Latest posts for the topic "2nd timers"

2nd timers

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:29:51 GMT

Hello everyone,
My wife and I went skiing ths year for the first time and we absolutely loved it!
We went to Kirchdorf (Austria) in Jan for two weeks and we were so useless that we got kicked out of the beginners class on the first day! Everyone else was doing better than us, and there was going to be a spare instructor from the 2nd day onwards so we ended up in a group of just 5 of us with the brilliant ( and gorgeous) Tracey trying to teach us - when she and we weren't helpless from laughter! She managed to teach us though. It was amazing how things that had terrified you one day became easy the next, and if we got it right, she gave us a gummy bear!
In our 2nd week, we made it to the lowest intermediate group and went to Steinplatte and actually got to ski some blue runs! The instructors were saying that the snow (ice in the morning, slush in the afternoon) was awful - but we didn't know any better.
Next month we are off to Poiana Brasov in Romania - another beginners resort where, hopefully, we will end up being able to make graceful(ish) parallel turns!
I have looked online, and the instructors in Poiana all get rave reviews, we can't wait!
Our main regret? We waited until we were in our late 40's to try this fantastic sport. All those wasted years!

Re:2nd timers

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:43:28 GMT

Thats a hell of a strange choice for your 2nd week skiing.

Re:2nd timers

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:36:01 GMT

Good on you!

Re:2nd timers

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:08:09 GMT

no no no :!:

Go back to Kirchdorf, the area has far more to offer than what you experienced in January, we were there this year from 6th Jan for a week and the snow was pretty crap although we did ski all day every day, yet the year before we were skiing in over 150cm of the white stuff, so it does point to this year being a blip. Already there is 110cm on the Steinplatte and 80cm at Kirchdorf so the chair should be running which is more than happened this year.

On the area pass from Kirchdorf you can ski Kitzbuhel, St Johann, Steinplatte as well as Fieberbrunn which has some stunning scenery. Skiing was pretty good too 8)

Re:2nd timers

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:42:16 GMT

Have a great time and good for you in choosing a resort off the beaten track. Do on your return tell us what it's like.

Re:2nd timers

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:02:26 GMT

Thanks for your replies!

It's a done deal as far as Romania goes, all booked up. One of the main criteria for us was cost, we wanted an all inclusive package so that we didn't have to book lessons, ski-hire, and lift passes seperately, and we got quite a good deal. I know it's a very small resort but I've looked at videos on youtube and it looks ideal for us.
We loved Austria and will certainly return one year, but it seemed a bit of a cop-out to go back to the same resort for our 2nd year.
We have asked everyone to give us Decathlon gift vouchers for xmas and birthdays this year, and we're saving them up so that next year we'll hopefully have our own boots and possibly skis.
Anyway, I'll be sure to let you know how we got on.

Re:2nd timers

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:34:19 GMT

At least you are doing something a bit different lol

Re:2nd timers

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:40:41 GMT

youspurs1 wrote:It's a done deal as far as Romania goes

Go for it; but do let us know how you get on - always interesting to hear about new places.

And size isn't everything - I've had some of my most memorable days skiing at some tiny resorts; e.g. Antagnod (Italy - visited when Champoluc was closed due to Avy risk) only has two real pistes but in waist-deep powder with about 3 other people in the entire resort, and the off-piste totally to ourselves for the day, it was brilliant.

For early skiers there's a lot to be said for choosing a small resort - you'll get to know it quickly and slopes that seem scary steep at the beginning of the week will be fun by the time you come to go home.

Re:2nd timers

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:06:38 GMT

Poiana is fantastic for new skiers, we went last year and we are going again on the 23rd Jan 2010, I went from a novice to intermediate in just a few days. The instructors are fantastic and the snow is already falling.. :-)
http://www.jurnalul.ro/webcam/poiana-brasov-zapp-kanzel-103.html this will give you a few webcam locations for Romania.
Have a great time... Tony & Karen

Re:2nd timers

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:33:16 GMT

I think Poiana is a good choice for your second week. It has perfect run progressions for you, and at your stage, you don't need a big resort. In fact, a small resort is advantageous.

Have a good time.

Re:2nd timers

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:39:59 GMT

A somewhat delayed trip report :D
We went to Poiana Brasov in jan '08 staying at the Sport hotel, which was very handy for the ski hire and nursery slopes. It's one of a group of 3 which includes the Brasov and the Poiana, all very close together.
I'd have to give the hotel a 9 out of 10. Large, comfortable rooms, lashings of powerful hot water whenever you wanted it in the very clean bathrooms. Food was above average, I wouldn't go overboard about it but there was plenty of choice and it was perfectly edible. Staff were always cheerful, polite and helpful.
The resort had suffered from a lack of recent snow when we arrived. The nursery slope was icy at the top and had brown patches lower down, and the higher slopes were so icy that our instructor took us up for a look but advised against our trying to ski down.
All this changed midweek when we had a 24 hour dump, followed by 3 days of brilliant sunshine. We had so much fun!
It's a tiny resort, but doesn't get too busy because they limit the number of beds available to what the lifts can carry.
I would recommend Poiana Brasov to first timers, or nervous second weekers. There is a lovely big shallow 'bowl' where they start the beginners that is fenced off from the main nursery slope - absolutely ideal.
When you go up the mountain, a lot of it is either quite steep (so lots of traversing) or very narrow.
Quality of ski school and equipment hire:
In retrospect, I don't think we were well served by the school. There were a couple of skiers in our group that were very slow, and the whole group was hindered by their lack of ability.
The equipment for hire was pretty awful (2008) Fortunately we had our own boots, a lot of the stuff they were giving out looked ancient. The skis were poor - but serviceable.

We didn't get to go skiing last year - apart from a very succesful 'parallel in a day' course at Tamworth - because I went and had a heart attack last November, died twice...
We'd booked for Val Cenis, but lost our deposit. We are off to La Norma in 25 days, taking son and his fiance with us for their first ski hol. Can't wait!