[Closed] The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2013-2014 season

How many times per day would be considered obsessional when checking snow forecasts? 🙂

Just got back from Finland and the skiing was mixed. Very good snow when we first got there but the the temperature (unusually) rose to about 1-2 Deg C for a day which then made conditions quite icy when the temperature dropped again. We then had some good snow for the last couple of days.

Inghams brochure for next season was on the mat when we got back....!

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Stumbled across a heard of marauding reindeer on one day's skiing. They were not at all fazed by us watching them foraging for food.

Digby - fair enough, just wasn't sure what you were getting at.

In simple terms, the distinction is it has to be a guide when glaciers or serious climbing are involved. In Chamonix, this is a big deal as there is so much glaciated terrain, as well as a lot of classic runs which require climbing or abseils to access them. Elsewhere (here in the Tarentaise, for example) it's much less of an issue.

On my EMS exam in March BTW... 😉

i'm off to chamonix saturday 😀 😀

Right, you lot. For all of you going out to play this year, I expect, nay I DEMAND, pictures! 🙂

(Seeing as I'm going to be lucky if I can get a cheeky weekend's skiing in this year, I shall ski vicariously through all of you. Especially anyone going to Serre Che. )

'Shitloads' of snow in Les Arcs today according to my mate there. 🙂

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Woohoooooooooo!

as well as a lot of classic runs which require climbing or abseils to access them

I was hoping to get on the McNab 'Steep & Deep' course this year as I really fancy the ENSA couloir etc, but I dithered and missed out as the places filled up really quick. 🙁

Very best of luck with the EMS stevomcd! 🙂

Long post with pretty pictures! Sparked by talk of steep Cham, some reminiscing for me, and some vicarious skiing for CFH.

I spent an amazing February in Chamonix a few (erk! 11!) years ago. Arrived at the end of a big dump, then 3 weeks of clear weather and an ever-stabilising snowpack. Ticked off a lot, skiing with whoever was free with the best plan - I knew a few people living there for the season or longer, so had access to all their buddies too. One of the most memorable routes was the Cosmiques couloir.

We started late, which wasn't clever, but it made for added adventure and some amazing light. It was a bit thin at the top, so we took 2 and bit pitches of abseiling on a doubled 60m rope to find a spot to strap in. Which was the most puckering experience: taking my pack off on steep, hard snow, unclipping my board, strapping in and getting the pack back on without dropping anything. First time I'd seen my board as life preservation equipment. Lose a board there, and it's 70m of mixed climbing back up and then a long walk over the glacier then round and up the arete to the lift. And a cold night on the floor at 3800m, given how late we'd left it. And 2 angry friends!

No dramas though, apart from a lost lens cap.

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Until the bergschrund at the bottom of the couloir.

Picking a line over wasn't too easy as it was almost invisible from the top. Luckily we had a skiier with us who volunteered to stomp around and find the best spot to drop. Experienced guy, his dad's a guide, he was talking fairly casually and matter-of-fact. Not being any the wiser at this stage, I was fairly calm too.

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I did get the jitters seeing him ready himself after he found his spot, crouched, coiled, did that little foot shuffle that ski racers do in the start gate, 3 hard exhales to gee himself up, and then a half jump kick start to point it over the edge. "****! Not nothing, then!" He lost it on the landing (still hard down there too) then burst out laughing in relief. Told me to do exactly what he'd done, that I needed some speed. Understandably nervous now, I followed his line, cacked myself in mid-air when I looked down into a 6 foot wide black maw, god knows how deep. No bothers clearing it, though, given the drop and some speed. The landing was the same too@: lost it on impact, then lost it laughing!

Then we had to be serious again and talk Neil down. It wasn't really a problem, but as John had to with with me, you couldn't understate it and risk someone not clearing it!

drop, bail, laughter.
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REALLY fun riding from there down to the treeline, amazing blue and orange light, couple of water ice jibs and then 20 turns of sunset fluff under the old lift line. Combat skiing from there to the road in knee deep porridge, a lost ski given up on, then found through sheer dumb luck, and a sit on a stone bridge over the Dard stream, looking at the first stars.

A beautiful day that will stay with me for ever!

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@ned - thanks for sharing, that's fabulous. It's quite intimidating when you look down and see nothing but cold blue ice and a dark abyss which can entomb you for 1000 years ! Had a couple of good friends and excellent who did seasons in Chamonix (in their 30's on career breaks) if you want it it's full on there for sure.

Nothing quite so dramatic for me but 2 of us did the "path of the goat" once, I understand it's rarely skiable. The guide was a doctor on a break, the surroundings where epic and skiing pretty straight forward technically so really fun. We had to climb down a frozen waterfall with a rope but we felt fairly lame after the guide picked his way down without it. After a traverse across a somewhat unstable slope which had chucks of sharp rock dropping down on us we got to the staircase under the lift which was officially closed but the operator had seen us coming and was waiting. We staggered exhausted up the steps whilst the guide ran up with our skis/board, we were truely humbled !

@nedrapier! 8)

Wow! ... and another wow!

Thanks for taking the time to write & post - really enjoyed your 'vignette' with some amazing photos - especially the last sunset one! 😀

saturday in chamonix can't come quick enough 🙂

Love it! Great photos!

Austria for me on Saturday!!!!! Great resort with doorstep snowboarding, can't wait, it's gonna be great 😀

Ned is that the couloir which was in a TV program last year about a boy skiing it in memory of his father who died on the route? Do you start from the top of the Midi?

Googled it now. Not the one I wast thinking about but plenty of tales including this one!

http://matteoexperience.com/2012/05/low-risk-high-consequences/

Nice photos BTW!

Got back from Oberau om New Years eve, having taken my 13yr old daughter on a four night trip. She had only done a couple of days in Norway last year, so my plan was to give up on my fun to coach her on almost every run to get her improvement to the max.

So imagine the scene...the nursery slope at Niederau is about a 300m green run and first ride up the button lift I said its a bit icey, so just get the feel of snow plowing and take it easy turning from side to side. I thought it best to let her go first, so I could follow on behind and pick her up if she fell. So.....off she goes turning quite nicely from side to side and I then realise she's not actually slowing down and I'm looking and waiting for her to either ski back up the hill or fall over in fright. Neither happened, as I now realised she had skied out of range and was not slowling down! I stood open mouthed, as she sped towards a few people in front of a wooden fence finally coming to a sudden stop as she missed the people and crashed hard into the fence! 😮

So now I'm speeding down towards her seeing people milling around her as she lies unmoving on the floor...I'm thinking OMFG, broken legs, what will her Mother say!! A five day trip over in 300m! I tell you I was crapping myself!

When I got there she had both feet trapped in a small gap under the bottom of the fence, a Guy was removing her boots from the other side so she could get her feet out and she was clearly shocked. I asked her are you okay and she said she was....massive relief! The boots had taken all the impact and the small gap had stopped her from her legs reaching the fence. Apart from a few bruises and a broken boot buckle she was fine. Result!

She went straight back up and skied down (with me in front of her) with no problems and within 2 days spent the whole day on the reds at Ausffach.....but my God it could have been soooo different and I know I got away with it. 😳

@teamhurtmore, Bild has a photo of where Schumacher crashed (reproduced by Guardian) I'm having trouble uploading it but basically it's a flattish section where the tracks are all quite straight indicating that unless you carry some speed you'll stop. Lots of biggish rocks.

[url= http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jan/02/michael-schumacher-manager-questions-ski-accident ]Guardian[/url]

Oh Crikey, there!!! That was unlucky. Never the couloirs nor the bit I was thinking of. Technically OP but more mid-piste. V unlucky but good to hear positive news from hospital.

That's one big ass couloir!

Has anyone tried a courier like 'deliveries to the alps' to ship their skis/snowboards/bikes etc from the UK to the Alps rather than be at the mercy of airline excess(ive) baggage costs etc?

Many thanks! 🙂

Not tried it but I'd be surprised if you could courier skis for less than the £30 each way easyjet charge. Plus who's going to take delivery and you're screwed if they cock up the delivery!

If there's a big group of you, I'd be happier relying on a courier than an airline! There are many horror stories on Snowheads about airlines leaving skis/boards behind when too many are on the flight.

Aye but if they do that you've usually got some sort of cover i.e. they'll pay for hire 'till yours arrive. No chance of that with a courier.

'Deliver to the Alps' website quotes £80 return for one snowboard bag up to 30Kg

I need to transport 3 x snowboards plus backcountry gear which would mean having to check in 2 x snowboard bags with the likes of Jet2 as they have a 20kg per bag limit (£25 each way per bag would mean £25x4x2=£200) so from a financial perspective using a courier is looking good, but I keen to know of anyone's experience with this type of service.

@spin- yeah I take your point, but I'm planning to be in the alps in advance so that I can take delivery

Not tried it but I'd be surprised if you could courier skis for less than the £30 each way easyjet charge.

RyanAir charge FIFTY quid each way for a 20kg max snowboard bag. 😯

It can really add up if you have to make connecting flights.

Can you not double or triple bag boards like you can with skis?

RyanAir charge FIFTY quid each way for a 20kg max snowboard bag

Another reason not to fly Ryanair.

It can really add up if you have to make connecting flights

I was lucky when I flew with BA from Heathrow -> Oslo -> Tromso they only charged me for once in each direction, but yeah ... some of the other 'low cost' airlines are proper spendy when it comes to sporting equipment ...

Can you not double or triple bag boards like you can with skis?

I can get bag + 2x boards & 2x bindings and 1 pair of boots < 20kg, but I need to take three boards plus backcountry gear which weighs in about 28kg

Digby, sounds like you need to drive! So nice being able to put everything in the back of the car, leave the boardbags in the cupboard, plastic crates to keep things organised, choice of boards, split bindings, normal bindings, all the tuning stuff and repair kit. **** it, check the Verts in, you never know. Rope, gear and shoes for cragging? Why not? No stress about paying extra charges, trains to the airport, whether the stuff's going to turn up at all, whether your luggage/sporting equipment cover on the insurance would even touch the replacement cost if you never saw it again...

3 people and it's paid for itself, that's assuming that you're not paying excess baggage. No transfer ballache either.

Planning a trip back to the Lyngen Alps trip in late April/May. email in profile if you might be interested...

Glad people enjoyed the pics and the story. Thanks for the comments!

michaelmcc - biggish, but not a patch on the Marinelli Couloir. One day...

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Another reason not to fly Ryanair.

Aye it's a long list. Sadly RyanAir is the only option for some places, especially those of us in the bitter north. 😀

Dropped my Xmas bonus on a pair of Oakley Splice Goggles, reduced in the sale at the Gunwharf Quay factory outlet place to £89 . Came with Fire Iridium lenses and look amazing . The question is do I need a persimon lens for low or flat light ?
The factory outlet cannot sell them , for whatever reason ,but they are available online for £27 ( or £57 for the H.I persimon whatever that is )
normally take a second pair of yellow lensed goggled for overcast , snowy days and sunnies for terrace use .

Well, Serre Chev was great last week, snow arrived just in time plus a day of new stuff on Thursday. Pics? No chance - far too busy in the morning, then playing with little one after lunch before grabbing last lifts for House of Beef mayhem 😀

I used a persimmon lens for most of my week in Serre Che last season - I was really glad I took an alternative but if you're happy to take a second pair then why waste your money?

Returning to avalanche transceivers for a moment, any recommendations for me?

Something pretty rugged and simple to use (as it'll be my first beacon and I won't have a lot of opportunities to do drills).

Obvious choice is a [b]BCA Tracker 2[/b]. I've used its predecessor while snowmobiling and found it pretty intuitive for a noob doing a simple single burial search. Seems to be around £250-280 in the UK [url= http://www.auvieuxcampeur.fr/tracker-2-85197.html ](Unless you can speak French?)[/url]

Another interesting option is the [b]Arva Neo[/b] [url= http://shop.snowshepherd.co.uk/epages/es122028.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es122028/Products/Arnineo ](£225 from Snowshepherd)[/url]. Has a good search range, and handles multi-burials. Gets good reviews:

http://www.wildsnow.com/10613/arva-neo-avalanche-beacon-review/
http://beaconreviews.com/transceivers/Specs_ArvaNeo.asp

Any thoughts?

(Someone mentioned the Peips Freeride earlier for a cheap "body recovery" beacon. But I have RECCO tags for that!)

Graham, I did a fair bit of reading before I bought my wife the Ortovox S3 a couple of years ago. My regular backcountry independently decidede the same and he bought two for him and his wife.

Hardly a significant survey, but it's something else to check out.

Ortovox 3+, not S3.

Really interesting thread here: http://pistehors.com/news/forums/viewthread/398/

Discussion of a comparison test of different digital beacons (and one analogue) in the hands of experts and novices, in single and mutliple burial scenarios.

summary/comment from someone who seems to work for BCA:

Here’s my take regarding the Canadian beacon study that was presented at the ICAR meeting in Zermatt: it shows how little marginal difference there is in search times between all the digital beacons. The only statistically significant difference in search times was between the novices using F1’s versus the digital beacons. Between digital beacons, however, there were only differences on the order of seconds. Excavating those victims would take on the order of 10-20 minutes each. [b]So what it really says is that the gains in survivability will be made during the shoveling phase, not the beacon search phase, even in multiple burials.[/b]

It’s interesting to note that there was no significant difference in the search times between the beacons with “marking” functions and those that simply use signal strength to isolate each beacon. The authors told me at ICAR that the people using the “marking” functions spent too much time pressing buttons and standing still, while the others were continuing to move through the debris. As we all know, beacons always work better when you just keep moving.

The guides involved in the study were all from Mike Wiegele Heli Skiing. They have been using F1’s for over a decade. And the F1 interface is very similar to the D3 interface. So the results certainly make good sense. I think it was a well-done study. In the past, most beacon tests have only involved professionals as the test subjects. But in this one, they included novices. They should be commended, as this is the vast majority of beacon users.

More on strategic shovelling: http://blog.alpineinstitute.com/2012/01/avalanche-shoveling-technique.html

which seems to be an easier to digest verion of this paper:
http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/services/safety/forms/shoveling_technique.pdf

As per the bit in bold above, well worth reading and practicing.

I've ridden with guides quite a few times, usually there's some beacon practice, only once been told about shovelling techniques. That was on a longer trip, though, so time will be a factor. And it was in Canada, where the I think the guiding fraternity have had more focus on this subject.

Edit: not counting the Avalanche course.

the vid from the first link:

Digby, sounds like you need to drive

Driving is certainly looking like the favourite at the moment, but I'm just weighing up the alternatives!

planning a trip back to the Lyngen Alps trip in late April/May. email in profile if you might be interested

That's incredibly generous of you Nedrapier, to invite me along! 😛 Very much appreciated, and it's an amazing part of the world, but it looks like this year is going to be relatively slim pickings snowboard wise.

Hopefully if work/contracts are fruitful this year I'm aiming to have one more 'big season' next winter whilst I'm, still old/fit enough to enjoy it. Fernie will no doubt feature, plus a few more on the wish list! 8)

Less than a week before I go to serre che now :D. Only thing is I've only every been to chill factore and getting mixed opinions of how stuff is graded with regard to colour of runs. Chill factore says its slope is equivalent to blue/easy red. But I've been told its more like a green. So just wandering what the gradients are like of the different graded runs.

So just wandering what the gradients are like of the different graded runs.

Depends, it not consistent even within resorts.

I've been on some proper steep icy blue 'home' runs...

+1 for the Ortovox 3+ ... a great piece of kit. I've used the [old 'workhorse' analogue] F1 for years and the Ortovox 3+ is miles ahead especially when it comes to multiple burials.

I've ridden with guides quite a few times, usually there's some beacon practice, only once been told about shovelling techniques. That was on a longer trip, though, so time will be a factor. And it was in Canada, where the I think the guiding fraternity have had more focus on this subject

I've had a very similar experience Nedrapier ... infact most beacon practice comprises a beacon in a bag buried slightly below the surface, however when we did some practice at the Ptarmigan/Boulder Hut on the NONSTOP course the guides buried a bag about 1 meter deep ... not only did this throw us off when searching but the effort required to dig was immense - even when organised into relays ... it was a real eye opener and valuable experience for sure!