⛷️ ❄️ The STW Ski and Snowboard thread : the 2024-2025 season

Just did half term in Les Gets (still have one at school). Fun but a bit warm. 

53 and still learning how to make a board open and close a carve. But at least I can carve past the snow snakes now. 

I reckon by the time I’m 70 I’ll have got this. 

Austria next. 

Half term in Finland,  snow was good but was busy compared to when we went last time.

Spent the week learning which was fun,  plenty of stuff to work on indoors then go play more next year (no more trips this year sadly)

Very much resenting only having a limited holiday and funds at the moment, one week in Tignes in Jan was great, although the cold that followed was horrible. Would dearly love to be off for a late season week in March, but not going to happen this year, maybe next. 

From last year, and on the subject of Flaine, there was a route off the right of the bowl that a local was on about being a good unpisted run down to another village that you then needed a bus back from, he didn't mention needing to know about any big holes in the ground at the time though o_O!

Off to Italy on Saturday. Back to Passo Tonale as it's beginner friendly for the missus. 

Im supposed to have an easter trip but my useless mates are in complete disagreement over timings and destinations. I may end up on a solo week somewhere random

@BoardinBob what is passo tonale like? 

looking at crystal ski site it's quite cheap and has direct flights from glasgow at a sensible time of the day

Went for the first time last year and I really liked it. I've got 30+ years of boarding under my belt so it was very much for the Mrs. For beginners it's fantastic. Good lifts, wide open easy runs. It's a compact resort but loads of riding. Huge glacier that gives a 12km run from top to bottom.Very snow surely, cheap as chips for food and drink. I'm very much looking forward to going back

Would agree with BoardinBob - my first trip was to Passo Tonale, and we went back for a trip when Mrs NBT was returning from injury. Would recommend

There's been a cold snap over the last few days. Probably my last skiing of the season. A slightly better season than last year but the trend of shorter seasons with only a few days of good snow conditions continues.

I've booked a solo week in Les Menuires.

It's like herding cats trying to organise my mates. Utterly useless so just going myself!

We're heading out in the motorhome a week today. Not sure where yet.....looks like some decent snowfall across many French resorts this week. Italy is a bit far unfortunately as we're doing a shorter trip this year.

I bought some unmounted and unused Volkl Kendo 92s from the 2020/21 model year. These will join my Mantra M5s, but as a wee experiment, the Kendos are 170cm vs the Mantras at 177cm. Slightly lighter, slightly shorter, slightly narrower. Mounted with Rottefella Freeride NTN bindings. How will my legs fare?

Oh dear, postimage doesn't work anymore. How do (Free) Members post photos these days?

We're off next week for 12 days in the camper.

First 5 days or so will be based in La Tania as our friends, who usually also take their van, have an apartment. Then we'll see where the snow looks best, more than likely head up to Les Menuires.

I haven't been keeping an eye on things as much as usual but this season hasn't looked great so far has it?

ImgBB still seems to work...

Thanks, Phil. All the other images are still there, just the latest one has gone blue. Maybe I've gone over the mb limit. Try again with a few other pics erased:

Tell me which resort to go to tomorrow.

Will be driving up the Autoroute de soleil from dahn saaf for only three days skiing. Quite fancy tignes cos everything really, but it's the longest drive.

Other option was la plagne as the boy ain't been there for 15 years and it's better on skis than boarding.

Deux Alpes - never been in winter. Was thinking if venosc, but it looks like it's actually cheaper on top of the hill.

Alpe d Huez - never been.

Obviously there's TroisV, Serre Che, and loads of other places, but can't really think of a reason to put them above the others. Apart from Courchevel I guess, I still need to make up for the fact my son's been down the Grand Couloir and I haven't..... Wimmin eh, can't ski with them.... or at least I couldn't back then. I'm a bit better now 🥵

Ideally we were looking for off piste, but that looks to shit so we'll take whatever exploring we can find.

Bergfex is forecasting much stronger winds at 2Alpes and Alp d' Huez on Sunday and Monday, so perhaps not.

Deux Alpes is fantastic. The town itself is probably my favourite Alps town. Brilliant atmosphere. The mountain is great. New cable car will whisk you from town right up to the glacier. 

Deux Alpes is a really nice ski area, but not attractive in terms of the town. But everything it with pretty easy reach of a lift and the new 3S lift does indeed make getting up high really easy. They’ve started charging for car parking though in the whole town which was always an attraction to me as couple just roll up in your hire car and find a spot on street. 

What about St Foy? 

Off to La Plagne in a week myself though, third trip of the year and sad to see the season coming to a close but looking forward to soft groomers and beers on the terrace in a t-shirt. 

I went to PT on my very first ever ski trip last Easter.  It was a bad experience, terrible weather and an awful learning experience.  It was probably a year ago today I was there, and apart from the first day blue skies, it was white outs everyday. 

We stayed at the Grand Paradiso, but having no benchmark to compare it to, thought it was ok. Handy for the slopes. Went half board and the food was ok, a bit of a cattle market dining experience. 

What about St Foy?

Ah, the old STW off-piste favourite. Some of it requires a short hike and the best skins but there's a reason the name crops up here.Junior has been sending me vids of the clients he's been guiding round the off-piste over the last week, including the European boss of the world's best known brand. France's most English village outside the Dordogne.

There again there's no X-C so I've never skied there, what would I know. 🙂

Bergfex is forecasting much stronger winds at 2Alpes and Alp d' Huez on Sunday and Monday, so perhaps not.

Tignes it is 😉 

Absolutely minging at La Plagne today. Bleurgh.

Still had fun, but **** me it wouldn't kill them to put up a few piste maps and signposts would it...

There’s been a massive dump in the French Alps. A friend is out in Les Arcs and his photos show about 30-40cm. 

There's more snow low down than there has been all year here this morning. All the local resorts are shut though. There's lots more snow forecast for the Alps over the next week or two. Think I'll go and put the car on charge.

It looks to be over a metre in some places. Lifts are closed with avalanche warnings. 
If You’re out there atm have fun. 

Junior reports all the resorts are shut and the roads closed today. He sent a pic of his abode with chest-deep snow.