J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by dgou

Ah cheers for all your replies! Most useful and have had a look at the resorts and websites - knew it was worth asking advice. You dread asking the question of the consultant - can I still ski? but I had to ask as I needed to know, didn't want to exacerbate a problem but also didn't want problems if I went skiing and ended up being carted off the mountain. I guess our skiing days have to come to an end sometime. Appreciate your help and happy New Year to you all.

Neustift with the Stubai Glacier has been good in March and also Kirchdorf, and you have access to a whole ski area which is very reasonable, including Waidring high up - worth a look!

I have been absent from this forum for a while owing to an ankle operation and now have arthritis in a knee (and couldn't bear to read about snow and skiing, as I thought that was it!), so have found out from my specialist and osteopath, that I am OK to return to skiing (hurrah! :D :D :D) but I must take it easy - so no more ado, I need to find the right resort. I have always been a cautious intermediate and my hubby much more adventurous, but we have skied most years since 1986 - rather than trawl through endless brochures - what would my long lost J2ski buddies recommend. In the past we have skied resorts in Andorra, Switzerland, Slovenia and Austria, so would like somewhere with a mix of runs (easy for me, a bit more scary for 'he who must be obe obeyed' and a nice friendly atmosphere - also if there is one where you can get something other than a 6 day ski pass, so if my return to the slopes is not good, I can do other things too! i.e. a 3 day pass, or a ski for half a day pass for 5 days? Thanks guys!! :D :D :D

Westendorf in Austria gets my vote, have been 3 times and now it is linked by Gondola to Kitzbuhel. It is a very pretty village, shops, cafes, good cakes, and there is a train station and a bus service to take you to other villages and further afield. The top of the Alpenrose Gondola is lovely to sit in a deckchair and enjoy the sunshine. Westendorf has taught more British skiers than any other resort (apparently), it has several ski schools and nice easy green/blue slopes in the village itself (so non-skiers can sit and watch) and an easy red (Talkaiser) and some blue (Choralp) at the top of the Alpenrose Gondola. The lift pass covers the Ski Welt area and not far from Salzburg or Innsbruck Airports. Not been for a few years, but have happy memories of 3 years on the trot there!

We stayed in the Cliffords Hotel at Wanaka (it is where the Norwegian ski team train) and although we were there in November 94, it was clear to see where the skiing was and how it operated (it was their spring in NZ). South Island is very much like Scotland in parts and I gather the skiing is too. It will be a totally different experience to a European alpine setting, but I guess this is why you want to go.

Fab place, shame it is such a long way away!

Just because a country has mountains does not mean that everywhere is close to them, and Vienna certainly isn't. It would be like you arriving at Gatwick Airport and wondering how close the Scottish ski resorts are to the south of England. Vienna is in a different part of Austria to the Tyrol and Styria where the mountains are - almost East to West as Austria is a spread out country. You will need a several hour train journey to get to either area or an internal flight to Salzburg or Graz, which can be done, but incurs time and expense. It is not really a commute as such.

If I were going to Vienna, and I was there last June on a day trip from Bratislava, I would enjoy Vienna for what it is, a lovely city! Plenty to do, see, eat and drink! (and like another post said, Bratislava is only a short train ride away!)

The first three days at Adelboden this year, looks just like this screen (blank and white) and it was hard to see to ski, goggles didn't work, so I ended up with sunglasses and had to ski slowly. Going down Hahnenmoos was like picking your way through a mortuary, there were bodies every where, assorted boarders all flat out and other skiers who had collided with each other (talking of which I saw a tobogganist take out a snowboarder, to much applause!) so it was hard like Wickers says - but the other 3 days of powder and sunshine more than made up for it (as you will see from my Avatar!) When the thick cloud closed in, it was like you were the only person on the slope or the lift. However when the sun did come out, the paramedics seemed to be very busy down at Geils, we saw 6 calls outs in one lunch hour, which was a bit alarming, so people seemed to go mad!

I will go back at some stage, but there is talk of a gang reunion next year somewhere in Austria, so will look forward to that!

You picked the wrong week, you should have gone out 21st Feb, 3 days of constant snowing which resulted in powder snow and then 3 days of fantastic sunshine - I loved it. I will allow you the fact that Adelboden does cater for a more gentile generation, but also you are not bothered by chavs, hoards of kids and other low life (sorry if any of you reading this fall into this category by the way!)and people are generally well behaved and pleasant, whatever nationality they are (it is quite an international clientele there, a lot of people come up from Berne). I had a fab week there but then I was up at Our Chalet on the mountainside and not staying down in the village, which is not that sprawling really (unless you are constantly walking around in ski boots). The Bernese Oberland is renowned for its historical connections with the beginnings of skiing and sometimes some of the clientele reflect this (were they about then??) I have to say I was one of the younger ones on our flight out (and I am leaning towards late 40's!)

I did think some of the runs were perhaps not marked correctly (blue 46 with the hazard sign before the drop made me slow up a bit!) but I was happy on the cruisey blues and easier reds, and always found somewhere nice to sit for a drink and a chill out. Also the different areas do make for a challenge, but again we had access to OC's minibus.

The snow has been awesome this year, the best for 30 years we were told, and I have the pictures to prove it - the Adelboden webcam has been a grey blur all week, so sorry for nicking your sunshine and views! I will try and post some on here, so you can see what you missed! :wink:

There is no one ski resort to suit everyone, you have to try a variety to see what suits you, your pocket (particularly this year!) and your ability, as well as everyone else in your party. This is what makes reading this forum so interesting (and great fun!).

Hope you managed an Ovomaltine and a large cake! :D :D :D