I'm sick of the "blue runs" in Austria...............where to go for some gentle stuff in France?

Hmmmmmmm i'm starting to think previous advice about France is not necessarily the best :cry:

To answer you Tony....i have been to St Johann (my fave so far), Rauris, Seefeld and Scheffau in Austria and Sauze D'Oulx in Italy.

I just felt that this year Scheffau was the stick that broke the camel's back - piste maps with pistes on that dont exist and pistes that do exist but not on the map, got to the top of one chair lift to find only 3 steep reds down when the piste map said there were also two blues! Stopped a ski instructor who kindly informed me to ignore the maps and then advised as to the least difficult way down.

Talking to an experienced friend they have recommended going to France to see what wide open nicely sloping pistes can be like (apparently!)

Mel C wrote:Hmmmmmmm i'm starting to think previous advice about France is not necessarily the best :cry:

To answer you Tony....i have been to St Johann (my fave so far), Rauris, Seefeld and Scheffau in Austria and Sauze D'Oulx in Italy.

I just felt that this year Scheffau was the stick that broke the camel's back - piste maps with pistes on that dont exist and pistes that do exist but not on the map, got to the top of one chair lift to find only 3 steep reds down when the piste map said there were also two blues! Stopped a ski instructor who kindly informed me to ignore the maps and then advised as to the least difficult way down.

Talking to an experienced friend they have recommended going to France to see what wide open nicely sloping pistes can be like (apparently!)

It's time Mel you crossed over from the dark side to experience some Bon ski...... :wink:

Mel, There seems to be a couple of issues here. You have developed a thing abou Austria, in a search for blues, you object to the USA because of cost, but France is OK?

Austria.
Look at Filzmoos, it has 8 blue runs. It also has links to lots of other ski villages that will stretch your skiing.

I do agree about the piste map problem, it isn't just scheffau, but the whole of the Schiwelt area piste map. When I skiied there with Admin Dave, I did say this might be the worst piste map anywhere. However, I have to concede, it is very difficult to get a piste map that shows the backs of mountains, as well as the evidential view.

USA.
If you really want to improve fast, go to the USA. Costwise, I know it is has elements of high cost. Lift passes are costly. Accomodation, though, can be not too bad. You never have a lift queue etiquette problem.

France.
I like the skiing in many areas of France. It is the day & evening costs, that substantially bump up the total, taking an average ski holiday cost towards the high end of Euro costs. The lift queue etiquette seems to me to be a "man" thing in France. Quand vous repondre doucement, all seems to be OK.

I do think that it is admirable that you have clearly analysed your capabilities and direction, so that you are very clear about how you want to ski.

Ski well.

I have had problems with piste maps in France and Austria. It is something that really annoys me. Apparently it is the lift companies that draw the maps, and even though everyone knows the maps are wrong, they don't get corrected.

How about a world wide campaign to get the maps corrected?

Sometimes, I think they can even be dangerous, like when they show a blue and you're half way down it, and it seems to turn into a black, or red at least.

My impression, from only a few holidays, is that blues are easier in Austria than in France.

The transfer to Courchevel is very short if you go by train.

I hope you find what you're looking for,

Ally

We should just all go on strike, whenever the French have a problem that seems to be the sensible solution!

Mel C wrote:Hmmmmmmm i'm starting to think previous advice about France is not necessarily the best :cry:

To answer you Tony....i have been to St Johann (my fave so far), Rauris, Seefeld and Scheffau in Austria and Sauze D'Oulx in Italy.

I just felt that this year Scheffau was the stick that broke the camel's back - piste maps with pistes on that dont exist and pistes that do exist but not on the map, got to the top of one chair lift to find only 3 steep reds down when the piste map said there were also two blues! Stopped a ski instructor who kindly informed me to ignore the maps and then advised as to the least difficult way down.

Talking to an experienced friend they have recommended going to France to see what wide open nicely sloping pistes can be like (apparently!)

Interesting that you have been to Sauze, where the runs are nearly all reds on the map, but when you ski them many of them are lovely wide open cruising pistes which really should be classed as blue. Sauze was somewhere I would have suggested you try, but for the fact that it shows on the map as red for nearly all of it.

From the places I have been in Austria, St Anton and Mayrhofen, both are not ideal for timid intermediates at all and the blues are few and far between. I have skied Val Thorens, Montgenevre and Serre Chevalier in France and found all of them to have nice easy runs both blue and red. However, for the widest variety and comfortable cruising, I would have to say you should give Serre Chevalier the most serious thought. It is less expansive than much of france, close to the Italian border and around 2 hours transfer from Turin or Grenoble, and has a wide area to ski. The down side is that it is almost apologetic for being a ski resort inasmuch as the apres scene is minimal and there seems to be other things for the locals to be getting on with, but up the mountain it was fabulous.
Red, blues, greens, blacks and ski routes as well as some excellent off piste. Its a perfect place for anyone IMO.

AllyG wrote:

The transfer to Courchevel is very short if you go by train.

Ally

From my memories of skiing the Tarentaise, the train service runs along the valley to BSM, so the nearest station for Courchevel is Moutiers.

So how is the transfer to Courchevel very short if you go by train?

Grand Massif fits the bill! 1hr from Geneva lots of long blue/reds try Morillon as Flaine is a bit stark and charmless but the other resorts in the area are OK (Les Carroz and Samoens)..and yes there is a green run there!

http://www.grand-massif.com/gm2009/?lang=en#sejournez

on further thoughts definitely Morillon ..but look at the posts on this site to see what they say