the longest board I have is 167 and it was tight with that.

Yeah, I think my Dakine bag only takes up to 180. My 161cm board fits with plenty to spare, but 185 skis would be a struggle.

In Val Thorens though it was easy to find stuff just off piste.

Amazing what you can find just by cutting between two visible pistes etc. Just watch out for streams, tree wells, rocks and fences. Definitely don’t do it where there could be hidden crevasses!

@ Woody .- The snowheads calender says no school holidays in Europe for 10 march . Thats why I booked that week .
I will be in Chamonix that week if you get sorted , Look at Skiworld and Alpine Answers . If you are still stuck , but can get cheapish flights put a ‘Wanted ‘ ad on Chalets Direct webpage . Then use Cham Express fot your transfers .

Woody – have you tried Rocket Ski or looked at UCPA?

DIY / Professional boot bodges??

As my week progressed, it felt like the boot inners were getting a bit more compressed.

I had some definate heel lift, especially on the right boot. Not sure if this is just wear, or because the boots weren’t getting properly dried / aired after each day. The boots are several “seasons” old, but I would expect to get considerably more use.

Are there any workable fixes to pack out the area either side of the achilles tendon – gaffer tape, foam?

rkk01 have you looked at http://www.stopheellift.com/

Never tried them myself but heard them recommended by others.

I have used those SHL pads . If your boots are comfy , but the liners have compacted the SHL pads might get you another few weeks use . They stick on the liner , above the ball of you foot . They squeeze on the narrow part of your ankle , behind the ball joint .
TBH you could mod something up to do excatly the same out of some 5mm foam and glue .

Yep looks like you could easily cut up a cheap mouse mat to fashion the same thing.

They even have a handy video so you can position it correctly:
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmQ5JQCJbzo[/video]

Cheers – I’ll try all those suggested ^^ and I checked the calendar too STM but apparently some of the French schools are still off!

@ NBT I would have loved to go on the Snowheads off-piste week but I don’t think my mate is up to it or can afford it 🙁

One for CaptF

Club Hotel Grand Aigle – Serre Chevalier for £419 1/2 board. Looks nice.

Woody, just wanted to assure you that the last of the French schools go back on Monday 12th.
http://www.education.gouv.fr/pid25058/le-calendrier-scolaire.html

Woody, don’t show me things like that….!

Not my preferred location in Serre Che, but multo cheapo…!

Good. Booking levels are obviously high as others have been waiting for the same thing!

At least it will be quieter after the weekend

I’ve only driven through Serre Che but it didn’t seem to be too strung out. At least the Hotel appears to be right on the piste which is more important to me than a few minutes walk to a bar 😉

Now waiting for my mate to get back to me before I book. Hope it hasn’t gone …….

Woody, you could always look at Slovakia… 😀

Places available in March: http://www.chaletslovakia.com/699.html

Stayed in the Grand Aigle last year, not bad for a kids hotel. We were 10 blokes on a stag but were happy enough! Beds, heat, hot showers, ok food & 2 x bars… Oh and ski in, ski out : )

I think the Aigle is on a slope that has to have snow during a season, opposite a Club Med hotel who only built there if the resort committed to putting in snow making facilities down to it.

Not that it’s really an issue this year!

Just back from family trip to Kronplatz.
First day a bit windy up-top, with summit lifts closed due to wind… but 6 more days of near perfect conditions.

No2 sprog (13 yo daughter) now skis with the blokes, 60+ miles a day and overtook me on the terrain park! 😯

I’ve given up chasing No1 sprog 🙁 I don’t have 17 yo rubber knees!

60+ miles a day

😯 don’t think we covered that in a week!

Woop – all booked 😀

Only slight downside is there are a couple of school parties going to be there but at £873 total for 2 I’m not too worried about that.

Just need to sort out insurance now. It’s probably been covered on this thread already but I haven’t all day to go throught it all…… any recommendations?

Columbus Direct.

Good price, decent cover, emailed documents, and can handle medical conditions without needing to call them up or provide doctor certificates.

60+ miles a day

don’t think we covered that in a week!

Admittedly that includes lifts but yeah that’s not bad going. She’s always been physically smallest so the baby of the group (five families) but has really found her ski-legs this time.
One of our group had a gps running most days. Last month he’d done a trip with his brother where the said brother had declared himself dead after a 25 mile “marathon day”. Family skiing doesn’t appeal to him as it’s “all waiting around” 🙄
He’s now looking forward to telling his brother that “family skiing” means 35miles before lunch !!!
(Proud dad)

Never tried running a GPS, but I did use http://www.skiline.cc this year which estimates distance based on the lifts we used.

My first day was the “biggest”:
28km downhill (taking 14 lifts, 5667 vertical metres).
71% of skiline users went further than me that day at the same resort 😳

We don’t exactly go flat out 😀

Oinc – £65 for annual worldwide multitrip with 17 days ski-ing / snowboarding cover, plus cover for “mountain biking” (Level 2 hazardous activity). For a couple.

Only slight downside is there are a couple of school parties going to be there but at £873 total for 2 I’m not too worried about that.

They were no problem when we were there and they’re not allowed in the “nicer” bar.

60 miles is going some! Although a lot can depend on the speed of the lifts (or the length of the first lift of the day if it’s a long way).

Woody you booked Serre Che? If so, WOOOOOO!

Plenty of stuff on here about it, as well as on the Snowheads thread running now.

Jealous…..

All confirmed 😀

Didn’t spot the Snowheads one I’ll have a look. Cheers

Git! 🙂

Lunch at le Bercail at least once!

I’ll find it and take a pic. Have they a speciality?

The sugar cubes……

Trust me!

Last Friday somewhere in Switzerland.
[video]http://vimeo.com/37010338[/video]

Niiice!

Regarding the effectiveness of Airbag systems, as mentioned earlier:

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/02/skiers-airbag-backpack-saves-her-life/

There’s a good link to a video of an airbag in action on that site –

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7QFRXc0R8M[/video]

Maybe it needs to go on my shopping list!

Edit: can’t get the video thing to work!

Edit again: ah, fixed it.

Just as well TJ doesn’t ski or board, isn’t it?

First helmets, now airbags!

🙂

Shame they are so incredibly expensive.

Maverix hire out avi transceivers at pretty reasonable rates. Maybe someone needs to start hiring these things out too.

(Yes, you could make the argument that anyone not willing to spend the cash on safety equipment should stay the hell away from the backcountry. But it’s the young that always push the limits and they often don’t have huge disposable incomes).

Yes, they’re expensive but until recently a transceiver was £300+. Cost will go down if they get more popular. Most guiding companies will provide safety equipment as part of the service if you don’t have your own, and I saw one guiding group in St Anton a couple of years ago who had all been provided with airbag backpacks so maybe the rental market’s coming.

Yes, they’re expensive but until recently a transceiver was £300+

Yep, cheapest I’ve seen a BCA Tracker (original v1, not v2) for is ~£158

http://www.absolute-snow.co.uk/P/BCA_DTS_TRACKER_Avalanche_Transceiver_Beacon_2011_BCA01-%2817332%29.aspx
(£175 minus 10% discount for SCUK members or if you buy with other avi gear)

Yep, cheapest I’ve seen a BCA Tracker (original v1, not v2) for is ~£158

Pieps Freeride from various places e.g. Sport Conrad is around £100. Not a brilliant device for searching but adequate for being found.

Not a brilliant device for searching but adequate for being found.

Recco – Helping avalanche teams locate bodies for years.