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KilaTsunami
October, 2024

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Where can I go abroad to ski big stuff?!?!?!

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livyjane
Posts: 38 - Karma: 326
Yo everybody, I'm planning on studying abroad next spring. Wondering if anyone has recommendations for places to ski big stuff in this great big world of ours. I'm leaning towards University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand (NZ's fall/winter). Honestly all I want to do is ski. If you've skied somewhere crazy in the world , lemme know.
Jul 22 2022 11:29AM
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Jacobthesadskier
Posts: 491 - Karma: 4,840
Andermatt in Switzerland has some pretty massive descents on it. Actual resort isn't overly big, but the mountain itself is huge, and there's loads of other brilliant places to ski that're in the 1-2 hour range away if you'd ever get bored.
Jul 22 2022 12:00PM
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C.R.E.A.M
Posts: 2987 - Karma: 4,575
livyjaneYo everybody, I'm planning on studying abroad next spring. Wondering if anyone has recommendations for places to ski big stuff in this great big world of ours. I'm leaning towards University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand (NZ's fall/winter). Honestly all I want to do is ski. If you've skied somewhere crazy in the world , lemme know.


Japan
Jul 22 2022 12:09PM
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cydwhit
Posts: 5067 - Karma: 42,847
If you can swing Christchurch that would be pretty sweet. The skiing there is sick, although it's quite a ways from town. I looked into trying to do that back when I was in school, it's a really cool place, with ridiculous recreation opportunities.
Jul 22 2022 12:22PM
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b0ss
Posts: 793 - Karma: 6,271
livyjaneYo everybody, I'm planning on studying abroad next spring. Wondering if anyone has recommendations for places to ski big stuff in this great big world of ours. I'm leaning towards University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand (NZ's fall/winter). Honestly all I want to do is ski. If you've skied somewhere crazy in the world , lemme know.


Christchurch is awesome, if you dont have to live in christchurch look up Methven. I lived in Methven southwinter of 2019 and t’was a blast. christchurch is nice you got busses to the mountain. Look up mt. Olympus ski feild and other nutcracker skifeilds, that will get you closer to big stuff.
Also mt lyford is sick but idk where it is.

its pretty easy to rent a car on weekends to get out of the city. Also strongly recommend flying into Queenstown and going bungee jumping.
Jul 22 2022 3:46PM
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Jacksparrow
Posts: 170 - Karma: 2,452
C.R.E.A.MJapan


Plus you can go tokyo drifting.
Jul 22 2022 6:10PM
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BradFiAusNzCoCa
Posts: 6958 - Karma: 60,774
Heads up, Christchurch is a ghost town since the earthquake and not even that close to skiing. My wife and I moved to Christchurch and quickly did an about face to Queenstown. There’s some cool places around that area but it is very very sleepy and skiing is a bit of a drive.

I still can’t wrap my head around how bars and restaurants are that big in Christchurch yet no one is in them. I did spend some time in Lyttleton though and loved it.
Jul 22 2022 7:20PM
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TRVP_ANGEL
Posts: 12503 - Karma: 116,100
YEAH I ONLY SKI AT THE BEST

BLUE MOUNTAIN ON
E
S
TARIO
Jul 22 2022 7:45PM
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livyjane
Posts: 38 - Karma: 326
BradFiAusNzCoCaHeads up, Christchurch is a ghost town since the earthquake and not even that close to skiing. My wife and I moved to Christchurch and quickly did an about face to Queenstown. There’s some cool places around that area but it is very very sleepy and skiing is a bit of a drive.

I still can’t wrap my head around how bars and restaurants are that big in Christchurch yet no one is in them. I did spend some time in Lyttleton though and loved it.


Damn. Thanks for the heads up man.
Jul 22 2022 7:59PM
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jompcock
Posts: 1524 - Karma: 11,263
Val Thorens in France is huge and has a lot of cool terrain. Had easily the longest top to bottom runs I've skied before. Lavigno/Mottolino in Italy was really affordable and duty free. The sun would hit a different side of the valley throughout the day so you avoid bullet proof conditions in the morning and avoid slush in the afternoon.
Jul 22 2022 9:25PM
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max99r
Posts: 1 - Karma: 20
I was in the exact same situation as you 2 years ago. I studied abroad in Grenoble, France. best decision ever. It's a medium size city in the french alps, 30-60 mins away from the best skiing in france. 2 hours from switzerland. Ski mountains: alp d'huez, 2 alpes, 3 valles, and more. Can't recommend grenoble enough. There are a few schools in Grenoble. Happy to talk about it more if you want
Aug 11 2022 10:43AM
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BradFiAusNzCoCa
Posts: 6958 - Karma: 60,774
I skied Les 2 Alpes in the summer back in the day. That whole area is so cool
maxnksI was in the exact same situation as you 2 years ago. I studied abroad in Grenoble, France. best decision ever. It's a medium size city in the french alps, 30-60 mins away from the best skiing in france. 2 hours from switzerland. Ski mountains: alp d'huez, 2 alpes, 3 valles, and more. Can't recommend grenoble enough. There are a few schools in Grenoble. Happy to talk about it more if you want
Aug 11 2022 10:56AM
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mobadis
Posts: 406 - Karma: -3,484
Georgia. Lift tickets there cost what they used to cost here in the USA 60 years ago. Probably one of the last truly unmolested places to ski on earth. No visa required to stay 12 months. EU, NZ, and to an extent Japan have long been corporatized and the Jewish pricing has crept in.
Aug 11 2022 1:24PM
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livyjane
Posts: 38 - Karma: 326
max99rI was in the exact same situation as you 2 years ago. I studied abroad in Grenoble, France. best decision ever. It's a medium size city in the french alps, 30-60 mins away from the best skiing in france. 2 hours from switzerland. Ski mountains: alp d'huez, 2 alpes, 3 valles, and more. Can't recommend grenoble enough. There are a few schools in Grenoble. Happy to talk about it more if you want


Dude I made a decision for university of alps Grenoble !!! That’s so crazy. I’d love to talk to you more ab it & what places you reccomend etc.
Aug 11 2022 10:27PM
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KilaTsunami
Posts: 3002 - Karma: 28,590
Mountain Creek NJ
Aug 12 2022 11:50AM
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skierman
Posts: 8323 - Karma: 7,623
I hear Killington is sick bro.
Aug 16 2022 8:51PM
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Darc
Posts: 138 - Karma: 669
I live there. 2h ish to most skiing from town. The most commercial hill is Mt Hutt which has usually the only park, i wouldn't go on the weekends its a 5.30am get up to get a carpark. Clubs are sick and if i was travelling here it would be for them. You can leave at a normal time (7am or late) to hit those, and they have accom on site and it can be a pretty good night on the booze too if you have a crew. We do get pretty bad thaw and refreeze, any time its not a storm its usually above freezing on the hill even in the middle of winter. It makes for a lot of coral reef so the clubs aren't always that skiable, quite a few of them are offpiste only.

That said the clubs have sick terrain, check out Craig Murray and @Julianjamesa who post a fair ammount of club action.

Town party scene is rather limited, but if you are at uni the scene is more boxes of beer in a house party garage unless something has changed dramatically.

**This post was edited on Aug 17th 2022 at 12:50:51am
Aug 17 2022 12:46AM
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BigmoneyMatt
Posts: 1545 - Karma: 1,185
b0ssChristchurch is awesome, if you dont have to live in christchurch look up Methven. I lived in Methven southwinter of 2019 and t’was a blast. christchurch is nice you got busses to the mountain. Look up mt. Olympus ski feild and other nutcracker skifeilds, that will get you closer to big stuff.
Also mt lyford is sick but idk where it is.

its pretty easy to rent a car on weekends to get out of the city. Also strongly recommend flying into Queenstown and going bungee jumping.

I lived in a methvan at 1 point
Aug 18 2022 4:12PM
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