MegaSack DRAW - 6pm Christmas Eve - LIVE on our YouTube Channel
@Tom-B Lots of telemarkers in Scotland; ditch the trainer heels and go straight to proper skiing. I think I'm right in saying that I know more folk up here who free the heel than those who ski & board put together.
The way we use the snow and the turn profiles of a telemarker are much closer to those of a snowboard than that of alpine skiers. Yes, it's more physical and more technical than alpine downhilling but it's very rewarding indeed.
In a way, there's a hint of the steel hardtail about telemarking, if you get my drift.
I've done a bit of Tele, a good turn does give a good feeling, that's for sure.
Certainly a bit of the Steel HT analogy going on..
My knees were what stopped me going more, wish I had started earlier.
Skiing with the kids at Easter, maybe a chance to free the heels again?
I've been tellieing for 20 years now. Changed from duck bil to NTN a few years back. Don't feel as pure but when I get knackered they can be more forgiving to ski alpine.
Last day in the 3valleys today, first sign of cloud and cold wind, still no fresh snow for those coming next week, the slopes are getting incredibly compacted and ropey is some areas.
Overall though it's been an amazing week, all the staff everywhere we have been have been excellent. I love how friendly people are in the mountains. There's been a lot of sun and no snow for a while so the pisteuers are doing what they can given what they have to work with.
I've missed being out here, it's genuinely excellent.
Finally off on our twice postponed trip to Austria tomorrow, over 2 years since I bought my skis they are getting their first run out on Sunday
7 hours into the journey home and we are sat on the runway at Geneva still. Remind me to drive in the thread for the 22/23 season please!
Toby1. Been there done that at Chambery. Driving has always been pretty smooth for us. I quite like the drive if I’m honest. 4 in a car = less co2 than flying.
Was planning to head out to Austria tomorrow. Tested positive for Covid yesterday. Aaargh.
It was a self organised thing with my dad so was pretty cheap.
I think I know the answer to this but there is no such thing as amazing last minute package deals any more for when I'm recovered are there? It would be just me.
Easy to get a flight. Transfers were talked about earlier in the thread. Quite costly at the moment as are hire cars.
Choose your resort well and train would be a good option. Briancon would be easy by train, Chamonix also. Fly into Innsbruck lots of options from there. Always more costly for a single traveller.
Been there done that at Chambery.
Chambery is known for it, I won't fly to chambery as it's so unreliable.
Geneva is usually fine though, flown to and from there many times with no issue.
Agree, Geneva is usually fairly reliable especially for the budget airlines ime. Only done Chambery once never again.
Was planning to head out to Austria tomorrow. Tested positive for Covid yesterday. Aaargh.
Triple jabbed woulda meant no test for Austria. Commiserations all the same.
I am triple jabbed. Developed symptoms and got tested and came back positive.
So sorry that covid has stopped some of you getting a holiday.
There's been a light dusting of snow here in the Tarentaise Valley. Much needed as there hasn't been any for the last 3 weeks. High temperatures due later in the week.
Just back from Sauze yesterday.
A proper mixed bag of conditions very limited snow cover on most runs with loads of icy patches.
Snow on Friday and Saturday helped but with reduced visibility.
Nothing we couldn't handle as most of us are used to Scottish conditions.
All in it was a great week, not sure if I would be in a hurry to go back though!
I am triple jabbed. Developed symptoms and got tested and came back positive.
Super-bummer.
I'm heading out to Austria tomorrow for the first time in over 2 years. Excited doesn't even come close. Anyone know what conditions are like in the Vorarlberg area at the moment? I'm staying in Feldkirch so plenty of options on where to ski.
There’s been a light dusting of snow here in the Tarentaise Valley.
Damnit! We got back yesterday. Things were looking a bit brown and / or slushy...
Mrs. Pierre is considering a trip to La Plagne in early April, I'm hoping there'll be snow left there by then.
@epynt don't know what the conditions are like but I highly recommend Damuls for skiing. Nice and high and a great atmosphere.
Was planning to head out to Austria tomorrow. Tested positive for Covid yesterday. Aaargh.
Depending on when your symptoms started you may be able to salvage the last couple of days of the trip ?
Cheers meikle, I'll make sure to check out Damuls
I’m in Verbier at the moment, last day of 4 tomorrow.
Snow has been OK considering it hasn’t snowed for weeks, but pistes are hard in the morning and chopped up or hard & scraped by the afternoon. Anything easily accessible off piste isn’t great, plenty of moguls on the natur runs - not snowboard friendly.
I’m pining for a powder day!
We’re in the camper again so heading somewhere else tomorrow, Serre Che has had a bit of fresh this morning, might try there on Wednesday.
Anyone got any live reports of fresh snow anywhere??
The massif Central got a huge dump over the weekend.
My nearest ski hill (mont Aigoual) which has been closed for over a month due to lack of snow will be open again this weekend after receiving 1.5m. That's not to say that I'd drive there from the Alps to go ride, it can be hard enough to gather up the motivation from here, 75 minutes away!
I've been added to the list of covid casualties after our ski trip.
That's 5 out of the group of 40 so far!
Negative for me this morning and feeling ok after a couple of mammoth sleep sessions since getting back Saturday.
Go careful on those well used slopes, there's some hard-packed pistes out there!
Some surprise snow in Verbier this morning.
OK so it’s heavy wet sticky “powder” but it’s the best I’ve seen for about 3 years now 😁😁
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I’m solo this morning because my skier wife decided to have a snowboard lesson 2 days before we came away and has managed ski the first 3 days but suspects she might have done some actual damage to her ass. She can barely move today.
Orange snow today. An orange car too (it's usually blue). Still plenty of snow, fresh high up. I'm just spectating with man flu and a season's worth of fatigue in my legs.
Padded shorts for learning to snowboard.
Padded shorts for learning to snowboard.
Definitely.
She’s boarded in the past, thought she’d have a refresher and then hire a board for a couple of days on holiday.
Her boarding days are now over.
I havent skied at Mt Aigoual in years. It is good for xcountry skiing but not enough for alpine.
Better to drive to the Pyrénées.
Exactly, cchris2lou!
Orange snow today. An orange car too (it’s usually blue).
Ah!
Someone here has just said about “Saharan sand” and I just assumed it was a term for rubbish sticky snow that I hadn’t heard before 🙄. I’ve just twigged, after looking at the top of the van, that it’s actual sand.
Where are you planning on staying in Serre Che Phil?
I ask as:
A. I'd like to go there at some point.
B. We're doing our maiden motorhome ski trip first week of April and other than the Ferry don't have anything booked yet!
@Tom-B you give me too much credit here and assume I’ve made any plan 🤣🤣
Apparently there’s an Aire in Monetier Le Bains (sp?) that is €15 a night.
We’re still in Verbier though, going to head there or somewhere else in the morning.
Have you found the Winterised FB group? Quite handy for info on places to stay etc.
@ocrider I think we’ll give that a miss cheers! Did think about heading to the Pyrenees though.
@phil5556 yeah just realised whom you are from that group!
Looks like a nice day in Verbier at least.
Yes it was weird skiing on the Sahara sand coloured snow.
Rained here in Sainte Foy last night, but put down 3 cm of heavy snow (and sand) up at the top.
Great day skiing wise, a bit choppy but better than the hard packed pistes of last week. Everything fabulous until our friend got caught in the very choppy snow, fell hard (he's a big lad) and a trip to the local medical centre suggests a broken wrist. This can't be confirmed until a scan tomorrow in Bourg St Maurice. Oh dear!
@Edukator it’s not that bad here, but the roof of the van definitely had some on it.
Looks like a nice day in Verbier at least.
before lunch was great, afternoon was hard work but I’ll take it over what we’ve had up until now. Still haven’t decided where we’re going in the morning 🤔
Les Mens definitely had a dusty coating on all the cars last week, and the weather was weirdly warm during the days a lot of the time (saw +16 on some chairs)!
Very nice Ed.
We skied La Plagne yesterday. T'was very busy. Lots of people falling, it was better to stick to the sides.
Mini moguls on the blue runs due to sloppy spring snow. Also warm temperatures.
Worn patches near the base.
Still an enjoyable day out.
Foggy, warm and wet here in Obergurgl, sand from the Sahara storm and warm cloudy days has turned most of Hochgurgl into porridge by lunchtime.
Warmer temps in the way next week too 🌞
Foggyish, warm and slushy in LDA too, at least down below 2400m ish.
Above is OK still.
might try VT tomorrow, but could just be ice 🤔
@phil5556 Most of 3Vallyes was really hard packed by the end of last week, VT down to Les Mens was lovely and sunny all week and most pistes were useable but tired.
The first 3 days in Verbier were hard pack too, and the last day was soft & sticky.
Think it’s warmed up a lot this week.
Even the top of LDA is soft this afternoon and I presume that’s been pretty solid a lot of the time? At least it’s not sticky here, but a very wet bum!
And we’re trying not to go to 3 Vals as we always go there…
What's Tigne like atm?
I'm guessing hard pack pistes in the morning, slushly, sloppy porridge after lunch.
The recent postings on here aren't inspiring me much for my April trip
@Tom-B I’ve had some great trips in April, pretty much always to the 3 Vals though. A couple of years ago I went on the Meribel closing weekend, VT was still OK, Les Menuires was a wet slushy laugh. It was like summer at resort level.
We’ve just stopped in Risoul. Will see what it & Vars are like tomorrow 🤷🏻♂️
We always go for a week in April. L2A for closing week for the umpteenth year in a row, excluding Covid. It's great fun and more often than not you can slide down to the jandri/tourist office/ski schools. What's more is that you're pretty much guaranteed fresh snow on at least one morning; January skiers can't comprehend april freshies!
Mrs O'C will be celebrating her first time back on the planks since a hip replacement and she's on skis whereas the rest of us are on boards. I'm guessing she won't be joining us for the afternoons with the late season soup, so we might just bring the bikes and do the Venosc DH whilst we're there.
Freshies and some hardpack at the mighty Coe today. It too will be warm tomorrow though.
In montegenevre just now. Had a decent bit of snow falling when we arrived on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday where brilliant, loads of powder. The rest of the week was good but today is really icy.
Has been really foggy all week
Congratulations Mrsorcrider.
I had a hip replacement a few years ago and have been skiing. Although today it was playing up a bit. Maybe to do with skiing the last couple of weeks in grabby porridge.
Today Tignes very cold and hard packed conditions nearly all day.
Risoul was exactly as expected today, horribly hard this morning and slushy this afternoon. Apart from a few bits that were solid all day, just to catch you out.
Good fun though, I like it here 😃
Could I ask that people stop/slow down if they see a LONE person who has has a tumble. just to check they are ok.
I was passed by 4 people and not one slowed to see if I was ok after flying into heavy snow. I'm an older skier and was struggling to get my skis back on (after finally getting back onto the piste). Hubby was at the bottom and an English couple said they had passed me and asked If I was ok. This was a lie. On the way down to the village I stopped to help a chap get his skis back on (hubby helped him up). Its just good piste etiquette.
It happens in mtbing, we ask if someone seems to have stopped at the side of a trail and something seems amiss.
I thank you.
@Bunnyhop I thought most did this, but obviously not.
“Ça Va?!” is probably my most used French word on the slopes 🙂
The other day returning an ejected ski to a kid earned me a tow from his instructor on the flat 🙂
If you come across a kid (or even adult) tangled in their skis the first thing to do is release one of the bindings (uphill foot preferably), you can hurt them trying to pick them up with tangled skis. It's quicker and easier on your back too. Then put the ski back on.
Some fun for Sunday evening. One of my best days at the Coe on Saturday and not busy, where was everybody? Seriously with great weather and lovely snow why was it not mobbed? The Scottish resorts need all the customers they can get.
🙂
@bunnyhop, Yes should be normal behaviour, goes hand in hand with helping little kids on chairlifts, doesn’t it.
Except on a powder day, obvs!🤣🤣😂⛷
Except on a powder day, obvs!🤣🤣😂⛷
🤣🤣
Although that’s not been an issue this season really! 😞
Lift back over to Risoul from Vars yesterday. All felt a bit summery!
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Most people are great at helping others. It was the fact that the piste was empty and only 4 people passed, so it was absolutely obvious I was having difficulty. Oh to be young again.
As Ed said, I turned myself around, released the bindings, struggled back onto the piste and it took ages to get going as my goggles were filled with snow (face plant) :o)
Could I ask that people stop/slow down if they see a LONE person who has has a tumble. just to check they are ok.
I saw loads of this in Austria. Fortunately it was me doing the asking / checking / picking up (3-4 times a day) rather than being helped, but a mixture of single kids and adults generally being ignored.
"OK?" with an upward inflection at the end is pretty universal as a question.
I think it was the run down into Val Thornes (from the hotels to the chair at the bottom) I remember being a learner there too, I passed poles back to a few people who were strewn across the piste. It felt good to pay back the favour as people have helped me in the past.
I think it was the day the over confident learners had decided they were done with lessons and could go solo, carnage all over.
I do tend to stop although I have a guilty feeling about 1 person who looked fine and was getting up but it was at the start of a long flat section and I should at least have checked they were all ok, sorry!
I stopped recently in Saalbach to collect a guy's ski after he wiped out. Picked it up, danced gracefully down to him...then slipped on ice and took him and his three mates out! he did see the funny side as we were all hurtling downhill in a cartoonish bundle of arms and poles.
My Favourite crash was when the missus was stood at the side of a steepish red minding her own business and waiting for a quiet moment so she could start with a wide turn when a chap appeared around the blind corner above her and took her out - he did have the good grace to let her sit in his lap all the way to the bottom (of the piste you dirty minded guttersnipes) asking her if she was OK and apologising all the way down.
Target fixation.
The piste is empty and the skier/snowboarder spots the target, doesn't need permission and bam, you're both in a tangled mess :0)
Yesterday's visit to Les Arcs was not as enjoyable as hoped.
The scraped, hard packed pistes were busy. it was chilly so not much warmth in the sun to soften any snow. Still better than being at work :0)
Amazingly a Welsh woman who lives locally, told us that they don't get much snow in March (Tarantaise Valley), which seemed odd to me. We've skied many times in March and had decent snowfall.
Seems like an epic tour you've been on @Bunnyhop, I was out when you were but it feels like forever ago and yet you are still going, I'm just jealous btw!!
Just got back from a few days in Morzine. Hard pack first thing, slushy-ish by lunchtime.
Had a great time, it was properly hot yesterday - thermometer reading 23C.
Came a cropper getting on a chairlift* and have now strained the MCL on my right leg 🙁 strangely able to board fine to get down the hill but walking is more of a struggle…
* my fault, not paying attention but also the lift operator wasn’t paying attention either…
toby1 - Yes it's been great.
Interesting, challenging conditions for me even as an experienced intermediate skier. The sun has shone and the views are fabulous, food great and the French seem to be very friendly this year.
At the moment we're only skiing after lunch as it's too hard packed before then.
If you have the funds and time just do a few weeks, you won't regret it. We went self catering in a small apartment and drove. Time isn't on my side age wise and along with all of us on this thread we missed too much time in a resort.
Don't want to go home now :0)
Cervinia on Saturday with a nice 50cm forecast between now and then according to Snow Forecast, plus more forecast over the 10 days I'm there😎
We had a great week in Flaine again. Typical spring conditions of rock hard mornings, softer for a couple of hours then heavy going by 2. Forecast for 40cm of snow this week when we've come back which is what happened after our January trip.
No powder days this year but it was so good to be back in the mountains.
The bad news for bunnyhop and nbt - you won't be happy with a week of skiing again after your road trip this year....
Cervinia for us as well, on Sunday for a week. Get there early so hope for a half days ski.
sproolet - You are correct, so lovely having more time to ski and choose when to ski, especially certain parts of the were so rubbish.
Good news for all Easter skiers, the new dump will help with the poor pistes, you should have good conditions from now on :0)
Skiing on orange snow was certainly interesting (Sahara sand).
Setting off to Samoens tomorrow after work, wasn't really feeling it and was thining of maybe going to the Canaries for some sun instead. Decided we'd still rather be in the mountains even if the snow is crap. The new snow coming over the next few days makes me very happy. Was even thinking of dusting my powder board off but don't think it's going to be quite that good.
Can't wait now, nice chill week of messing about in the snow with the kids. I won't be upset if it warms up towards the back of the week though, few days of decent snow followed by a few days of sunning ourselves outside the bars with a bit of snowboarding in between will be good.
but don’t think it’s going to be quite that good
I think you'll find it's that good.
Got back from Cervinia / Zermat at the weekend. The pistes are still in amazing condition. It’s no good for the off piste guys but the actual runs are in great condition. Sure is a bit soft and sloppy at the bottom from lunchtime onwards but otherwise its running really well.
