Skiing trip

[ShootingEgg]

So a group of mates decided that skiing this year was on the cards, last July we sorted a chalet in Morzine in potrte du soleil. Myself having never ski'd before then thought oh plop, i best get learning. Booked my self in for some lessons at the local dry slope, got to the stage of you can do it on your own now, so enjoy the holiday!! 

We arrived Monday, and am now going into the last day of our week. First day, get the lift up and get to a blue run. Im sat at the top thinking tjos will be okay. Half way down i turn to stop and end up laying down. 5 minutes later i get upright then i drop a pole... Get to the end of what was a mixed red/blue run relieved and laughing at my poor effort. Secind day after lots of steady runs the day before, im confident and am now finding my feet, pushing myself, and at the end of the day surprised that my ski tracker showed 30mph as a top speed.. Heading into the next few days we took my mates 7 year old out and let her show us what she had learnt on the first two days. Talk about no fear.. She was goin just off piste, dancing down the slopes and doin air guitar!!!! Absolute ski demon... 

Today a group of us headed over thr border into Switzerland and the slopes were empty, but awesome, two mates took on 'the wall' which is a mogul field that starts close to vertical.. Nutters. I stuck to my blues and one red, hitting 46.1mph at one point, completely unintentionally as i hit a sheet of ice and had to roll with it... 

Few photos of the trip, im the idiot in blue and orange 

[markm]

I’ve been a skier for many years (had 2 weeks last year - flaine and Alpe d’huez) and off to france  again this feb.

Bragging about speed, give it a miss.... Develop your skill. Anyone can go fast in a Ferrari, it’s knowing how not to kill yourself or someone else which is important.

[Fuddster]

the best holiday ever is learning to ski with your buddies.

spooky, as one of my pals is in morzine this week and posted that he was at the Yeti bar today.

go large.

 

f

 

[Jason_ox]

Love skiing holidays, used to go a lot when I was younger as we were arable farmers and only time dad was not working was winter. Last time I went skiing was Meribel in 2011 with a group of mates, great times. 

[Stephen-H]

Beautiful pictures! My friend is a ski instructor in kitzbuhel Austria I went a couple years ago one of the best holidays I ever had id be happy just sitting in one of the cafe / bars taking in all the views the mountians have to offer . Plan to go back in the next year or so with the girlfriend gives us time to brush up on the local slopes over here . Looks like you had a brillant time! 👍

[ShootingEgg]

9 hours ago, markm said:

I’ve been a skier for many years (had 2 weeks last year - flaine and Alpe d’huez) and off to france  again this feb.

Bragging about speed, give it a miss.... Develop your skill. Anyone can go fast in a Ferrari, it’s knowing how not to kill yourself or someone else which is important.

Not bragging at all. Im just surprised at the speeds you get without even knowing it. Sorry thats the one thing you picked out of my post... 

16 minutes ago, Stephen-H said:

Beautiful pictures! My friend is a ski instructor in kitzbuhel Austria I went a couple years ago one of the best holidays I ever had id be happy just sitting in one of the cafe / bars taking in all the views the mountians have to offer . Plan to go back in the next year or so with the girlfriend gives us time to brush up on the local slopes over here . Looks like you had a brillant time! 👍

Would definitely recommend morzine/les gets/ardent and avoriaz if you want to brush up the skills on snow, some great runs to get back in the zone then can hop over to border to Switzerland of you get the porte du soleil valley pass. 👍🏻

[figgy]

Fantastic Holliday and wish I could still ski. A that Milka chocolate for sale at the top of the mountains and slopes. 

[Mr gen]

Great to hear your getting on with it and having a good time you have picked a great resort for your first trip I have skied there many times and recognise some of the runs from your pics. I have to agree with you the wall into Switzerland is a formidable thing to look at from the top and best left to the nutters  

[markm]

1 hour ago, ShootingEgg said:

Not bragging at all. Im just surprised at the speeds you get without even knowing it. Sorry thats the one thing you picked out of my post... 

Would definitely recommend morzine/les gets/ardent and avoriaz if you want to brush up the skills on snow, some great runs to get back in the zone then can hop over to border to Switzerland of you get the porte du soleil valley pass. 👍🏻

I’m sure you had a good time mate, it’s the best holiday in the world. Just wish I could afford to do it more often (normally one week a year, but last year two)  

 

Just stand and watch at the bottom of a steep bit of a red or blue and you’ll see what I’m talking about. When you see people being brought down on a sledge because they are hurt, they are only ever 2 people. 

1. Those who think they can go fast but have limited or no skill (specifically stopping without ABS brakes)

2. Those who have been hit by 1.  

Unfortuntley I've been hit by 1. However due to gender and body mass, I had a sore arm (elbow), a few swear words and pointing finger, the speed demon enjoyed an expensive ride in a white transit van with a flashing blue light and half a wasted week. 

Edited January 12, 2019 by markm

[general grievous]

Hello everyone,

 I've just shown this post to my Mrs as we are currently looking for somewhere to go skiing for next new year. I've been going on and off for 40 years but my lot went for the first time to Les Deux Alpes last year and now want to go again. We did the all inclusive thing but it was obscenely expensive so this time we are looking at other options such as a 4/5 bedroom chalet. 

So my question to Shooting Egg and anyone else looking at this is where have you been that you would recommend?

Thanks for posting Shooting Egg and enjoy your holiday.

GG

[markm]

I think anywhere in France or Switzerland is expensive. 

We like flaine as the resort isn’t massive and only 60-90 mins (depending on traffic) from Geneva. 

Done quiet a few of the popular resorts but keep returning there. It’s more of a family resort, only one ‘pub’ but plenty of restaurants. 

I’m keen on trying any Eastern European resorts (any advice PW’ers?). I’ve done the 3 main Bulgarian ones and wouldn’t go back.  One friend is off to Boston (flying there) and the other Japan, but can’t comment as they haven’t been yet. I know the American ski pass is $750 for 5 days (yikes!)

[ShootingEgg]

2 hours ago, general grievous said:

Hello everyone,

 I've just shown this post to my Mrs as we are currently looking for somewhere to go skiing for next new year. I've been going on and off for 40 years but my lot went for the first time to Les Deux Alpes last year and now want to go again. We did the all inclusive thing but it was obscenely expensive so this time we are looking at other options such as a 4/5 bedroom chalet. 

So my question to Shooting Egg and anyone else looking at this is where have you been that you would recommend?

Thanks for posting Shooting Egg and enjoy your holiday.

GG

Honestly depending on skill set this area is really good, Avoriaz has gentle green runs for beginners, blues that are not too testing and an easy jump over to Switzerland for more demanding blues (les gets would say they were red) some blacks, a mogul field thats an orange. 

Les get and morzine have mainly blues and reds and all blues are doable from beginners up. My mates 7 year old was hitting them with ease. 

We have come to a fully catered chalet with VIPski, not cheap but made sense for us as a group to do. 

Markm Ive seen a fair few helicopters on the swiss side and some snowmobiles etc. I am by no means a pro. I just took my time and then tucked when it was clear and i could see my route. 

 

[oowee]

Great trip and nice pics. Glad you enjoyed yourself and nothing broken or injured for a first trip is a bonus.  It's a bit addictive and fairly easy to do but hard to be really good. Fun also if they have any toboggan runs to do or cross country. Even sitting in the cafe's watching the world go by on the slopes is great fun. I always think its easier for kids they have a lower centre of gravity 🙂 

 I remember my first trip where i learnt in the snow dome at Milton Keynes. First real slope was a red and i fell down most of that to the bottom. I now insist on wearing BMX armour shorts to save the bruises especially if we go in the snow parks. 

I fly Bristol Krakow then drive over to Slovakia to ski there where i keep all my gear. It's half the price of France but I have to stay with my inlaws 😞 

[Benthejockey]

I skied with school and started back again a few years back when I had just met my wife. We went to Alphach in Austria and stayed in the Alpbacherhof hotel. We got a ridiculous deal that cost about £700 each including 1/2 board with cake and coffee at lunch if you wanted to come off the mountain and a 5 course tea, return to skiing ski school and full ski hire. It was a very last minute deal and probably one of the best weeks of my life. The following year we went to just outside kitila in Finland and whilst the skiing and scenery was incredible -34 is a bit fresh and you could only do 45 mins on the slopes before you had to stop for a warm. If you just did that extra run you regretted it once you started warming up and everything hurt. We want to go back to Austria but we’ll wait until the baby is old enough to go to ski school. 

[stagboy]

I favour skiing in Austria. Lot of good hunting lodge-style places there. And generally a lot cheaper than France (friendlier, too). Also, Austria has epic snow this year. 

But if you prefer France within easy reach of Geneva airport, then Ardent, a tiny place round the back of Avoriaz,, has some really cozy chalets. And a host of excellent restaurants etc at Les Lindarets, just up the hill a bit. See: https://familyski.co.uk/chalets/chalets-in-ardent/

[ShootingEgg]

6 hours ago, Mr gen said:

Great to hear your getting on with it and having a good time you have picked a great resort for your first trip I have skied there many times and recognise some of the runs from your pics. I have to agree with you the wall into Switzerland is a formidable thing to look at from the top and best left to the nutters  

Two of my mates completed it yesterday, not sure its ever going to be on my list of things to do... 

1 hour ago, stagboy said:

I favour skiing in Austria. Lot of good hunting lodge-style places there. And generally a lot cheaper than France (friendlier, too). Also, Austria has epic snow this year. 

But if you prefer France within easy reach of Geneva airport, then Ardent, a tiny place round the back of Avoriaz,, has some really cozy chalets. And a host of excellent restaurants etc at Les Lindarets, just up the hill a bit. See: https://familyski.co.uk/chalets/chalets-in-ardent/

Mates parents are in ardent this week, and love it. Weve met them a few times on the border and then in les gets. Has been a great week. Now for the long drive home tomorrow..

[lord_seagrave]

Surely the PW ski trip is long overdue?!?

LS

[amateur]

36 minutes ago, lord_seagrave said:

Surely the PW ski trip is long overdue?!?

LS

Would that include James Bond style shooting on the slopes?

[ShootingEgg]

7 hours ago, amateur said:

Would that include James Bond style shooting on the slopes?

Id probably guess not. The other skiers may not take too well to it ha

[novice cushie shooter]

Great pictures and write up. I haven't skied since high school and we went to saalbach/hinterglem in 94. Now nearly 40 and am going to aviemore skiing or boarding in feb and i cannot wait. Really looking forward to it even if its not abroad. 

[alastair0903]

Good write up. I am heading to Morzine for the last week of Feb with my brother and a friend, my 3rd ski trip at 34! A long way off mastered it, however it is a great way to spend a week 

[Vince Green]

On ‎12‎/‎01‎/‎2019 at 09:13, markm said:

I think anywhere in France or Switzerland is expensive. 

 

Buttock clenchingly EXPENSIVE!  that's the elephant in the room where skiing is concerned. Most of the total rip offs, E10 for a coffee, are un necessary and spoil the experience.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Vince Green

[stagboy]

And yet... I was in a famous mountain restaurant (Chez Vrony) in Zermatt, Switzerland, last year, and a half litre of excellent local beer was just 6.50 Swiss francs (about £5.15p). Great value, given the venue and the setting, with staggering views of the Matterhorn.

On the other hand, I confess was slightly startled to be charged 30 Euros for a pizza down in the town! That's Zermatt, mind;. Austrian resorts are much cheaper than either Switzerland or France, and the service is much better.

[Laird Lugton]

1 hour ago, novice cushie shooter said:

Great pictures and write up. I haven't skied since high school and we went to saalbach/hinterglem in 94. Now nearly 40 and am going to aviemore skiing or boarding in feb and i cannot wait. Really looking forward to it even if its not abroad. 

My son was up at Aviemore this weekend, no snow! So they did rock climbing etc. Hope there is snow when you go

[ShootingEgg]

9 hours ago, alastair0903 said:

Good write up. I am heading to Morzine for the last week of Feb with my brother and a friend, my 3rd ski trip at 34! A long way off mastered it, however it is a great way to spend a week 

This was my first at 34... When we left Sunday morning it was snowing heavily and the road from Les Gets closed minutes after we got off it.. If the snow stsys you will have a great trip. The three vslley lift pass is around the £250 mark and going up super morzine and over to the swiss side is worth it.. Some great runs over there. Above the Plenny you have some noce gentle blues to remind yourself how yo ski too. Will grab a piste map send the piste names over.