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Equipment rental on arrival at Raba 500 Within hours of your arrival at Raba 500, we can get you off to the local ski rental shop which has a wide range of ski and board equipment for everyone. Skis and boards are chosen for you by Monika who takes into account factors of age, height, weight and experience. N. B. You’ll be given advice on care of your equipment: lost or broken equipment must be paid for. Children and adults must understand that they are individually responsible for their skis. Our driver cannot be held responsible if someone neglects to put their skis and boots into the car before the journey home. A set of skis can be around 500zl. You can retain the equipment for the duration of your stay, but if you need to change anything, or want to swap skis for a board, we can take you back to the rental shop quickly whilst the rest of your group are finishing breakfast, or in the evening before dinner. A complete set for either skiing or boarding will cost 35zl (£8) per 24 hours. This is payable at the end of your stay, so if you hand the skis in early, you’ll only be charged for the days you used them. If you intend to ski for only an hour per day, it is, of course, cheaper to hire on-site at each ski centre you visit. You must, however, take into account the time it takes to queue up and be fitted each day, and the chance that the size of boot or ski you require will not be available that day. |
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Lift passes There are various beginner slopes in the area and depending on snow conditions, we will take you to the nearest one on your first day. We do encourage even experienced skiers to spend the first day on an easier slope, and all beginner slopes have a more advanced slope alongside. The only broken legs we have had in four seasons have been experienced skiers who went straight for the big slopes. Ski passes for the lifts vary at each station: expect to pay anything from 6zl (£1.50) for 10 ascents to 60zl (£15.00) for a full day pass, depending where you are. Most ski stations have either a snack bar or restaurant facility. Some have open grills where you can cook your own sausages. Remember to bring money for lunches and snacks as skiing can build up an appetite. |
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Snow boarding Snow boarding for absolute beginners is not a good idea, even if the intrepid adventurer is a teenage lad, although there are certainly a lot of people who would disagree. The only reason I say this is that the 'absolute beginners' who snow boarded here from scratch had a horrid week, and it reflects on us. Now our guests are happy to try the snow on skis first then swap for a board later in the week. Of course, you are welcome to try it but it is highly recommended that you ski for a couple of days first, to get to know the snow, the speed and the lifts. Then we can take you back to the rental shop and swap your skis for a board, or you can just hire a board for a few hours at the station you are skiing at. Rental shops will look after your skis for you. N.B. Remember to check the screws on your boot fittings every morning and evening. If they come loose, the screws will fall off, you will fall off and you will have to pay for replacement screws. |
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Snow We are, obviously, unable to guarantee the snow conditions in the coming winter season. We provide you with an excellent internet based Polish weather forecast site. Every evening and morning we check the webcams on the local ski fields to ensure we are taking you to the ski station that best suits your group requirements. In four winter seasons here, we have only once been unable to take skiers to a slope: end of January 2008. The warm southern wind blew up from Italy and for 2 days, and we could not ski. Otherwise, the ski season usually runs straight through from the beginning of December to the beginning of April. |
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Instructors Difficult to say what they will be charging next season, but this year it was 55zl for an hour, 1 to 1, and well worth it. Some people try to save money by offering a bit more per hour for the instructor to take 2 or 3 or even 4 people at once but then you won't learn to ski so it's a false economy. It’s best to allow 2 hours per person on a 1 to 1 basis. You won't need the lessons all immediately. We could get you an instructor who will spend the whole day with you all for a set rate and take you all one at a time and structure the lesson to fit your needs. If you want a lesson the first day you arrive, please let me know well in advance so I can go to Ul. Zura and book instructors for you. Not all the instructors speak English: of course, they try and allot those that do to our guests but if you get a Polish speaking instructor, don't worry! You'll be fine! |
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Recommended slopes |
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Chabowka: Two slopes, both with snow cannon, one rope drag up the '1st time on the snow' beginner’s slope. One button lift up very pleasant '1st day back on the snow' slope. 5 minutes from home. foc |
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Maciejowa: 2 slopes with snow cannon, button lift up beginner slope, T-bar up to 2km blue red and black slope down. 20 mins from home. foc |
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Spytkowice Beskid: Red slope, steep with bumpy patch midway: not for beginners. Good cafe, outdoor sausage grilling, snow cannon, 15 mins from home. foc |
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Spytkowice Smrek: great beginner to intermediate slope. Wide, smooth easy button lift. 15 mins foc |
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Bialy Potok: Second day beginner slope (near Witow) plus short but very sweet intermediate red/blue slope. Great run down from the top, through the spectators and straight down the continuing beginner slope. 40 mins 60/80zl |
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Polczakowka: Black slope, steep not so long but well worth a day for experienced skiers. 20 mins. foc |
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Kasina Wielka: Steep little climb up from the car park to the ski lift but excellent long slope, with T-bar lift, and good quality intermediate quarter-way slope on a button lift. Don’t try this slope hung-over. Good restaurant, lots of Polish skiiers - not many tourists know about this slope. 35 mins 60zl/80zl http://www.snieznica.pl/strona_glowna |
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Witow: Up top, a long shallow slope with humps and bumps good for new boarders. Chair lift. Steep last stretch. Restaurants etc. 40 mins from home. 60/80zl |
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Nowy Targ: Up the side of Turbacz to the north of Nowy Targ, and facing the Tatras. Good intermediate slope, not too busy, with cafe and bar. 25 mins 60zl/80zl |
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Male Chiche: down towards Chocholow and left into the middle of Podhale. Good family slope. 35 mins 60zl/80zl |
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Harenda: South through Poronin and on a southeast facing slope. Loads to do, snow tubing as well as skiing and boarding. Cafes and bars. Near Zakopane: can catch a ski bus to any of the other Zakopane slopes if you fancy a change half day. 50 mins 60zl/80zl |
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Kasprowy Wierch: Best to set off early (6.00am) as you will have to queue for the cable car up to the top, although if you pay an instructor 200zl, they will book you a pre-timed place on the gondola. Black slopes only: Must be very experienced. 100zl plus taxi up to Kuznice 20zl, plus cable car. http://www.pkl.pl/ |
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Szymoszkowa: Zakopane so not cheap but good blue and red slopes and plenty of chair lifts. Well worth at least one day visit: points system payment. With our driver 45 mins 60zl/80zl. |
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Pod Nosal: Four slopes, 1 black/red, bars, market, near Zakopane centre and the Aqua Park. Points system for the lifts. 50 mins 60zl/80zl |
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Bialka Tatrzanska: About 20 slopes, for all levels of experience. Chair lifts (x6, x3) button, T bar, restaurants, shopping a full ski resort. Three different 'resorts': Bania, Kotelnica and Kaniowka, but expanding every year. Busy, so best to ski through lunch hour when it's quieter, then take your break after 14.00. Not the cheapest: operates a points system with a swipe card that works out cheaper skiing in the afternoon. You might have to walk down to the main road for pick-up if you leave at 17.00 rush hour but well worth a full day out. 45 mins 60/80zl http://www.bialkatatrzanska.pl/ |
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Meander Park, Orawice, Slovakia: Chair lift up to the 4 smaller lifts at the mountain top. Red and blue slopes at the top but the central final descent is quoted as black. You can come round the long way, red then blue. This ski centre is right next door to Meander Park Thermal Springs so you can combine a day's skiing with a late afternoon dip in the mineral baths. Good combination. Not the cheapest since Slovakia went over to the Euro, but 85zl will get you a lift pass for a few hours. There's a cafe here, and ski and board hire on site. 50 mins 250/350zl. For big groups using 2 cars, we leave one car there for you to stash your ski gear away while you swim. Smaller groups are recommended to hire at the ski centre itself, so keep this trip for the last day. http://www.meanderski.com/PL/page.php?id=2 |
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