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Morning All,
Need some advice .....
Plan o going snowboarding this winter for the first time. Never had a got at any snow related sports before but Mrs LMTTM has convinced me we should give it a go......
We need a few pointers as to where to look to go, minimum level of kit needed to take etc. I know a lot of people rent stuff but is their a minimum that most people take of their own kit - everything except boots and boards? 😕
Are there better times of the year to go than others - from a price perspective more than anything? We are not limited by school holidays etc.
All advice welcomed 🙂
Cheers,
Mark
I bought a cheap-ish jacket and salopettes (?) from Mountain Warehouse type shops, enough to get the job done but not exactly top quality.
I'm off to Austria in January, I found that Christmas was very expensive and anything from 22 Jan was expensive too. Weeks commencing 8 and 15 Jan seemed to be a bit cheaper though. Guess it depends what you can do with time off etc.
I wouldn't want to offer advice on where to go because i've only been to the French Alps a couple of times. That was ok though, snow was a bit ropey the 2 times I went and beer was expensive, loads of skiing/snowboarding nearby though.
Good luck, i'm sure you wont regret it!
Go Jan (cold) or March (less cold). These are outside of the school holidays and tend to have the cheapest and most importantly, quietest, weeks.
Have some dryslope or snowdome lessons before you go. You only have a week there and you will be that much further along the learning curve.
Buy your jackets and salopettes from TKMaxx, rent the rest.
Where to go? Wherever you like really. I would avoid the French mega resorts merely from a price point of view. My main criteria for ski holidays these days is transfer times. No point in saving £100 to have to spend 10 hours of my holiday sitting on a coach.
invest in half decent jacket/pants/gloves.
personally, i'd rather buy cheap 2nd hand board & bindings than rent.
learn at an indoor place over here before you go - you'll get more from your holiday that way.
Splash some cash on a decent pair of mitts. You will definitely not regret doing so. Nowt worse than cold, wet hands...
Get some armoured undershorts with Cocyx protection. If you're learning to board, you will crash and land on your arse, hard. A couple of nasty wipeouts and you can seriously lose the enthusiasm to continue. Cheap knee pads (I have some neoprene gardening ones) can also save some pain in your knees from kneeling down when you come to a stop facing up the slope.
I still wear mine to this day and I've been boarding for years.
You will have an awesome time.
I would suggest going to a resort that's fairly high up or is rated as quite 'snow-sure' - nothing worse than the disappointment of a ski resort that's all dirty and wet and brown instead of white. 🙂
Most of the holiday sites give ratings for beginners and snowboarders etc for each resort. Can't think where would be good for beginners offhand, but my favourite places have probably been Tignes/Val D'iSere and Chamonix - Chamonix maybe not so good for beginners if I remember rightly.
Oh and Padowan is right about getting a sore arse, not fun!
Avoid the school holidays. This will be easy to do as the prices double when the schools are off. Feb in France is expensive.
Get some decent thermals/base layers. Chances are that any biking ones you have will be fine.
Get a good water proof jacket, trousers and gloves that you don't mind trashing a bit.
Get a helmet and goggles. You [i]will[/i] hit your head and it will also keep you warmer. Knee pads are also a good idea, the rollerblade type ones will be fine.
Get lessons.
Get lessons.
Get lessons.
The people who ignore the last bit of advice are generally the ones that end up in hospital with broken bones.
Spend on warm underwear, gloves and socks. TK Maxx for the rest if you can to buy new. Make sure your wifes kit is better than yours, especially the gloves.
Go skiing instead - it's easier to become good at, easier to ride lifts and more versatile if you fancy getting into more exciting adventures such as ski touring.
Join http://www.snowboardclub.co.uk - it is £15 for membership, but if you are buying any kit or planning on doing any lessons in the UK then you'll easily save more than that.
I'd also recommend the starter lessons at an indoor snowdome. Go now and it will likely be a very small class with good one to one tuition. If you wait till winter it will mobbed with folk having the same idea.
Go skiing instead - it's easier to become good at, easier to ride lifts and more versatile if you fancy getting into more exciting adventures such as ski touring.
Skiing isn't easier to become good at - I can do both to reasonable standard and I strongly disagree. The rest is sort of true though. Mind you you can do touring with split boards.
Early feb is my fave time to go - not in School Hols, and the snowbase has had enough time to build with minimal warm spells. Plus - there's still a chance of being there when a really good storm fires in, which is (IMO) the most awesome Alpine Experience. There's nothing better than a good fresh dump...!
I'd pick up (borrow if you can) the clothes etc., but rent boots and a board when you get there for your first go. If you end up loving it - Summer is a very cheap time to buy boards (new/SH) on ebay.
If it's Europe - try a smaller resort for your first time, the biguns like Val D'isere and Chamonix (in particular) can be a bit intimidating as a beginner, so many people and some very big terrain.
Canada and America are a totally different experience but great too.
I should imagine you'll love it wherever you go though, it's a great holiday - just make sure you have loads of money and expect everything to cost a fortune, then that won't tar your trip!
Cocyx protection is well worth it.
"proper" snowboard bottoms are good but cycling vests/fleeces/goretex will do on top.
EVERYTHING is expensive out there - even say screwdrivers to adjust your bindings.
A rental board will do to start with in case you dont't like it but I picked up a sh one and sale boots quickly to avoid future costs - and well fitting boots make a big difference.
if you're both learning, then doesn't matter where you go really - I'd wait till last minute and get a deal somwehere where you know it's gonna be snowy.
Lessons are a must - Andorra particularly good for instruction.
Like I said, if you wait til last minute in Jan you'll save big on the cost of the holiday, and it might be worth putting what you save into a private lesson or two (you'oll learn much quicker)
clothing? I spent two very cold winter seasons and several subsequent work trips (used to work for neilson)on kit that I got from TK Maxx. Not worth blowing hundreds unless being bang on trend is important to you. I would budget £50 on some pants, 60-70 on a jacket, 30 on some gloves, 20-30 on some goggles. your biking base layers will be more than up to the job of keeping you warm so don't buy snow specific stuff.
hardware - hire kit in resort is invariably terrible - and also pretty expensive. makes a huge difference these days, so I'd either look to these guys : http://www.edge2edge.co.uk/snowboard_hire.html or even look to buy your own board (quite a few on sale at the moment due to the coming seaason) http://www.snowandrock.com/boards/snowboard/fcp-category/list?addFilter=sex&filterValue=unisex
Snowboarding is ace, but I've always struggled to justify the mega spend on kit, given you only get to do it for a tiny proportion of the year.
finally, they are great holidays - just being in the mountains is such a great experience, you'll love it!
A good alternative to some proper impact shorts is a piece of old camping mat cut up and stuffed down inside your trousers.
Not quite as comfortable or as flattering, but does the same job for a fraction of the price 🙂
Cheers, Rich
Mmmm helmets, knee pads, wrist guards, impact shorts...
It's a wonder that anyone ever survived before all this "safety" gear was available 🙄
As others have said....
Lesson in UK first
Decent gloves, helmet and coccyx protection will greatly improve the enjoyment of learning - you will land on your head/arse repeatedly as you learn to control toe/heel edges.....
WRISTGUARDS!!
And whatever you do make sure you get decent ones. My 2nd year this year snowboarding and I'd had lessons, had a helmet, ass protector and knee protector but had (in retrospect) rubbish wristguards. I now have a titanium right wrist (sort of!) and a big scar....!
This site:
[url] http://www.ski-injury.com/specific-sports/snowboard-injuries [/url]
is written by a scottish doc who is an expert in winter sports injuries and is worth a look. The best two wristguards (by which I mean evidence based protection) are Biomex and Flexmeter (aka Docmeter).
Hope this helps!
Best advise I can give is to go and [b]BUY SOME BOOTS NOW[/b] while it's summer time and the shops are quiet (and you may as well get some wrist guards whilst you are there). A properly fitted pair of boots will make your week so much more enjoyable as hire boots are always so hit and miss.
My girlfriend did a long weekend we me and absolutely hated boarding the first couple of days. The problem was that the sh*tty hire boots were crippling her. We bought some boots, end of problem. Now she loves it.
[b]TOP TIP![/b] If you buy last years 09/10 boots now in the sale you can get a weeks use out of them in Jan/Feb, stick them on Ebay whilst the season is still running and you will pretty much get what you pay for them. A mate of mine does this every year without fail.
Don't forget to stick with snowboarding. Your arse will feel about as abused as a public school gloryhole during the first week, but once you get through that it just gets better and better.
Yeah definitely be prepared to stick at it and offer suitable sympathy.
Every girl (and some boys) that I have watched learn to snowboard has had a tantrum or tears at some point.
It's not unusual to see people giving up trying to get up a poma and attempting to hike up the hill in a huff (hint: they never get very far!)
That's why lessons are important. Doing initial lessons at a Snowdome in the UK means you can space them out a bit to give your arse bruises time to settle down. 🙂
Tk maxx are great for all the kit you need...I get merino base layers and Helly there for cycling too, gloves not mitts as they aren't so easy on bindings.
defo book last minute...when you know snow is there!...look for numbers of chairlifts drags are a PITA for boarders especially beginners
Kneepads and padded shorts are great...helmets are cosy and save some pain if it's icy...goggles better than sunnies too
Skiings for 80's obsessed throwbacks...stick to boarding you'll love it 😉
Finally, as in riding, speed is your friend!
Get lessons and maybe not even together depending how fast each of you progress. If you just potter about and hope for the best than it will take along time. The instructors instantly spot things you do wrong and correct them. I took me 2 days to get turning both ways confidently and not catching edges. Now after too many weeks in powder and can muck about but that comes with time.
As for dry slope etc, I would shy away form it to be honest unless its a snow dome. Dry slope will give you the basics but its very different from actual snow and may put you off. PLus the ones in Britain are poor and expensive!
Just rent board, boots and bindings. Buy a good jacket and some snowboard trousers, hat, thick gloves, baselayer and your set. January will have good snow but could be very cold. March/april should still have good snow at higher resorts but often gets very slushy in the afternoon. January / February I would say for best conditions.
Just away to buy my new board and looking at holidays also!
Everything pretty comprehensively covered already, so justr to echo some points;
Get lessons.
Don't bother with a mega resort (Sauze D'Oulx or Andorra would suit).
Rent, don't buy (perhaps boots an exception).
Get goggles.
A few hours at Snowdome or similar will really, really help.
Borrowing kit off mates is a good idea.
Resort overviews here: [url= http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/resorts/ ]Where to Ski and Snowboard[/url]
Agree with much of what people have said:
Lessons for definite. If you can get some before you go then so much the better, but consider paying for some one-to-one lessons in resort. the instructor should be able to give you some sound advice regarding binding angles, stance width and body position and what you learn first you learn the best so it's worth getting it right first time. If you are in resort you will get get some mileage under your belt quite quickly - in a snow-dome or dry slope there's often limited space on the bunny slopes so you spend a lot of your lesson unclipping and/or hopping back up the slope.
If you can buy some boots before you go, then so much the better. (hire boots tend to be pretty minging and ill-fitting) Get them properly fitted and wear the liners round the house before you go - it will reduce the chance of any foot pain during your first few days - and allow you to concentrate on your bruised coccyx! 😯
Goggles not sunglasses
reasonable waterproof trousers = dry bum
reasonable gloves = warm/dry hands
jacket might not be so important as it depends where & what time of year you go. If you're on the bunny slopes you probably won't be too far from shelter and you won't be heading up high/exposed. Also it can get quite sweaty when first starting picking yourself up all the time!
Avoid a wearing a rucksack - they tend to mess up your balance when learning and can be problematic on chair lifts for first timers
P.S. have used edge2edge and they are great. They'll even deliver your kit to your chalet in the 3 valleys free.
I have skiied alot, and I always try and go the last in Jan and the first week in March.
The French and Belgique school holiday dates are on the net, you really want to avoid these dates.
Might be worth looking at Bulgaria , I learnt there , but that was many, many years ago.
Norway is also good for learners , but the beers are very expensive
If you can get a 2 hour ,or 2 x 1 hour 1 : 1 lesson with an instrutor , you will lear alot more and wont be held back by moronic, fat , stupid ,unfit english people who are clueless and cant even stand up without assistance when they fall over then get lumped in the same beginer group as you.
Lessons at ChillFatorE will pay for themslevs ( sort of) in saving you time in resort
Do not get hammered and stay in bed till 2pm, you can do that at home and save £500
Do not go to Courcheval or Les deux Alps
... oh yeah ... and if you are going for say six days, don't automatically buy a six day lift pass. You might not need a full lift pass for the bunny slopes and you might want a day off. Many resorts do half day passes etc. Don't be pressured to buy a full pass if going with a holiday company - check out lift pass options for your resort before you go
Get snowboard pants and jacket from TK Max. Don't go over board on the jacket, you don't need a very thick one in my expereince - you can put a fleece on below it but it's easy to get hot, esp when you're learning (constantly picking yourself up).
Get mittens if you tend to get cold hands rather than gloves.
Get wrist guards, and most definitely get padded shorts. I tend to where my 661 kyle straits as well under the snowboard pants.
Get some (double layer) googles, much better than sun glasses, esp if it snows.
And get lessons.
Go expecting to get very bruised and you'll have an ace time.
Lessons at ChillFatorE will pay for themslevs ( sort of) in saving you time in resort
And an SCUK membership mentioned above will pay for itself at ChillFactorE (10% off slope time and lessons) or SnoZone (20% off slope time)
http://www.snowboardclub.co.uk/module-htmlpages-display-pid-10.html
lessons of course. Individual if you've got the cash or with a couple of pals
If your renting a board and you've got a choice pick the softest one, it will be easier to learn to turn. You can tell just by trying to twist it with your hands. If you don't have a choice, don't worry about it
As above - TKMaxx for salopettes, jacket, gloves, socks and helmet. Everything else can be biking stuff - base layers, thinner jacket if warm, sunglasses, camelbak etc. Have fun 🙂
Borrow, borrow, borrow. You'll find loads of people you know with all the kit and they won't be going the same week as you.
Buy ski socks though - apart from the fact you wouldn't want to share them, they make get winter cycling socks
Make sure you hire a helmet (or you can get reasonable ones from Aldi / Lidl in late Dec early Jan.
Smacking your head on the piste is not fun - remember Natasha Richardson!
If you sign up to Aldi/Lidl weekly emails you'll know when they're available, Aldi also stock excellent merino (£15 leggings are great)and normal thermals just after Christmas. £4.99 gloves they sell are good value as well (warmer than my Burton gloves).