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so I've got next Friday free for somewhere within an hour of Geneva
You can get to Le Grand Bornand and La Clusaz just inside an hour, but they are not very high so check conditions carefully. Worth driving another half an hour to gain more height in these Spring conditions, I reckon.
Digby yes G3s but for a 164 board. the Jones in the picture was a 161. I managed to cobble together some kit from friends as I have yet to purchase my own stuff , other than avalanche kit.
You can get to Le Grand Bornand and La Clusaz just inside an hour, but they are not very high so check conditions carefully. Worth driving another half an hour to gain more height in these Spring conditions, I reckon.
current plan is avoriaz or argentiere
You do want to go high !
Verbier (bottom lift in valley at Le Chable - big car park) is 80-90 mins from airport which is on the "Verbier side" of Geneva. Pleasant drive long the lake - motorway almost all of it
Pleasant drive long the lake - motorway almost all of it
With tunnels, speed cameras and efficient administration to catch up with foreign drivers in hire cars... 😳
Been there done that. Yes all of those DT they also catch-up with you in your UK registered vehicle 😳 something the French don't do
Well something a bit different for us this last weekend. Sweamrs, Sweajnr and I along with another family headed into one of the more accessible Alpine Club of Canada huts in Waterton Lakes. A "historic" avalanche cycle meant plans to get in some short laps on nearby slopes didn't happen so it was sledging, building snow forts and hiking in the valley instead.
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Sweajnr looking a bit grumpy that not every backcountry trip starts with a helicopter....
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and that his parents brought a sled while his mate rode in a luxury chariot...
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But there is method in our madness
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The US border from Cameron lake...
Well the ski touring was AMAZING, something really special about heading off under the ropes.
I suspect another one will be happening on Wednesday or Thursday. The photos will be shared later, overall it doesn't get much better for our last Monday in the mountains.
I have loved doing a season, I should have done it years ago!
Verbier (bottom lift in valley at Le Chable - big car park) is 80-90 mins from airport which is on the "Verbier side" of Geneva. Pleasant drive long the lake - motorway almost all of it
I finish in Dijon Thursday hopefully late afternoon, I was planning on driving back past Geneva and finding a hotel off the motorway west of geneva. Get up early and decide where to go. I fancy the grand montets as I kinda know my way around which will make life easier. Not flying until 9pm so I figure if I'm out of wherever by early afternoon when everything gets slushy I should be good.
Quick question oh wise ones. I have torn my snowboard trousers at the seam on my left hip. whattapeormaterialtofixthemtrackworld?
duct tape is grey an makes me look like an impoverished student so that's out.
ta!
15s in...
ok looks interesting.... was thinking some sort of clear tape but perhaps i'll give the sugru a go
makes me look like an impoverished student
The 'Dirtbag Snowboarder' look never seems to go out of fasion in British Columbia ...
Whereas in the Alps it often seems to be style over substance. 8)
McNett repair patches and Seamgrip are pretty good - and also the Tenacious repair kit. But as I mentioned earlier in this thread to GrahamS, there are a number of places that repair GoreTex etc that might be worth considering:
[url= https://www.scottishmountaingear.com/ ]https://www.scottishmountaingear.com/[/url]
well I haven't been to BC for 6 years and the Alps are but a distant dream. I might well try the clear tenacious tape.
hotel in sallanches for tomorrow night, board hire booked with sanglard at the base of grand montet.
sunblock packed. bring on the slush...
im off to chamonix saturday
I think there is some fresh snow forecast for the weekend. If I wasn't working away next week as well I'd have stayed for the weekend.
[quote=jam bo ]I think there is some fresh snow forecast for the weekend. If I wasn't working away next week as well I'd have stayed for the weekend.
the forecast snow has very much reduced in quantity. We were looking at 10-5 cm, we're now looking at 5-10cm, and then only at the top of the mountain - freezing level's over 2000m
im off to chamonix saturday
Don't forget to take your shorts & sandles for next week! 🙂
Some light snow showers forecast for this weekend - If you're lucky there should be some snow left at the top of Grande Montets ... The 'Glacier des Rognons' was pretty amazing last week
Still fun to be had messing around in the Spring conditions on-piste getting 'Side Hits' etc ...
Went ski touring again today, I enjoyed it even more than Monday. Stood on top of a cliff and looking over to Les Houches and Megeve then turned our backs and walked to a refuge then back up onto a different piste to the one we set of from. I had a face plant moment when I skied down a short section with the skins on, i came to an almighty stop and went over the front of the skis! Luckily my other half didn't see it.
Last day tomorrow - it has been immense
Hey folks
Off to France for Easter. I've got 2 boards in my quiver- a med flex traditional camber and a softish hybrid camber.
I've only got room for for one.
Whats better for spring conditions?
Well that was fun. Killing time in Geneva airport waiting for the flight home.
My legs hurt. After nearly 6 years without boarding I think they are in shock...
21 degrees at argentiere when I left!!
Earl, Both Take the bindings off the bigger board, take them as hand luggage if you can't manage with one set.
Pack shorts "21 degrees at argentiere when I left!!"
yep. the red run back to the base lift was slushy at the top and dodging puddles at the bottom...
Ah the problem is I'm also packing my daughters board and 2 sets of skis all in the same coffin bag so 2 boards for myself no going to happen.
Ahh. Yes already trying it on then.
An interesting 1st day in the 3 Valleys. Proper icy piste in the early morning. Getting nice by 11.00. Just before lunch a bit soft, after lunch a soupy porridge. Also very busy on piste due to Easter holidays, however the queues were non exsistant.
As the saying goes " a bad day skiing is better than a good day at the office."
We ended up finding some pretty decent snow high up.
I've changed skis from some really waisted fat things that I wasn't used to, back to something a bit wider at the waist.
No snow forecast, but it was a chance we took.
Even though many pistes are really bare, there is still alot of snow to be had. 🙂
Thanks for the conditions report Bunnyhop.
Driving out to Tignes on Friday/Saturday so hoping things don't get too warm..
@bunnyhop
Mont Vallon, cote brun, Peclet/Polset, cime de Caron and repeat...
Wide waisted skis are great for slush skipping in the afternoon!
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Cervinia rush hour - pre Aperol
Monday was perfect after a weekend of heavy snow. The locals made the most of it with more skiers off piste than on up at the top. By 11:00 every bit of powder within reach of a lift was tracked out.
Today it was all hard lumps so I had what may be my last X-C skate of the season. Rain is forecast up to X-C level over the next couple of days.
Booked for 2018. Message ends.
TheDTs - I think you'll be fine in the Tignes area. There was a dump the other day.
We stayed very high today, mostly above val Thorens, where the snow was good, not so good were a few of the lift queues.
Snow is running out fast in Merubel. Very warm, however tonight it's clouded over, hopefully meaning the pistes won't be as icy in the morning.
Slush today was really bad and the last run back into Meribel was busy with children who were skiing far better than myself.
New rental skis were good. 🙂
Another 20cm of snow at Whistler last night. Good in the high alpine apparently. I didnt get to experience iy after falling near the top of the chute to lookers left of Hawaii 5-0 and ending up somewhere underneath the bottom cliff and giving my knee a good twerk. It definitely could of been worse, but a probably a couple of weeks recovery time.
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Here is Reine Barkered's winning run from FWT in Verbier. A local dude from my nearest resort. He is also decent on a bike and has a really cool wife. #mancrush
He wants to slow down a bit, take in the scenery a bit. What if an instructor was in asking a group of beginners under that first drop. There is now way he could have stopped. 😀
Great skiing
Pleney closing date set for Sunday
No indication how long the Avoriaz sector will stay open, but we fly out for easter hols on thursday next week and were hoping to catch a couple of mornings through to the weekend with the kids. Tennis rackets and swimming trunks packed as well though...
We're back in Les Gets for MTB at the end of summer.
It'll probably snow then.
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Snow in tignes and val is still great up high. Snowed a fair bit overnight Saturday and Sunday morning
Proper face shots in the trees early Sunday morning in la daille. Couldn't see much but didn't matter!
Anyone ridden a salomon super 8?. Been obsessing over Dirksens heel side carves! Looks like a good one board fir resort based #middleagedshred
Me and Mrs BF last weekend in Trysil.
Lovely place, great skiing, but VERY expensive! 😯
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I'm past it. Officially past it. I've been racing one way or another for over 40 years. I've done every edition of the local ski alpinisme race bar one with a podium finish most years. I'm fit for it having managed just under a 1000m an hour when I tested myself on Monday. So going up is no problem. The problem is getting back down again; skiing flat out back down a mountain with heavy legs and ageing reflexes just doesn't seem like a good idea.
Pass me my slippers please. 🙁
You think this guy was lost...?
😯
The last 3 days skiing have been great. Finally got used to the rental skis. Stayed high, got out earlyish for hardpack, delicious at lunch, slush mid afternoon.
Even went in the kiddy snow park. I followed nbt into the mini half pipe, he did quite a few jumps and I just pootled along side.
A few things I've learnt: chips are ridiculously expensive from on piste snack bars.
Dutch families are amazingly tall.
Hardly anyone washes their hands after visiting the loo (yuk).
Lastly, nearly all the children and I mean under 9, can ski far better than me.
Oh and one last observation, if you do take chikdren skiing, please teach them to look before setting off.
Educator - don't give up.