Fly to ski

Always willing to learn and try new things. Im also looking for places to go skiing. Sion is right in the middle of the Alps which brings into question winds, icing and visibility. What are the chances the weather will be good enough to get in on a particular day? How accurate is the Met report early on the day of departure? How flexible are the hotels if you make a reservation but cant make it?

Most resorts will open by mid-December however November has been very warm, the ground is still warm and there is close to no snow. Strike that – there is no snow. So coming for skiing in early December (unless we get the mother of all cold spells and two weeks of uninterrupted snow – this is Mooney Driver’s turf) looks like a risky bet to me. The only places that will 100% have snow are the ones with a glacier i.e. Les Diablerets (which you can reach from Lausanne / Saanen) and Zermatt & Saas Fee (good luck finding a place to stay in Zermatt if you start looking now).

I would rather plan for early January, from the 9th onwards there’s bound to be less people as the holidays are over and Russian New Years’ as well.

If you look for an “authentic” less glitzy and more remote experience Evolène should also be considered – it is quite small so you won’t pay through the nose, has a very typical architecture, and there is great off-piste if you go with someone who is advanced.

Alternatively there are resorts abutting the Aletsch glacier MD just showed a picture of: Riederalp, Bettmeralp, Fiescheralp. Very picturesque, lots of sun (they face south) and can only get in by cable car so no traffic. It does take longer to get there though (train from Sion then cable car) but very much worht it and great for beginner skiers.

One thing you should know is that January can get very cold in the resorts that are on the southern side of Valais (e.g. Saas Fee, Zermatt, Zinal, Evolene – Arolla, Nendaz,Verbier). Less so on the north side as there is more sun (Crans Montana, Ovronnaz).

I can guide you for hotel selection once you start firming up your plans.

Innsbruck has an IAP

I learned to ski eight years ago on a indoor slope. My first real-world skiing was in the 4 Vallées region, which is next to Sion. I made the mistake to follow my colleagues to a red slope for the first descent. I fell down the first turn and tumbled down the slope losing both skis.
The next days I was practicing on a baby slope, slowly gaining some confidence. At the end of the week I was able to do the blue slopes and started to enjoy it.

Regarding the availability of beginner slopes: The training industry need them so most areas will have multiple beginner slopes, both in the valley and on the mountain.

I’m also considering to fly to a ski area. Some questions:
- What about parking? Can you leave the plane outside for a couple of days in wintertime? Do airports like Lausanne or Sion offer hangarage?
- Being non-FIKI, what are the chances that you can actually fly to a ski area and back in winter time?

I only do day trips for skiing, usually to St Johann (LOIJ) and Zell am See (LOWZ). When it’s really cold there (like most of the time), it’s very difficult to de-ice your aircraft. A day trip in a nice high pressure area does away with that problem.

I ski 60 km from Samedan / CH , but prefer to drive. Can’t carry all I need in the plane + 2 kids, then have no car there .. and the drive from from Munich is only 3 hours. Place is called Scuol and is the perfect family ski resort. A great school (which my kids attended for the last 8 years), very modern and nice, and still not more expensive than nice places in Austria.

But you’re not suggesting that Peter drive from the UK? Or fly to Munich and rent a car?

But you’re not suggesting that Peter drive from the UK? Or fly to Munich and rent a car?

Yes, like to Munich, Salzburg or Innsbruck and then drive. Innsbruck is actually pretty good, close to many nice Ski areas, rental car no problem.