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

If its any consolation freeridenick's pictures made me quite emotional too - only done a tiny bit of proper 'back country' stuff but its probably what I would like to do most of all - not sure I will ever have the strength/fitness again though. Putting my bindings on at altitude is sometimes a struggle. 🙂

Good to hear you still had some fun and at least Jules was ill too. 😛

That Nippergripper looks like a great idea. My oldest is having lessons up the mountain this year so will be fine but my youngest will try and chase after her but is only in the Piou Piou Garden so wont be able to.

Advice needed. Seemed the right thread. Where to ski at Easter with two kids (12,13) who haven't skied since they were 5 and 6 and only been once. Plan is we all learn to snowboard (as I've skied loads and my wife hardly at all so we thought we'd all start something together). Family view is Italy preferred.

Apart from that, pretty open to ideas...

Easter is pretty early this year - mid march - so more or less anywhere shojld be good. I learned to ski at Passo Tonale, and can recommend that for you. I also like the Aosta Valley as it's pretty, but the resorts can be expensive.

I was in Grenoble on Saturday and it was chaos. Yes it's changeover day but the desks were in melt-down. All the flights missed their slots as they couldn't clear the check-in queues fast enough.

All those moaning about Grenoble have clearly never been via Turin...!

Just got back lastnight from Nendaz, a short break but big on snow, over 2' whilst we were there, 1' on the last night so we got a few powder turns in before leaving.

Hello - I'm back after a week away in The Dolomites (Canazei).

First time there and impressed with the place in terms of natural beauty. Probably one of the prettiest places we've ever skied/boarded. (No doubt helped by glorious sunshine, blue skies, quiet slopes and an enormous ski area).

The actual slopes were a bit cruisey - generally big wide reds with the odd flat bit - but they suited our mixed ability group pretty well.

There was a ton of slackcountry riding to be had - but conditions were a bit sketchy and there were signs of slides so we were fairly conservative. Did ride a nice spine at one point so hopefully have video of that soon.

Lil'GrahamS had her first ski lessons (at 2 and a half). She was a wee natural and is already a better skier than me. I even got her on a board with me on the last day:

[img] [/img]
[i]#prouddad[/i]

Teh AWSUMZ! 😉

Having now watched Nick's video I wish we'd got a guide and gone for some more backcountry stuff.

We did get as far as chatting to the folk at tourist info about it but decided against it because conditions weren't great and my mate's bum knee was playing up. Not that we could hack all that hiking anyway, but a little bit further off the beaten track would have been nice. As it was we stuck to lift-accessible slackcountry.

That's great Graham its brilliant seeing them ski for the first time. This year I will be able to ski with my oldest, I can't wait. I have the GoPro charged and ready to film it.

Au cours de ces vingt dernières années, seuls trois autres hivers ont été aussi neigeux en 1993-94, 2002-03 et 2008-09.

From the local paper. It's been a good one and there's snow falling in abundance now. So much I fear all the racing will be concelled for the third weekend in a row.

La Vonn injured out. Sounds nasty.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-sports/21342202

So, here's a picture of her. Just because.
[img] [/img]

🙂

The french telemark champs was cancelled at Auris en Oisans last weekend.

Great stuff Graham, top work from your daughter.

CFH - Turin airport was practically empty both times we've been there.

Alex - we go every year at Easter and only had a problem with rapidly deteriorating snow once, it had been a pretty bad season anyway but it was 20+C when we were there. But if you want to go to Italy and be safe just in case I'd head for Cervinia. Really high (2000m at resort level), slopes are wide and relatively gentle so good for learning on.
Either that or leave it til the last minute until you know what conditions will be like and chose anywhere...

Thinking of a cheeky long weekend to avoriaz from 4-8 April. Would this still be worth doing? Or should we bring our bikes by then?

We don't need perfect conditions, some snow would be nice.

Anyone done it?

Simone

Not Avoriaz, but as previous post we've only had one Easter (sometimes travelling after you intend to) recently where we couldn't ski everywhere in the area and even then we could ski everywhere over 2000m, was a bit wet at times though.

Ta for the replies. Think we'll look for a last minute deal then based on snow conditions... we're pretty flexible with times

Yeah, PDS would not be on my shortlist for April snow, even if Avoriaz is the highest resort in that area. You really need somewhere where the majority of runs are way above 2000m to enjoy a week without skiing porridge the entire holiday. So in France Val Thorens, Tignes , Les 2 Alpes.

as I posted above, easter is in mid march this year so saying "go high for easter" is slightly nonsensical - it depends when easter is. For a couple or for a bunch of single blokes, then waiting and booking last minute should be fine. As you're booking for a family, you might find your rooming choices somewhat constrained if you choose to wait

Isn't Easter Sunday 31st March?

Yep, we fly out on 31st - Easter Sunday. School hols round my way start on Good Friday and last for 2 weeks. Next year Easter (religious holiday) is much later, but the school holidays start first Saturday in April - a week later than this year.

It would be a safer bet to aim high especially if booking now, but last year we were in Kitzbuhel (760m and skiing up to 2,000m) and all was fine. Not heeding my own advice this year we're going to Ski Amade and which is nearly as low as Kitzbuhel - but has a huge skiable area so even in the worst conditions we should be able to find somewhere to ski.

My mistake, for some reason I was working on it being the weekend prior to that sorry. Just remembered it wrongly

Was in Bardonnechia (close to Italian/French border) last week. Tuesday and Wednesday we had VERY warm conditions, temps well into double figures at resort level and warm enough for jackets off outside the cafe at 2000m. For the snow this resulted in a lot of melting and refreezing so lots of big icy patches that don't appear to have been noted on the Ski Club GB reports.
Anyone know how much further into the Alps the warm weather extended?

It was plus 7 at one point is Val d'Isere last week, and someone mentioned seeing 11 deg C on one board

Just been reading that Sochi, the venue for the next Winter Olympics is usually around 11C at the time the games are planned. Silly....!

is that in the mountains or in Sochi itself?

Report seemed to say that they were having to bring in 400+ snow cannons, so it would appear that the resort itself is rather warm!

Probably no more cannons than a typical resort has, so possibly just a contingency. They probably thought Whistler was a safe bet last time round, but they struggled for snow.

Makes me wonder what it's going to be like in South Korea.

Sorry to hear about your lurgy too Jane - another trip later in the season?

So, a plea to everyone going out to the ski resorts: Please, if you have a cold or cough, could you cough into your sleeve and not your hand and then use the hand straight after to pick food from the breakfast buffet. Please also blow your nose into a hankerchief which then gets put into a bin. (our hotel put out handwash) at the side of the buffet and no one used it).
I was a bit fed up of watching adults coughing while in warm cablecars without making an effort to cover their mouths and spreading germs.

Also germs thrive in the fact we leap out of the very cold air and into a warm telecabin or such like.

Moan over -as you were.

Flashy yes have been to most major airports near ski resorts and Grenoble was the worst.

We also saw Lindsey Vonn crash live yesterday, it was shocking to see, poor lass, her season is definitely over. Chemmy did well though 🙂

GrahamS - that photo is lovely 😀

GrahamS - that photo is lovely 😀

Thanks. I do look rather good in it don't I? 😉

Just finalised the UK leg of my Slovakia trip. Only two weeks to go. [i]Excitedbean.[/i]

AND I've got a shiny new CX bike hopefully arriving sometime during those two weeks to distract me.

😀

Really sorry to hear all that.

Don't give up! I'm sure at some point you'll be able to have a good illness-free trip. I used to be quite blasé about germs etc but definitely more conscious of it now. Planes are a killer for spreading illness unfortunately. When I first went again after getting ill I tried to think of it like any skiing at all was a bonus - ended up doing a lot more than I thought I would.

I know it's easier said than done but for me it's important to try not to let it get you too stressed/down as that just makes it worse.

AND I've got a shiny new CX bike hopefully arriving sometime during those two weeks to distract me.

You're one step closer to being a telemarker...! It's not too late!

[quote=CaptainFlashheart ]You're one step closer to being a telemarker...! It's not too late!

Free the heel, free the mind

[i]Stop the brutal grooming![/i]

Jane
I always get ill on skiing holidays .
This trip I went overboard with 1000mg effervesant Vit C tabs.
I put 1 in a 500ml water bottle and drank that throug the day .
At night I had another tablet dissolved in a mug by my bed. When I woke up i drank a load then went back to sleep.
Seemed to work as there were lots of ill people on the bus and plane , and so far I appear to be OK.
Why not self drive and self cater?
OK its more hassle but you remove some of the contact time with sick people, OK so you cannot use a bubble exclusively although chairs you sort of can by acting like a numpty in the queue.

Good idea Rob.
Jules would never drive (you are at least 4-5 hours nearer anyway than us).

A friend had one of these nasel spray things that they use over at British cycling. The minute you feel any sort of lurgy coming on, then stick it up and spray. Anyone tried anything like this?

I know Sir Dave Brailsford has got the cycling team into proper handwashing and keeping general germs and bugs at bay with sprays etc.

Another ski holiday illness sufferer you all have my sympathy, only missed one days skiing though others have been rather weary. I now do what STM does and dose myself up with all sorts prior to heading out.

I find continental pharmacies very good at handing out all sorts of wonder potions that seem to make you feel a bit better than you seem to get in the uk.

For a lot of people skiing is much harder exercise than they usually do and enough to supress your immune system. Add cold, dry air that impairs the flushing mechanisms of your nose and throat and you're more vulnerable.

I find sprays irritate and are counter productive but give my immune system the best possible chance with plenty of calories at regular intervals, a healthy diet, no booze, adequate clothing, sleep and avoiding people in the half hour after a hard X-C session which is probably when my immune sytem is weakest.

Edit: I've noted the Brits in the resort are the ones that ski till they drop, drink to excess, stay out late and stand around outside the bars in disco clothes. 😉

It was 20 degrees at 700m last Wednesday near Grenoble. Was a nice change from the Uk ish grey of the last couple of weeks.

Anyway had a great day skiing* in the Vercors and drinking chocolat chaud and eating crepes with Mini Mugsy today. Decided to keep the sunny days before I head back to Borat land for work for bike training so going skiing by myself in the clag tomorrow.

* in the snow garden, we nearly undertook his 1st button lift but he opted for valour and stuck to the tapis roulant.

Have fun all.

Brits go to the Pyrennes? Thought you were our only representative down there Ed... 😉

In 64 we're on vigilance orange for avalanches at present which means the roads up to many smaller resorts will probably be closed by the Gendarmes in the morning. Another metre of snow has fallen since yesterday which added to January's already impressive falls means we're wating for "the big one".

Woken up to yet another dump of snow in Kirchdorf - it's snowed 4 days out of 5. Steinplatte was excellent yesterday.

Only two decisions to make today - where to go and do I ski or hire a board 😉

The ski resort with the most snow at the moment is [url= http://www.larepubliquedespyrenees.fr/2013/02/06/meteo-record-du-monde-d-enneigement-a-cauterets,1116635.php ]Cauteret.[/url]

Don't come to whistler, haven't had good snow since december!

I manage to do the 'picking up a foreign bug' thing too this year. Felt crap for the last two days but through sheer stubborness didn't miss any lifts-open time. Coming home on Sunday I let it all wash over me and spent the day in a snotty stupor, to the extent that I managed to leave my jacket somewhere and not realise until getting off the plane at Gatwick.

Dumping hard in Slovakia.
[url=

Snowboards just mentioned on facebook[/url] that they had a 40cm overnight fall in the town 😀

Fingers crossed it stays like that till the end of the month.
Not sure the new gondolas will cope though...

[img] [/img]

😉

Edukator - I do put it down to the alcohol a little. I exercise more when at home, but I'm on holiday so have the odd drink, though rarely to excess. I'll have to wait until Jnr is a bit older until I'm stood outside with him drinking in my disco clothes - I'm going to get old disgracefully.

Graham - what's happening there? The surely haven't had that much snow! When we were in Arabba I noticed having to duck down to get my lift pass recognised, there was more than the usual snow underfoot so the turnstiles were lower than usual (and it's not because I'm tall as I'm only 5' 10).

I actually find it rather hard to drink a lot when on a skiing holiday. No idea why, possibly the cold, possibly the exertion. A pint or two at the end of the last run, perhaps a pastis before dinner and a glass of wine or two over dinner and I'm pooped! Must be getting old!

Rarely drink at lunchtime these days, either. Well, beyond sharing a carafe of rosé, that is...! 🙂

Until I discovered Bombardino I didn't drink at lunchtime either, but any stop became Bombardino o'clock when we were away last time.

I'll probably have 3-4 large beers a night max, maybe a couple more when we're away for Christmas day.

I think that's kind of Edukator's point. Most of those amounts would seem a lot to your average français.

Great time skiing today in the Vercors, almost too much snow. Not bad considering I took Etienne to school and picked him up and managés just under 4 hours skiing.

I think the Brit drinking is quite tame compared with some nationalities.

My drinking was limited in Serre Che the other week. Nothing at lunch, a vin chaud or two après, then a couple of glasses of wine with dinner and bed by 8 or 9!!!

Off to Kreischberg with the lads in a couple of weeks though, so a different story will be told. Austrian apres is sooooooo much more fun! I am token girl and usually manage to keep up, but hopefully the fact that most of the boys are now dads will slow them down a bit.

Mugsy - the lit I worked with in Lyon used to down a bottle of wine each for lunch, but then that was maybe to numb the effects of having to work for who we did!

Ah but vin with a meal isn't drinking.. it's merely part of the eating experience.... 😆

My MIL always offers me a whisky as an aperitif, makes me laugh all the time and it's become a legend between Mrs Mugsy and myself.
But we got all paranoid the other night and started to wonder if it really was that odd.

One thing's for sure, after today's skiing my lurgy that the whole family has had and has been lurking with me has fully stood up. Felt so grim when I got back home.

Decided my Bandit B2's are dying. My first skis and 9 years old. They don't seem as springy as they used to be, and the edges are constantly going out of tune. Thinking of getting some K2 wayback's: anyone got them?

Off to the Dolomites for 5 days tomorrow! Decided today! 😀

Just taken a detour home to pick up a new pack (North Face Patrol 24, looks very well thought out) and turned a 6 mile ride home in the pissing rain into a 15 mile ride home in the pissing rain. I had a little tickly throat before, so fingers crossed I won't succumb to any of that lurgy up there ^

Hooray for me, etc.

Next question: which board to take?

The fast as hell, stiff as hell, bit of a handful 176 Prior swallowtail (2001 vintage)

The 161 salomon freestyle board from 1998 that's still in OK nick

The 164 rockered splitboard, despite the fact that I'm not going to be doing any touring. (it's still awesome)

Can't help with the board choice, but have fun Ned.

there's a great chance we will, cheers!

Easy enough to take them all with bindings off innit? Then you have options depending on conditions. We took three boards and two sets of boots and bindings in one bag on our last trip.

I have a mate who has to stop for hot wine approximately every 45 minutes. I once had to wait at the top of a drag lift wondering what qas going on for about 20 minutes as he 'needed' one to get up the lift.

Graham - what's happening there? The surely haven't had that much snow!

Nah - it was taken during construction 😀
But it was doing the rounds on facebook with various people slagging off the Slovaks for building the lifts so low 🙄
See http://vas.cas.sk/clanok/7450/verejny-vysmech-na-facebooku-slovaci-sa-bavia-na-zaseknutej-milionovej-lanovke.html (or Google Translate if your Slovak is a bit rusty 😉 )

Until I discovered Bombardino I didn't drink at lunchtime either, but any stop became Bombardino o'clock when we were away last time.

Ah yes. Bombardino. Tried them for the first time this year. Not unlike drinking hot alcoholic custard.

[img] [/img]

Also tried Campari and Soda this year (when in [s]Rome[/s] [i]Italy[/i]..)
Utterly vile. Tastes like parma violet sweets that grannies like, disolved in some dishwater.

On the subject of alcohol - on the group/family holiday we regularly get fairly trolleyed (in a responsible middle-class way) but normally only in apres bars and the free wine at dinner.

On the slopes it's just the odd hot chocolate mit rum.
Though the skier in the group does carry two medicinal hip flasks: anyone that has a big stack or is flagging is offered a choice of brandy or Cointreau 😀

Very poor pinky-finger action there, Graham. Must try harder.

😉

Very poor pinky-finger action there, Graham. Must try harder.

This any better?

[img] [/img]

By the way Flashy, OT but [url= http://blog.mamami.co.uk/2011/11/14-steps-to-follow-before-you-decide-to.html ]you might enjoy this[/url].

Liking your work there, sir, so very true!

And - Top pinky action!

The bus up the hill was cancelled due to too much snow on the road so I'm stcuk down on the plain. 🙁 The bus company says they reckon the early morning bus should make it though. 🙂

... and home is?

S****horpe.

Believe me, there was no snow in Scunny today 🙂
Hope there's not too much on the hairpins up to AdH [i]tomorrow[/i] afternoon...

Les Pyrénées. I feel stupid posting where home is on every post and hope people on the thread will remember if I mention the place from time to time. "Up the hill" is [url= http://www.larepubliquedespyrenees.fr/2013/02/08/trop-plein-de-neige-a-gourette-les-pompiers-en-action-pour-soulager-la-station,1116937.php ]here[/url]. If those guys finish I can go bouldering tomorrow evening.

Ah yes Graham, I forgot the hip flask! Got bought one a couple of years ago and forgot to take it away with me every trip until the last one. Almost felt like a character on Eastenders having a bad day and necking neat vodka (except I had rum and wasn't having a bad day).

Need to get faster to keep up with my 6 year old.

Going back to lessons with help, but what about a stiffer all-mountainish board? I currently ride a Volkl Coal.

Going to test a couple of all-mountain boards at the local Xscape, but it's not really the same as a proper hill. What should I look out for when I test them?

Any thoughts on fast stable boards? I'll be keeping the Volkl so I'll still have a soft fun board.

Edit: 6 foot and 16 stone if that influences it. My view of flexi might not be other people's.

Back after a great week in Kirchdorf. Not much in the village area itself but good stuff on Steinplatte and St Johann. I was absolutely gutted not to have got to Feiberbrunn but as it was the GF's first time skiing we made the most of the hours available rather than the two buses it would have taken to get there.

Now left with a dilemma. I've skied the past two holidays but prior to that had a 2 year gap, before which I boarded for 6 years and before that skied for 30 odd years. The original reason I started boarding was because the ex-missus was slow and I got bored and although my new GF did very well on her first week, it's going to take a while for her to get any real speed up. I don't really mind a few slow runs as I can whip off into the off-piste light/reds/blacks and meet up at junctions etc. but what really brought it home was on the last day, one of the instructors took pity on me (he had been watching me patiently sticking with the GF most of the time and he ditched his private lesson pupil (who was knackered) at a bar and took me on a wicked powder run through the trees with some moderately steep/deep stuff.

This is where the dilemma kicks in, as although I enjoyed it (despite a couple of comedy moments) I couldn't help feeling that it would have been better on a board, even though I've always felt that I was a much more competent skier than boarder. Seems that nowadays I'm not much more than barely competent at either 😐

Apologies for long ramble but there is a possibility I may get away again in April and I'm feeling that I should concentrate on one or the other so that my one or two weeks a year can maintain/improve the skill level.

Anyone else had to make a decision and if so, which did you choose? Equipment/cost is not an issue, as I still have all my gear for both.

igm: Just how fast is this 6 year old?? 😯

Isn't the Coal a super-stiff race board? [url= http://www.voelkl-snowboards.com/products/boards/freeride-all-mountain/coal-xt.html ]Volkl rate it as 9/10 for stiffness[/url].

Woody: can't comment on skiing but I'm very familiar with boarding in a mixed ability group.

We generally mess around a lot on the slow runs: practising butters, riding switch, dropping into piste-side slackcountry, carving etc (there were a lot of slow runs in The Dolomites).

We'll normally split from the group at least once a day to go on a powder hunt and we'll do the black home run while they get the gondy down.

Have to say though, my main solution is to book a second cheapo holiday [i]sans[/i] family and beginners 😀 That way I can relax and cruise on the main holiday knowing I have some cheeky fun coming up.

Back from the Dolomites (Arabba). Excellent time again, as usual. Snow was pretty decent all week too.

Ended up a bit of a "see how many miles you can rack up" week, after clocking up 97km one day, then having to go back out and claim the 100km a day or so later. 310km skied / 500km total inc. lifts etc.

Had a play on a pair of Stöckli FIS race stock slaloms for a day - me likey 🙂 Nimbletastic skis that need to be skied properly - no sitting back unless you want them to throw you off (had a couple of "reminders" for lazy skiing, but survived). Think I prefer them to the retail spec Atomic and Salomon GS I tried before.

Mmmm @ Bombardino, but prefer Calimero personally (same thing, but with shot of espresso too).

Pics later.

Outdoor skiing again today in Ogden if anyone nearby fancies it. I can't make it.

This is where the dilemma kicks in, as although I enjoyed it (despite a couple of comedy moments) I couldn't help feeling that it would have been better on a board, even though I've always felt that I was a much more competent skier than boarder. Seems that nowadays I'm not much more than barely competent at either

I can ski pretty well but prefer boarding. Nothing in the world quite like gliding through fresh powder on a snowboard IMO.

Ended up a bit of a "see how many miles you can rack up" week, after clocking up 97km one day, then having to go back out and claim the 100km a day or so later

LOL - our biggest day was about 30km of piste (according to that skibeep website). We're not a fast group 😀

Strangely that 100km day was largely in Alpe di Siusi / Seiseralm, which was almost like a langlauf fest. Lots and lots of poling, or at least it felt that way. No way were any of the red runs red - more like a perfect blue for teaching drills on.

Outdoor skiing again today in Ogden if anyone nearby fancies it

Nothing in the world quite like gliding through fresh powder on a snowboard IMO.

Our biggest day was 48.8 miles, although we didn't set any targets Jnr and I were pretty disappointed that we didn't manage to eeek out an extra 1.2 miles! and it was a our last day so we couldn't better it.

Strangely that 100km day was largely in Alpe di Siusi / Seiseralm, which was almost like a langlauf fest. Lots and lots of poling, or at least it felt that way.

Yeah - they're not quite so much fun on a board. 😀

Sometimes I quite like the challenge of approaching full-speed then running flat & straight on a long blue just to make it to the end (and then waiting nonchalantly at the end for those forced to do the Walk Of Shame)

But generally they are a pain. I wish the maps would identify them more clearly - blue seems to cover everything from flat narrow road to nursery slope to actually-quite-steep-in-places.

Sometimes I quite like the challenge of approaching full-speed then running flat & straight on a long blue just to make it to the end (and then waiting nonchalantly at the end for those forced to do the Walk Of Shame)

But generally they are a pain. I wish the maps would identify them more clearly - blue seems to cover everything from flat narrow road to nursery slope to actually-quite-steep-in-places.

Agreed, the map would be especially useful for poor visibility days where you can't see that it flattens out, so you know to let it run a bit.