Alp Auris Lift in ADH

andyhull wrote:Then I honestly think you're missing out Ian.

Why would I miss out ? the quieter less fashionable resorts have plenty to offer me and mine, just to be able to put on a pair of skis and ski with my wife and daughter is enough for me, I do not
Feel the urge to follow the crowds ......... or even talk about the "Great resorts".
Look, it all really comes down to what we want as Individuals from our holidays, we are not all the same my preference is maybe different to others but to say I will "miss out" is kinda condescending...and I know Andy it is not meant that way.
When I choose a resort it is not from the TO's glossy's, I select from is there enough skiing, the environment, Culture and is it likely to be over run by Brits and whether I return depends on the quality of the ski school for Little W, this will be holiday number five for LGb and will possibly be the last and so the selection process will go on but rest assured we will not be led by TO's or the " Great resorts" conversation as to where we end up next. :wink: :wink:

Wickers, I share your feelings for small, quality places. OTOH, I also go to big places. You have your favourite place, it fits for you and your family. Likewise, I have my place, where I like the culture, the tradition, music, local folklore, old buildings, how it has developed, the history, and the skiing. The place adds so much value as the skiing. The skiing can be easy, difficult, or blow-your-mind, you can choose. Assuming the skiing fits your needs, in addition to the above, the most important character element of a place is it's people.

Then there is the perception of "Great Resorts". Throughout my skiing life, I have tried to ski in different places, alongside my beloved place. Sometimes, these have been large or well known areas. My criteria has always been mainly influenced by the skiing, rather than the brand name of the resort. Sometimes, great skiing is in great resorts. Sometimes, I have been to a "GR", and left, somewhat disappointed. Occasionally, I have skied a place that has left me spellbound, although a couple of weeks earlier, I had never heard of the place.

I don't believe that Ian has "missed out". There is a "little wickers", who is surely the prime consideration. Move on a few years, when "Little W" becomes "Lady W", then old man Wickers will bl...y go where he is told to go. By then Lady W will be a hot shot skier, and will want to go to all the "Great Resorts". :twisted:

Result Innit. :D

I judge a ski resort in main on the skiing it has to offer, also the quality of the surroundings. There is a perception that the bigger resorts will be overrun by people, which in my experience is simply not the case, admittedly we avoid the school holidays like the plague, but having skied both big resorts and smaller ones I find the slopes in the big areas are usually quieter. Ok some of the runs back to resort can get a bit silly late in the day, but I believe it's a small price to pay for the scope to explore a big area.
I'm no fan of rowdy 'brit' nightlife, but I can't really think of anywhere where it's in your face. You have to go and look for it if that's your cup of tea.

Bringing this thread back on topic 8) , the Alp Auris Lift is a perfect example, it give access to an area which contrasts the area around ADH itself, there some great skiing lots good runs with great snow and with loads of low risk un-pisted opportunities. There are a couple of small villages over there which give it that small resort sort of feel. There's a great black run over there too, the Col de Cluy which because it's out of the way it's usually really quiet.

The other outlying villages of Oz and Vaujany in the opposite direction also have this feel now I think about it. Perhaps that's why I love ADH so much it's a big area which manages to feel like a small one?

Alpe D'Huez is a great resort, the 'scare-chair' isn't all that scary, just a bit weird until you've been on it a few minutes and get used to it travelling down. The resort just isn't as pretty as others. Personally, I can only compare it with Tignes and Aveimore!

We've been three times, and all the times we've gone over to that "quieter" side of ADH, the snow hasn't been anywhere near as good as far over the other side of the resort down to Vaujany where there are a couple of easier black runs that are pretty quiet. You'll enjoy it anyway.

andyhull wrote:I judge a ski resort in main on the skiing it has to offer, also the quality of the surroundings. There is a perception that the bigger resorts will be overrun by people, which in my experience is simply not the case, admittedly we avoid the school holidays like the plague, but having skied both big resorts and smaller ones I find the slopes in the big areas are usually quieter. Ok some of the runs back to resort can get a bit silly late in the day, but I believe it's a small price to pay for the scope to explore a big area.
I'm no fan of rowdy 'brit' nightlife, but I can't really think of anywhere where it's in your face. You have to go and look for it if that's your cup of tea.

I think you summarised that quite nicely. Its odd isnt it how people assume that a place in the glossy brochures is going to be packed with rowdy Brits. I have been to what people would probably class as mega-resorts such as St Anton and Verbier, and whilst there certainly is plenty going on, as you rightly say its not in your face, not like Borovets is from what I am told, and you can have as quiet a time as you like.

For me, a good week skiing means being able to get around a good size area and feel like I have travelled around. 250km or so is plenty, as I discovered in Serre Che. It gives you the chance to find something new every day, but also go back and ski favourites from previous days, and its amazing being able to feel your way around after a couple of days without the need for pulling out the piste map every so often.
Please like Verbier, St Anton, Mayrhofen, Serre Che, Sauze....all are large ski areas but are regarded by some with distain because they dont want to hear British voices or see some fellow English people making asses of themselves. Well anyone can do that anywhere to be honest, although I do also know what Ian says about LGB, as its somewhere he feels at home in and if offers exactly what he needs for his family unit.
I dont think however you should dismiss somewhere because you know theres pubs that are open until 4am or because its likely to have a high percent of Brits visiting it. My own personal experiences of all the places I have mentioned are of fabulous varied and wide reaching skiing, a choice of things to do and places to go off the slopes, good quality establishments where you can go and have a quiet drink and a chat with friends about the days skiing, or dance to some eurotrash, or sit down and have a nice meal...whatever floats your boat. I do like to be given the opportunity to choose though.
I am guessing that ADH will be similar to what we are used to in terms of a choice of places to have a couple of beers off the slopes before returning to the chalet for a sauna, dinner and some wine before a reasonably early night (the skiing comes first with me), as well as offering us a varied selection of slopes to have a crack at, especially this time as we are going with such a varied group, including 2 totals newbies, a couple with limited experience, a 2nd week boarder and a good boarder who likes to crunch the mileage like me and Mrs H do.

As for the scare chair, getting Stewart Dowling onto it will be my second mission of the first day, after hopefully helping the newbies get kitted out with the right stuff. 3 months today.....come on.
Stewart....you started this thread, and have had some good input about said chair. I hope you are now confident that you will be fine, because if not you are going to miss out on all the lovely quieter slopes over at Signal, which is where I will be heading on day 1. Over to you.....

I do hate these big crowded resorts.... :wink:.



I can't wait for the 9h Jan!

Thats what some of the chair lifts in Serre Che and Mayrhofen look like in early Jan.

I appreciate all of the information that has been said about said chair.
I am sure that I will be ok to go across it and I am looking forward to seeing if the comments relate to the quality of ski that is on offer.

Anyway, it is now less than 3 months till we go and I am looking forward to meeting J2S people out there for a beer or two (I will probably need them).