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

Tell me about Tignes....what's it going to be like half term week?
I'll be having instruction, 50% of which I'd guess will be off piste.

Tigne / Val are superb IMO especially for better skiers and off piste. Not been at half term but the uplift is excellent and modern so I can't imagine queues are much of a problem. The off piste is brilliant and accessable, an english [url= http://www.facewest.co.uk/Guide-Valdisere.html ]guidebook[/url] is available to give you some ideas.

Tignes is ace. Great pistes, great off-piste without taking stupid risks (though it soon resembles ungroomed piste in busy periods), a pleasant X-C loop, a good swimming pool, high enough to have good snow most of the season.

I'll whet some appetites later with a couple of piccies, now we've managed to get some skiing in this season...

If anyone is in the market for new skis this season, look at this,

http://www.downskis.com/news/3-2-1-pre-sale-ending-soon

On special offer at present, well made and very good skis.

Not 100% sorted yet but there's a fair chance I'll be in Whistler for the winter season. In light of this I looked at how much the season passes are and nearly choked on my cornflakes - £1100 at full price 😯
Not cheap then!

Not cheap, however they have the advantage of getting considerable discounts in many shops,eating places on and off the hill, ski hire, list goes on 🙂

Booked up with the same group I went with Last year, same place too.

Montgenevre in Feb

Mrs Dom thinks the kids are still too young (will be 3 in April and 5 in May) I disagree, but as a result I get a pass out for a weeks Boarding with a load of mates, so not all bad

I need to get some new boots sorted though, as the last couple of days last season, really hurt.
They have done really well though, and id get the same boots again (Salomon F24 from memory)

Not cheap, however they have the advantage of getting considerable discounts in many shops,eating places on and off the hill, ski hire, list goes on

Aha! I hadn't really clocked that fact. Will make things a little bit cheaper then, that's always a good thing.

If everything does come through I'll be looking to buy either a set of skis and boots or a board, bindings and boots. Any advice on what to look for, where's a good place to start? Thinking 2nd hand gear might be cheaper until I really know what I'm after...

£1100 at full price Not cheap then!

They're not cheap by European standards but there is so much there to ride and they really do take great care of the mountains. Plus you get discounts in shops/cafes/etc with a season pass.

[b]whatnobeer[/b]

Down the road from Whistler in Squamish there's an outlet shop that will have loads of last season's gear, worth checking out although you will need to be lucky with sizes, etc. There is always loads of second hand gear for sale around the village on the notice boards. Also ex rental stuff is usually on sale in the village. There's another good shop downtown in Vancouver on 4th that sells lots of past seasons gear if you're spending any time down there before you head up.

wallop - with us? Not much space left for Christmas, drop me an email ASAP!

I noticed that - I see you have been busy updating your website! Stu has declared that we should wait until last minute to book our Christmas trip, as we are likely to be moving house sometime soon. Looks like we will have to wait until next year to do winter with you! 🙁

Not 100% sorted yet but there's a fair chance I'll be in Whistler for the winter season. In light of this I looked at how much the season passes are and nearly choked on my cornflakes - £1100 at full price
Not cheap then!

Considering I was paying £60 a day over xmas/NY 2 years ago, £1100 for the season is great value!

Just back from the rolling trip to the Alps and I can't wait for the sliding one...

Off biking in Austria soon so we're taking our boards and taking a looksee at the hintertux glacier. La plagne again in march and Scotland in April.

I can't remember who was thinking of going to Whistler for the season but their season lift pass is reduced by C$330 until 13 Oct.

No skiing for me.
We've booked a whole chalet early to get a cheap deal, all our friends will be there in January.
To say I'm fend up is an understatement (no mtbing or cycling of any description either) 🙁

I can't remember who was thinking of going to Whistler for the season but their season lift pass is reduced by C$330 until 13 Oct.

Me! Hopefully anyway. Not arriving until after the blackcomb jobs fair so missing out on that, but have had discussions with a private company about doing some work for them. Don't want to buy a pass until I've definitely got a job! Hopefully I'll know one way or the other by the 13th though.

Bunnyhop - Member
No skiing for me.
We've booked a whole chalet early to get a cheap deal, all our friends will be there in January.
To say I'm fend up is an understatement (no mtbing or cycling of any description either)

Good news or bad? Clearly the lack of skiing/biking is bad, but the reason?

Good news or bad? Clearly the lack of skiing/biking is bad, but the reason?

I know there are far worse things in the world but when your an active person and suddenly even easy things like going for a hill walk are off the agenda it's hard to accept.

If I can get some sort of fitness back before the season finishes I may be able to go sliding somewhere late March early April, so all hope isn't lost.

Thalys put their cheap ski train tickets up for sale last week and they normally all go within 10ns of being released but I actually managed to get some this year. 69 eur first class each way down to France is waaaaaay better than driving. Now lets see if I can not injure myself this year. Only managed 3 days in the last two years before it has all gone wrong

Bunnyhop - I'd say that qualifies as not good.

Your physio, do they ski/snowboard/MTB? I had one that did and I noticed they were a lot more open to the idea that such things were a good idea (with sciatica not a bust hip to be fair). I think some of them can sometimes think "extreme sports = likely injuries" without necessarily understanding the risks.

Heal well, come back stronger.

igm - thanks for your kind words.
First Doctor (in A&E) was a skier and thought I may be able to go before the end of the season.
Others not so.
My physio is not a sporty person at all and sees many bad skiing and mtb injuries, so I sort of understand why she is cautious about me.
To add to the problems I broke my humerus bone at the cuff a year ago (so 2 major breaks in under a year) and ignored her advice then and went skiing. At the time though the conditions were perfect (deep powder snow, even on piste) and I'm an experienced skier, so I just took things easy. This time it's a little more serious and I may have to have further surgery in the future 🙁

However, I still want to hear all about everybody's plans and see their holiday snaps.

Ooh nasty Bunnyhop....sorry to hear that! Looks like our Boys trip in Feb will be to Hinterglemm...anyone been there? (I haven't)

Hi Rockape, I used to organise a school ski trip to Saalbach/Hinterglemm.

It's one of my favourite areas to board and I've been to a fair few.

Nice and spread out and in Feb you should get the best of the snow. Used to take the kids in April and it can get a bit patchy by then (Easter).

Which is the better place to stay - Saalbach or Hinterglemm?

Hinterglemm is smaller and quieter, but most hotels have nice little bars and good beer. Saalbach has a bit more in the way of nightlife/apres ski. Both are convenient for the lifts, although check where your hotel is as they spread along the valley quite a long way and hinterglemm hotels are more likely to be convenient for the lifts.

Dear Winter

Hurry the **** up.

Thank You.

Great advice, thanks!

Piemonster - amen to that.

Thanks EW.

Not sure I'm looking forward to this lovely weather ending, but at least we have something to look forward to!

This just popped up on the SnowSafe FB feed: Black Diamond have upped the game a bit on airbag backpacks.

Black Diamond JetForce uses a Li-ion battery and electric pump instead of compressed air, so you can easily travel with it, use it multiple times, and it continuously refills itself when deployed before deflating to try and give you an air pocket.

Seems like a pretty big step forward.

just booked accomodation with 5 friends from finland and uk in Zell Am See, for february. I cannot wait!

There'll be a mix of skiers and snowboarders. Has anyone been there?

Did visit Zell Am See for a days boarding when I was on a recce trip. Was nice, little bit lower than Salbach-Hinterglemm and a smaller piste area but still nice and the snow should be good in Feb.

A bonus being that you are close to Kaprun which is well worth a visit, I had one of my better days boarding up there but if the weather is bad it's worth avoiding.

Dear Winter

Hurry the **** up.

Thank You.

I'm off to the States in a couple of weeks. To Montana. Apparently they're already getting snow! Might be a bit too early to think about taking a weekend over there, but one for the next trip!

3 days boarding on the hintertux glacier, Zillertal Valley, Osrterreich last week . After some cloudy snow days the blue skies opened and we headed up.

Full of Russian, USA, French and Norge Olympic ski teams training plus a couple of snowboard peeps. Was that Bodie Miller? Hmm, not so sure.....

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3 days boarding on the hintertux glacier

Fun Fact: that's where I proposed to my missus. 😀

Booked already. 19 people filling a catered ski-in / ski-out chalet in Les Manures (Reberty) with Sauna and Hot Tub. Manchester flights, ski carriage all round, full 3Valleys lift pass, all for under £800 a head.

nbt - can I ask where you got this? Looking for something similar

[quote=eightyeight dijo]
nbt - can I ask where you got this? Looking for something similar

Neilson, several months ago. Booked in early may I think and filled the chalet to get the best deal. Doubt you;ll get prices like that now sadly, though you might strike lucky if you wait till the last minute

Cheers.

Might do the ol' Crystal Ski to Les Deux Alps. Pretty basic, but the snow's just as cold as everywhere else!

Just booked accommodation for skiekampen http://www.skeikampen.no/
It is near Lillehammer
Going at Easter
Looking forward to it
Now have to rationalise as to why I need new gear/skis/goggles/jacket/sallopettes/boots/baselayers/more stuff.
Any tips on skiekampen ?

ratswithwings: wow, never seen the Tux glacier in full-on summer mode!

I have something of a love/hate relationship with the place. Cool place to ride & great park, but I only ever go there for exams (which I don't always pass....)

Going to Chamrousse in the first week in January.
Feeling a bit conflicted though.
Got a good deal on Groupon for the accommodation with SnowTrex, but it means that we will be taking 7yo Miss TTP out of school for a week (bad parent I know).

Now to look for new goggles and helmets. Any recommendations?
There are some Dragon NFX goggles on SportPursuit that seem to be a good price 2013/24 model for £64.80.

Already been walking around the house in full boarding gear.
Come on snow.

Might do the ol' Crystal Ski to Les Deux Alps. Pretty basic, but the snow's just as cold as everywhere else!

We went there last March as a family. We stayed in the big Neilson hotel which is right on the piste, next to one of the bunny runs. It was great for the kids as Neilson did kids clubs etc and there was good tuition available too.

BUT I would say the resort was pretty limited for experienced adults. We were snowboarding and felt like we'd covered a lot of the interesting stuff by day four. Probably didn't help that it was absolutely scorchio while we were there so it was a bit of a slushfest at the bottom and there was no real off-piste left.

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

That said we enjoyed it, it was a nice place, the food was good (if pricey), it was t-shirt weather, didn't feel ridiculously busy, good bars etc in town.

If you go then make sure you ride in Vallee Blanche too - which is the mini-resort the opposite side from the main one. It was much quieter, had good food and a couple of fun runs including a nice little in-bounds (controlled/"safeish"/sidecountry) off-piste between the black and red from the top.

Just booked my three day avalanche course in feb as a precurser (is that a word?) to my splitboarding course in March. Can't wait.

Never been to skeikampen but have been to lillehammer and hafjell lots. it's fantastic. Very very expensive mind

CFH- Just on the off chance we're sat in the same airport lounge, when you heading out? I have a Lake Tahoe trip in early October (definitely no snow but maybe some bikes).

igm - there maybe snow. There has already been some in Canada and the weather men out in North America are forecasting a lot of snow from October onward.
Typical, when I can't go 🙁

This thread is torture

GrahamS - Thanks a lot. I actually went to LdA three years ago on my first ever ski trip (I came to it quite late).

I absolutely loved skiing, so have great memories of my first time - even when my mate dumped me and the top of a red run and shot off! I really liked the little ski-cross course they had near the top as well.

To be honest not sure I'll get away this year - I'll just live vicariously through this thread. More pictures please!

but I only ever go there for exams (which I don't always pass....)

will you be trying again next season stevomcd?

Serious preparation for the season going on here. A new sink and mitigeur, induction hob, 30mA differential thing and some wiring replaced, bunks repaired. While working I came across cupboard full of skis, boots boards etc. but shut it quickly as I didn't want to get distracted filling holes in skis rather than walls. I ran up and down the pistes when the clouds lifted briefly so the quads won't burn too much on the first descents.

Igm, LHR to SEA on the 12th, so in T5 First lounge earlier in the day. Will be in the BA lounge at SEA late afternoon waiting for the transfer.

Digby - yeah, will be. Hopefully won't get injured in the run-up this time!

Still trying to decide where to go for Christmas 😐

Manchester to Chicago and I'll be coming back on the 10th/11th Fri/Sat so I won't even be able to wave as we pass.

I envy your west coast flight - you'll be able to get a proper night's sleep on the way back.

Missus has just had the 12 week scan so double whammy for me. I get a kid in April and she can't go boarding in February so I get a lads ski holiday instead! Spent one day in Tignes/val so trying to convince the lads to go there for a week so I can explore it a bit more.

Right then you 'orrible lot. I've been meaning to share a few pics to this thread so here's a teaser

[img] [/img]

Want some more??

p.s. That was Broken River Bowl last Sunday. We had 20 cm on friday night. With the wind blowing it in, it was a sea of velvet smooth poweder. I wasn't up there early enough to get first tracks but there's enough for everyone to get some fresh. Saturday night we had another 5 cm smoothing it out a bot mor for another day smashing around. Note the rope tow on the far right - that sorts the men form the boys, the boys from the babies and the babies from the snowboarders 😀

All booked for Les Gets for Christmas.
Really excited.
Haven't been skiing in 15 years.

Les Gets?

Burger at K2 then, tarte aux myrtilles at Le Veux Chene saucisson frite at the bottom of Belle Mouille and views from the bar halfway down Tulipe (it's on the right and you can be past it before you see it if you're not looking out for it).

And melted cheese everywhere.

Oh yes and you can ski and snowboard.

Thanks, was just gonna ask about places to go.
Wife and kids have never skied before.

Les Gets is good then. Good variety of beginner to intermediate stuff with nice steady progression between them. ral village too. The two bars I mentioned on runs are on reds though, but the bars round the rim of the bowl (which makes it sound like a toilet) are accessible via blues.

A number of decent non-ESF schools. We use 360 for our boys.

cchris2lou +1 - where to go with wife and three young kids for first trip?
Oh, and when's best?

When?
Low season if you can - perhaps early to mid-March. Weather is a little warmer for young'uns by then but snow cover should be OK.

Where?
Loads of good places. Les Gets tends to be families with parents who can ski and children who are learning. Much less intimidating for beginners than say Avoiriaz that has a lot of teenage and 20 something groups learning to ski.
That said the other nice thing about somewhere like Les Gets is that away from the simpler slopes you just don't see ski schools. Families yes, but with children who can ski.
Three valleys wasn't child friendly in the same way (by my reckoning), Andorra was full of late teens,early 20s learning which isn't great around learner children.

Thanks.

We are flying to Geneva so Les Gets is not too far either.
I was worried about lack of snow at Christmas but people we rent flat said in 20 years they had it, it only happened once.

growing up in france I have been to loads of different resorts, mainly 3 valleys and Tignes,val d isere.

What about Chatel??
Italy??
Thanks for any other pointers

Les Gets is really good for a first trip, we did year 1 & 2 with our kids there. you can get to some good stuff and back for lunch to pick them up after ski school or if you go the whole nanny thing you can get to Avoriaz and do all that during the day.

if you get powder go straight to Mont Chery though. SO FUN.

EDIT year 3 we went to Briancon / Serre Che which was also great and I actually prefer the mountain - tonnes of trees - although we had 6 powder days so that worked out pretty well while the kids were in ski school.

boxelder _ I suggest Italy, though somewhere with a quick transfer, so that rules out Livigno.
Maybe try Folgarida in Italy. Nice food, small resort, very friendly.
Or Passo Tonale, same as above.

Will get looking. We don't really ski either - wife did years ago and I've done a weeks snowboarding, so don't especially need 'escapes'

Who's been to Whistler? What locations are better for good value without being a silly distance form the lifts? (at this stage we're not bothered about preference to either Blackcombe or Whistler)

We'll be in Canadia for about 2 weeks in January - it would be rude not to.

Creekside probably has more budget accommodation than the main Whistler resort and you can still access the ski hill via the Creekside Gondola.

Cheers Digby - I'll check out the accom over there

Some stunning images here commissioned by Mammut to mark 150 years since the first ascent of the Matterhorn.

[url= http://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2014/sep/29/mammut-mountaineering-adventures-in-pictures ]link[/url]

Dunno if anyone else has seen the news, but it's been confirmed that J.P. Auclair and Andreas Fransson died on Sunday while climbing a peak in Patagonia. Properly sad news. [url= http://m.powder.com/stories/news/jp-auclair-andreas-fransson-confirmed-dead/ ]full story[/url]

If you're not familiar with JPs work, here's the street scene from All I Can.

Very news about Auclair & Fransson - JPs work was incredible.

Also incredibly sad news about Liz Daley 🙁

[url= http://snowboarding.transworld.net/news/liz-daley-killed-avalanche-south-america/ ]Link[/url]

Stevo. Soz for late reply. Yeah great car park and obviously some great places for biking.

Need to read up on wild camping in the Zillertal and we might go for a couple of months in the future.

So, if a snowboard distributor send you a shop's stock of snowboards instead of sending them to the shop, what would you do?

Hypothetically of course.

Also I may have hypothetically recieved the a list of the trade prices for those hypothetical snowboards too.

19 boards

If they weren't signed for and any are in the 160 W Region PM Me 😀

Id call and say heeeeeey you want your 18 boards bacck and see if you can snag one for you as a gesture

They weren't signed for by me... And there's a Jones Mountain Twin 161...

I've emailed the guy that I think ordered them - but he hasn't replied.

The markup on a board is pretty meaty - perhaps unsurprisingly.

About £4.5k worth of boards trade or £8k list.

Sadly not enough to emigrate on.

I'm trying to think of things they might send me as a gesture of goodwill, but I can't think of anything I need/want.

They're a ski/snowboard/bmx shop.

Suggestions?

No suggestions?