skiandgolfnut
Member
I am a long time reader first time poster on these boards, hoping to get some advice in selecting a location for this years trip. These boards are a treasure trove of information and have already been super helpful in my previous travels so thank you all!
We are planning on taking a 5 day trip from NYC through either Zurich or Geneva towards the end of January. We have the flexibility to wait to select both our airport and resort until much closer to departure date. Our hope is that within a 10 day window we will have a clearer view on where we should be going based on the weather forecasts. First and foremost, we will go wherever the sun is shining and wherever there is already a good base. While we love the off piste, visibility is always our primary concern when in Europe. Second to that we will go where we can get lodging etc though I do not anticipate that being an issue during these quieter weeks. Obviously within a reasonable drive of these two airports will be helpful.
Having said all of that, I am trying to narrow my focus on a few different resorts based on our groups needs. Previous trips have taken us to Zermatt and the Arlberg (Stuben). We could not have been happier with either and had perfect weather both weeks. Generally speaking, we would like to focus on larger name resorts as the bucket list is long and we only get to do one of these every few years. In terms of ability, we are a mix. Two fathers and two sons, the fathers being in their mid 60s and the sons in their 30s. All generally love off piste but obviously the older set has slowed in recent years and cannot do the same type of long touring routes that I or my cousin like. Zermatt was perfect for our group given that much of the off piste was located either beside the piste, between the pistes, or easily accesible to the lift system without requiring much hiking or taxis from remote valleys like we experienced in the Arlberg. For a mixed group like ours, we far prefer something where we can ski together yet separately at the same time if you know what I mean. We tend to be high mileage skiers and found the Arlberg while spectacular to be a bid of a pain given with a guide we were only able to do about 3/4 lengthy off piste runs per day. The competition for powder, even on the side pistes, was minimal at Zermatt whereas in the Arlberg we were required to veer far and remote for the same fresh powder. Perhaps this is not indicitive of the full Arlberg experience but that was certainly the style of the guide we had. We always take a guide with us when we go as we find with 4 people the price is relatively attractive for the extra level of safety and local knowledge we receive. So a quality lift system with easily accesible off piste that does not require descents into remote valleys or exiting the area entirely is definitely a main priority.
Lastly, charming village, ambiance, food, scenery etc are also highly important to us and we found both previous locations perfect on that end. Anything in a similar vein and we will be happy campers. It is a big part, perhaps for us the biggest part, of our excursions to Europe. I have not heard the greatest things about the mega resorts of France with regard to this which is a shame given from my reading it sounds like many of those resorts would fit our bill from a skiing perspective. A few names that have come to mind for this trip so far are Verbier, Lech (a return to the Arlberg but perhaps with a different guide a different experience), and Val Disere.
Apologies for the rambling post but I figured the more detailed I am the better quality advice I may get. Thank you all!
We are planning on taking a 5 day trip from NYC through either Zurich or Geneva towards the end of January. We have the flexibility to wait to select both our airport and resort until much closer to departure date. Our hope is that within a 10 day window we will have a clearer view on where we should be going based on the weather forecasts. First and foremost, we will go wherever the sun is shining and wherever there is already a good base. While we love the off piste, visibility is always our primary concern when in Europe. Second to that we will go where we can get lodging etc though I do not anticipate that being an issue during these quieter weeks. Obviously within a reasonable drive of these two airports will be helpful.
Having said all of that, I am trying to narrow my focus on a few different resorts based on our groups needs. Previous trips have taken us to Zermatt and the Arlberg (Stuben). We could not have been happier with either and had perfect weather both weeks. Generally speaking, we would like to focus on larger name resorts as the bucket list is long and we only get to do one of these every few years. In terms of ability, we are a mix. Two fathers and two sons, the fathers being in their mid 60s and the sons in their 30s. All generally love off piste but obviously the older set has slowed in recent years and cannot do the same type of long touring routes that I or my cousin like. Zermatt was perfect for our group given that much of the off piste was located either beside the piste, between the pistes, or easily accesible to the lift system without requiring much hiking or taxis from remote valleys like we experienced in the Arlberg. For a mixed group like ours, we far prefer something where we can ski together yet separately at the same time if you know what I mean. We tend to be high mileage skiers and found the Arlberg while spectacular to be a bid of a pain given with a guide we were only able to do about 3/4 lengthy off piste runs per day. The competition for powder, even on the side pistes, was minimal at Zermatt whereas in the Arlberg we were required to veer far and remote for the same fresh powder. Perhaps this is not indicitive of the full Arlberg experience but that was certainly the style of the guide we had. We always take a guide with us when we go as we find with 4 people the price is relatively attractive for the extra level of safety and local knowledge we receive. So a quality lift system with easily accesible off piste that does not require descents into remote valleys or exiting the area entirely is definitely a main priority.
Lastly, charming village, ambiance, food, scenery etc are also highly important to us and we found both previous locations perfect on that end. Anything in a similar vein and we will be happy campers. It is a big part, perhaps for us the biggest part, of our excursions to Europe. I have not heard the greatest things about the mega resorts of France with regard to this which is a shame given from my reading it sounds like many of those resorts would fit our bill from a skiing perspective. A few names that have come to mind for this trip so far are Verbier, Lech (a return to the Arlberg but perhaps with a different guide a different experience), and Val Disere.
Apologies for the rambling post but I figured the more detailed I am the better quality advice I may get. Thank you all!