UKC

Going to sneak in a long weekend (4 day) ski trip out of Geneva in January. Chamonix aside what's your recommendation for a venue for experienced skiers less than a 2 hour transfer from Geneva.

Ta

S

In reply to Slugain Howff: Car or public transport.

In reply to Blinder:

We'd organise a private hire transfer or jump on one of the transfer buses

In reply to Slugain Howff: Think you could get to Verbier in 2 hours

In reply to Slugain Howff:

Morzine? Haven't been, but OH has a couple of times as a mate works there, and reckons it's a good option.

In reply to Slugain Howff:
Avoriaz - plenty to do there, but I like Dougs idea of Verbier. Never been, but it definitely appeals.

In reply to Slugain Howff:

Found this for transfer times

http://www.igluski.com/geneva-skiing

In reply to Slugain Howff: don't forget trains, there's a station at the airport & connections tend to be very good.

In reply to Slugain Howff: Zinal is worth a look if Verbier excites you, just over 2 hours in the hire car if I remember correctly but I flew into Sion.

In reply to Doug:

I'll have a look Doug - arriving at night though so my options may be a bit limited on train.

In reply to Slugain Howff: Needn't be Chamonix itself but neighbours like Megeve, Les Contamines.

Switzerland side...... Nendaz would be in reach and cheaper than Verbier.

In reply to Slugain Howff: Another recommendation for Verbier area - Haute Nendaz is cheaper - superb runs on and off piste for experienced skiers - and could even do a days ski touring !

In reply to deepstar: I've skied in several parts of the Jura, not sure I'd want to book much in advance as the snow cover isn't as reliable as the Alps (although its more reliable than Scotland)

In reply to Slugain Howff:

Morzine is best bet for a short break, I had a 4 day trp there myself. Morzine has a lot of private hotels with more chance of getting a 4 day booking than maybe in one of the purpose built resorts which wil be let out for a whole week at a time. Skiing in Morzine is extensive, but the uplift from Morzine to Avoriaz is relatively quick to access the most challenging skiing.

In reply to Slugain Howff:

What's wrong with Chamonix?

In reply to Slugain Howff: Le Grand Bornand

In reply to Slugain Howff:

Flaine.

In reply to Slugain Howff:

Chatel, in portes du Soleil so same area as Morzine but the other side of it. Gives a more varied local ski area and is 1 hr 20 mins transfer from GVA.
I may be biased as I went there 7 years ago and have now spent 6 soon to be 7 winters there, with still more stuff to ski!
On a powder day alot of the 'locals' from Morzine will be found over in the Chatel area which says alot.

In reply to craigloon:

Absolutely nothing - love Chamonix - just looking for alternatives

In reply to Slugain Howff:

I'm adding my vote to the folks suggesting Haute Nendaz. You get there in 2-3 hrs (first by train to Sion and then by postal bus up to Nendaz). Accomodation is cheaper (damn expensive anyways ) Then you can either buy a skipass for Printze region, which is great in its own right, or buy a full 4 Valles pass to include Mont Fort and Verbier. What we usually do is stay in Nendaz and ski in Printze area and then buy a day extensions to the rest of the 4 Valles.

Cheers
RS

In reply to Slugain Howff:

Courmayeur - generally gets more snow than Chamonix, some nice slack country skiing though thesis of the lifts are rather ancient.

In reply to Slugain Howff:

Lots of good suggestions

Flaine is well worth it if all the Grand Massif links are open

In reply to Slugain Howff: I did a season in Nendaz, it's a great way to access the 4 vallees on the cheap and you can get to the top of Mont Fort quicker than people coming from Verbier. Not much in the way of nightlife though. If that's really not a problem then you could stay up in Siviez, saves on getting the bus in the morning but there is absolutely no nightlife whatsoever.

Any questions drop me an email.

Shameless spam of TR here: http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1425946&highlight=nendaz...

In reply to Slugain Howff:
Have done loads of these long weekend trips for skiing and climbing as the early flight out of Edinburgh always allows action on the hill by 1130/1200.

We've always hired a car though which between 4 isn't too expensive.

Then the only other thing to book is a base.

We've had trips (esp January) when it's snowed very heavily every day but we've just headed to the low lying tree resorts. Would have been stuffed without wheels in some places.

Other trips when we've made trips to resorts with better snow- local areas hard packed in the sun and effectively no off piste- yet 30-45 mins away north facing or more recent snow has saved the day. Nothing worse than sun baked slopes if you're only out for a few days.

Depends what you're looking for but we've nearly always found that to find best touring/off piste on such a short trip a car is very handy.

Funnily enough Chamonix as a base allows all options in all directions!

For what it's worth- we skied Verbier for a day at the end of a long touring trip and whilst it had some fine skiing i wouldn't put it in the same class as the other mega resorts. Lifts were awful- We all thought not a great place to come back to with the kids either- TBars left right and centre.

In reply to Slugain Howff: if you don't mind spending in swiss franks Zinal is very, very good big crazy unpisted black runs of the back. good enough that some of the cham based guides take clients there...

may just blow your two hour deadline though...

In reply to graeme gatherer:

Glad to see that someone else has dared to suggest that Verbier is not in quite the same class as other unmentioned mega resorts, sorry it just dosent quite cut it..

In reply to graeme gatherer:


There are a few over on the Vessonaz/Mayens-des-Ours side but not many. Going piste skiing in Verbier is like going on a sport climbing trip to Chamonix. You can do it, you'll have fun, but it kind of misses the point.

In reply to Anonymous:
Verbier's original reputation comes from the off-piste. What's happened is many people like to go there because of this reputation without understanding its basis, and most of those people can't make the most of the off-piste. As a piste resort it is pretty mediocre, but most people don't want to admit (or aren't aware) that it isn't that great having paid all that money, so the misconstrued reputation is perpetuated. Off-piste it is awesome (either lift accessed or by hiking/touring for a while to find your lines).

In reply to JuneBob: Precisely my point!!
Imagine you are only going out for a long weekend and the "off piste" aint in nick. -ie- rock solid and sun baked. Then i can think of loads of other places i'd rather go than Verbier! I'm glad we only spent a day there utilising the lifts having spent 10 days touring in beautiful unspoilt places!

In reply to graeme gatherer:
Conversely if the conditions are great I can't think of many places I'd rather go than Verbier for easy access powder.

In reply to Slugain Howff:


Trois vallees - great variety and snow sure in Val Thorens

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:

Over 3 hours from Geneva so doesn't meet the criteria

In reply to Slugain Howff:

Villars - gryon - diablarets, 1.30 from Geneva to aigle, bus or taxi around 20 mins from their no need for car as all 3 are linked by chairlifts during day bus at night

Adam