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The idea to go to New Year Eve for skiing to mountains was accepted by my wife and daughter too.  And the anticipation, that it would not be crowded, was right. In the last years we get used like short time trips to the closest real pistas: before noon we set out to the journey by car from our home in Prague, at 13.00 we set at the cable chair on pista, at 16.00 we are satisfied enough and returnig home or staying for some other couple hours in some mountain restaurant for dinner.

Recent years we have discovered nice resort Tanvaldsky Spicak, in Jizerske mountains (Izergebirge) close to Jablonec nad Nisou (Gablonz an der Neisse), North Bohemia, CZ. From Prague it takes by car one hour and 10 minutes mostly by highway, snow sustains there quite long (more or less northern slopes) and car park is just next to the pistas.  There are easy and also very demanding terrains. It is not so well known and crowded as nearby more famous resorts in Krkonose (Riesengebirge), the highest Czech mountains.

Tanvaldsky Spicak 31.12. 2008

Well yesterday we set out to the trip from Prague home at 11.30.  At 12.40 we park under the pista. Before 13.00 we go to buy afternoon ski lift tickets, the adult costs 320 CZK, child 200 CZK. The skiers who skied from morning usually stand in front of the ticket desk and are offering all day tickets for cheap price. The all day ticket costs 510 + returnable deposit 100 CZK.  Yesterday I bought one ticket for 150 CZK + deposit, so I payed 250 and after sking in the evening I got 100 CZK back at ticket desk.

When I would more patient I could got two tickets more for the other members of our family, because a couple minutes after some other people came and offered their all day tickets.

During the day home we stopped on dinner at pleasant dinner in restaurant on the square in Smrzovka, small town between Tanvadsky Spicak and Jablonec. Food was good and price quite low:  70 - 110 CZK / meal.

Tanvaldsky Spicak 31.12. 2008

When there is plenty of snow in Czech Republic, we go for afternoon to Jested in Liberec (Reichenberg) some 10 minutes nearer, with more adventures terrain, steeper the hardest pista  and a bit of mini ski mountaineering if you downhill from the top of the mountain reachable by cabin cable car. But there are more people and more difficult car parking last years

For more demanding skiing we go sometimes to Rokytnice nad Jizerou in Krkonose, which is about 30 minutes further and you have to count with another half hour more for walking from park site to ski lifts. And also with more crowds.

Well they are ski terrains we like from recent years. What about you? Do you travel also for some afternoon skiing?

Tanvaldsky Spicak 31.12. 2008

Tanvaldsky Spicak 31.12. 2008

Tanvaldsky Spicak 31.12. 2008