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what are those ski's Ned? Look a bit strange to me! 😮
Split board touring snowboard I believe.
[i]Split board touring snowboard I believe.[/i]
Groovy....didn't know they existed!
The crowds have gone, on-piste is excellent, off-piste is a choice between rocks and a hard place as the snow is close to concrete.
Sunday was the last busy day of the season so I counted sheep from Madame's favourite chair. The same people started coming past a second time after 300 so the results for this year's means of sliding;
300 skiers
27 boarders
1 telemark (possibly more that didn't turn)
1 one-legged skier
1 scooter thing
2 randonnneur going up
0 monoski
0 barquettes (though there was one just before the count and one just after.
There are less boards these days but the ability level is high, very few obvious beginners.
More and more water skiers floating, drifting and skidding around.
Less high speed carvers, just the competitors cruising down to the chair from the slalom course.
The vast majority of people sliding sensibly and considerately.
Are those the 1st Generation of Spark R&D bindings nedrapier?
What's the splitboard - I don't recognise it?
They're a pre-season version of the Blazes - from 2011? mrs rapier has the Ignition 2s - the first production Sparks. those are a bit lardier, but she's got a lighter board and the colo(u)rway(scheme)s work better this way round, so I'm not too distressed for her!
Mate says the Magnetos are a big step forward in ease of use and lack of faff - he reckons they're as big a step from pins as ignitions were from voile plates and regular bindings.
Board is a Venture Zephyr 164. S&R had them in for a season a couple of years ago, I picked it up for a great slice off at the end March. Nice board, and it rides very nicely, in almost all conditions, but I've got some tail-riding habits that come out in certain circumstances that the rocker-flat-rocker profile doesn't reward well. It's very well put together and very sturdy though, so I'll have plenty of time to adapt!
Bunnyhop - I got me some of these pretty things:
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Wallop - those are indeed very pretty.
Would they suite my skiing?
I'm mostly an all terrain piste skier,with a bit of off piste thrown in (cautious though), when conditions are good.
Yep - one of my riding companions last week was rocking the Magnetos and reckoned they were a big improvement. I got to try out the Karakorams and contrast them to my upgraded Blaze's and I was pleasantly suprised!
Hope you're enjoying the Lyngen Alps nedrapier! 🙂
Bunnyhop - they are described as a "versatile" ski for piste and off-piste, so would be probably be spot on for what you need. The best thing about them is that they are really light.
More importantly will they go with my outfit? 😉
Thanks Wallop, those look just the ticket.
Tom B – you’ve got your frontsides and backsides mixed up
Oh ****sticks!!
Head Total joy. I think that's the first ski anyone has posted on this thread I'd take out for a day and expect to finish the day with rather than having gone back to swap for my old slalom skis.
I absolutely love them. And - Bunnyhop - they very conveniently go with my boots!
Don't think I've ever tried Head skis in any shape or form.
The Nordicas I posted a pic of the other day are my new fave skis. That said, I did try a pair of loony tunes fast Nordica Spitfires (IIRC) once, and would love to try them on again on some rippingly fast groomers.
I have 'Head' boots, so should go well together.
I shall be trying these out in Verbier in 3 weeks time, mounted with Fritschi Vipec to hopefully get a few good days away from the mad crowds, get in......
[url= http://www.dynastar.com/US/US/cham-high-mountain-97_DADK301_product_dynastar-skis-men-freeride.html ]Cham HM 97[/url]
Just been treated to long weekend at Alpbach, Small resorts have been off my radar for years, but great fun for 4 days. Helped by the fact that we had best guide in the resort who found fresh powder 4 days after last dump.
Scott Black Majics - very nice ski. Don't notice them in the steep and deep (in a very good way ie very easy to ski) but still fun carving on piste. Brilliant all-rounder IMO. Don't look much but great performers
Powder, blues skies, sun, empty lifts and the € at 1.40 - what a difference from rip off resorts
Didn't even bother going up the hill today in Whistler. We decided to take one of our rest days while conditions were crap in the hope they'll improve. Snow is forecast for tomorrow, but the forecast is changing hourly. Cat Boarding folk just emailed us to say they are suspending operations for the rest of the season 🙁
I might head up on Thursday morning before work if the predicted snow actually comes. Went biking today. Flank trail up to Pura Vida. Awesome bit of steep loamy goodness.
Cat Boarding folk just emailed us to say they are suspending operations for the rest of the season
I'm really sorry to hear that GrahamS - that's a real shame! 🙁
Nedrapier / Digby. The Magnetos are definitely awesome. I haven't managed to obtain a set myself yet, but one of the guides we work with for our Splitboard weeks has all his boards equipped with them, so I've had a good play around.
Definitely another step-change. Can't justify the expense at the moment as you need new crampons as well. Hoping to buy some used ones off the guide at the end of the season!
I'm currently on 1st-generation Sparks (the ones with the floppy highbacks....)
What's the deal with Magnetos? My better half and I have R&D Blazes with the pin system. Are the Magnetos a lot faster during transition? Are there other benefits?
bluebird - have a look on the spark site or youtube for videos. Difficult to explain how much easier it makes the transitions without seeing it.
I've not used them myself, either - just going by what mate Rob says (and stevo). I was always concentrating on my transitions when he was doing his, so I never really saw them in action!
stevo - if you go used, check which version of the crampons you're looking at. Rob had an earlier version than his wife, and the later version has more material in the brass pivot pin.
There's quite a bit of force going through it if you happen to find a rock with a crampon tooth. Rob cracked his thinner/earlier version and had to get it brazed by the guy at the skidoo shop (nice to find that sort of place when you need it!)
I'll see if I can get pics from Rob to show you the difference.
Mount Baker has also temporarily suspended operations due to lack of snow... [url= http://www.mtbaker.us/snow-report/ ]Link[/url] Not a good season for West Coast North America 😥
I'm already mountain biking in Calgary...
FFS GrahamS gies an update, I can't handle the suspense! Did the snow arrive in Whistler or should I leave the board at home? 😐
8am here exupmonkey. I've been listening to the rain rattling off the roof for about four hours trying to decide if it is worth going up just in case some fell as snow higher up. I'll let you know.
'Holds breath' 🙂
I feel for you Graham, nothing more dismal than rain in a ski resort.
Edit: obviously there are plenty of things more dismal, but it's hard to think of them when you're in a rainy ski resort!
Thanks for the sympathy ned and Digby - it is pretty gutting but it is what it is.
exupmonkey: top of the hill is in heavy cloud. Can't tell what is happening up there yet, but can tell it is near zero viz so won't be going up till later if at all today.
Thanks for the update Graham. As you say, it is what it is! Cheers. Andy
I was in a rainy Fernie a few years ago - we got there for the season a bit early, snow got there a bit late, so restaurants weren't hiring - no jobs, no snow.
Did a bit of biking, but the answer to "What shall we do today?" was usually "Get drunk, play pool?"
What's the temperature at your altitude, Graham? Subtract 3°C per 500 higher and assume it'll be snowing at 1°C.
Whistler is a pretty low resort compared to a lot of the European ones. The village sits at about 650m with Peak chair hitting 2200m. It should snow from about mid mountain up, but it'll be very wet snow. The Alpine should be good tomorrow though if it stays below freezing.
If it's still crap and you don't want to sit about the hiking in the valley is good as are the bike trails. Get over to one of the bike shops in town (I like Cross Country Connection at Lost Lake) and go for a pootle there (for easy stuff) or up over to Stonebridge/West Side for more of the steep stuff.
So we went out today in the rain. It was falling as very thin snow in the alpine. 😀 Snow was actually pretty good up top. We were aiming to drop into Symphony Bowl but the viz was terrible so rode Harmony Ridge instead.
Currently hammering down with rain in the village but the live temp for alpine is -1 so if that is right then should be snow up there down to about 1800m I reckon. Lower runs will be a right mess.
Aye, I had a rather damp ride back from work this evening. Going to venture up tomorrow morning if the snow forecast from today is anywhere near accurate. Just hope the apline opens before I need to go back to work haha
Junior has just passed his ski test. The first step on the way to becoming one of the "rouges" some on here love to hate. 🙂
Good for him, Edukator.
Does that mean that he gets stagiaire status, or is that the next step?
He has to do a lot of theory/pedagogical training first and wait till he's 18. The ski test is just the initial selection made on if you can get down a slalom fast enough to get within a percentage of the openers, which today was set by the French vice champion
Does anyone have recommendations for a place to park up a motorhome in the summer so that we can ski a glacier in the mornings and ride bikes in the afternoons?
Looking to take the family this summer and plan to do a a week or so ski/biking and then relocate over to Northern Spain.
Well in France it's:
Val d'Isère et son glacier du Pissaillas,
Tignes et le glacier de la Grande Motte,
Les 2 Alpes et le glacier du même nom,
l'Alpe d'Huez sur le glacier du Pic Blanc.
Most resorts have a car park somewhere for campers though you may have to pay a modest sum and it might not be the most pittoresque place.
My personal choice would be Tignes.
Some good news exupmonkey, it's been snowing fairly hard in Whistler and there is, probably, more coming. 😀
But... the freezing level is still pretty high up the mountain, around 1400m I'd guess, so below that it is falling as rain. 🙁
And the High Alpine is stormbound with high winds and snow. No lifts running above Emerald. And the bowls are closed till they can finish blasting. 🙁
But... they did manage to get Harmony open briefly this morning and everyone swarmed over there like a pack of freshie-starved dogs, whooping and hollering as we tore the place up. 😆
If they get the top open tomorrow it'll be a good day. 😀
Tignes would be good. Great for kids in the summer and lifts are free.
OK Graham, some goodish news there, thanks. just this minute arrived at our budget hotel so a quick unpack and head out for provisions and beer. Let's see what tomorrow brings!
Nice day on Cairngorm today - well over 1,000 happy folk up. The freestyle area was looking complete by the time we left so should be good for the comps this weekend.
Forecast for the next couple of days is looking mighty fine too.
Day one at Whistler and yes, compared to last year conditions are pretty pants but we kept high, Chrystal Chair and Jersey Cream and had an absolute blast, blue sky day helped right enough! Great day followed by some of Whistler Real Ales finest..... luxury!!
Scotroutes - It was fantastic up Cairngorm. I'm surprised there were as many as 1000 up - we were there in the afternoon and didn't have to wait in a single queue!
Raining again so I thought I'd share this little video of me from yesterday.
You know that thing when you are just cruising along enjoying the snow and then you suddenly fall into a great big hole?
Luckily the massage girl at the Longhorn was able to ease my strains 🙂
Raining in the valley Graham, but puking at the Roundhouse. Alpine closed today so tomorrow should be a good un.
Edit: Really hope you're not flying back tomorrow after saying that...
Here for another week yet wnb. Didn't bother going up today since nothing above Emerald was open and everything below Emerald is pretty wet. Tomorrow should be good though - might do First Tracks.
Went out today, pretty brutal to be honest, sleet, rain, wind and a wee bit of sunshine. Still had a blast though, despite only having a couple of runs to play with on Whistler Mountain. Looking forward to tomorrow.
Lyngen Alps Photstravaganza!
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scotroutes - Member
Nice day on Cairngorm today - well over 1,000 happy folk up. The freestyle area was looking complete by the time we left so should be good for the comps this weekend.Forecast for the next couple of days is looking mighty fine too.
POSTED 1 DAY AGO # REPORT-POST
Was up there yesterday and the weather was glorious, but with only 1 proper tow open in the ptarmigan bowl, it was a bit of a queue fest 🙁
The competition was good though.
Those photos are stunning.
Wow. Stunning.Lyngen Alps
Cheers!
Couple more from Andy's fb set:
Holmbuktinden:
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about to swim around the buoy and back:
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Pretty
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All looked great till I saw the word "swim". Not even with a triathlon wetsuit.
It wasn't that bad, actually. Until I got out, anyway. Adrenaline did the trick for long enough to get me out and back, but I went a bit quiet for a while afterwards!
Hey Ned
Why don't you just **** off with your photos.
Me envious, noooooo......
Nice photos btw, looks like a superb destination. Hope you had a good 'un. Git. 😀
Well, I'm back. We stayed in a chalet run by [url= http://familyski.co.uk/ ]Family Ski[/url] in Reberty 2000...around 5 or 6 hairpins up from Les Menuires, just off the road to Val Thorens. Reberty 2000 is both situated at 2000m and was built in the year 2000. It's a pretty sleepy little village, only 2 pubs/restaurants and quite a few chalets run for families (skifamille have a few chalets here too).
It was a first time for us in Les 3 Vallées, not having been to France since a shit week in Montgenevre around 15 or 16 years ago. I knew it was a big area, but had no idea just how enormous a skiing area it is. Hence, I didn't get near quite a bit of the stuff our lift pass covered. Snow conditions were good, as long as we stayed up high. They were slushy (though not "wet") lower down, which was ok on the board, but a bit slowing at times. I boarded with skiers from our chalet (I was the only one on a tray) who sometimes went down flattish slushy tracks - I had a few walky bits. 😆 After those early incidents, and a few adjustments to my frankly shagged rental bindings, we all resolved to stay up high, which the lift system in the 3V allows you to do.
A few pages back, someone was decrying the "ski-in, ski-out" thing. We could (no joke) board/ski to 3 steps from the boot room in our chalet. I've never had this before...now I want it for every holiday I have in the future! 🙂 It made things really easy in the afternoons coming back to get dd (whose creche was in the same chalet we were staying), as a couple of hours of apres wasn't on the cards.
Family Ski have things very well set up. Childcare is excellent, and their chalets (by all accounts from guests who had stayed in other locations previously) are very well located. Not being first on the lifts in the morning, and last down in the afternoon took a bit of getting used to, but we'd accepted before we went that this would be the case. The only bug-bear was that the food in the evenings was a bit poor & plain.
I'm taking my own board next year. The one I rented, while well edged, was pretty gouged underneath and the bindings were shagged. I did get quite a short board though, which was troublesome enough for a day or so, but I fell in love with the ability to do sharper turns with it as the week went on.
Probably our most enjoyable ski week ever I reckon...and I think I'll head back to the 3V again next year. It'll be nice to hit the ground running on day 1 without having to figure our way around for a day. 🙂
We used snowbrainer.com to rent kit, which is very well priced (but keep an eye on locations and distances on maps from your accommodation 😳 ). For anyone who needs data while away and hasn't got a decent package from their operator (Yes, EE, I'm looking at you!), I can recommend a Three MiFi type thing with pre-paid data sim. Just switch it on, hide it away in your jacket somewhere and you've got Wifi all day (though only had 3G in the mountains).
Glad you had a good trip DD. Sounds like you did better than some of those who ventured across the pond.
Reberty's a pretty good location isn't it - we were just behind La Ferme for our trip in Jan. Glad to hear it went well for you. Pics?
we were just behind La Ferme for our trip in Jan.
Oh wow. Literally around the corner. It is indeed an excellent location. I'll see if I can dig out a pic or two...we didn't take many, and they're a bit shite compared to some already on this thread.
We spent quite a few breaks in Chalet du Sunny! Nice spot up there.
[quote=deadlydarcy dijo]
Oh wow. Literally around the corner.
We were right opposite the ski famille chalets. One evening as we finished out meal, our "chalet girls" (Guy, James and Simon - all blokes!) asked us to stand up and turn to face the window - where we saw the Ski famille girls dancing round the kitchen like no-one was watching. Except 22 of us were, as they realised when James texted them to let them know.
They were good girls and kept popping ovewr to help our chaps. One of our lads got the navette up from the village with them and the children they were looking after and said he was really impressed with the way the girls managed the children - kept them singing and amused for the whole journey and were obviously enjoying it, not just going through the motions
DD - I went the 3V's this year for the first time (as a relative novice - my 3rd time on snow). Will definitely head back there, although might opt for classier accommodation next year, there are some pretty low rent places in Val itself.
But, boy those hills, that sky and that snow were well worth everything else we got.
I'd forgotten just how bad the architecture in France can be. Les Menuires, Bruyeres and some of the others are some of the ugliest places I have seen. We got over towards VT a few times...lovely lovely snow up high, but didn't go down near the village itself. Stopped in Folie for a beer and a panini though. The scenery wasn't bad - but the rent was high!
absolutely stunning nedrapier! 8)
Escaped the fohn wind in Chamonix today and headed over to Courmayeur to enjoy the fresh snow! 🙂
Was away last week in La Plagne report below.
Glad you liked the 3V DD , look at Meribel Motterat if possible for one the villages with the best access to the whole area . Stayed in Motterat , Menuires , Meribel village and all OK but Motterat is fastest out both directions.
Had the same conditions in La Plagne . Arrived on Sat on a very convienient Southampton - GVA flight and Bus transfer to Aime. Then had to grab a taxi up to Montablert.
Hired some Atomic Revos which I hated from the get go . Unable to put any shin pressure through my boots without feeling the skis wanting to catch an edge .
Returned and swapped for a set of Dynastar Chrome Cr 72Ltd carvers, much more suitable given the snow conditions .
Enjoyed wall to wall sunshine under cloudless skies for the entire week. Temps over freezing every day , even up at 9000ft on the glacier.
Skied Montalbert to VillaRoger and back , which is a fair way but had 2hrs spare . Rang the pistehors for a lady with knee ligament injury , as all the locals skied past ignoring her ( crying )
saw a nasty face plant/ double eject/ tombstone from a chair with no movement for at maybe a minute but fortunatly other skiers stopped quickly.
Used the sloutions room with chalets direct and got a week catered with vin for £199, I will be using them again.
Mornings were hard pack and fast , after maybe 10.30 the snow was soft and workable . Getting home one had to keep an eye out for porridge snow trying to trip you up. Resort fairly busy with queues alot of the time, but mostly between 1 and 5 mins at peak times.
My SOP of stop at 11.30 for coffee aand cake and ski through lunch served me well.
My SOP of stop at 11.30 for coffee aand cake and ski through lunch served me well.
Always the best strategy. Mrs DD and I usually go for a two stop - mid morning coffee and beer and mid afternoon shnack and coffee, and again beer. 😀
That two hour period between 12 and 2 makes for lovely quiet skiing/boarding when the snow is at its nicest.
Didn't quite know what you meant about the chairlift thing...?
I'd forgotten just how bad the architecture in France can be.
Flaine. Les Arcs 2000. I feel ill now.
Avoriaz, Tignes...the list goes on... 😆
EDIT: Actually, St Martin de Belleville was a pretty place. And the newer stuff they're building (mix of stone and wood, lo-rise-ish) is much nicer. Reberty, while being a bit kit-built, was all wooden chalets which looked fine. Gawd knows when the rest of it will fall down though.
Been at Nevis Range today - not great conditions. Runs are mostly open but quite bare/narrow/icy in places. Still fun though.
Walking up Ben Nevis on sat in glorious sunshine was better. 🙂
I like Avoriaz! Arcs 2000 though - bleurgh. Hasn't even got any atmosphere to redeem itself with.
I have a bit of a Colin question...
I had one area of concern. dd's skin went to pieces, I assume altitude, dehydration etc didn't help and by the middle of the week, he'd scratched the shite out of the back of his shoulders. So before we put him to bed, I asked for a first aid kit to see if there were any dressings I could use to cover up the bleeding bits so he wouldn't do any more damage in his sleep. Nobody could find one. It appeared as though there hadn't been one in the crêche that day...I'm hoping it was [i]just[/i] that day. 😯 When it arrived, from a place unknown, it was just in knackered cardboard box, no scissors, no antiseptic cream or dressings and just a mish mash of plasters and gauze and opened "sterile" dressings. Also, there was no FA kit in the upstairs of the chalet.
Now, I realise I may be applying the rules by which I work when on properly organised sites, but I would have thought something like this would be a requirement by law. Fair enough if it isn't in France, but shirley you'd make bloody sure a crêche had something to hand in case of a cut/graze to one of the toddlers.
I've emailed stevomcd (White Room guy) to ask but does anyone know offhand what should or should not be available?
Brilliant day on the board in Whistler, amazing the difference a flurry of snow and some sunshine can make, fantastic ...... That is all!
That's great news exupmonkey! Pleased to hear you've had a bit of snow. Hopefully GrahamS has been too busy on the board instead of getting pissed in the Longhorn to post. 😀
DD, given the state of the French love for officialdom and red tape, that seems very lax. I'm sure that there should have been something more suitable on hand.
I had a really good reply from stevomcd, but I promised not to quote him. Anyway, probably overreacting to there being none in the chalet itself but there really should be something in the crêche at all times (IMO).
Recently back from a week in Belle Plagne.
I didnt manage to meet up with Singletrackmind in the end, but had a great week watching Jnr FD learn to ski, taking out down blue/red runs etc.
On the Wednesday I booked an off piste session with Christophe from Reflex Ski School. Only cost me 65 Euros for 5hrs of 1-1 skiing, great bloke, very professional and safety concious. Given the conditions in resort I didnt think we would find any untracked powder, but was very pleasently surprised! Access to some of the off piste was a bit sketchy due lack of fresh snow and number of skiers passing through in the last 2 weeks or so.
The first run was off the Roche de Mio. The entry from the piste was almost an ice sheet, but then gave way to a nice open wide bowl, before dropping in to I guess what you could call a couloir from a narrow entry.
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Next it was to the Bellcote North Face. Getting off piste was even more ropey as it is quite heavily used as an off piste area. The first section was more missing the rocks than skiing. However, the Canadian Couloir was interesting at the top with a lot of icey, lumpy tracked snow. Lower down the lots of untracked powder could still be found 🙂
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I will hopefully post some more powdery picks when Christophe emails them through to me.
I can also highly recommend Ski Esprit Hotel Des Deux Domaines. Its not cheap, but the whole family had a great time there. The childcare and support was amazing, as was the lovely pool, sauna etc.