The BEST Skiing Destination: Europe or North America?
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- Опубліковано 27 лип 2024
- #skivacation #apresski #snow
A comparison of what the ski resorts in USA/Canada and Europe have to offer. Who does it better? Who gets more snow? Which place is more affordable. For this I visited Whistler Blackcomb in Canada as well as a resort in the Alps in order to give you some insight of all the pros and cons you should be aware of when travelling across the big pond.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
✦ Map of ski resorts: www.skiresort.info
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⏱ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
1:00 Lift Ticket Prices
2:47 Ski Runs
3:25 Huts and Restaurants
4:57 Ski Lifts
5:35 Crowds
6:34 Crowd Management
7:39 Snow
8:18 Grooming
8:39 Off Piste Skiing
11:04 Après Ski
12:26 Summary
Thank you for all your feedback, comments, likes and subscribes!!!
I'd like to clarify a few points that seem to get commented on a lot:
1. The aim of this video was not to compare Whistler and the Skijuwel (Austrian resort) directly but to showcase the differences between skiing in Canada/USA and the Alps in general. I filmed at these two resorts because of feasibility and because I figured that on location shooting would make it more engaging for the viewer. My conclusions didn't come solely from skiing at these two resorts but from previous experience at a number of resorts in the Alps and North America. I probably should've made that clearer in the video, but I didn't mean to brag. As for my street cred, I have skied most major resorts in Western Canada as well as the big resorts in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming. Therefore, I don't think my overall perception of skiing in the US and Canada is unfounded.
2. Hence, I'm taking about averages not absolutes. Yes, there will be exceptions to the rule (positive and negative). For example, there are ski resorts in Austria with outdated lifts and small resorts in Canada or USA that are not quite as expensive, but on average lifts are better in Europe and prices cheaper (just to name two things).
3. When people say Whistler is not representative with its high ticket prices, I'd argue that Whistler actually pretty good value considering how many lifts there are and how much terrain there is. Sure, Revelstoke is cheaper but it basically only consists of a gondola and two quads (and don't get me wrong, I love Revelstoke!). Of course you can ski cheaper with season passes or advance discounts, but for spontaneous visits you're pretty much paying full window price. So chasing pow/checking out resorts that are not part of your season pass, is definitely more affordable in Europe.
4. I haven't skied in the Pyrenees or Sweden/Norway, so thanks for pointing out that there are single lines and that there are resorts that name their ski runs. I remember seeing single lines in the Alps as well, but they are not as common as in NA I'd say.
5. I added the link for the map with all the ski resorts to the description.
6. Japan insight will follow in a future video. :)
Defenitely, the no name thing on slopes is what surprises me the most, all the stations in french alps and in swiss alps I went, had names, so for this one I would believe it is more dependant on the country. Then I will also argue that in France (I do not know for the rest of europe) ski resorts are publicly owned, hence the very good prices and quality.
being canadian, europe is 10x better. The altitude difference in the runs in Canada/US are a joke.
Sure there is more powder in places like revelstoke in canada but if you're looking for powder Japan is #1
There are so many ski resorts in Europe with runs that are over 2000m in altitude with 50+ lifts. In canada/us it's rare to go to a resort with runs over 1000m.
For reference, whistler, Canada is 1600m VS 4 vallees, switzerland is 2500m. The average big ski resort runs is over 1500m in Europe
7:00 Germany has the worst trains in europe, never on time, always missing the connection. We think germans are more punctual than they actually are.
Europe = cheapest heli skiing in the world at like 300CAD per person vs canada 5000CAD per person
Europe there are many resorts above 200km of runs up to 600km (3valleys or 4valleys) of runs. Largest ski resorts in NA have 250km of runs (vail, big sky, etc)
European lift technology is futuristic compared to NA - heat shields + people per hour + chairlift network coverage
Canadian/USA cold + windy weather + closures VS skiing in a shell jacket most of the time in europe.
APres skiing in europe is amazinngggg, it's meh in north america
If you like difficult pistes and challenging slopes EU.
If you wish to glide all day on hills - North America.
Great video and really interesting comparisons, agree wholeheartedly with what is being said. Looking forward to the Japan insight, that is my top destination for snow, food, cultural experience and sheer variety of ski, it is like nothing else on the planet and should be on any serious skiers/snowboarders bucket list.
Good video but you totally forgot other ski areas in Europe. One point deducted to you Mr Only Alps.
That was the best comparison I've seen on UA-cam. It is true that both have their pros and cons. But you actually missed a few things that I want to give the Alps the edge for. The views, the scenery and the environment will take your breath away in the Alps. The mountains of North America are not nearly as grand, although they are higher above sea level and the snow there is better. Then the Alps beat, especially in the German-speaking parts, when it comes to culture. From Ötzi to today, the Alps are one of the most culturally civilized parts of the world. The food with goulash soup (I know Hungarian but..), Schnitzel and Kaiserschmarrn, the architecture with castles and chalets, is far superior to other ski resorts. The Alps not only provide skiing and hiking, it provides a food and cultural experience that no other place can offer. Prosit..
yup this is what i missed most when skiing in US
I dunno bro, I’ve never been skiing in Europe, so I can’t really compare, but There’s some pretty stunningly beautiful skiing locations in North America. I’m sure the alps are amazing in their own right, but I can’t imagine anything more beautiful than Lake Tahoe for example
@@Dreadlock1227yeah I’ve been there too but I live in Europe, and there you have places like lake tahoe but like ten times more beautiful + there is a very cozy village/town next to it, with nice après-ski and that’s also a thing I miss in the USA.
@@struisvogelpelikaan1946 i lived in Lake Tahoe and don't get me wrong it's pretty but the Alos are just more grand and majestic. And the alpine skiing becomes overworldly like you're on the moon or some shit. I've no seen anything like this in NA and pretty sure the only way you can find it is if you get a helocopter.
@@tris421 yea maybe so! I guess I gotta get my ass over to Europe one of these days and see for myself haha!
As a former teacher of English as a foreign language, this guy's cursing is top notch. A+.
A really nice video. As a French skiier and snowboarder, i never thought there would be such differences even in Europe. It is typical in French resort to individually name every ski trails, and there is green trails for beginners. There is also single line for ski schools' but a giant clusterfuck in general. Really interesting video.
Having skied in several French, Italian, Austrian and Norwegian resorts, I can confidently say, that I have never been to a resort, that doesn't name their runs. Most of the time, both the number and the name will be, at the top of the run, and at intersections. And only on lollopops on the trail itself, will you find the number alone.
i think, the problem in the alps is, they name te skiruns on the skiplan, but if you are driving, you only find the numbers, so you cant find out the name to tell your friend, if you dont have a plan with you.
@@herrensaar1989 please stop saying Norway... I don't want my country to be mentioned, please forget about us... already too many people in our slopes.
thx!
@@savagegtalks5912 Just build some more lift capacity. YOur slopes are hardly crowded unless it's a national holiday.
@@herrensaar1989 read again.
I don't want a bandaid, for the issue to grow. I want less people.
Please say Norway got terrible skii slopes, overcrowded, expensive, just lie about it all and tell them don't go there. Simple fix ye?
Excellent video. I am a Finn. I have skied a lot on the Alps (Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland). I lived 8 years in Japan and skied there a lot. Now I have lived 9 years in the USA (California and Utah). All these places have good skiing. However, if you have to choose one that you like most, I would say Japan. Japan has tons of snow. Even more than Alta, UT. Lift tickets are cheaper than in the EU. The only reason I could ski in the USA is to have a season pass. I could never buy those outrageous day tickets. Food is the best in Japan, and it is not expensive. Off pistes are not crowded. The thing I like in the EU is that you really can take it more slowly and you can find untacked power even on afternoon. The European resorts are huge and there is lots of pistes to run. The accommodation is reasonable prices. In the USA everything is so f**ng expensive: tickets, accommodation, food, drinks, ski schools and those tips and taxes on the top. The good thing in the USA is that when the open an area is it pretty safe to ski there. No beeper or shovel needed. Few odd things about the USA. Hardly nobody lowers the safety bar. Locals do not know how to drive on snow, and they do not have proper winter tires. Just lousy all seasons. They are extremely loud when skiing. Anyway, in the USA I have seen the best skiers.
Japan: gold, EU: silver, USA: bronze
What's your top 3 favorite resorts in Japan?
Thanks for your insight. I very much agree :)
As a car nut in NY I gotta agree on the driving thing. It's just so regional that you can't count on snow driving experience or even basic equipment knowledge from those you come across. I can drive about an hour and a half north to a nice cluster of ski mtns where I grew up, where all the active locals know how to drive on snow, even in rear wheel drive trucks (worst/most fun weight distribution possible). They are all well aware of tire options as well, although heavy truck tread will often stand in for real winter rubber. When the mtn's are open however, at least 60% of the local traffic is from where I live now, downstate, or NJ, and in those areas winter tires are a rare luxury item. The reason for it is simple, all cars come with all-season tires from the factory, and most premium brand cars are only leased for a 3 yr term instead of bought. It makes buying seasonal tires, especially with rims, a many thousands of dollars, wholly discretionary, purchase, that won't necessarily be usable on your next vehicle even if you stay in brand. The other part of it is there's 4 or 5 days, max, per year where those all seasons are a liability compared to real winters down here, whereas upstate it's a big concern all winter.
@@sbespn3820 Niseko, Nozawa Onsen, and Hakuba Cortina
It's a wonder you didn't say Finland is the best in the world that's the usual shit I hear living in Finland. I would say though if you want an unique experience Finland riding is good for a few days. American's are known for talking a lot and loud but that's just the way they are, Finn's are known for never talking and that's ok. I would have to agree with your review Japan: Gold for experience, snow, culture, safety, food, people and then EU: Silver for the Alps, steep face, off-piste, food also amazing, expensive in Switzerland but France, Italy would be more affordable. I haven't been to Austria, Slovenia, USA and Canada.
I've been to at least 50 resorts in Europe. Have been skiing for the past 37 years. Currently living in Toronto, Canada. In the last season, we flew to Les 3 Vallees rather than choosing a resort here. We rented an apartment and used the 600kms of slopes for the same price as only the lift tickets on Whistler. That's a huge difference. I did not give up on the resorts in our new home country, but it will definitely be a serious investment when we get there.
Your a fancy guy. What did you do for your job to make all that scratch? Not sure I believe you though. Your profile pic makes you look around 30- born to a rich family? Spoiled a bit? Could not be from photography since that image is pretty blurry. I'll go with spoiled rich kid. Not judging- good for you. Someone has to be. Me, I ain't no Senators son no.
Cheers!
🙄
@@MOAB-UT Not judging but judging?🤣🤣🤣 I'm 40. At the age of 17, my alcoholic father left us taking all our money. I had to work myself up from the shittiest jobs. Later, we switched countries 2x which is basically like pushing the restart button on your life. I worked a lot in the past 22 years and in my worst month I had 500 work hours. And we don't even own a house for now. But we never forget to enjoy life. Why else are we working?? On the skiing video you've seen, the accommodation + week ticket was 800 CAD total. That is really affordable for a Canadian. If you are smart, you don't have to pay a fortune to have fun. I've edited the footage myself, that was recorded on 2 affordable action cams. Does it look fancy? Sure. Did we have fun? Absolutely. One of the things I like in Canada is that most people don't judge you based on the cover as much they do in Eastern Europe. Plus they are less jealous. But if you are a Canadian, you are one of the bad exemptions.
@@michaellambert9362 I hear you my man but you do tend to exaggerate a bit. No one works 500 hours in a month. There are only 168 hours in a week so you want us to believe that you worked 18 hour days, 7 days a week for a month- and that was your slow month? That is not possible. At least try to make what you say believable. Also, no one skis 50 resorts in Europe. I have been skiing since I was 12- was an instructor and travelled a lot. I have not come close to that number.
Maybe you should go into Sales or Marketing. Out of curiosity, what type of work do you do?
@@MOAB-UT I'm not saying I could do it at this age. I was technical manager of corporate events at that time. Plus that's when I started creating videos. That one month (September, 2013) was a nightmare but it helped me getting into a new industry without risking the existing job. One week, my sleeping hours were like a tennis game: 6-3-6-1-6-2-4, the next was 4-4-4-4-4-4-4. I saw my wife awake twice in that month and one of that when we helped my mother move to another place. It can be done. Do I want to repeat it? Definitely not!!!. I'm skiing since I was 3. We used to live about 3 hours away from the Alps. Many times we just tried a new place for a long weekend. Gas used to be very affordable and prices in general weren't as crazy as today. Ever since we moved here, we only had this one trip where the video was made. I really miss the days when we had at least 2-3 trips/year.
@@michaellambert9362 Well that is a lot. Good way to get yourself sick. The money is not worth it. You should have read Millionaire Fastlane. You worked and sacrificed your time and life to make someone else rich.
Myself & my husband are not long back from a week in Whistler over Christmas. I ski, he snowboards. It was my 1st time skiing outside Austria, France & Italy. The powder in Whistler was amazing, lines were extremely organised, everyone was so friendly & polite, not like the pushing & shoving in Europe. Higher % of snowboarders, compared to Europe, I thought. I was a little surprised Whistler lifts were not more up to date. No covers or heated seats. Very little effort made to clear snow off the chairs. Overall, a lovely more expensive week in Whistler, but I did miss the atmosphere of Austrian apres ski & I usually only drink a couple of Radler's (50% beer/50% lemonade). Yes, I'm a lightweight!! We will definitely ski in North America again, when we can afford. Excellent comparison video, thank you. There is plenty of snow due for Europe this week. Enjoy the mountains, wherever you are.
Whistler used to have some bubble lifts but they took them off because they act like big sails in the wind for that reason they will never order them for new lifts
Yes to more info about skitouring, catskiing and heliskiing in the North America!
I love riding in the alps. Only two weeks and back at it again. And you are right about the smaller resorts in heavy snow days. One day we went to See instead of Ischgl and it felt like we had the whole resort to ourselves and the pow was like waist deep. Even Kappl was somewhat crowded, which it's usually not.
As an Italian skier and snowboarder i've always wondered what's like to skying in those fancy American resorts like Aspen, thank you for the very explicative video! Nevertheless, i am a bit upset that you didn't mention the Dolomiti Superski resort 😅
Thank you so much for this detailed insight into the differences between the American and the European way of skiing. As someone from Kitzbühel area it is hard for me to imagine that the lift tickets are that much more expensive in America. And you're absolutely right, the apré ski on the mountains is actually such a crazy and dangerous concept but at the same time it is the most normal thing here in Austria/Tyrol.
Keep up the good vids, already can't await the next one
Thanks! Hopefully there's some snow coming and the next video will have some proper skiing action again.
@@TheSlipperySlope yes, i hope so too. Maybe mid to end of January we might get blessed by some snow. Would love to finally go skitouring on the Wilder Kaiser
I want to point out one big thing here that has bugged me ; THIS IS NOT AMERICA THIS IS FUCKING CANADA, C A N A D A; Whistler is in no way a part of the United States, it might be in NORTH AMERICA but North America is a continent.
@@technoblob Yes, we all know that. But in Europe we tend to refer to both the USA and also North America as "America". It depends on the context which one is meant.
Getting wasted on the slopes in Ischgl and Kitzbuel is the foundest memories I have of Austria.
Great video, you weren’t snobby about it and it was a very fair assessment. Also very informative! Thanks.
Such a great video! I've snowboarded a lot in the US and a bit in Europe and Japan. I've never really taken the time to think a lot about the differences, so this was fun to watch! I like your last point that there isn't really a winner. Everywhere has pros and cons, which is the fun of it!
Enojoyed the video! Being Swiss just back from skiing in Austria I'd like to add: Queing (is that correct? I mean how they handle large crowds) has gotten much better over the years. I haven't seen these scenes where hundreds of people try to enter one line, but I've been there! Second: Found another winner for the highest price in Europe: Zermatt including Cervinia (the Italian side, connected on top), 97 Swiss Franks equals 97 Euro what today would be 104 USD. But in my humble opinion: You get a ticket for the best skiing IN THE WORLD! And I've seen a lot ... Wherever you go: Enjoy the mountains, the fresh air, the snow, the speed, the feeling of a perfectly carved turn etc. !
First time seeing you! your videos are top notch! keep up the good work and keep producing amazing content like this :)
This video is so true! I just got back to the US from a ski trip in Austria and I was totally blown away by so many things. My friends and I talked about all of the points brought up in the video so I’m so glad you put it all together! You’re totally right, both locations have pluses and minuses, but vibes can be so different in many ways. Great video!
You're getting me excited! Love the European and Canadian ski resorts!
I worked as ski rep in St Anton for 3 seasons & been to many resorts in alps. I’ve been across the pond once to Banff which was really good. Definitely a different experience but we couldn’t argue with the amount of snow. I’ve yet to experience anywhere with the same charm as Austria. People are so friendly, the views & architecture are beautiful, and nothing beats stopping for a cosy gluhwein on the mountain between runs
Excellent video! I've never been to Italy , France , Switzerland etc. We went to Bororvets in Bulgaria. Would definitely say for being an intermediate skier it was excellent. Our entire holiday cost myself & my wife only £1,200 with everything included. (Ski hire, Lift passes , flights , Hotel) Would recommend to anyone!
Fantastic content as usual! Can't wait for more.
Absolutely spot on! Great explanation of the characteristics for both.
I absolutely love Whistler. The unmapped stuff is great the gemstone bowls are great. And the backcountry is amazing. I’ve never been skiing in Europe but if I do I’d love to go to Chamonix
Super schön zusammengefasst !
Tolles Video !!!
Great Video. I have skied for about 18 years since I was about 4 years old in Westendorf Austria. Absolutely beautiful village with great access to all the neighbouring Tyrol slopes (Brixen, Scheffau, Elmau, Sol etc). I was always interested in going to the Rockys, but after this I am going to stick to Austria! Can’t beat Apres ski up in the mountains! Love it. Subscribing👍🏻
Been to Whistler and quite a few in Europe, agreed to nearly everything you mentioned. Though if you go to whistler off-peak season (late winter, aka > April), then it will be a lot cheaper and the snow/slopes up there was still good, but Blackcomb was closed.
Here in Utah, it's been a banner year. As of today, January 9, Alta has already gotten 8.4 meters of snow. I don't know how people afford skiing in the U.S. unless they buy a season, Ikon or Epic pass. Being retired, I'll average about $20 a day at Deer Valley, but I'll also get in 90 days! But I like the Alps enough to just go and enjoy myself without skiing. It's worth it for the food alone! I don't think they know what high fructose corn syrup is, and tomato sauce tastes like it started the day on a vine! Even when the food is expensive, it just seems more satisfying. And the huts are mighty nice!
It has been a great year. However, you have to be in a lift line 30 minutes opening and then you get few good runs when they gradually open the places. Around 12PM everything is skied out.
@@jaska145 Yes, that's truer at Park City than at Deer Valley. If you are skiing Deer Valley, here's a tip for powder days. Get to Snow Park early and take one of the many buses to the old town transit center to catch the 8:14 AM #5 orange bus to Silver Lake. That way you don't have to wait in line at the Silver Lake Express. Grab a cup of coffee and at 8:40 walk out and ski down to Red Cloud. If you see an old guy on telemark gear ahead of you waiting for the first chair, it's me. People don't ski RC because they think it's slow, so the snow stays good and I generally make 10 minute circuits on it. A good alpine skier could beat that. At the OTTC, you can also jump on the #9 purple bus to Empire and hit Lady Morgan first chair for untracked there. And, of course, you can find untracked in trees for days after a storm. It doesn't compare to the Canadian Rockies, of course.
Excellent video and great balance of dry humour too.
Instant subcribe.
Very accurate description. Can 100% agree!!
Such an accurate video. I’m from the UK and I currently live in Whistler. I have done ski seasons in France and Canada and the experiences are markedly different. I mainly miss the apres scene, on mountain food and hut decor, and cheaper lift prices that Europe offers. (Although being prepared and getting a season pass does help). The queues for lifts can be very busy on weekends in Whistler, which makes sense with your point on availability of resorts nearby. Even though I live here I secretly miss European resorts. It’s just a vibe there 👍🏻
Canada is more than Whisler . Mont Tremblant ( World class , World cup ski competition ) is best best stations, for ski, village, hotels , chalets, partys, other sports ( skating, Ski dos, SPa , fat bike, gliding etc ) . The Chic Chocs in Gasp. Quebec is the rockies of the east with Heli ski . Le Massif ski stations in Chalevoix has a Club Med , natural spring water , best snow, best food , nest to the St Lawrence river where you can watch 13 speacies of whales from the largest animal on part , the blue whales, the Belugas and 12 others sppeacies .. we speak english and french , spanish .
I’ve been lucky enough to spend a ski season in Val d’Isere and St. Moritz, work at a Heli/cat lodge in BC and currently a pass holder at Whistler.
You are on point. I miss the alps, nothing beats a sunny day in the alps with friends.
However as a powder hound I prefer BC if forced to make a choice, even though it’s a lot of work to get those fresh deep turns on whistler. A hard day of ski touring is not far behind a resort day now for number of quality powder turns.
Top 3
Jackson hole
Whistler
Val d is-ere
Best quote (around 07:35): "As a German, I don't take efficiency lightly!". Being a German myself and knowing that humour is not one of the strong points of Germans in general, I appreciate his sense of humour.
OMG, Thanks for the video. Glad I skied in the 80's
Great video, I was asking myself this question for a while.
I have never been skiing in North America, but was thinking about it.
So far I skied in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Czechia and Slovakia.
Btw for the season passes I can recommend the Magic Pass, which includes over 50 small and medium ski resorts in Western Switzerland (mostly in the cantons Valais, Vaud and Bern) and costs only 399 CHF if you buy well in advance - that means you buy it in March for the whole next 12 months (including summer season).
In Switzerland you sometimes have single lines, depending on the resort. And some slopes have names. Especially if there is a famous skier who grew up in that resort. Or one of my favourite slopes is called "Grossmueter" - grandma, as you can just start going down and you will bever be to fast 😉
Great video - have skied both continents and can agree with these points, even as you rightly say some are generalisations!
Loved your humor and all the info as well. Some day hope to make a ski trip to alps. Dream trip.
I've lived in the US, both shores, but I am European and I have skied in over 15 resorts in the Alps... Furthermore, I own two ski rentals in Spain and I am also a ski teacher. I agree 100% with your comments. Cat skiing in Canada and skiing in Japan are still on my to do list but they are so expensive they may as well end as just a wish. Right now I am praying for winter to dump and it looks like it will just not happen... again. La Niña is no good for us... Cheers!
La Niña ruined my entire week in NH
you should look at skiing in the caucasus cold dry NA TYpe snow but much cheaper it is on my todo list
@@keithscothern3398 heading there (Georgia) this month, snow not been great so far so hoping it picks up for when i go. Heard good things about the snow too.
Sounds like you’re living the life my friend
@@ge26925 It sounds much better than it actually is but I cannot complain either...
Thanks for the video! I'm a Korean skier. We do have some ski resorts and slopes, but these are very small compared to Alps or Rocky Mountains and less powder snow.
It may seem dull, but actually due to its small size and less precipitation, all slopes are groomed and we develop unique mixed skiing styles based on interski and racing. It would be great if you review Northeast Asia ski resorts someday. Wish you have great season.
I’ve been to Phoenix Park and YeongPyeong Ski Resort during the Winter Olympics back in 2018! I almost had a chance to ski there but I wasn’t sure if I had time. Next time I go there, I am definitely skiing without a doubt. I am more familiar with the transportation of that area now.
@@andrenguyen5194 Both resorts are one of the best ski resorts!
Phoenix park is more snow boarding friendly and has hipster vibe.
Yongpyeong is so-called "hometown of Korean ski culture" and you can easily find skilled skiers around the slopes. Wish you have a chance to go skiing these resorts!
Thank you for the video 😊
And the humour 👍
fun video! cant wait to rage on the middle of the mountain in the alps somewhere!
Great video, Apres for me is a big part of the fun of a trip so I prefer Europe. Looking forward to St anton next month ⛷ Japan is amazing for food, nothing more satisfying than a hot Katsu curry at lunch after a cold morning on the mountain.
I ski in Eastern North America (smaller hills, icy-man made snow, cheap lift tickets/passes), but this is hands-down THE BEST comparison video for the topic I’ve seen!!!
Yeah! Ski the East!
Great video!!
Really enjoyed the comparison, fun approach, jokes here and here. Only skied & snowboarded in Europe's middle priced resorts. Awesome to try those new places!
Take me as 🎥man to Japan for future video 😸
Thanks for sharing Ski Resorts Map! 🗺☃
⛩ Awaiting!
I'd say this video is 100% true, all the observations were astute and accurate in my experience. I'm US based mostly in N Rockies, but grew up learning skiing in austria and sometimes french alps, go back when I can.
My only note is also an invitation :-) Whistler is very representative of 95% of peoples ski vacation experiences in N America, but there are many very small very local mom & pop ski resorts dotting the rockies. They'll have lift passes for
Small ski resorts are just perfect, less crowded and authentic. 👍
I have small resorts at home. If I go skiing out West or in Europe I want it big !
But theres nothing in between. Why are there so few resorts with over 200km of pistes if you have so much snow and mountains? Makes zero sense to me.
I can’t believe how bad it is in North America. Never going there unless i have 3k lying around 😂
@@jazzman_10 depends on the resort of course, [Redacted] Idaho? Small-medium size, zero crowds (even on powder days), $60 lift tickets last time I went (probably around $80 now), it's my favorite resort hands down. Then you look at Bear Mountain in Big Bear, CA; it's my local resort, smaller than [Redacted] by a considerable margin, significantly less powder throughout the season, about 50-100x the crowds, and lift tickets are $160 now.
SHHHHH stop telling people about the mom and pop resorts.
This is literally the BEST and most accurate video on skiing I have seen. Absolutely awesome.. I made every skier I know watch this. As an American skier that has been now spending lots of time skiing in the Alps (to save $$), this expresses literally EVERY thought I have had completely. Sounds like people have said Whistler is not representative of high ticket prices in the USA? I agree with Slippery Slope, its an absolute bargain! Try skiing in Stowe, ~$180 per person per day for a fraction of the terrain. Plus imagine now taking a family of 4 ! Thankfully, we have an Epic pass which decreases the cost, but then we can only really ski at Epic resorts because going anywhere "off-pass" is close to $800 USD PER DAY for the family. How about try a ski lesson? ONE three hour private lesson (one lesson) is $860 at Stowe. Pfffft.. I can have ski lessons for a week in Europe for that plus still have money left to schnekel die frau's. We fly to Europe to ski to SAVE money, it's that much cheaper. Try booking a slope side hotel in Vail and see what that costs you. When I fly to Europe, I laugh when I see the skiing prices.
One thing that I would add as a generalization is that skiing in Europe is generally above treeline with incredible snow 'superhighways' carved into the mountainsides. A lot (most?) of North American skiing drops quickly into the tree line. When I think of Alps, I think of wide open massive trails. When I think of the USA, I think of tree skiing.
Your generalizations are absolutely accurate. From food, chair lifts, prices, crowds, it's hilariously accurate.
However, several people I showed this video to commented that the crowd control, the absolute sh*tshow that is the European lift line, should count -10 against Europe to even it all out. I swear, if another person steps on my skis I'm going to lose my mind.
Do Europeans only rent skis? Or do any actually own skis? Because I don't understand how people can be so inconsiderate/disrespectful towards other peoples gear.
Finally, your video also explains why you can easily spot an American skiing in Europe: we are the only ones running all mountain skis. So funny. This past year, we recognized and bonded with another group of Americans in Ischgl because they were the only ones with name brand all-mountains (Blizzard Brahma's).
Anyway, this video is saved, it is that good. Keep it up!
Would absolutely love to hear your thoughts on Japan as I have not been there.
I feel like people skiing for the experience and to be with friends/family make up a fairly big part of skiers in europe. Spending time with family is possible on crappy or old skis as well...
Nice essay
100 percent agreed. As far as the lift lines go. I grew up in Europe and its just the way it is. It can get really aggro in a non aggro way. Kind like driving in Italy. a lot of people own their gear but still step on everybody else's. I guess its like driving in france - get in a fender bender - no big deal, its just a car, you drive on. I had to totally adjust my lift line game in the US to not get in trouble with the ski patrol. And you know what - the North American way is 1000 times better as far as the lift lines go :-)
here in France most do just rent their skis . i own mine, they re 30 years old and i cant care less. cant see how you could give any importance to what will basically get scratched anyway.
as for the horrible mess that is queueing at the ski lift, i must say its not a factor. why?
because any real skier would just avoid it altogether. i would never accept to wait in line at the lift, it s just too horrible. plus, you pay by the hour and each time you wait you lose money, like in Disneyland. even more in the US, then.
but i digress.
how do you avoid it?
first just know most queues are at the lower stages, when first accessing the resort and for the beginners slopes.
the higher places are void of skiers most of the times.
second .. avoid official holidays. at all cost. if your can only go during your childrens holiday, go to another country where the holidays are at another period.
weekends (non holidays) are ok because most come for a week and only begin skiing on monday, so not that horrible on weekend if your not in a resirt near a big city.
there are small resorts every 20 km, so you have the choice. most are linked to several other so you can access higher places reserved for good skiers, even in small resorts. without any queue.
rule is: the colder, the less queue.
if its sunny and warm at low altitude, flee. go to that 3000m+ peak, horribly cold and windy. with full low temperature gear on. chances your alone on the lift.
I rent skis if I have to fly into the resort - like fly to Geneve and then take train to Swiss Alps or rent a car for driving to France. Always bring my own ski boots though. When I drive (for example from Slovakia to Austria) I always take my own ski gear. I have two sets of everything, one is in Slovakia where I'm from stored at my parents house and second is in UK where I live. There is some decent skiing is Scotland if the winter is good.
wait these videos are so good
People will take notice, you will grow exponentially.
Keep it up! This is awesome
G'day,
I'm an Australian, learnt to ski in Canada Lake Louise/Banff and since then I and my family have made many ski trips to Bavaria, Austria and Val Gardena area Italy. Mostly because my wife is Bavarian. I love skiing Bavaria / South Tirol. Food, People, Landscape, Schnapps, Accom, Little local privately owned restaurants and cafe's, Schnapps, Beer, No queues or rarely any, Manicured pists, quality ski rental, did I mention the schnapps and massive ski areas including the 40km+ Sellaronda. You've inspired me...I've got to book another trip. Prost.
Great comparison. I got my ski legs in Utah, but have been in Alaska for 25 years now. I HAD plans to bring my GF to Austria this February for her 40th. Plans canceled due to snow. I'd take a EU ski trip hands down before anything in North AM. Better food/culture/ski town vibes...plus we just wanted to rip to groomers and pow if it was on, everything we do 💯ski touring where I'm at. A properly brewed Bavaria beer and brezel mid mountain in a wood hut, oh my!
I dont really think snow will be a problem in austria in febuary, especially in ski resorts above 2000m. It snowed the last couple of days and more snow is forcasted. I expect perfect conditions in Ski Resorts like Ischgl. Ischgl is the best austrian ski resort if you ask me :)
It's beginning to cool down again in austria and at least in Tirol it's supposed to snow a lot next week so i think you cancelled a little too early :/
@@Jonny_24 Travel 5,000 miles on the hopes of one storm cycle? That doesn't pencil out in my experience.I hope you get dumped on man!!
@@dee2ski good point... It's for sure the safer option to cancel and come here another time. Hope you will make it one day!!
No doubt, I love it over there! Nothing wrong with a ski trip on my GF’s 41st birthday:)
Ive skied both places. I’m super lucky to live by the Canadian Rockies. Lake Louise, Banff, beautiful, consistent snow. We are very spoiled.
I like skiing Europe, but it’s a lot more about the experience, rather than the sport I find. I’ve been influenced by the off-piste, back mountain ski life here in Canada.
Yes, us Western Canadians definitely take a more "hardcore" approach to our skiing. As I get older I become less interested in the off-piste kind of stuff.
The weather is consistent in the Rockies, and when it isn't it's because of too much snow like in Fernie.
Great stuff! Thanks much!
Thanks, great video.
Great vid! I've been skiing in Canada my whole life, and I will say one thing: Whistler is unlike any other mountain I've skied in Canada. It's by far the busiest I've been to, even though it's absolutely massive. I've been in some pretty big lines in Quebec, especially Tremblant, but the amount of people there is staggering. On my trip, the day we arrived they had gotten around 10cm of powder, and by the next day it was all skied off. Not even on the sides of runs or in the trees, it was all gone. Whistler is also around $60-$100 more expensive than the other big mountains in Canada, but that seems to be still less than what you pay in Europe. I feel like a better comparison might be Whistler and Chamonix (or whatever is a super busy hill in Europe), but still an interesting comparison.
Curious how you'd experience an Austrian mountain compared to your local resort
Just been in Chamonix today, hardly a line, and spent the last few days in Tignes Val Claret, again hardly a line! Prices are about 55 Euros a day for nearly everything, or about 70 Euros for an absolutely everything ticket. There is nothing on earth like Chamonix! You absolutely cannot compare Whistler to it! It's incredible, there are multiple decents of over 2000 to 2500m+, biggest being Aguille du midi, from 3840m down to 1000m! The views, etc, its truly epic! Yes I've been to whistler years ago, nothing to write home about... wouldnt even bother take a photo if I'd recently been to Chamonix.
A hill is also not really a term that applies to European resort. Pretty much every resort over here is structured around multiple peaks and the lifts cover quite a big area, while the resorts in North America seem to be centered around one single mountain with the lifts covering a smaller area.
Nice video! I've skied Italy, Austria, US and Canada and I generally agree with your findings. The funny/not so funny thing with Whistler is that the single day passes are so ridiculously expensive compared to all the other options. For example you can buy 2 tickets ahead of time for basically the window price of one in season or bundles for much less..say 75$ day.
Great stuff, funny and accurate.
Excellent video! My buddy is French so I’ve had some great adventures in the alps with him. I have a ski pass here in the US, but I love how cheap it is to ski in Europe on a whim and how long the runs are. Still, I love my Colorado Resorts, but I’ll also never turn down a European Ski Trip! Great vid!
The high lift ticket prices in the United States are a relatively recent thing. It didn't used to be that way. When I was skiing in college during the 80's they were around $50 per day at even the most expensive resorts. Maybe $60 during peak season. At most local areas you could still buy a day pass for under $30. For us college kids we could ski Steven's Pass in the cascades of Washington State for $9 a lift ticket on weekdays. 😃Those days are long gone!
FYI 50 dollars in the 80s is 140 dollars now :")
Great video. Just returned from a week's skiing over Christmas in Madonna Di Campiglio Italy. Nearly 160km of pretty much perfect piste conditions. Not that busy and a meal for two at lunch time on the mountain was around €40 but could be cheaper depending on the restaurant. Would love to ski in Canada/North America but for the cost of that we could easily have 2 or maybe 3 trips to the Alps.
love Madonna! Probably one of my top three resorts in the whole Alps
Madonna di Campiglio, my local resort, offers SO much, prices are on par with the Dolomites. Bad thing is that the pistes are all wide and plain, except just a few of them, so i'd say very easy on average. Good thing is that IF you know where to go, you can find some good powder even at 4 pm, because the freeski scene is non-existing.
@theslipperyslope Great video! I learned to ski in Alpbach and worked as a ski instructor in Whistler and you are dead right on all those difference - the efficiency of the lines in Whistler really surprised me!! One thing I especially liked about Whistler are those gladed tree runs that act as a good introduction to tree skiing with a much reduced risk of face planting! But you can't beat 3pm Schnapps on the way down the mountain - 10 points to Europe for this one
Have skied in over 30 resorts worldwide, in Europe (Norway, Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, Austria), in US/Can, BC, Alberta, Quebec, Washington State, etc, and in NZ. Have heli-skied, piste skied, ski toured, military skied, x-country skied, snowboarded, snowmobile and tracked skied. Rented, snowholed, overnighted in refuges, lodges, and now live full time in the French Alps. Never done Japan, but want to more than anywhere, and also want to do some US rockies action. My thoughts:
Best Value (at the time and exchange rate), Canada. Notably small resorts like Canmore, Ferney etc. But that was 20 years ago and it’s clearly not the case now for a European. 😂 In Europe probably one of the smaller French, Spanish or Italian resorts or the Balkans…
Best Access. France, so well organised for flights and transfers, arrival by car or train, and obviously Europe is so central. Whistler or Queenstown are frigging miles away.
Best Food. Italy. Quality, quantity and price. And quality.
Best Après ski. ‘British’ French resorts (I.e. large British expat community) or Austria. French have no idea how to après, and Italian après is just apéros with loads of free food. But drinking and dancing, British/Austria. N America doesn’t quite have the charm for après as Europe because all the resorts are so new. Like partying in a canteen. Norway excellent, but Christ beer is expensive.
Best Burgers: US/Can. Especially buffalo burger…..yum
Best lifts: Switzerland. Huge investment in the top resorts like Zermatt and Verbier. Austria too. Fast, quiet, warm, modern etc
Best KMs piste: France. Just so much skiing, whether in a single day or over a season. Hundreds of resorts from tiny to mega, and thousands of KMs. Great road access between resorts for ski safari too. Where I live, foot of Mont Blanc, we have 10+ different resorts, each with their own identity, each with enough KM for a day’s good skiing, within 1hr drive.
Best Welcome. Italy. Just amazing. So friendly.
Best snow. None of them. All of them. In each and every area I’ve skied, going back 40+ years, I’ve had everything from metres of powder to sunshine and bare slopes. Nowhere has ever offered 100% reliability. I think the closest these days is Japan. But I’ve skied in huge snow in Whistler, but also in rain. Similarly in Europe.
Best for language. France. Most resorts now speak the world’s language (English) and French is an easy language to get by. Italians and Spanish just don’t do English, and whilst Austrians do, German is a tad tough. In N America you simply have to speak English and nothing else. And Japan, well, from what I’ve heard, it’s getting better….
Could go on, quality and variety of accommodation, culture, activities beyond that of skiing, family access, extreme fun, couples, luxury, budget etc. So much to consider.
But for me, honestly, where I live now is the best. Great little French resort. Located near an ‘extreme’ resort for more challenging stuff, a luxury resort for some bling, has great variety of on piste dining and dancing, is one hour to over ten other resorts (including Italy and Switzerland), is very reasonably priced, is just one hour from an international airport, has a charming ‘heritage’ centre, great dining scene, huge range of other activities (sledding, spas, snow shoes, paragliding, day trips etc), and is wonderful in summer. Only complaint? Too many visitors 😂😂😂
Thank you for this interesting video. In Whistler, everything is clearly overpriced, skiing, accomodations, real estate, food, everything really. In the BC hinterland, you could have tried a huge ski resort which, while slightly smaller and less known than Whistler Blackcomb, actually offers the highest lift-deserved vertical drop in all of North America, with a staggering 1713 meters while Whistler offers only 1609 meters at most. The powder snow quality is better and dryer at Revelstoke an advantage just barely offset by the slightly superior snow quantity at Whistler. Both, I would say, offer a better snow quality than most ski stations in Europe, and great backcountry skiing.
But that clearly doesn't justify the huge price difference. There's great skiing in Europe too, including significantly larger ski stations than Whistler, higher vertical drops, higher altitudes, great accomodations and clearly better food by a very wide margin. BC is simply not a reputed destination for gastronomy at any rate. By the way, I want to correct what you said about ski trails having no names in Europe. I have tried a few ski stations in Italy and France and actually the ski trails DID have names. While those stations I tried were certainly not so posh as Zermatt, St-Moritz or Cortina d'Ampezzo, they were still wonderful ski stations run by the best professionals, with enormous acreage, numerous top quality ski lifts and nearly unlimited off-piste skiing possibilities, a wide choice of accomodations and restaurants for all budgets, with top quality food completely unmatched anywhere in North America. One of those wonderful spots included La Voie Lactée or Via Lattea, a complex of ski stations straddling over the France-Italy border where, for a very fair price, you can travel, without removing your skis, over a distance of more than 20 kilometers, from the French Mont-Genèvre ski station, through several small Italian ski stations to the Sestrieres village and its world-class ski stations which hosted the 2006 Torino winter olympic games. Over this course you will have access to vertical drops reaching 1300 meters. I had there maybe the best skiing of my lilfe, however, you have to start early in the morning and ski non-stop if you want to make it to the end and then ski all the way back to Mont-Genèvre before closure of the ski-lifts. That is a serious day's skiing ! A short drive away from Mont-Genèvre, you can try the Serre-Chevalier ski station, family-oriented, with one of the largest ski domains in the world, with a lot of intermediate ski runs, some serious expert runs and off-piste to challenge the very best skiers. But if you want MORE, less than one-hour drive to the north will lead you to three of the very best ski stations, with vertical drops surpassing 2000 meters: La Grave, Les Deux Alpes and Alpe d'Huez. Once again, nothing posh there, but incredible good terrain for serious skiers.
Nice video. To me, the big difference in lift ticket prices seems to be a relatively new phenomenon, due to massive price hikes across the US and Canada in the past few years. For instance, I used to ski in the PNW in the pre-COVID days. I would spend like $80 for a Saturday ticket at Crystal Mountain (WA) back in 2018 or so. Fast forward to 2023 and the same Saturday ticket is $189.
That’s cause it’s big corporations buying up smaller resorts and then Charging premium prices. And the other thing is these hills are probably running way over capacity and understaffed since COVID so if the money is still flowing in, why not? Even just the way the local north shore mountains like cypress are run in Vancouver is terrible. Parking is at capacity, Lines a mile long, not running all the lifts, understaffing the bar, terrible grooming, and no terrain park other than a couple mini boxes.
Serious skiers in the US all purchase a season pass. You spend $800 but if you live close to the hill and ski 15 or 20 times a year it is very affordable
@@kevinwoolley7960 for one, Crystal Mountain recently hiked their season pass price from $999 to $1699, and I don't think they're the only ones doing it. Also, you want to get new people to try out skiing and they are unlikely to go for a season pass until they get better at it. Then you have a bunch of families who might only take one or maybe two skiing trips each year. And there are people like me, who don't live in the area (I live in Europe) and want to get their skiing fix.
@@neaorin Whoa, that sucks. I was suggesting Ikon or Epic at the price range, 1,700$ for one resort is robbery.
@@neaorinepic has the epic day pass which is a steal. You can get tickets for less than 100 dollars to breck, vail, and other areas
ok Austria on my wish list, great info thanks
I totally agree with you. And yes, I didn't mind the schnapps... 🤣
In Finland season passes are 150-600€ and day passes 20-60€ and weekend passes 30-100€
In France the slopes usually have names, and the easiest slopes are marked as green (blue and reds are also typically a bit harder than in the rest of europe).
Same in Spain
Absolutely loved your comparison! Will definitely plan going to Europe next season 😏
Love this video!
Totally agree. If you are from Europe and you love skiing you should go to whistler one time in your life. If you are from north America you should go to Europe at least once . 🙂. I'm from Europe and bought the epic pass (no one in Europe knows this exists) went to park city and Whistler, would highly recommend Whistler. Also with the epic pass you can ski 7 days in the trois Vallees area in France (biggest ski area in Europe).
Whistler i can go back every year, loved it. Just avoid peak season 😂
I'm French and I honestly fail to see the point of going to the US.....that trip would probably cost me 2 or 3 times the cost of a Europe skiing trip ! I'd rather ski more, locally. BTW the trois Vallees area is the biggest resort in the world, not just Europe. So when you have that, why go to another continent? KInda baffled here.
@@croulantroulant3082 I guess it would be snow. Was skiing in Austria a week ago and the snow was absolutely horrible.. I guess climate change is doing its thing (I also caught probably the worst week to go skiing but either way)
If you wanna do ski touring and dont like walking up pistes I guess US or Canada has good opportunities for that. I myself also lack the love for extremely steep and icy pistes so Im undecided where the next ski trip will be going to, right now looking at scandinavian options as I like the more open long runs as oppose to the short and steep of the alps.
Itr eally depends on how you want to ski, steep and challenging, go to the alps, or off piste for NA
@@ja_u IMHO the Alps have so much diversity.....I think there are over 150 resorts just in the French Alps! And I found Chamonix pretty steep, but Avoriaz not really for instance. and for off-piste, well how about La Grave? in any case, I don't know, I find skipasses and lodging expensive enough, so I'd rather drive than fork over a plane ticket on top of all that!
Interesting, Europe is still on my bucket list for sure. I've skied USA, Australia, NZ, Japan and nearly all of Western Canada. I found they are all a quite similar experience. It would be great to get your take on Japan as well. Cheers.
Japan is amazing! I mean it depends if you prefer Big Mountain Skiing or Pow, because the former is a bit harder to find there (I haven‘t been to Honshu though). Japan has such a unique culture and amazing food which makes the skiing there extra special. Hopefully I can make it back next winter and do a whole series about the less known resorts (as Niseko is just too crowded nowadays). Where did you ski?
Might as well have skipped Australia, our snow is absolutely horrible here.
@@mysticrain32 the best power I’ve experienced was at Hotham, thigh deep during the 19 Blizzard of Oz. I’ve skied Japan twice for a total of 6 weeks and had the wettest snow I’ve experienced, literally creaks crossing runs. Recently the most icy conditions I’ve ever experienced is in the Alps. There’s lots of aspects of Australian skiing that’s not great, limited terrain, short lifts, poor après, high winds, but our snow isn’t that bad. We get a similar amount to the Alps. The best ski resorts are the ones you’re near so you can choose which days to go.
@@TheSlipperySlope Agreed, the snow was incredible but you've really got to search for anything related to steep technical terrain, but there was definitely some good flow and fun. It was actually the trip that motivated me to start a YT channel haha, my first video to the channel. We did a rad tour starting in Nozawaonsen then up to Hakuba finishing in Tokyo and the people and culture motivate you to be kinder and slow things down, just amazing.
@@mysticrain32 I worked the 08' season in Jindabyne and rode at Thredbo and Perisher, must have got lucky, it was a late start but the conditions were unreal. Such unique snowpack with the blowing wind storms. But I agree a short trip to Oz would be risky.
Great Video!
Amazing video, well made!
Living in UK I've been to Europe many times skiing, I had a break for a good few years but got back into it Last year. I went to 3 Valley's,France and also Winter park, colorado. So I can compare these two as they were only weeks apart.
I couldn't believe how controlled the u.s resort was it was set up like a theme park, 1 shop that didn't sell alcohol (because they want you to buy in The restaurants) fine by me but not by people I went with. The restaurants are set up like cafeterias and are expensive, your absolutely right it's very different feel which I guess isn't terrible it's just I prefer the individual run cabins in Europe. The holiday cost 4x as much as Europe not taking into account flights. Which from Heathrow to co were obviously expensive due to the distance. The locals told me they normally go to Europe because it's cheaper than driving 5 hours and having a week there with their family. Which is crazy to me. There was no where near the amount of piste as large Europe resorts. They didn't groom anything past beginner slopes bar 2x blues which I felt like this was just lazy. 3 valleys was €43 per day for day of skiing, and you would never come down the same run for a week. winter park was $220! Per day and you find yourself doing the same runs over and over due to the fact it's not a huge resort. I feel like in Europe it's much more accessible for the average person where as in the u.s it's gear towards people with a lot of money.
One thing I will say is the slopes were quiet. Beautifully quiet. Never waited more than 5 minutes in a lift queue. Where as Europe is generally mayhem pushing in and only occasionally you get lucky. I actually ski'd straight up to a quiet lift at the side of Winter park twice and got straight on without stopping 😮! The lifts were all really old brown rusty or overpainted flaking off with seat covers torn and foam missing etc, in comparison to 3 valley's which 99 percent all have new bright shiny galvanised lifts or refurbished lifts (think they invested quite a few million during covid). The bus service into winter park town was free which was good because self catering yourself from the shop onsite was extortionate prices. Going to the super market in town was much cheaper.
I'm glad I went. But I won't be going there again. I don't have a massive amount of money. I didn't have 4x the enjoyment out of it. I think I hyped it up too much beforehand. The price when booking makes you hype it up in your head! If money was no object I would still go to Europe. I just like value for money. I looked into an ikon pass but as you say you have to book it crazy in advance, it would of only saved me a few hundred dollars. I went in March booked in Jan so I should have brought it in November, I hadn't even decided I was going skiing then. I imagine for locals a season pass would work out much cheaper. The snow was good when we were there, the locals said it was rare it was this good and we timed it just right. couldn't imagine paying that sort of money and not having guaranteed good snow like you get in most high resorts in Europe. I'm sorry if you love Winter park, this is just my opinion. It just wasn't 4x the enjoyment infact I enjoyed the vast longer Km's of trails of France more at 1/4 of the price. And you don't need to get the lift as often because the runs are so much longer, so your probably waiting the same amount of time averaging out.
Was due to go to skiing Europe again this year but I broke my back skiing in Scotland NYD. Sadly no skiing for me this season 😢 I would like to know if these u.s prices are pretty standard and the set up is pretty standard. If there's better resorts, cheaper I'll consider going back to u.s but I feel winter park pretty much sets the standard in which u.s resorts operate judging by other people I know who went to other u.s resorts.
I’m glad I did Whistler in 2006. Very reasonable on prices then. Better than France for example at the time pro rata for 10 days in a place with a pool and jacuzzi. I’ve skied most places in Europe including the 3 valleys several times but I love Avoriaz and would love to try Tingnes again. I also enjoyed Jasper in 2005. Again very reasonable on price.
@@grumpyone5963 have you priced any of these up in the last decade? 🫣 another for tignes!
@@Jw20000 I haven’t as I’ve not been for some years now but I’m sure it’s not cheap. I’m 53 now and could do with improving my fitness level a little but would love to ski again before too long.
@@grumpyone5963 53 is nothing there was a lady in winter park 83 she was flying down there! Much better skier than I.
@@Jw20000 I know I’ve skied enough to have seen people well into their 70’s skiing well. 83 is amazing though. I’m asthmatic, a little over weight (not too much) and just don’t feel fit enough right now to enjoy it as I’d like to. Close to 54.
I have been skiing all over Europe since I was 7 (now Im 56) If you really want to compare Europe vs USA / Canada and Japan, you really need to include Scandinavia in the north too. Skiing in Sweden (ex Åre) is excellent and very cheap compared to the expensive resorts in ex Switzerland. I would claim that Åre is about 1/2 the price of say St. Anton Austria. Åre is no so big, but big enough for a week. The best season is later in both Norway, Sweden, march-april here it is even cheaper. I have many favorute destinations in Austria and France, but still i would prefer going to Sweden 2 or more weeks for the same price as one week in the Alps.
I agree completely!
As a swede I don’t agree, it’s expensive in Åre and they rarely have any sun.
Awesome video, well done
What a very good, informative and humorous video i give it 10 out of 10 , I have been lucky enough to ski on both sides of the pond , only twice in the US and twice in Canada with the vast majority of trips in Europe to Austria ,France and Andorra and I would agree with all points made . My own preference would be Austria for the whole mountain postcard chocolate box experience and I have done the " ski run of shame " and terror after one too many JagerBombs from the Mooservert and Krazy Kangaru into St Anton and in later years taken to the genteel and gentle slopes of Seefeld . I only have one piece of advice though for anybody visiting any of the Colorado resorts ( my wife and I had a great but ever so slightly pricey trip to Copper Mountain ) and that is the altitude , we both suffered headaches for the first couple of days and that seemed to be most visitors opinion , also the locals advised us to stay off the beer until you've got used to it !!!! and if there is a humidifier in your acommodation use it , Cheers and happy skiing .
Great Video. Can you do the Same for Alps vs Sweden (Åre) or Scandinavia in General. Also Japan. Would be awsome.
5:58 you say the reason for why it's so expensive to get a lift ticket in Canada/ USA vs Europe.
I’ve mainly gone skiing in Colorado. Possibly going to Whistler for the first time this year. Was helpful to watch your video. I’m a new subscriber. Cheers
Very well made video! Wish your channel success.
The Ski Board Ratio in NA is way different, i feel like a outlaw with my Board sometimes in Austria :D
For my part I like being the Outlaw in Austria :D
Not mentioned in North America most of the big resorts are owned by one of two companies so you can get an Epic or Ikon season pass depending on your area and ski as many days as you want. Our Tahoe Local pass here was $545 this season, not a bad deal for 60 days or so. ;)
Avy controlled off piste in NA is the best. You can drop into 50+ degree chutes through a gate a minute away from a lift and that is awesome though yes it can get skied out quick. Not mentioned, lots of resorts have sidecountry gates where as with the euro off piste you can find powder days after a storm. But bring a buddy and possibly avy gear depending on the area and conditions.
Food and beer prices, only tourists care. We bring tallboys and sammies in our packs, camp stoves and coolers in the truck if you're fancy and want to ride to the parking lot for lunch.
Great video and hilarious !
Really good and informative video. Thanks.
I am from Vancouver and was in the first opening of the Blackcomb resort. It has changed so much. The snow is so much better than here in the French Alps. People line up better. Yet after having my own place in the Trois Vallees, I'd say the freedom to ski off piste, the choice of resorts, proximity to do other things is a strong point for the Alps. One thing is that if in Vancouver local skiing is a treat that is unique to a very big city! A helpful video!
Have you rode the Island resorts? Mt Washington looks like it could be a lot of fun.
@@andyeighttre For those living on the mainland it is not worth getting there for time and travel costs. That said the views are magnificent.
@@NeilSnapePhotographywhere is your place in trois vallees? just curious haha amazing resort
@@xander8623 Was in Meribel, the most "English" of the Trois Vallées. Probably the best fall line skiing connected in France. Although if it wasn't so far Austria looks amazing!
Munich, Zurich, Geneva, Milan and Turin are all big European cities which are just as close to major ski resorts as Vancouver is to Whistler.
Agree with all of the points. There is just one thing that I would add, and that is the size of the ski resorts. In Europe ski resorts are just so much bigger then in North America. In Europe you can ski between different towns and different mountains whereas in North America there is usually just one base area and maybe 1 or 2 mountains to ski on.
WB Stacks up in size to a lot of euro resorts they measure the size differently
@@keithscothern3398 Look at the ski map of Whistler compared to European ski resorts like Ski Arlberg, les 3 vallees, Skicircus Saalbach etc. Whistler is just nothing compared to the size of those ski resorts. Doesn't even matter if you use acres or KM's of slopes.
@@MaartenvanderVeeke I have skied all those places and I know where I would rather ski and that it is whistler much more variety and challenge those resorts you quote have a lot of skiing but most of it is on super wide autobahns and is boring
@@keithscothern3398 My point wasn't about which ski resort was better. I was pointing out that many European ski resorts are larger and that you can tour between different towns in the resort which you can't do in North America. If you find Whistler a better ski resort, thats fine. But that doesn't take away the fact that European ski resorts are bigger. Next time read my comment before commenting.
@@MaartenvanderVeeke for sure the interlinked euro resorts are bigger but my point is bigger is not always better if your skiing goals are to cruise from village and rackup lots of mileage then great I personally like variety and challenge
Such a cool video
Lol I just was in Alpbachtal last week, nice video!
The mountain restaurants in the US absolutely suck. Europe wins on that easy.
GREAT review. I grew up skiing the Canadian Rockies, lived in Europe for 35yrs based in Argentiere, France and have skied extensively throughout the Swiss, French, Italian, Austrian Alps, US.& Canadian Rockies and Chile/Argentina. The prices here in Canada and the US are STUPID! The cost of lift passes is ridiculous for what you get in terms of hours of operation, size of skiable terrain and mostly outdated lift infrastructure, not to mention the food in the majority of the restaurants is poor quality in general. In Europe you pay a fair price for lift tickets, get vast spaces to ski with regularly updated lift infrastructure and find many, many, many fantastic reasonably priced restaurants to visit....Hands down, Europe is a MUCH better experience!!....snow wise...depends on mother nature I have skied far more easily accessable DEEP snow in the Alps than in Canada....Helicopters and cats are really the only way to access the deep snow unless you have a snow sled or tour...we have A LOT of fresh snow in the Rockies due to fewer people and much more VAST areas of wilderness, but you have to be able to access it and it takes a lot of generally LONG of up hill touring or sled skiing or heli/cat $$$ invested to get it. The deep powder you mention on the coast is often VERY HEAVY and WET and really not that great.. A deep day on the Grandes Montets or Le Fournier district i sby far more pleasurable, easier to acess for many many laps of long deep powder runs with not so many people most days.....Lets go skiing!
I agree with you, but if you don't live in the alps the chances to get a good week of deep snow skiing are rather low, the lack of snow is real. I mean I go every year to Chamonix and last time I had good off-piste powder skiing was in 2019...
Agree with you everywhere as prices, food, accomodation, variety and quality of ski experience are concerned. But snow quality and quantity are not always guaranteed in Europe, global warming not helping obviously. On the other hand, I agree with you that the deep powder in Whistler is often too heavy and wet. We must go inland to find better dry powder.
@@kennorway9690 try other French resorts. I'm French and I find Chamonix really overpriced/overrated. My top 3 : avoriaz, la plagne, grand massif.
did 12 seasons , first winter this year not riding, miss it soo much, but i agree with almost everything you said, cant wait to get back on the slopes
this video is fantastic
Thanks for a great review. The run quality and the infrastructure that deals with the slopes does seem to be great in the US, but those prices keep me away. It's on my bucket list, but if it ever happens, it will be a one time only deal, I wouldn't waste money making it a yearly pilgrimage. The quality of food is the largest negative for me; in the US everything, and I mean really everything you eat or drink is saturated with sugar and finding honest country food with pure ingredients and that is lovingly prepared doesn't seem to be possible; in Europe, the resorts are normally at the sites of villages that have existed for centuries and which have a local cuisine that is traditional and very healthy. You cannot beat Europe for the food experience at any time of the year.
Amen to that, my friend. North America has an inherent problem: their culture. They lack history, tradition, and the respect for history and tradition. They only think in terms of money and cost-efficiency. The food is garbage because they can't conceive anything beyond fast food, which is a form of instant gratification. Then add the fact that things are ALWAYS set up in a way that leads to one company to monopolize everything else, and you get a ski resort literally owning a whole mountain, from the forests, to the hills, the mountain huts and even the ski schools. I'm so happy I don't live in that place anymore. North America is not a geographical place but rather a gigantic market.
Sounds like the 'American Dream' lol
Excellent video!
Wanted to point out that Whistler Blackcomb, the resort you went to, actually happens to be one of the *best* values on this side of the pond. If you go down to the United States, you'll generally find smaller resorts with less interesting terrain and less involved aprés-for much more expensive prices.
Whistler price for day ticket next season is going up to $250.00 CDN according to someone who works their
Great job man.
Thanks for this. Love your "Hausberg". ;)
major differences are:
*America* *Europe*
lift tickets over 600$/week ~300€/Week
one corps owns almost whole resort municipality, lift company, independant hotels an dattractions
only greens and blues are groomed all runs are groomed, intentionally ungroomed black runs exist but not very common
free ride skiing pretty controlled for freeride skiing you're totally on your own risk, there are marked offpiste runs but those are called skiroutes
much more snow far less snow
everything is pretty controlled, ski partrol there is an emergency service but do not actl like a police
scenery usually forested hills stunning mountain scenery, mostly above treeline
no real authentic village flair beautiful mountain huts, old fashioned towns
expensive cafeterias stylish mountain huts with local delicacies
mostly old cheap lifts modern expensive lifts more commun
mostly for high society more affordable
usually more snowboarders more skiers
long lines at ski lifts possible lines are rare (a bit more unorganized), but known ski runs in big resorts can get pretty busy,
only few resorts have any nightlife après ski, party on mountain huts
good comparison
here are my examples/reasons
1.so if you are a fat alcoholic who prioritizes alcohol and food over everything else go to europe 2. if you prioritize the main ingredient of skiing Snow I E the amount and quality go to NA. 3.if you like off piste,skiing,and skiing in trees go to NA also, ski patrol are not that bad they only slow people down in crowded spots and beginner areas
It's always better to have 2 days of snow per week for 1 person than 4 days of snow per week and share it with 10. Yeah there is at least 10 more powderhounds in NA comparing to the terrain available. Easily accessible fresh snow many days after snowfall? definitely not in NA@@keithscothern3398
7:20 acutally what happend to the single line in Europe? I remember that they used to be some, at least at my home resort, when I was younger
Yeah, I have a faint memory as well but I haven’t seen any recently 🤔
this was informative and very funny, well done
Which has better views/scenery? I’ve only been able to ski in the US and Canada but every time I see videos of skiing in the Alps it looks absolutely gorgeous and more scenic than the Rockies.
that will depend on where in the Alps you'd go. The Alps cover a big area with varying aesthetic characteristics. For example the scenery in eastern Switzerland, where I snowboard regularly, is much more impressive than in the state of Salzburg, where I went to once a couple of years ago. But the general consensus is that most parts of the Alps are more scenic than the Rockies, especially the Swiss, French and Italian Alps.