RADC Association
Assisting past and present members
Ski trip 2011
Paul Mannering is trawling for participants for a ski trip in 2011
A trawling email for your reply by end of FEB 10, to see if there is interest in a group going skiing next year in the week Sat 15 Jan to Sat 22 Jan 11. Those who have travelled with me in previous years and those who have expressed interest over the years and more recently are included as addressees. If you also have friends and family that wish to go then please pass their email contact to me and I'll include them. If you want to be deleted from the list then just email me back and I'll do so. At the moment no commitment other than yes or maybe interested without obligation. They key is for me to be able to negotiate basic numbers with a company in the next month or so. The commitment only comes when deposits are due, usually by May, and by then I would have hoped you will have elected in or out of the trip once you know more details on costs, venue etc.
In last last couple of years we have been to Italy (Folgarida and Canazei). My initial scoping for 2011 on the websites, in brochures and guide books is to go outside of Italy for 2011.. Some of the group members travelling this year would also like to give Italy a rest in 2011 but are enthusiastic to go back in 2012 to the Selva region/side of the Sella Ronda.
The principles of the group is to gain benefit of price and deal from a ski company through a "bulk buy". There is no commitment to ski as a group, meet as a group and so on although we do find that we tend to dine as one in the evenings after a wee bit of apres ski. I am always keen to find new members of the group which in the main consists of mutual friends from all walks of life and backgrounds and location. Complete beginners have joined us every year so its not as if this is a powder hound hungry group. There are normally all abilities, experience, age and gender with one common aim to enjoy their skiing holiday at the best possible value for money.
The areas being considered, with less than 2 hr transfers, have to give a good range of skiing for all abilities and have plenty of scope for those who want high mileage skiing at one end of the scale and those who want to learn at the other end. Two non Italian areas stick out to do this. One is the Portes du Soleil in France (Les Gets, Morzine, Avoriaz) and the other in Austria (Ischgl Galtur St Anton or best worst cases Soll or Zell am See (low alt)).
Flights are normally out of LGW or Manchester but in my early review of brochures and websites I have also found access flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh so that might be an option in 2011 depending upon company chosen and final destination. In terms of accommodation we will always seek the HB option based normally on twin rooms with the occasional single supplement by request. Some I have already reviewed also have the fullboard option which means either skiing back for lunch or taking a packed one! Proximity to lifts and or ski buses is a big factor too.
This year we had a great blue sky sunshine week on the Sella Ronda Italy and the basic price per person was £480. You then need tyo add the lift passes etc and ski hire, packages. To give an idea for this year I attach the spreadsheet of costs but you can for example go to Iglu http://www.igluski.com/ and see all sorts of data from lift pass prices, group recommendations etc etc. I have used that and brochures from Neilson, Crystal, Inghams, Equity and First Choice. If you have a suggestion for a destination then also email me.
Please let me know by email of your level of interest (YES, NO or MAYBE)numbers and ski ability by the end of Feb 2010.