Where is the most like Canada (but isn't Canada!)?

[whycantwegoonasthree]

We've gone to Canada every Christmas/New Year week for the past five years - it's the only place my kids have ever skied. The jet lag is a bitch and the journey is long, but we love it when we get there.

Unfortunately while Canada is now open, it's not open to unvaccinated over 12 year olds - and while our 14 year old will have had one vaccine they won't have had two, by all accounts. We'd booked to go, but thankfully it's all cancellable and refundable. But still,

So. Where should we go instead that will allow us in the country with an unvaccinated 11 year old and a half-vaccinated 14 year old (with two fully vaccinated adults) and will feel as much like Canada as possible?

We've had some lovely trips as a couple to the three Valleys, but expect it to be crazy busy at that time of year, and that we would spend half our time queueing for lifts... In Canada if you're with an instructor (which we will be happy to fork out for, not least since it's been a couple of years since we were last on skis) you get to jump the queues for lifts - is that even a thing anywhere else?

Also we love skiing in trees, and moguls, not just wide groomed pistes that I've experienced in France and Switzerland... but my skiing outside of Canada is super limited, as is DP's, who had gone exclusively to Canada for nearly 20 years now.

We're prepared to splurge, since we won't be paying for transatlantic flights, and we didn't go anywhere last year – this is our big family holiday, and well, we're fortunate enough to be able to.

Where would you go?

TIA,
3

Meant to bold that first sentence as I really don’t agree!… to much apres!

Another one for Selva, The Stella Ronda area, a number of inter linked villages. Though I think I would prefer Araba than Selva. You can ski all the way round in a circle. There is a bit of walking but can be done. Might be a bit low for guaranteed snow. I haven't skied for years but loved Europe as I love the mountain bars and restaurants.

So, after going around the houses we've gone for Cervinia…

It's high, so a pretty good chance of snow, lots of terrain, good mixed ability skiing - and plenty on intermediate stuff - which is probably good since we're a year out of practice and two lockdowns out of shape.

Not as interesting terrain, possibly as we're used to, but I really don't know.

Hopefully a bit less busy than 3 Valleys, although it's New year week, so everywhere will be busy. The money we've saved on flights we've spent on a bloody swanky hotel (because there was bugger-all left in the mid-range...).

Everything was selling out as fast as we could find it.

We'll get some private lessons to try and get a bit of off-piste action in a safe way.

I think it'll be good. I hope it'll be good - it's booked now!

Now, Covid be kind.

I’ve been to Cervinia twice and the link to Zermatt is excellent. Cervinia is pretty easy skiing but Zermatt is more challenging. The No7 run is also brilliant if the snow is good as it’s a 7k run. Some of the lifts are VERY slow (we call one the wicker basket as it’s so old) which tends to limit some cross piste travel, but that’s towards Valton’ side. Unfortunately Canadian skiing spoils you, but we like the Easter skiing there.

We hired instructors for our kids (group of 9) and ‘Barbara’ had ours racing and jumping. She was brilliant. We stayed at club med and the instructors there aren’t worth it IMO (after hitting one with a pole we decided they weren’t suited to young kids!)

Wherever you choose in Europe, be prepared to be appalled at the lack of manners/queuing etiquette compared to Canada.

Is there anywhere on the East Coast USA that would work instead?

I think that's the thing we like about Canada - aside from the terrain - is that they make everything so bloody EASY. My limited experience skiing in Europe is just it all feels a bit more like hard work.

But hey, the food will be better, right?

North America very unclear and changeable about ravel restrictions with a partially vaccinated 14 year old. Decided not worth the risk…

In my limited experience skiing in Italy the infrastructure is the worst of anywhere and the queues are correspondingly really bad. But I have never heard strong skiers have a bad word to say about Zermatt. Definitely the food will be better! I love Switzerland as it’s pretty easy and where I go it’s never busy and the infrastructure is slick. It’s expensive but you don’t have to pay long haul. My husband thinks skiing is best in the US / Utah etc but for us it’s not worth compromising the easy journey and excellent and varied food in Europe. Hope you enjoy your European break OP! Do report back

@Dindundundundeeer

Meant to bold that first sentence as I really don’t agree!… to much apres!

I'm surprised you don't think Whistler is compact. Unless it's changed a lot since I was there 15 years or so ago, it's 2 peaks and the back bowls. Great skiing undoubtedly, but nothing like the sprawling mega-resorts of Europe. The thing people IMO get wrong about Europe is staying on-piste. The pistes are just motorways to get between off piste areas.

On the moguls, yes European resorts leave some, but there's no way I'd advise someone who likes moguls to go to Selva for example, and that came up in more than one post.

The first time I went to Whistler I thought it was great. The second time I thought it was...exactly the same as the first. It's very controlled, very samey. Most of the shops and restaurants are just the same company with different branding. The customer service is great but also inflexible. Want anything not in the script and it's a big smile and a blanket "no".

Last decade or so I've been skiing only Europe but hiring off piste guides and I've had so many epic days.

Cervinia sounds like a good bet, I hope the OP enjoys it.

@OooPourUsACupLove
I suppose it feels bigger because one can ski anywhere but without having to make special arrangements for a guide. Off piste in Europe always feels like a major undertaking - beyond nipping between slopes I mean. Whistler the whole lot in in bounds for insurance purposes.

I did compare the resorts a couple of years ago and Whistler wasn’t the biggest on earth (as they claim), but did equal
the big European offerings, but that doesn’t account for back country.

I think the grooming regime suits me more in Canada and I do like a nice polite lift queue! All that said I’ve had some fantastic skiing in Europe. I just love skiing really

My experience is pretty limited – I've only been skiing for six years (there's nothing like starting to ski in your forties as a high risk strategy!) most of this has been done in Canada with only a couple of European trips.

So I definitely haven't reached the limit of variety of Whistler/Blackcomb yet!

That said, DP who has been skiing there every year for about 16 years with his son, both of whom are very good and adventurous skiers, seem to find plenty of things to keep them busy and interested. Couloirs, bowls, deep powder, moguls, trees, rocks, jumping of stuff like-absolutementalers. That said they've got a local friend/guide/instructor who they've known for years to help them find the crazy stuff they love.

Maybe it is that for the intermediate skier, interesting stuff is all pretty easy to get to there – it's probably all there in spades in Europe, but like you say, it's out of bounds, and you need a guide to get to it safely. Whereas in Whistler, me and DP together can find a gladed run, or a mogul run, or just something interesting and bit more technical than a groomed piste by ourselves and its easily accessed.

Anyway, since I've finished both my last two ski trips on crutches (ValThorens and then Whistler) maybe I should stick to the groomed pistes anyway - especially as I'm a year out of practice! Time to resign myself to gentle middle-aged-lady skiing maybe.

Then again, fuck that.

Vermont?

Vermont had too many unknowns regarding entering the country with an only partially vaccinated 14 year old... I think the US are only finalising guidelines in November - so it was too much of a risk...

Disclaimer - not a skier so can’t vouch for the Sierra Nevada resort!
But we have had holidays in Andalusia in late October, and driven up for the first snowfall. I think there’s always good snow.
You also have the option here of going off the mountain to visit eg Granada or the coast. And flights to Malaga are generally frequent and cheap.

sierranevada.es/en/invierno/la-estación/

Cervinia is a good bet, although it does get very busy. It also has fairly good facilities, not least because the ski passes are €€€€€, so I would expect nothing less, but I’ve not been for about 10 years so may be out of date.

The only thing is that now you need a green pass/vax certificate to eat inside restaurants, get inside public buildings etc. so with a single vaxxed teen you may find yourselves needing to eat outside on the terrace. Not entirely sure tbh, perhaps single vax certificate is fine if not dated too far back (as in you can sell it as awaiting your second jab, it’s 6-8 weeks between jabs in Italy, or where live anyway, my DD had an interim pass after her 1st jab but the QR code expired at some point).

It may all change by the time you go, but maybe check before you leave.