Alps or Rockies? The both have their pluses. Maybe the best thing is to ski them both.
By DAN LEETH
Published October 12, 2003
[Photo: Dan Leeth]
The mountains above Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, offer a skyscraping topography of snowy rock and plunging palisades.
ABOVE: Western resorts such as those in Vail, Colo., use chairlifts and gondolas almost exclusively, and most American ski terrain lies at or below the timberline.
[Photo: Dan Leeth]
LEFT: Below the tree line lies Beaver Creek’s cozy base village in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
[Photos: Yvette Cardozo]
In many Alpine ski areas, access to the slopes begins with a ride on an aerial tramway, such as this one in Davos, Switzerland. Often, skiers pack themselves in these trams like sardines.
[Photo: Dan Leeth]
Some decisions are tough. For about the price of a winter's week skiing in the West, you can fly to Europe and schuss the slopes where Alpine skiing began.
Dollars or euros? Apple pie or apple strudel? There is much to consider, and it starts with getting there.
One advantage of the West is its proximity. It takes only a few hours to fly from Florida to Denver or Salt Lake City; nonstop flights even connect Miami and Atlanta with the regional airports for such ski destinations as Vail, Steamboat Springs and Telluride. Commuter flights from Denver and Salt Lake City lead to more.
As Dave Fields of Utah's Snowbird Resort puts it, if the skiers head west, they "can spend their vacation on the hill, not traveling. Most of our guests fly and ski the same day."
Reaching Europe, on the other hand, typically takes at least eight airborne hours and for many destinations, requires a plane change. Watches and bodies spring six to nine time zones ahead.
After touchdown, the next difference between destinations emerges: Out west, you're still in the United States - same language, money, customs. In Europe, of course, you've landed in a foreign world.
"You're going to have a totally different experience," says Daniela Gugliotta of SkiEurope. "You're not just going for the skiing: You're going there to experience the culture, taste the food and see things you won't find here."
The foreign charm hits pretty quickly. You are likely to find women dressed in dirndls and men wearing knickers and felt hats. Gingerbread-style chalets sport drooping roofs and flower-boxed balconies. Storefront bakeries flavor the air with the scent of freshly baked bread. Narrow cobblestone streets meander through quaint villages.
"You're seeing the Old World and Old World charm," says John Frasca of Central Holidays. "The food and the hospitality don't compare to anything out west."
But being in a foreign land means some tradeoffs. Electrical appliances require converters, televisions don't show favorite programs and menus lack familiar fare. Hotel rooms tend to be smaller and more spartan than their American counterparts. When it comes to mattresses, Europe can be royally lacking.
"We don't have king-size beds," says the Italian-born Gugliotta. "We have a big bed that sometimes is just one mattress, or it's twin beds next to each other. You don't find two queen beds in a room."
Head for the hills
Regardless, after a good night's sleep it's time to hit the slopes. In America, generally, chairlifts or gondolas whisk skiers from base areas directly to the ski runs. In Europe, access to the slopes often begins with a ride on a train, funicular or aerial tramway, with passengers packed in like chips in a Pringles can. Your nose may remind you that in some cultures, bathing is optional.
On the slopes, U.S. and European lift lines move differently. With minimal prompting, Americans form disciplined queues, giving each other some space and taking turns merging. Such is not the Alpine custom.
"It's a free-for-all," says Andrea Taylor, who lived in Europe. "There are no real lines: You just walk over other people's skis."
Major American resorts employ chairlifts and gondolas almost exclusively. In Europe you find the same high-tech, high-speed lifts as here, but you may find them interspersed with an array of rope tows, platter pulls (Poma lifts) and T-bars. For those who have never tried them, being yanked upward on a surface lift can be daunting.
From high up, the mountains of the American West appear grand. Snow-covered peaks jut from forested hills. Cliffs and canyons plunge into shadowy valleys. You may imagine this to be the best rooftop view on Earth . . . until you see the Alps.
Far above the last stunted tree, Alpine peaks, crags, knobs and spires rise like frozen waves in a churning white sea. This is a bold land where snow covers rock and palisades touch glaciers. Bound only by the sky, its grandeur seems to stretch as far as the eye can see.
"You feel like you're standing on top of the world," says Jeff Evans of Utah's Snowbird Resort. "The (Alps) are just spectacular."
Although U.S. areas may have slopes above timberline (as high up as trees can grow), most American skiing takes place on trails cut through forest. Thus, trees help define routes and shelter skiers from wind and weather. Area boundaries are usually well designated.
Alpine runs often start and stop above timberline. Ski trails on the map may be nothing more than machine-groomed swaths down a white expanse, marked only by occasional wands stuck in the snow.
Some skiers find this unbridled openness exhilarating. To others, it's intimidating.
When storms hit, that treeless terrain offers no protection from winds. Groomed routes become featureless hillsides when blanketed by fresh snowfall. Shadow-killing clouds can "flatten" the slope and cut depth perception.
"When I was on the U.S. ski team, I got caught above treeline in a total whiteout," says Steamboat's international star, Billy Kidd. "I could see the outline of my skis, but I couldn't tell which way was up or down.
"(I knew) there was a cliff I had to avoid, but I didn't know which way to turn. I kept feeling I was going faster and faster. Finally, I had to do something, so I sat down. Only then did I find out I hadn't even been moving."
Ski across borders
European runs often cross farmlands and hillsides that separate distant valleys. While U.S. skiers yo-yo up and down in short spurts, Alpine skiers can enjoy long cruises that stretch for miles. They sometimes connect village with village, and in places you can even ski from country to country.
"I used to take a group of Americans over to Zermat (Switzerland) to ski glaciers on the side of the Matterhorn," says Kidd. "We would stay in Switzerland, but then ski down to Italy and have spaghetti for lunch."
Trail grooming, the art of scraping, smoothing and packing powder into ribbons of white corduroy, is less prevalent in Europe than in the States.
Here, nearly every beginner and intermediate run is manicured into a uniform, easy-to-negotiate surface. European resorts boast excellent groomed trails, too, but they also leave plenty of terrain unpacked for what is called "off piste" skiing. Expert skiers love this.
European snow tends to be a bit heavier, with a higher moisture content. It reminds some of the East. A thousand miles from the nearest ocean, Rocky Mountain snow falls dry, light and fluffy. It packs into ice-free runs that make skis sing.
When it comes time for lunch at most Western resorts, you either drop to the base area or head for a cafeteria-style meal at an on-mountain eatery. The goal for American skiers is to return quickly to the slopes for more action.
It's different for Europeans: They treat skiing as a total experience, and dining is part of the package.
"There are little farmhouses where you can have your schnapps, eat a plate of speck and have some hot soup," says World Cup competitor Cory Carlson, now with the Park Hyatt Hotel in Colorado's Beaver Creek. "You kick your skis off and sit. That's part of the ambience. We don't have that in the States."
At day's end, some Americans stop at bars for music and munchies while others soothe muscles with a soak, sauna or massage. Apres-ski in Europe is less tame.
"In Austria, everyone from young to old jams skis into snow banks and walks into the bars," says Charles Leocha, author of Ski Europe. "They whoop it up, yodel and dance and until it's time for dinner."
So what is a skier to do? Perhaps Kidd has the best plan:
"You definitely want to try skiing in Europe: The adventure of it is great - the languages, the food and the views. But make sure when you go, you've got another flight booked to somewhere here in the West. When you realize what you're missing over there, you'll be ready to come here."
Freelance writer Dan Leeth heads out from his home in Aurora, Colo., when he wants to ski.
If you go
The Rocky Mountains
When to go: Because resorts crank up their snowmaking gear as soon as the temperatures dip, Western ski areas can open as early as late October. For most, the best skiing comes mid January through mid March. Prices and crowds peak around the holidays and again from early February through March.
Getting there: Several airlines provide at least connecting service to the major airports in New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, as well as to such resort destinations as Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Steamboat Springs, Telluride and Vail, Colo. Amtrak delivers you to Salt Lake City, Glenwood Springs, Colo., and Denver, and Colorado's famed Ski Train delivers riders from Denver straight to the slopes of Winter Park.
Where to go: Western ski areas typically offer a mix of terrain suitable for most skiers and accommodations fitting a variety of budgets. Those resorts located farther from Denver and Salt Lake City will generally be less crowded, especially on weekends.
For descriptions and links to the resorts, contact Colorado Ski Country 303-837-0793, www.coloradoski.com and Ski Utah (toll-free 1-800-754-8824, www.skiutah.com)
Packages: Although United Vacations toll-free 1-888-854-3899, www.unitedvacations.com and Mountain Vacations (toll-free 1-800-754-3704, www.mountainvacations.com) offer air, lodging and lift-ticket packages to Rocky Mountain ski resorts, the best deals can often be found by booking directly through the ski area. Low-season prices start at less than $400 per person for a week's lifts and lodging, with airfare extra.
For more information: To learn more about skiing out West, contact the Colorado Tourism Office toll-free 1-800-265-6723, www.colorado.com Idaho Department of Commerce (toll-free 1-800-842-5858, www.visitid.org) Travel Montana (toll-free 1-800-847-4868, www.visitmt.com) or the New Mexico Department of Tourism (toll-free 1-800-733-6396, www.newmexico.org) Utah Travel Council (toll-free 1-800-200-1160, www.utah.com) or Wyoming Travel and Tourism (toll-free 1-800-225-5996, www.wyomingtourism.org)
The Alps
When to go: Although the ski season may run from late November through mid April, lesser snowmaking means the best skiing is typically from late January through early March. Prices are lowest both early and late season, and dip in January. High season extends from early February through mid March.
Getting there: The main gateway cities for European skiing include Innsbruck, Austria; Munich; Zermat and Geneva, Switzerland; and Venice. All are served directly by the major international carriers, although a plane change may be required either in New York or on the continent. To enter these Alpine nations, American and Canadian citizens must present a valid passport but not a visa.
Choosing a resort: Although nearly every resort has a mix of terrain to please skiers from beginners to experts, there is significant difference among the various countries and ski areas. Ski Europe by Charles Leocha World Leisure Corp., $21.95 offers a detailed guide to the major destinations, and resort descriptions can be found at www.resortspace.com
SkiEurope's Web site (www.ski-europe.com) provides descriptions, maps and "What's Great" and "What's Not-So-Great" evaluations.
Packages: SkiEurope toll-free 1-800-333-5533, www.ski-europe.com) offers packages to major destinations. Prices, which include airfare, a week's accommodations, breakfasts and transfers, start at about $800. Lift tickets are typically extra.
ABOVE: Western resorts such as those in Vail, Colo., use chairlifts and gondolas almost exclusively, and most American ski terrain lies at or below the timberline.
In many Alpine ski areas, access to the slopes begins with a ride on an aerial tramway, such as this one in Davos, Switzerland. Often, skiers pack themselves in these trams like sardines.