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Higlandman, I've spoken to the admin for the exercise and from what he says it's very much a race camp format to prepare for the champs. My racing days are way behind me so after a more informal guiding/off piste holiday.
I've been on a few race camps when I was in so know how they generally work. I know they'll bin off racing if there's good off piste but it's not a guarantee.
Having seen links above to Snowheads, perhaps I should look on there, but does anyone here have any recommendations for travel insurance, ideally that also covers off-piste?
I [b]really[/b] recommend Yellow Jersey for cycle trips, they were exceptional when I crashed in Mallorca, organising extra accommodation for my wife and son, booking new flights and covering a £20K+ hospital bill... but they don't do snow stuff, it seems.
Starting to doubt the half term Italy trip a bit for the first time, given this week’s news on restrictions and variants. Completely accept its 1st world problems but was really hoping to treat the kids after a rough couple of years. ☹️
The lack of second jab and nhs qr certificate for a 14 yr old looks v problematic.
Paying the balance for our ski club trip (5th March) to Italy today.
I won't actually believe it's happening until I'm at the top of a piste with skis on!
Fully prepared and expecting it to be cancelled.
The lack of second jab and nhs qr certificate for a 14 yr old looks v problematic.
*Looks up guidance for Italy* 🙁
@pedlad it appears, and I very well maybe wrong on this, that under 18s are OK as long as they are with a parent that is and they have a negative test to enter.
https://covidtraveladvice.kuoni.co.uk/destination/italy
@pedlad,
It's a blooming minefield and changes by the day it seems. Trying to make sense of it all for a NY trip to Austria.
Under 12 is fine as comes under parent cover (Both double jabs) 12 year old has recovered from Covid BUT have no proof with a barcode that is accepted anywhere in EU so who knows what we can do. In France this would mean testing every 72 hours, not sure about Italy.
Austria is probably a non starter as things stand.
Not prepared to write off the season just yet..keeping positive and motivated.
@TheDTs France changed it this week to testing every 24 hours down from 72 for those not fully vaccinated.
Supposed to be going in Feb, 3 families each with a 13 year old, so not able to be fully vaccinated in the UK. I think daily testing would be pretty impractical snd take too much time out of the day when we should be skiing so looks like we are going to have to cancel
Omicron could be the final nail for skiing I fear. Just got to hope that it’s spike mutations only benefit ease of transmission and actually reduce disease compared to delta.
Yes, starting to look less and less likely.
A mate is going out for the season this week, not working and has a visa to stay for the whole season. As our family NY trip to anywhere is looking fairly shaky I’m still hopeful of something before Easter. All sorts of trouble for people flying to GVA. Testing daily for U16’s in FR. looking bleak!😟
Off out to Morzine on the 11th December, currently bouncing between excitement at the weather forecast of almost continual snow till then, and fear at if it will be cancelled. If I was going later I think fear would be winning, but hoping to get I have no useful contribution to makedown.
We are going to book a week off in jan and then wait and see.
If possible we will see what we can get last minute, and if not possible then will cancel holiday and work.
Not looking promising, but glad we haven't booked anything yet
I have a week in La Plagne booked at the end of Jan. All adults, all jabbed, I'm 65+ so was pleased to see the booster is now shown on the NHS app. Fingers cross that Omicron (or Macron) doesn't stop us.
We have a booking for Easter but anything could happen by then. Flexible tunnel ticket for NY is refundable or changeable so if NY falls through (which I expect it will) I’m hoping I can use that to go and stay with my mate. That would be sans kids so would be far simpler with a bunch of 40 something triple jabbers.
Just paid the last part of our March trip to cervinia that has been bounced round numerous resorts for the last 2 seasons. Fingers crossed we go but until there is snow under my skis……
4 (late 40s early 50s) of us got the week booked off work 22nd to 29th Jan ... usually we leave it till 2 weeks before to ensure good snow and grab a last minute deal... does the hive mind think that's still the best option in current climate? 🤔
Fingers cross that Omicron (or Macron) doesn’t stop us.
Omicrom might, Macron won't, anti-vaxers are the most likely to stop you by taking up too much hospital capacity.
It's looking impressively white up the hill. Another day and it wil be skiable off piste. 🙂
Whytetrash, 50:50 I would say. Depends on how ill people get with Omicron. If it is less severe it could be ok. If it hits people hard and if it starts to be problematic for people who have had jabs then that will be shit and skiing will be the last thing we should be worrying about.
Got a few days in already. Out on the glacier in Tignes over the last couple of weeks, just getting the legs warmed-up. Then in Val d'Isere for opening day yesterday, running an avalanche safety refresher for some other instructors. Snow has been good up on the glacier, got some decent powder yesterday too - weather and vis were much better than expected.
Can't beat that @stevomcd, but day 1 here, few laps with the kids, bit of messing about and a quick check of the touring kit up the hill. All the white stuff looks like it will be in the sea by Tuesday, but happy enough with that for November.
Last weekend we booked an Xmas deal to Les Orres, self drive from Scotland. The drive and the distance doesn't faze me, but we would normally stop overnight in France, then again at my folks place in Yorkshire on the way back to break up the 1200 mile journey. Now we need to get a PCR test and self isolate, so it looks like we'll have to drive from Dover to Scotland in one go.
Also need to find a convenient place for a PCR once off Eurotunnel. The sooner the better.
TroutWrestler - have you considered the Newcastle-Amsterdam or Hull-Rotterdam ferries instead of dragging yourself all the way to Dover? That's my usual route home to see family. Drive on the European side isn't that much longer than Calais, then a decent sleep and chill-out on the boat, early start in the morning. Just done Glasgow to the Alps solo that way.
@stevomcd - Thanks, not an option this time, have done it before though.
I am going to need to find clarification about the new suite of tests required
Before departure to France - I don't think children under 11 are required to get tests French Gov Website: "From December 4, any person aged 12 and over entering French territory must present a negative PCR or antigen test of less than 24 or 48 hours depending on the country of origin."
Before return to UK - Again, I don't think children under 11 need to get tests - Gov.Uk :"From 4am, Tuesday 7 December all people aged 12 years and over must take a PCR or LFD COVID-19 test before they travel to England from abroad."
After return to UK (Day 2 PCR) - Unsure as to whether the kids need them. The Scot.Gov website says:
"Children under 18
All children under 18 are counted as ‘fully vaccinated’ when they arrive in Scotland. This applies:
- even if they haven’t had a COVID-19 vaccine
- no matter which country or territory they normally live in
Children aged 11 to 17 need to take a day 2 PCR test. Children aged under 11 do not need to need to take this test." But the information on the GOV.UK website says all over 5 need to take a PCR.
So at the moment I would need:
PCR test before flying to France - inconvenient, some cost, cancel trip if positive (insurance should cover)
PCR/LFT before flying back to UK - inconvenient, hope there's sufficient testing resource in resort, some cost - major problem if positive
PCR within 2 days of return - inconvenient, some cost, self isolation until result.
but so far, don't need a test or isolation on arrival in France. Isolation would be a major problem, not just because of missed skiing but would be unable to buy food.
And the costs of all that ^^^^^^^^ ?
And if your pre-departure test is positive? Isolate in country, how do you do that?
Starting to get prohibitive I feel!
Edit - typing while GB replied, similar points.
I’ve binned the trip with miss OTS over New Year. She can’t get double jabbed in time and the test prior to returning just adds another complication.
Accommodation is refundable, flights will be moved forward, so shouldn’t cost anything.
Just got to keep fingers crossed for February; I’m not hopeful though.
The Scottish resort situation is looking promising though. Might get some days at glenshee over Christmas and new year if the current weather sticks around 🤞
The worst case scenario is test positive via LFT while in France waiting to return. LFT is only likely to show as +ve for at most a couple of days if asymptomatic. Give that we can take home test LFTs with us, we should "know" if the pharmacy supervised LFT will be positive, by doing one just before trotting off to the pharmacy.
A few suggestions which some of our guests have used and which might be helpful:
1. The test to enter France can be lateral flow, PCR not essential, but it has to include the particular protein which identifies the new variant. Aoparently most LFT's do, but I haven't looked into this myself in any way.
2. For the pre-return test, it may be easier to bring a self-test LFT kit from the UK. This needs to be a certified travel one, not an NHS one. These generally require you to submit a video of you doing the test. Most of our summer guests this year used this system. It may be more practical than arranging a test in France.
3. If you are getting tested in France, it's generally cheaper than in the UK at least.
4. You don't actually need to use the French app ("TousAntiCovid") while in France. I know a lot of people have struggled to get their documents on it. All you need is a valid QR code. Your NHS one is fine. Don't fanny around opening up the app and finding the right section every time either. Load it once and screenshot it for quick access.
5. If your teenagers are vaccinated (I know most aren't, but some are), but don't have / can't get the NHS app (because why?), there are a couple of systems apparently available to get a French-recognised QR code. I have no experience of either, but have seen mention of them in reasonably official places. A government email address apparently exists to which you can send scans of your documents. These will be manually approved and a QR code provided. Again, no experience of this and I would recommend doing it a very long time in advance. Don't ask me what the address is, I saw it months ago and haven't looked since. Alternatively, and again I have no experience, if you take the relevant documents to a French pharmacy, they can apparently generate a QR code for you.
Thanks, stevomcd, that's useful info.
Load it once and screenshot it for quick access
I was wondering if you could print the QR, laminate it and maybe even strap it on your arm like we used to do before electronic skipasses. Also if the resorts might set up a scheme so that you could show your QR to the pass office and have 'QR checked' built into your pass.
Also if the resorts might set up a scheme so that you could show your QR to the pass office and have ‘QR checked’ built into your pass.
Presumably they won’t sell you a pass unless you can prove eligibility?
It is sadly looking like yet again getting to the mountains is going to be too much of a pain in the arse this winter again.
Such a shame
Downhill woman's is in lake Louise this weekend if you need a fix Eurosport.
Exactly 25 years ago I was on a jumbo to Calgary simple times
Board-beer-repeat.
I'm assuming that Fort William is the best option for Feb half term, based on the fact that Shitsville has a broken train and the masses always flock there...
But do you reckon everyone will have realised this by now and thus head to The Fort instead, thus leaving Cairngorm blissfully empty with ski on ski lifts all across the mountain.... 🙂
Yeah OK, I realise they don't even have lifts right across the mountain any more, let alone empty ones....
But seriously, seems like a no brainer to go with Fort William, especially given the biking options there and at Laggan.
(This will be my third booked ski week to Scotland. Since long before my first one I swore I would never do it. After my first, and indeed second one that view was reinforced mightily. But the pain fades over time and once again Scotland feels like the best option)
Fool that I am 🙂
Glencoe has had good conditions for the past couple of years. Not sure about fort William.
Cairngorms without the train is doable, but some of the drag lifts are brutal. No good for beginners and hard work on a board.
As always with Scotland, you have to go where the snow is. If it’s in the west, Fort William and Glencoe will be great.
Stay central - Perthish, and accept that you will have to drive to wherever conditions are best on each day.
We've got the van booked into Grantown on Spey for the Feb half term. Will go to Lecht if snow is in and do some biking and walking.
Presumably they won’t sell you a pass unless you can prove eligibility?
As I've understood it you're expected to show your QR code to get on the lifts. You can buy passes in advance, so your covid status at purchase won't mean anything. I actually took a gamble and bought my pass pre-season at a discount; that may have been a bad decision!
qr codes are randomly checked at the ticket office, in lift queues and at the ski school here in Gourette.
I've done a bit of rando an x-c but most sectors are shut due to the wild conditions
Blizzard Black Pearl are my new rando skis for this season. The women specifique design seems to suit my weight and style perfectly.
Three lines is about all I can type before the site redirect to some nasty charity site with stinking rich directors.
Or is it the post length or??? I should have learned no to post on STW fr my phone by now
FWIW, I've been out riding the past two days (since the rule came in on Saturday) and I haven't had my covid pass checked on the lifts yet, or seen it happen. Getting checked about 50% of the time in cafes/bars. Just got checked in the Marmot Arms!
Ressorts in Massif Central opening next week-end. And it is still snowing.
Ressorts in Massif Central opening next week-end. And it is still snowing.
The one time I can't get out to the Lioran and conditions look the best I've seen in 10 years. 😵