Recommendations for beginner & advanced ski resort for Christmas

[PAtothegruesometwosome]

Hi there,

We did our first family ski holiday in Feb and went to Val D'Isere which was an amazing experience but for me as the slowest/most scared and least adventurous skier in our group (husband and older teenage sons) I was mostly petrified and barely making it onto the green slopes. Our ski guide told me that the greens there are mostly like blues/reds in the rest of Europe.

We really enjoyed the whole experience and want to go away over Xmas/New Year but I really want/need somewhere that is going to have some nice and long gentle green slopes rather than really steep and fast routes. At the same time there also needs to be reds/blacks to keep the rest of our party happy.

I'm also away that it's the start of the ski season then, so snow levels are a factor.

Can anyone recommend somewhere that has got something for all of us?

Thanks

Ironically I'd have recommended VDI/Tignes as that's where our family learnt to ski.

I like Zermatt (also high) but that's not particularly good for easy slopes.

Val Thorens is high, so good for snow, and has some nice nursery slopes right in town and greens coming back into town. Also some blues that IMO should be greens (eg Gentiane).

Tignes definitely. We stay at 1800 and get the gondola up to le Lac

Sestriere in Italy. We stayed at Hotel du Col- right at the base of a beginners slope. You literally ski from the hotels back door into the slope! This was pre-covid, but they had the most amazing all your eat buffet everynight- entrees, mains and desserts- with unlimited wine too!

Sestriere itself had the 2006 winter olympics so some of the upper slopes are certainly harder! You can also get the gondola over the mountain to Sauze D'Oulx and spend all day skiing there. You can continue and also ski into Cesana, Claviere and then into France at Montgeneve. DH and I skiied from Sestriere to Montgeneve and back. Took us the entire day- over multiple mountains, lifts, tracks etc but was a lovely, memorable adventure.

You can also look at this site which is really helpful:

We have just got back from Whistler. Three nights Vancouver and seven nights in Whistler. Great family friendly accommodation right next to the slopes AND it was cheaper for us to go there business class for 10 nights than 7 nights in the higher European resorts. Lift passes, ski school and kit hire is ££££ though.

I am also a big wimp. I went to beginner ski school again and learned more in three days than I have learned the past two weeks I have done skiing. Amazing wide open pistes and designated beginner areas which include proper runs within them. Honestly, if you have a confidence issue then it surpasses anything in Europe.

A green over there is like a blue in Europe, a blue like a red, and reds like blacks. There’s a huge ski area over Whistler and Blackcomb and they are connected by gondolas. My husband is an advanced skier and my daughters varying stages of intermediate. All abilities were catered for (and once I decided no more ski school for me, there were plenty of spas to choose from 😂😂😂)

Les Arcs. Mu husband is a super nervous skier and we looked for recommendations based on super cruisey blues. We had Les Arcs recommended to us, and it was perfect. The blues are wonderful, particularly in the 1950/2000 bowl and over in Peisey-Vallandry.

There's loads of reds and several blacks too. Many of the blacks are left 'Natur', which means they are ungroomed. Some near vertical mogul fields to navigate, so that will give the more confident folk plenty to get their teeth into.

Husband was ready to hang up his skis after our Christmas trip to Austria (slopes were pure ice), his confidence was shattered. He LOVED Les Arcs, his confidence rocketed.

We stayed in 1800 as it was central to all the linked areas, and is the biggest of the villages. It has Folie Douce, which we enjoyed on a couple of afternoons. But look at staying in 1950 for that Christmassy vibe with easy access to lovely cruisey runs.

Hmm, it doesn't sound like your problem is the wrong resort but one of conditions and confidence.

In Feb the snow was pretty hard pack as after the early Jan warm spell there wasn't quite enough. So this would have made any runs a bit harder and icier. Normally Feb is the best time for snow (as it's mid season) but this season played a little differently.

I have skied all those greens and I just don't agree they are like blues or reds elsewhere - easy blues maybe. But I don't think that a confidence/fear problem is going to be solved by changing resort and suddenly finding those blue runs easy and cruisy. I always think the greens on Bellevarde are some of the best training ground anywhere!

I would continue to invest in instruction and possibly consider training in the off season at a snow dome or seeing if you can get a few days away before the family trip to train up - Ski goddess or similar might be a worthwhile investment for you?

Good luck, stick at it and I'm sure it will work out!

I would just move over to Tignes!! As snow sure as you can get, much milder runs into resort compared to Val which is famously steep. But the whole area is easily accessible for the rest of the family. Xmas can be hit or miss in lower resorts snow wise but Tignes is always as good as you get. We spend the first 2 weeks of Dec there every year and have also taken 5 different beginners there over the last few years so know it suits your needs!

For a mixed group, I don't think you can get much better thanTignes/Val d'Isere. The runs into Val d'Isere are steep and there's plenty to keep the experienced skiers challenged, but beginners can come back on one of the gondolas rather than skiing. There are gentle blues above Solaise and some lovely greens from the top of the Borsat Express: there are nice runs above Le Fornet that aren't steep, so I would say there's a lot there that's suitable. Personally I think the runs into Tignes are steeper, especially those into Le Lac from Toviere, although the opposite side is more gentle. Runs into Val Claret are fine but can get very busy at the end of the day.

I’d also second Whistler, it’s a bloody amazing resort. Lessons are excellent and we have been for over 6 weeks and not skied it all. For advanced skiers there is nothing else like it. I’ve skied nearly all the mega resorts in Europe and Whistler beats them hands down.

Sestriere/Sauze is great, but far from snow sure in December.

I'd look at the Dolomites. Good for early season snow, and some great terrain to suit everyone.

I’d recommend Les Arcs, specifically 1950 for you. Gorgeous village with relent good accommodation, all of them with pools, saunas etc. Lots happening in the villages, decent amount of cruisey blue and green runs and fairly high so usually snow sure for Christmas / new years weeks.
Next option would be Avoriaz for the tree line skiing which can really boost the confidence of a nervous learner.