The STW Ski and Snowboard thread: 2021-2022 Season

@nbt Flying into Kelowna from Calgary (So it will end up as 4 flights in total :0(. )

Well you may as well make good use of any Helicopters while you are there then. 😊

My mountain tracks course in st foy may be cancelled on the 9th of Jan so I’m back to square one.

Anyone else know of any back country/off piste skiing courses running that week?

Army telemark champs are on that week so they’ve hoovered up all available English speaking instructors so no tellie courses available.

@cobrakai, 2 places to check are UCPA (via their uk partners Action-Outdoors), they are supposed to have a 40 year old age limit but often i hear that can be waived (it’s more so that older folks know what they’re getting into and don’t complain about youngsters getting rowdy), and snowheads: i know that snowheads don’t have any trips that week but if you ask on the forum you will quite likely get a useful reply suggesting a course somewhere

Thanks nbt. I’ll have a look. Turned 40 this year!

55 age limit I think.

You could try skivolution, I did a weeks course with them as a singleton and it was great fun.
There’s always Warren Smith in Verbier too but I dread to think of the cost……
You’re too young for the Fresh Tracks ski club GB courses, as am I 🙂

Mountain tracks = SCGB = fresh tracks. All owned by SCGB as far as I know.
Ski Fresh Tracks tour I went on was a bit like being a conscript for a week. Skiing was good though.

55 age limit I think.

Certainly for the off-piste courses they have a raised age limit but in general they say “up to 40”. As I said though, normally this is so they don’t get complaints, if you ask and say “Yes I know it might be full of young people having a good time” then it will usually be fine.

I was 44 when I did a week’s off-piste in Flaine and the centre was not overly noisy – though I’ll be honest I was very british in that I had a beer or two after skiing, quyick shower, first in for food when the canteen opened then off for an early night. The young french people were just coming down t oeat as I went to bed…

@cobrakai, if you’re after tele, have you looked at the RN/RM champs, normally held in January and combined with the UK tele champs? There’s usually some off-piste spin off instruction sessions associated with that and aimed at those skiers who have progressed beyond using the ‘Trainer’ heels of most DH skiing…

Higlandman, I’ve spoken to the admin for the exercise and from what he says it’s very much a race camp format to prepare for the champs. My racing days are way behind me so after a more informal guiding/off piste holiday.

I’ve been on a few race camps when I was in so know how they generally work. I know they’ll bin off racing if there’s good off piste but it’s not a guarantee.

Having seen links above to Snowheads, perhaps I should look on there, but does anyone here have any recommendations for travel insurance, ideally that also covers off-piste?

I really recommend Yellow Jersey for cycle trips, they were exceptional when I crashed in Mallorca, organising extra accommodation for my wife and son, booking new flights and covering a £20K+ hospital bill… but they don’t do snow stuff, it seems.

Starting to doubt the half term Italy trip a bit for the first time, given this week’s news on restrictions and variants. Completely accept its 1st world problems but was really hoping to treat the kids after a rough couple of years. ☹️

The lack of second jab and nhs qr certificate for a 14 yr old looks v problematic.

Paying the balance for our ski club trip (5th March) to Italy today.
I won’t actually believe it’s happening until I’m at the top of a piste with skis on!
Fully prepared and expecting it to be cancelled.

The lack of second jab and nhs qr certificate for a 14 yr old looks v problematic.

*Looks up guidance for Italy* 🙁

@pedlad it appears, and I very well maybe wrong on this, that under 18s are OK as long as they are with a parent that is and they have a negative test to enter.

https://covidtraveladvice.kuoni.co.uk/destination/italy

@pedlad,
It’s a blooming minefield and changes by the day it seems. Trying to make sense of it all for a NY trip to Austria.
Under 12 is fine as comes under parent cover (Both double jabs) 12 year old has recovered from Covid BUT have no proof with a barcode that is accepted anywhere in EU so who knows what we can do. In France this would mean testing every 72 hours, not sure about Italy.
Austria is probably a non starter as things stand.
Not prepared to write off the season just yet..keeping positive and motivated.

@TheDTs France changed it this week to testing every 24 hours down from 72 for those not fully vaccinated.
Supposed to be going in Feb, 3 families each with a 13 year old, so not able to be fully vaccinated in the UK. I think daily testing would be pretty impractical snd take too much time out of the day when we should be skiing so looks like we are going to have to cancel

Omicron could be the final nail for skiing I fear. Just got to hope that it’s spike mutations only benefit ease of transmission and actually reduce disease compared to delta.

Yes, starting to look less and less likely.
A mate is going out for the season this week, not working and has a visa to stay for the whole season. As our family NY trip to anywhere is looking fairly shaky I’m still hopeful of something before Easter. All sorts of trouble for people flying to GVA. Testing daily for U16’s in FR. looking bleak!😟

Off out to Morzine on the 11th December, currently bouncing between excitement at the weather forecast of almost continual snow till then, and fear at if it will be cancelled. If I was going later I think fear would be winning, but hoping to get in before the lockdown.

We are going to book a week off in jan and then wait and see.
If possible we will see what we can get last minute, and if not possible then will cancel holiday and work.
Not looking promising, but glad we haven’t booked anything yet

I have a week in La Plagne booked at the end of Jan. All adults, all jabbed, I’m 65+ so was pleased to see the booster is now shown on the NHS app. Fingers cross that Omicron (or Macron) doesn’t stop us.

We have a booking for Easter but anything could happen by then. Flexible tunnel ticket for NY is refundable or changeable so if NY falls through (which I expect it will) I’m hoping I can use that to go and stay with my mate. That would be sans kids so would be far simpler with a bunch of 40 something triple jabbers.

Just paid the last part of our March trip to cervinia that has been bounced round numerous resorts for the last 2 seasons. Fingers crossed we go but until there is snow under my skis……

4 (late 40s early 50s) of us got the week booked off work 22nd to 29th Jan … usually we leave it till 2 weeks before to ensure good snow and grab a last minute deal… does the hive mind think that’s still the best option in current climate? 🤔

Fingers cross that Omicron (or Macron) doesn’t stop us.

Omicrom might, Macron won’t, anti-vaxers are the most likely to stop you by taking up too much hospital capacity.

It’s looking impressively white up the hill. Another day and it wil be skiable off piste. 🙂

Whytetrash, 50:50 I would say. Depends on how ill people get with Omicron. If it is less severe it could be ok. If it hits people hard and if it starts to be problematic for people who have had jabs then that will be shit and skiing will be the last thing we should be worrying about.

Got a few days in already. Out on the glacier in Tignes over the last couple of weeks, just getting the legs warmed-up. Then in Val d’Isere for opening day yesterday, running an avalanche safety refresher for some other instructors. Snow has been good up on the glacier, got some decent powder yesterday too – weather and vis were much better than expected.

Can’t beat that @stevomcd, but day 1 here, few laps with the kids, bit of messing about and a quick check of the touring kit up the hill. All the white stuff looks like it will be in the sea by Tuesday, but happy enough with that for November.

Last weekend we booked an Xmas deal to Les Orres, self drive from Scotland. The drive and the distance doesn’t faze me, but we would normally stop overnight in France, then again at my folks place in Yorkshire on the way back to break up the 1200 mile journey. Now we need to get a PCR test and self isolate, so it looks like we’ll have to drive from Dover to Scotland in one go.

Also need to find a convenient place for a PCR once off Eurotunnel. The sooner the better.

Good times in Sweden today. Cold but.. reindeer 🥳

https://www.instagram.com/p/CW1ZzkfIA1j/

TroutWrestler – have you considered the Newcastle-Amsterdam or Hull-Rotterdam ferries instead of dragging yourself all the way to Dover? That’s my usual route home to see family. Drive on the European side isn’t that much longer than Calais, then a decent sleep and chill-out on the boat, early start in the morning. Just done Glasgow to the Alps solo that way.

@stevomcd – Thanks, not an option this time, have done it before though.

I am going to need to find clarification about the new suite of tests required

Before departure to France – I don’t think children under 11 are required to get tests French Gov Website: “From December 4, any person aged 12 and over entering French territory must present a negative PCR or antigen test of less than 24 or 48 hours depending on the country of origin.”

Before return to UK – Again, I don’t think children under 11 need to get tests – Gov.Uk :”From 4am, Tuesday 7 December all people aged 12 years and over must take a PCR or LFD COVID-19 test before they travel to England from abroad.”

After return to UK (Day 2 PCR) – Unsure as to whether the kids need them. The Scot.Gov website says:
“Children under 18
All children under 18 are counted as ‘fully vaccinated’ when they arrive in Scotland. This applies:
– even if they haven’t had a COVID-19 vaccine
– no matter which country or territory they normally live in

Children aged 11 to 17 need to take a day 2 PCR test. Children aged under 11 do not need to need to take this test.” But the information on the GOV.UK website says all over 5 need to take a PCR.

So at the moment I would need:

PCR test before flying to France – inconvenient, some cost, cancel trip if positive (insurance should cover)

PCR/LFT before flying back to UK – inconvenient, hope there’s sufficient testing resource in resort, some cost – major problem if positive

PCR within 2 days of return – inconvenient, some cost, self isolation until result.

but so far, don’t need a test or isolation on arrival in France. Isolation would be a major problem, not just because of missed skiing but would be unable to buy food.

And the costs of all that ^^^^^^^^ ?
And if your pre-departure test is positive? Isolate in country, how do you do that?
Starting to get prohibitive I feel!
Edit – typing while GB replied, similar points.

I’ve binned the trip with miss OTS over New Year. She can’t get double jabbed in time and the test prior to returning just adds another complication.
Accommodation is refundable, flights will be moved forward, so shouldn’t cost anything.
Just got to keep fingers crossed for February; I’m not hopeful though.
The Scottish resort situation is looking promising though. Might get some days at glenshee over Christmas and new year if the current weather sticks around 🤞

The worst case scenario is test positive via LFT while in France waiting to return. LFT is only likely to show as +ve for at most a couple of days if asymptomatic. Give that we can take home test LFTs with us, we should “know” if the pharmacy supervised LFT will be positive, by doing one just before trotting off to the pharmacy.

A few suggestions which some of our guests have used and which might be helpful:

1. The test to enter France can be lateral flow, PCR not essential, but it has to include the particular protein which identifies the new variant. Aoparently most LFT’s do, but I haven’t looked into this myself in any way.

2. For the pre-return test, it may be easier to bring a self-test LFT kit from the UK. This needs to be a certified travel one, not an NHS one. These generally require you to submit a video of you doing the test. Most of our summer guests this year used this system. It may be more practical than arranging a test in France.

3. If you are getting tested in France, it’s generally cheaper than in the UK at least.

4. You don’t actually need to use the French app (“TousAntiCovid”) while in France. I know a lot of people have struggled to get their documents on it. All you need is a valid QR code. Your NHS one is fine. Don’t fanny around opening up the app and finding the right section every time either. Load it once and screenshot it for quick access.

5. If your teenagers are vaccinated (I know most aren’t, but some are), but don’t have / can’t get the NHS app (because why?), there are a couple of systems apparently available to get a French-recognised QR code. I have no experience of either, but have seen mention of them in reasonably official places. A government email address apparently exists to which you can send scans of your documents. These will be manually approved and a QR code provided. Again, no experience of this and I would recommend doing it a very long time in advance. Don’t ask me what the address is, I saw it months ago and haven’t looked since. Alternatively, and again I have no experience, if you take the relevant documents to a French pharmacy, they can apparently generate a QR code for you.

Thanks, stevomcd, that’s useful info.

Load it once and screenshot it for quick access

I was wondering if you could print the QR, laminate it and maybe even strap it on your arm like we used to do before electronic skipasses. Also if the resorts might set up a scheme so that you could show your QR to the pass office and have ‘QR checked’ built into your pass.