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J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Melbatb

Messages posted by : Melbatb

Wow
Started by User in Ski Chatter, 7 Replies
It is raining! DH and DS have just gone out to see how bad it is. Also very windy. Not ad conditions like this on a long time! The snow yesterday was grim (plus all the top of the station was shut due to the wind) and the rain will not be helping! Only hope is that the rain is falling as snow up top! I have reread the best runs in Alpe d'Huez post and half of them have been shut all week :(

Oh well, the good news is that the kds have enjoyed playing with their presents and I haven't had to cook :)
Wow
Started by User in Ski Chatter, 7 Replies
Fingers crossed!!!
Wow
Started by User in Ski Chatter, 7 Replies
Lovely but I would prefer less sun and more snow! Only 43% of the resort is open. Runs are busy and by the end of the day very rough!
Three sleeps to go!
Started by User in Ski Chatter
Snow seems to have fallen in abundance down here in the Pyrennees so we have decided to kick off the ski season on Sunday in Ax - far from being my favourite resort but has the advantage of only being 90 minutes away and with a lot of snow!

Then next week we are off to Alpe d'Huez - a first for us! In between I need to finish the Christmas presents and all the end of year school stuff (have just made 20 odd chocolate reindeer cupcakes for the Christmas fair tomorrow!!) and pack! Oh and work as well!

So how are your skiiing plans going? Skis all waxed? Clothes all tried on to make sure they still fit?

Excitement is certainly building n this household! :lol: Can you tell!??
January trip in jeopardy
Started by User in Ski Chatter, 33 Replies
I broke my toe last winter and skiied a week later. Getting my foot into the boot was fun but once in, it was fine. Wasn't a bad break though.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Alpe D'Huez - Quick review
Started by User in France, 18 Replies
We are off there at Christmas - spurred on by the positive comments here. So looking forward to it.
Rate the resorts you've visited.
Started by User in Ski Chatter, 64 Replies
I'll add in my thoughts on the resorts we have skiied.

Some context - we are a family of four. DH and I are mid 40s. I have been skiing since I was 11. From being the most competent skiier in the family I am now the worst... Kids are 12 (very good skier, will try anything) and 8 (has progressed enormously. Will ski blacks happily). We live in the SW of France so ski a lot of weekends in obscure pyreneen resorts that I won't bore you with!!

I won't cover all the resorts as many I have ony vague memories of (11 was a long time ago :-) )

VARS - France
PROS
Lots of longish "motorway" skiing
Never that busy
Good snow even early in the season (have had good snow every year we have been either at Christmas or NY)
Well signposted
Are trying to update the lifts
Nice enough village

CONS
LIft linking is a bit dodgy - you can end up pushing to get from Var <-> Risoul
Not that many mountain restaurants
Some ifts need uodating quite soon
Predominantly French (not really a con for us but the Vars ski school seems very French orientated)
For those who don't like doing the same run twice, there is limited skiing

TIGNES - France
PROS
Fabulous skiing (may be biased as we had a powder week)
Lots for all levels
Very good ski school
Brilliant "race" track piste hidden away

CONS
Town is souless (Val Claret) though we liked the shops....
Were not keen on VDI side (I thik we are in the minority here though)
Mountain restaurants can be eye watering expensive

GRANVALIRA- Andorra
PROS
lots of motorway skiing
We ski here a lot so it feels like home
Reasonably priced
Apart from a couple of lifts at the top of the base station, not too much queuing even in peak weeks
Some good mountain restaurants

CONS
Not much to challenge an advanced skier
Snow can be dodgy
Towns are souless - especially Pas de la Casa (though good shopping there ;) )
The drive up from the French side can be long if there is snow on the road (French and driving on the snow = not a good combination!)

I should add that we always drive so transfer times are immaterial to us and having a ar means that we can move around if needsbe!
Risoul - quick review
Started by User in France, 1 Reply
Our favourite resort!

Pretty much agree with everything you say (though I can't comment on the transfer as we drive). We stay on the Vars side.

In 6 years of skiing there n December the snow has been fine ( some years fabulous, others just fine). New Year week is busier than Christmas week - though really only one lift on the Vars side that struggles to deal with the numbers. The lifts coud definitely do with an update.

Hopefully we will be back there in December!