I like both 🙂
Can't get my head people with a reasonable amount of skill fly to places to then spend a week doing laps on motorway runs, regardless of their choice of sliding equipment. In particular, snowboarding on pistes is the most pointless thing ever. Off piste - Snowboard if conditions are good and there's not a huge walk out, skis if conditions are a bit mixed/poor or it would save a huge amount of time on the way out. If, for some reason I end up on pistes all day, it doesn't matter what I'm on, since it's just run/wine/run/wine/run/wine/wine/wine/run 🙂
My week has probably been 70% pistes, 15% off piste (with an instructor) and 15% halfpipe. Can't say that I feel like I've wasted my time or money personally.
Sat in Chamonix watching the snow come down very heavily.
may have to find a bar and watch the curling.
peterfile - I'm on my 7th back-to-back season at the moment, my 9th in total.
For sure, powder is everything, but when it's not on, I can still have an awesome day lapping pistes. Carving, jibbing, little tricks and hits at the side, working on technique on the steeps. It's all snowboarding and I love every minute of it.
Went up the other day - hideously warm (sirroco depositing sand from the Sahara all over the mountain!), zero visibility, only thing vaguely rideable was some slushy pistes down through the trees to the bottom. I had a rad time! 
Sat in Chamonix watching the snow come down very heavily.
may have to find a bar and watch the curling.
Does not compute? Go snowboarding!
oh aye, don't get me wrong, i'd rather be riding something than not at all! my point was more along the lines of going to Chamonix in winter and riding pistes is like taking your bike there in summer and riding fire roads. 100% agree that a day when it's not feasible to be off piste then pistes are fine for mucking around, but just can't understand why people choose it over good off piste conditions 🙂
Does not compute? Go [s]snowboarding[/s] skiing!
Whatever you do, don't sit in a bar! Get out there! (Unless lifts are shut and it's not safe, obviously. If that's the case, hit the bar. Hard.)
Vis on the hill is about 50 metres, so its not good conditions forecast to be good inthe morning so will be making fresh tracks.
Dont really need to ski in bad weather, plenty of time to wait till its sunny 🙂
[quote=Dales_rider muttered bleakly]Vis on the hill is about 50 metres
More than enough for me, personally. If snow is falling and vis is bad, head for the trees!
X-C in the flakes this morning. There's some rather flat X-C in Chamonix, Peter, no excuses now you know. Yesterday's rando was very pleasant though sticky afternoon snow reminded me it's rainureuse and structureuse on sunny days from now on.
dalesrider: go and play in the trees at GM!
I love those low vis/flat light/white out days when you seem to have the whole mountain to yourself and there's no lift queue etc ...
spot on stevomcd! sometimes you just have to adapt to the conditions don't you? - I've had some fabulous days following a thaw/freeze,when the off-piste is ropey, but the groomers are in top condition! laying down some pencil thin carves and trying to carve huge circles! 🙂
I think the only thing that's made me 'dip-out' on riding has been extreme cold.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4u_z3T9U-8
posted this a month ago, but it's relevant!
Digby, you asked a while ago, I didn't see. Been investigating Lofoten and Alta (not the US one) as alternatives, but info's thin on the ground. Might be France again in April and back to Lyngen next year, booking end of the summer this year. Got a good bunch interested.
Well I've just had a full afternoon of off piste instruction....I'll concede that it was pretty awesome!!! Visibility was awful though!
Well spent the afternoon chilling, beers in MBC and now getting ready for a 7 course meal in a rather posh restaurant
wasnt too bothered about not skiing after driving to chsm in a day, after a bad nights sleep on the ferry, a fire on the car dek(Artic on fire) made for an exciting crossing,
Better day today, spent skiing. The bike rack makes a good ski rack
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Moderately concerned - my Knee is still a bit uncomfortable 2 weeks after my trip to Italy. No crashes or tweaks. I did ride a lot of powder on quite a short board. I thought I just had a spot of tendonitis but the're no graunchiness, ibroprofen hasn't really done much for it.
Lots of stairs at work so not much of a chance to rest it.
Off on another jaunt in just over a week.
Any recommendations?
@ oliverd1981
Is it the knee of your rear leg that is still giving you discomfort?
Riding a short board in powder can lead to stress on the inside (medial) ligaments of the knee. Whilst I'm clearly not a doctor (obviously), anecdotally, it's possible you've 'sprained' your MCL or something similar.
Best thing would be to pay a visit to a good sports physio, who will be able to provide a full assessment and recommend some remedial treatment/exercises.
You could also consider wearing a knee brace whilst riding to provide some additional support/confidence, however like many things you get what you pay for with knee braces and a proper 'fitting' session may pay dividends - Snow & Rock /Bodyfactor run clinics in the London and the South East
Thanks Digby that sounds about right - Initially I put it down to just too much weight o0n the back leg, I expected it to feel better by now. Unfortunately I'm offshore at the moment, I have about 24 hours at home before jetting of again so no physios or knee brace fitters, guess I'll just have to go with whatever I can find in Sports Authority when I get there.
Reckon I mastered the snow plough today.
Check me out.
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Stunning weather 🙂
Clearly not mastered the hockey stop.
Ooh nice orange fence.
After today, just 1 more day of work before a mates stag do, followed by a week snowboarding in Serre Che!
Just a bit excited!
Beautiful, dalesrider! Living up to your username! Which way did you come down? And did you ride to Placards, or get the train?
Got the train 🙂
Last time I was here you didnt have the hike out, mind that made the glacier flat and a lot of poling. Cant believe how much its shrunk
"placards" 🙄 Planards!
There's less of a hike to the little hut and the James Bond run to town, but I think you have to go a bit further down. Pretty sure it's been skiable this year.
Just back from Bormio and Livigno......three and a half days and not a cloud in the sky......just awesome. Did 28miles on the last day stopping at 3pm, slightly tired! Peak to creek was 4.3 miles, 1800m drop which I did in 10mins including stopping to pick up a pals ski. Topped out at 58mph.
Nice stats!
Do we have time for me to say I've just finished packing for a 5 day "weekend" in Les Gets etc? I'll be in the air this time tomorrow!
First go out on the board I bought at the end of last season. 😀
Enjoy Ned!
Cheers, Tom. There's a very, very good chance I will!
Have a good trip nedrapier! 8)
What's the board you bought?
Beautiful day today in Les Gets. The snow on the back of Mont Chery was the probably the nicest I've had all season. Not the deepest, but properly light and powdery.
[url= https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3687/12823059723_af4a48dac3_c.jp g" target="_blank">
View over Les Gets
[url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2882/12823016795_531cf523a0_c.jp g" target="_blank">
Lovely morning
Right then.
First things first, I've decided.
Snowboards are rubbish. Skis are the bestest.
Did I forget the 😀 *
More pertinently, when the best time to buy skis/bindings. I'm guessing end of season? What sort or discount should I be looking for.
And ski boots in person from a shop. That's not even a question. **** me rental boots aren't comfy.
*im learning to ski to get into touring and perhaps mountaineering.
Piemonster - You can get decent deals all year round on new skis and boots from the previous year. If you're after touring gear then there tend to be less discounts on boots and bindings (apart from extreme sizes of boots) presumably as most places stock less, but picking up skis appears to be easier. [cheeky ad mode] If you're looking for some fritschi touring bindings, I have a set that I'm looking to sell 😉 [/cheeky ad mode]
More importantly, with a good forecast for the weekend in Scotland - has anyone been out touring since mid week that can report on latest conditions?
Boots? Well, the problem with buying at the end of the season is that you're at the mercy of the season itself, and of the buying guesses that each shop made way back before that season kicked off! If you have normal/average sized feet, they can and do sell out often.
Still, well worth a look around!
Ski touring boots are never "comfy", some are less miserable than others. My current favourites are ten-year-old Dynafits with Garmont inners that require require regular re-gluing of the soles. If I had a time machine I'd go back and buy some felt inners from 20 years back because the current thermo-formable things are like having my feet in saunas after an hour of up. I've sold the ones I haven't liked at less than half price after a few trips so you mind find some cheap that don't suit someone else but suit you.
Touring has been good despite all the early-season pessimism, so stable we only put food and drink in the pack on the last trip. We didn't like the look of a corniche hanging over one valley (with temperature rising) so took another. Watching TV later we heard an unfortunate Scot had fallen through a corniche near Chamonix, nobody has mentioned it on this thread in three days so I hope you'll forgive me posting in an it's-been-windy-you-might-be-standing-on/under-a-corniche-so-take-care way.
I've got to disagree with that - though I feel the same about DH boots. In the past I wasn't fussy and jsut put up with whatever was on my feet, but I've skiied quite a few pairs of modern touring boots and some are like slippers they are that comfy (and great performance as well). Heat is an issue with some liners if you're out in warm conditions though.Ski touring boots are never "comfy", some are less miserable than others.
Skin up a bit and get sweaty, traverse for a while to rub the ankles, descend for bit through washboard snow pressing on the tongues then skate for km or so, back up a bit with ski crampons so the skis stop dead rather than sliding at the end of a stride, put on proper crampons and front point up a gully ... do that for a few days and if you don't have bruises or blisters (or both) somewhere then you really have found "comfy" boots. I never have.
Fierce Earth on cbbc yesterday was all about avalanches. Aimed at kids obviously but interesting viewing for 30mins. Filmed at Tignes and it's on catch up.
Torridon tomorrow. Bit of a gamble but got to be in it to win it.
@piemonster, general wisdom is that you buy boots first and absolutely in person from a shop with a deceit range. i would rather pay full price and get what I want/need than try and save money and get the wrong thing as thats all that was left. if you're skiing on holidays (i.e. to full seasons) good boots should last you 10-15 years. Buying skis is more difficult to recommend, the designs have changed massively over the years where boots haven't changed much. Skis do wear out/get broken and if you buy your own you'll have maint to do so its a personal preference.
Torridon tomorrow. Bit of a gamble but got to be in it to win it.
Tomorrow's forecast looks about the best for that area - make the most of it and post a quick report if you can. I might be not too far away on Sunday if all is well.
Find a proper boot fitter!!!! Don't just accept snow and rock Saturday staff etc - try rivington alpine in NW or Colin at solutions for feet in Bicester - worth making the trip and getting job done properly...
Ski touring boots are never "comfy", some are less miserable than others
My Maestrales are like slippers.
My Maestrales are like slippers
Likewise. I've done multi-day tours in my Maestrales including the Haute Route and never had as much as a sore spot never mind a blister, and I have oddly-shaped feet that don't generally play well with ski boots. On the other hand a friend tried some Scarpa Freedoms earlier this year without having them properly fitted (they were a test pair so weren't thermo-moulded) and managed one run before taking them back to the shop in agony. At the end of the day it's all down to finding a good fitter; I had mine done by Lockwoods in Leamington Spa..
Find a proper boot fitter!!!!
It'll be a Scottish fitter, I've already stalked a few snow heads threads for ideas. Will have a mooch at winter highland too. If anyone has any recommendations they'd be appreciated. Anywhere in the highlands or central belt will be fine as far as distance goes. Dundee based.
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So, trees are fun then.
make the most of it and post a quick report if you can.
Climbed North Gully and skied Central Couloir on Sgorr Ruadh. A great day out but not great skiing.
Safely back from France, unlike some 🙁 Stopped by the Menen gate on the way back
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You lot must have very uncomfortable slippers. 😉
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Two things I've noticed this season. 1) It looks like snowboard pants are getting tighter and ski pants are getting looser? A lot of the boarders in my resort this season are rocking the tight pants. Orage ones this year all look pretty tight. Doesn't seem to fit the boarder image to me.
2), What's with all the bright neon jackets and pants on the slopes??? It just looks a bit wrong to me. Neon yellow should be kept to construction sites and builders yards, imo.
And lastly, one small thing that does my head in a bit. The way skiers are called skiers and snowboarders are called 'riders'. We are all riding the mountain and I think its just snowboarders way of trying to be a bit superior over us?
Also, can anyone remember who makes the skis with the weird looking dent in the tip? Like it was beaten in with a hammer or something? Was just talking about them to a mate but couldn't remember who makes them.
can anyone remember who makes the skis with the weird looking dent in the tip?
Kastle?
@michaelmcc - Snowboarders are called 'riders' because 'boarders' sounds so shitty; like a posh kid that gets sent away to school.
Why do people get so hung up about what to call things?
Boarding, snowboarding, boarders, riders? What the **** does it matter?
What Dez said!!
Spin - Member
can anyone remember who makes the skis with the weird looking dent in the tip?
Kastle?
Could be;
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Skipron!
I believe the idea is to lighten the tips to get faster changes of direction. Either way, Kastle skis are lovely to ski, but they do look a little 'Hedge fund manager's skis' for my liking! 🙂
A bit like Salomon BBRs. Perfectly decent all round ski, but looks silly.
Well I'm back in the office today after another awesome holiday in Jasná with [url= http://www.chaletslovakia.com/ ]Chalet Slovakia[/url]
It was warm and the snow was pretty poor. Very thin and slushy. More like end-of-season conditions than late Feb. So proper off-piste was pretty much out.
But luckily we've got a really good crew to ride with there, so we adapted, borrowed some little bendy boards and mostly spent the week practising presses and butters. 😀
We did take the newly-purchased avi gear out for one day - just for a play. Hiked the top ridge, practised with transceivers, dug a couple of pits and attempted to apply our book-learning to the results. And stalked a herd of ten [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatra_chamois ]Tatra Chamois[/url], which was cool.
Jasná has really got under my skin - we always have such a great time there, regardless of the conditions.
Good people and fun times.
I guess this helps too:
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Now, just nine days of work to survive till I'm off to Les Deux Alpes. 😀
The way skiers are called skiers and snowboarders are called 'riders'. We are all riding the mountain and I think its just snowboarders way of trying to be a bit superior over us?
I guess it all comes down to etymology; Not really worth getting hung up about at all, but certain words and phrases sound 'right' and some don't!
For me 'boarding is either getting on an aircraft or a pupil 'living' at [public] school.
Looking at other 'standing sideways' hobbies & activities:
Riding a skateboard is skating; riding a surfboard is surfing but this doesn't tranfer to snowboading as 'snowing' already has a different meaning and sadly the term 'snurfing' didn't catch on.
It was once decribed to me that skiers ski the piste and snowboarders ride the mountain, however this has clearly changed in recent years with the cross-over in technology between skiing & snowboarding.
The term 'riding' when referring to snowboarding has been acceptable and preferred use in North America for decades, but has gained some popularity recently in UK & Europe where english speakers have previously used the term 'boarding ...
I really don't see it as and 'Us & Them' thing ... I really get very weary of the seemingly 'Brit abroad' division between sking and snowboarding but I personally don't see using the term 'riding' as perpetuating this in anyway or trying to claim superiority in anyway.
In a similar way the term 'biker' doesn't sound right ro me when referring to someone on a bicycle, but 'rider' does for someone on an MTB, whereas 'cyclist' seems most appropriate for someone on a road bike
However I wouldn't get offended if someone else used any of the terms.
I snowboard ok, but ski quite poorly for what it's worth, but I enjoy both.
vive la différence! 🙂
I really get very weary of the seemingly 'Brit abroad' division between sking and snowboarding but I personally don't see using the term 'riding' as perpetuating this in anyway or trying to claim superiority in anyway.
+1
It really is only the 1 week a year brigade who seem to be so wound up by the skiing/snowboarding "divide". Presumably because most only do one or the other.
As a member of the [i]"1 week a year brigade"[/i] I'm really not arsed. 😀
We often [s]ride[/s] [s]board[/s] [s]ski[/s].. erm.. [i]"slide?"[/i] in a mixed group with skiers and snowboarderists.
Any [i]"us vs them"[/i] comments is purely banter.
Also I really don't think that "ride" is [i]"just snowboarders way of trying to be a bit superior over us?"[/i]. It's just a lot less clumsy to say.
I sometimes just say "ski", but that can lead to confusion.
e.g. Do you really say you are going out "mountain bicycling"? 😕
As a member of the "1 week a year brigade" I'm really not arsed.
*cough* said by the man who is counting down 9 days to his next trip to feed the monkey on his back! 🙂
Pleased to hear you had a good trip GrahamS!
I sometimes just say "ski", but that can lead to confusion
Yeah - I always refer to directions as 'skier's left' down the hill, even if I'm on a snowboard ...
Just been to S&R at lunchtime to pick up some bits and bobs, and spent some time lusting/dribbling over these...
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So light for a stiff boot, and beautifully made too.
Yum.
said by the man who is counting down 9 days to his next trip to feed the monkey on his back!
😀 Guilty as charged. Okay, 2 weeks a year brigade then 🙂
So light for a stiff boot, and beautifully made too.
Ooh carbonny.
(Possible uneducated snowboarder question) What's the little metal "port" near the toe for? Boot fitting? Or for attaching bindings/crampons?
What's the little metal "port" near the toe for?
For tech/Dynafit/touring bindings. Lets you release the rear of the boot and pivot vertically at the front for skinning uphill.
Guilty as charged. Okay, 2 weeks a year brigade then
That's how it starts ... one week becomes two ... two becomes three and then suddenly you're doing a season! 🙄
I'd love to do a season. Can't see the wife being too happy about being left with our two kids for 3+ months though 😀
Maybe in my next life.
Heading back home this afternoon and with skiing on the brain after a fairly successful week learning in Norway.
Went into a shop more or less en route to have a bit of mooch around looking for ski boots.
What's the score with these custom fit shells? An extra £40 on what I was planning on spending, so not much. Is it just marketing BS or worth while?
Us playing with the new arva gear near Chopok peak.
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Interesting stuff just trying to apply what I read in the books.
(I will be taking a [i]proper[/i] course in the future obviously)
What's the score with these custom fit shells? An extra £40 on what I was planning on spending, so not much. Is it just marketing BS or worth while?
I have a pair of Salomon custom shells. There was no extra cost* for the boot itself, but you may find you pay** to have a custom footbed fitted to yours as well.
Put simply, the footbed supports your arch, and 'fits' the way you're going to stand on the skis. Makes it super comfy, and stops any tiring in the feet. The shell of the boot is then moulded to fit your foot and calf better. If, like me, you have cycling calves, this can really help. My boots are super-comfy, often forget to undo them at the end of the day, which I think is the sign of a comfy boot. They also really help me control my skis better, as they're fitted properly to my shins, etc.
* I didn't pay for mine.
** See above.
8)
Oakley skiists doing silly things. Daaaaayum they be gooood!
Cheers Captain
Sorry, its not £40 to have the custom shell fitted.
Just that the boots cost £40 more than what I was looking at.
Ah I see. Well, if you can afford it, I would say that custom fitted shells are more comfortable in my experience. Comfortable boots = A Good Thing.
Better fitting boots also = A Good Thing.
It basically means you can hear the shells in the oven and then they mould to your fit. It is a marginal thing, and is no substitute for proper boot fitting but they should give a better, more comfortable fit. Traditionally it was only liners that could be heat moulded in this way...
Agreed, but would also agree that moulded shells should only be a part of a proper boot fitting.
With that advice in mind.
Just picked up a pair of second hand touring boots. I've not tried them on, but they're probably the right size.
It'll be fine.
For free btw.
Ok, someone point me in the direction of an idiot guide for touring skis and bindings?
Nothing like getting carried away, being able to see Glas Maol from my office window doesn't help.