Skiing - will have just-3-yo and also want cross-country!

[drspouse]

I am angling to get DH to agree to a ski holiday, probably Jan 2015...

I was brought up cross-country skiing though I haven't done it for ages, I've been as an adult (pre DC) to Chamonix and found it had only just enough trails for cross-country skiing for me, I have not been recently though so might find that kind of level OK now. It has about "25k" of c-c meaning it has about 15k plus some doubling back.

DH has since persuaded me to do a little gentle downhill (I think I did one morning lesson and then one morning skiing, this was at Whistler, where the c-c was rather fabulous as it was the Olympic routes, but we are NOT going to N. America with a 3yo for skiing!)

We have also been to Hemsedal in Norway with my family, who are the c-c crowd, but DH found that a bit limiting for downhill, and I think that's supposed to be the best downhill in Scandinavia?

I imagine with DS we will not need to be doing quite such long runs etc. so it is a bit less important for the resort to be wonderful for both of us. I'm happy to do a bit of snow shoeing, and pottering, I don't have to do c-c every day.

DS will only be just 3 and I am not confident he'll be fully potty trained. I know some of the ski schools ask them to be potty trained. So I think we're looking at nanny/creche/snow play, with maybe a bit of us going to a ski lesson with him if anywhere does that?

Although I am ski-ist and would ideally like him to learn c-c I am not that ski-ist that I will only consider resorts with c-c ski school!

So ideas please! Also if we were thinking of a chalet, am I right that you rent your room(s) and then you eat with other families? You don't have to get a party together to rent the whole chalet? Complete novice here. We had an apartment on both of the above holidays.

This is all a dream at this stage but I need something to distract me!

Lenzerheide in Switzerland is v family friendly, good Langlauf (I'm told! Have only done C-c skiing in Norway) and brand new link to Arosa for excellent alpine skiing.
Really wouldn't be sure about putting a just 3-year old in ski school, though it depends on the child I suppose.
Most accommodation is self-catering or hotels rather than the catered chalets you get in the more typically English resorts.

This mobile.lenzerheide.com/de/winter/aktuelles/wintersportbericht is their Langlauf page, there seem to be loads of trails!

No, I do think we aren't likely to want to use ski school - it might be nice for him to try skiing with us there - maybe a couple of hours of private lessons as a one-off.

I think we could cope with self-catering as long as there was some kind of childcare, or a quick Google shows that there's at least one hotel with an onsite kindergarten there. So definitely worth bookmarking, thanks.

It is very slightly possible we might have a smaller one too at the time of going (we are in the process of applying to adopt for a second time). I noticed one of the kindergartens only takes 2+, is that common in Switzerland?

(Yes I spotted their Langlauf page - does seem pretty good for the Alps!)

Wow, not sure what he wants, or what his skills are if Hemsedal is "limiting".

Maybe he would like to try Randonne? Then he walks up, with his skis, and skis down off piste in powder snow? Or he can try Heli skiing in the Lyngen Alps?

I love Bardu (in Norway) for cc. But I suppose Snowman resort in Målselv will be too small. They have cc, too.

Levi in Finland has both, btw.

I think we hit a bad week for snow at Hemsedal, to be honest (it was after an early Easter), but you can't guarantee that won't happen again. It was also vvvv icy on the c-c trails I seem to remember. And it may be that it was the proportion of red/blue/black (he is not really into black runs, and prefers a variety of other types of runs). I can't remember exactly!

The other issue with Scandinavia is that it would be v early Jan and it would be quite dark quite early.

Yes, Finland is not that great in January. Have been in February and it was still very cold, and early nights.

I agree, I think realistically with DS and the time of year we're probably looking at the Alps.

I have no experience with the alps, sorry!

Ok, I've been sneakily looking at this again, really we can't afford it but it would be cheaper this year as I can't generally go at cheaper times but will still be on leave with DD.

Lenzerheide looks perfect except that the childcare is only for 2+ as far as I can work out.

Any further Alps ideas at all?

Why not N America with a three yo?

Come and see us in Canmore - we have an Olympic class Nordic Centre (the Canadian team trains here and it was used in the Calgary Olympics) and four amazing downhill resorts within easy drive... And that's not taking into account the miles of oublic trails in all the communities that aren't part of the Nordic Centre...

We used Lake louise for childcare with tots (our middle kid was in there from way too young, if I'm honest) but Tiny Tigers at Sunshine is good too. All three of mine have learned to ski here. )well, I tell a lie - we tried Hemsedal as well, on ds's third birthday, and some other random place in Europe, but really prefer the Canadian Rockies (seven dh, who was raised on a diet of Chamonix, Val etc)

Most of the childcare options do either mums n tots skiing, or an optional hour's lesson as part of the daycare.

I can't help with a suitable resort, for your needs, as we only do alpine skiing, but I took DS when he was just turned 3. Although he was toilet trained, I put him in pull ups for the mornings while he was in ski school, because he had all in ones, rather than a jacket and salopettes, and it was a bit of a faff getting them off to have a wee, for a little one. At least that way, if he had an accident, he didn't get cold. It didn't "undo" his toilet training to wear them, if you would worry about that.

madwoman We have already done one very long flight with the currently-two-year old this year, and need to do another one next year - but maybe when the new one is three!
Plus DH is using up almost all his AL on other things so we're probably looking at just a week.

Hmmm... one very expensive company (Powder Byrne) has their own creche for tinies. It looks good and I'd pay happily for the creche but not sure we can do their hotel prices... I'm trying to work out if you can pay for their creche on an independently booked holiday.

OK... two of the Esprit resorts look like they might work... just curious - anyone been with them and can give a ROUGH estimate of a week in the Alps (Austria, probably) in school term?

Definitely recommend both Ski Esprit and Mark Warner; both have excellent child care set up and they offer Austrian resorts which have plenty of downhill and CC skiing. Would NOT touch Powder Byrne - way too expensive, very poor child care and child meal arrangements. Not sure what you mean by rough estimates, but if you mean £ then it will be cheaper than New Year, Half term and Easter. From memory Esprit a little cheaper than MW but you'll need to factor in resort costs, eg lift passes.

Oh thanks so much.
I worked out you can add up all the bits yourself for Esprit without asking for a quote and it's about half the price of PB and if what you say is true then definitely worth looking at.

Sad to say I found PB over priced and un-professional with child care delivered by a student on placement from uni who had no previous child care or skiing experience - a bit of a nuisance when she was meant to accompany the kids on ski lessons ! Esprit were very well organised with child care. If the kids are happy the parents are happy....