Top five resorts in The Alps?

**Flakes** · 09-29-2007, 01:51 PM

Let me know your picks. Lets just say you had 2 feet of fresh, blue bird day, and super stable conditions. Where would you spend that day? Name the five resorts in the Alps you would be at.

**Snowhead** · 09-29-2007, 02:56 PM

In my opinion:

-St Anton/Lech/Zurs
-Zillertal
-Zermatt/Cervinia/Valtourneche
-4vallées
-3vallées
-

**edg** · 09-29-2007, 03:01 PM

No love for Gressoney/Alagna? Aiguille du Midi?

edg

**philippeR** · 09-29-2007, 03:08 PM

Alphabetical order :

Chamonix
St Anton
Val d'Isere
Verbier

La Grave, Les Arcs or l'Alpe d'Huez on 5 th place.

Original, uh ?

**PeterK** · 09-29-2007, 03:29 PM

Assuming all the resorts have their "normal" amount of people:

Andermatt
Zinal
Zermatt
St Anton/Lech/Stuben
Val d'Isere/Tignes

Assuming zero crowds:

Chamonix
Verbier
Val d'Isere/Tignes
St Anton/Lech/Stuben
Andermatt

Places that could potentially be on one of those lists but I haven't been there yet:

La Grave
Engelberg
Les Arcs/La Plagne

**Ripzalot** · 09-30-2007, 12:34 AM

come on now...we can't give away the farm to 29 post count gapers! what happened to jonging of newbies?

st moritz
davos
crans montana
gstaad
grindelwald

**IridePow** · 09-30-2007, 12:39 AM

JONG 1
JONG 2
JONG 3
JONG 4
JONG 5

**addict** · 09-30-2007, 01:02 AM

With 2 feet of fresh I really liked the idea of Kappl. Lots of gnar and hucks up high then amazing tree skiing down to the gondy.
Serre Chevalier can be good times.

La Grave is fun, but doesn't have that many drops per acreage, and Lot's of traversing if you take certain routes

**Hicks** · 09-30-2007, 01:28 AM

Originally Posted by addict

With 2 feet of fresh I really liked the idea of Kappl. Lots of gnar and hucks up high then amazing tree skiing down to the gondy.

Kappl isn't bad for such a small skiing area but honestly would hardly make it to the top 5 when considering all factors. Plus ski theft has significantly picked up there with all the gapers from the flatlands.

In no particular order:

Verbier
Alpe d'Huez
Arlberg
Trois Vallees
La Grave/Serre Che

In order to get the most of a good pow day you are depending on a modern interlinked lift system IMHO. Else all the other mentioned places incl. Engelberg could easily make that list too.

**TeleAl** · 09-30-2007, 01:35 AM

Originally Posted by Ripzalot

come on now...we can't give away the farm to 29 post count gapers! what happened to jonging of newbies?

29 posts since Oct 2005! What's up with that?

Spam?

**stantonbum1** · 09-30-2007, 01:51 AM

There is only one place to go in Europe - Skiwelt in Austria.

It links the sickest resorts in the Alps:- Elmau, Scheffau, Soll and Brixen on one ski pass.

**Scottish_Skier** · 09-30-2007, 02:57 AM

Funny how there seems to be a rough general consesus...
Perhaps with a rough split between those who prefer french speaking resorts, and those who prefer german.

Best ones I have had the pleasure to visit are -

1. La Grave
2. Verbier
3. Val D'Isere / Tignes
4. Chamonix
5. Les Arcs

Though most of the above are "ski factory's". High speed lifts linking several valleys - and potential to be busy or get tracked out in 40 minutes. I am sure there are literally hundreds of other very cool small / locals resorts in the alps...

**subtle plague** · 09-30-2007, 03:11 AM

Ischgl
Sölden
Mayrhofen
Bierberg
und Schnapsendorf!

everywhere i can wait in an apres ski tent until this nasty snowfall has stopped.
i got Dj Ötzi on my side!

**Roo** · 09-30-2007, 03:30 AM

I would go for

Alpe d'Huez
La Grave
Argentiere
St Anton

and I'm reserving a spot for either Engelberg or Verbier based on sheer hearsay.

**PeterK** · 09-30-2007, 04:28 AM

Originally Posted by Ripzalot

come on now...we can't give away the farm to 29 post count gapers!

I'm pretty much a gaper myself in that respect

But I did leave out two places on purpose from my first list, that definetly should be there.

Originally Posted by Ripzalot

st moritz

Funny you would mention that one. I had a look at their trail map at the end of last season. Damn they have a lot of north facing slopes on high altitude... Anyone been there? (no. I didn't search here yet)

**Arno** · 09-30-2007, 05:25 AM

Originally Posted by Flakes

Lets just say you had 2 feet of fresh, blue bird day, and super stable conditions.

i wouldn't be all that fussy with those conditions... of the places I have been:

Alpe d'Huez
La Grave
Argentiere (thought about the Midi, but you can't get as many laps in off that)
Engelberg
Andermatt

Places like Espace Killy would be on there if you could guarantee there weren't hundreds of Scandinavians tracking the place out

edit: actually, with 2ft of pow, gressoney/alagna has to be on there

**Mike Pow** · 09-30-2007, 05:38 AM

Monte Rosa (Alagna, Champuloc, Gressoney)
Chamonix area
Engleberg
La Grave

and one off the beaten path,

Stranda, Norway

And Stantonbum1 you forgot Itter and Going

**hemas** · 09-30-2007, 07:21 AM

Originally Posted by Mike Pow

Stranda, Norway

Hmm... You've seem to be utter shite at geography...

Kölen =/ the Alps, ya know.

Though, Stranda and much of Scandiland has some great lines & skiing (alas not always the vert the Alps offer, but still).

**Ripzalot** · 09-30-2007, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by PeterK

Funny you would mention that one. I had a look at their trail map at the end of last season. Damn they have a lot of north facing slopes on high altitude... Anyone been there? (no. I didn't search here yet)

i went one time on a group work ski weekend. incredibly enough, it snow about 20-30cms the friday before. its super posh and few people offpiste. beautiful terrain for touring. but normally, not so much snow there. sunniest ski resort in switzerland.

**verbier61** · 09-30-2007, 12:21 PM

cham, verb, alagna, zinal, andermatt

**PeterK** · 09-30-2007, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by Ripzalot

i went one time on a group work ski weekend. incredibly enough, it snow about 20-30cms the friday before. its super posh and few people offpiste. beautiful terrain for touring. but normally, not so much snow there. sunniest ski resort in switzerland.

Why did you have to write that last sentence? It sounded perfect up until that... Oh well, could be worth checking out anyway if the snow falls in wierd places this season. Thanks for the info

**cramp** · 09-30-2007, 03:45 PM

St. Moritz has some pretty nice lines, especially Diavolezza, Lagalb and Corvatsch have huge potential (with the former two usually not that crowded, esp. out of seasonal peaks). As already mentioned the one big problem is the relatively low precipitation during winter (big dumps can arrive - usually from the south - but these storms have been quite rare lately).

Here are some impressions:

Val d'Arlas (Diavolezza), March 2006

Lagalb

Corvatsch - Western Colouir

**splat** · 09-30-2007, 04:13 PM

Anywhere shit like this exists.

phlingle, where are you?

**Mike Pow** · 10-01-2007, 12:23 AM

My bad, was thinking Europe instead of Alps.

So Arlberg circus instead.

**Roo** · 10-01-2007, 02:09 AM

Originally Posted by splat

Anywhere shit like this exists.

phlingle, where are you?

Phil's based down in the Queyras now (Guillestre) doing cycling holidays in summer and slightly less mental skiing in the winter. I think his website is www.alpinebreak.com