J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Chris1

The Ski School in Andorra is excellent; friends of ours took their 5 year old over to Soldeu for her first ski trip last year and she got going brilliantly.
Of course, her parents think it's because they have managed to produce our next olympic hope but I think it could be partly to do with the ski school :)

I'm bias but the Italian Dolomites are fabulous at Christmas, it's postcard scenery and if the Winter is a late one, there's a nice handy glacier for 'snow-sureness' :)

We find that Christmas tends to be a bit quieter than the craziness that is New Year, so if you could go out earlier you might avoid a few of the huge queues.

Hi Elias,

In Bansko you can go paragliding from the top of the mountain, skimobiling, snow-shoeing, ice-skating, ice-fishing, sledging, quad-biking and horse riding through the snow and of course skiing or snowboarding.

http://www.banskoadventures.com/ has quite a lot of info about activities. I hope that helps!

Hi there,
In Bansko there is a green run at the top of the gondola and when you have mastered that, there is a 9km blue run down to the town with a drag lift about half way down on a very nice blue section (There's also a bar here which is handy.
There are a few restaurants and cafe's at the top of the gondola too, so meeting up for lunch is no problem.
We have had quite a few guests who have been scared of heights and they have been fine in the enclosed gondola.
There's also a very short chair lift that does not go very high which is a great next step for anyone who is nervous but wants to have a go at a small lift.

Hi Gemski,
I'm a skier but I can board - I spent a season boarding to get me to a decent level but I find that I can go to the same places and do the same tricks on my skis and I don't have to mess around getting in and out of my bindings all day (I like an easy life).

Boarding is really fun though and if you have done a bit of skateboarding, surfing or wakeboarding it usually comes a bit easier - I'd done none of those so that's my excuse!

We have a catered chalet in Bansko so if you want any info about the resort just pm me.
The hire shop that we work with lets our guests swap their gear from skis to boards mid-week or just for your 2nd day if you want to have a go on both and decide which you prefer.
Generally most people find that skiing is easier but a lot of our guests do stick to the boarding although padded shorts are very popular with the girls to avoid quite so many bruises. They make your bum look huge but I love mine!

Hi there,
Here's a few tips that might help you out:

It's worth booking a restaurant for New Years Eve if you want to go out for a meal - if you want any suggestions of mehanas just pm me.
At midnight on New Years Eve, there is a 360 degree firework display in the square which is fantastic. Then there's traditional dancing which anyone and everyone can join in with. A lot of people go down there with plastic glasses and a bottle of beer!

Most of the mountain restuarants are pretty average but this year there will be a sandwich van (english run) opposite the Fortuna pub near to the bottom of the gondola so you can always get your packed lunch before you head up the mountain! They'll also have mulled wine for when you get back down!

Happy End is the main apres ski bar and is a bit surreal - when you walk in at 5pm the podium dancers do look a bit odd, but they quite often have some really good bands on. it's one of the most expensive place though. The Irish Pub (was Sir Galahads)has been done up this summer and is looking very smart - its very popular with ex-pats and tourists and the prices have gone down for this season.
Harry's bar (under the Kandahar) apartments is very friendly and on some nights is packed and really lively.

Depending on what time you arrive, after 4.30pm you can buy your lift passes for the following day which means you can avoid the big queues on the morning of your 1st day. You can also pre-buy your passes to make it quicker.

Queues at the bottom of the gondola are big as its such a busy week. So, if you have your own transport just drive up to the 1st lift station or get to the lifts when they open at 8.30am, or have a lie in and wait till after 10.30am.
Taxis are a bit expensive but if you can get a minibus for all of you it might be worth it if you get to the gondola at peak time!
Last year the Salomon hire shop was running a minibus to the 2nd gondola station so it might be worth checking there.

Oh god, I've just realised that I've written you an essay! Hope some of it is helpful!

After a warm feb, all that new snow was just what we needed to get us out of our deckchairs!