The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2012-2013 season

He raced on my Dynastar 64 Omeglass last year. They were also bought for their relative bendiness. Like any slalom ski I find the 64s leave me gasping for air after each run and ready for the shower by 11 a.m.. The D2 GS on the other hand can be skied hard until lunch or cruised all day.

He wants something just a little more reactive this year without going over the top. It was either the FIS lady version or the D2 SL, I hope we’ve chosen wisely.

What length did you go for? 155’s tend to turn quite a bit easier than 165’s.

Length?

210+ is where it’s at, braw!

Have you ever seen a set of photos on skis that look THIS MUCH FUN! Awesome. [/url]

Is it OTT to take two pairs of trousers? I’m not going to be skiing through deep pow, I’m more likely to be sat on the floor.

I have new trousers after getting soaked last year so probably don’t need any more but these look like a bargain.

http://www.sportpursuit.com/sales/santa-cruz-snow-wear/mens-andromeda-pant-fern-green

Tell me they are crap or that as a beginner I don’t need such extravagances. I suppose worst case the wife moans at me and my trousers last twice as long because I have twice as many.

No, not OTT at all.

I take one pair of proper/quality trews and a pair of back ups. The back ups are some old POS pair frmo TK Maxx a few years ago. My thinking is more along the lines of, what if I trash my good pair? Don’t really want to waste time hunting through the shops to find a pair that not only fit, but also don’t cost £400! 🙂 Never needed them. Yet….

Thats a good argument. The Santa Cruz ones actually cost more that the ones I bought in the summer. I got some £80 Dare2B trousers for £24.

I was thinking along the lines of alternating the trousers on a day to day basis. I did get quite wet with my old trousers on last season, I had to tumble dry them every day!

Hmmm

I did get quite wet with my old trousers on last season, I had to tumble dry them every day!

😯

I run pretty hot, but I’ve never had that as a problem!

What base layers are you using?

FWIW, I alternate between Odlo and Icebreaker. 3/4 length, obviously!

I always take two pairs, just in case. I alternate between them to give them an airing (I also run hot).

Needed two lots when I was in Les Arcs a couple of years back, at the end of every day you had to yomp across a load of mud between the end of the run/lift and a dry path.

The only base layer I had on was a Howies LS Merino top, nothing on my legs. I run hot too, infact I had my jacket undone whenever it wasn’t snowing so I could cool down.

The wet was from falling over and damp seats on the chair lifts. I actually had to go back to the chalet at lunch on the first day to give them a quick hour because they were so wet, not good. The trousers were really crap, about 7 years old but had only ever been used in the snowdome.

Looking at the photo up there ^^^ either the snow cannons have been on overdrive, or it’s been snowing quite heavily.

The Cucumelle at SerreChe is looking pretty tidy. Looks like a nice base going down.

It’t going to be an awesome season. I just know it is. 🙁

I did get quite wet with my old trousers on last season, I had to tumble dry them every day!

WTF? From sweat or snow? The former suggests too many layers the latter suggests crap trousers or worn out waterproofing.

I typically just have to dry the cuffs of my trousers in drying room or a handy radiator – even after hiking and riding through deep pow.

I use Burton Cargo Pants. Classic and good. 10,000mm waterproof and quite breathable with vents.

By the way if anyone is interested Propaganda Snowboards have published the new piste map for Jasná. Those new lifts I was nattering about earlier have really opened up the resort. Check this bad boy out:

(clicky makey biggy)

That place is growing fast. Wish I had money to invest in some property there. Anyone want to chip in? 😉

Is it my inability to read or is the highest mountain on that map really called Dumber?

Looks interesting Graham. What are the travel options from the UK and how long does a season last (realistically)?

WTF? From sweat or snow? The former suggests too many layers the latter suggests crap trousers or worn out waterproofing.

Snow. Thats why I have got new trousers and a jacket already and am considering another pair of trousers.

The Santa Cruz trousers in the link look ok and at £30 seem too good to pass up. I can’t find any reviews on them tho.

Looks interesting Graham. What are the travel options from the UK and how long does a season last (realistically)?

My mini review is here, should answer a few questions:
http://www.snowboardclub.co.uk/PNphpBB2-viewtopic-t-50725.html

Travel options are cheap RyanAir flight + train (or transfer if there are a few of you).

Propaganda are now doing transfers from Krakow, which makes it a bit easier to get flights from UK as it is better served than Bratislava. I think Chalet Slovakia have made a deal with Propaganda to share the transfer. (Actually just emailing them to check this at the mo)

Season: well we were there 10 till 18th March last year. I’d say that was late season. We got fresh snow at the start of the week, but conditions were slushy (and t-shirt weather hot) by the last two days.

I Ache – if they’re the mens Andromeda pants they should be fine with “10,000mm waterproof and 10,000mm breathable” (according to Sport Pursuit).

EFFINGLITCH!

If this has been asked before please refer me back in the thread –

What are recommended / hot All Mountian skis this year ?

I’ve rented some K2 Apache’s in the past which I really liked but haven’t found anything since, I generally like more lively skis, am more concerned with quicker turns and powder and don’t scream around at particularly high speeds. Been skiing 35 years but still a bit cr@p really.

Nice review Graham. If the OH gets another permanent job (handed her notice in a few weeks ago so jobless from Christmas onwards) we might look at getting a 2nd place. Although a 20 hour drive might be a bit much! Not sure we’ll want to fly all the time.

What are recommended / hot All Mountian skis this year ?

Can open, worms everywhere!

If I was buying now, I’d have a pair of White Doctor FTs, Movement Zip or Jam for that sort of thing. Fast all rounders.

Although a 20 hour drive might be a bit much! Not sure we’ll want to fly all the time.

Flying from here (UK) or Central Europe? If it is the latter then you might be able to get local flights direct to Poprad airport which is close to the resort. Sadly no UK carriers fly there so we have to go to Bratislava or Krakow.

Driving would be hard going – especially as the Slovaks seem to take a rather relaxed approach to the road rules 😀

If we were buying somewhere we’d want somewhere we could drive to reasonably in winter and summer. We’re looking at buying a battle bus which will mean we can take bikes wherever we want in the Summer.

If flying we’d be going from UK. I have a serious aversion to Ryanair!

I’ll never forget Martina from Bratislava though. She was a bit special… MMmmmmm

Ah, you’d be a bit stuck then. RyanAir are the only ones flying to Bratislava from the UK. Krakow has SleazyJet and Jet2 as well.

FWIW the biking in Slovakia looks lovely too. Dan at the chalet has some nice photos of rides and epic views.

Thanks Graham.

RyanAir are the only ones flying to Bratislava from the UK

*Strikes it off the list!*

BA or nothing for me, these days! Gold card has benefits for luggage etc! 😉

I think you’d struggle to get a BA flight for £40 though flashy, even with your s**** gold card 😀

Reward flights, return to Turin, in Club (aka business class) – Mid January. £40.00 taxes. No more than that 🙂 (Using up those airmiles!) £30 to fly economy, though.

Oh, and of course, a 64kg baggage allowance, a nice lounge for breakfast/beers/whatever, and rather pleasant service on board with plenty of leg room!

8)

Jasna looks really good value. I just had a look and I reckon I could get a long weekend for 2 for under £400 plus food and drink. Not bad at all.

Jasna looks really good value.

Yep. Our sums for last year:

£229 for 1 week B&B in chalet
+ £30 for the extra night (we did Sat to Sun)
+£152 for the flights (snowboard carriage adds a lot!)
=====
£411 for accommodation and flights
=====

By the time we added on a lift pass (£137) and trains in UK and Slovakia it worked out around £600 each.

+£152 for the flights (snowboard carriage adds a lot!)

*Points and laughs!*

😉

*Points and laughs!*

Yeah yeah. But you’re trading in AirMiles for your “cheap” BA flight, so you’re just paying for it a different way (presumably as a non-taxed benefit-in-kind from your employer)

But yeah, beware of LyingAir’s carriage for skis and snowboards!

Sporting or musical equipment including but not limited to large fishing rods, golf clubs, bikes* (bikes have a weight limit of 30 kilos), scooters, fencing equipment, pole vaults, javelin, surfboards, bodyboards, snowboards and skis and large musical instruments including but not limited to harps, double bass and drums are inherently unsuitable for carriage by airlines operating fast turnarounds such as Ryanair. However, these items may be carried in the hold of the aircraft in addition to your personal checked baggage allowance up to a limit of 20 kilos per item upon payment of a discounted online fee of £50/€50 per item, per one way flight.
— http://www.ryanair.com/en/terms-and-conditions

😯

Obviously cramming two boards and boots into one bag helps a bit.

Yep, it’s a benefit of spending ages flying around the world to spend time in dull hotel rooms and conference halls. Business class long haul flights really rack up the air miles, and stupidly, corporate travel policy doesn’t allow me to book the flights myself and use those airmiles for work flights! So, even if I wanted to use them to fly to a meeting in Barcelona or Frankfurt or wherever, I can’t! So, they go on holidays instead! Which is nice.

Still angling for Japan this winter though….! 🙂 On work ticket!

What are recommended / hot All Mountian skis this year ?

Can open, worms everywhere!

Currently inspecting can of worms…

It depends on what your idea of all mountain is and how much off piste/slack country you do?!!

My choices would be the Line Prophets (which I’m biased to as I own them). Other allmountain-ish skis that seem to be popular are the Salomon Shoguns, and the Rossignol S3’s.

Oh, and of course, a 64kg baggage allowance, a nice lounge for breakfast/beers/whatever, and rather pleasant service on board with plenty of leg room!

Flashy spotted at Heathrow earlier today…..

He’s sat there waiting for them to fill up the luggage cling film machine.

😆

Given the way I travel, not far off it!

Why is it, that no matter what size the bag, you always expand what you take to fill it? 🙂

Always try and pare it down for a ski trip, but keep thinking things like, “Will two Buffs be enough? I should I pack a third?” and then repeat for every single item of gear!

Because you’re thinking like a girl!

Your thought process should start from the minimum like this: “Can I get away with one pair of trollies all week, if I flip them inside out on alternate days?”

You are Dave Lister and I claim my £5.

If I was buying now, I’d have a pair of White Doctor FTs, Movement Zip or Jam for that sort of thing. Fast all rounders.

Thanks, confess never heard of those brands 😳

White Doctors are they all rounders, website implies not so good off-piste ?
Movement Jam’s look interesting, based on their website I might be venturing even more into all the gear no idea than I do with my biking !

I don’t care about “fast” on the piste, I could do with the help/ bouyancy in powder and I have my current old Dynastar Carvers if necessary.

I’m sure you’ve done your research but my semi-retired Swiss mate living between Asia/Switzerland who does 10-12 weeks skiing a year said Niseko was consistently the best powder he’d ever skied. I looked into it from Singapore but it was more time door to door than back to Europe so I cannot speak to it myself. A few options direct from Tokyo via train for a quick fix.

£229 for B&B is good value? I need to up my prices… 😯