Snowboard Club UK (SCUK)
Abroad - Slovakia
Tiberius - Jan 07, 2010 - 06:01 PM
Post subject: Slovakia
A quick review can be covered by saying I’m going back next year, but the location is sufficiently different from the ‘standard’ alp site to warrant a somewhat longer explanation.
First the riding was good, especially for snowboarders. The main resort of Jasna (pronounced yasna) is where we spent all our time. Not as big as the major French resorts, but not small and certainly better equipped than some other places I’ve been to.
The pistes are generally wide and open, certainly nice for snowboarders although we were in more of a minority than at the main French resorts I’ve been to (looked to be no more than 15%). At the lower level, you have 3 main routes up the mountains. A 6 man chairlift, a 4 man chairlift and a brand new 8 man gondola. These take you up to a mid station, from where you can ride back down, or go higher still. Unfortunately most of the higher runs were shut when we went, but conditions are always a bit erratic in December so we can’t really complain. A circuit on the 8 man, from queue, up and a leisurely ride down took about half an hour.
The grading of the routes I found quite lenient. One red served by the 6 man chairlift for instance was steep. I’ve ridden blacks in France that were not as steep, although it was wide and open, so perhaps a fair grading, just not an easy one.
Although the riding is good, the main advantage I found with Slovakia over the traditional French sites was the amount of other activities to do. Generally when you go to France, you ski during the day then get pissed at night coz there really isn’t much else to do. You can do that if you want in Slovakia, but there’s a whole array of other activities to try out as well. Horse riding, Hot water spa (a water park, with hot water – 37 deg), Ice hockey (yes, I paid good money to watch grown men play a schoolgirl sport on ice skates), go-karting (could have spent all day there) to name just a few (most costing just a few euros). We got a 5 out of 7 day lift pass and had a day off to go to the spa, but it’s open until 9pm, so you can go in the evening if you really need to ride every day.
ChaletSlovakia, run by Dan and Claire is the place we went to, and the place we will be going back to again. However, like Slovakia itself, it’s different enough from a ‘standard’ chalet to warrant a longer explanation.
First, it’s not ski in/ski out. In fact it’s not even situated in the resort of Jasna but about 15 minutes drive away in the town of Liptovsky Mikulas. This was a worry at first, but in reality turned out not to be a problem. Dan took us to the bottom of the lifts in the morning and picked us up at night (or stayed and rode with us). Generally we arranged the night before with the other chalet residents and Dan what time we wanted to go and everything really worked fine.
The second ‘issue’ is that the chalet is bed and breakfast, not half board. I was worried about this as all other chalets I’ve stayed in provided evening meal too. Again it proved to be a benefit rather than a problem. Staying in the town meant there were lots of restaurants all within 10 mins walk serving a variety of food generally for between 5 and 10 euros a head. The food was all excellent, although you have to be a bit flexible. Generally what came was often not what you expected. We quite enjoyed the guessing game at the end. Order Spaghetti, and Penne came. Dumplings seemed to cover a wide variety of items depending on the restaurant. But whatever came was always edible and tasty. English wasn’t widely spoken, so ordering food tended to involve a lot of pointing and holding up of fingers, but it was fun. (the thumb in Slovakia apparently counts as one...so if you’re not careful when holding fingers up, you end up with one more than you think you ordered 
)
Not having to do evening meal freed up Dan and Claire to do a lot of other things. Whether that was riding with us during the day, or getting involved in other activities in the evening, all of which would have been difficult if they had to prepare evening meals for the chalet guests too.
The rooms themselves were larger and more spacious than just about any Chalet I’ve been in before, but our room did have 4 beds and was only occupied by three of us. ChaletSlovakia do not insist on full occupancy and they do have a range of room sizes. There’s a separate drying room and garage, so your bedroom doesn’t need to be cluttered with riding gear.
Overall, if you want to ride every day, all day, and it’s important that you ride different runs every day, then Slovakia may not be ideal for you. For just about anyone else it’s well worth trying out and I can certainly recommend giving ChaletSlovakia a trial.
winterfunman - Jan 07, 2010 - 07:02 PM
Post subject: RE: Slovakia
Great review in this months on board to about Slovakia too
Dam0 - Jan 07, 2010 - 10:52 PM
Post subject: RE: Slovakia
thanks, I'm already considering ChaletSlovakia for this year.
MissBint37 - Jan 08, 2010 - 01:00 AM
Post subject:
I went in the summer...to MTB not board, was lovely, am hoping to get back there last week in easter to ride this time if I can get stuff sorted!
Keep up the good work Dan and Clare
chaletslovakia - Jan 10, 2010 - 02:41 PM
Post subject:
Hey Tiberius,
Thanks for the review....
If you've any climbing questions or other summer stuff, just let us know. If you do come back in the summer, I'll be expecting at least a second off your karting times (warm track)....
Dan
wakeyboarder - Jan 10, 2010 - 04:16 PM
Post subject:
good review mate, been going to slovakia for last 4 years, mainly jasna and i love it for all the reasons you stated :O) not just me who thought that red was steep either :O)
bong69uk - Jan 11, 2010 - 01:55 AM
Post subject:
Nice review dude, im heading there in march so i will add to it afterwards , prob just be all about the supposedly stunning women out there tho lol.
MissBint37 - Jan 11, 2010 - 10:26 AM
Post subject:
That is true most of the women were really hot...
But the men no such look....it was summer when I went and I was hoping for hot men with their tops off, but the ones that had nice bodies had uuuugly faces...bad times...but you guys enjoy!
Tiberius - Jan 11, 2010 - 10:37 AM
Post subject:
wakeyboarder wrote:
...not just me who thought that red was steep either
It's vertical and not just one bit, about half of it is like that.
Having said that, it is a good run to learn to ride steep runs on as it's wide, open, and the steep bits are pretty straight with no camber or other complications.
At the end of our last day therre, Oliver rode it in 10 mins coz he wanted to catch the lift up again for one last run. I think he musta pretty much straightlined it...I'm almost glad I didn't see most of that run
wakeyboarder - Jan 11, 2010 - 12:30 PM
Post subject:
sounds quality, i love jasna did you get to westerny city an experience not to be missed 
bong69uk - Jan 11, 2010 - 05:41 PM
Post subject:
Tell me guys how did u all get to jasna? im trying to find another way apart from the joke that is ryanair!!
DJb - Jan 11, 2010 - 06:35 PM
Post subject:
MissBint37 wrote:
That is true most of the women were really hot...
But the men no such look....it was summer when I went and I was hoping for hot men with their tops off, but the ones that had nice bodies had uuuugly faces...bad times...but you guys enjoy!
From my experiences just across the Caparthians in south easy Poland I agree. Most of the men look like Bouncers or Chavs, although most of them are good people once you meet them. My ex said the local women have a saying along the lines of 'Just better looking than the devil'.
And as for the women - I had a hard job keeping my eyes to myself 
If only I could of spoken the lingo...
Tiberius - Jan 11, 2010 - 07:02 PM
Post subject:
bong69uk wrote:
Tell me guys how did u all get to jasna?
Danube wings. Fly from Luton, Manchest and Dublin I think. Alternatively fly to Bratislava and take the train.
ChasKi - Jan 11, 2010 - 07:33 PM
Post subject:
Wanted to go this year, but ChaletSlovakia is booked up for the only time I have 
PropagandaSnowboards - Jan 12, 2010 - 02:40 PM
Post subject:
Tiberius wrote:
bong69uk wrote:
Tell me guys how did u all get to jasna?
Danube wings. Fly from Luton, Manchest and Dublin I think. Alternatively fly to Bratislava and take the train.
You can also fly to Vienna with BA or Easyjet etc from more places in the UK, its also a direct train to here that goes through Bratislava on the way...... alternatively Krakow but its not so easy on public transport to get here, but car transfer is about 2 hours
bong69uk - Jan 12, 2010 - 07:30 PM
Post subject:
Yeah thanks guys, i looked in to them too, danube dont have anything at the times im wanting to go and BA and easyjet only go from london airports vienna.
The option of flying to Bratislava and training it from then on is the option im looking at, that is the only way to get there via ryanair.
SamMalone - Jan 12, 2010 - 08:42 PM
Post subject:
Edinburgh-Krakow with Easyjet from Edinburgh?
Easyjet have got 25% off fares at the moment.
PropagandaSnowboards - Jan 13, 2010 - 08:36 AM
Post subject:
EDI to Bratislava or Krakow.
The cheap option if you go Krakow route means you need to take bus from Airport to Zakopane, then from Zakopane to Poprad in Slovakia. the from Poprad train to Liptovsky Mikulas... alternatively a private car hire is 160€ ish for 3 people and luggage from the airport each way.
Bratislava is €13 direct train.
ColdComfort - Jan 13, 2010 - 11:04 AM
Post subject:
I think there is a big peice on Slovakia in this month ski+board mag - tho i didn't get around to reading it yet - as being the simple beast i am i was senceless entertained by the free neck warmer that came with it
Nice review btw, Sounds like a really interesting place, and great place to stay - if im still in Europe come March i'd like to vists Slovakia and some other Eastern European resorts for a bit of a journey for sure !
chaletslovakia - Jan 13, 2010 - 09:15 PM
Post subject:
no-one has mentioned yet that Czech beers are standard here : Staropramen, Budvar, Urquell, etc....
average price €1/pint....
oh baby....
MissBint37 - Jan 13, 2010 - 11:57 PM
Post subject:
chaletslovakia wrote:
no-one has mentioned yet that Czech beers are standard here : Staropramen, Budvar, Urquell, etc....
average price €1/pint....
oh baby....
I can't remember the price of beer, all I drunk was gin and tonic!!! Probably too much of it 
But yes all go to Slovakia.....you will love it I'm sure!!!
moo - Jan 14, 2010 - 12:25 PM
Post subject:
[quote="chaletslovakia"]no-one has mentioned yet that Czech beers are standard here : Staropramen, Budvar, Urquell, etc....
Do you have starobrno there? that stuff rules!
PropagandaSnowboards - Jan 14, 2010 - 03:42 PM
Post subject:
[quote="moo"]
chaletslovakia wrote:
no-one has mentioned yet that Czech beers are standard here : Staropramen, Budvar, Urquell, etc....
Do you have starobrno there? that stuff rules!
yes
kozel, kelt, corgon are more beers you sometimes see in weatherspoons also.....
chaletslovakia - Jan 15, 2010 - 03:50 PM
Post subject:
everything except Fosters, Carling, Kronenbourg & John Smiths....
SnowSphere - Jan 15, 2010 - 10:02 PM
Post subject:
The SnowSphere team went to Jasna a couple of years back - snow was terrible - but it was the same across all of Europe that season - but we still had a good time. Read the report here: Snowboarding Jasna Slovakia
Dam0 - Jan 17, 2010 - 09:34 PM
Post subject:
chaletslovakia wrote:
average price €1/pint....
oh baby....
I'm looking forward to my trip
April_Audo - Jan 20, 2010 - 10:19 AM
Post subject:
ooooh I cannot wait to get there now! 45 days and counting!!!
We're flying into Vienna and getting the train across, looks like and easy enough journey, plus there is a group of us, I'm sure the time will pass quickly
chaletslovakia - Jan 28, 2010 - 10:36 AM
Post subject:
Get yerself some beers, a pack of cards and play some poker on the journey. The trains have old-school compartments (seat 6) that you can shut yourselves away in. After that wander into the restaurant car for a sit-down meal with menus, knives & forks and a waiter....
It's as far-removed from British rail travel as you could wish for....
bong69uk - Jan 29, 2010 - 06:37 PM
Post subject:
Oh Dear those beer prices are gonna be dangerous! Dan i sure hope you are prepared to be shocked by us scots, with the amount of beer 
we will put away in the eve and still be up the next day on the slopes 
haha.
Oh one other thing, how is jansa for "gentlemans bars" haha?
Dam0 - Jan 31, 2010 - 05:47 PM
Post subject:
bong69uk wrote:
Oh one other thing, how is jansa for "gentlemans bars" haha?
This is relevant to my interests.
chaletslovakia - Jan 31, 2010 - 07:13 PM
Post subject:
Gentlemen are of course welcome in most bars here.....
bong69uk - Feb 02, 2010 - 01:06 AM
Post subject:
Hmm not quite the answer we were looking for there Danny Bhouy!! 
haha 
chaletslovakia - Feb 07, 2010 - 07:20 AM
Post subject:
Perhaps I need to do some more reconnaissanse work.....
bong69uk - Feb 08, 2010 - 10:56 PM
Post subject:
lol, dont worry bout that, i will scout the town when i come over, if there is one i will find out haha!!
Dam0 - Feb 17, 2010 - 09:38 PM
Post subject:
My mate and I spent last week at Chalet Slovakia and really loved it. Clare and Dan are really accommodating and made our stay most enjoyable.
Food and drink is unbelievably cheap, and in big portions.
Jasna had enough runs for us, we didn't get to see all of them. The queues for the lifts weren't a problem, the longest I waited the entire week was about 4 minutes.
The Ice Hockey and Spa are worth a visit too.
I'll certainly be going back next season, I'm considering heading back for a late one this season.
chaletslovakia - Feb 21, 2010 - 07:28 PM
Post subject:
Damo you'll enjoy spring conditions - no ice, warm days, forgiving snow and probably a bbq or two back at the Chalet afterwards....
We're full April 4 - 11; I'll let you know how the snow is shaping up for the following week. Every previous year the slopes have stayed open until the 3rd week of April. You should be able to get a bargain basement flight for those late dates.
Dam0 - Feb 21, 2010 - 11:01 PM
Post subject:
BBQ....... I'm sold!
I'll chase you in April for the snow report.
bong69uk - Feb 22, 2010 - 01:53 AM
Post subject:
How were the snow conditions last week damo? im headed to Dan's joint in less than 3weeks now. I see the board park is shaping up nicely?
Dam0 - Feb 22, 2010 - 06:57 PM
Post subject:
Really nice, ice patches were rare. Pistes get a bit chopped up by skiers by late afternoon but get sorted overnight.
There was a dump before we arrived and cracking sunshine for our first 3 days. Then snowed most of the last days with a white out up at the very top on the final day. (Which was an interesting decent to tree level)
We went through the snowpack but I'm not yet ready for tricks so I just scooted around the 'obstructions', however there are many toys in it to play with, on a cracking undulating run down to the bottom.
Bootoo - Mar 09, 2010 - 08:51 PM
Post subject:
Just thought I would give this thread a bump and see if anyone had recently some back from Slovakia and could give a snow report??
Dam0 - Mar 09, 2010 - 09:08 PM
Post subject:
same here, I've booked a week off work in April in case it's good
PropagandaSnowboards - Mar 11, 2010 - 12:31 PM
Post subject:
its snowing today, tomorrow, saturday and also forecast for sunday....... not epic dumps, but its been cold the last 2 weeks and "spring" conditions havent totally kicked in yet so im pretty confident its gonna be good till mid april.
Bootoo - Mar 12, 2010 - 09:06 AM
Post subject:
Cool 
Thanks for the update. Can't wait!!
Dam0 - Mar 12, 2010 - 10:23 AM
Post subject:
Danube Wings has stopped flying to Poprad from the UK
Ryanair........hummph
PropagandaSnowboards - Mar 12, 2010 - 05:08 PM
Post subject:
Dam0 wrote:
Ryanair........hummph
4 quid flights, edinburgh to bratislava, all fees/taxes.... no hummph from me.
they may be rob dogs, they may be arse holes, but keep an eye out on them and you get some blinding deals...... the train across from Bratislava is also very chilled out and cheap....
also get a fairfx.com card, its free and means you dont pay anything to buy your tickets on ryanair.
chaletslovakia - Mar 16, 2010 - 05:11 PM
Post subject:
Yet another deep powder day at Jasna - March always comes good here - no lift lines and fresh tracks thru the trees all day long.....
Snow still coming thru the week...
...oh baby...
Bootoo - Mar 16, 2010 - 07:01 PM
Post subject:
Great news! I heard it was getting a bit milder this week but if the snow is still falling I am happy
DJb - Mar 17, 2010 - 02:30 PM
Post subject:
To the guys that are in the know over in Slovakia: How reasonable is it to think of Slovakia (for that read Jasna-Chopok really) as a place to bum an entire season? I know its fairly off the radar for people in the UK but I can't find any information at all about seasoning there - is there a good reason for that? I've had a few of my Slavic friends say its hugely underated and really worth going to, and I fancy something a bit different from the normal season if my initial idea on Canada falls through, a bit more of an adventure...
PropagandaSnowboards - Mar 17, 2010 - 05:01 PM
Post subject:
We have people staying with us for the season every year for the reason that its a great place to ride, its very cheap for a place to stay, very cheap for food and beers, and a totally different feel to anywhere else....... its not a 24/7 party town, infact the only nights that are busy are friday and saturdays and its mainly locals you will meet which is a good thing.
other then the seasonnaire "bums" that stay at ours, you dont really see any other brits around for the season other than the people that are working here... you sometimes get the odd aussie kicking around for a couple of months on their travels or foreign students from around the area.
just coming to the end of our fifth season here and still finding new fun things to ride all the time....
DJb - Mar 18, 2010 - 10:15 AM
Post subject:
PropagandaSnowboards wrote:
We have people staying with us for the season every year for the reason that its a great place to ride, its very cheap for a place to stay, very cheap for food and beers, and a totally different feel to anywhere else....... its not a 24/7 party town, infact the only nights that are busy are friday and saturdays and its mainly locals you will meet which is a good thing.
other then the seasonnaire "bums" that stay at ours, you dont really see any other brits around for the season other than the people that are working here... you sometimes get the odd aussie kicking around for a couple of months on their travels or foreign students from around the area.
just coming to the end of our fifth season here and still finding new fun things to ride all the time....
That sounds quite good, and you guys would definitely be at the top of my list I head your way! Only other real thought I've had is how much of a barrier is not speaking the language out there? I wouldn't dream of going aboard and not learning the lingo (Slovakia tempted me because I'm already learning Polish), but at least to begin with, can it be awkward to do day to day things in town or meet people that aren't Brits? I've been out of the big cities in Poland and nobody spoke a word of English (thats not a complaint, just a big practical pain in the arse).
snowsites - Mar 18, 2010 - 12:03 PM
Post subject:
Really helpful thread all.
One quickie though, can anyone tell me the name or location of this "super steep" red run please?
Cheers,
Ste
PropagandaSnowboards - Mar 18, 2010 - 03:12 PM
Post subject:
DJb wrote:
how much of a barrier is not speaking the language out there? ..................(Slovakia tempted me because I'm already learning Polish)
If you are already learning polish then that will be very useful here also, most people in this area will understand polish or atleast get the idea of what you are trying to say, poland is not far from here.
As regards to the language barrier.......... 5 years ago i used to be a pain in the arse, but generally now most people speak english in places you want to go, the resort for sure most people do.... and in the bars in town, people under the age of generally 30 speak english as well..........Its a tourist town, so they atleast try, even if what people say is sometimes funny to hear....
Ste wrote:
can anyone tell me the name or location of this "super steep" red run please?
If its the steep red run i think you mean, its on the Otupne side of the resort (right side as you look at the map) and has the blue that skirts round the outside.... its not "super" steep or very long, but its a pain in the arse if you are learning and missed the track for the blue to go round it
chaletslovakia - Mar 19, 2010 - 11:37 AM
Post subject:
some useful Slovak phrases :
"Ahoy!" = "Hello"
"kol'ko? = "How much is....?"
"pivo" = "beer"
"80 cents" = "...70p...!"
DJb - Mar 19, 2010 - 02:43 PM
Post subject:
chaletslovakia wrote:
some useful Slovak phrases :
"Ahoy!" = "Hello"
"kol'ko? = "How much is....?"
"pivo" = "beer"
"80 cents" = "...70p...!"
Or 'piv' if you are hardcore 
bong69uk - Mar 22, 2010 - 06:02 PM
Post subject:
Alright guys, im just back from here and was staying with Dan and Clare at chalet slovakia, and i had the time of my life there!!! Holidays like that are once in a lifetime if you ask me, it had it all!!
Good hosts and Digs - Dan and clare are a great team and made us feel most welcome and have a great place, good location and nice warm comfy beds etc. oh and they had a wii (which we all got beat at by a 3year old girl haha!! )
Great riding - Dan took me and a few of the boys to some seriously sweet off piste quite a few days,some awesome tree runs,some lovely open bowls to cruise and even 3days after a dump there was still fresh tracks to be found on the powder bowls on the south face!!
The place is seriously cheap, - we got a 3course lunch on the hill for a measly 4euros (you cant even get a bowl of soup for that in the alps!! ) , eating out in the eve's in the town was cheap too, we had a meal for 4 of us in route66 with 2 beers each for less than 30euros!! (thats 7.5euros each for you mathematically challenged ones 
) And most importantly the beer is around 80cents per pint!! and its good beer, no hangovers!! (and trust me after the amount i put away on monday night i should have been dying on tues,but despite getting in at 5am after my "adventure" i was still up for the days boarding on tues ) . oh and despite what i had heard about the food being a bit limited and everything fried,well it was great grub!! yeah they fried some random things (fried brocolli haha) but all in the chow was great, i never had a bad meal and some of the meals were amazing!! Got a GREAT fillet steak at the Atlas bar one eve and also the Hotel Steve put on a great meal too, but be warned just dont drink the shots the waiter offers you(Dan what were they called again? i think they began with a "s"), they are lethal and come in very big measures and me being a twort i ended up having 3 of them!! And that was the start of a very drunk, very random and very long night for me haha
But to any of you who are thinking about going to Jasna, just do it! No mater how experieinced a rider you are or if you are a complete begginner this place will see you all good!! The nursery slopes and the blue runs are superb for beginners and the red runs are great to progress onto or for people at the next level , also Dan is a great rider and seems to have lots of patience so he offers some superb lessons no matter what your level of boarding is at!!
For the experienced riders there are plenty of red runs a few blacks but most importantly endless tree lines to take and if your are feeling upto the challenge there are a lot of freeride zones, and some of these are pretty damn hardcore!!
I reckon about the only person Jasna wouldnt suit is the all out freestyler, there is a park but its a bit limited, a few grind boxes, a rail , a wall ride, a small kicker and two large ones, so whilest its good for an afternoon sesh or morning blast you would get a bit bored if thats all you wanted to ride, there are some decent natural hits around the mountain too.
But anyhows im sure im boring you all now, so im gonna leave it at that. Just get out there and seee what the place has to offer, i can see now why its tipped to be the next big thing and even though i have (or should i now say HAD) a rule that i wont go to the same place twice no matter how good it is - this is simply because there are so many places i want to go see and such a short lifetime to do them in - i WILL be going back to Jasna!! So Dan expect to see me again next year dude- that is if im still welcome? 
- i will be planning on going here aswell as another place, because is it so good and also so damn cheap!!
Also i made some really good mates , the other people staying in the chalet were great and i will be keeping intouch with pretty much all of them!! some i hope will become my regular riding buddies too!!
SamMalone - Mar 22, 2010 - 10:58 PM
Post subject:
How did you get there from Scotland...Easyjet to Krakow or Ryanair to Bratislava and how did you get to the chalet from the airport?
bong69uk - Mar 23, 2010 - 02:05 AM
Post subject:
Got a ryanair flight to brat, spent a night boozing and hitting the "gentlemans" bars in brat then got the 1st train in the morn to liptovsky mikulas (or however its spelt lol) where dan picked us up for the 1/2mile to the chalet, not a bad journey all in cos the train is uber comfy and has a bar (when i went to get a beer at 6am the barman was trying to get me to have a rum aswell, those guys are crazy!!! haha).
Tiberius - Mar 23, 2010 - 07:27 AM
Post subject:
DJb wrote:
...Only other real thought I've had is how much of a barrier is not speaking the language out there?
I never found it much of a barrier anywhere to be honest. People panic too much about not speaking the local language. Humans are generally quite good at communicating and the actual language is only a part of it, a surprisingly small part actually.
Emergencies, I broke my wrist in France, waving it at the ski patrol got me taken to a clinic. Waving it at them got them to x-ray it. That got me sent to hospital who fixed it. Nobody in the hospital spoke English, and I don't speak Frenchish, it didn't stop it getting fixed, or me getting out after 3 days (by which time I'd learnt a fair bit of Frenchish too).
Ordering food, well there's a menu, unless you're overly fussy just point at something, I quite enjoy getting a surprise (I ended up with plum crumble for a main meal once )
Women, lets face it, talking isn't much use in your average disco anyway, but people get by quite adequately.
Shopping, you have fingers, point.
People will generally help if you smile. Most deaf people get along quite happily without talking. Just get stuck in.
DJb - Mar 23, 2010 - 01:22 PM
Post subject:
bong69uk wrote:
Alright guys, im just back from here and was staying with Dan and Clare at chalet slovakia, and i had the time of my life there!!! Holidays like that are once in a lifetime if you ask me, it had it all!!
...
Always good to hear a review of a resort on here from a member
Been budgeting this week and I've come to the conclusion that Canada is just too much for me to afford, so it should be Slovakia this winter for me
chaletslovakia - Oct 07, 2010 - 09:19 PM
Post subject:
is you coming back this season for some more powder heaven...?
nickmotture - Oct 07, 2010 - 10:24 PM
Post subject:
I had a great moment when i arrived at the Pension i was staying in and the women who spoke no english said Deutsch? We said no...so she preceded to show us around the place and give us the welcome talk in slow very loud German Its not just the Brits who think talking loudly and slowly does the trick
otlawrence - Oct 14, 2010 - 12:42 PM
Post subject:
firkcing ryan air add 80 quid to takw along your board?! WTF, am i missing something here?!!
PropagandaSnowboards - Oct 14, 2010 - 08:30 PM
Post subject:
Ryanair really take the piss with board baggage..... BA fly to vienna which isnt far from bratislava and they dont try to destroy you with fees!!
Or, rent one of our freestyle setups for less than the 80 quid carriage fee.....
otlawrence - Oct 23, 2010 - 08:26 PM
Post subject:
slovakia, feb 2011 booked. CHAMONE
MissBint37 - Oct 24, 2010 - 11:42 PM
Post subject:
I'm hitting town 27th December good times
Ryanair and the board bag scenario is shocking, but, it still worked out cheaper than going to Vienna with BA or Easyjet!!!
otlawrence - Oct 25, 2010 - 12:00 PM
Post subject:
think we managed just over £100 with austrian airlines to vienna. youll have to let me know how it is in dec for future refrence!!
wakeyboarder - Oct 25, 2010 - 03:16 PM
Post subject:
the board bag situations hurt.
40 quid each way for a board bag and normally i share but with a weight limit of 20kg i am not sure how wise sharing would be so booked a board bag each, 80 quid extra.
Going for 2 weeks though so saving on my normal daft two seperate trips a year which means miles more in seperate air fares.
gonng be a good trip :O)
otlawrence - Oct 25, 2010 - 04:07 PM
Post subject:
ryan air take the piss! austrian air baggage can include your board though i think.
wardy777 - Oct 28, 2010 - 10:36 AM
Post subject:
sounds like a cracking alternative, and a good review. I like how its people on SCUK helping people fomr SCUK and vice versa, thast what its all about.
wardy777 - Oct 28, 2010 - 10:40 AM
Post subject:
nickmotture wrote:
I had a great moment when i arrived at the Pension i was staying in and the women who spoke no english said Deutsch? We said no...so she preceded to show us around the place and give us the welcome talk in slow very loud German
Its not just the Brits who think talking loudly and slowly does the trick
this happened last time i wa away, at the guest house we were dropped off with 2 other lads, luckly they had been before and knew she never spoke english. did the tour and everything.
by the end of the week every time i saw here we would have conversations in english and german and get along great ahahaha
chaletslovakia - Oct 31, 2010 - 10:46 AM
Post subject:
Krakow is another viable airport to come into Slovakia on - from multiple UK airports : Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth (they've got an airport...?), Bristol, Cork, Dublin, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, and Shannon.
Most are operated by non-Ryanair carriers.
We'll meet you at the airport and transfer you to resort....
DJb - Nov 01, 2010 - 04:29 PM
Post subject:
Jasna named in the top 50 resorts in the world by the Independent.
chaletslovakia - Nov 10, 2010 - 04:30 PM
Post subject:
The price of beer alone should get it into the top 30...
MissBint37 - Nov 12, 2010 - 12:27 PM
Post subject:
chaletslovakia wrote:
The price of beer alone should get it into the top 30...
...if only gin was so cheap too.........
AdamA9 - Nov 12, 2010 - 01:19 PM
Post subject:
bong69uk wrote:
Got a GREAT fillet steak at the Atlas bar one eve and also the Hotel Steve put on a great meal too, but be warned just dont drink the shots the waiter offers you(Dan what were they called again? i think they began with a "s"), they are lethal and come in very big measures and me being a twort i ended up having 3 of them!! And that was the start of a very drunk, very random and very long night for me haha
I think you'll find that's Slivovica. My girlfriends family make this stuff (She's Slovak) and it's at least about 70% They brought some home for us to England and I took it to a house party, one girl passed out about 5 minutes after drinking it LOL - My beer fridge is full of cold Slovak spirits, I'll try and take a pic you you. They're all nice though, if a little deadly.
Anyway, for the first time last Christmas I sampled the Slovak mountains and have to say I was surprised at how good it was. The lifts were new and modern, the piste was good, except for a few ice patches here and there (hurt myself a lot), but all in all it was a good week. Will maybe head over there again in March and meet up with my GF's sister and friends for more boarding (always helps when you go with locals as they can do all the talking for you). If I do I'll give Dan a buzz for some prices
PropagandaSnowboards - Nov 12, 2010 - 04:02 PM
Post subject:
Hruska is our personal favourite, if you do have any in the UK keep hold of it, its gold dust!!
dashie - Nov 12, 2010 - 04:08 PM
Post subject:
Whats the chances of getting a season job in Slovakia? Looking for a cheap season for next yr
AdamA9 - Nov 12, 2010 - 04:21 PM
Post subject:
PropagandaSnowboards wrote:
Hruska is our personal favourite, if you do have any in the UK keep hold of it, its gold dust!!
You mean Hruskovica? I have a bottle of this too
PropagandaSnowboards - Nov 13, 2010 - 11:57 AM
Post subject:
dashie wrote:
Whats the chances of getting a season job in Slovakia? Looking for a cheap season for next yr
Very slim probably. We are the only people who employ brits over here and we are already signed up for the next decade with people - our guys have been with us for 3 seasons already and they just dont want to leave....
a bed for a season in our place is 900 quid though, and again we are the only people that offer seasons in Slovakia.
PropagandaSnowboards - Nov 13, 2010 - 11:58 AM
Post subject:
AdamA9 wrote:
PropagandaSnowboards wrote:
Hruska is our personal favourite, if you do have any in the UK keep hold of it, its gold dust!!
You mean Hruskovica? I have a bottle of this too
yep hruskovica..... hruska just means pear.... and when you talk to most people, it just means alcohol!! Infact, I have one now! having our pre season party and its very messy!!!!!!
AdamA9 - Nov 13, 2010 - 12:22 PM
Post subject:
PropagandaSnowboards wrote:
AdamA9 wrote:
PropagandaSnowboards wrote:
Hruska is our personal favourite, if you do have any in the UK keep hold of it, its gold dust!!
You mean Hruskovica? I have a bottle of this too
yep hruskovica..... hruska just means pear.... and when you talk to most people, it just means alcohol!! Infact, I have one now!
having our pre season party and its very messy!!!!!!
Ahhhhh I found out I actually have two bottles of it! One of them is very fancy, it will be a crime to open it! Check out my Slovak Alcohol store
And this is my Hriskavica I don't think I'm ever going to open this one!
chaletslovakia - Nov 16, 2010 - 08:09 AM
Post subject:
Hey Dashie drop me an email. We might have a slot for some staff next season...
!! JASNA FULLY OPEN NOW after the best start to the season in 4 years !! New 6-man chairlift gone in - to serve new O2 park - this season.
otlawrence - Dec 16, 2010 - 10:49 AM
Post subject:
Right were trying to sort out our travel to slovakia, we have flights to Vienna booked, has anyone done this route before? prices of train fares etc?
AdamA9 - Dec 16, 2010 - 11:03 AM
Post subject:
Vienna to bratislava is simple, it's a 1 hour train journey on a nice double decker train. From Bratislava to the mountains, I've only ever driven. I'd try plan this out before you leave. I could ask my partner as she's Slovak, unless anyone here has any experience
otlawrence - Dec 16, 2010 - 11:10 AM
Post subject:
hey man yeah any help would be class, i have contacted slovakian and austrian company, austrian company reckon its 120 quid and the slovakian company doesnt seem to understand what im trying to do!
AdamA9 - Dec 16, 2010 - 11:15 AM
Post subject:
£120 to get to the mountain? I doubt that. Rail travel is dirt cheap dude. Where exactly are you going from/to and I will ask my girlfriend to look this up. I think if you're doing via Austrian it will be more expensive than sorting through Slovak travel. The problem you'll have though is collecting the tickets from Vienna.
Let me know times/dates of where you're going from (assume Vienna) and where you're travelling to (station name is preferable) and I will see what I can find out
otlawrence - Dec 16, 2010 - 11:26 AM
Post subject:
cheers dude ur a hero, im flying to viena 12/2/10 arriving at 12.30, i need to get to liptovsy milukas. i fly back from vienna on the 19th at 18.40... cheer for your help man.
AdamA9 - Dec 16, 2010 - 11:41 AM
Post subject:
Assuming you mean 12/02/2011 LOL.
I've sent her an email so will see what price she comes back with. £120 return doesnt sound too bad actually, but will let you know
otlawrence - Dec 16, 2010 - 11:46 AM
Post subject:
haha yeah 2011! thanks alot dude lets see what happens!
chaletslovakia - Dec 17, 2010 - 08:12 PM
Post subject:
Try www.zssk.sk. This is the Slovak rail website. They will answere emails in English.
Normal train route from Brat. into the mountains (Liptovsky Mikulas for Jasna) is a paltry €12. I can't imagine the hour from Vienna to Brat will be more than €20.
otlawrence - Dec 17, 2010 - 09:34 PM
Post subject:
Yeah I have emailed them, they seem to think for my 6pm flight on the Saturday there are no possible times, is it Definitly worth Orr booking tickets or easy enough to sort on the day?
PropagandaSnowboards - Dec 19, 2010 - 12:05 PM
Post subject:
We tend to find an easy option is to get the bus from Vienna airport to either bratislava airport or bus station then hop on the bus to the trainstation which is easy.
€7.70 from vienna to Bratislava, every half an hour the buses (just check which goes where) from right outside arrivals in vienna.... then hop on bus from bratislava airport to brat train station which is 70p. Return to vienna maximum this way is then €40 return if going on the standard class, or €60 first class.
AdamA9 - Dec 19, 2010 - 02:05 PM
Post subject:
Try OEBB mate. Sorry I forgot to get back to you. You can plan the journey on there. They tell you when you walk, get a bus an that sort of thing.
otlawrence - Dec 19, 2010 - 08:01 PM
Post subject:
Ah cheers guys!!!
wishitsnowedmore - Dec 21, 2010 - 05:27 PM
Post subject:
Hows the snow over there at the moment? im staying at chaletslovakia with dan and clare the end of jan and hoping theres been plenty of snow and will be much more to come!
chaletslovakia - Dec 29, 2010 - 11:46 AM
Post subject:
You'll have a load of snow and an empty mountain to yourself at the end of Jan..
wishitsnowedmore - Jan 05, 2011 - 02:21 PM
Post subject:
chaletslovakia wrote:
You'll have a load of snow and an empty mountain to yourself at the end of Jan..
Now this is the kind of good news i need! i cannot wait!
pedderz - Jan 05, 2011 - 02:45 PM
Post subject:
This sounds Awesome!
Were booked with Propaganda for mid Feb !!! Cant wait now !!!
AdamA9 - Jan 10, 2011 - 04:32 PM
Post subject:
Just sent you an email Dan, hoping for a long weekend in February - hope to hear from you soon
chaletslovakia - Jan 10, 2011 - 07:30 PM
Post subject:
Are you really in Bananarama?
wakeyboarder - Jan 17, 2011 - 12:42 PM
Post subject:
How is jasna holding up pistes look ok but is it all cannoned? going out on 5th of Feb and hoping its not a disaster like about 4 year ago. Just wondering what its oding out there at the minute.
AdamA9 - Jan 17, 2011 - 01:02 PM
Post subject:
chaletslovakia wrote:
Are you really in Bananarama?
yes.
chaletslovakia - Jan 18, 2011 - 10:44 AM
Post subject:
Pistes riding lovely at the moment, considering the warm weather we've had (slush riding in Jan...??). None of it is cannoned (temp. been too warm to blow snow).
Temp. now dropping drastically (-10 by Sat) with 10cms or more due over the next couple of days)
mrpugster - Jan 18, 2011 - 11:16 AM
Post subject:
Nice review, sounds pretty interesting..
wakeyboarder - Jan 18, 2011 - 05:55 PM
Post subject:
cheers keep us updated if you can
chaletslovakia - Jan 19, 2011 - 05:57 PM
Post subject:
Absolutley deserted pistes today, with deep sugary snow on piste (so much that the one skier in this weeks' guests was struggling thru it) and 8cm due thru the night.
wakeyboarder - Jan 20, 2011 - 11:44 AM
Post subject:
cheers for the update things look to be picking up nicely for my 5th of feb arrival
PropagandaSnowboards - Jan 20, 2011 - 04:34 PM
Post subject:
not the best forecast though - 8cm in the next week...
wishitsnowedmore - Jan 20, 2011 - 05:13 PM
Post subject:
hell 8cms is better than nothing like some resorts have had. im hoping for a nice load of it for the next week(wishful thinking i know) How the offpiste areas looking? cant imagine a trip just on the main piste
PropagandaSnowboards - Jan 20, 2011 - 07:39 PM
Post subject:
Off piste?! if you have your own board that you dont my destroying and like to ollie rocks you will be fine Need a hell of a good covering to make it any better.... All the cannoned snow from before christmas has lasted well and they are looking after the pistes nicely...
Freeride comp starts tomorrow; should be a lot of dead pros at the bottom of the ice sheet by the evening!
wishitsnowedmore - Jan 20, 2011 - 10:26 PM
Post subject:
haha i do have a old board i dont mind ruining but i got enough junk to carry as it is! fingers crossed it will dump soon.
hopefully it wil be as quiet as yesterday on the 29th-5th!
PropagandaSnowboards - Jan 21, 2011 - 09:32 AM
Post subject:
as if by magic snow-forecast start to say that next week its going to start dumping... about time!
wakeyboarder - Jan 21, 2011 - 09:37 AM
Post subject:
i am thinking its just going to be about right for the 4th of feb , we will have to have a slide and some beers paul. i know you are hopping back ot the uk pretty soon after we arrive. How are the prices in the working mand pub i am thinking of having a session in there again
DJb - Jan 22, 2011 - 11:13 AM
Post subject:
From the guys at Propaganda, we bring you:
Eat my Rad!
PropagandaSnowboards - Jan 22, 2011 - 03:53 PM
Post subject:
prices in our local are still about 60p and ridiculously funny place to go. the infamous Club Tropicana it has become known!
as DJb says, check out the Eat my Rad vid that the guys made while playing around in the park.... when conditions arent up to much, there is always something else to keep you busy!
Trigger85 - Jan 26, 2011 - 12:02 PM
Post subject:
PropagandaSnowboards wrote:
prices in our local are still about 60p and ridiculously funny place to go. the infamous Club Tropicana it has become known!
as DJb says, check out the
Eat my Rad vid that the guys made while playing around in the park.... when conditions arent up to much, there is always something else to keep you busy!
how do mate, its Alex. we were talking via email yesterday, Im working on the rest of the guys to get numbers etc. my only concern is what the snow will be like in Dec? i know you said it was 100% covered by cannon but i dont want it to be touch and go if that makes sense. the reason im thinking about that early is we have a teacher in the group so she is limited to term dates etc, if its going to be too sketchy might have to say that we cant do that date and look at other dates but we are still looking at slovakia as its so cheap compared to everywhere else
PropagandaSnowboards - Jan 26, 2011 - 01:15 PM
Post subject:
Hey Alex - No Problem - if you have teachers in your group and can only do half terms then thats bo problem - Feb is never too busy since they have put the new lifts in meaning there is hardly any waiting in lines....
Just drop us a mail anytime, we can always sort guys from SCUK out no problem and some special deals too.
wils - Feb 09, 2011 - 08:46 PM
Post subject:
Any updates on conditions guys? just read a report that sounds quite ropey to be honest !!! saying grass is comming through in places? not good
chaletslovakia - Feb 10, 2011 - 05:37 PM
Post subject:
Pistes are in excellent condition, considering the up and down temperatures of late. Some snow forecast for Friday (11 Feb). Off-piste is hurting a bit, but all runs open and riding pretty good.
Park in good shape; airbag in and new 8m booter open.
wils - Feb 10, 2011 - 09:25 PM
Post subject:
is it possible to get up the top ? lift B seems to have been closed for ages Rovna Hola to Lukova i have been checking the main site since the first snow and i have only seen lift b and S the drag to the top open on may be one or two days i think
chaletslovakia - Feb 11, 2011 - 10:12 AM
Post subject:
Top lift has been closed for a while as one part of the piste is a little thin. Been snowing all morning here so should sort it.
wils - Feb 15, 2011 - 12:35 PM
Post subject:
I see the top lift is still closed - any updates or even better some latest photos too.