MegaSack DRAW - 6pm Christmas Eve - LIVE on our YouTube Channel
Back pack and crash hat .
Contents of back pack
Foil blankets
Food enough for a lunch stop
Maps, bus timetables ext.
Extra goggles for my eyes as I struggle in low light and whiteouts
Spair hats and mittens
WIFE STUFF
WIFE STUFF
WIFE STUFF.............
sad news that someone past away in La Plaine today
Again?! Someone died in La Plagne the other day as well! 😮
In other news Rocket Ryding gets 7th in men's slalom in Zagreb, he's going bloody well.
La Plagne - skier (47) / boarder (40) collision where two slopes joined. Skier died. A helmet won't necessarily keep you alive but you've a better chance if you are wearing one.
Chris I bought my helmet after I fell at some speed and really smacked my head on a mogul run. A good mate really smashed his head on one of those icy ski ways / links. I think the old days where helmets where for serious colouir's and roping down are long gone.
just waiting for the Black Diamond / Arcteryx battery powered ones to come down in price a bit; seems a far superior solution to the gas canister ones.
I've been watching the BD Jetforce bags with interest since they were introduced. They now do a splitboard 'vertical carry' version which was missing when they were first introduced.
Not sure about 'a far superior solution' but it certainly alleviates some of the problems with airline flying restrictions and single use canisters.
Back on helmets, the first year I wore one I got flipped out of a hole I didn't see and was sent head first into a hard packed path at around 25mph. Despite trying to roll out of it, I never quite made it and my head followed by shoulder impacted so hard, I was seeing stars! Seriously it hurt so much, it was like someone had smashed me over the head with a log.
Wouldn't like to think what the result would have been without it.
Riding 'Inbounds':
The following will be distributed in trouser & jacket pockets:
Lift pass
small tube of lip balm/SPF50 cream
phone (sometimes a larger camera)
jimi wallet
toque/beanie
thin glove liners
goggle 'sleeve'
Tissues (although in Canada etc they often provide 'sniffle stations'!)
Clif Bar (or similar) - I generally avoid stopping for lunch but will stop for a quick mid-morning and/or mid-afternoon coffee (esp. in Italy) thereby avoiding the lunchtime crush
small multi tool
I bought a helmet a few years ago when we heard a rumour they were enforcing them, turned out they weren't but wore it anyway. Would be tempting fate not to. Quite enjoy it now, feels as natural as wearing a bike helmet.
carvey
carvey
Niiiiice! 8)
Good to see more folks gettin' their carve on ... it's been a while coming back in vogue!
The Ski Club app has just been relaunched and it looks great with all the required info from your preferred resorts. I'm pleased to see it's suggesting that Courchevel is getting 43cm in the next 9 days. A good start!
Ta, off to download
Hmm, can't find it in android play Store
Ah, iPhone only. Boo.
However the website predicts 92cm for avoriaz. Should be lovely at the end of the month
Just nice for 1/2 term then. 😀
That prediction is guaranteed isn't it?
Anyone found any good offers on ski & boot hire (for Avoriaz)?
Last year I got an offer from Intersport which brought 'black' level skis and boots down to 90 euros. This year I can't find anything close - around 148 euros for the same thing.
The weather forecast from a few days back is doing pretty well so far. The -12°C for the east has been reached, the first snow for the northern Alps has fallen with more on the way. Here in the SW it's cold enough to produce artificial snow as predicted and the forecast for snow on Tuesday is maintained.
A glorious 8 degrees in the sun at lunchtime at Sestriere.
It's been a fabulous short break - 4 days of blue skies on perfectly pisted runs with a few forays 'twixt the trees for a bit of offpiste dabbling.
It's been quite busy although the lift queues haven't been too bad. It's going to be a long wait until April for the next jaunt. 🙁
[img] 
[/img]
nemsis - what dates are you looking? End of Jan the intersport site for avoriaz is offering 50% off for Black kit at €100.
Start of Feb...
That's Parisian half term for you ...
Never any discounts
Strange. I thought that was the same week we went last year
Geoffj that looks great. loads of snow where I am but cold and not so sunny. could do with some of that sun
Told.You.So Chapter 1 by Edukator 😉
@nemesis start of Feb meaning 6th ? I'll ask the wife to look at some French sites later, usually slightly out of the way shops will do good rates if prepaid. Note for example the one we used in Peisey last year was a long walk or a short drive from ski lifts and no ski bus.
Nemesis, The 3 French holiday zones are on rotation every year. This year Paris opens half term and the easter holidays, so I'd best avoid the first week of April too.
You might get 5% off at skimium or more at an independent shop, but you will be hard pushed to get a genuine bargain
Ski Club is just recycling snow-forecast.com - I use that and it's excellent with much more detailed info than the app. Sorry to be grumpy but I don't see the point ?
Thanks for the info. Guess I'll just have to pay up...
Ski Club is just recycling snow-forecast.com - I use that and it's excellent with much more detailed info than the app.
Quite possibly, there are so many forms of info about that I wasn't aware of, such as snow-forecast.
Anyway....just checked and it now says 77cm in the next 9 days. Wahey!
PSA - Ski Sunday back tonight at 1815.
Howsyourdad1 the sunshine has been fantastic. I've not had the sunnies off during daylight hours. Reminds me a lot of home (Perthshire) 😥
Anyone been to Les Menuires?
Looks like typical French soulless concrete monstrosity in the Three Valleys, but just seen a deal there at £590 a person for the week before half term, including flights from Newcastle and kids club included.
Thoughts?
(Or pointers to better deals also welcome for those dates!)
A "typical French soulless concrete monstrosity in the Three Valleys" but with lots of good skiing above it as I recall.
And access to a spectacular sledge run at VT.
cross country thrash for me today
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
"Lay Min-weir" phonetically is a fine resort with lift access to some really good skiing. There's an open-air heated pool, all the shops you need, good places to eat and drink. If you can put up with the tasteless concrete everything else is fine.
Looks like typical French soulless concrete monstrosity in the Three Valleys,
Skiing is great which is all that matters!
Any idea how it is for young kids? (3 and 6, first year skiing with the 3yo, the 6yo can do the very basics: turn, stop, plough, drag lifts).
One concern is that the transfer is apparently 3hr+ from Geneva or Grenoble which is never fun with little ones.
flipping 'ell
I know some of us like our drones 🙂
Woo hoo - week before half term in [url= http://www.crystalski.co.uk/ski-resorts/france-ski-holidays/les-menuires/ ]Les Menuires[/url] booked with Crystal. 😀
Kids will just have to suck it up on the long transfer - we'll bring sick bags 😕
(and yes I will be taking my kids out of school thanks 😉 )
I feel like I can finally join this thread properly now. 🙂
Bring on the snow.
and yes I will be taking my kids out of school thanks
Fine with me, I reckon learning to ski is an essential part of a well rounded education 🙂
I can't imagine it's three hours from Geneva airport. It doesn't take us three hours to get from Lausanne to Méribel on a good run and we're 45 minutes from the airport. It looks like it's a bit further from Moutiers on a different road but unless traffic or snow is really bad I think you'll be fine.
I can't imagine it's three hours from Geneva airport. It doesn't take us three hours to get from Lausanne to Méribel on a good run and we're 45 minutes from the airport. It looks like it's a bit further from Moutiers on a different road but unless traffic or snow is really bad I think you'll be fine.
It also depends on which other resorts or hotels within resort that the transfer visits en route.
It also depends on which other resorts or hotels within resort that the transfer visits en route.
^^ Very much this. My sole transfer with Crystal involved racing to the resort and then inching through the resort stopping at what seemed like every hotel possible. So if you've paid the "extra" to be slopeside you'll probably be last off.....
Posted six days ago:
Today is Tuesday. There's no snow forecast for Gourette for a week so I'm expecting cold sunny weather (cold enough to make artificial in abundance as of Saturday and maybe a little tomorrow. The following week it will remain cold and snow a little most days with heavier falls over the weekend of 14/15 January. RDV in two weeks time for the verdict, but if I were booking a holiday I'd be confident of skiing in good conditions as of 15/1/2017
Well after a week of cold sunny weather it's clouding over and there's 1m of snow forecast in the Pyrenees over the next couple of days. The vosges, Jura and northern Alps will be getting snow above 400m tomorrow. Lacahainemétéo 1, doubters 0.
I can't imagine it's three hours from Geneva airport. It doesn't take us three hours to get from Lausanne to Méribel on a good run and we're 45 minutes from the airport. It looks like it's a bit further from Moutiers on a different road but unless traffic or snow is really bad I think you'll be fine.It also depends on which other resorts or hotels within resort that the transfer visits en route.
On the Saturday before half-term, you'll be lucky to do Geneva - Les Menuires in under 5 hours... maybe if your journey is early in the day.
Short transfer....family friendly....hmm, let me think....
😉
On the Saturday before half-term, you'll be lucky to do Geneva - Les Menuires in under 5 hours...
It's the Saturday for the week before half term (i.e. Sat 11th Feb). Half term week isn't till 18th (around here anyways).
Short transfer....family friendly....hmm, let me think....
Did think about it Flashy but well out our price range - we're already at the £3.5k range as it is! 😯
Eek
Aye! Me, Mrs, grandma and our two kids to pay for. Plus lift passes, equipment and ski school. It soon adds up! 😕
Give me a few hundred for a lads trip to Slovakia any day!
quick question. i was out shredding the gnar yesterday and noticed i was getting wet. how best to re-proof my jacket and trousers? nikwax?
I prefer Grangers to Nikwax as I find NikWax leaves a bit of a vinegary smell.
Been a while since I've done it but looking at their current product line this looks like the job for breathable waterproofs:
https://grangers.co.uk/products/xtreme-repel
GrahamS - 11th Feb is THE half-term week for most regions and for France. I actually thought you meant the weekend of 4th Feb.
That will proabably be the busiest day on the roads of the entire season. I am not looking forward to my trip to Geneva and back!
Off on a short break 26th Jan, staying in Avoriaz for the first time, usually been in Morzine. Worth booking snowboard rental upfront or wait till I get there? Usually take my very old own board, fancied trying something new and higher end. Noticed there is a new Burton shop, do they rent?
Help appreciated.
I concur with GrahamS :
'Granger's XT Proofer Waterproofing Spray for Clothing' has given some old kit a new lease of life.
For best results wash the kit first with the likes of Grangers 30 degree cleaner.
* edit - not sure what the difference is with the new 'Xtreme Repel'. I suspect just a re-branding exercise.
ta and yep was planning on using a cleaner first then reproofing. best results with the machine wash in stuff?
I normally reproof in the washing machine, seems to work best.
GrahamS - 11th Feb is THE half-term week for most regions and for France.
Oh arse. That's odd though - the prices all peaked the following week (which is why we avoided it). Ah well, best order some sick bags off eBay.
best results with the machine wash in stuff?
Personally I prefer to use the spray on stuff as then I'm not trying to reproof bits that don't need proofing (e.g. liners, fleecy bits etc) and I can give extra attention to the bits that really need it (cuffs, knees).
If you are machine washing then do a Self Clean cycle on the machine first with no detergent in (or just an empty boil wash if it doesn't have self clean). You don't want normal washing detergent or fabric conditioner residue getting on them as it breaks down the DWR.
Also turn off the spin cycle when you wash them - as forcing water through goretex with a 1400rpm spin doesn't do it any good apparently.
(Note: these tips could be old wives tales)
@cat always cheaper to pre-book and pre-pay biggest savings from smaller out of the way shops. Ski passes usually cheaper too if bought in advance. Start with office de tourism website or try alpinresorts.com or sport2000 for example. My wife is French and always pre-books, being a Brit I used to just turn up and pay shop prices which horrfiied her ! Now I am now excluded from equipment rental responsibilities.
Reproofing, I use Nikiwax wash-in but many garment manufacturers these days say spary on. Worth reading little manuals or searching online, tumble drier part of the process is very important
Personally I prefer to use the spray on stuff as then I'm not trying to reproof bits that don't need proofing
+1 ... for some reason reproofing in the machine makes me think of combined shampoo & conditioner ... However a more practical perspective is that the 'DWR' coating you are hopefully creating needs to be on the outside of the garment where it 'repels' water - rather than on the inside etc where it *might* impact the fabric's 'breathability'.
tumble drier part of the process is very important
oh the mystery deepens!
reproofing - clean washing machine as said above, hot run then spin, clean kit with normal soap flakes (cheap and same as wots in bottles really), dry in tumble dryer, line dry and spray. usually works best.
NZCol: Grangers generally recommend applying spray proofer while the garment is still damp from the wash and then tumble drying it afterwards.
Just had a quick "scan the webcams while on a conference call". Admit it, we all do it!
Lots of places showing v poor snow. None of the cameras at Montgenèvre appear to be working, either. Something to hide? Or rather, an absence to hide?
Meanwhile, in Slovakia...
[img] 
?oh=553a431826950a3b5d3875d16e4ce8b9&oe=58D62F0D[/img]
(Source: [url=
Slovakia FB feed[/url])
Have faith Flash. It's snowing heavily in the Pyrenees and the front is due to start dropping snow in the northern Alps now. It's going to be a snowy week.
[url= http://www.viewsurf.com/univers/montagne/vue/7976-france-provence-alpes-cote-dazur-montgenevre-les-alberts-panoramique-hd ]Montgenèvre is grass though[/url]
It's nice to see red bits on the [url= http://meteociel.fr/observations-meteo/radar2.php?mode=1 ]rain/snow radar [/url] at last.
St Anton for us - heading out in a couple of weeks. Some reasonable snow fall in the last few days with more forecast at the weekend. A long way from perfect but can't complain. Trouble is lots of people are diverting from French resorts to ski in St Anton instead so it'll probably be pretty busy 😆
Thanks Jambalaya, booked Burton Custom or likewise for 66 euros for 5 days. It was 90 quid to take my own on EasyJet!
Just had a quick "scan the webcams while on a conference call". Admit it, we all do it!
Yep, all those Malaysian brothels who haven't changed the default root password....
To clarify, the person in Graham's Slovakia picture is actually me, not him 😯 😆
It was a cracking few days.....-30 for the last two though, which was less than pleasant!!!
fingers and toes crossed that the mighty 'shee gets a decent dumpola this week and I can 'work from home' a bit ....
To clarify, the person in Graham's Slovakia picture is actually me, not him
Yeah wondered if it might be - I just wished it was me. 🙂 Pics on FB looked great. -30 is a bit on the chilly side though. Was Dan's place as awesumz as ever? Is Ollie making his own boards now? I saw some bendy wooden one on the feed.
Yeah, place is still great. My first winter visit. I was there in August 2015, initially heard of them through your posts on here.
Ollie is indeed making his own boards now....that one on fb has all the stiffness of some overcooked spaghetti!!! Didn't get chance to ride it-Dan finally has a board with proper edges on too this season ha!
2 weeks till Les Arcs - fingers crossed for something fresh landing in advance of us.
It's been lightly snowing all morning at lake level here in Lausanne. There's a good couple of cm on the ground..
Looks like a fair coating in Champèry village so there should be plenty up in the PDS....:-)
[img] 
[/img]
currently thumping it down in Les Arcs http://www.lesarcs.com/livecam-arc2000.html#ong333 anyone know if there are similar conditions over the road in Ste Foy??
initially heard of them through your posts on here.
That's it, I'm claiming commission 😀
Ollie is indeed making his own boards now....that one on fb has all the stiffness of some overcooked spaghetti!!!
Yeah they like a mega-bendy board those two - more fun for doing butters down the groomer if there is no good snow.
Dan finally has a board with proper edges on too this season ha!
I remember trying to ride Dan's K2 Weapon down some sun-baked bulletproof icy snow at the side of one of the pistes one year. Absolutely no edges on it at all and as bendy as wet string. I fell a lot! We swapped back and he made it look easy. Apparently "edges are all in the mind". 😕
fingers and toes crossed that the mighty 'shee gets a decent dumpola this week and I can 'work from home' a bit ....
+1
Ryan Knapton maxing his steez as usual:
I do love a bit of Cloth of the King.
currently thumping it down in Les Arcs http://www.lesarcs.com/livecam-arc2000.html#ong333 anyone know if there are similar conditions over the road in Ste Foy??
Yup. Early start tomorrow! 🙂
