If anyone is looking for a last min getaway Les Arc is prime at the moment. Put over a foot down yesterday and is forecast for 2-3foot more in the next week.

Stoner Jr wanted Xmas (and hence his B’day) at home this year so we havent been out to the flat in Morzine yet, but snow conditions look best for a few years.

However, have now booked flights to go Jan, Feb, Mar and April for a total of 18+days on snow. Cant wait.

Out in the grand massif doing my 2nd season. Awesome conditions!

On my way to La Rosiere in the morning, only 3 days on the slopes however there’s no kids so it’ll be 3 full days – can’t bloody wait. Just wish I could sleep as I need to be up at 3:30!

A few shots from the last few days.

Balcony on Christmas Eve

Looking over towards Leogang/Lofer

Last people off the hill yesterday

The nipper launching off a stump

Me looking sketchy as usual

Massive snow dump today and sunshine tomorrow so off to bed!

All looking/sounding very good all!

Arctic in Calgary. -38C including windchill and -28 actual. So we’ve bailed once already.. currently packing for tomorrow morning and hoping it warms up to -18C so sweajnr can do more than ride the gondola.

Much needed snow on the way as well.

Just had 6 days boarding in Val Thorens with a few folks. Been taking it easy, mucking about in the powder on the edge of pistes and the like.

Weather has varied from awesome to pretty sketchy. Yesterday was best morning by far, went high, not a soul on the pistes and plenty of powdery stuff for me to ride through.

Transfer day today, we’re supposed to be heading home but the forecasted 2 metres (yes 2m) of snow last night might have something to say about that.

Anybody heading to the Three Valleys in the next couple of weeks should have a whale of a time.

PS: just heard the first avalanche control explosion of the morning…

Still snowing heavily in Tignes / Val d’Isere. Roads keep getting blocked by avalanches then re-opened. Not sure what time we’ll leave today, waiting for coach to arrive….

Should be awesome in a day or so once they’ve re-opened everything. Gazexes had been going off all morning, but stopped for now.

Been passing the time digging the chalet path / steps out from under 2′ of snow…

Coach is now 3 hours late. Going to be a long day…

I’m in la Rosier, cars we parked yesterday are completely (and I mean completely) buried. The local news is showing massive queues in Borg – no one is able to get up or down the mountain. I’m here another 48hrs, hopefully the roads will be cleared for me to make it out – and I can get some more snow chains after both of my new ones snapped on the way up!

Even the piste is off piste today. Roughly 50cm of snow sitting on the compacted stuff. Tomorrow is going to be sunny so I’ve slacked off a bit early to save my legs, I suspect it’ll be bedlam tomorrow!

75m queue to buy a pass today (if you needed one) and then queues for all the lifts, cars parked/abandonned for a few kms down from the resort. I’ve never seen so many people skiing between Christmas and New Year.

On piste it felt a bit like l’Etoile in the rush hour, we gave up at 11:30 and will stick to X-C/rando till some people go home.

It’s busier than usual here in Austria too, maybe all the kids in Europe have the same holidays this year?

Madame making light work of some fresh on her 50:50 Koas a couple of days ago. It’s a soggy mess off-piste now.

Where are you Edukator? No queuing here at all – it’s like a grave yard tonight!

Pyrenees, Tinybits. Gourette yesterday, mountain biking on the plain today. The accents and number plates were from far and wide but mainly the south west and west coast. Less Spanish than usual.

Well, as predicted yesterday was a long day – finally left resort at 2:30, missed flight, got put up in hotel in Grenoble at about 9:30/10pm

Special flight coming out to pick us all up – should be back home 24 hours later than planned.

Pity the folk in the traffic up to the three valleys last night, it was gridlock almost from Grenoble to Moutiers

IVe various friends spread around the alps, one has a family for lessons this am that took 12h to get from gva to val yesterday

Well, as predicted yesterday was a long day – finally left resort at 2:30, missed flight, got put up in hotel in Grenoble at about 9:30/10pm

Special flight coming out to pick us all up – should be back home 24 hours later than planned.

Pity the folk in the traffic up to the three valleys last night, it was gridlock almost from Grenoble to Moutiers

Same at Chambery, they had the Red Cross out to look after a few 100 people staying the night – mainly Crystal customers. We were with Inghams who sorted a hotel and an extra flight first thing the next day. Some of the Crystal guys had no idea when they were getting home, Crystal was struggling to find coaches on NYE to ferry people to Lyon airport and then back home in the UK (as they weren’t flying to the right airport).

[url=https://flic.kr/p/22ZSGzq]Red Cross at Chambery airport[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/DoTdpB]Red Cross at Chambery airport[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

I got back from VT at lunchtime today. Road to Moutier was closed from 5-6, some absolute cowboy of a coach driver meant that I got on my flight with literally 5 minutes to spare!

It’s been a hell of a week though, hit some great powder on my snowboard (which rides like shite off piste) and I also had my first 4 ski lessons-12 hours in total, pretty chuffed with how much I improved. Heading to Jasna in Slovakia tomorrow so will try and fit a bit more skiing in there too.

Off to avoriaz for the weekend on Friday then back to Ardent with the family at the end if the month.

Looking for recommendations for off piste insurance. Bank card has on piste and off piste with a guide but I’ll be with a local who is not an official guide.

We were lucky I think….
With Crystal in AdH over Christmas, flying out of Chambery to Manchester. Flight left 4 hours late and only half full. Fortunately we were on it!

Cobrakai on another thread I was recommended Assur Sport. Summer is winter insurance, including off piste. Excellent vfm at €105 for the family for the year. And if you factor the savings on piste insurance with the pds/avoriaz ski passes of €3pppd almost pays for itself.

off to la clusaz on sunday for 4 days then planning maybe tignes or les meniures on the 20th jan

La Clusaz from a few weeks ago I believe.

La Clusaz

Just back int he UK after a couple of days at Idre in Sweden. It was, without doubt, the best two days of skiing that I have ever had. The slopes were good, the snow amazing (30cm of powder dumped the night before the first day and 20cm dropped during the second) and the people friendly.

I’ll hopefully be going back before the end of the season for another couple of days.

Did anyone watch Dave Ryding in last nights dual slalom?

Just amazing to think a Brit is doing so well (if he can stop crashing :wink:).

Bring on the winter Olympics.

Thanks Stoner, good shout on the family insurance.

I’ve agreed to a winter holiday at the end of the year with the good lady, I haven’t been on a board for 7 years, where to start! Looks like a lot has changed and I need to revise kit and equipment tech! Booked some refresher lessons in a couple of weeks, will try to ride every month to get back up to speed. No idea why I’m so nervous about it though!

where to start! Looks like a lot has changed and I need to revise kit and equipment tech

Nah … it’s not changed that much – ok, so some of the designs have got quite groovy, but essentially the concept of side cut, edges and four ‘initial contact points’ still exist.

Unless your 7 year old board has warped or de-laminated then I’m sure it will be fine.

Never any harm in getting some refresher lessons though!

Off to avoriaz for the weekend on Friday

We’re back there in Feb. Last time we were there was New Year 2 years ago with very little snow, “The Wall” was completely bare!

cant believe all the snow!! we generally go mid Jan but have put it off till march this year as last year we were lucky it dumped the day before we got there otherwise i was taking my bike!! gonna kill me waiting till March!!

Footfall we lucked out 2 years ago. When we arrived the wall had been shut for 3 days due avalanche risk. We chanced it and went up there first day first thing. It had been opened about 15 min before and I think I was about the 5th or 6th skier down it. Best powder run of my life!

Any recommendations for accommodation in Cervinia, hoping to make a second trip this year (as I’m 40). It needs to be comfortable and ideally a bit nice, plus make getting to and from the slopes as easy as possible? Not fussed if it’s chalet or hotel really though.

yikes
Video from the ski club of gb Facebook. Bloody glad we are not out there at the moment. This lift must have been an interesting ride

Yes, that looks a bit lively…

😯

I don’t know what’s more shocking, the wind or those awful ski trouser colours!

Lots of snow here In Sweden this past 10 days

I bought a second hand rail for the garden

But just now there won’t be any shaping too going on

Have been doing a fair bit of xc skiing too,

And my lad has been enjoying his sled before starting ski school next week

All in all a very nice start to the season.

Can’t imagine being on that chairlift with a young’un. Would have been terrifying.

Any recommendations for accommodation in Cervinia

We did a couple of season there. You want to stay in the town centre really. It’s much more convenient for lifts, food, bars than Cielo Alto. If you’re looking for an apartment you could try Il Cervino – http://www.ilcervino.com/properties-appartamenti-cervinia/