J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by powderhound

The skiing's good (Alagna, Champoluc, Courmayeur) but not so sure about the nightlife. Courmayeur's not bad but it's not cheap... the Monte Rosa resorts are all pretty quiet (but the skiing's good - did I mention that? :-) ).

Have you considered Chamonix? Definitely lively at night, good skiing, and only a tunnel away from the Aosta Valley if you want to go exploring for a week or two the other side.

Have to admit that I've not been there for a few years but would agree; always found Meribel to be crowded, expensive, and the skiing a bit, well, bland. IMO Courchevel has more interesting skiing and Val Thorens pretty much always has the best snow...

Of course, conditions are everything and a powder day at Meribel will be as good as most places - though getting freshies at Courchevel would probably be the priority if the links are all open.

That said, if partying is the top priority then Meribel is possibly the best choice... until your wallet's empty. :(

Totally agree with Pavelski; go and have a different kind of winter holiday. If you centre your holiday around the little ones, the only person having more fun than them will be you! The more they enjoy their first experiences of mountains and snow, the sooner they'll be hooked on it all.

They are magic memories - first steps, first foot on a ski, first turns, first carves and then those first turns off-piste... 8)

And before you know it you'll be having to hold them back from hucking the cliffs with their buddies (at least that'll be your excuse when you can barely keep up with them any more!).

Thanks pavelski for an excellent post... waxing appears to be one of those subjects that's as complicated as you want to make it, but comes down to common sense once you know the rules?

Ok, my three snowflake types (in no particular order of preference) :-

1/ big fat wet ones that stick like glue and form porridge.
2/ the smallish "dry" flakes that form perfect knee-deep powder.
3/ the hard, almost hail-like stuff you get with suddenly dropping temps - the stuff that doesn't stick to anything, including itself!

... and what's the best wax for sharp rocks? :evil:

DJExxx wrote:Where can we go? Its gotta be Europe or pretty cheap/close

Go high or go home! :D

For late November either Tignes or Val Thorens will almost certainly have some snow (and be open). The drive is an extra couple of hours compared to Chamonix but you'll get the reward of setting plank on snow long before most of us! If you're lucky, they might have *lots* of snow...

Don't bother booking accommodation until the last minute - go with the snow. Pretty much all the hotels will be open and most will be empty so you should get good prices to help with your budget.

Keep an eye on our ski hire offers too - there's a better than even chance of getting a very good discount for that time (most of the gear should be brand new too).

... watch the snow forecasts, research the resorts and start getting excited - it's only six weeks away!

About 15 years ago we used to stand on a coffee table (wearing ski boots - don't do this at home, or at your mum's house) with feet the appropriate distance apart, and adjust the cant until the boot sole was flat on the table and there was even pressure inside either side of the boot.

Not sure how scientific that was but it seemed to work for us... 8)

Hi Nick, for starters take a look at the "Ride" series organised by Warren Smith et al here http://www.verbierride.com/.

Next years Verbier Ride is set for the 17-20 February, the London Ride 2006 (indoor at the Ski Show!) is end of next week and the Saas Fee Ride takes place in the summer.

There are numerous others around the Alps at various times including Candide Thovex's "Invitational" (usually April in La Clusaz) and the famous Derby de la Meije at La Grave, also in April (for the insane).

Are you looking to compete or spectate?

Powderhound

They're both huge ski areas with access to just about every sort of slope you can imagine... so it's difficult to generalise.

Verbier is great for strong skiers, with Les Portes du Soleil maybe better suited for intermediates who want to do big miles. The Four Valleys is probably not as well linked as the PdS and getting from one valley to another (and back!) can challenge intermediates if not confident.

You're right to highlight the difference in peak altitude; if snow cover is poor, every skier in and near the PdS heads for Avoriaz which can mean very crowded slopes.

If you're considering buying a chalet in either, it'd be well worthwhile spending some time in each (they're not that far apart so you could easily split a week or two between them) and getting a feel for what's what.

Powderhound