J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by verbier_ski_bum

it's really a matter of personal choice but the risks should be properly recognised. yesterday I saw this group of Swiss skiers in their 40s and none of them apart from one woman had a helmet. they had no headwear at all and they were dropping down a steep, narrow and quite rocky chute where you really don't want to make any mistake. Yet my friend was taken out by a boarder. she didn't think much of a fall untill she saw a slight dent on her helmet, so it can really make a difference.

Very common. If by 'hot spots' you mean specific resorts, no point telling as there is no avoiding it in the Alps unless you are lucky enough to hit a powder day. But I ski every weekend and some weekdays on top of it from end on Novemeber and had 2 powder days, but about 20 ice days with 10 days of "in between" conditions. But if you mean it in general, then translucent, "blue" ice can be found on glaciers, or on the spots that are sun traps during the day but once the sun goes down they re-freeze. Generally south facing slopes in the morning will be icy.

I haven't been to VDI, so don't know what the runs are like there. generally, blue, red and black ratings are relative to a particular mountain or ski area, they are not some sort of objective standard. So blue in one resort could technically be a black somewhere else. It can also be that the agent got colours confused . in certain light conditions black may look like blue;)

Not necessarily. It can be anything. Blue, red, black. In Zermatt, for example, runs lower down tend to be steeper than upper slopes. in Chamonix runs to the base in Brevent and Flegere are black.

Increase in forecast is not much of a reward:)it actually rains in Geneva all day, Chamonix looks very grey on webcams, but I am afraid it could be rain too:( not cold at all.

No, the question was actually about the favourite resort:) And why we think it has it all...)

I am not sure what is meant by 'all' as people obviously have different requirements and priorities and what can be "all" to one person can be nothing to another. For exapmle, it never before occured to me that home runs could be important. maybe we need a list of all different requirements to ski resorts and then evaluate our favourite resorts according to them?

By "standing up" I think he means extending your legs. you need to do it to ease the pressure off the edges so that the skis could turn.

You can check hotel "Alpina" in Chamonix. Last March we paid for a double room 99 euros per night with breakfast. It's a modern three-star hotel in the very centre of Chamonix, very close (walking distance actually) to Brevent area. It's not exactly "cruisy" skiing, but they have a fairly long and wide blue run over there and you can cross over to Flegere where more intermediate runs are available. And the view is absolutely spectacular from there - you'll be skiing down facing Mont-Blanc and Mer de Glace galcier on the other side of the valley. It's truly beautiful and very motivating. Or if you are on a budget you may stay in a youth hostel near Les Pelerins. http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Chamonix-Mont-Blanc-020011.en.htm. Won't remember the price but it wasn't much, something like 30 euros pp/pn and it included breakfast and dinner. and it's France we are talking about so even in hostels dinner is very good;)
They have double rooms but you need to book in advance. And of course there would be inconveniences involved, like showers and toilets on the floor, and it's not exactly central, so you'll be taking a bus to go skiing. But you get what you pay for and overall you don't get too little for the price. You can google and there are many companies specialising on transfers from the aiport. You don't even have to book. When we go to Chamonix and are late to get the bus from town, we just go to the aiport and there will always be drivers looking for passengers to take to Chamonix. Standard price is 25 euros pp. one way. Lift passes I think are around 50 euros per day.

Or go to Courmayeur in Italy on the other side of Mont-Blanc. For some reason snow is typically better there and it's not a very difficult terrain to ski. But it's better to fly to Turin or Milan, not Geneva, to get there. From Geneva the shortest way is via France and Mont-Blanc tunnel and the French charge for it, so your transfer will be more expensive.