[Closed] The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2014-2015 season

This one is a bit more detailed:

http://www.insideoutskiing.com/level.html

Again though, it's subjective, and for me, the biggest thing is fitness.

As a rough guide:

Canadian Blue = Euro Red

[although they will vary from Resort to Resort and they aren't really directly comparable as a Euro Red might be a Groomed Run of varying width whereas a Canadian Blue might be narrow cat-track/trail through an ungroomed area]

[i]I wouldn't worry about it. Everyone has strengths & weaknesses; good days & bad days; crappy conditions & awesome conditions.[/i]

Very true.

Me too! Although only 18 days to go here....

That's more than ive got (12), at least there is snow at the resort and a ton of snow cannons. Can't imagine the full area stands any chance of opening sadly. To be honest, it's another week of lessons. So long as we get those in I wont be too dissapointed.

And we are away again late January, which helps 8)

Still, fingers are firmly crossed and prayers are being offered.

Some Italian/Austrian Reds are more like some French Blues.
Some (single) diamond blacks in north America are as hard as some of the hardest blacks in France.

I call myself an experienced intermediate, even though I've been skiing since 1988.

We'll I'm talking from '2 weeks of lessons so far' so not quite beginner, I can stand, get on and off of chairs and lifts ok, corner and stop, but I'm so so far from anything other than early intermediate. I'll avoid the grading graphs for a few years yet.

Grading systems are pretty random in any sport though, MTB black run at Thetford vs one in Wales or Scotland are 2 very different things.

One day I may make it to the heady heights of decent intermediate and happy to ride any slope, but I didn't get the opportunity to ski as a kid, so I have a lot of catching up to do with the seasoned pro's like you lot 😉

I've been musing recently on classifying ability level based on the terrain available to you. It's at least a little bit less subjective and it's easy to understand (e.g. doesn't rely on people self-describing their skidded turns as "carving").

It would go something like this:

New Skier: Limited to nursery slopes.

Beginner: You are limited to skiing/riding on green/blue runs and are not able to tackle anything steeper.

Intermediate: You can ride any groomed terrain comfortably, but struggle on the steepest slopes or if the surface is icy or bumpy.

Advanced: You can ride any groomed terrain in style and can deal with a variety of snow conditions. You can ski off-piste in most conditions. You are confident taking air off small natural or park features.

Expert: You actively seek-out the most challenging terrain wherever you go - on-piste, off piste or in the park. You can handle any conditions the mountain can throw at you.

[i]I've been musing recently on classifying ability level based on the terrain available to you.[/i]

The thing is, I am confident on just about anything, ski fast and can take on most situations, although tend to stay on piste. So whilst I am advanced in that environment, it then comes back to perfectly executed turns and style marks. Well I'm probably only advanced intermediate on that basis.

As said previously its great to aspire and keep trying to improve, but enjoyment is the key.

Intermediate and probably always will be here

rockape63 - sorry dude, you're an intermediate!

Sorry, it's a bit of a resort cliché - "What level of skier are you?"

"Well, I'm an expert skier, but I don't do black runs or off-piste".

"So, intermediate then?"

Nothing wrong with being an intermediate skier. You really need to be doing a lot of skiing (i.e. seasons) over a long period of time (i.e. all your life) to really be pushing towards "Expert".

Could always apply my Dad's test. He got it from a golf pro, so I'll stick with golf:

"What level golfer are you?"

"I don't know, not bad?"

"On a scale of 1 to 10, where a beginner is 1 and Tiger Woods is 10?"

"Eh, 3?"

stevomcd - I like that.

I feel a bit more upgraded now, as I will ski anything on piste, like a bit of off piste and love powder, although I panic sometimes when I get tired, when hubby leads me astray.

Still count myself as intermediate though, because even after many, many lessons, I still slightly skid my turns, which is very common with us recreational skiers.

Off to Norway this weekend but my new snowboard pants are too tight with my protective shorts underneath. Life is just a series of testing moments isn't it? [IMG] [/IMG]

Expert: You actively seek-out the most challenging terrain wherever you go - on-piste, off piste or in the park. You can handle any conditions the mountain can throw at you.

After 20 years skiing/snowboarding, a couple of seasons, working in the industry and a few holidays (for me anyway) with people who have competed in the Olympics, and countless mates who ski every weekend from bases in Geneva....there's only one group of people who I EVER actually hear utter the word "expert" when describing themselves...middle aged men who ski one week a year, read every ski magazine produced, can recite the technical specifications of every bit of ski equipment and can describe every ski run they've never skied....yet who cannot possibly admit to themselves (or more usually anyone who will listen) that they're intermediate 🙂

Working for a ski company is an eye opening experience as to the delusions of the majority of people who indulge in the sport. A marketing manager's wet dream.

I imagine it's the same in mountain biking? 😉

You can handle any conditions the mountain can throw at you.

Nobody then.

I'll happily tackle steep stuff but with apalling style and am far more confident off piste than on.

Where does that place me on the scale? 😉

Hors catégorie

Liability was what I was thinking...

I reckon I'm probably advanced by steveomcd's ratings - on skis and snowboard. 8)

I think "humble" is my level. Even then things go wrong:

We set out early: up the avalanche-prone slopes before the sun hit the slopes, along the ridge and back down safer slopes was the plan. When we got to the ridge the cornice was in a horrible state, well both were, one on each side. That meant reversing the way up and quick before the cornice fell off or other things started moving. Which they did but fortunately not much. So apart from slithering down with some surface slides and skiing snow so heavy each turn was playing Russian roulette with our knees we had a trouble free descent.

[i]rockape63 - sorry dude, you're an intermediate!
[list][/i]

Yeah, probably! 🙁

Edit: I would like to say that just reading the above and I certainly wasn't suggesting I was even close to being 'Expert'. I was merely asking if I was near 'Advanced' level.

What's happening to the snow this year? Seems pretty bleak from anecdotal evidence. What's news from the slopes?

Sorry if this has been done, I am being lazy and not reading back.

(Expert for many years, then hit a big round number and back to advanced. Responsibilities and less fitness have ruled out the crazy stuff these days but still love deep powder, trees and couloirs. Getting a little old for my old happy hunting ground of the mega bump fields. Young man's playground. Steeper the better in general though.)

What's happening to the snow this year? Seems pretty bleak from anecdotal evidence. What's news from the slopes?

My memory for ski weather only goes back as far as March.

But the forecast for my resort has temps dropping to -13c by Monday. How much snow will be involved by the time I get there is anyones guess.

That said, the 1m of snow I saw forecast a few days back actually arrived as rain.

I'll be taking my walking boots then.

Snow out here in Whistler isn't good at all. We had a decentish dump in the village last week then it rained solidly for 2 days and wiped it all out again. Freezing level is at the valley floor but there's no snow until later in the week when the freezing level has risen again 🙁

I was hoping to get out to Tignes next week but the Val Claret webcam shows a few sad bits of snow under the snow cannons and not much else so I won't bother. The forecast for the Alps looks a lot colder in the next week so they should be able to make plenty of artificial snow if that's your thing, otherwise it's all looking a bit grim.

The joys of the early ski season snow lottery.

It was looking a bit grim in BC (Big White) last week but then there was a decent half metre dump. Still very sketchy base, but should be okay by Christmas. Anyway not going out there until March so who cares?

The forecast for the Alps looks a lot colder in the next week so they should be able to make plenty of artificial snow if that's your thing

Not sure I have a choice about that 😀

The joys of the early ski season snow lottery.

I remember skiing at Christmas once. Got to the resort to see hardly any snow. First day was pretty shitty. Got talking to an old man of the mountains over beer that night. He said that it would snow from about ten that night.

He was right! Three straight days of massive phatttttttttt dumps of snow began at about 2205 that very night!

that happened to us one of the first times i went skiing, went to Folgarida. driving up to resort there wasnt a flake of snow anywhere, folk were grumbling it hadnt snowed in ages etc etc. ended up getting right on the lash that day and night coz there was nowt to get up for the next morning... yet the when we woke up it had seriously dumped! having to wade through waist high powder to just to get to the hire shop! mint

Got talking to an old man of the mountains over beer that night

Did he have a white beard, a red jacket and an unusually jolly countenance? 😉

Graham, he had a red jacket as it happens! No beard, though. His countenance may have been helped by the Birra Poretti! (No, not Moretti)

I went to a low resort on Austria over NY a few years ago and it was looking pretty grim until about 2 days before when it dumped. Dumped again while we were there and it was ace. Apparently the week before the main run down to the valley was completely green all the way from top to bottom.

We're in Bavaria over the holidays this year but treating it as a winter road trip with some skiing if it seems worth it. Won't be too gutted if we don't get to do any as I'm doing a week with the family in Dienten in Feb and possibly visiting a mate in Les Arcs again if I can afford it.

He [i]does[/i] exist. I knew it!

[img] [/img]

Got talking to an old man of the mountains over beer that night. He said that it would snow from about ten that night.

Silly hubby was on blades that year

He is a lucky man, that is grounds for divorce right there.

Divorce?

Decapitation at least!

Wonder if the weather predicting duffers is a Via Lattea thing, as mine was down the road in Sauze.

Wonder if the weather predicting duffers is a Via Lattea thing, as mine was down the road in Sauze.

Just out of interest what was the reasoning behind your Grading Scale stevomcd?

Chalet Guests, clients or folks being instructed?

doesn't rely on people self-describing their skidded turns as "carving"

I can see exactly where you are coming from but doesn't the inclusion of 'carving' (i.e. a pencil line(s) in the snow) give an indication of control and performance rather than just testosterone fueled speed?

What I don't like about early season skiing is the sketchy base depths. A big dump is always welcome, but if it's on a 10 cm base it can actually be pretty dangerous - obviously depends a lot on whether it's grass or rock underneath.

The more I speak to you lot the more "Intermediate" I feel 😀
I'm a "couple of weeks a year" rider, so despite the fact I've been snowboarding for 20 odd years I'm still a punter and I probably always will be. I guess I'm okay with that.

That this years hols booked BTW:
1 week with the family, going back to Les Deux Alpes at half term. 🙂
2 weeks with the lads going to Whistler and cat-boarding 😀

And 49 weeks trying to pay for it all. 😕

I'm a "couple of weeks a year" rider, so despite the fact I've been snowboarding for 20 odd years I'm still a punter and I probably always will be. I guess I'm okay with that.

I find the age that people start skiing/boarding is probably the best indication of how good they are likely to be. Those that start in their 30's or 40's tend to struggle to get off the intermediate plateau unless they put in an awful lot of time and effort. So what age did you start? 🙂

Well I started at uni, so about 18-ish I guess (I'm 40 next April).
But way back then we were mostly just doing the odd day trip to the Scottish slopes on awful rental boards and crap kit. Regular holidays didn't start till the wages improved!

I'm self-taught, which has undoubtedly held me back a fair bit too, but I'm usually enjoying myself too much to "waste time" in formal lessons. And a lot of holidays have been spent just cruising about with a large mixed ability group rather than pushing myself to improve, which again is my choice.

A few lads holidays in recent years have pushed me much further and into more off-piste stuff which has improved my riding a lot, but I'll not be dropping any cliffs in this lifetime.

Well... not deliberately anyway!

I'm a "couple of weeks a year" rider

I guess the point I was trying to make in an earlier post was 'don't obsess too much about what level you are'

For sure, it's important to have a fair idea of your own capabilities before you throw yourself down a slope that might be out of your comfort zone but I don't think it's worth obsessing over - all too often I've seen holidays and trips spoiled by people trying to prove something when they probably would have had a better trip with some lessons to get them out of a 'progression dip'.

As others have mentioned it seems to be a very middle aged bloke affliction.

To be fair anyone that only manages a week or so per year on the ski hill is doing pretty darn tootin' to be intermediate and there's nothing wrong with that - it's a holiday and you are there to enjoy yourself!

Although if my maths is correct you've got three weeks scheduled for 2015 GrahamS! 8)

Seems to me that you've been well & truly bitten by the bug ... I look forward to hearing about your plans for a season & trips to far off lands! 🙂

Those that start in their 30's or 40's tend to struggle to get off the intermediate plateau unless they put in an awful lot of time and effort

lol ... well I've been 'pwned' - I didn't start snowboarding until I was 32 and my first winter holiday was in 2002! 😯

@tmh - its been a warm autumn and early winter, only snow at highest levels has settled. We are off with White Room Dec 13, happy to just chill out and/or drive to Tignes/Val if needed