J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by powderhound

Not skiied from Nendaz myself but it looks, from the Verbier piste map, to be quite a hike - about 5 lifts (2 or 3 gondolas, a drag and maybe a chair or two) and a mix of pistes to get you over into Verbier via Tortin.

The return journey is more and interesting requires you to do at least two off-piste itineraries from several possible routes. The off-piste itineraries in the 4 valleys are generally safe and won't trouble you too much if you're confident away from marked runs - snow conditions can obviously be very variable and will make a huge difference, however.

Hope that helps,

Powderhound

Sounds like a top plan! If the snows come early you may be able to sell your "spare" tickets on for a reasonable price too...

It's going to depend on the snow, so wait and see.

Not skiied near Salzburg but for easy access from Geneva your best bet for nightlife may be Chamonix if you want to stay in France - some good lively bars and a choice of ski areas (so long as you don't mind bussing around) should see you sorted.

Otherwise, Verbier is not much further (under 2 hours) from Geneva and definitely rocks at night though can be expensive depending on your tastes. The skiing's top too and conditions are usually good by mid-December.

Powderhound

Improved Fitness and Improved Technique will both work wonders for coping with the flats. Raised general fitness (gym work) and some ski-relevant exercise like roller-blading will help improve your stamina when skating.

Also focus on carving properly - skidded turns waste an enormous amount of energy. Skidding makes really hard work of gentler gradients, whereas carving the ski will conserve energy and is a whole lot less effort.

Powderhound

Hi Kate,
Interesting survey... how many responses have you had so far and when will you publish your results and conclusions? Is there a specific purpose?

Cheers,
Powderhound

Hi Joanne, pretty sure there's one of the regulars who's based in Sauze - I'll try and round him up... not sure how much cheaper you'll be able to get it but you can almost certainly save a bit compared to the Tour Op's prices. They make a big margin on ski hire!