[Misc] 2024 Winter Sports Season, where you going!

[Spiros]

Booked Bardonecchia for March with the guys I play football with as didn't think I would be going with the Family.

Then my daughter and her partner decided they were coming back from Australia end of Jan instead of May, and in a very rare emotional and generous moment I said I would treat us all to a ski holiday. So Me, Mrs Wz our two kids and their partners are all off to El Tarter beginning of February. Last time we skied there was 22 years ago when the kids were 5 and 7. With my daughter having been in Oz for 18 months, I'm really looking forward to it

Went to Bardonecchia about 6 years ago for my first skiing in years and thoroughly enjoyed it, hope you do too.

Got my first trip since then booked for end of January in Sauze d’Oulx, staying at Sportinia up the mountain so should be fun. Mrs S is also coming this time for her first proper skiing since a certain trip in the early 90s

 

[WATFORD zero]

Went to Bardonecchia about 6 years ago for my first skiing in years and thoroughly enjoyed it, hope you do too.

Got my first trip since then booked for end of January in Sauze d’Oulx, staying at Sportinia up the mountain so should be fun. Mrs S is also coming this time for her first proper skiing since a certain trip in the early 90s

Where was that trip, I vaguely remember it but can't remember where ?

 

[Spiros]

Where was that trip, I vaguely remember it but can't remember where ?

Courmayeur

 

[Weststander]

Solden in half term, and we’re definitely not middle class!

Famous for Après-ski, the Germans, Dutch and Swedes love the place.

 

[Bry Nylon]

why don’t you want to know where the working class NSCers are going?

Agreed. Invaluable for sharing which McDonalds drive-thrus have been gritted.

 

[TottonSeagull]

Done 5 days in Cervinia mid December and currently in Val D’Isere for a week. Having a bit of a ski fest!

 

[Albion my Albion]

My son, a CPA in a firm in Colorado Springs (why I know so much about NORAD & mall shooting) has a boss who's married to the niece of John Denver. Denver's real name was Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. John Denver's brother, Ron Deutschendorf, is Mrs Bowers' father. Mrs Bowers is the wife of my son's boss, Mr. Eric Bowers.

We were invited to Zak Denver's (John Denver's adopted African American 1/4 Cherokee son) house in Basalt, Colorado up the road from Aspen, Colorado .Zak Denver is the cousin of Mrs. Bowers. Also invited is Annie Martell, John's ex wife, Zak's mother, Mrs. Bower's aunt, subject of John's song, Annie's Song. (You fill up my senses like a night in a forest). Zak's sisters, Anna Kate Deutschendorf & Jesse Belle Deutschendorf have also been invited.

Another interesting note is that Mrs Bowers' twin brothers were in the movie Ghostbusters II. You might remember that the plot called for the character Sigourney Weaver to have a baby. That baby was played by Mrs Bowers twin brothers. Unfortunately one of her brothers committed suicide in California due to a schizoaffective disorder at the age of 29. The Deutschendorf family has had their share of tragedy as you may remember that John Denver died in an experimental aircraft accident off the California coast. Mrs Bowers has told me that her Uncle John didn't have a pilot's license due to his alcoholism and really shouldn't have been flying the experimental airplane that day in October 1997. It was only 2 years after Mrs Bowers & my son's boss got married in 1995. According to Mrs Bowers, who dearly loves her Aunt Annie Martel, her Uncle John cheated on his wife constantly while touring during his music career. He was an alcoholic & drug user and they were divorced in 1982. Married in 1967. Aunt Annie truly loved her ex-husband John Denver her whole adult life and has never been remarried.

Oh, I'm pretty sure we'll be doing some skiing up near Aspen.

 

[Albion my Albion]

I talked with my son last night and found out I had the former Miss Deutschendorf (niece of John Denver) married to the wrong partner in the CPA firm of Bowers/O'Neal. It turns out she is Mrs Deutschendorf O'Neal not Mrs. Bowers. When I arrived at the company party that I talked with Mrs Deutschendorf O'Neal, Eric Bowers was sitting next to his wife and then Mrs Deutschendorf O'Neal was sitting next to the real Mrs Bowers and then Tom O'Neal (who is 10 to 15 years older than his wife, the former Miss Deutschendorf) was sitting next to his wife. When I arrived Tom O'Neal got up and moved to give our group room to sit, the real Mrs Bowers had to leave and Mrs Deutschendorf O'Neal moved next to Eric Bowers who she is closer in age to than she is to her husband. I then sat next to Mrs Deutschendorf O'Neal. So therefore I assumed the former Miss Deutschendorf was married to Eric Bowers. I then talked with Mrs Deutschendorf O'Neal most of the party as she told me much of the history of the Deutschendorf/John Denver saga. And the real embarrassing thing is that I'm still not sure what Mrs Deutschendorf O'Neal's first name is. My son thinks it is Sharri or Sharon but he refers to her as Mrs O'Neal.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Byron Bay, NSW

*edit* for purposes of full disclosure, emoji may not depict actual THPP surfing

 

[Bry Nylon]

I then talked with Mrs Deutschendorf O'Neal most of the party

Thoughts and prayers with Mrs Deutschendorf O’Neal

 

[WATFORD zero]

Byron Bay, NSW

*edit* for purposes of full disclosure, emoji may not depict actual THPP surfing

He's not wearing your speedos for a start

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

He's not wearing your speedos for a start

I thought that was our little secret

 

[AndyH]

Solden in half term, and we’re definitely not middle class!

Excellent resort. Much better than Gurgl

 

[pasty]

Quick question for regular skiers.

It’s been 14 years since my last trip so I’m seriously out of touch on the booking front. We always used to go with Crystal, but are there any cheaper sites out there now worth looking at?

We’re not that fussy, with the only non negotiable being Tignes in late Jan/early Feb.

 

[Weststander]

Quick question for regular skiers.

It’s been 14 years since my last trip so I’m seriously out of touch on the booking front. We always used to go with Crystal, but are there any cheaper sites out there now worth looking at?

We’re not that fussy, with the only non negotiable being Tignes in late Jan/early Feb.

Crystal are still very good and ‘reasonable’, most of the package competition have disappeared in the last 14 years. Alternatives these days might be SkiWorld, IGLU (an agency), Neilson and Inghams.

The price of everything has multiplied hugely in that time ….. equipment rental, hotels, passes.

Or travel independently, we usually do.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Quick question for regular skiers.

It’s been 14 years since my last trip so I’m seriously out of touch on the booking front. We always used to go with Crystal, but are there any cheaper sites out there now worth looking at?

We’re not that fussy, with the only non negotiable being Tignes in late Jan/early Feb.

I second what @Weststander has suggested i.e. book independent. It’s very easy and cheap these days to book flights, accom and transfers separately on the internet. You also have a lot more choice. There are also a number of resorts with train stations so you can transfer from airport to resort by rail.

 

[FatSuperman]

There are loads of fairly decent and reliable ski websites that put packages together - every time I've travelled with Crystal it has been amongst the worst experiences. The last time we ever used them, four of our party of six got food poisoning and missed two days on the mountain. Myself and a mate avoided it, simply due to getting so drunk we missed dinner, and went to a pizza joint instead.

The meal we missed was lasagne - hardly haute cuisine. How the hell do you give people food poisoning from lasagne?!

Inghams and Neilson are decent. YSE are incredible but I think costly nowadays and cover Val d'Isere only. SkiWorld.co.uk is also one we've used several times and are good.

I'm off to St Anton on Saturday

 

[bhafc99]

Going to Gudauri in Georgia at the start of February. Company jolly, so it’s all free. No idea what the skiing will be like, but hopefully ok.

Gudauri.com - Cайт горнолыжного курорта Гудаури в Грузии. Услуги, отели и цены.

Официальная информация о работе Гудаури: трассы и подъёмники, вебкамеры, снег, жильё и услуги на курорте. Цены и бронирование проживания и трансфера из аэропорта. Состояние дороги из России.

gudauri.com

 

[WATFORD zero]

Quick question for regular skiers.

It’s been 14 years since my last trip so I’m seriously out of touch on the booking front. We always used to go with Crystal, but are there any cheaper sites out there now worth looking at?

We’re not that fussy, with the only non negotiable being Tignes in late Jan/early Feb.

We used to use Crystal when the kids were young as they picked the kids up from the chalet, took them to skischool, bought them back to the chalet for lunch, and gave them an early dinner and evening club, while the adults took their time over dinner. They were superb for Families but not cheap.

We normally do chalets in Tignes/France as being a little.... more mature, it's nice to get waited on when you get back and Iglu are normally good for these from all the major companies. You can get some good deals through SunWeb as they include ski passes, so all the resorts that are £300 or more on ski passes are worth looking at.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Decent, is that the resort with the Altiport?

It is indeed

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go into the restaurant top right in this picture unless you have a mortgage agreed in principle