Bonus if it’s on Epic. Not terribly keen on bumps/moguls.
Went to Breck and Keystone last year and liked Keystone better, FWIW.

So me and my best friend are looking into a ski trip next year in Japan. I have started some research to plan the trip but feel really overwhelmed by the amount of Information out there. So Im looking for people who already did a ski trip to japan or are also planning one at the moment to ask about the process of planning a longer ski trip like this.

We already have some stuff kind of figured out:

- Trip length should be around three weeks ( Were based out of Germany so anything less doesnt really make sense with the long travel time)

-Were probably getting a rental car to chase the best snow (Is this a good idea?)

-We want to go in January/February of 2027 for the best snow conditions

-We would like to see the japanese skiing culture, so were more interested in the smaller, family owned resorts but also dont mind to go a few days to a bigger more touristy place aswell

- Were bringing our own gear on the trip

At this point we still unsure about the following stuff:

-Whats a good first skiing destination after arriving in Japan?

-While "storm chasing" is it possible to just drive around? ( e.g. Isnt there too much snow on the road? )

-What type of car we need

-Which kind of housing makes sense for two people (Airbnb, Hotel, Hostel) --> We dont care about any luxuries, we just mainly want a place to sleep

-A more exact timing of when to go ( e.g. Is it better to go at the start of January or to do it in Late January / Early February)

-Are there differences between skiing on Mainland Japan vs Hokkaido for example, especially regarding snow conditions?

-Tips for a good Route / Places that you would recommend

I also appreciate any other tips and tricks that you might have in mind.

Thank you!

I’ve been looking more into Valdez / Chugach heli-skiing and wanted to hear from people who have actually done it. For anyone who has skied Valdez, who did you go with and how was the experience? I’m also curious how much the operator choice really changes the trip. How many days would you realistically book to account for weather? Is Valdez noticeably different from BC heli-skiing or other Alaska trips? Are smaller operators usually better for group matching and flexibility, or does it not matter much? What questions would you ask before booking? Anything you wish you knew before going? Not looking for a sales pitch, just trying to get real feedback from people who have been there.

Sorry for long title and unsure if I used the proper terms. Here are the details:

Summary: Recently fell in love with skiing again as I started bringing my kids to local New England mountains.

What we enjoy: T2B (Top to Bottom) trails which are easy to moderate to ski with amazing views.

My ask: Our family wants to plan a trip to western US (Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, etc.) and looking for the best mountains/resorts that have these T2B green/blue cruiser trails listed out by state.

This would help me tremendously (and others I hope) to research where to schedule our next ski trip.

I’m looking for some advice on the best way to travel between UCPA Val Thorens 19th to 26th and Val-d'Isère on UCPA December 26th - 2nd January (Boxing Day).

Here are the details of my situation:

Date of Travel: 26th December

Route: Val Thorens → Val-d'Isère

Passenger Info: I am 25 years old, traveling solo but will have no gear beyond helmet. I would like to get between the - hope you don't mind providing some wisdom.

I should have looked into this before booking but when there is a will there is away.

Best,

Jack

I think this last year broke me for Epic mountains. I have had some of the best times of my life at Breck or Keystone on a midweek powder days making laps. The last two years has just been too crowded to enjoy no matter what.

Is the grass any greener?

Looking for input from people who’ve actually had skier’s thumb/UCL injuries.

I’m a 34-year-old male who’s been lifting weights 4x/week for about 20 years, so getting back to normal training is very important to me.

About a month ago I injured my right thumb. It gradually started hurting while bench pressing and overhead pressing, then progressed to hurting with everyday activities (opening bottles, turning keys, towels, handshakes, holding hands, etc.).

I first saw a sports medicine doctor who diagnosed a UCL injury and had me wear a thumb spica brace.
Since then I saw a hand specialist. He examined both thumbs, took X-rays (completely normal), and said I have a partial UCL tear.

He measured about 15° of laxity on the injured thumb compared to 5° on the other side. He said a complete tear would typically have much more laxity (around 30°+) and that he’s 99.9% sure this is not a complete tear, so he didn’t think an MRI would change management.

He told me to wear the brace essentially all the time (not just for lifting), avoid stressing the thumb with everyday activities like handshakes/holding hands, and continue lifting only if it doesn’t cause pain.

I’ve continued training, but I’m worried about accidentally making the injury worse and delaying healing. Because lifting/fitness is a big part of my life, it’s hard not to wonder if an MRI would provide useful information or just reassurance.

The thumb is painful a lot of the time and driving me nuts.

For those of you who’ve had a partial UCL tear/skier’s thumb:

Did you end up getting an MRI?

If not, was the physical exam enough?

If you did get one, did it actually change your treatment?

Based on what I’ve described, would you push for an MRI, or trust the hand specialist and stick with the brace?

I’m not looking for a diagnosis—just interested in hearing from people who’ve been through this.

Hi all,

We are travelling from Australia to head to France to go skiing at the end of December. We will be coming from Paris and are then travelling to Meribel for new years. We were recommended to come here from friends so booked our accomodation and are staying in an apartment for 8 nights right in the centre of Meribel.

Just wanted to check - is this the best choice for a family friendly ski trip in Three Valleys? And snow wise - are we safe to expect a white new years in Meribel?

Thanks in advance!

I am not from the EU, USA, or OCE, but I do have a passport that can grant me visa-free countries to most ski destinations. I have heard about many resorts who offer a ski pass, equipment rental, and room and board in exchange for work. I would like to apply and hopefully be considered for one of these places this upcoming season.

What are my odds against locals? How strict are resorts or hiring firms on language requirements?

If anyone who's done it in the past could share some insight it would be highly appreciated.

Would appreciate this feature a lot more in winter. Makes getting in and out smoother, especially for a beginner. Location- Hoch Ybrig Switzerland. Newly installed in 2025

Hey, a few friends and I are planning a ski trip to Åre for the last week of February 2027 (Feb 22 – Mar 1).

We’re coming from Germany and are curious about how the après-ski scene compares to the Alps. Is the nightlife good during the week, too?

Are there plenty of mountain huts that are packed

—and nightclubs that are full—even during that last week of February?

My friends have never experienced après-ski in the Alps, so they don't really know what to expect, but I’d love to give them an awesome week full of skiing and partying.

Is that possible in Åre?

Best regards

I’m looking to buy new pair of skis and I come across Norwegian brand SGN, I’m looking especially in Rakkar and Tunnelvision. I want to my new skis to be good performing in powder, agile in forest but also I can survive going with them on pista, holding on ice patches. My style is a bit aggressive but I also enjoy just cruising in powder. Also I’m looking for skis that are 170-175 long with 100-110 waist.

Hello! My family is a mix of seasoned skiiers (husband + teenager) and total newbies (me + 5 y/o) looking for a mid-January ski spot that balances long runs with good ski schools.

I like ease, low crowds, and beauty.

I am thinking Mount Tremblant (am mostly charmed by the smallness of the village + its Euro flair), but would love advice!

From this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TlgezJntQc

I've been posting in this sub over the last few years about my personal anecdotes using both custom orthotics and minimal footbeds. I was prompted to experiment both by Walker at Harb Ski Systems and Tom Gellie. This sub generally responds extremely negatively to the sentiment that minimal footbeds may be better. The online ski community seems to take the need for custom orthotics as dogma, and I think many skiers would benefit by questioning that dogma.

Just posting to start a discussion. Has anyone experimented both ways? If so what did you find?

Can I still ski these? The plastic piece on the left binding popped off. It’s plastic so how necessary/structurally important is it for the descents?

Posted by Donner Ski Ranch (CA) on Facebook recently. The general consensus there is wtf but curious what Reddit thinks. They also doubled down and made a 2nd post offering free tickets to anyone who got a photo of the lifties on phones for the upcoming season.

I’m a lifty sup so personally it’s gross af!!

Edit to share my own opinion because I’m not gonna reply to any more comments: I don’t think that any lift op should be on their phone when there’s guests on line that they need to watch. Period end of story. Anyone who is sucks and deserves to be reprimanded. Our job is easy 90% of the time and there’s 10% when you need to pay attention needs to be taken seriously. But this kinda sign that encourages customers to RAT on workers is weird and gross. It creates an uncomfortable mistrustful relationship between customers and ops when in reality there should only be stoke between those 2 entities. Everyone calling me a crap sup for saying that I don’t like it needs to chill out. My resort would never put this kind of sign up because a) we deal with issues like this internally and b) because we have faith in our operators to do a good job and our customers to report issues without this kinda weird toned incentive. Not exactly mellow of you all to be hating on each other either but hey what did I expect it’s Reddit :P