Fernie's 2011/12 season.

And I say about time too. The big weakness of Fernie is its inefficient and old lift system that makes getting to some of the best ski-ing a tedious and time consuming affair.

One local told me that Fernie development has been neglected by its owners in favour of Lake Louise etc. So it's doubly good that a new lift is going in - I might even be tempted to return this winter!

Thanks for the best wishes. Specialist very happy with progress this morning. Four weeks more in plaster, then a boot-thing for two weeks!
As for my boots, they are already specially-customised top-of-the-range Salomons from a couple of seasons ago. It helps to have a very close relative in the trade - and access to some of the very best bootfitters in Europe!