How crowded will the surrounding areas be(out of bounds) during the weekend of the festival?  We were planning on coming up to tour the Qua area with access from the ski area. 

Any ideas?  I would love to be around for some of the festivities.  But not the crowds during the day when touring, and cant afford to pay for a tour clinic. 

Do any of the groups head towards Qua...?

chuck

You will be quite safe in Qua - not a lot of people go in there on the best of days and the festival does attract alot of people but they stay close and ski the tried and true lines like West Ymir, First Choice, Goat Slide and White Queen,.. you know the routes with good vantage from the lodge.

People will be socializing like crazy and taking clinic - as long as you avoid the lodge at high noon you will survive.

Send us some beta on the skiing over in Qua when you are back as there is not much info on the site yet and it would be much appreciated (and enter the photo comp as well).

admin said:

Send us some beta on the skiing over in Qua when you are back as there is not much info on the site yet and it would be much appreciated (and enter the photo comp as well).

Sounds great.  I will get some beta put together for sure.  And will look for some worthy photo opps for the contest. 

Now only if we could find a lodge in Nelson thats not booked.  We usually stay at the whitehouse, but i bet they are booked by now.  Can you suggest any other affordable places?

Try the dancing Bear Inn, it is a high end Hostel but reasonably priced, or the Alpine Motel. It' not the nicest but I bet you can cram enough people into a room to make it affordable?

(close to the hitching post as well)