J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Ranchero_1979

Cervina, short transfer,135km piste, great for everyone and guaranteed snow. Decent food (taste and price) as is Italy. Ski in ski out resort. For more advanced can always do Zermatt.

Went there a few years ago and certainly nothing wrong with the place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbuk9AyEap8&feature=related

Check this one out and see if your more convinced. Incidently lucky there was more than 2 in group with the distance they were leaving between each other no chance for rescue from below. Nice to do long pitches but comes with a big risk.

Makes you think skins should be part of rucksack if only 2 in group.

Haa good to see we have some adventurous skiers.

Just for note if you are in Chamonix rescue services are free. Any time weather is bad and helicopter cannot fly severity of any accident or incident offpiste is therefore much more serious. One number you should have in your phone before venturing off.

Yep please share.
Actually walk is <250m from centre of town (remember hotel I stayed in was something like Hotel de Sol?) to main lift. I considered this a warm up, was also carrying 2 pairs of ski as us gents frequently have to.
80KM of high quality onpiste is enough, some resorts claim 150km and then you realize 1/2 of summer trails, hardly worth wasting your wax.
Offpiste is fantastic but not extreme so great place for first timers to dip their feet. The classic offpiste run is 1Km, 60m wide, 30 deg, The Laub. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dgw_69iv9I. Best runs I have had were off backside though and also top of Titlus itself, 30min skin.
Glacier runs although drag lift are perfect for anyone wanting to work on technique and carving, super wide and nice angle.
Again each to their own, I went with GF who had 3 weeks skiing under her belt and she loved place. I took a guide with friends, she took instructor (same company), easy to meet for lunch etc etc. Perfect for groups of mixed ability.

Tony H, if you just go for a weekend and do classic VB you might be dissapointed. Make sure you do Gros or Petit Rognon version. To make most of Chamonix, I would suggest getting a guide for 5 days (can suggest few good ones). A VB, Toula Glacier, Balme run to Trion, pas de chevre and Flegere down to Bouet and you will be a changed man, guaranteed no more high level convenience resorts. You start doing a few 9000ft vertical runs and there is no turning back to motorway skiing which many of the new resorts offer. The classics remain for the very reason they have the best skiing in the world.

Dids,

I chose to live in Chamonix, because just like Les Houches proper mountain village, that has people all year around. This is something that most resorts will never have and year round business means proper amenities. Dr, shops, gym, public gym, swimming pool, tennis club, decent restaurants, climbing walls etc etc. Prices are also reasonable as is not designed to hit the one time visitor.

It is strange that people always consider the place disjointed, would prefer to see it as a valley with many ski areas only a bus or train ride away much like Aosta. Bus twice a day is hardly a headache. No car for me for the very reason that they are so frequent and run as per schedule (if you all sold you car imagine how much more skiing you could do, especially with fuel prices). Is strange took me 2 years to convince by brother that bus service in Chamonix works, he always insisted visiting with a car ? Maybe with a family might be considered more convenience but every Wednesday you will see plenty of 5+yrs old getting onto bus for ski morning.

As you said skiing at all resorts is very accessible for any skier, however in general that piste color is what is says, no blacks with ski schools on them. For piste skiing Les Houches is awesome with correct snow conditions and pistes are cut nicely into fall line. Flegere has to have some of best skiing in world and unreal offpiste on powder day (local websites should of informed you of closure) . However unless you are into touring or offpiste i.e. willing to get a guide then most people will not fully get Chamonix. Skiing and dramatic scenery like few places in the world. In Tignes, etc you don't look up 3800m to Mt Blanc from resort level. Yes nice to have a high resort level for season round ski in ski out but you remove the drama.

My suggestion would be go back and stay in Chamonix (centre of valley), also fantastic in Summer. If you go in Winter ask if J2ski local is about to show you the best bits. Place grows on you, but you may end up a ski bum.

Stand out resort = Engelberg.
Good snow, decent onpiste, exceptional offpiste.
Train access via Zurich (cheap flights from all of UK).

Nice town, reasonable prices. 1 main bar so great way of keeping a big group together.

Anyone who has been will concur this is the place for you.

Am afraid some suggestions like Livigno (biblical transfer time) cannot compete to this place.

I skied Pamporovo years and years ago. Have to say, have no bad memories. Instructors were excellent, people were super friendly. Food in hotel was decent. As a family destination and place to launch your ski careers would say few better places. Reasonably priced, sufficient terrain for a week skiing, snow assurance is same as similar altitude resorts in Alps e.g. Megeve but temp will be less (continental affect). Having said that I spent a lot of time skiing in Norway with super wet snow on west coast and 3-400m vertical, so am not fussy. Best skiing in world is where you are that day, bit of bush whacking or grass cutting never hurt anyone.