Latest posts for the topic "Skiing at Christmas"

Skiing at Christmas

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:35:48 GMT

Hello - it's been ages since I've posted on here - have just spent the last couple of evenings catching up on postings going back several months! I'll try to keep up now, I promise.

We have a dilemma this year about when to ski. Small person is no longer at junior school so we were thinking about possibly skiing over Christmas (but not New Year). Last season we had a fantastic time in St. Gervais & would happily go back there as we could meet up with relatives who live in the area. Flights & accommodation have been sourced at a reasonable cost, but will I find it so hideously busy that we'll wish we'd stayed at home? I'm led to believe that New Year is much busier. We were very spoilt last year as the last 2 weeks of January were very quiet. Half term doesn't appeal at all, so that isn't an option.

I know that the snow over Christmas is much less reliable - & memories of green ski slopes in mid January 2006 still haunt me! Any advice would be very welcome.

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:49:33 GMT

Hi Sal.....can't really help as I work in retail a busy time of year for us can't really take any time off :twisted: :twisted:

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:07:29 GMT

Hi Salski

I believe it is quieter at Christmas than New Year - we have been just after Christmas overlapping both weeks and the Christmas week was quieter than New Year. We are going Christmas Week this year but Friday to Thurs and going back home on Christmas Eve - five and half days skiing and I get to do Christmas Dinner as usual :roll: - won't know what to do with myself over New Year though - will be the first time not skied that week in a while - I guess Chill Factore and the Wii will have to do!

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:39:42 GMT

Hi Sal,

Don't recall Jan 2006 as being too bad, Jan 2007 was poor.

Assuming that St Gervais can make snow, then it only needs to be reasonably cold. StG is 810 metres. At that height, you might expect them to me making and stockpiling snow by mid November.

As a guide, Megeve, although 290 metres higher at resort level, records 50/60 cm of snow over the past two mid-Decembers, and 1.1m to 1.4m at the top. So maybe a wee bit less than that.

Any year can be a bad year, but there are not too many of them, thank goodness!

As ParaSC says, Christmas is quieter than New Year, and is a lovely time to be away skiing.

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:34:59 GMT

Christmas is a lot quieter than the New Year week, which never makes sense to me. IMO it is a better week to ski with less people around and cheaper but many families feel pressure to stay at home for Christmas.

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:55:17 GMT

I've skied twice at Xmas and never found it too busy. Like anytime anywhere, as long as you get up early enough to avoid peak time queues you will be ok.
It is charming and lovely to be in a proper alpine resort at that time of year, and to ski on Xmas day really is not to be taken for granted.
I have not been away for new year, purely and simply because when I have been away at Xmas, the locals have been bracing themselves for the massive influx of people and one hell of a hectic week. Austria in particular gets infiltrated by loads of havey drinking Germans, not something I want to be around for.
You'll have a fab time. Remember to book well in advance for restaurants though.

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:36:12 GMT

I have also skied at Christmas and found it most enjoyable to be up a mountain, and not sat in front of the telly after a large meal.

Many European countries have a celebration meal on Christmas Eve, and the day after is quite normal and low key.

Best Christmas Day memory. Sitting on a balcony high up in Cervinia ski area, glorious sunshine, jacket off, eating Spag Bol and listening to Cosi Fan Tutte from the Royal Opera House 8)

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:52:58 GMT

bandit wrote:I have also skied at Christmas and found it most enjoyable to be up a mountain, and not sat in front of the telly after a large meal.

Many European countries have a celebration meal on Christmas Eve, and the day after is quite normal and low key.

Best Christmas Day memory. Sitting on a balcony high up in Cervinia ski area, glorious sunshine, jacket off, eating Spag Bol and listening to Cosi Fan Tutte from the Royal Opera House 8)

That sounded really great until you got to the part of the Royal Opera house, they are in the same category as the "Irish airlines" :evil:

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:07:54 GMT

Wickers, can you provide a list of the organisations which have annoyed you. So we can post accordingly :twisted:

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:34:50 GMT

bandit wrote:Wickers, can you provide a list of the organisations which have annoyed you. So we can post accordingly :twisted:

I got dragged along screaming by my in-laws to the Opera and Ballet and found that I had a liking for all things cultural...... until the ROH crept out from under a rock and wanted to charge me
an extortionate amount of money for a couple of tickets, so after I told them what I thought was quite politly where to put their tickets, I refused to have anything to do with them until they drop the price of their tickets so joe public can afford to go.
After all the lottery money they have spent over the years smells a bit like that they do not want the public just their closed shop friends.... :evil:
So I hope you will be backing what was my first boycott :wink:

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:58:33 GMT

I wouldnt want to go to the Opera in the first place, but knowing what they charge for tickets, I understand where you are coming from Ian.

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:41:42 GMT

Tony_H wrote:I wouldnt want to go to the Opera in the first place, but knowing what they charge for tickets, I understand where you are coming from Ian.

I was so pleasantly surprised I've been a few times, I've seen the old haircutter from Seville, Don Coleone, Carmen Electra and a ballet about a lake and a swan and I must say they were very enjoyable,
there are some very good company's that tour outside of London like The Glyndebourne Company.

http://www.glyndebourne.com/

Give it a try like me you might be pleasantly surprised 8)

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:47:30 GMT

Wickers, are you absolutely sure that Carmen Electra is into Opera :D

http://www.hotcarmenelectra.net/

Though apparently she does sing and dance )

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:01:45 GMT

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:09:27 GMT

bandit wrote:Wickers, are you absolutely sure that Carmen Electra is into Opera :D

http://www.hotcarmenelectra.net/

Though apparently she does sing and dance )

Bandit are you Carmen Electra :mrgreen: ........ and there was me thinking you were part of the blue rinse brigade 8)

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:14:39 GMT

I ski either Christmas or New Year, most years. Definately Christmas is less busy queing for lifts.

If you want guarenteed snow, go high, Glacier Resort.

Only downside is you could be white out all week, and that isn't fun. Broke collar bone once when I hit a ditch off piste.

Also avalanches......

Tough Choice

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:33:38 GMT

Dave Mac wrote:Hi Sal,

Don't recall Jan 2006 as being too bad, Jan 2007 was poor.

Sorry Dave Mac - you're right 2007 was the poor year.

Thanks for all your replies - I'm liking the idea of Christmas skiing more & more. This is especially in view of the alternative, which involves a borrowed house, in-laws & lots of relatives we hardly know (& no skiing obviously)! Watch this space :D

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:54:43 GMT

We were going to go at christmas this year but my sister decided to get married on christmas eve so we're going for new year instead :roll: (better than nothing I suppose).
Next year I'm hoping I may be able to wangle it but it'll be our turn to have the mother in law so it doesn't look good :evil:

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:02:46 GMT

caron-a wrote:We were going to go at christmas this year but my sister decided to get married on christmas eve so we're going for new year instead :roll: (better than nothing I suppose).
Next year I'm hoping I may be able to wangle it but it'll be our turn to have the mother in law so it doesn't look good :evil:

You're going skiing for New Year :thumbup: For next winter, consider that non skiing MiL's, and other older relatives can be quite useful for bagging lunchtime restaurant tables, and getting the dinner started :lol:

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 10:00:37 GMT

bandit wrote:

caron-a wrote:We were going to go at christmas this year but my sister decided to get married on christmas eve so we're going for new year instead :roll: (better than nothing I suppose).
Next year I'm hoping I may be able to wangle it but it'll be our turn to have the mother in law so it doesn't look good :evil:

You're going skiing for New Year :thumbup: For next winter, consider that non skiing MiL's, and other older relatives can be quite useful for bagging lunchtime restaurant tables, and getting the dinner started :lol:

Good Lord :shock: a week with the MIL would be enough to put me off skiing for life

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 12:19:44 GMT

I'd love to take MiL up a mountain. Think of all the opportunities there would be to push her off.

Re:Skiing at Christmas

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 13:54:22 GMT

Tony_H wrote:I'd love to take a MiLf up a mountain. Think of all the opportunities there would be to push her off.

Behave please :wink: