Printable View
Choose a place from the vast pickins of the Alps to spend a week and experience all that the Old World has to offer.
I already have a top 3, but I'm interested in what the collective thinks.
Some parameters that have formed my top 3:
-Terrain, snowfall, crowds, European ambience, accessability, proximity to other resorts(daytrip), proximity to cool apres sightseeing and dining options(e.g. Alagna to Milan and back for dinner), mountain dining, strength of U.S. dollar.
To do list:
1) Rob a 7-11 or Kwiki Mart
2) Sign up for Euro Straightline Camp
I don't see how you can go wrong with La Grave. The place has more crazy terrain than just about anyplace, Les Deux Alpes is next door if you want the opposite experience (in terms of development) and is huge, Serre Chevalier is down the road and has some of world's best tree skiing, there's at least one other good place within an easy drive, and the ski down to St. Christophe is a great first day warm-up that you can use to segregate groups and weed out guys who might kill themselves (or others). And the one time I skied La Grave we got five feet of snow in a week, but I guess that part is a bad bet anywhere in Europe.
What was the name of the LaGrave-esque place in Austria? That lodge was interesting looking. and it might be kinda cool to have it in a quieter setting...
fwiw alagna to milan and back for dinner ain't easy, the road varallo->alagna is slow and windy.
Tough question.
It depends a lot at which dates you intend to hold it to beat the crowds, but since I assume terrain, verticals and snowfall still counts most for you here's just my personal hitlist:
for most reliable snowfall (well, we actually don't have that here as you know) - at least on an average basis:
eastern Suisse or western Austria (Andermatt, Engelberg, Disentis, Lenzerheide, Arlberg region - affordable lodging everywhere around if not directly on the slopes and booked well in advance)
more suggestions for kick-ass bc terrain (you prolly know already):
4 Vallees (Verbier), Val d'Annivers (not crowded most of the time), Vars/Risoul
I'm deliberately not mentioning places like Cham, La Grave ect. since similar local operations/camps are already established there.
Monte Rosa south side can be gorgous too but snow is less dependable.
Definitely avoid peak holiday seasons in February or late March/early April.
The La Grave slopes are quiet with a capital Q. Zero crowds, no gapers (except for me). Plenty of rustic charm, cheap accomodation, TWO pubs. Can't think of a better place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tippster
Gordy, when are you planning to do this (I feel myself getting wife of the year award when I bag Roo a place for his birthday).
Don't forget to bring your driving gloves ;)
La Grave!
edg
You mean the Krippenstein?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tippster
my pick would be Verbier. great terrain and fairly consistant snow. good location for day trips and touring. an overall solid european experience sans attitude.
yeah, please add me to a list of very interested parties as long as the dates work out.
don't do it in feb, all the school have holidays. january you can probably get good deals on, but the only reliable snow in that time is eastern suisse (engleberg, andermatt) and arlberg in austria. andermatt lacks a bit of charm, but it is quiet and has TONS of quasi o.b. that doesn't get tracked out.
Arlberg/Voralberg: Lech...Zuers...St. Christoph...St. Anton. Best snow in Europe. Plenty of BC terrain. Austrian charm. From Februay thru April, this place can't be beat (unless you are in Utah!)
DingDingDing. http://www.krippenstein.at/html_dat/...t/galerie.html Too bad the pix in SubtlePlague's TR don't work anymore.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hicks
Frau Roo: I was NOT referring to LaGrave, since (as has been pointed out) there are already camps run by Gordy's acquaintances there. It would certainly be quieter than St. Anton/Cham./Verbier/etc.
Engelberg would be my second choice.
Yup, I know. But it's doable.Quote:
Originally Posted by ulty_guy
Apologies, my good sir :oQuote:
Originally Posted by Tippster
Are you coming then?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tippster
-Terrain, snowfall, crowds, European ambience, accessability, proximity to other resorts(daytrip), proximity to cool apre sightseeing and dining options(e.g. Alagna to Milan and back for dinner), mountain dining, strength of U.S. dollar.[/QUOTE]
I agree that in the Arlberg you would get pretty much everything you mentioned. You could zip up to Munich in about 2 hours or be in Davos. Actually I really like Davos. Spent 3 days there and it was nuking the whole time. Saw lots of hardcores on the lifts with avalungs, those packs with the ripcord balloon thingys, and harnesses. Heck, the swiss national avy research center is there so they must get some snow eh? On second thought look into Davos. There are like 5 or 6 mini areas around the town. Pretty cool town, more of a modern feel then some but with cool little mountain huts for sure! Anyway, just my .02.
...if I had the money and Time to go. Damn job/house/kids.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tippster
A bit left field but Les Arcs is a top resort - not too many people either. Aguille Rouge is about 3200m and you've got the longest decent in Europe down to Villaroger. Lots of varied terrain: trees, large open faces etc. There's also the paradiski link to La Plagne opening up the North Face de Bellecotte.
Ok so it's not perhaps as sexy as Alagna/La Grave, but there are no other such camps running there and as a result i think they'd be only too happy to help you out. Also doesn't get tracked as fast as most places.
What's more alot of the local les arcs/bourg guys are top skiers as well if you needed further help with the camps: the 3 troubat brothers, Enak Gavaggio, Romain Raison, Romain Maitre, Laurant Niol?
I love Arlberg too (well, and Austria in general). But there are so many cool places all over Europe, I can't see how you'd go wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brewski2
I need to go sell some more houses so I can afford this.
Monetier Les Bains (Briancon) - La Grave, Serre Chevalier, Vars-Risoul, Puy St. Vincent, tour and snaque le Queyras, the larches of Montgenevre to Claviere, Trois Vallees', Val Frejus, Mont Cenis, other Maurienne Valley spots, all within 1.5 hours drive.
or
Alagna (not so consistent on snow, but orgasmic terrain, relatively cheap and incredible ambience). Contact Sergio Gabbio for guiding and hotel deal ( http://www.montagnadiluce.it/eng.htm )
or
Andermatt or Verbier or (big, exposed skiing, consistent snow, but spendy Swiss)
or
St. Anton/Lech/Zurs.
or
Bourg St. Maurice - Funicular to Les Arcs, easy drives to Val d'Isere/Tignes, St. Foy, La Rosiere-La Thuile. Check out l'Auberge Sur La Montagne ( http://www.auberge-montagne.co.uk/ ) near St. Foy as a base. Good peeps, nice place and they have a van and chalets.
In that case you also can hit Verbier and ask guys like Phil Maier or the Falquet Bros to guest coach...... :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikey
The espace Killy has fantastic off piste and has the highest resorts in France. There are hardly ever queues for the lifts and there is a varied terrain (although not a lot of tree runs)
The place has a reputation for high level skiing/boarding and there aren't endless queues of learners going from one side of the piste to the other.
Day trips are possible to paradiski (les arcs/la plagne), La rosiere, St Foy and the 3 valleys (meribel/courchevel/la tania).
If you want a lively nightlife then Val D'Isere is good and if you want a quieter place with more of a serious skiing approach then Tignes is fantastic. The lift system is constantly getting upgraded and is very efficient. There are excellent bus services within both Tignes and Val D.
I would say that the main weakness is that a lot of the off-piste gets cut up fast and as a result you need to know your way around a bit to find nice powder sometimes. If you can be bothered to hike then there are some truly spectacular runs possible. Also the park is limited compared to what you will be used to in Northern America. This is true of most European resorts. If you are looking for a decent park I have heard that the Portes du Soleil (arvoriaz/morzine) is the place to go
I think I should work for their tourist board!
If you don't mind hoards of excruciating toffs. I know you've done 2 seasons there and all but the bizillions of braying British gapers put me right off when I went.Quote:
Originally Posted by mista
I was :o to be a Brit
You were Blowjobface to be a Brit? Wow, lemme buy you a drink! Garcon.....
Yeah, there are a couple of bars that I avoid...Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrs Roo
And I've been using that emoticon for years to signify embarrassment. Oh dear, what other inappropriate blunders have I made. How :o :o :oQuote:
Originally Posted by Tippster
man do those hooligans ever like to fight when they booze. is brawling considered a british national drinking game?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrs Roo
Quote:
Originally Posted by powder11
Most British towns/cities are a battlefield on a Saturday night (though less so in London, I think). All those people getting hit over the head keeps me in work.
La Grave is a great place for a camp...but takes awhile to finally get there even by Euro standards.
We are all crazy. When I go out I enjoy nothing more than beating the crap out of people. :FIREdevil
This thread
http://tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35049
contains the most recent suggestions.
Me too. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by ulty_guy
I don't get to go very often, but I do have buddies that spend every winter in the Alps. A large portion of the best pics and stories are from places in the Engadin area in southeast Switzerland (St. Moritz, Diavolezza and Silvaplana). Everyone knows about St. Moritz, but the other two are "lesser known" destinations with pretty impressive terrain (Diavolezza in particular) and a lot of snow. I think you can get a pass that covers all three.
Last year, around new years, I travelled around Austria with a friend from Sweden. We spent almost two weeks at smaller destinations that get a lot of snow but not much attention (from anyone). Sharing this kind of information over the internet is considered a big nono these days... so... I don't know how mobile such a camp would be. If mobile at all? None of the places were big enough to keep the two of us busy for a whole week. I'll cough up the names if you want.
Diavolezza:
http://www.dovesciare.it/cartinadiavolezza.jpg
Silvaplana:
http://www.planetsnow.de/fm/1305/Silvaplana.jpg
a few years back in Cham, a few buddies and I hit one of the pubs frequented by brits. things started out jovial enough, the booze was flowing and us yanks felt warm fuzzies from the whole lot. as closing neared, warm fuzzies turned into fists of furry. we hightailed it out of there when they started throwing chairs and bottles. when we showed up to ski (bumped and bruised) a few hours later, our french guide, in between fits of laughter asked us if we had been out drinking with "the brits". lesson learned the hard way.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrs Roo
1. La grave. (i only read half of it because im eager to answer. so if tehre are any reasonsagainst it i aopologize)
you know why.
snow is an issue sometimes but it is very high and you'll find some. problem: too many people who are too good. not as bad as in cham but it is a concern. unless you tour, everything will get tracked reeeaally fast.(just watch the vid on their website)
2. engelberg. huuuge possibilities and untracked snow for days lift served ( despite of the swedes(man ive never seen so many) and many freeriding tourists/locals) and BC /touring possibilities are awesome.
Im glad my baptist missionary preaching concerning the krip has found its way into fertile soil :D , but the krippenstein is not a reliable candidate. you cannot plan a camp there unless it is spontanious ;) or you want to tour up to the glacier area(serious routes there too) :(
glacier steep route:
http://www.bergsteigen.at/pic/150_2_...90e6650518.jpg
from inside
http://www.bergsteigen.at/pic/150_3_...62fa566a2a.jpg
when it dumps it goes off for sure. but some warm days and everything goes bad really fast. it just lacks elevation. my photos don't work because im hosting my vid on the site right now. but the pictures are hereKrippenstein pics
80% of my video was filmed there klick me for pow
and here is one of the krip pics. the rest is in the link above
krippenstein east face.
http://www.freeskiforum.com/galerie/...mittel-161.jpg
If there is snow it rocks....
edit:and im more than interested !
I'm thinking either the week of Jan. 28-Feb. 4 or Feb. 18-25. I know that February is the holiday season but I've almost always traveled to Europe in late January-early March and as long as you are first on the lifts there is no problem with getting tons of skiing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrs Roo
Of course the driving gloves will be in my carry on. :) Actually there was an ice track near Briancon(I think) that we rallied several years ago in some kart type things. Good stuff.
There's some great input here. I knew the maggots were good for some Euro-insight. Anyone got anything to add?
A brief summary:
Buster, all excellent suggestions. I like the idea of Briancon as a base with the option of heading over to La Grave for some days. Excellent tree skiing(muy importante), good town with a really cool walled city, nice variety of terrain, and the incredible mountains and ambience of La Grave.
Lok, I also like the idea of the Eastern Switzerland base. Somewhere near Davos, or a bit further, St. Moritz with all of its ski areas and the Engadin Valley at your disposal(I dig Diavolezza); Massive terrain options, statistically good snow, Swiss precision in everything, extreme sledding(Schlittenbahnen) :) :) , easy access from Zurich, Swiss Franc exchange.
Another suggestion I like(Brewski, Schindlerpiste) is St. Anton/Lech/Zurs. Big steep terrain, lots of snow, nice Tyrolean ambience, great beer and sausages, and lots of schnapps! Access from Munich(hello Hofbrauhaus/Bitburger Pils!) or Zurich.
Subtle Plague, the Titlis is tits! I love Engelberg. It's got terrain, snow, it's glaciated, easy access from Zurich, Lucerne nearby for a great swiss city with lots to see, do and eat. Also, Andermatt for a day trip.
I'm a bit surprised only a few mentioned Verbier and none Champery(Portes Du Soleil-220 lifts!). Massive terrain, good tree skiing(Champery), easy access from Geneva, Chamonix a short drive, amazing views and the beautiful Lake Geneva and cities of Lausanne and Montreaux nearby.
This is a tough call. Should I just base it on nearby strip clubs? :)
Check with Punani.Quote:
Originally Posted by str8line
another vote for Serre Chevalier/La Grave. I´ll even volunteer to go as a pack mule/troubador/Scandalnavian girl liason.
I dunno. I spent a lot of francs in Monetier-les-Bains in "greater" Briancon in a basement joint that served grill duck breast, cheap litres of red wine and a small serving staff of superb cleavage.
Nearby hotels: Hotel L'Europe, Hotel Alliey.