J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by dgou

Westendorf in Austria is great for beginners, the slopes are in the village and surrounded by cafes and bars and easy to get back to your accommodation, or for someone to sit and take photos of you. When you get better you can go higher up to Choralpe or the Talkaiser area (easy red) and play around up there. Ski school is very good, classes not too big. It is a proper alpine village (and has access to the Ski Welt area but for first timers Westendorf itself is fine). Plenty of places for a drink, sit in the sun, and buses and trains to elsewhere if you fancy a day off the slopes. Very friendly, we went 3 times back in the 90's, and enjoyed it very much. Well worth a look.

We skied there in the late 90's, including a New Year trip where one of our group was heard to say 'if she got the idea to go skiing at New Year again, someone please say no' - it was minus 20 up the top and blowing like mad so very, very cold! Stubai Glacier (on a sunny day) is fab, lovely skiing, amazing views and one of those 'good to be alive' places - we also did a day trip from Westendorf when we were staying there. Only gripe was that there were lots of long T bars, which kill your legs after a while but I understand some of these have now been changed to chairs.

We stayed in Neustift, in a hotel right next to the church clock which chimed every 15 minutes (very annoying in the night) and the village had quite a few bars and shops in it. We skied Elfer, Fulpmes (or Flumps as we nicknamed it) and Schlick 2000. Stubai Glacier is a 40 minute bus journey, so you are restricted by bus times (and crowds).

Short transfer from Innsbruck, an airport I seemed to remember was stuck in a 1970's time warp, but may well have been updated since. You can get the Stubaitalbahn (mountain train) into the centre of Innsbruck, which goes past Bergisel the ski jump area, which is worth doing for an interesting time off the slopes (the trip NOT the ski jump!!!)

Having suffered for many years from sore shins from leaning forward in boots (as instructed by many an Instructor) I suffered excruitiating pain and then discovered it is known as 'shin bite' caused by friction (so no wonder it is sore!) This year I invested in a pair of Ski Angels (bought from the Snowdome at Tamworth or you can get them online or from Ellis Brigham) AND THEY WORK!!! No more red and sore shins at the end of the day, and no days lost skiing thanks to two small pieces of foam with a gel attached. Cost about £20 and well worth the investment. You can hand wash them afterwards and use again next time.

If you have suffered this (and I mean suffer) then £20 is worth spending (it is only a round of drinks!!?) and you will have a happy week of yodelling around the slopes!

Just thought it was worth sharing now I am back from Adelboden!

Yes we were there in 1989 when the whole resort got devastated by a 3 day white out, never been skiing anywhere where the walls were soaked because of the amount of snow coming at the hotel walls. For 3 days we had no idea where we were, it was weird! - and scary!!

Needless to say the sun came out, and please beware, this is a high resort and extreme weather, so you will need a high sunblock!! I severely burned my face by putting on the wrong factor. When the wind blows, it can get a bit hairy (both on and off the lifts!)

We stayed at the Nevasur at the top of the village, which was OK but a hike down each day. The hotels are strangely named, but most were very nice. The resort lacked any atmosphere but this may have changed now (a lot can happen in 20 years!).

The skiing was up on an area called Borreguilles, which was nice but limited because of the damage to ski lifts (never seen a ski lift pylon bent before!!) and the ski school was good fun!

I remember it was a cheap option, and although not really an alpine atmosphere, it was a good week. As I said it was 1989 and things may have altered.

Adelboden on a DIY trip - 21st!! Yippee!

This is an important topic as more and more airlines are clamping down on us skiers and out to make as much money out of us as poss. I fly out on the 21st on a flight only deal with Inghams, so my contract is with them -and they allow 20kg hold luggage and 5kg hand. However my flight is with Flybe and they allow 20kg hold luggage and 10 kg hand luggage - but I could not book the flight via the Flybe website as Inghams have the Berne flights. It is important to check before you go because you don't want hassle at check in nor at security - as they can be as awkward as they like sometimes.

So if you see someone wandering around BHX looking rather larger than normal, it is me and I am wearing all my clothes and just hope that I can fit into my cattle class seat!!! :wink: :shock:

I was going up on a drag lift and a ski school class were coming along across the slope, the Instructor told them to stop, but a little child decided he knew better.. and skied straight into me, taking out both him and me, and us both sliding down the slope uncontrollably! His quote was 'she got in my way' ... and after a word with both his instructor and his parents later.. I think he learned otherwise!!

He was lucky he was not a kebab on my ski pole!

Yep been twice a few years ago, nice little village, bit quiet, but after a day on the slopes sometimes all you want to do is chill. Nursery slopes in village good and accessible, with a ski store hut right by the side of them, and place for your boots too. Next lot of slopes in village a bit steeper, but still manageable. Then there is the bus to the Steinplatte, which is a high open bowl of snow, some long chairs but great for cruising (and crashing!) and you also have the bus to St Johann in Tyrol, Fieberbrunn and the other resorts on your pass - 10 in all if I remember rightly. A good variety and both our trips were with Thomson on a ski all inclusive, we stayed at the Marliesenhof. Very friendly, good for different groups, ski school is a good laugh (if you see Seppi, excellent instructor, esp the day he took us off piste - laugh!! it was nearly a brown run!!) There are a few shops and bars, but the Alphof at the bottom of the nursery slopes does good food and beer, so nice if it is sunny. Highly recommend a massage at the Wellness Centre in the village - book it for 4.30 when you have finished!

Good fun and happy memories (esp of a friend who was learning, shot past me shouting 'I'm like the runaway train' and then found he could not stop without falling over!) :D