Hello KirstySkiing buddies are always appreciated :) especially when your planning to
ski almost every weekend  !  so yeah , see you on the slopes very soon i
guess, CheersKay
KayZoubi, Oct 18, 2009 @ 22:34

Hi Kirsty,

Yes there are season passes available! There are passes that cover specific regions. I am not sure if there is an option of 1 ski pass for several regions though! (For ex. season pass for Flumserberg is CHF 500)

I started snowboarding end of last season and I must admit, I am loving it. So I will get a group of skiiers and boarders together and definitely hit the slopes almost every weekend!

Some mountains have hostels where there are bunk beds for 4 people. This usually works out very cheap...all you need to do is find 3 other people to share the room!

Hope this helps.

Cheers
Ehsaan



Ehsaan, Oct 19, 2009 @ 10:04

Hi guys

Thank you both for your replies - I need now to do a bit of research into transport and I guess pick somewhere to get a season pass.

And thanks for the hostel tip - any idea where I could start looking for info on these?

K

Kirsty F, Oct 20, 2009 @ 00:46

Hi Kirsty,

As far as hostels go.  Each ski area has a website where you can find hostel info.  Many hostels run on an email request bais.  Also, they fill up incredibly quickly till about March.  By quickly, I mean if you know you want to go to a certain place.  Book now!  Trying to get in the week of is a bit hard.  Also, be aware that ski hostels are not the best.  Generally there is not kitchen, they are dirty due to constant snow trekking in.  More than 3 of them I have stayed in were underground atomic fallout shelters with storage shelves 3 high counting as bunk beds.  But, as I always say it's cheap, and I just need a place to put my apres ski head for a few hours.  Oh, and although often you can rent blankets, almost all of them are BYOSB.  Bring your own sleeping bag.

I poted the info below on another thread yesterday.  Sorry, I'm a bit to lazy to
right now to summerize and retype.  Have a read.  Hope it helps!

Ski passes in CH can run around chf1000 to 1300+ for a big area (not sure why you would pick a small area and ski 8 slopes for a whole season).   I think the rule of thumb is that if your going to ski one
place more than 20 times, you get the pass.

Now, that said.  IF
your new, there is no way your should restrict yourself to just  ONE
ski place.  The only reason to do that would be if you had a weekend
place in the mtns.  There is just way too many good places to ski and
explore!!   So many places just within a 3 hour trip by rail.

Moving
on to the transport bit.  If your carless.  Snow N' Rail is the way to
go thanks to train network SBB.  IT's a combined roundtrip rail ticket
AND lift pass for a reduced price up to 30% off.  To put it a bit into
perspective.   Verbier ski n' rail is just 63 francs from Geneva.  A
lift pass alone last year was chf 60 and rail at 46.  Zermatt, which
you cannot drive all the way to anyway is chf125.  Rail pass alone is
80 roundtrip normally, and I THINK the lift pass was 65. 

You
get the idea.  And it's available for tons of places in CH.  The little
booklets with prices and such will be availabe in rail stations soon
listing all the places.  Good  things to know is the prices are not
available online.  Only at the ticket machines.  You can buy them in
advance  just specify the day of use.  Also, the return ticket rail
pass is valid for 3 days after trip up.  So you can stay the weekend. 
(although truth be told I have used it 4 or 5 days later and never had
a problem).  If you know you want to ski more than 1 day, you can add
another day onto the pass at a significantly reduced cost.  And
lastly,  just so you don't do what my friends did last year.  The train
ticket prints first.  THEN the rail pass voucher prints after.  They
are different!   I've had one friend not grab her ski pass from the
machine, and one turn in her train pass instead of a ski voucher on
accident.  She had to pay again for her train home.



Just an addendum.  The train is great, but be warned that the hours it runs are not very late.  i.e. last train down on sunday in Verbier is 1912 or something.  We've been stranded about a half dozon times up on a mtn with no accomodation to be had.  Then you'll have to be a bit creative.


LaurenM, Oct 20, 2009 @ 08:21

 Hi Kirsty, Myself and others ski most weekend, usually heading to Villars, Portes du Soleil, etc. Posting go up on Glocals regularly and it is just a matter of replying. I purchase a ski pass when I vacation in the mountains, other than date just buy a daily pass.
Karin
Karin E, Oct 22, 2009 @ 15:36

Hello Kirsty, I suggest we stay in touch I regularly do nordic skiing in the Jura but also alpine skying..but you are right it is better to stay at least one night or two otherwise it is too much travel..I am near Lausanne, I have a fully equipped car and can take up to 3 people..I will organize a weekend as soon as we get snow..in Vaud, Valais or Bern canton..as far as booking is concerned, I believe one can always manage to find accommodation if we plan this at least two weeks in advance..If anybody is interested to join me, I also occassionally ski during the week..best, Ludo
Ludovic M, Oct 28, 2009 @ 18:14

Thanks Ludo - love the photos!

Please do let me know when you're planning on heading to the piste - I can't wait to start exploring these mountains!

Looks like I am going to be heading to Gstaad a few weekends this season, but I'll also want to go somewhere French speaking at other times.

I was skiing all last week and am now totally ready forthe snow to arrive!!!

K

Kirsty F, Nov 4, 2009 @ 22:46

Hi Kristy,

If you're keen on skiing a whole season it is worth investigating resorts which have long seasons (ie plenty of altitude!) I had a season pass at Chamonix last year - my first ski-day was the 2nd November and the last 10th May - ok, it was an exceptional season last year, but with all the glaciers in the Mont-Blanc region it has some of the more guaranteed snow conditions. The Mont-Blanc Unlimited pass costs €750 (if you buy before 30th November) but it covers all the Chamonix resorts, Courmayeur in Italy, Verbier in Switzerland and the Portes du Soleil (Avoriaz, Morzine etc.) in addition to lots of smaller ski stations in Haute-Savoie. Basically, you get plenty of options, which across a season, is priceless.

On Hostels, I think it is unfair to say they are fall-out shelters! There are some great cheap hostels and you don't have to find roommates, you can just book a bed through somewhere like www.hostelworld.com and it can be as cheap as €15 a night. Yes, in peak seasons you might want to book a little in advance but they are a great way to get involved in the skiing atmosphere (Hotels are dull in my opinion!!) and meet other people. I actually run a Chalet Hostel and it works really well!! :-)

Good luck and I hope we all have a great ski season!!!

Oliver

OliP333, Nov 8, 2009 @ 15:17

There's a ski resort in the Jura which I visit once in a while called Metabief.  It's an okay size and is about 50 minutes from Neuchatel and about 35 minutes from Lausanne - probably less if you drive like the Stig.  26 runs in total but it's okay if you want to go to somewhere cheap and conveniant.

You never encouter any non-natives there, it's really used by the locals.  I think that there have the oldest lifts in the world there - green and rusting but they get you up the mountain in one pierce.

 

Seb

seb23, Nov 8, 2009 @ 16:32

Wow, thank you Oli and Seb. I am totally spoilt for choice! I think this year I am probably going to spend far too much money, and buy passes as and when I go, as I really want to explore as many places as I can. The plan is then, next year, I will have a better idea of where I want to get a pass.

Seb, it looks like the season pass at Metabief is €180 if you buy before Dec. It looks like there's a decent amount of skiing there, for a local place - any idea how suitable it would be for beginners? (Not me! I am looking at where to take my school in the week, and we have some beginners).

That hostel website is in my bookmarks - and I like the sound of the ski atmosphere!

Thanks again - great tips :) x

Kirsty F, Nov 8, 2009 @ 20:19

It's ideal for school children since they would have trouble killing themselves on the slopes - it's very safe with no massive drops.  A nice run for better skiers is ''competition''.  By the way you can actually park at Les Echampes.  It's on the left side of the road as you pass through the border into France and there's a chairlift which goes up.  It saves a bit of driving to the main access point.  If you want to go there sometime let me know.

 

Finally ''the bunker'' in Verbier is closing this year   The worst nuclear bomb shelter i've stayed in!  Not all hostels are bad though.  The Matterhornhostel in Zermatt is good considering the price.

seb23, Nov 8, 2009 @ 21:30

I will be skiing in Villars on Dec 12th, leaving from Lausanne. Why not sign up?

Karin

Karin E, Nov 20, 2009 @ 11:15

Oliver:

That ski pass sounds like awesome value if it includes all the places you mention. Thanks for drawing attention to it before we miss the cheap ones! But did you use it in Morzine? Their website doesn't say that it includes Portes du Soleil.

This will be my first winter here and I was planning on not buying a season ticket, as I want to explore as many places as I can. But I'm tempted by that offer...

Adam

adam_jeff, Nov 20, 2009 @ 12:32

Hi Karen,

 

I am looking to ski for a week from 12th Dec.....are you planning on doing the same?

 

 

JohnB, Nov 29, 2009 @ 01:53