wallop - that's the village (which is indeed very nice!). The resort is higher up the mountain (turn left off the Tignes road at La Thuile). Also really nice - sensible planning rules means it's all low-rise wood and stone.
Should have stopped instead of going to Tignes. Way better riding here! 😉
Evening Cap'n.
I'm back over to the UK for Christmas so thinking of getting a cheeky trip in for the new year.
I'll definitely be getting some Asian skiing in next year, probably Japan though am tempted to check out [url= http://www.skihimalaya.com/gulmarg/index.php ]Gulmarg [/url]in India for some serious powder.
Oh wow - Gulmarg looks amazing!
Can you post up details if you get some more up to date info on costs etc. Cheers
Ben, email when you're here! Beers?
As mentioned, a couple of piccies from Serre Che. Mostly from January 2012, the signpost one was March 2011 when it was HOT!
Overall, it's a rather sunny place...!
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Yours truly in the distance, grinning like a loon at all the corduroy to play on! Everyone else was in the valley, looking at the clouds. We got up above 'em nice and early!
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View from a South facing room at the lovely Plein Sud. There's a great place to by saucisson on the road just below the hotel.
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Yret is the pick here. Fast, huge and normally empty red.
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Lovely little stop for un 'tit cafe between the Vallons lift and Frejus village.
That looks fab! Thanks for posting them.
Forgot to say, if you look at where the arrow for Col du Vent is pointing, that's the top of the Cucumelle. From the top of Vallons or Cucumelle lift, you can hike it a little way up there for a massive area of slack/off that can run as far as you like!
The Cucumelle red, also up that way, is an awesome piste to play on as well.
One warning, a few of the chairs above Monetier aren't the quickest!
Dropping left on the top pic (Above Grand Serre) takes you on to a massive mogul field. Rather fun.
Best day you can have? Start first lift, after coffee at Sandrine's, natch. Head over to Briancon. All the way down, then back up and down in to each village along the length of the valley. Ears popping with altitude change all the way!
Thoes pics look ace.
This winter will hopefully be the odd weekend in the Scottish ski centres and possibly maybe a cheeky few days in Slovakia over new year if i can convince the other half.
Kit wise i will be looking for some new board pants as i put a hole in mine last season that was fixed by super gluing a patch over it. This was far from a delicate job so looks a bit crap.
Any recommendation on deals on clothing greatefully recieved.
[edit] so far the best place i have found for cheap reasonable quality ski/board gear is sports direct, and their helly hansen stuff. Some is at 50% and 70% off [/edit]
Any recommendation on deals on clothing greatefully recieved.
Likewise. Didn't manage to find a suitable (snowboarding) jacket in the sales after last season. I'm hoping this season will offer a bit more choice than garish-block-colours or C&A anorak. 😀
100! Already! Good work, folks! 🙂
Snowboarding is soooooooo 90's. Discuss.
Just been looking at the "put the heart back into STW" thread.
Snowboarding is soooooooo 90's
Wooo hoo - I've finally got that hipster retro cool I've been looking for 😀
Things appear to be going well for the brand new gondola that will open up the South Chopok area in Jasná (Slovakia):
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Due to open this season. Will completely transform the area I think.
GrahamS How far is that from Bratislava?
Possible day trip teritory?
Great photos CFH ! ... especially the composition of the 'beer on the balustrade' picture ! 🙂
GrahamS How far is that from Bratislava?
Possible day trip teritory?
Mmmmm... it'd be a very long day! Train takes between 3-4 hours to go from Bratislava to Liptovský Mikuláš - see http://www.zssk.sk/en
Then from there you've got to get yourself from the town up to the actual hill.
However, I imagine Chalet Slovakia and Propaganda will both offer beds on a one night basis IF they have space available, so possibly a stay-over trip might work.
Thanks, Digby! A couple more.....
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I can only go in December but not sure where yet.
Any recommendations, somewhere good for boarding and with a decent ski school so that 3 year old can have her first lessons.
OK cool cheers for that, my girlfriend and i took the train from Bratislava to Liptovský Mikuláš last summer so i know how long it takes. I didn't realise it was that far up.
Flashy - Have you got any pictures of you actually skiing? 😉
They all appear to be about food (not complaining, as I always want to know where the nearest cafe stop is).
Bunnyhop, I'm in one on the previous page! 🙂
I'm usually the camera-lackey, so sadly don't appear in many pictures....!
For snowboard clothing deals keep an eye on the Westbeach site. Last year they had a 70% off sale during the summer. For some reason their European online shop is down at the mo though...
Arinsal in January and La Thuile in March. Oh, and does Castleford XScape count? Went there a couple of weeks ago as a 'six months to go' refresher course. As for new kit, there's nothing I [b]need[b but now that the sales are on...
Fernie for 7 weeks, yeah baby! Will put me in debt for years but worth it for the deep powder (and chunky Canadian men). 😆
Kit-wise it's Full Tilt boots and Line Sir Francis Bacons.
Has anyone been to Chill Factore at Trafford? Probably pants but a snow fix to keep me going and might be quiet in Sept when the kids go back to school?
Chill factore is o.k for an hour, more than that and you'll be bored.
Fernie - brilliant! We went for a couple of days (as part of a Canadian road trip)and liked it so much, went back for a fortnight a few years later. Didn't get any powder though on the second trip, however the first one was great (until I had a bad accident).
Winter in Vancouver and just bought some Volkl Mantras and had new boots last season but only got 15 days in them so they're all good to go!!
So tempted to get a new jacket but will probably wait and go to Arcteryx factory store in North Vancouver.
I'm starting to get way too excited and there's ages to wait still and more summer to be had!!
Only bad news is OH can't come this year as she starts a course in September for a while. Might be able to fly her out for a little holiday though. Fingers crossed.
Hi Bunnyhop. Yeah I really hope it's a good season for snow. I can cope if the men are shallow but not the powder!! 😈
I'll give chill factore a go for an hour then. I think they have freestyle stuff to play on some nights. Providing I don't break my leg.
I think they have freestyle stuff to play on some nights.
If they're anything like the freestyle nights at Hemel, you'll need to dress the part...
[img] http://easyloungin.com/forum/topic.php?bb_attachments=203157&bbat=14078&inline [/img]
Bring the steez!
Woody - Will do, Gulmarg does look brilliant.
Captain - Beers sounds good. Should be in London village the weekend of the 22nd of December.
zesty7 - Fernie is one of my favourite places in the world! I did a season there a few years ago and have spent a month there each winter for the past 3 years - you will have an amazing time and 7 weeks is long enough to ensure some epic powder days! 🙂
you'll need to dress the part...
Holy fershizzle! Thanks for the warning. I have a three man tent I could wear if that's the look.
Hey Digby. Sounds like you have a great lifestyle sorted going for a month every year, you lucky git! I'm hoping to use this trip to make my mind up about getting out of the ratrace. I think I already know the answer. 😀
See you there if you're going in 2013.
Zesty, does it come in garish colours?
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Can you wear it unzipped and flapping?
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Fuh shizzle, braw!
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(For clarity, almost all of these people are certainly better than me on skis!)
zesty7 - next season will be the first winter since 2007 that I won't be heading to Fernie 🙁 ... I haven't even bought my early bird ski-pass this year!
Hoping to head out there in the summer next year though as I hear the summers are fantastic
Hope Fernie helps you make your mind up about leaving the rat-race!
Have a look at the following book by Lisa McGonigle :
[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Snowdrift-Lisa-McGonigle/dp/0889822719/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345210158&sr=8-1-spell ]Snowdrift[/url]
Thanks for the fashion tips Cap'n. I'll go with the orange tent and flaps open. 😳
Book ordered, thanks Digby.
Small children mean I'm not getting away every year like I used to, but I HOPE I can get ANYWHERE with snow this year. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.....
New Year in BC again probably.
Bardonecchia mid season to visit a few friends (I lived there for a wee while)
bi monthly trips up to Nevis Range or Glencoe/Glenshee if the weather is decent.
Plus....a descent of Ben Lui if I can find someone daft enough to climb it with me once the conditions are right 🙂 Definitely going to need a GoPro for that!
peterfile - Ben Lui Central Gully has been on my list for YEARS. Not likely to do it now as I'm full-time resident in the Alps. Did get Tower Gully on the Ben done though!
Following on from "the way we were, the stuff we wore" comments, here's a "then and now".
A silly one from yonks ago and a pic from what you love doing now.
cling-film speed suits for uni races in Val D'Isere, 1998/99? Me on the left, with the lion's share of the cling film.
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Sunset stroll from camp, Sodal valley, last April.
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Ned - BUSC!?
Don't think so, crispo, It was some Daily Telegraph Uni thing. I won it, so it can't have been very well attended. Certainly Gary Ford, who beat me every time out, wasn't there.
*shakes fist shake into the clouds shouting "GAR-RYYY!!"*
Got flights booked to Innsbruck in the February holidays. The mini greasers passed their initiation test on Cairngorm this Winter so they've earned a trip to Oetztal.
My wife need new boots and been thinking about trying Alain Baxter in Stirling. Anyone been?
Just to let everyone know - I went to solutions4feet today to pop in and talk about boots - [b]it's closed until 30th August[/b] but I believe the internet side is open.
I spent a week in Kuhtai, in Austria back in feb due to work. All expenses paid, But was driving instead of flying. Really good venue, hoping to be back next year.
As far as new kit goes, some scarpa maestrale boots.
With regards to skis, undecided between some ski-grab volares skis.
http://skitrab.com/en-jp/c-9-piuma-evo/15-volare.html
Or something from black crows.
http://www.blackcrows-skis.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=359&Itemid=60&lang=en
Lots of berries on the Rowan trees here en ecosse...
Fingers crossed for a snowy winter here because 3 weeks abroad just isn't enough skiing.
Conditions permitting this winter in Scotland I shall be mostly combining climbing easy(ish!) routes to access quality backcountry descents.
Bring it on.
