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Ski and snowboarding

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Happy Skiing Thread Part 2!!

437 replies

lovetoskimum · 27/10/2015 11:48

Just what is say's :)

Booked euro tunnel this weekend for March 2016, apartment booked and hotels either side booked, so excited already, any one else want to join in :)

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PestoSkiissimos · 10/11/2015 13:00

Same here massistar
I bought DD2's ski jacket for her school trip a couple of years ago and she wore it again at Christmas & will be wearing it again this coming Easter. Last year's ski pants still fit too!

Lachattequrit · 10/11/2015 21:38

Thanks massistar. I will try that Grin

PatriciaHolm · 11/11/2015 09:22

Yep, ours get 2 years out of ski pants too!

This is replacement year though. Must remember to do it! Most of our kit lives in the Alps so I forget from year to year what we have that still fits...there is inevitably something I forget and have to buy at slopes prices which always stings!

puffylovett · 11/11/2015 10:33

Ooh a ski thread! We are booked via mountvacation to go to puy St Vincent, first time there but have only heard good things. I can't wait, it's our first proper family holiday! Going in half term, but because we've booked privately and are driving, it's kept the costs down.
Except I've just discovered i need to find £140 to get passports renewed Shock

Not putting the kids in to ski school - we are members at our local dry slope, so they are currently learning to parallel and are regular attendees at the freestyle lessons... (6 and 8 yrs old).. Both jumping and skiing backwards, I'm going to struggle to keep up, aren't I!

Does anybody have any advice to give about travelling through tolls etc? I heard you can get a tag so you can avoid queues?

lovetoskimum · 11/11/2015 11:40

Puffy, welcome to this thread, great fun isn't it !! :)

We drove for the first time this year, good fun, euro tunnel, took time and stayed in hotel on the Friday, arrived in resort lunch time Saturday. Really enjoy driving more of a family adventure !! (Well hubby drives !!)

Yes defo for the tag thing, we got a sanef one but apparently there is a French one that is slightly cheaper, the sanef one saves queues and you don't have to pay until the end of the next month ( helps with costs )

You must have snow chains and all the stuff that is legally required for you to drive in france, ie high vis vest, breathalisers (think 2 min) the list goes on !! Any more just ask me :)

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CaurnieBred · 11/11/2015 12:51

Thank Sweary and Tricky for the feedback on St Anton (am sure it will be fine . . .). The Esprit chalet is right by one of the lifts so an hoping to be able to ski back. Another reason I am not excited as it turns out that might be Fasching (Austrian Mardi Gras) so will probably be really busy. Am more excited about 2017 as we have booked to go to Corvara (my choice!) which is meant to be a bit more cruise-y, with the added benefit of the beauty of the Dolomites.

Puffy: when stopping at the aires for toilet breaks, most of the smaller ones are still holes in the ground, however, the disabled one is always a "proper" toilet (DH and I were fine with the ground ones but DD insisted on using the proper one).

Practice putting the snow chains on before you get to the side of a mountain. If you are self catering and have a slow cooker, take it with you. Freeze a meal for your first evening and let it defrost slowly during your drive there - less stress on the first night. Stop off and buy all your shopping in the valley as much cheaper than in resort.

puffylovett · 11/11/2015 13:49

Funnily enough we had the exact same conversation last night Grin slow cooker - check, snow chain practice on the drive - check

That's fab to know about the loos, I can't see my eldest ds being keen to use a hole in the ground!

Luckily dh has some experience in the driving side of things, we are planning to cross Friday morning and get a hotel near resort Friday eve so that we can shop, ski hire and mooch on Saturday.

puffylovett · 11/11/2015 13:51

Tips for how to keep the kids occupied also gratefully received! 2 boys, no DVD players

lovetoskimum · 11/11/2015 14:00

CaurnieBred, excellent advise on loos forgot about that !!!

Yes and slow cooker, we were in a catered chalet this year but are self catered next and yes had the same conversation, maybe do a chilli or spag bol !!!

Excited is an understatement, I am a cruise-y type skier too that's why les Arcs suits, would love to know more about Corvara though, how come you have been able to book 2017, I would be doing just that now !! Tell me how :)

Puffy, its fun to drive and stay in a overnight hotel, makes for a proper family adventure !! Mind you our drive out of les Arcs to Lille this year took 14 hours !!! Traffic v bed, Make sure you get the DVD players for the back of the car seats :) a god send !!

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lovetoskimum · 11/11/2015 14:02

Just read your previous post puffy, why no DVD players, they really helped our daughter, especially in 14 hours of traffic :)

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User543212345 · 11/11/2015 14:49

Caurnie your post just reminded me of the lift station loos in Lech. I'm quite content piddling anywhere and am used to going to quite basic mountain loos. The ones there were hilarious in their up-to-dateness. The loo seat started revolving as I flushed and it went through some kind of cleaning device at the back of the loo - I've never seen anything like it Grin

User543212345 · 11/11/2015 14:50

And puffy - no DC here but as children we used to do audiobooks in the car, and my sister does it now with her children and we're all transfixed by them. There was more than one occasion when we reached our destination and all five of us sat outside for the tape to end!

PatriciaHolm · 11/11/2015 16:05

Yes to audiobooks - both in car for all to listen to and on iPods/phones with headphones for individuals. Ours have tablets each too, plus books and puzzle books. They are 9 and 11 though so largely amuse themselves.

We don't bother with the toll thingy, but we never drive on main transfer day (saturday) so that probably helps. We normally break the drive overnight.

Aires, as others have said, can be dodgy toilet wise, we stop in proper services if at all possible.

You don't need the breathalysers; technically the law requires you to do so, but the fine for not carrying these was "postponed indefinitely" a while ago, so there is no penalty for not doing so. (The limits for drink driving are very very low in France though so don't!)

You do legally need a warning triangle, and a reflective jacket (kept in the passenger compartment not the boot). You are supposed to carry your V5 as well.

Headlights need to adjusted to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers so get some of the headlamp stickers converters. You also need a GB sticker unless your registration plate already displays one.

Its prohibited to carry any device capable of detecting speed cameras; many sat navs can do this so it's advisable to switch that capability off in case of spot checks. Though if you are driving sensibly it's unlikely you'll get stopped. Many cameras are unsigned so be careful and obey speed limits! It's also now illegal for a car driver to use any in or over ear equipment (like bluetooth phone headsets).

Driving on the right is relatively simple, just keep an eye out for "priorite a droite" - priority to the right - which still prevails occasionally at roundabouts, and means that some (usually older and more used to the convention) drivers will pull out onto main roads expecting oncoming traffic to give them priority!

puffylovett · 11/11/2015 17:09

Ooh audiobooks, good one... I shall have to download a few, and maybe invest in headphones and MP3 players for the boys. We are on a strict budget, we don't currently have dvd players, but I shall keep an eye out on our local selling sites.. We have tablets (one iPad, one hudl) and iPhones, am presuming they will only connect to the internet if we pay for roaming?

Sister had just said, be sure to pack sledges hats and gloves where they are most easy to access Grin

Lovetoskimum you make it sounds like such good fun! We shall have to invest in more adventure spirit! Dp can be a bit of a misery with the boys in the car, he gets easily distracted and worries.

lovetoskimum · 12/11/2015 10:27

Puffy, It is an adventure, remember to be prepared, have everything for kids in arms reach !!

As you have the hudl, download showbox and then kids can watch really current films (unless you already have it)

Hubby drives around the country anyway so is happy to drive and I concentrate on daughter, we reached St Bourg this year and driving up to Arc 1600 I sat in the back with daughter watching Annie and singing the sun will come out tomorrow :) Hubby loved it :)

Patrica, excellent advice on all that is required for driving in France

Lets get this thread to discussion of the day !!

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lampygirl · 12/11/2015 20:48

Flights booked for Xmas and Tunnel booked for March. Just hoping for some of the white stuff now! Bought new skis today so feeling very very poor.

Driving through France is pretty straightforward. Consider winter tyres for the car if you are likely to be going more than once ever. Can save the need for chains in some places (still need to be carried though) and are also better in the UK when the temperatures drop.

museumum · 12/11/2015 20:54

Booked today. So excited. Not driving cause we're from Scotland. Going direct to la rosiere with esprit. First time with them and first time with a family specific company (ds only 2).

CaurnieBred · 13/11/2015 00:04

Re Corvara. We are going with one of the smaller, independent operators. I emailed them last Feb to find out when I needed to start thinking about 2017 half term and they told me that they usually started taking bookings from the October, 16 months beforehand (and they had sold their last room for half term 2016 by the beginning of Feb 2015).

CaurnieBred · 13/11/2015 00:07

And back to loos but not in France. We went to Gressony last year with Esprit. Most of the loos up the mountains there are squat loos: that was a def challenge in ski boots and sallopettes! If I had known I would have taken (and practiced with) a shewee . . .

lovetoskimum · 16/11/2015 15:05

Ohhh Lampygirl, exciting two trips booked where are you off to ??

CaurnieBred, thanks for the info, already been online and thinking about 2017 !!!

any more want to join in :)

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massistar · 16/11/2015 17:23

Just booked 3 nights in Canazei in Italy for when we are over visiting DH's family at Christmas... that will be the 1st of our 3 ski trips this season.. Greedy? Grin

massistar · 16/11/2015 17:25

We love the Dolomites CaurnieBred.. so pretty and way cheaper than France.

Trickydecision · 17/11/2015 10:00

Caunie, you should have a great time in St Anton. I have just had a nosey look at the Ski Esprit chalets and I guess you will be near the Nasserein lift which is good as you can come down on that if the runs to the resort are too churned up or crowded, which they can be.
DH and I have just been reminiscing about our trips there. I remembered the lovely runs down to St Christophe and over to Stuben, and the lift, I think the Zamermoos, where the chairs live inside the mountain overnight. They disappear at the end of the day into a hole, just like in the Pied Piper of Hamlin and reappear in the morning.
You can ascend after the Nasserein via the Zamermoos. First day up there it was very, very foggy. When we got off the chair the visibility was apalling and I was scared to ski down unknown invisible territory so I announced I would go back down in the chair. Then I saw a notice on it 'no descents allowed'. I prompty threw up. Naturally my DSs still laugh about this 15 years on. A very cautious descent ensued and I made it unscathed, but we lost DS1. All were eventually reunited and after a fortifying gluwein I recovered my nerve. Happy Days.

lovetoskimum · 17/11/2015 13:32

Massistar, how lucky 3 planned :) Its good to be greedy !!

Am seriously considering Christmas 2016 now, would love to wake up Christmas morning on the slopes, any one got any advise on resorts etc :)

Should be working but searching for resorts !!

Tricky, how may years how been skiing, we are on our 7th year next March with daughter, but skied a lot before having her. Cant stop :)

:) :)

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puffylovett · 17/11/2015 19:48

Hello again everyone, just hopping on to ask for advice..

I'm wondering about booking ski hire online before we go, according to the website we will save a good 30% on in resort hire. Is this true? Or just a sales ploy?

I've been looking at alpinresorts.com, has anybody used them?

Im already panicking that I've booked our ski holiday through some dodgy non existent online company and we are going to turn up in resort and have nowhere to stay (even though my brother in law assures me that he's booked his last two holidays through them!)

Can't you tell I've never done this before Grin