Author Topic: The Ski Locker thread (Read 127077 times)

Ham · « **Reply #675 on:** 24 February, 2020, 03:30:17 pm »

1650 is now "Courchevel Moriond" or some such, with north facing slopes that hold up much better than 1850's south facing ones. Chaplets (Chapped lips?) is a great chair served only by reds - not that they are that red but along with being on the far side of the resort it is often less crowded.

hatler · « **Reply #676 on:** 24 February, 2020, 05:02:33 pm »

Trois Vallees, Paradiski, EspaceKilly combo would be quite something, but you'd be hard pushed to get from one side to the other and back in a day. I suspect that the current climate change concerns would likely put the kibosh on the investment required, and the French are getting more aware of the environment, and I suspect that the presumption is against allowing further development, but that could just be my perception.

Greenbank · « **Reply #677 on:** 24 February, 2020, 08:01:56 pm »

Blindly increasing ski areas with new lifts is a horrible new thing, seems to be all in pursuit of "A HUGE MASSIVE ENORMOUS BIG SKI AREA OF BIGNESS!"

I've been to Lech a few times (and St Anton separately) and it was great when it wasn't connected to St Anton or Warth. Just big enough to provide a week of entertainment and varied runs. The best bit was staying in Zurs and never having to queue for the Muggenrat lift, and Zurser Tali was a rarely skied run.

Now that Zurs is connected to St Anton (via a lift that you have to get down into St Anton as there's a no-ski area between the two) creates a huge bottleneck and means that the lifts in Zurs are far more popular.

Similarly the connection to Warth creates a whole new set of bottlenecks and what were lovely swooshing reds are now chopped to shit in the afternoons as they get cut up whilst used just as transit routes.

I used to much prefer it when going to St Anton meant getting a 10 minute bus from Lech to Alp Rauz and then going up/across/down from there. It was enough of a faff that it put many people off, but wasn't too much of a faff that it would put us off if we really wanted to do it. (And it meant we could end up at the Mooservirt or the Krazy Kangaruh and then get a taxi back to Lech after skiing back down hammered).

Covering the resort from one side to the other (The "Run of Fame" they've introduced) covering a circuit including the far ends of Rendl and Warth and only possible in a day if you plan it and eat sandwiches on the longer transit lifts and don't hang about at all - it's something like 18500m descent, which is heavy going for a day. (Although tempted to try it one year.)

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #678 on:** 27 February, 2020, 06:47:05 pm »

Perhaps you should try the resorts that are in the Tyrol. I like Kitzbuhel a nice contained ski area. A link up the valley that is not as strangled as St Anton/Stuben/Zurs. Then when you want more, assuming you bought the big pass. Ski down to Penglestein get on a short bus ride (one intermediate stop) to Ki-West. That is in Westrerndorf/Brixenntal/Ellmau system. Alternately get on the train or bus and travel to St Johann, Sallbach etc,

It is a massive ski pass. Unfortunately the price increment is low. This year only 50 euros more than the Kitzbuhel only pass. Busses and local trains are free provided you are with snow equipment and the lifts are running. The only draw back from my point of view I like Kitzbuhel which used to be quiet. Now is gets lots of day trippers.

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #679 on:** 27 February, 2020, 06:48:40 pm »

This morning I got the Crystal/TUI email saying eveerything is OK none of their ski or winter sun holidays in Italy are affected.

hatler · « **Reply #680 on:** 27 February, 2020, 07:00:17 pm »

Quote from: CommuteTooFar on 27 February, 2020, 06:48:40 pm

This morning I got the Crystal/TUI email saying eveerything is OK none of their ski or winter sun holidays in Italy are affected.

Phew !

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #681 on:** 27 February, 2020, 07:10:25 pm »

Quote from: hatler on 27 February, 2020, 07:00:17 pm

Phew !

Not really. I have a dim view of packagee booking companies. I think it was just a preemptive shot across the bows to tell the nervous type who might want to cancel to get stuffed.

hatler · « **Reply #682 on:** 27 February, 2020, 07:21:18 pm »

Yup. Quite possibly.

They'e in an invidious position. If they cancel, they'll piss half the people off. If they don't cancel, they'll piss the other half off. And I imagine their insurance only kicks in if the FCO advice is not to travel.

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #683 on:** 09 March, 2020, 01:14:11 pm »

Sulk Corvid-19 resulted in my holiday to Cervina next week to be cancelled. I suppose I am better off than some. I will get my money back. This weeks travellers were flown and delivered to their hotel yesterday. This morning they will find that Cervino Spa has closed all the lifts. As they have travelled and arrived they will not get their money back. I assume Crystal Ski will give them a discount on next years holiday. I could rebook elsewhere (a £50 discount) but that seems risky and irresponsible. As the desease progresses all over Europe Austrian and French ski resorts could follow the Italian example and close the lifts.

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #684 on:** 13 March, 2020, 09:51:19 am »

I was right not to rebook. Crystal added all their Austrian, German and Norwegian resorts to places they do not go. Austrian ski lifts are closed for the season. That leaves France and Switzerland as the main ski areas still open for now.

Ham · « **Reply #685 on:** 13 March, 2020, 10:16:40 am »

Miss Ham & SiL2B are booked in Val d'Isere for their honeymoon......

Feanor · « **Reply #686 on:** 13 March, 2020, 03:01:53 pm »

I'm due to fly to France tomorrow!
We shall see.
Not yet been cancelled.

hatler · « **Reply #687 on:** 13 March, 2020, 06:40:44 pm »

Mini-hatler flies to GVA tomorrow for a few days in the Portes du Soleil. I think he might just get away with it.

Feanor · « **Reply #688 on:** 15 March, 2020, 07:34:21 am »

That didn't go so well.
Arrived in resort last night to the news everythings shutting down.

Tour company texted to say they are repatriating everyone tomorrow by coach.

We currently making out own arrangements.
We have friend in resort with 7 seater car who is making his way to GVA tomorrow and we are midway through booking flights GVA - EDI.

Bah.

hatler · « **Reply #689 on:** 15 March, 2020, 08:47:53 am »

Quote from: hatler on 13 March, 2020, 06:40:44 pm

Mini-hatler flies to GVA tomorrow for a few days in the Portes du Soleil. I think he might just get away with it.

Doh!
Got off plane to find out everything's shut. Pissed off would be an understatement.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #690 on:** 15 March, 2020, 11:37:23 am »

Quote from: Feanor on 15 March, 2020, 07:34:21 am

That didn't go so well.
Arrived in resort last night to the news everythings shutting down.

Tour company texted to say they are repatriating everyone tomorrow by coach.

We currently making out own arrangements.
We have friend in resort with 7 seater car who is making his way to GVA tomorrow and we are midway through booking flights GVA - EDI.

Bah.

Bugger.

Ham · « **Reply #691 on:** 15 March, 2020, 02:36:49 pm »

Quote from: Ham on 13 March, 2020, 10:16:40 am

Miss Ham & SiL2B are booked in Val d'Isere for their honeymoon......

Were booked.

All bought through a travel co (£3k for a week). Their coronavirus advice? Cancel on our website and get a Voucher!! Valid for two years!!

My advice to Miss Ham: Don't cancel. Write and say coz you can't deliver the hol, plz to be giving our money back. As far as I can see, once they get people to cancel, they are laughing

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #692 on:** 15 March, 2020, 08:58:53 pm »

I must commend Crystal obviously the situation was beyond their control but they have completed the repayment of my holiday costs. They charged it back to my credit card so I am going to have a big balance on my credit card.

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #693 on:** 15 March, 2020, 09:24:09 pm »

I had a quick look around and it seems everything shut today. France, Switzerland and Left Pondia. We will see about New Zealand and Chile in the summer.

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #694 on:** 16 March, 2020, 03:41:36 pm »

I did a scan of various webcams. It would seem judging by the people walking around in the French resorts and up the mountain a few people did not go home. In Tignes I saw a few snow borders walking up the half pipe.

I assume these were self organised trippers. So there was no organised extraction for them. I hope they can find their way home. There may no transport at all next weekend and the resort completely shut.

Feanor · « **Reply #695 on:** 17 March, 2020, 03:17:22 pm »

So we're back in Aberdeen.

Current plan is to take the touring kit and go for some backcountry fun around the Glenshee area over the next few days.

I'm going to guess that whinging on social media that coronavirus has "spoiled my second skiing holiday of the year, ( but at least it was only the Alps )" would not get me much sympathy!

pcolbeck · « **Reply #696 on:** 18 March, 2020, 01:21:13 pm »

Quote from: CommuteTooFar on 16 March, 2020, 03:41:36 pm

I did a scan of various webcams. It would seem judging by the people walking around in the French resorts and up the mountain a few people did not go home. In Tignes I saw a few snow borders walking up the half pipe.

I assume these were self organised trippers. So there was no organised extraction for them. I hope they can find their way home. There may no transport at all next weekend and the resort completely shut.

Almost certainly. The best man at my sons wedding was a ski instructor at Zermatt until last Friday. All the instructors in the Alps have been laid off and the resorts closed. They are all looking for something to do until the Australian and NZ seasons starts and are wondering if that will even happen this year.

Feanor · « **Reply #697 on:** 18 March, 2020, 06:01:51 pm »

So we skinned up for a short tour up Glas Maol today.

Nice day out. A tad breezy skinning up the shoulder, but nice line on the descent.

Glas Maol short ski tour by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

Fire and Ice by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

https://www.strava.com/activities/3194811860

Feanor · « **Reply #698 on:** 20 March, 2020, 08:22:43 pm »

Sorry, more self-indulgent photos from me!
Another backcountry tour today, with the boys this time.

20200320_122908 by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

20200320_121201 by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

Junior the Younger took a selfie with his brother skinning up the hill in the reflection in the goggles:

Fraser and Alasdair in reflection by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

https://www.strava.com/activities/3201068091

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #699 on:** 20 March, 2020, 08:24:21 pm »