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Spin - looks like Tower Gully
My money is on Meagaidh - easy gully?
[edit - too slow... anyway, what were conditions like? Was out solo in Cairngorms on sat (Loch Avon, Hells Lum, Macdui, Lairig Ghru, Coire an Lochan, Lurchers). Although cover was good everywhere, conditions pretty variable with the wind and new snow and I backed off a couple of things that just didn't feel right. Looks like Meagaidh could have been/will be good for a while yet]
Highlight: Going to Val D'Isere with some really good friends, with fantastic snow conditions.
Lowlight: only getting in 3 days skiing due to catching lurgy and being stuck in bed.
Not over yet, as may be skiing this weekend with nbt (fingers/toes crossed).
Brilliant thread as always flashy.
Highlight - Learning to snowboard and going on my first snowboarding holiday.
Lowlight - Wishing I hadn't learned years earlier.
Highlight; proposing to the other half at the top of Blackcomb glacier.
Low; being mildly disappointed with st Anton. Apre was brilliant but slope variety didn't match my expectations.
cobrakai - really? Did you ride Rendl, Stuben, Zurs, etc. or just St Anton? (in the latter case, I agree with you but think you missed all the best stuff!).
Looks like Meagaidh could have been/will be good for a while yet
It was actually a bit of a mixed bag too. The gully section of Easy Gully was good but we didn't go right to the top as it was clearly windslab. We also attempted Cinderella but again it was a wierd mix of wet snow, windslab and breakable crust, not to mention a massive cornice.
I think there is at least another month of quality skiing in the gorms if you don't mind a bit of a boot. Going to take a look at the gullies on Liathach this weekend.
I really enjoyed St Anton but mainly because we had lots of fresh snow. Zurs was possibly my favourite bit though. Lots of untracked pow everywhere on the ski routes, even two days after it had snowed - much less busy than St Anton itself.
Highlight - probably my missus getting miles better at boarding and finally being able to keep up with me 🙂
Lowlight - not getting round to editing the gopro video yet
Highlight(s):
- watching my two year old having a ball on skis for the first time.
- spending a day looping round the back freeride zones in Jasna blasting through untracked pow.
Lowlight:
- not making it up to Scotland despite an excellent season.
Spin - MemberGoing to take a look at the gullies on Liathach this weekend.
I'm jealous. Have ms bajsyckel's mam to deal with over the weekend so won't be out for over a week... Would love a shot at some of the stuff round the back in decent conditions. Was up around the same time last year and some of the potential lines on Beinn Eighe would have been incredible - if conditions are like that again then you'll be lucky. Slioch too is worth a look, but I don't think there will be much potential right now (and getting in is much more time consuming). Make sure to post some pics up whatever you find.
The word over on UKC is that most of the gullies are complete on Liathach. I know Scott Muir did some of them earlier in the season.
Most of the lines I've seen on Beinn Eighe would take a lot of filling in.
From over on Snowheads
[quote="moffatross"]Latest GFS modelled Thursday into Friday fresh snowfalls are -
40-45 cm @ Glencoe
20-25 cm @ Cairngorm
Followed by light winds and sunshine across Scotland from Saturday through to Monday.
Of course, detail could and will likely change a bit, but for the meantime all I'll say is ... you couldn't make it up. 8)
This weekend's fast blast to ski scotland is looking more and more likely 😀
I didn't make it over to zurs unfortunately. The week I was there (appx 9th March) was warm and in between some massive dumps. A lot was closed due avalanche risk so everyone was channelled through the same bottle necks. All off piste was tracked out so no fun there as we got no fresh.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not writing it off. I could see the potential of the place if the conditions were right. Especially back country and off piste. I don't think I saw it at its best so will definitely be back.
@cobraki - St Anton is world class - try a guiding company like Piste to Powder next time
I think I will invest in some guiding next time. As I said though, I think I was a victim of the conditions.
OK so plenty to choose from as have just come back from spending an incredible season in St. Anton 😆
[b]Highlight[/b]: Night hike at full moon, up from St. Christoph to Galzig, steaming down on fresh pistes, beautiful scenery and down by 12:30 to meet the rest of the gang in Picadilly. Or some of the awesome powder days experienced on Rendl or over at Stuben. Or perhaps the 'Taps Race' day, a small amount of skiing, great friends, food and apres.
[b]Lowlight[/b]: All the hungover 7:30 starts (hard life eh!)
Things learnt: How to ski powder well. How to snowboard (not so well). That I will be coming back for another season next year 😉
i had the best amount of skiing/boarding time this winter mainly due to me being able to resurect an old teaching qualification and doing a full season in glenshee...had 87 full days fo snow...didnt ski/board every day but most days i got out between or after lessons..
highlights
skiing down butcharts with a gin and tonic at night half cut 🙂
2 or 3 epic backcountry days which were mint...
mastering switch skiing and boarding
getting the hang of powder with both planks..
seeing some of the best powder in scotland ive ever seen(you know its good when you come back from chamonix and its just as good in the glen!)
making some great pals
lowlights
the boot saga continues...had 3 pairs of salomon boots and they just dont fit me...gonna look at something else
twisting my knee first week
new gf doing the same and not being able to ski this weekend
closing day at Obergurgl in Tirol yesterday. Thanks for a great season STW, I've enjoyed keeping up with this thread!
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this is what glenshee looks like now.....although the glas maol is almost complete.....we had some cracking t-shirt days...
nice pics whattyre. 87 days is pretty impressive, good work!
I've just booked flights to Tromso in May for a few days touring in the Lyngen Alps with a guy I met on the internet. 😕 Wish me luck, here's hoping the trip is one for the highlights, not the lowlights!
freeridenick - understood! All the best!
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Just bought these bad boys 🙂
Been getting up to the Chill Factore pretty regularly over the past few weeks totally hooked! Doing another lesson tomorrow-I got a deal of 90 quid for 3 2 hour group lessons on Tuesday nights....turns out that I am the group! So basically 3 2 hour private lessons at 30 quid a pop which includes a lift pass-good times!
We're looking at going to Scotland self catering for Xmas week-any recommendations? I've found an apartment in Invergarry for 350 quid for the week which seems pretty reasonable-how close will we be to the slopes?
Tom B - good work on the lessons. It's a cheap time to go snowboarding and buy kit! No idea about Scotland, sorry.
I just bought a £200 ski bag for £100 - still pricey and it's got a ridiculous name (Douchebag - in big letters on the side) but it's a very nicely thought-out bag.
And it's under my desk, packed with touring gear waiting to be taken to Gatwick and put on a plane to Tromso!
Cheers Ned-did another lesson last night....I'm doing reasonably well I think!
I have GOT to go on a snow holiday next season! Seen a good deal through crystal in Les Deux Alps....any idea what it's like there? Suitable for a noob?
look at action-outdoors/UCPA.
great if your travelling solo, plus all inclusive tuiton/food/lift pass etc.
Tom, are you on a board or skis?
Either way, look for somewhere with a good school and get some lessons. Given your progress in the fridge, you'll learn really well in the mountains!
At this point, I have to recommend these guys - http://www.ski-school-connections.co.uk/ They're awesome, and Serre Che is ace for almost all levels! If on a board, there are very few flats you can't carry speed across.
Plus, assuming Mrs B comes too, there's some great food on the hill and in the valleys, an a great thermal bath at Monetier if she feels like a change.
Flashy I think the clue is in the photo ^^ 😉Tom, are you on a board or skis?
Tom B - never been to Leux Alps, however you may consider somewhere such as Flaine for a first time jolly. Not the prettiest of places but lots of piste, with ski in ski out options and reasonably priced.
@Tom - Duex Alps not too bad for noob's as the easy slopes are high up (the hard skiing is all down to the village and can be rocky/closed).
Xmas week is about the most expensive of the season (second only to New Year and Feb half term). Conditions can be variable as it's early.
A top tip for bargain hunting is to book last min the week before Christmas, wait to see if/when the snow comes. You can take flights and leave resort till last minute.
FYI we did that this year with White Room Chalet (stevo posts on here) - they have a great setup
Cheers gents, some good advice here! Yep, on a board flashy...hence my picture of snowboarding boots 🙂
My initial thinking is that we'll end up in Scotland xmas week and a varying amount of snowboarding will be done....I may head out alone to the Alps in either Feb half term or Easter to get some proper boarding done, getting lessons etc....and I thought mtbing was expensive!
Lowlights - only having 9 days on the snow this year (compared with 35+days each year for the past 5 yrs
Highlights - splitboard Touring in the Alps and staying in the Grnd St Bernard Hospice
@ Nedrapier - Hope you have/had a great trip to the Lyngen Alps - I loved it there last year!!
@ stevomcd - shame about the level 3 - good luck for next year!!
....and I thought mtbing was expensive!
You have much to learn...
Cheers Digby! It's warm as hell up there at the moment. Think we might have to go nocturnal!
St Bernard Hospice has been on the list for ages. Never had vacancies and conditions at the same time...
Flashy I think the clue is in the photo ^^
Yep, on a board flashy...hence my picture of snowboarding boots
Erm. Yes. Obviously. 😳
Take up skiing. It's betterer. 😉
Highlights - splitboard Touring in the Alps and staying in the Grnd St Bernard Hospice
Nice. Saw that place on Ski Sunday with Ed and Graham staying at it. Looked pretty epic.
Until next year, farewell my fellow snow lovers.
It has been a particularly good season. First powder holiday, first black run, some great crashes.
*sob*
Is it cheesy sunset on the pistes time yet?
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FAO Tom B, thats what Les 2 Alpes looks like looking down from the glacier
http://www.gulabinoutdoors.co.uk/accommodation/
This is my bosses(ski school at glenshee) place...it's really nice,self catering and about a million times better than the spittal hotel...takes family's/dogs and is cheap.. 🙂
I'll be dual qualified by then so if you get a lesson you may get me! It all hinges on wether there is snow of course!
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Thats more like it, les 2 Alpes in fromagerama.
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😀
Les Deux Alps.
One ski resort i vowed never to return to. Hated it , the whole ugly road town vast traverse to get from one side to the other .
Never seen so many people queueing to get down a mountain on a gondala before.
Learning snowboarding ? Smaller resort in Italy will suffice as you dont need 200kms of pistes.
Had a day trip to Deux Alpes this year from AdH and loved it. Loads of powder and a great restaurant on the Fee. Returned down Diable through a pea soup cloud inversion straight into town, short walk and hit the beer before our bus came.
Didn't experience STM's traverse and I probably wouldn't want to learn there, but I'd definitely go back.
very nice indeed Nedrapier! ... very nice! 8)
Les Deux Alps - to be honest it was 30 years since I was there butitt was ok, quite a few cruisey blues and reds and the epic black you get to out of a tunnel onto a "cliff". They had a decent amount of snow making back then too.
Ahh, I thought that was Alp D'huez?and the epic black you get to out of a tunnel onto a "cliff".
another effort: descent from Daltinden, Lyngen Alps, 16th May
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Absolutely incredible place. I will be back! More pics to follow. Camera broke on the second day, when we went to the north of the peninsula, overlooking glassy smooth fjords and the Norwegian Sea. Will have to wait for my touring partner to get home from his Svalbard trip for pics of the second day.
Any advice on what size snowboard I should be on?
I'm 5 foot 10 and 68kg Size 10 boots.
I've been on a 156cm board, and at the suggestion of my instructor tried a 158cm board last night-hard to tell at this stage if it was better as I get more confident with each session etc but dont really have the skillz to notice a 2cm difference in board length.
Anyway, various sizing guides that I've looked at suggest a 155cm board as an all rounder......given that I want to get into freestyle stuff as a way of getting the most out of spending most of my boarding days in a fridge, then does a 155 board seem like a good choice?
For what it's worth I had a great evening out on the skis in the Northern Corries of Cairngorm yesterday.