Thanks for the Scottish snow links - will check em out. Apparently Raise on Helvellyn is open for business at the moment 🙂
How's Fernie? Still dumping? Saw a vid from the 17th of some insanely deep powder. Overhead turns all the way down, proper snorkel stuff. Amazing.
Got a link to that? Though it will just make me cry.
[url]
Final preps / checklist items are coming to mind now...
... which posed the question in the supermarket at the weekend...
Which hipflask beveridge??? *
Drambuie has always been the choice based on precedent and tradition (group think from late 80s first beginners hols)
ETA - * the author does not "fully" condone skiing whilst pished 😯
A decent Cognac has always been our groups choice, also based on precedent and tradition.
Depends on location, shirley?
For example, in the Southern French resorts, Genepy is the way forward. Have also very much enjoyed having some Calvados on hand on occasions. (I had some rather nice rum in mine for this trip, though, and am not ashamed to admit it!)
Mmmm,
Have tried single malt - and it didn't really fit the bill. Bit "thin" feeling in the cold. Drambuie works (IMO) because of the warming sweetness
I can see that cognac / armagnac / calvados would have a bity more body to it.
Sloe gin is pretty good.
I always forget my hipflask, even though it was bought for me with skiing in mind.
Did anyone see any of the X Games coverage at the weekend. I caught a bit, spent a couple of hours watching the boarder cross which was good fun. Gillings was unlucky in the final (not sure what happened - one turn she was in 3/4th, the next turn she's nowhere to be seen).
They had a cool Go Pro plug, a lady skiing the half pipe, Go-pro on her helmet, one on a stabilising frame attached to her, and another attached to a model glider thrown at the same time as she set off!
Possibly of interest to folk planning on doing some backcountry this year, [url= http://www.snowboardclub.co.uk/news-11364.html ]Nevis Range have just opened a new free-to-use Transceiver Park[/url] to practise your searches.
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Listening to the radio right now has reminded me of another reason to recommend Le Bercail at Serre Che......
Walked on to the sun trapped terrace one day last week to find an ice cold beer perfectly timed as I arrived. Great company for lunch and, at a perfect volume, the strains of La Grange on the stereo. None of your cheezy 80s euro-disco-poop up there. Just some great guitar led blues rawk! 8)
It's got an A in it. And a K.
Wow - that sounds fantastic! 8)
Well I hope you find a way to make it happen. Where there's a will there's a way I'm sure! Is it expedition style?
How's Fernie? Still dumping?
First week's been pretty good thanks, but raining really hard in town last night - 39cm of fresh above the mid station seemingly. Classic 'Variable Conditions' on the lower mountain aka 'slush'! 😯
I just missed out on the 'blower' powder featured in the video ^^, but I'm sure there's loads more good stuff left to come whilst I'm here!
Flash, was that from a friend, or had they seen you coming and knew what you wanted?
If the latter, I'm very impressed!
(Unless you wear a neon green onesie, stop for a beer every time you pass and leave 500% tips!)
The beer or the music? 🙂
Beer was ordered for me, so sadly not as well timed as a bar recognising me from afar....!
As to the neon green onesie - No chance!
digby - yes, yes, and yes. I could go, but I'm getting married later in the year. I've got the in-principle blessing of the most important person, but the justification backstory for 3 weeks and ££ is going to be tricky for others, including me!
Used to love the conditions summaries at Fernie: "Spring Conditions all over the mountain" = raining to 2000m!
The best was a note on the whiteboard at the bottom of Timber Chair saying:
"It's cold, but make sure you get to the top of White Pass. Trust us! 😀 "
Cloudy day, but there was a spectacular inversion a little way below the top of the lift. We stayed up there for about 45 minutes, snapping photos, gawping, and messing about in the sun. I've got a nice warm fuxzzy feeling just thinking about it!
[url= http://www.****/news/article-2093609/How-Conan-Doyle-pioneered-Skiing--tweed-suit-8ft-long-wooden-skis.html ]'You let yourself go,’ he said, ‘gliding delightfully over the gentle slopes, flying down the steeper ones, taking an occasional cropper, but getting as near to flying as any earthbound man can. In that glorious air it is a delightful experience'[/url]
Keepin' it steezy, Arthur!
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Les gets. The backside of mont cherie was great this afternoon 😉 Fresh snow on top and not many people riding it. The black was a bit choppy but ok. The reds were just lovely.
stevomdc, there's a couple of friends of mine living in a van in St Foy at the mo, Julia and Warwick. She splits, he skis. I said they should look you up. Hope that's OK?
No worries!
Hi Captain
Looking to take the girls somewhere boarding at Easter. The only problem is that due to Katies back operation she will struggle with drag lifts.
Been looking where you went. Is the area accesible enough without using drag lifts.
Cheers
Tracey
Is the area accesible enough without using drag lifts.
Lots of it, yes. Not ALL of it, but lots of it.
Really good interactive piste map here - http://plandespistes.serre-chevalier.com/ The drags are all those without a chair or bubble icon. If you're a confident boarder, you can ride almost all day without a drag. Only problem area might be the area around Barres (above Villeneuve) as that's the most most drag-heavy area. If there's plenty of snow, you can shuttle down to the village and back up the Casse du Boeuf chair, then over Cote Chevalier back to the other areas. Worth going up to the Barres valley, though, for the nicest cruisy greens and blues there! (Up Clot Gauthier, right off the top) Pretty much everything else can easily be linked without drags, but it's a little snow dependent. I went in March last year and stayed above the tree line all day, downloading on a chair at the end.
Thanks for that, was looking at Villeneuve with Crystal as we have used them every time and always had a great time.
They are still gutted that they arnt comming at the weekend so need to sort something out for them
Serre Che is a lovely, friendly resort, Tracey, am sure they'd love it!
Plenty of slack-country stuff between the pistes if they like that sort of thing!
Villeneuve is nice, with much accomodation in the old village on the other side of the main road (Well, main as in major, but hardly that busy!). Can be a little walk, but not much to worry about in board boots.
Try Le Break, just across le parking from La Grotte for a great, cheapish lunch! If you see the chaps from Ski Connections ski school there having lunch, they're great, great people! (Especially Paul, Christian and the utterly lovely, yet mad, Davina!)
Also, the Crystal rep for Serre Che, Sarah, is utterly brilliant. Top girl, deserves a little public praise!
stevo, I've sent a couple of emails to your mail@whiteroom address. Don't know whether you check it or someone else, so I thought I'd drop an note on here too.
Been skiing knee deep super light powder all day in Menuires and Val Thorens, it been ridiculously good. Another 10cm forecast for overnight too. Hopefully the visibility will improve tomorrow so we can get some proper off piste done.
[url= http://www.****/femail/article-2094344/Paralympic-snowboarder-Anna-Turneys-world-turned-physio.html ]Have a wee read of this....[/url]
I've met Anna a couple of times now, and she's just awesome, both as a person and as an athlete. I made the mistake of trying to keep up with her once. 😳
I'm currently trying to introduce her to a few bike/ski type people in the industry to see if there's any sponsorship to be had out there. If you know of anyone who could and should sponsor/support an amazing sportswoman, please show 'em this!
Oooh! Oooh! Exciting! Just had an email from one of my bike industry contacts, who make something that could be of use to Anna....
"Amazing girl! Let me get in touch with her directly, I'll see what we can do!"
🙂
*Feels a warm glow inside for helping out*
On another note, a quick report on my skis...Movement Zips.
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described as an all rounder by Movement, I was on 165s (127-80-108 and a radius of 14). Basically, chuffing awesome as all rounder piste blasters and for the lovely slack country between pistes. Great at long, groovy carving turns and in the choppy stuff. Only real failing? Short turns on the steeps and bumps. If it had snowed heavier earlier in the week, I'd have been back in to try something a little phatter, but for what most people do on a week of piste bashing, these were great skis! Up there with Sally Enduros, my fave ski of last year for that sort of thing.
I'm off to Utah in the morning. There's not much snow but I'm bringing beer, the Fil and hopefully a storm from Colorado. Unfortunately I have to go round the in-laws and tune his skis first.
Sadly my possible trip to San Francisco now won't be happening until later in the year, so no trip to Tahoe to ski for me. 🙁
Still, it's likely to be in early summer instead....! 🙂
Off to Meribel early doors saturday morning to ride all the best of the 3 valleys for a week 8) Just got a call from Skiworld chalet rep asking for any personnal requirements for me or Ms Stumpy.Thats service for you and the first company to bother in several years of staying in chalets. Well done that company.
This has cheered me up for the day, was in flaine this time last year. Not going this year as jam bo junior arrived a couple of months ago.
jam_bo, that is most oar sum! 🙂
Lovely smiling happy mini person!
That diddy kiddy is indeed very cute, with low centre of gravity, no harm should come to her on a fall. However I do wish they gave her some shades 8)
Please don't try this yourselves though, as a child up until the age of 3 hasn't fully developed their pelvis area. Best after that.
This morning at 9:30am, Les Gets - at the top of Ranfoilly:
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As cold as hell, but superb.
Only here until Saturday but then in St Christoph for a week on the 18th Feb 🙂
Les gets: Visibility improved then!
Proutster, I hate you. No, really, I hate you!
😉
Looks awesome!
-17 at the top of la rosiere today and a biting wind to make it worse. -29 with windchill allegedly tomorrow. Some brilliant skiing and its only starting to crust today after 5 days.
About to head off to Sella Ronda. Doesn't look like they've had mega dumps like elsewhere, but looks chilly 🙂
Can't remember if this has been posted on this or another thread but the 'onesie', a snip at €1,200 is hot on the slopes according to [url= http://ski-buzz.co.uk/2012/02/03/ski-fashion-2012-whats-hot-in-the-cold/ ]Ski-Buzz[/url]
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Snowing hard so just booked a hotel at airport for tonight, just going to drop the girls off and then were off. Flying at 6.00am tomorrow
The mrs is flying out to Innsbruck tomorrow for a few days. She's trying to decide where to go skiing still. She'd better make up her mind in the next couple of hours and book somewhere to stay!
my nse literately froze today in avoriaz. proper frost nip, 20 mins after first lift. other thread has a photo 🙂
Does anyone know where I can get some new legs? Mine aren't working properly any more....!
I was proper knackered at the end of the 4th day of PisteToPowder courses at St Anton on Thursday - thought I might have trouble making it through the last day - so wore/slept in some of these
[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/2XU-Mens-Compression-Tights-Clothing/dp/B001UC90DU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1328522760&sr=8-4 ]2XU compression tights[/url]
and my legs were nicely refreshed for the next day - even my knee aches seemed to have gone - so survived a couple of 40 minute hikes and then loads of polling/skating to get out of the valleys.
I had to get the size down from their sizing chart but it was fine as I wanted them for the compression, not for use during activity.
You wear tights to bed?
Do you keep your bra on too?
GrahamS - Member
You wear tights to bed?
I've slept in my Skins recovery tights a few times. They work. They are far from sexeh, though....!
Uh..huh.. and a bit of lipstick to help prevent nasty chapped lips? Some perfume to mask the musky smell? Nail varnish to protect your nail beds?
Think I'll stick to my standard recovery of beer, cake, hot tub, red wine 😀
I always carry lip balm when skiing. And put some on before sleep. And I moisturise. Nice dab of aftershave before dinner, obviously.
Nail varnish? Never. Well, never when skiing, obviously. 🙂
I always carry lip balm when skiing. And put some on before sleep.
Fair enough, but I'm not sure why it has to be the Limited Edition Cheryl Cole L'Oreal Color Riche Made for Me Intense Lipstick 😉
Because I'm worth it.
🙂
You wear tights to bed?Do you keep your bra on too?
only when it is a matching set, like both Skins, or both A2X.
The first deep powder in the Pyrenees this year and I´m in Germany where it´s minus 13 but not a snowflake in sight 😐 (and where a sily foreign keyboard makes forum posting too much of a chore)
this was fun on friday...
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Where dat at, RS?
Whistler Captain.
Probably more suitable in here than in the other thread I put it in:
My attempts at skiing 😛
Second half of Winter turned up at the English ski club fields and a few hundred people turned out for sun and snow across the four areas.
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6832253199_2ab88f5aaa_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/onemanmows/6832253199/ ]F1 and the Gully[/url] on Flickr
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6832258471_be4ec7cbf6_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/onemanmows/6832258471/ ]F1 Top from Fendrith Lodge[/url] on Flickr
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6832476151_7200dcef63_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/onemanmows/6832476151/ ]W7[/url] on Flickr
My OH has managed to get a week off work at the end of March. Now i realise this is the end of season, but from experience, can anyone tell me where i should be heading for the best chance of snow? I'm hoping that the crazy dump this year will mean that theres a bit more lying about.
And if anyone could direct me to some 'last minute deal' site's other than crystal/igloo i'd appreciate it.
Scunny, don't knock Crystal, they were very good for my trip!
I ahd a lovely late March trip to Serre Che last year. Glorious sunshine skiing. Not much snow below the treeline, but up high was still great. Failing that, head for altitude. Les Arcs 2000 perhaps? Hardly pretty, but good and high!
Performed my rituals to the Snow Gods last night:
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And Frosty was most pleased for this very morning he has blessed me with a SkiInfo Powder Alarm for 20cm of overnight snow in Schladming. 😀
oldagepredator - nice pics, shame for me the snow didn't make it over to yad moss.
Scunny, don't knock Crystal, they were very good for my trip!
Nope, not knocking them. Went to Zell am See with them in December, very good.
Just looking for alternative providers to compare prices etc
Ah, OK!
Well, Neilson are another I'd recommend heartily. Tend to have some really good all-in deals (travel/lift passes/kit/accomodation) most of the time.
Yeah we mainly use Crystal or Neilson these days as well.
Your other option would be to organise it yourself. Not too bad, especially if you are going to a well known resort. Cheapo flights and book a room in in a chalet/pension - usually plenty available late season.
Scunny - we had a good experience with Inghams at Christmas. Had a not so good experience with Skiworld when we went last April, but that was mainly due to an incompetent staff member as opposed to the company. So might be worth a look.
As for where to go.... given the depth of snow everywhere I don't think you need to worry too much. We're banking on that theory by heading to Kitzbuhel at only 700m. Last year we went the following week, but struggled with a much more compact Les Arcs area due to a lack of snow below the mid station - it wasn't a good season on the whole though.
Actually Scunny, just seen that Skiworld have a sale on for the next day or so.... maybe some free lift passes in it for you too.
I'd actively put you off Chalet Yves in Arcs 1800 though, granted there were only 2 lifts open, but we had a hell of a trek every morning at 20C + to get to the slopes.
3rd post in a row....
Rocket Ski seem to operate at the budget end of the scale, but some of the deals seem excellent. Never stayed with them so not sure what they're like...
[url= http://www.rocketski.com/holiday-search ]Rocket Ski[/url]
Chamonix in 10 days! Come on snow. I demand fresh stuff for my off-piste nosediving and struggling to stand up again week.
Schladming on Saturday. Slightly concerned that it is -20°C there at the mo.
Cold is fine, bulletproof snow is not.
Cold is fine, bulletproof snow is not.
As far as I can tell, it's been continually cold for months, and there is unlikely to have been any melting and refreezing. I was hoping that this meant the snow would be reasonably loose still. Am I incorrect?
Performed my rituals to the Snow Gods last night:
Yep - did my old skis on sunday. They will be getting some slope time next week. Haven't done my own waxing and edging since the last time I used them - in the mid 90s 😮
ETA - Good to see I'm not the only one who uses a normal iron 😆
What is the dark coloured liquid "offering" - is that snowboard specific - haven't used that for a ski service
off-piste nosediving and struggling to stand up again week.
*High fives fellow Slack-Country legend!*
Dunno about Cham but Schladming did see a few days of warmer weather before the big freeze. Hopefully there has been enough fresh snow to bury any crust.
Haven't done my own waxing and edging since the last time I used them
I quite like doing it. It's like bike fettling. Doing something practical is kind of relaxing and enjoyable for someone who's main job is sitting numbly at a keyboard 😀
Just as well because the "Synthduded" base on my Bataleon needs constant waxing.
off-piste nosediving and struggling to stand up again week.*High fives fellow Slack-Country legend!*
*is too busy giggling and thrashing about in snow to high five back*
*Lobs obligatory first salvo of snowballs at 16stonepig while pointing and laughing!*
*shakes head at silly childish skiers and slashes hard to cover them in powder*
Oh goodness yes, any off piste has me in uncontrollable fits of giggles. It's the best medicine in the world (apart from mtbing in the snow this weekend - only difference it hurts more if you fall).
*Runs over nose of board as Graham fumbles around with bindings at the top of the next lift. Skis off in to the distance laughing*
*looks down at board*
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😆