The STW Ski and Snowboard thread – 2011/2 Edition

And you have to trudge through 1 mtr of powder to get to the coach to the airport . . .
Yes , last 2 hols I have had to do that and it sucks .
Tried to stay in verbier but couldnt stay with Inghams as their accom was full

Glad everyone’s having fun!

I’ve been sent a Very Interesting Proposition.

stevomdc, there’s a couple of friends of mine living in a van in St Foy at the mo, Julia and Warwick. She splits, he skis. I said they should look you up. Hope that’s OK?

Looks like it’s heaving down in the Alps again!
3 weeks til my holiday. I hope there is still some snow left in the sky by then!

You know those days when you wake up, pull back the curtains and see that it’s been dumping all night, and is still snowing hard?

Yes, yes, yes. Baqueira-beret (Spain) 2001. As mentioned above, it was the day we were travelling home. Before the storm came in the pistes were all but bare 👿

*Fires up Wifi on phone at the bar at the base of the piste*

Does anyone know where I can get some new legs? Mine aren’t working properly any more….!

Oh, and a new face as well. Mine is really aching from all the laughing and smiling!

Garcon! Pastis! 😀

Just back from an ace week in Menuires! Great snow there at the moment and more due this week in the 3V 8)

This thread needs a

Pistenbully tastic 😀

15cm in the resort and more up the hill. Just like polystyrene packaging beads. The first time out on X-C skis in a few weeks and I’d waxed too warm. I’ll join the queue for some new legs.

The drive back to Turin this morning was awful.

Because there was so much snow falling! Montgenèvre looked like it had seen a lot overnight. Snow was still falling hard in Serre Che as we waited for the bus at “OH GOD!” o’clock!

Great week, utterly knackered now. 🙂

White out this afternoon in Les Gets so we’ve called it a day and are sat with a beer using wifi at The Boomerang. Loads of snow. Should be blue skies and sun later in the week. 8-D

Ski Sunday, a beer and an early curry is the order of the day at Flash Towers. Exhausted.

Did anyone travel on the road from Les Gets to Cluses, I’m trying to find out what the road condition is usually like. I know it depends on the weather but just wondered if it tends to be fairly clear or should I expect some snow on it. I’m using winter tyres and carrying chains but snow driving is quite new to me…

You know those days when you wake up, pull back the curtains and see that it’s been dumping all night, and is still snowing hard?

Yep! 😆 Been like that for 5 of the last 6 mornings here in Fernie BC! 😀

@nedrapier

I’ve been sent a Very Interesting Proposition

Care to share this proposition with the group? 🙂

nbt

admittedly will be packing 92mm for the off piste trip to Serre Che in a few weeks)

When you going? We’ll be there first week in March. 😀

Skippy: We came that way last night. Totally clear on the road. No ice or snow to speak of. With winter tyres you’ll be fine. No need for snow chains. I’ve driven that road several times over the past few years and never had any problems.

Johnny, I’m just back from Serre Che. ‘Tis a lovely spot, especially when there’s some fresh up there!

Lovely, friendly, fun resort. I love it!

Happy to share any piste/restaurant/bar/other tips if you like!

Thanks Alphabet, makes me feel a bit better…

Am in les gets for a couple of days. nice bity snow on the piste today but misty. Rented a burton rocker board. Like it . I drove a corsa up from cluses at lunchtime and road was clear and grippy

Flashy, that would be great, ta. It will be my 3rd year out there, staying in the same place. Was going to be Tignes this year but circumstances forced us back to Chantermerle. It’s a good area with plenty of variety but a god awful transfer. We prefer to fly into Grenoble & hire a car now.

We use an appartment about 5 mins walk from the lifts and usually eat in or at the Station bar. We did try a french restaurant opposite the Station one year. It was awful…

Much off piste at the mo?
Particularly enjoyed the ‘itenerary’ off the back from the top of the Yret lift at Monetiere.

La Taniere? Other side of the end of the piste? If so, the pizza is great, and the service is superb! It’s where we usually finish the day watching people fall down the Alphand! TBH, I only use the Station for a few beers, not really for food (Can’t say I’m that keen on fish and chips and the like when skiing.)

Tend to eat at Le Bercail, at the Aravet station. Not the cheapest, but very good quality and a little more refined than some! Make sure you try their sugar cubes……! 🙂

Other nice places, well there’s a bar/shop in Chantemerle, just down the road from le Lapon (Forget the name, but it has a massive sofa just inside). Lovely food, and a really nice place to grab a beer or three.

Cafe Soleil at Serre Ratier is always nice, if you can sit outside. Le Pi Mai below La Cucumelle is lovely, just remember to head off the piste early for the best run in (It is signposted, but go earlier for a little woodsy fun!)

The OP stuff was pretty rubbish last week, as it had been a week or two since any proper snow. That proper snow seems to have arrived today, though! DAMN! There was a little left in the woods around the Aiguillete lift, and some around the Monetier end (Didn’t get over to that bit you mentioned, was having too much fun blasting l’Yret!)

Pistes were all in epic form, though. Really well maintained!

Oh, and make sure you’re at Sandrine’s little coffee kiosk before the first lift from Chantemerle. Great coffee, lovely flirty service and all that buzz and excitement of everyone getting ready! 🙂

Anyone know how the Scottish ‘resorts’ are at the moment?

No, not La Taniere – had a few beers in there & always enjoyed watching the different ‘styles’ of folk on the Alphand. Other way, across the road from the Station. It was near and we don’t seem to be that adventorous when eating out. I’ll seek out those that you mention though. Think I’ve been in Le Bercail & Pi Mai but not sure. Here’s hoping for lots of snow in the next 5 weeks 8)

grum – join snowheads.com
There is always a thread going with the various resort conditions everywhere in the world.
A friendly bunch too, very much the skiing, snowboarding equivalent of STW.

Edit – glad you had a great time flashy.

First stop for info on Scottish resorts is always:
http://www.winterhighland.info/general/

Glencoe was fully open over the weekend. But they could all do with more snow by the sound of it.

Just got back from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Like the rest of the US, it’s had a poor winter by it’s own standard, but we drove up in a blizzard and took the snow with us. Fresh snow nearly every day and not a hint of ice. If you like the trees, it’s the place to be and a really friendly place.

Bought an Endeavour Live RC for the trip and it was really good. It won’t turn me into a great rider but it encourages you to get airborne and is really forgiving. I managed to hit all the landing ramps in the park (not something I am good at) & it loves powder 🙂

Only negative is finally admitting that my Northwave Legends hurt my right foot. Too tight across the toe’s. Or does everbodys lead foot hurt/go numb?

I tried Burton Cartels instead of my Flows this time, but that made the pain even worse 🙁

Finally got to board on some snow in the Peaks this weekend!!!!!!!

Love it! Grainy, mushy goodness! 🙂

Monday morning blues have hit hard. Especially on seeing this;

🙁

Finally got to board on some snow in the Peaks this weekend

In a stream by the look of it?

Book another trip CFH (if you haven’t already!).

We’ve finally got round to booking our next trip. Week in Kitzbuhel first week in April, hopefully it’ll remain cold so all this lovely snow will stick about all the way down to town.

Hammerite, am pondering a late season play somewhere already! 🙂

Nice one. It makes sense.

Check out the Crystal sales mentioned somewhere above Flashy. Some right good bargains for full half board packages in Austria especially.

Yep, used Crystal for my trip last week. They were very good indeed, especially the in resort rep (Even if she did come round to the hotel room at a rather inconvenient moment on a couple of occasions….! 😳 )

2 wks to go….

8)

she did come round to the hotel room at a rather inconvenient moment

Were you “off piste” at the time?

PMSL @ Graham!

In the back country, playing with some lovely big pillows at the time, as it happens…. 😈

We’re going with Crystal, managed to get a free childs place which really makes a big difference to the cost. Also going all inclusive, was only £200 more than a catered chalet.

Even if we eat out some lunches (get given packed lunch – but won’t bother carrying it around everyday), and have drinks elsewhere I think we’ll still save money as I’m sure I spent more than £200 on drinks all week in the hotel while in Cervinia.

Starting to pack tonight

digby,

It’s got an A in it. And a K.

Lots of difficulties about going: work, relational, financial, and it’s going to be hard to justify, maybe I won’t be able to. But I’m torturing myself by finding out loads about it, just to be sure. arg.

How’s Fernie? Still dumping? Saw a vid from the 17th of some insanely deep powder. Overhead turns all the way down, proper snorkel stuff. Amazing.