[Closed] The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2012-2013 season

Some shoes for the lady-boarder in your life;
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And, in case you need a little runaround to get you to the slopes;
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WANT!

I have a two long pieces of red ribbon I tie on each binding and then shove the rest down my ski boots. I've never had a ski come off and get buried out of visibility, but when it does happen! 🙂

Good idea! In the bad old days before ARVAs trailing a piece of rope was common to help with avalanche search.

Just been hitting up some fresh pow tree runs in Ogden, W Yorkshire, lit by my mate's DX light! There's a floodlit piste though with a tiny kicker, and a few off piste options - great snow. Short runs with a rope tow but awesome fun - would have enjoyed that anywhere. Got some pics I will post soon.

Yorkshire?

T'Pow?

[quote=grum ]Just been hitting up some fresh pow tree runs in Ogden, W Yorkshire, lit by my mate's DX light! There's a floodlit piste though with a tiny kicker, and a few off piste options - great snow. Short runs with a rope tow but awesome fun - would have enjoyed that anywhere. Got some pics I will post soon.

Been there. cracking little place. He's a quick video of me hitting the cliff drop

[url= http://www.snowmediazone.com/the_zone/images/video.gi f" target="_blank">http://www.snowmediazone.com/the_zone/images/video.gi f"/> [/img][/url]

(edit, can't embed it till I upload it to youtube - 2 ticks)

edit 2 - embedded

😀

Full trip report available on snowheads - IU'll post it up later

Edit 3 - trip report is here:

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1416661

I'm not going to post on the other thread having already had ding-dongs on public school threads with one who has suffered a loss but this is worth repeating:

Following on from Mugsy's advice the thing that would have saved some local victims (apart from not skiing the wrong slope at the wrong time) would have been [b]separating for avalanche-prone slopes. Stop at a safe place, one skis to the next safe place then the others follow one by one[/b]. And if you set off an avalanche, ski down the debris rather than skiing into more fresh and setting off another avalanche.

it occurred to me that a RECCO pastille on each ski might be a good idea

Isn't the actual RECCO locator pretty big though?
(okay maybe not as big as the original 1970s system but still fairly hefty).

I've never seen anyone carry one for personal use.

(Got RECCOs built into my snowboard boots - which seems sensible - but I've always understood they are "corpse recovery" rather than "rescue" devices).

There's a RECCO at the lift arrival not far from where the ski was lost, I know a couple of pisteurs and I'm sure they'd be happy to find a lost ski at the end of the day once the lifts closed as a training exercise (but far from impressed if you'd actually got RECCO pastille on your skis).

That's one of the original RECCO units in the pic, they look like a laptop/handbag these days. They're far from corpse recovery and have the advantage of going straight to the victim rather than a confusing trip round lines like a magnetic field for the ARVA. The advice now is in a jacket rather than on ski boots as boots get ripped off more than jackets in avalanches. [b]In fact my idea (originally tongue in cheek)is a lousy one as if ever you are caught in an avalanche they might waste time digging your skis out rather than you.[/b]

nbt, UR AL OF TEH SIK RADNEZZ! 🙂

BOOOM gnarly

Ouch at the thought of boots being ripped off.

Probably not such a good idea to have Recco on skis/board. I think I'd prefer any such device to stay on me if in an avalanche. More chance of people searching for and finding people rather than skis in random positions elsewhere.

The boots getting ripped off mainly concerns ski mountaineers who go up boots open.

(I've recently taken the RECCO pastille out of my boots and carry one in an inside pocket. If you only ski using lifts the obvious place is with your ski pass assuming it's one of the electronic ones you don't need to take out).

they look like a laptop/handbag these days

Aye, that's just the intro to the video - they show you the modern unit. MUCH neater. Laptop/handbag as you say, but still a lot bigger than say a BCA Tracker transceiver.

[img] [/img]

(I understand the new Tracker3 is even smaller, about the size of a smartphone).

Fair enough if you know friendly pisteurs who have access to them though.

have the advantage of going straight to the victim rather than a confusing trip round lines like a magnetic field for the ARVA

But presumably the disadvantage that you get multiple signals coming from all of the other rescuers and yourself, which you can't switch off and have to ignore.

They try to get the RECCO and dog handler onto the avalanche first and mark the sites of interest. Then anyone with an ARVA and when all the signals and the points the dog have indicated are being dealt with the probe lines start.

In a recent fatal in my local resort the victim didn't have either a RECCO or ARVA, the points the dog spotted were negative and it was the probe line that found the victim, but too late.

They try to get the RECCO and dog handler onto the avalanche first

Interesting - makes sense Edukator.

Guess it just depends if the resort buys into the RECCO system or not. I suppose most major resorts do these days.

the probe line that found the victim, but too late.

🙁

I know my local resort and rescue teams are equipped with RECCO and did some Googling to find out what the coverage is. The verdict is [url= http://www.kairn.com/news.html?ident=74071 ]very good[/url] and the odds of the rescue team trying to find you using RECCO very high. Every bit as worth while having as an ARVA IMO and so cheap you can carry a couple so there's always one facing up.

[url= http://recco.com/resorts-operations/all-recco-resorts ]RECCO resorts[/url]

Every bit as worth while having as an ARVA IMO and so cheap you can carry a couple so there's always one facing up.

Absolutely - everything helps.

Can you buy the RECCO pastilles on their own? I've only ever seen them embedded into kit. I have one in each boot, but having one near the top of my body would make sense.

Nice write-up nbt - and sick cliff drop, you totally shralped all of the available gnar.

Here's a pic of me from last night failing to do a grab at the UK's southern-most real snow ski centre. 🙂

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My [url= http://www.skis-rando-boutique.com/boutique/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=319_74_275&products_id=2250&zenid=4f26743064f01c7459fe36897d63a434 ]local shop[/url] sells them for 27e a pair. Not the cheapest but I'm not doing too well with Google as I can't think of the English for "pastille".

they're normally called recco reflectors in uk literature

edit:

http://www.snowsafe.co.uk/reccos.php

We no longer sell Reccos as stand alone products as they have stopped distributing them : they are now only sold as part of a ski jacket , ski boots or backpacks

My legs hurt. So, so much.

Wonder why they stopped selling them separately? Tempted to get some from Edukator's link.

Hey grum that's wicked.
I've been over some kickers there and lived to tell the tale, although I'm definitely a skis on the ground snow bunny.

Im off on Sat and there is more snow forcast for Sat and Sun . Only a few cm's but I have found Snowforcast to be rather conservative.
Been snowing darn sarf again today but its too warm too settle , although it feels freezing with the ENE wind.

Many moons ago, when I worked for a snowsports retailer, we had buckets of Recco reflectors that would be stuck onto the backs of ski boots. Many of them found other homes inside various pockets in the staff's winter clothing.
27 yoyos a pair,huh? 😕

Here's a pic of me from last night failing to do a grab at the UK's southern-most real snow ski centre.

Phatt AIR BRAW! RESPEK!

wallop - Member
My legs hurt. So, so much.

I think I hate you....! 🙂 POIDH.

I shall take the camera out tomorrow. Had a knackering day today. Back to the hotel for drinks, 3 x vin chaud, un verre du vin, shower, dinner, one more glass of wine and then in bed by 8pm! That's 7pm UK time! 😆

I'm so rock n roll.

Yeah had a look for RECCO reflectors on their own - they don't seem to be generally available (in the UK at least) - some people suggested this was to stop them being put in inappropriate places (e.g. outside of a helmet) where they could get separated and lead to false signals in a burial.

Makes sense.

Other less charitable people suggested it was because RECCO had exclusive deals with clothing and gear manufacturers. 😕

Anyway, in my searches I found plenty threads referring to them as [url= http://unofficialnetworks.com/recco-rebuttal-gear-review-posted-unofficial-networks-26420/ ]"dead body finders"[/url] or as one wag put it: [url= http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/179820-Another-Live-Recovery-With-RECCO?p=2670652#post2670652 ]"RECCO: Recovers Extremely Cold Corpses, Occasionally"[/url].

But these were generally all about four or five years old.

If RECCO are now generally much better thought of, as Edukator suggests, then hopefully this is down to improvements in the technology, the search techniques, training, and availability of equipment - rather than just improvements in marketing budget! 😀

27 yoyos a pair,huh?

Seems a lot for a strip of metal and a sticky plastic bubble.

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Here's a pic of me from last night failing to do a grab at the UK's southern-most real snow ski centre.

Closer to a grab than I usually get! And more stylish too. Nice.

Well thats skiing done for this year, looking forward to more snow in the UK then its back on .

Brain trust, need help. Looking for accommodation for me and 2 mates in st anton from 9th of march for a week. Literally just after beds, shower and close as possible to town centre.

Anyone help?

Cobrakai
One of the snowheads regulars is doing a season out there .
He will probably be in a better position to help .
I am going the week before if things come together with mates and holiday allowances

Thanks folks - new board has arrived now so I should be getting even more extreme soon, if you can believe that's possible. 🙂

Thinking of heading back to Ogden to try it out in sat if there's still snow. Anyone fancy joining me? Bunnyhop & nbt?

cheers for the invite but we shall mostly be heading to Val Despair this weekend

That's a shame for you. Ogden is the new ski destination of choice. I hear there's a lot of rich Russians booking up next season.

CK - I bookmarked this place after someone on snowheads suggested it on a thread http://www.flunger.at/ no idea where in SA it is or whether the place is any good though!

Can anyone recommend a medium term weather forecast for the French Alps? I have an option of a cheap trip to Les Arcs/Peisey on the 1st Feb and would like to know the possibility of fresh snow. It seems to be hard to find a decent free weather forecast?

Anyone been there in the last week, how is it? Looks a bit bare low down in the valley, wonder if it is icing up on the lower runs.

I've already had a week in Austria this year so this is a bit of a luxury, so only want to dole out the cash if it is good schnee ...

Can anyone recommend a medium term weather forecast for the French Alps?

Is there such a thing? Snowforecast was reasonably accurate for us recently but I think more than a few days in advance is very tricky.

Is there such a thing? Snowforecast was reasonably accurate for us recently but I think more than a few days in advance is very tricky.

No idea, guess I could sign up for a month on snow forecast. They did get it very wrong when I was in Austria a few weeks ago though!

I'm off to Tamworth Snowdome tonight to ski for the first time in a year. A bit nervous as last time I skied I broke my leg. I have been watching instructional videos on you tube all week to try and remind me how to do it.

Snowforecast was reasonably accurate for us recently

Pretty good for the Alps. Chuffing useless elsewhere. (in my experience)

guess I could sign up for a month on snow forecast

You get most of the info you need for free - you only need to sign up for the detailed info.

I find [url= http://france.lachainemeteo.com/meteo-france/ville/previsions-meteo-tignes-5507-0.php ] lachainemeteo[/url] is very reliable. For the next couple of weeks the condidtions would best be described as "perfect skiing weather".

They did get it very wrong when I was in Austria a few weeks ago though!

Funny, it was pretty right for us in Austria a few weeks ago. 🙂

I just used the free service.

yr.no has been pretty reliable for me in the past.

Tend to use yr.no too, mainly because it does everywhere outside of the Alps too.
Seems pretty reliable. edit: and the android app is handy too (rotate to horizontal to get the pretty hourly graph - OK it's still in norwegian, but it's understandable)

Sometimes look at Metcheck, but that's usually for a laugh, not to see a weather forecast 😉

Yr.no has been spot on this week in Serre Che, as has the weather channel. Snow-forecast.co.uk has been a pile of crap!

Wallop - How's it been? Assume you're in the bar at the Plein Sud by now! You lucky, lucky, lucky *Expletive deleted*! 😉

Coffee before the first lift every morning in the square, I trust?

It has been fabulous, ta! Haven't had morning coffee yet (the stuff served with breakfast is like rocket fuel!), but on your recommendation we have been to Le Break for lunch more than once! Très bien!

Having a superb time at the Plein Sud. Most evenings sat in the bar chatting with Lynn, Sebastien and the other guests (the army are here at the moment! All the senior officers are staying....). Food has been great - magret of duck tonight, yum!

Piste conditions are excellent, husband has said he'd return - result!

Superb! We were there for that same week last year! Is Anna T there this year? Blonde, infectious giggling, fastest skier I know, wheelchair! Awesome lass! And her brother is on STW as well!

Great to hear you're enjoying it. The food's always a delight there, and so good to hear it's still the same standard!

Demain matin, un 'tit café, huh? As you walk down to the main lift area (Place du téléphérique) it's on the right hand side, just next door to one of the hire shops, by the road. Lovely, lovely espresso.

Anna isn't in the hotel, if that's what you mean - is that the sister of a fellow STWer?

Demain matin - je promets 😉

Yep, she tends to stay there while training. Lynne really helps her out, which is another reason to like the place, IMHO! She is indeed the sister of another STWer who's here occasionally.

So, your mission tomorrow....

Coffee in the square, ski hard, then lunch at Le Bercail (Aravet lift station), then continue to ski hard. Then, beer at La Terrasse, or the Station if the Harpers are playing. DO IT!

Thinking of heading back to Ogden to try it out in sat if there's still snow. Anyone fancy joining me? Bunnyhop & nbt?

Did you go 'off piste' grum through the trees? T'was a laugh when we did it, then just duck back under the tow rope and off you go again.

Have fun if you go again.

Cheers folks. Just booked Apartment Flunger for the week!

I knew someone would come through!!!! 😆

Flunger

Sounds ruder than it is, doesn't it!

Let me know if the place is any good CK, might go next season.

Fellow yr.no user too, but I also look at the gfs charts that are widely loved on snowheads for long term weather.

Cheers Jane. Yeah the off piste through the trees was great once we discovered the little start ramp to get some speed up.

On an unrelated note. How cool is this?

http://www.splitboard.com/index.php/featured/videos/207-the-powsurf-chronicles

Santa Cruz have some boards like that on *that* website. They look like they might be shorter and for more urban stuff but for £45 I nearly took a punt.

Yeah they look more like the ones designed for doing tricks like kickflips/shoveits etc on. Could be fun though. That website also has a sale on POW gloves - anyone have any experience of them?

Passtherizla has some POW gloves that he uses for (bike) riding he seemed to quite like them but that may just be the colour scheme.

Dirt have tested some and they seem to like them too.

http://dirt.mpora.com/fresh-produce-news/fresh-produce-pow-gloves.html#slide-1

I know these arn't strictly snow gloves but it gives you an idea on how the company makes stuff.

Thanks for that. Sounds like they might be worth a pop. Had most of my gear for years and years and my gloves are no longer really waterproof, seem to be on a bit of a spree replacing everything!

Funnily enough I haven't read the 50 pages of this thread!!
But where to book a reasonble ski holiday?
Been looking at Iglu ski or crystal but seems prices have gone considerably up! If you had choice between Avoriaz, La Plagne, ALpe d'huez and Tignes which would you go for? We are intermediate boarders and looking to go on 23rd Feb for a week.

If you had choice between Avoriaz, La Plagne, ALpe d'huez and Tignes which would you go for?

Serre Chevalier. 🙂

Welcome...! 🙂

In classic STW style, none of the above - I'd go to Austria. I know I keep banging on about this but I love Austria compared to France. Much more friendly, atmospheric and much cheaper to eat out etc. Only been to Tignes out of your list and that was pretty good. Val D'Isere just down the road too.

Last minute with Crystal has got us some very cheap deals the last couple of years, but that was early season both times.

Another vote for Austria. They do skiing/boarding well i.e. mountain food, apres, good snow and lovely slopes - usually tree lined as opposed to barren mega high places.

BTW - 23rd Feb will be half term still in many areas of France, so likely to be busy. Austria or Italy won't suffer so much with crowds. If you are intent on France check out Alpine Answers, more deals will come closer to the time of travel.

Mc - If it has to be one of your choices, then Tignes is the one I'd choose.
However as others have said, give Austria a go. We had friendly cafe service, good food at a reasonable price, not too much pushing in the queues and the scenery is gorgeous.
Last year we went to Bad Gastein. It has a good bus service with lots of other resorts dotted around. If like me, you don't like the busing around bit, then stick to France.

So where in Austria would you guys recommend then? problem is as I don't know the resorts I'm scared to book, don't want lots of drag lifts, intermediate level both boarders.

Serre Chevalier went there once it sucked.
I did check French half term dates and that week didn't come up, anyway we are stuck with that week now.

They do have some deals for Avoriaz is potential other options.
So hit me with some Austrian resorts to look at

I'm going to Morzine on the 23rd of Feb so that's as good a reason as any not to go to Avoriaz...

I feel sorry for the other people on the flight over there that morning, my children don't cope well with doing what they are told.

Out of those places you listed in France, I wouldn't go back to any of them if I could go to Austria instead. St Anton is much better than all of them.

Thankfully I'm going back there in a week's time too! It's a big area, very friendly, not as expensive as France and there's a lot of scope for off piste if that's your thing. Can get busy but the area's big enough for you to get away from the crowds.

The Apres ski there is incredible too, nowhere else gets close.

Just wanted to come on and say THANK-YOU to all the recomendations I got before christams. Managed to get a decent weekend for the Mrs and I out in Megeve. Was on the first slope from my front door in less than 6hrs - cant complain about that. Some cracking snow helped and the village was quiet but had plenty of offer for a romantic weekend away. Much appreciated as always

Awwww!

Group hug?
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Packing my bags for tomorrows trip to 3V.
Yr.No. and XC weather showing snow over the weekend ,Snowforcast showing nothing all week.
Going with a random stranger as i am 'billy no mates' so hopefully he wont be a cross dressing axe murderer .

STW ski trip next year ?

So where in Austria would you guys recommend then? problem is as I don't know the resorts I'm scared to book, don't want lots of drag lifts, intermediate level both boarders.

We had a great time in Mayrhofen - both intermediate level boarders too. Mayrhofen has good bars/restaurants etc but we actually preferred Zell am Ziller which is on the same lift pass ten minutes on the train down the valley as it's much quieter with lots of nice cruisy reds and easily accessable off-piste. Hintertux is about 40 minutes on a bus and has glacier skiing and spectacular views etc. The whole area on the Zillertal ski pass is enormous but as Bunnyhop says you do need to get trains and buses - they are very regular/efficient though.

St Anton is great too - went years and years ago but I seem to remember a lot of it is quite steep.

We really enjoyed St Johann In Tirol last year which is small but links to other nearby resorts and had great snow when we were there.

Zell am See/Kaprun is meant to be good too but I've not been.

STW ski trip next year ?

Tignes from the shortlist.

Après ski in Austria. I assume that was the people hanging around the outside bar for the hour after the piste closed drinking cold beer at minus lots. It was then dead for a few hours (I assume people were eating) then there was more hanging around bars too noisy to hold a conversation in. If that's your kind of thing fine.

I'd rather put my feet up in front of the TV supping a hot chocolate in a flat in Tignes and take a walk around the resort just before bed to watch the foreigners falling over drunk, showing off doing things they can't do drunk or sober and are painful if you fail... .

least 1 STW lurker

*Fire up the pitchforks!*

I_Ache - Member

I'm going to Morzine on the 23rd of Feb so that's as good a reason as any not to go to Avoriaz...

Eh, why would you go to Morzine and not ski Avoriaz ?

It was aimed at munqe chick as in to say stay away as with my ski skills I am a liability.

As it happens I won't be skiing avoriaz because the pass I get with my lessons is only Morzine and Les Gets. I also won't have time outside of my lessons to explore over that way because my kids lessons finish at 2 so there is little point in upgrading. Maybe next time.

L ache good point, we skied a day last weekend at Morzine as it was snowing heavily, so lots of snow there. Saturdays pass is a bargain at 24 Euros as well 🙂

CFH - couldn't find the coffee place, and still not sure where the Terrace is (is it known by a restaurant name or could it have changed hands?), but did manage lunch at Le Bercail - very nice - and après at The Station. The Harper Brothers were playing tonight but I disappeared back to the hotel before they started, sadly.

The Army chaps in the hotel are celebrating Burns night - I've never seen a haggis be addressed before!

It's the bar that's immediately off the bottom of the Alphand, on the left hand side as you ski down. Past the Le Bletonet lift, and just there on the left.

The coffee stop is a tiny little kiosk here just by the door to Regis Sports

http://goo.gl/maps/8e96G - Mappage!

Glad you liked Le Bercail! Did you have the sugar cubes? 🙂