Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Ski and snowboarding

For ski chat, join the Mumsnet Ski forum. Check out our guide to the best resorts in Europe and our family ski holiday packing list.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

A Happy Skiing Chat Thread !!

176 replies

Carol1379 · 19/11/2014 16:50

Guys

Just wanted to start a thread about why everybody loves Skiing, thought it would be good as Winter setting in.

Mine are - watching daughter fly past me down a slope !! :) The fresh crisp mountain air, we ski in March/April so generally sunshine!

Evenings, good food and wine with friends an open roaring fire whilst the children play!! Ahhh Bliss :)

OP posts:
UniS · 17/12/2014 20:08

Thanks Cru cru, but not going for ESF or 6 sessions this year. Want more freedom to explore the whole mountain as a family. This is the first year we are doing with out childcare.
Ideally I would book him in for a 3 morning junior course with one of the British instructor led schools but they are not running in morzine that week. Looking at easy2ride as a possible for private sessions.

However I do need one of my customers to pay an outstanding invoice before I can book anything. Holiday is paid for, passes etc budgeted for , but have small cash flow issue to get sorted before I commit any more.

WiggleGinger · 17/12/2014 20:26

Evening all
Great thread!

We are off to Courcheval mid Jan.

Going with DH family (mil FIL SIL BIL plus niece 9months and our DC DD is 5 DS 4months)

Family have skied for over 30 years so are grilled we are all going DH is a boarder I'm sure he was born on that thing!!

I'm a fair weather skier who likes to 'pootle around'
I'm
Looking forward to the atmosphere, the food the wine the CHEESE!!!!!!!

Really need to get DD into a lesson if she's keen we are building her up to it!

Dd has been once before to Flaine aged 3 so we need to work on her.
I'm just happy to be going in holiday and spending time with DH who has been working abroad a lot this year!

standingonlego · 17/12/2014 22:05

jumpjockey we are going to Snowfocus for the 2nd time again in Feb :) loved it!

flipchart · 17/12/2014 23:15

Has anyone been skiing in Russia or Latvia?

tahitienos · 18/12/2014 07:32

We're off twice this season after falling in love with skiing at Easter. We're off on an adults weekend to Saint Gervais next month then Obergurgl in March. I am ridiculously excited already, can think of nothing else!

ajandjjmum · 18/12/2014 07:58

Just arranged DH's surprise Christmas present, a ski trip at the end of January. Had to fit it between DC commitments (!!) but they're both coming too, which will make it a great holiday.

He will be so excited - he and DS love skiing, DD is a little nervous now but intends to ski a little, and I shall buy some good books, and meet them for lunch!

Can't wait to see his face when he opens his pressies on Christmas morning Grin

slalomsuki · 18/12/2014 15:49

3 more sleeps to go then off to Austria. So excited

Did has been skiing for 6 years since she was 3 so is going to ski with us this time and not having lessons.

inconceivableme · 18/12/2014 18:24

We've been on many a ski
holiday in the last week of January. It's cold then but the snow is usually great. It's always cheap then too.

Fizzery · 19/12/2014 05:20

Writing this from up a mountain in British Columbia, Canada. Snow has been "interesting" this week but at least our hill is open unlike many others. Snow now arriving by the bucket load and the rest of our runs open tomorrow: huzzah! Been here a few days and still have 2 weeks to go, love, love, love it. Kids can ski circles around us these days but we don't care, kessins in the morning, family stuff in the afternoon. Hot tubs, board games, too much food and lots of amazing local wine. What's not to love? Favourite trip of the years no doubt about it.

ResponsibleAdult · 19/12/2014 16:44

After 12 hours of heavy snow yesterday, we skied over to Val D Isere, it was glorious. Fresh snow, -3 at the middle, -10 at the top, more pistes open, but you couldn't get into Val at the bottom, needs more snow.

We are guessing that as conditions are good, but some slopes remain closed that the pisteurs may be preserving some slopes for peak Xmas and NYE alternatively they don't want to pay for staff on the lifts until full capacity.

Happy holidays

drspouse · 26/12/2014 17:20

We are getting ready for our late Jan holiday, I am getting in a bit of a muddle with ski gear (see my other thread) but my mum (who taught me to ski at about the age DS is now) is getting me excited too. But also worried because if we take baby DD out in a sledge she does need to be really, really warm.

We have one more year before DS starts school but I am off work this year and our leave periods are limited so we were taking advantage. However, I've looked up the leave periods for next season and it looks like there's one or two weeks when I'm allowed to take leave but the schools are still open so we might be able to do it again next year.

Sending DH into the loft to get the ski gear suitcase tonight. We haven't been together for about 4 or 5 years and never with DCs. I will make him chuck out any 90s jackets I find.

UniS · 26/12/2014 20:53

No , WEAR the 90s ski jackets , they are back in fashion, or at least ironic shabby chic fashion.

I'm still hoping and praying for snow to fall on the mountain of choice for this winters ski trip ( in 3 weeks time). Web cam pics today were still showing distressingly green and grassy slopes

drspouse · 26/12/2014 22:22

Sadly it appears he already ditched them Sad

I need: warm tights (I'll be doing some x-country, in fact mainly x-country, so don't really do salopettes), possibly a fleece hat that actually covers my ears (I knit but specialise in cute lacy hats for town, it appears), and some tube socks.

DH needs: don't know, he can sort that out. A 90s ski jacket apparently.

DC need: not really sure, see other thread! DS definitely needs snow boots but my mum has promised a pair of x-country boots one size too big that are definitely flexible, sturdy and warm enough for him to walk around the resort, if they are not TOO enormous they will do.

trixymalixy · 26/12/2014 22:34

We've booked to go to puy st Vincent for the Scottish feb half term.

We went to val d'isere last year with Esprit, but they wanted an extra £1k this year for exactly the same holiday just because DD has turned 5. She isn't taking up an extra bed or seat on a plane. She skied last year, and surely the child care ratios should go down as they get older. So we said a big "fuck you" to Esprit and went with Snowbizz.

deste · 28/12/2014 21:40

Booked today for Zell Am See on 10 of January. It has started snowing now so looking forward to it. We were there last year and had good weather and good skiing at the top of the mountain but were not able to ski to the bottom.

DontGotoRoehamptonUniversity · 29/12/2014 08:35

Have bought lots of ski jackets over the years, but my fave (and the one I'll be in next week) I bought from C&A in 1989...
Off on Thurs to Meribel - fab dump of snow over the last few days so quite relieved...

drspouse · 29/12/2014 22:52

Yes DH had one from C&A too which also bit the dust!

deste · 30/12/2014 21:27

I bought my DH racing ski pants from C&A about thirty years ago and I still have them with the label still on. TBH the style has never changed but they would fit my DD who is a size 8.

juneau · 04/01/2015 15:18

Just got back from a week's skiing in Austria yesterday. Snow was patchy when we arrived, but then it snowed quite a bit for several days - I think the total fall was about 130cm - so the pistes are now looking great and lifts/pistes were mostly all open by the end of the week and more snow is currently falling. I think it should be okay now - the autumn was very warm, but the weather seems pretty normal for the time of year now.

deste · 04/01/2015 18:34

Juneau where were you skiing?

juneau · 05/01/2015 08:46

Zauchensee (its in the Salzburger Sportwelt - nearish to Schladming, Filzmoos, Bad Gastein, etc)

PestoStormissimos · 05/01/2015 09:00

We just had the most amazing skiing in Les Deux Alpes. We were lucky as the resort had been green on the lower slopes but the weekend we arrived it had just dumped and the snow conditions were perfect! I now want to go again!! Grin

SignoraLiviaBurlando · 05/01/2015 15:03

Am in 3V (Meribel) and we were lucky too that there was a massive dump of snow the weekend before we arrived ( we never arrive on a weekend day - that has proved to DH that my insistence on avoiding weekend transfers is sound Grin).
Has been ok skiing up on the mountains, Courchvele, Val T, Les Menuires - but nowhere near as much as usual and Meribel snow is dire.. I always said I wanted to see what the Alps are like in the spring when the snow has melted - well I now have a pretty good idea. Very very thin on the blues and greens in the resort - ok higher up the mountain. Skiing back today into Meribel was scary - very icy at the bottom, lots of people falling over what are very easy slopes in normal conditions. Unless there is more snow this weekend, anyone arriving should bring lots of good books...

JacksonBrodie · 06/01/2015 23:37

Bugger, we are off to PdS this weekend, have been looking forward to it for ages. Confusingly, most of the ski sites suggest that the conditions are good, snow is coming. Sadly, just not the most authoritative or user generated ones! Will have to head over to the Adult Fiction thread and get some book recommendations....and consider how to keep the under6s entertained.

SignoraLiviaBurlando · 07/01/2015 06:41

This shows very accurate weather .
Where I am in Meribel the piste conditions are deteriorating, and will only ski for a couple of hours today and tomorrow, finishing at lunchtime Sad