UPDATE: Reviews section refreshed, redesigned, searchable: Go take a look
There you go (delete the s from the http and the video will embed)
Really interesting sweaman thanks . For my benefit , why weren't the shooting cracks taken as an immediate red flag? Did they think the risk was manageable ?
Pop, rocker, cambered, charging about, split boards, I have not got a clue what you are all on about. Is this what normal people are like when they first read the bike forum?
Not a complete n00b, done 5 hols (spaced over quite a few years) and a few dozen sessions at the dry slope in my early twenties, guess I just don't [i]follow[/i] boarding like I do MTBing. Would do if it was more acessible tho, it is bloody good fun.
Guess I'm a PoB rather than a boarder 😉
Don't worry D0NK, I've been boarding for 20 something years and I'm still a PoB. (And look like one too!)
It's the curse of the "two weeks a year or less" crowd. 🙁
DONK - normal people understand bikes - but there's a lot of weirdos out there who don't appreciate the difference between a 2.3 and 2.35 tyre.
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See this is why I shouldn't be reading this thread this year. 🙁
That looks glorious piemonster, enjoy it for me!
Really interesting sweaman thanks . For my benefit , why weren't the shooting cracks taken as an immediate red flag? Did they think the risk was manageable ?
I hesitate to second guess professional forecasters but based on the commentary I think they thought the slab wasn't "too bad" as it was only 10cm and seemed soft. When they then skied off line into a steeper than intended area it propagated much further then they had thought.
I guess the problem with being an avalanche professional is that you have to go where the avalanches are and potentially even ski bits that you would advise other people to avoid.
Top of the agile rouge ? Piemonster ?
Top of the agile rouge ? Piemonster ?
Yes, and what a fantastic run. Superb timing really, it was flagged up all morning, and started to clear as we boarded the Varet lift, by the time we got off the Aguille Cable Car it was just stunning up there. By the time we'd got off Comborcie it'd clagged up again.
A lot of skiing today, easy day needs to come up soon or I'm going to need a leg transplant.
Lovely view when its like that and fund run - Its sort of my run homne come sunday as im staying in Villaroger. However the reports looking a little dry for me and my powder board unfortunately . Im snow dancing every day !
Enjoy the conditions !
@piemonster - roll on the weekend!
Thanks for sharing the pictures, not that I need help to get more excited, but I am!
Nice photos PM. I was guessing Aig Rouge from angle of Mt Blanc and the view down in the third photo. Just could place the second one. The third photo shows the route of the first avalanche in the clip doesn't it? You can see the piste/mt road that gets covered when the couloir goes!
Bag update for those that were talking about them at the weekend... The Dakine Fall Line Double arrived today. It's pretty big (I managed to get inside and pull the zips up past my waist - 5'10-ish, 12.5st), I couldn't resist trying. It can easily fit two pairs of skis, a pair of boots and some clothes. You could probably squeeze in 3 pairs of skis and no boots, but I probably wouldn't risk it. Wheels seem decent quality and the fabric is fairly sturdy.
One minor down point, there are no straps inside to secure the skis, so I'll probably pack it with clothes fairly well. Bought from a company called Extremepie, reasonably priced too.
Jnr's skis arrived too. I decided to go for some adult intermediate piste skis for him instead of twin tips. I figured that fairly recreational adult skis aren't going to be too much stiffer than Jnr race skis which he uses weekly. Ekosport are ridiculously good value and excellent delivery.
I'm currently in what may well be the flattest place on earth. Those pictures aren't helping!
🙂
I'm currently in what may well be the flattest place on earth. Those pictures aren't helping!
Have a look at the temps forecast for next week. That'll cheer you up, I'm going from full alpine winter to spring in 48hrs
😕
Quite a few folk seem to think -17 is too cold, but I absolutely love it. I'm giving serious consideration to a full arctic experience next year, Ylass keeps popping up.
Nice photos PM. I was guessing Aig Rouge from angle of Mt Blanc and the view down in the third photo. Just could place the second one. The third photo shows the route of the first avalanche in the clip doesn't it? You can see the piste/mt road that gets covered when the couloir goes!
Yes, and the slopes of to the right(off picture) get blasted too. It was looking particularly loaded in places as well.
Just realised I've only been skiing for less than 4 weeks now. Seems like it's permeated my entire existence! 😀
Goggles, goggles, goggles...
Smith i/ox vs Oakley Airbrake vs Anon M2
I have just bought an Anon helmet and my old goggles don't fit very well...at all! Seems more sensible to go for Anon goggles, but I'm not keen on how they look. Are these "frameless" jobbies worth the slightly "astronaut" look of them?
@DD have a look at [url= http://www.summitworldwide.eu/ ]Summit Worldwide[/url] too.
I have a pair of their Evolve goggles, and found them to be comfy and not to restrict my vision. Fit very well with my helmet too (Can't remember the helmet make). Make me look like a fighter pilot. NEEEEEEEEoooooooowwwwwww!
Great customer service too. Worth every penny I spent.
Friday 15th January 2016. A day that will live long in infamy.
[url= https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xfp1/t50.2886-16/12563807_877294009054380_215352435_n.mp4 ]Video here[/url]
That looks as if you had a rather nice day!
Frameless goggles. I really don't know about them personally. If I as much as looked at them, I reckon I'd scratch them. At least with the frames I can get away with dumping them unceremoniously on a table at lunchtime.
I just got some Oakley flight deck. No idea how good they will be but I think they look ace. My wife thinks I look like a cock in them.
sports wear, spousal abuse is par for the course.My wife thinks I look like a cock in them.
Ordered a pair of all three and will return the two I don't like.
Oh, and I'd mentioned it earlier in the thread, but a heads up for anyone flying Sleazy and taking a snowboard (bag), you ARE restricted to 20kg. (I think some had thought that the £60 for a snowboard meant that the weight didn't really matter.) Anyway, from their "Sports Equipment" info page:
Sports equipment
Sporting equipment can be carried in addition to your hold luggage allowance for an additional non-refundable fee, applied per item.
Payment of the non-refundable sports equipment fee entitles you to an additional weight allowance of 20kgs (small sports equipment) or 32kgs (large sports equipment) and increases your checked in hold luggage allowance to a maximum of 40kg or 52kg, respectively. But a single item cannot weigh more than 32kgs in total. To find out what is a large or small piece of sports equipment, please have a look at our lists below.
The table below is a guide on how your luggage allowance can be distributed:
Sports equipment allowances
[b]0 hold bags and 1 small sports item: Total allowance of 1 item = 20kg in total[/b]
The item must be on our list of small sports equipment
0 hold bags and 1 large sports item: Total allowance of 1 item = 32kg in total
The item must be on our list of large sports equipment
1 hold bag and 1 small sports item: Total allowance of 2 items = 40kg total (20kg each) made up of 1 item of hold luggage and 1 item of small sports equipment
You may distribute weight between items but a single item cannot weigh more than 32kgs in total.
1 hold bag and 1 large sports item: Total allowance 2 items = 52kg total, made up of 1 item of hold luggage and 1 item of large sports equipment
You may distribute weight between items but a single item cannot weigh more than 32kgs in total
That looks like an epic day stevo. 
beware they're a bunch of dicks who say they have booked you board carriage but 2 days before say "whoops, no room on the plane."Oh, and I'd mentioned it earlier in the thread, but a heads up for anyone [s]flying Sleazy[/s] booking thomas cook and taking a snowboard (bag),
So the thing I was worried about that put me off getting a last minute deal has happened anyway when we booked in advance, grrrrrr!
Bunch of tw*ts. Can you get one of the luggage transport firms to take it and charge it to Thomas Cook?
got links for any recommended firms?
As for charging it to TC I think they'll wriggle out of that one due to the way the shyster who dealt with my mate played it. Unless they do it out of good will due to aforementioned shyster's behaviour.
Never used any D0NK - I think you have to pick them based on your destination.
You might find one with a suitable discount here:
http://www.snowboardclub.co.uk/category/discount-type/travel
cheers for the link, doesn't look like they have any partners in les deux alpes.
The couple of companies google threw up looked pretty pricey, >£65 eachway
Looks like Luggage Mule do Les Deux, £100 return for a snowboard bag (minus 12% SCUK discount), which is comparable to some airline prices.
http://www.snowboardclub.co.uk/discount/luggage-mule
BUT it is collected from your house four days before departure so probably to short notice for you, sorry 🙁
Have you been to Les Deux before by the way?
I've been there the past two years with the kids. Nice place.
Be sure to check out the weird little underground "funiculaire" at the glacier - it's like getting a subway train up a mountain, very odd experience.
yeah went few years back with my mrs, I liked it*. Went for a walk round the ice caverns on the glacier but don't remember a funderground.
Might have changed a bit since we went, they've built a proper blue run in the town now apparently in stead of the choice of a black run or 4km narrow access road green run.
*That possibly read like my mrs didn't, she thought the hol it was ok too but her first ski trip and she didn't catch the bug unfortunately. I thought it compared OK to ther places I'd been.
don't remember a funderground
You might have missed it - I think a lot of people do. We did for several days! It is a fairly unassuming entrance below the restaurant.
It gives you an alternative to taking those long T-bars to the top (which my missus hated).
They had plans for that new blue when we were there last year - that'll make the last run a bit nicer.
Wish I was going this year. Fond memories of a good view, nice steak, red wine and too much of that herbal digestif liqueur at the Diable restaurant.
And the nice big omelettes over at the shack on Valle Blanche.
The boarding was okay too 🙂
🙂
still no luck with carriage but they're stumping up for "superior" board hire in resort (own boots) gratis.
Not especially happy I have to say. Anyone comment on superior board hire?
Will it have more pop than my 11 year old board 😉
Aw that's not so bad then. Been a long time since I've rented but I suspect a "superior board" will actually be fairly reasonable these days and it's still early in the season so it won't be completely destroyed yet.
Definitely take your own boots though - rental boots are minging.
Awful conditions on the hill today #badtimes
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I rent 'superior' skis, own boots, obviously. Always excellent so far. Almost always this season's ski and the better stuff doesn't get rented out as much so usually less wear. It also means you can try a load of stuff out, which can be both fun and convenient, if the conditions change.
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Yeah hopefully should be good gear and I've just realised I've not ridden my board for over 6 years(!! how time flies) so it's not as tho I'm perfectly in tune with my own board and it'll throw me off my game
this thought had occured to me, probably a bit of a faff tho.It also means you can try a load of stuff out, which can be both fun and convenient, if the conditions change.
However I probably need a brush up on the basics of kit, mines a 162 I assume I should still aim for that length but rocker camber etc anyone got any links for a quick tutorial?
