Statistics
Average snowfall: 300 inches (760cm)
Vertical drop: 2,353 feet (717 m)
Terrain: 3000 acres  (15% of that beginner, 35% intermediate, 40% advanced, 10% expert)
Lifts: 12 total lifts, 3 of them high speed quads

Over the past few years Whitefish has gone through a lot. It has been transformed from a locals ski area to a bigger, more visitor orientated resort with a resort village and real estate developments. The locals can’t make up their mind about if the developments have been for the better or worse.  Some locals say that the day visitor parking lots have been moved too far from the center of the resort to create space for condos, lift tickets have gotten more expensive and that increased crowds are bothering them. On the other hand the new visitors always bring in more money, which has allowed Whitefish to update their lift system with the new high speed quads, making the trip to the top of the mountain a breeze. Even though we visited Whitefish during one of the busiest time of the year, between Christmas and New Year the lift lines were either non-existent or short. And the lift ticket prices are still reasonable compared to many other resorts big resorts, with the adult day pass costing $61.

Skiers heading down the North Side of Whitefish with Glacier National Park in the background

Skiing Whitefish

One good thing about Whitefish that when all of the terrain is open the entire mountain is truly skiable. The lifts go up the mountain on each side of it, and there’s a network of trails that goes around the mountain. Between the groomed trails there’s terrain of every variety from open bowls to tree skiing. The profile of the mountain is in general great for skiing, with consistent fall lines and just a few flatter spots that might annoy some.  The views are amazing if visibility is good, with the Glacier National Park’s huge mountains looming behind the resort and Whitefish Lake to the south.

The mountain has 3 main areas, Front side, North Side and Hellroaring Basin.

The Front Side is the place to be for the beginner skier

Pretty much all of the beginner trails are located on the Front Side. There’s couple of chairlifts that serve beginner terrain only which will surely keep beginners and families happy. Its nice to have own, separate areas where you don’t have to be afraid of expert skiers wooshing by on their way to the double black diamonds. For those who prefer the green runs there are a good variety of them, also from the top of the mountain, so you don’t have to stick for the one and same run for the whole duration of your holiday.

View of part of the Frontside

The Front Side has some expert terrain too, separated from the beginner terrain, and it’s great for someone who’s looking to do quick, leg-burning laps off the fast chair 1 on a quiet powder day. On the far right side of the Front Side is the East Rim, which has some nice cliffed terrain, but watch out for the 80 feet high ones.. The area holds powder for longer than many other runs if you know your way around, but the traverse back to chair one is long and boring on a green run. The problem with top-to-bottom runs on Chair One can be the snow quality since the base station of the chair sits relatively low.

Click here for the full trail map of the Front Side.

The North Side of Whitefish

Intermediate skiers will find themselves at home here with a variety of blue runs. The North Side is north facing (obviously) and in shadow (just what you’d expect from backside, duh) and coupled with the fact that the base station of the chairlift serving this terrain is higher than other lifts in Whitefish results to usually the best snow conditions on the mountain. Because of small local weather variations the backside also gets a bit more snowfall than the frontside.

There are two gripes though – the skiable vertical here is only about 1000 feet (300m) and the runs tend to be steep in the beginning and somewhat low angle after that. Luckily this is the only area of Whitefish that is affected by this problem. The North Side is served by one high speed quad, and if the Front Side has lift lines then the North Side is a good place to escape them.

Click here for the trail map of the North Side.

Hellroaring Basin – pure off-trail skiing

Hellroaring Basin is where most of the off-trail skiing in Whitefish is. There is only one groomed run down the area, a blue run that is not really worth talking about. It mainly serves the purpose of getting skiers to the Hellroaring chair after a run off the trail. Rest of the skiing is black and double black diamonds.

One can drop into the horseshoe-shaped basin from any point along the cat tracks that circle it. There’s some great tree-skiing here, along with couple of chutes and open areas. It doesn’t get tracked out very fast, partly because to do laps in the basin you first need to ride up Hellroaring Chair to the side of the basin and then ski down to Chair 1 to get up to the top of the mountain again. An annoyance, but only a minor since it keeps some of the crowds away. Those who are comfortable on expert runs will like this area a lot on a powder day.

Laura, fog, and a lot of snow in Hellroaring Basin..

The whole Hellroaring Basin and the chairlift alway close on April 1st to protect the local grizzly bear population and let them have their peace. Obeying the closure is a good idea unless you first want to get clawed by a big, ugly bear and then get fined by big, even uglier Flathead National Forest ranger.

Click here for Hellroaring Basin trail map.

Conclusion

Summa summarum: There are many ways people feel about the recent development of Whitefish. In the end its still not the most megalomaniac resort with thousands of condos, but it’s not the mom-and-pop ski area either. With the lift ticket prices still reasonable and a medium-sized resort town and ski area you can still feel like you’re in the mountains instead of Disneyland. The crowds aren’t as bad either. Whitefish might have lost some of its local charm in the last years, but the fact that the skiing is great along with the views from the top of the mountain can not be ignored.

But back to the actual topic…

Ramundberget is a very snow secure ski resort located in Sweden

At the end of  April I took a two-week family trip to a small ski resort called Ramundberget ski resort in Sweden. Because of my heavy schedule at work over the winter it was only possible for me to do this trip late in the spring. I knew that there would be great spring skiing  and/or high mountaineering type of routes available in places like Chamonix (see e.g. this pretty crazy and impressive line by two of my friends! Reported by a Swedish guy who skied the route solo… Yes, they all rule). Anyway, this time I was traveling with my family, so I was looking for a bit different kind of experience – a place where both adults and small kids (I have two daughters of 2 and 5 years of age) could spend some good time together.

After doing some web-based research and chatting with some Finnish guys who know Scandinavian resorts well (thanks go to Jan-Erik “Blumi” Blumberg and Petri Kurki), I became interested in the Ramundberget ski resort in Härjedalen, near the Norwegian border, some 600 km from Stockholm. The location is quite far away from any big cities but after checking some snow statistics I made the decision to go. The place (and surrounding valley area, Funäsdalen ) is one of the most snow secure in the whole Scandinavia. The fact that the Ramundberget area doesn’t (and doesn’t have to) use any artificial snow on the slopes tells quite a lot – and real snow is always better than artificial, no matter in which form (powder, packed, spring corn, slush…)

About the surroundings of  Ramundberget  – Funäsdalen area

Ramundberget ski resort is located in the fell highlands of Funäsdalen, average height of the surroundings is about 750 meters above sea level and the whole area is protected from the west by the ridge of the Norwegian Scandinavian Mountains. The nearby Helagsfjället (1797m) offers great views, the southernmost Glacier in Sweden and also some heli-skiing opportunities. There are a few other sharper mountain tops like Skarsfjället (around 1500m) and the ridge of Skarvarna near Bruksvallarna fjell resort (the home of snow cat operation and a location for several freeskiing comps too).

Ramundberget has had tourism since the 1930s and the first lifts were installed in the 50s.  People have lived in the fells for at least 4000 years. In the fellmuseum of Funäsdalen one can enjoy the local history. Nearby Sami (Indigenous Northern European) villages Tännäs and Mittdålen still gain their livelihood (at least partially) from reindeer herding.

The days tourism is certainly the biggest economic activity in the area. What is neat though is that the hotels and lodges are located quite sparsely around the valleys and there are no signs of mass tourism anywhere. The vibe is pretty mellow and most of the visitors seem to be either Swedish families or somewhat older people who like to spend their holidays in the peaceful, quiet fells.

The skiing in Ramundberget resort

For a small-scale resort Ramundberget has a very wide variety of skiing: from lazy blue cruisers to 700-800 vertical meter heli-ski runs down Helagsfjället. The only complaint could be that the lifts itself only offers some 350 meter of vertical (that’s about 1150 feet). But much depends on personal preference. On quiet weekdays that vertical was enough to get my legs burning and I got some pretty enjoyable corn snow turns in perfect steep glades (I usually spent the afternoons with the kids and my wife went for her snow fix).  So, it is not always in the sheer numbers…

Most of the runs in Ramundberget offer variable, mid-level (blue and red runs) skiing in beautiful fell surrounding. The upper part of the mountain is pretty flat and offers a few nice green runs even for absolute beginners and small kids. That’s a nice change since usually the green runs are located at the bottom of the resort. I took my five year old daughter to the “upper hill” and we enjoyed some delicious hot chocolate in the “Tusenmeterstugan” (”Thousand meter hut”), and I count it as one of my all time ski-experiences when my daughter learned to link some proper turns on the green run of ”Ängarna“. There is also a nice, well prepared terrain park on the upper hill with clear and smart signs of green, red and black lines. The park had a lot of fun-looking, creative jibs (I am too old for that stuff…) but a few well sculpted kickers too. And the black line starting monster booter is surely “black” (think JOI size step-up jump!).

Kids have their own “ski land” (Lill-Ramis) which has a clever philosophy of not encouraging parents to leave their children there alone but instead being with them and having good time. So, the idea is that someone (parent, grandparent, relatives…) is always there with their kid, playing and taking care of him/her. The area has all kinds of activities and services (small ski lift, drinks and small snacks, pens and papers, staff that have some scheduled program for kids etc.) but it is not a “kindergarten” by any means. Very Swedish and very smart at the same time, I have to admit. There is a thing or two we Finns can learn from the Swedes, and let’s not start with how to win hockey games…

However, the skiers who like to turn, and most likely in steep conditions and soft snow eventually end up to the lookers left side of the slopes, in an area called Osthang. With good snow even the most experienced and demanding skiers will have some fun there. The runs are steep, narrow and moguls form easily. Couple of the steepest runs can’t be operated by the snow cat – so prepare for moguls and occasional scarse snow paths in the spring or if it hasn’t snowed for a while.  The trees also offer several different routes, some easier and some more demanding – all of them only for experts though, it is steep and the forest is relatively tight everywhere.

The backcountry in Ramundberget and Funäsdalen

Here I have to admit a slight disapointment. But this was not certainly because of the geography or amount/quality of snow - I just hadn’t checked anything properly in advance. The last two weeks of April was very late in the season and for example the heli-ski operation was closed for the winter. The reason for this was that due to some laws about reindeer herding, the Helagsfjället and Skarsfjället (two of the biggest tops) areas were off-limits to heli from the beginning of April. I was informed that the high season for heliskiing is the whole month of March (well, maybe next time…). I also consulted some locals who advised me to hire a snowmobile. Well, I hate to admit but I have never even rode one (not the thing to do in Central Europe by the way), and I only had half days reserved for backcountry trips anyway. So I chose to use good old leg power and climbing skins and did some half day mini-trips to the nearby small tops. Skiing-wise that was nothing really spectacular but I enjoyed the views and the peace and got a few nice spring corn tele-turns here and there. In fact, the rolling terrain the area offered got me thinking about how  lighter, skinnier touring/cross country oriented tele-set up would be very enjoyable here.  I must be getting old, heh. But think about doing a day tour with great views, on perfect non-breakable corn snow, just flying on the snow, both up and down the hill, enjoying a cup of coffee in perfect silence, your only companion being the odd Rock Ptarmigan (Snow Chicken)…

Near the end of the trip I also found out that a place called Bruksvallarna,some 6 kilometers to the south of Ramundberget, offers snow cat operations to the nearby ridge at around 1000m high. And, yes, I also found that they had closed for the season about five days earlier.  That was slightly frustrating, but all in all we were having such a good time that in the end it didn’t bother me too much. Based on what I observed from the nearby road, the cat operation would have lead to some interesting terrain with a couple of decent-looking (around 250m vert) couloirs, although from the end point of the cat track (1050m, a top hut/lodge called Kariknallen) you would still have to do some serious hiking to get to the steeper, good skiing terrain. No wonder the locals tend to use snowmobiles! If you are serious about backcountry and/or want to log some more vert than Ramundberget or other Funäsdalen ski resorts offer, I recommend to take the heli-skiing option or hire a snowmobile. And contact these guys http://www.offpistcenter.com/ for information and backcountry packages.

Ps. Despite the very enjoyable trip, we also had some bad luck. On our return trip, while we were checking into a hotel in Stockholm, our car got robbed. I was away from the car for max fifteen minutes, couldn’t get all the luggage in one go, and my cell-phone, computer and a borrowed helmet-cam set-up were all stolen (and some sweaty old clothes too). Anyway, what pissed me off was that I had some decent helmet-cam footage from the forests. Without flattering myself too much I’d say that the stuff looked pretty damn cool…helmet-cam POV, my new rockered Armada JJ’s and some tight, steep glades with superb corn snow…oh well, you got my point – now the only footage is saved in my brains only. And of all the places in the world, we got robbed in Stockholm, the place I’ve always though of as one of the safest big cities in the world (which it is not anymore and that is quite sad actually).

Quick facts of Ramundberget ski resort:

Altitude: around 700m – 1050m (in the backcountry up to 1797m)
Location: Härjedarlen, Sweden
Season: Alpine skiing -December – May; cross country skiing – October – early June
Languages: Swedish (Almost all the people speak okay English too)

Annual snowfall: circa 5 meters

Snow covered days: usually from late November to early June

Freestyle snow park: yes

Halfpipe: no

For more information visit:

http://www.ramundberget.se/english/5177.winter.html

Because Andermatt ski resort is a dream destination for hardcore skiers and snowboarders who prefer alpine excitement, easy accessible backcountry, great snow (most slopes are north facing) and a laid-back, uncrowded atmosphere.

There are only a few lifts, but they give access to some of the most spectacular runs in the Alps. In the past I used to go to Chamonix, but now I have found my favorite destination in the Alps. It is Andermatt ski resort – a hidden jewel.

Orientation to Andermatt ski resort review

This small mountain town with only 1312 inhabitants is located 67 km southeast of Lucerne and 140 km from Zürich. The bigger resort of Engelberg is only about 30 km away. The town sits at an altitude of 1444 meters near the junction of four alpine passes: the St. Gotthard, Grimsel, Susten, and Oberalp. It is tucked beneath towering mountains on the St. Gotthard Pass and it is said to have the heftiest snowfall in Europe, with an annual average of 13 meters.

Andermatt is a genuine alpine town and is not actually a ski resort itself. Old wooden houses and alpine decorations are very common sights. Those who have only visited in party & showoff-oriented mega-resorts, will find Andermatt quite the opposite. There is no nightlife, and you won’t  see any women in chic furs nor crowds of drunken teenagers. Skiing is THE thing here. There is also a big Swiss Army base near the railway station. Andermatt was once the key of Switzerland’s defense strategy. If an invasion had happened, the military and government would have taken refuge within a network of bunkers and barracks cut beneath Andermatt mountains.

Andermatt’s role was downscaled after the Cold War but the army’s presence has remained a key source of jobs for its locals. It is also very common to see soldiers in the backcountry training. Funny to see men in all white gear with a rifle doing some nice turns. The base also has a good hospital where our child Alvar was also stitched!

Skiing and snowboarding in Andermatt

I myself am a snowboarder who likes to ride free with skiers, so these tips apply to both, I think. The skiing area is spread over three mountains but the best action is focused on the highest, Gemsstock, 2963 meters. Its top section is a glacial bowl jammed with steeps, big banked walls and powder fields. The glacier is small, but it contains some crevasses which are unmarked.

There are only two real pistes and the whole terrain is served by one cable car. There are also a couple of chair lifts in middle station and a terrible Lütersee t-bar which reminds me of Finnish horror t-bars in Pyhä (one of Finland’s best ski resorts). Behind Gemsstock lies Andermatt’s treasure which I (and, I think, you too) am interested in: a giant area of backcountry filled with easy access powder opportunities..

Ticket prices are very cheap in comparison to the area you can ride with it, a week ticket is around 300 CHF and at the end of the season they will sell season tickets for a very low price.

If you want to do pistes, I would recommend the following:

The black Russi Run (named after local Olympic downhill champion, Bernhard Russi). This piste is the whole north face of the mountain, it is basically an in-bounds off-piste type bowl. The Russi run descends below the middle cable car station, so you need to catch the chair up to middle station again. Most people head here after a good snowfall, but the area is vast so it does not get moguled out too quickly.

Sonnenpiste (the sunny slope) goes round the mountain and back to the middle station. The first section is great with good slope angle but the latter part is rather dull as it goes too flat in some areas and you have to do straight line to get enough speed.

There is also the Lütersee t-bar horror lift that gives access to another red piste and you can do very quick warm up runs here as the vertical is only about 400 meters. There is also a funny Gäda bar at the Lütersee station that is built only for the winter season; in the summer it is a place for cows.

From the mid station there are also some nice blue runs that run to the chair lift, there is a small fun park and an Avalanche Training Centre (ATC) where you can practice searching for avalanche victims. This is very good as avalanches are very common in Andermatt.

The backcountry of Andermatt ski resort

The main reason to come to Andermatt is, however, the backcountry. To ride the real backcountry here you don’t have to traverse or hike too much. Of course you can do it and ride very pristine areas and visit backcountry huts, but if you are an average guy like me, you will love these nearby places.

Giraffe

This is a classic 1500 meters of altitude difference backcountry run. The starting point is Gemsstock top station from where you should follow the cat track to their turning point. From there the tricky part begins: an open face with a little traverse at about 200 meters altitude from the ground. Goofy snowboarders should take extreme care here as this is a heel side to them and falling down will cause sure death.

After this the Giraffe is just splendid. The route descends to a little plateau over a huge series of bowls. These bowls are so nice, sufficiently steep with a good variety of exits and normally very untracked. The bowls end in a 500 meters high couloir, which gathers all the avalanches so extreme caution is recommended. The couloir itself is a great run and takes you to a river which you have to follow down to Andermatt.

You may also do the Giraffe without the tricky part but then you have ride more down and hike a bit back.

Felsental

A funny roller-coaster ride that ends in the valley, starts from the top station of Gemsstock towards Sonnenpiste. It has many different routes to choose from and it is not too difficult. Keep in mind that there’s a huge gully near the bottom and you have to decide which side of it to go. The upper part of the gully is normally swept by avalanche so be quick while passing this area. In the end, keep right to get enough speed to reach the bottom station.

Guspis

A beautiful long ride to the neighboring village of Hospental. Drop off the back of the Gemsstock, then boot-pack up to the saddle on the right, which is visible from the top station. Guspis is a very mellow but open run in very beautiful terrain. The last part is on the almost flat road which can be a tough job with a snowboard if the snow is soft.

Winterhorn

This used to be a separate ski area but the lifts haven’t been working for a couple years. So if you are fit enough, you may hike from the bottom to the top of Winterhorn mountain and choose your own runs near the lifts and be sure that you won’t get lost. Guaranteed fresh tracks.

Rossbodenstock 2835 meters

This mountain towers west of Gemsstock and has a cross standing on the top. It is a popular hiking mountain as you can take the train to about 2000 meters and hike the rest on the ridge of the mountain without fear of avalanches. The ride itself is about 1400 meters long and has a stunning view with whole Andermatt in the bottom. Please consult the local guides for more instructions.

This was a small selection to whet the appetite of those interested in Andermatt ski resort. As you get more hungry you might start doing some real backcountry riding from Vermigel hut at 2042 meters, which is a good starting point for reaching Pizzo Centrale at 3001 meters. The hut is also open during the wintertime.

Andermatt is a place for beginners, however. Although the south-facing slopes of Nätschen area offer some less challenging blues and reds they are not ideal as they are not so wide and have a lot of turns.

Lodging and eating in Andermatt

Andermatt is not a typical package tour destination. There are a limited selection of hotels and apartments which tend to fill up during weekends as Swiss people from Zürich and Luzerne come to spend their weekends. Hotels which have been recommended to me are Hotel Kristall (rather ugly house compared to others in town, but a great breakfast), Hotel Drei Koninge and Hotel Monopol. The apartments can be booked through Andermatt Tourist Center or at www.andermatt.ch.

If you want to stay at nearby village of Göschenen, the one and only place to go is Chalet-Hotel Krone, which has rooms and apartments to rent. The owners, Kai and Alexandra are the warmest and friendliest hotel owners I have ever met and they also have a great sauna! Kai is a good skier too and knows the backcountry area very well.

Most of the good restaurants are at the main street Gotthardstrasse. We haven’t dined much in the restaurants as we have always had an apartment. But I have heard that the restaurant at the Schweizerhof hotel does great steaks and meat fondue, and the restaurant Toujours is the place if you want some fine dining.

Andermatt After ski

The Spycher at Gotthardstrasse 65 is the place to be after a day on the mountain. The pizzas and warmed terrace with a good pint of beer are a great way to share your powder experiences. The place is small and is normally fully packed after 16.00 until 23.00. For nightlife there is not much to do in Andermatt. Only the Gotthard bar is open late, and the others close around midnight.

I hope you got a picture of skiing and life is in Andermatt. For me the place has provided so many good memories.

Quick facts of Andermatt ski resort:

Altitude: 1444-2963 meters
Location: Central Switzerland
Season: November-May
Population: 1312
Languages: German (main), Rheto-Romanic, Italian
Annual snowfall: 13 meters
Snow covered days: about 180 per year

For more information, please visit:

www.andermatt.ch
www.gemsstock.ch
www.slf.ch (snow and avalanche info)
www.sbb.ch (Swiss Traincompany)

P.S.
The army has been stationed here over 120 years, but now it is selling its land. The buyer is an Egyptian billionaire, Samih Sawiris, who plans to develop the town into a luxury resort for the super-wealthy. Luckily this project ”The Andermatt Resort” has slowed as the worldwide recession is running. Lets hope Andermatt maintains its unpolished charm in the future too.

Photos © Antti Zetterberg

Matterhorn

But Matterhorn is not the only awe-inspiring thing in Zermatt. In February 2009 I had the good fortune of spending a week in this resort, and it left me with a desire to go back. I hope this review can give you an overview about skiing in Zermatt, and perhaps even convince you to give it a shot, and book your holiday there during the winters to come.

General Resort Information

The town Zermatt is located in a valley in the altitude of 1620 m. The relatively high altitude of the resort guarantees good snow conditions and a long season. Some of the pistes at Matterhorn Glacier Paradise are even open throughout the whole year.

Matterhorn and the moon. A view from the balcony of our hotel room early in the morning.

The main square

The town itself is by far the most beautiful mountain town I’ve visited so far. It is located in the end of Mattertal-valley right under the Monte Rosa massif. Zermatt offers its residents a spectacular view of the north face of Matterhorn. This, of course, is good news for the thriving tourism industry, whose importance to the town can only really be understood by looking at the population demographic of Zermatt. While housing it’s 5500 inhabitants, Zermatt’s various hotels offer approximately 15000 beds for the tourists to fill. Walking around the city, these numbers become obvious as the vast majority of all the buildings are hotels. Fortunately they are built with good taste as most of them resemble the traditional swiss chalet style architecture. Zermatt takes its main livelihood so

A typical electric car

seriously, that in order to prevent air pollution from disfiguring the town’s view of Matterhorn, the whole town is combustion-engine car-free zone. Local commerces handle their transportation needs with small electric vehicles. The most important sights in the town include the Alpine Museum as well as the Climbers’ Graveyard both of which are located in the city center. The climbers’ graveyard, as the name implies, serves as the final resting place for some of the more than 500 alpinists who have met their destiny trying to reach the summit of Matterhorn ever since the first ascent that took place in 1865.

Skiing in Zermatt

As I mentioned earlier, the town is in the altitude of 1620 m whereas the highest lift-station, Gobba di Rollin, is in the altitude of 3899 m. The total vertical height difference is therefore a respectable 2279 m. Furthermore, its possible to ski all the way down to Zermatt from Gobba di Rollin, if one so wishes. Matterhorn Ski Paradise and its 197 km of marked pistes are naturally divided into three distinct areas:

1. Sunnegga Paradise
2. Gornergrat area, and
3. Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Schwarzsee Paradise

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is also lift-linked with the neighboring Cervinia resort, which is on the italian side of the border. Including Cervinia, the total number of piste-kilometers reaches 313 km.

All three distinct areas are served by their own transport system from the town. The fastest one is the Sunnegga Express train that takes you to Sunnegga Paradise (2288 m) in just 8 minutes. There’s also a ski-lift station on the outskirts of the town from where you can get to Schwarzsee Paradise. The last alternative is to take the Cornergrat Bahn cog-wheel train with which you can travel all the way up to Gornergrat (3089 m). The ride takes a little over half an hour. The lift system in Zermatt is quite impressive. There seemed to be no bottlenecks anywhere, and the overall capacity of the lifts seemed to be sufficient to say the least. Our vacation took place in the beginning of february, which should be the busiest time of the year. Nevertheless, we never had to stand in a lift queue for more than a few minutes at a time. The other side of the coin is that Zermatt apparently has the most expensive skiing tickets in the alps. We paid CHF 421 for 6 1/2 day tickets including access to the italian side.

One of my favorite pistes. The "Red 9" from Blauherd to Patrullarve.

While there are several ski schools and plenty of beginner areas, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Zermatt would be a good resort for the beginner. There are not too many blue pistes to begin with – only about 9% of all the pistekilometers are blue. In addition, not all of them are very easy. Especially the ones descending down to Zermatt are, in fact quite challenging. This of course means that there’s a huge selection of great runs for the intermediate / expert skier or snowboarder. In addition, Zermatt offers a variety of freeride runs for the experienced skier. If this is not enough to satisfy your appetite you can always hire a mountain guide for a day and go off-piste. Unlike in France, heli-skiing is also possible. There are in fact two companies offering heli-skiing services.

Gornergletscher glacier as seen from the cablecar to Klein Matterhorn

As mentioned earlier, Zermatt is lift-linked with the italian ski resort Cervinia. However, because of avalanche danger the access to Cervinia was closed for the whole duration of our holiday. This was no biggie since there’s lots and lots of skiing to do on the Zermatt side as well. But if this happens to you, it’s good to know that in this case you are entitled to get some of your money back. So better hold on to that receipt.

While skiing you will occasionally see signs about Matterhorn Ski Safari. The safari is a route that has been put together by the tourist office. It’s basically a day-long trip that gives you the chance to ski the whole international ski area without using the same lift or run twice. If you’re planning on staying only a few days, the ski safari might be a good option for you. The safari route is also presented on the piste map.

Tips for planning your holiday in Zermatt

The first thing to mention here is: book early!! The hotels with the best value for your money are the ones that get fully booked first. I’d recommend booking your hotel at least half a year in advance. We stayed in an apartment hotel with basic cooking facilities in the room. Thus we were able to cook by ourselves, and didn’t need to eat out every evening.

If you plan to go skiing on the italian side, its very important to remember to come back before the lift-link closes for the night. If you miss it, you either have to find a hotel room in Cervinia, or take a very expensive 6 hour taxi ride back to Zermatt.

Zermatt as seen from Trockener Steg (2939 m)

The runs 52 and 51 from Schwarzsee Paradise to Furi earn a special recommendation. They take you so close to Matterhorn that you’re basically a touching distance away. As an added bonus, probably because of the relatively remote location of these runs, there were very few skiers on them. Especially in the late afternoons you can pretty much ski just by yourself.

For the occasional bad weather day, there are also other things to do in Zermatt. You can go visit the alpine museum, or relax your muscles in one of the small spas. There’s a nice small spa in the Style Hotel. If you want to swim laps, you should head to hotel Christiania. It has a 25 m pool, a sauna and a fitness-room.

In order to get the most out of your stay, I’d highly recommend getting a guide book. Prior to our holiday, we bought the Mad Dog Ski Resort Guide to Zermatt. It proved to be especially useful in choosing both on- and off-piste restaurants. Indeed, there are around 30 on-piste restaurants scattered across the skiing area plus several more on the italian side. We had some really good meals thanks to Mad Dog’s recommendations. The mountain restaurant Marmottes deserves a special recommendation due to their beautiful restaurant, delicious food and excellent service.

It’s good to know that the weather, especially on the highest peaks, can occasionally get quite extreme. We experienced temperatures down to -27°C accompanied by a strong wind.

Conclusion

If it’s not obvious yet, I really liked the place. Zermatt is a beautiful resort with some excellent skiing to be done. It’s a place that every skier should experience at least once in their lives. I’d love to go back, and I definitely will at some point. And when it comes to Matterhorn, I know that we’ve all seen an endless amount of photos of it’s north face. But believe me, when you’re actually there looking at its majestic appearance, you will be impressed. It’s a sight you just won’t get bored of.

A view from Schwarzsee Paradise

Freeride World Tour starting in Krasnaya Poliana in Russia

I went up today. First, in the morning, I joined organizing crew for a venue check. The group, which included FWT managers Nicolas Hale-Woods and Regis Savioz, was lead by French mountain guide Jerome Ruby. Monsieur Ruby is super legendary extreme athlete who used to compete in the Verbier Xtreme in the 90s and beginning of this decade as well, so he really knows what he is doing, which of course is absolutely necessary in order to have people moving around safely in avalanche terrain. After we had scoped the spots, I didn’t need to work anymore, so I joined two Finnish girls, Kaisa Härkönen and Anniina Karvinen, and a Swiss girl Nathalie Zenklusen for some fun afternoon runs in the forests around the lift.

I must say Krasnaya Poliana ski resort is super good for treeriding, and that suits me well as I like riding in the trees better than anything. The lift is kind of slow, it is fairly old, but it offers access to some really cool terrain. Naturally it would be more fun to be here if the top 60 freeriders of the world were not here..

Anyways, the trees here are sick, and actually I thought it was tons of fun watching guys like Winsted, Zachrisson and Magnusson and girls like Anni, Kaisa and Nathalie as well as many others to rip it up just for the fun of it. One of the local heliski guides, who has skied all over the world, thinks this is the best place in the world to do treeruns, and he might be right. I did not see too much of it yet, but sure as hell Krasnaya Poliana rocks!

And the snow in here.. it’s awesome!

I noticed how the snow is really good here. On the top section I’d say there was about half a meter of it, and it was of good quality. Maybe it was a bit heavy. Compared to Utah, that is… I think there is a little bit of moisture in there, which actually is good because you don’t go through, but it was still really fluffy, it sprayed like mad, blocking visibility for seconds at times. The base is pretty thick, so it was bottomless all the way; it was super fun going straight down the fall line without having to do too many turns to control speed. All the runs I did were really, really good, even if there were already a few tracks there.

We worked the second last part of the lift. I am not sure how high it is, maybe about 300-400 meters vertical, but definitely it was high enough for some fast paced speed runs and get your legs burning a bit. It is not that steep, around 30-35 degrees for the most part with some funny short steeper sections and some fun rocks and other features to jump from. So, in my opinion, it is perfect terrain to have a really good time without having to worry about falling. Avalanche danger is naturally there, as it has dumped here during past few days, but in the trees it is not too risky, I did not feel scared once. In the open terrain it must be a different story and I am sure this will be bit of a headache for Jerome.

Top freeriders of the world fell in love with Krasnaya Poliana ski resort

Anyways, having done maybe 6 or 7 runs today, which is not that much considering the size of the area it is possible to reach from the lifts here, I think I am in love with this place a bit… I definitely recommend Krasnaya Poliana ski resort for anybody who likes riding trees. Most guys in the competitor crew seemed to be really stoked about the day and just like myself they think this place is awesome. Big smiles and high fives… 60 best freeriders of the world cannot be wrong.

After après ski there was a riders meeting where the organizers welcomed everybody officially and explained what is going on, and how everything will work et cetera. The riders were also informed that the competition would not be happening tomorrow, so there will be more riding for fun. There seems to be a small chance that the contest is on Wednesday, but that is not confirmed, the decision will be made tomorrow, and will be announced in the next riders meeting in the evening.

That was it for the moment, I will drop a note tomorrow as well. For more about the contest please check Nissan Russian Adventure and Freeride World Tour websites.

- Jarkko Henttonen, World Freeride Tour in Krasnaya Poliana, Russia

Courmayeur ski resort is a combination of awesome landscapes, good skiing and tasty Italian food. In Courmayeur you can enjoy the best Italian wine and pasta, but also tons of powder snow and sunshine.

Skiing in Courmayeur ski resort

Courmayeur has 100 kilometers of slopes, out of which there are four black slopes, 15 red and six green slopes. The rest are blue slopes. Longest run is 7,3 kilometers, while the biggest vertical difference is 1335 meters. 18 lifts of Courmayeur carry skiers ad snowboarders to the slopes, and the highest ski lift station is located in 2624 meters of altitude.

The main skiing area is at Plan Checrouit and, with over 80% of the skiable terrain covered by snow cannons, snow here is virtually guaranteed. You can get to Plan Checrouit by a cabin lift directly from the center of Courmayeur. Other skiing areas in Courmayeur ski resort are a bit more challenging Lago Chécrouit, nice and easy Cresta Youla, modern La Thuile, and Cresta d’Arp and Punta Helbronner that provide access to the best off-piste runs in Courmayeur.

Courmayeur ski resort is much like Chamonix on the other side of Mont Blanc (in Italian side they call the mountain Monte Bianco), but much less crowded. If you get frustrated with crowded Chamonix, just drivee through the tunnel of Mont Blanc and ski Courmayeur. We have noticed that sometimes when there is a bad weather in Chamonix, the sun is shining in Courmayeur, so it is really worth of checking. Also the rush in Chamonix during a powder day is sometimes unbelievable and most of the new snow is skied in two hours. If you want to ski more powder hit the road and drive to Courmayeur where you can ski powder all day long, and maybe even the day after.

Courmayeur dining, afterski and shopping

There are 2971 inhabitants in the Courmayeur ski resort town. Although the town itself is pretty small, there are plenty of choices when it comes to dining, afterski and shopping. 93 restaurants, 20 on-piste restaurants and 48 bars and discos make sure you get what you need.

Take a walk in the car-free center of Courmayeur and enjoy the diversity of window-shopping. There are a number of good shops and boutiques offering quality clothing, jewellery and souvenir.

Enjoy a beer or a glass of wine while looking at the magnificient peaks of the high mountains of Mont Blanc massif. Afterski in Courmayeur ski resort is lively, but not rowdy. If you are looking for great skiing with a nice atmosphere, Courmayeur might be a good choice.

Other activities in Courmayeur ski resort

In addition to skiing there are many other things you can do in Courmayeur. For example there is a weekly market where you can buy things made by the locals. You can also take a bus and drive to Chamonix or other ski resorts or towns in Aosta valley. In Courmayeur you can go ice skating, curling, swimming, cross-country skiing, snowshoe walking, or you can just enjoy the fitness centre.

Downsides of Courmayeur?

There is no perfect ski resort and Courmayur is no exception. What are thethe downsides? For experienced skiers Courmayeur does not provide too much challenges, and also there is a lack of very easy slopes for beginners and first time skiers. Courmayeur is a relatively small ski resort with short runs, so if you are looking for big something then consider resorts like Les Trois Vallee in France. Slopes in Courmayeur are pretty crowded on Sundays, but not as much as in Chamonix. There is also a tiresome walk and cable-car ride between Courmayeur village and the slopes.

Pictures: dirkgroeger, tmesis

The village of La Clusaz (population about 2000) is said to be one of the most beautiful alpine villages, and it is no wonder since La Clusaz looks like it was transplanted from a beautiful alpine post card. In addition to the beautiful scenery and landscape, La Clusaz provides a palpable feeling of traditional European alpine skiing. Being in La Clusaz is in itself an unforgettable experience.

La Clusaz ski resort provides good skiing without lift queues

La Clusaz ski resort provides 220 kilometers of pistes with 10 black pistes, 36 red pistes and 85 blue/green pistes. The total number of lifts in La Clusaz is 94. The highest ski lift station is located at 2460 meters, while the village is located at 1100 meters. La Clusaz also provides a freestyle park and a pipe for snowboarders and new school skiers. Ski lifts are open from 9 am to 5 pm. The price of an adult ski pass during high season is 145 euros for six days and 240 euros for 13 days. During low season the prices are 135 euros and 220 euros respectively. Ski gear rental costs about 70-150 euros for six days.

One of the best things at La Clusaz ski resort is that the ski lift queues are short or nonexistent. On weekdays, skiers don’t even see any queues, but on weekends short queues do exist. The wait times are short because of the modern ski lift equipment used in La Clusaz.

Afterski and nightlife are pretty quiet in La Clusaz ski resort

La Clusaz is a tiny little French alpine village. It is very beautiful and well-functioning, unlike many other alpine villages. Most of the tourists are French, so the services are mostly provided in French. An English-speaking tourist must sometimes use body language to communicate.

Afterski as well as nightlife are pretty quiet in La Clusaz, but the nearby city of Annecy comes to the rescue of those looking for parties. The nightclubs and restaurants in Annecy are located only 20 minutes away from La Clusaz or, if this is not enough, one can drive to the city of Geneva which is an hour from La Clusaz. There are 25 restaurants in La Clusaz and only two night clubs.

La Clusaz is cheaper than many other French ski resorts because it is not as fancy and trendy as some other resorts. Credit cards accepted in La Clusaz ski resort include Visa, MasterCard, EuroCard and American Express.

Accomodation in La Clusaz ski resort

La Clusaz provides typical hotel and chalet accomodation, but the prices are lower than in big French ski resorts, such as Les Trois Vallee and Chamonix. A typical price for a night for two people with bed and breakfast is about 70-75 euros. We hear that hotels in La Clusaz and comfortable and the service is good and friendly.

If you are looking for a European ski resort with versatile family runs, excellent snow conditions, good service and beautiful landscape, consider La Clusaz ski resort in France. I bet you won’t be disappointed.

For more information on La Clusaz ski resort, please check the following websites:
www.laclusaz.com
www.legrandbornand.com
www.skipasslaclusaz.com
www.aravis.com

Pictures by Wolf Gang, Toprural and Delaere

I got a room in a nice little hostel, hosted by an American couple. I arrived in Chamonix in late January 1997. It was already night when I arrived, so I did not see much peaks around the valley. In the morning the sky was clear as I opened the window. I was shocked. I had never seen such high peaks and massive mountains so close. In that moment I knew it. I had arrived to the right place. I felt being at home.

I knew nobody in Chamonix ski resort and I arrived there alone. I understood I need to get together with other skiers in order to find my way to the backcountries, because that was the reason number one why I was there. I started skiing with an Englishman staying in the same hostel. We went skiing in Argentiere which is few kilometers to North from Chamonix village. I got my first touch to big mountains on the very first day. How did I feel? It was staggering. I was more than happy. It had been my dream for years and on that day I was living my dream.

I continued networking down in the Chamonix valley. I went to bars and searched for other Finns. Soon I found myself skiing with other skibums who took me to awesome places in the mountains. I was grateful. We went skiing fresh powder in large powder fields and we survived very steep and icy couloirs. We went skiing magic powder in forests and we had competition like “the last one down in the valley is gay!” We spent our evenings in a bar watching big mountain skiing on screen and drinking beer. It was exactly what I was looking for. I was happy to be in Chamonix ski resort. During my first season I spent two months in Chamonix and during later seasons I spent 2-3 months in there.

Chamonix ski resort in review – What’s good in Chamonix ski area and what’s not?

Chamonix ski resort is a great place to ski if you are experienced and you are looking for backcountry skiing experiences. There are pretty nice pistes in Chamonix as well, but for on-piste skiing Chamonix is not the best one. For those interested in climbing and mountaineering Chamonix is a must to visit. European climbing and mountaineering culture has developed mostly in Chamonix area because of Mont Blanc. If you are interested in feeling the mountaineering culture and understanding more about it, Chamonix is again worth to visit. Mont Blanc massive provides spectacular views and awesome objects for photographing.

Diverse nature of Chamonix ski resort gives very many experiences all year round. Shortly said, you should go to Chamonix if you are interested in backcountry skiing, mountaineering, photographing, nature, mountain biking and trekking. Ok, when should you go elsewhere? I would say that other ski resorts provide you better experiences if you are looking for on-piste skiing, family skiing and nightlife. I have to mention is right away that nightlife in Chamonix is almost dead compared to St. Anton, Les 3 Vallée and other famous ski resorts. So, what is there in Chamonix? Let’s have a detailed look.

Chamonix is located directly under the highest peak in Western Europe, Mont Blanc (4807 m.), and it is surrounded by very steep and high peaks. Mountains around Chamonix valley provide an endless amount of routes to ski and climb. There are approximately 50 lifts in Chamonix and the ski area are a little bit scattered. There are busses circulating between the ski areas, and it seems to be the best and easiest way to move between ski areas. Busses are free for those who have a ski pass.

Chamonix ski areas provide something for everyone

One of the Chamonix ski areas, Les Grands Montets, has sometimes been called as the best unique ski area in the world. While Les Grand Montets provides great skiing for experienced, less experienced and beginners can find good slopes in Le Tour ski area. Beginners, who have never been skiing before, should start in Planards ski area in the middle of the valley. Pretty good off-piste skiing and very nice forests can be found in Le Brevent and Flegere ski areas. Those area located in southern mountain faces are very popular and easy to access from Chamonix village.

For very experienced skiers, mountain climbers and backcountry skiers a lift from the village gives a ride up to L’Aiguille du Midi (3842 m.), one of the most staggering places to ski. All the slopes coming down from this peak are glaciers and sometimes risky (due to crevasses), so it is reasonable to hire a local guide to help skiing in from this high peak. If you feel skiing from L’Aiguille du Midi is too big challenge, you can always go there the awesome mountain view and shoot photographs. You can always take a lift back to valley.

Shopping in Chamonix ski resort

Chamonix village, with 10.000 inhabitants, provides a number of shops and restaurants where you can spend your evenings. You can get information of the interesting history of Chamonix from skiing and alpine museum. Additionally Chamonix ski resort provides a swimming hall, indoor climbing and few atmospheric after ski bars. Even though after ski is quiet, but that is just a positive thing because you need to be fresh and ready to go every morning. Powder fields are destroyed in one hour after the ski lifts have been opened, so there is no time to sleep in Chamonix.

Chamonix ski resort facts

- 10.000 inhabitants
- 2.5 million tourists yearly
- 49 ski lifts
- 160 kilometers of pistes, 10 black pistes, 24 red pistes and 40 green and blue pistes
- No freestyle park, no half-pipes
- Village altitude 1042 meters, highest ski list station (L’Aiguille du Midi) 3842 meters
- Ski lifts open from 8:45 am to 4:45 pm
- Ski lift prices: See the latest prices in Chamonix website
- Ski rent 6 days 60-130 euros
- Cross-country skiing routes 95 kilometers
- Restaurants about 200 and nightclubs 5
- Credit cards accepted Visa, American Express, Euro/Mastercard
- Websites: www.chamonix.com, www.chamonet.com , www.chamonix.net

Images source.

You don’t need to surf the web anymore. I have a solution for you. You will be heading to Slovakia! Why on Earth? There are many good reasons to ski in Slovakia. Let me tell you few good ones. This article gives you five good reasons to go skiing in Slovakia, specifically in Jasna in High-Tatry Mountains. Reasons below are not in any kind of order. Each reason is as important as any other in this list.

Skiing in Slovakia – Reason #1: It’s Very Cheap to Ski in Slovakia

Slovakia is pretty cheap country, which naturally means skiing in Slovakia is also cheap. If you are looking for a budget ski holiday package, take a look at Slovakia ski trips. Flights are cheaper, but cost savings can especially be seen in the prices of beer and other drinks as well as ski equipment rents. Let’s have some real examples of prices.
- full-day ski lift ticket 22 euros
- skis + boots for one day 7 euros
- half a liter beer in afterski 0.5-1 euro

Not too shabby!

Skiing in Slovakia – Reason #2: Easy Access to Slovakia

It is very easy to go skiing in Slovakia. You can flight to Bratislava and other cities from a number of European big cities. Just forget flying from London to North America. Instead you can fly to Slovakia in the morning and go skiing in the afternoon!

Skiing in Slovakia – Reason #3: Slovakia Provides an Interesting Culture

Slovakia provides a very interesting Eastern-European culture for you to enjoy. The Eastern-European architecture of houses and people provide you a little different skiing experience. In Slovakia you can see the big difference between welfare in Bratislava and ordinary life in the countryside. Being in Slovakia is definitely great if you are even little interested in Eastern-European cultures. In case you really hate Eastern-European cultures, I recommend you Gstaad in Switzerland.

Skiing in Slovakia – Reason #4: There is No Need To Hurry in Slovakia

Would you like to ski fresh powder with no hurry and no fighting in a lift-line? Heh.. it can easily be like that in France, as I have few true stories of “powder morning rush hour”. In Slovakia you can drink your coffee and eat your breakfast without any hurry with being afraid that in one hour all the powder is gone. Take it relaxed in Slovakia, enjoy your life and go skiing powder with no hurry. Why is it like that? Because Slovakia is not as popular as France when it comes to skiing, and there are not too many people around.

Skiing in Slovakia – Reason #5: Because it is Different!

Go skiig in Slovakia because it is different! Do something different this year; don’t go to Chamonix, St. Anton or Badgastein again. Instead go skiing in Slovakia. For more read our article series of skiing in Slovakia.

Let me help you. I have been skiing in numerous European ski resorts, and I have now listed five ski resorts that are pure diamonds. Now, this list is not about the best backcountry skiing resorts or the best telemark skiing resorts. This is a list of European ski resorts for families and those who are interested skiing on pistes, stay in a good hotel, eat very good food and enjoy something special. Let’s start.

European Ski Resort #5: Andorra

Andorra ski resort provides a bit different skiing than the ski resorts in the Alps. Andorra is located in southern Europe and it provides good skiing for beginners and a little more experienced skiers. Andorra is a small country and it is known from duty free prices in resorts. Lively nightlife, extensive snow making and southern sunshine provide a great experience in Andorra ski resort.

European Ski Resort #4: Serre Chevalier, France

Serre Chevalier ski resort is a budget resort for families. This less crowded resort provides good skiing for families. Because of the quiet nightlife, Serre Chevalier is a good candidate in the list of good family skiing resorts. Serre Chevalier provides also other activities, such as horseback riding and snow-shoe walking.

European Ski Resort #3: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

One of the most glamourous European ski resorts is Cortina in Italy, the leading ski resort in the Dolomite Region. It is very stylish and chic, and it is known to be one of the classiest and costliest of all European ski resorts. In addition to skiing for beginners and experienced, Cortina ski resort provides also various off-snow activities. Cortina provides fine dining, shopping, and a scene in which skiing and money come together.

European Ski Resort 2: Zermatt, Switzerland

Spectacular views, beautiful mountains and a lovely village. Zermatt ski resort is one of the most beautiful European ski resorts I have ever seen. It is a resort to which you should go on Christmas time, because on that time Zermatt turn to a dreamland with full of snow-covered houses, candles and lights. Take a horse ride in the car-free village or go just window-shopping on the walking street. Zermatt, a resort not for beginners, is located under the well-known mountain, Matterhorn. The Christmas in Zermatt with a whole family can provide you and your family an experience you will never forget.

European Ski Resort #1: Cervinia, Italy

All I can say is that Cervinia ski resort rocks! Cervinia is a ski resort I prefer when skiing with my family. It is right next to Monte Rosa and Grand Combin, those two magnificient mountain peaks of the Alps. Cervinia ski resort provides long and sunny slopes and good skiing spiced up with some charmy Italian lifestyle. Cervinia, the neighbor of Zermatt, has altitude of 2000 meters. Some of the ski lifts in Cervinia get even up to 3500 meters. Pack your skis and take your family to Cervinia ski resort. They will love it!

Accommodation in Jasna ski resort in Slovakia

Jasna ski resort has no clear village, just hotels located pretty randomly near the ski lifts and/or along the beautiful Demanovska Dolina valley. When I was guiding in Jasna ski resort we stayed at a relatively cheap Mikulaska Chata, near Otupne lift station. Very recommended our customers a cosy little hotel/hostel with all the basic services. (”Chata” means “hut”/”cottage” in Slovak but can basically be anything from a real mountain hut to a motel level accommodation. “Hotels” on the other hand are the ones with bars, lounges, restaurant, swimming pool – one could say anything with a status “Hotel” is pretty high standard in Slovakia!)

Jasna ski resort has a few very high standard hotels, e.g. Tri Studnicky, Hotel Grand and maybe a bit older/lower level Hotel Junior. All those are recommend. Hotel Sverma (this is for you looking the original seventies “East Block” feel!) and Hotel Liptov are clearly of the lower level, although cheaper too. The biggest hotels are owned by the same company that runs the lifts – so you get valuable packages “all included” (accommodation, food, lift tickets). Anyway, prices are on the rise, and it is recommended to check out the smaller hotels/hostels for even better prices/offers. It is hard to find a comprehensive list of Jasna/Nizke Tatry accommodation but here’s a few (also including some from High Tatra region):

http://www.tatry.net/accommodation/hotels

http://www.nizketatry.sk/ubytovanie/ubytovanie/ubytovanie.html#ddol

http://www.liptovskymikulas.sk/lm.php?t=2&m=3&p=14

http://www.jasna.sk (click “accommodation”)

Skiing in Jasna ski resort in Slovakia

If you want to get good groomer skiing, get up early and head for the first lifts. Especially during the high season (first three weeks of February) lift lines can be long. My favorite trail is the FIS GS Slope from Rovna Hola to Zahradky. Too bad Zahradky is also clearly the most crowded down station. Still, we had a few very nice groomer SG/GS sessions on the FIS slope on several mornings. Generally the skiing can be pretty hectic due to crowds and/or quite mad slope action (=people going straight down with no control!) – a very good reason to head for the off-piste though…

Dining and night life in Jasna ski resort

All the hotels offer western standard food (Austria/Germany would be good comparison). Price level is very reasonable too. Hotel Tri Studnicky is the most expensive but also very gourmet..local game food like deer and wild boar were my favorites!

On the slopes a very good option is to head for Koliesko. Best value (and the most greasy!) slope-side restaurant food I’ve ever had, and a very cosy atmosphere. For dining and just taking it easy Bar Peklo along Mikulasska Chata is recommended, nice small and larger snacks, good food, nice staff. This was the favourite hang out for Finns in the early evenings or on those evenings when you just wanted to “take it easy” (yeah right…knowing the drinking habits of our natives). By the way, “Peklo” means “Hell” in Slovak; no wonder this was the place for the Finns!

For even more options head for the town Liptovsky Mikulas down the valley. Busses will commute regurarly through the day between Jasna resort and the town. Also, taking a cab won’t drive you into a bankcrupt…

Town Liptovsky Mikulas in Jasna ski resort

The night clubs of the Hotels are where to go in the evenings. Back in 2003 and 2004 Junior Hotel and Hotel Grand had the best crowds and even some nice dj’s and theme parties now and then. The town of Liptovsky Mikulas is also a place to check out, and a good place to meet locals the vibe there is more mellow and not typical “ski-resort” at all. In Jasna you could basically be anywhere… well, almost… there are a few minor details like strippers in Hotel’s night clubs that make a difference.

One of the best natural resources in Slovakia.. Oh, and how could I forgot: the local beer is good and cheap. Some say Czech beer is alot better but I couldn’t complain. Be ware of the local poisons – Borovicka and Slivovica… hangovers can be furious!

To be continued in the next (4th) part of the series.

In this post I will discuss the lift systems, slopes and off-piste skiing in the Jasna ski resort area. In the next post I will give some practical tips of what it pays to do (IMHO) and what not to do at the Jasna ski resort. The last post of the series includes more thoughts about Slovakia and skiing in Slovakia in general.

Jasna ski resort is probably the most developed ski resort in Slovakia. Jasna has vertical meters of about 1100 meters (~3300 feet) and a quite modern lift system with four-person Doppelmayer lifts. The new Poma lift offers ride to the top of the Chopok mountain, linking two previously separated ski resorts of Chopok-South and Chopok-North. This gives the skier in Jasna ski resort a lot more options as e.g. the snow situation can vary a lot between the two sides of the mountain (mainly due to current wind direction). Anyhow, before the new lift (pre-2007) you had to hike some 170 meters of vertical to the top, which most people cared not to do – leaving plenty of seldom-skied off-piste possibilities. The good news, as heard from a friend that spent five weeks in Jasna ski resort last winter, is that locals still don’t rush to the off-piste in large masses.

The top lift basically allows you to get on the Low Tatra (Nizke Tatry) ridge and hike horizontally along the ridge – giving plenty of possibilities for nice backcountry skiing both sides of the Ridge in Jasna ski resort. North facing aspect even has some really steep (~50 degrees) shortish chutes/couloirs of about 250 meters or 700~800 feet of vertical. Beware of the conditions and rocks though! South side offers mellower and longer descents, often in more “corn” type of snow, given its aspect towards the sun.

Jasna ski resort has even officially named freeride zones (see map 1 and map 2). Officially you are only allowed to ski in these “zones” outside of the slopes. Other parts of the ridge belong to the national park and are protected. However, we never got any attention/notes for exploring the ridge further. You also see some local ski tourers here and there. But please pay attention and respect the nature: in the ridge line you often see wonderful Tatra Chamois, of which only about 250 still exists in the whole Tatra area (and in the whole world of course!). I really hope the growing tourism and ski area will not disturb the peace of those beautiful creatures or the whole high mountain biotype of the ridge. I see some more regulation coming in the future as an obligatory way to protect the very small and fragile area. So, go now, respect the locals, don’t leave any trash/other marks behind you, and move fast…