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

I am going on the 23rd Feb igm, when in March do you get out there and where are you staying?

I try not to carry a rucksack, but do occasionally. Especially if we’re having a “ski all day no lunch stop” day, where I end up carrying lunch for everyone all morning. This usually only happens in France where you need to sell a kidney to eat out every lunchtime! I cram it into a really small bag though and usually get a volunteer to carry it in the afternoon.

Jacket purchasing tends to be based on the number and size of pockets first, then look/colour to avoid the need for carrying a rucksack all the time.

Les Negs with Ski Famille on the 16th – 4th time with Ski Famille and we’ve been on the bikes a few times as well.

Been before?

And oh yes, my wife and I met at a Paddy’s night do, so it’ll be 19 years the day after we arrive. I’m looking forward to it.

Staying in the north end of Morzine for the second year in a row and for my second time skiing. Everybody else apart from my kids have been skiing for about 20 years or more so I have some ground to make up this season. If I can get to the end of the week with no broken bones(like last time) and keep up with my wife without crashing I will be very happy.

We’re basically opposite the skating rink in the centre of Les Gets.

Sorry CFH !
A little piccy from Champagny en Vanoise at 1250m.
Alot of rain forcast for Saturday though, but just look at the pow.

Yay looks like I am going twice this season. Cheapo boarding trip soon then skiing later in the season.

Latest question: anyone been snowboarding in Kitzbuhel? Sounds like it might be a bit flat and tracky in places? Thinking Mayrhofen might be better though the deals aren’t as cheap.

Cheers 🙂

no rucksack it is, any tips for reasonably priced glasses from a real shop preferably. got some aldi jobs which are great for the mtb, not so sure about snow though..

Dobo, goggles are your friend for skiing. Seriously. Sunnies for posing, goggles for the snow. Bargains abound if you have a hunt.

Failing that, if you must do glasses, I’d look at these;
http://www.endura.co.uk/Product.aspx?dept_id=138&prod_id=228
Straight arms to get under a helment, three lenses for differing light and most of all, useful on the bike for the remaining 51 weeks of the year.

But, really, get some Oakley goggles. And some Oakley sunnies. Crowbar goggles in black with a ski-black Iridium and a persimmon lens, then, and this is vital, some custom Holbrooks with Fire Iridium lenses. Or Tens with Tungsten Iridium polarised. ETc. etc. etc.

Only 75 sleeps until St Anton

Yeah baby!!!

Latest question: anyone been snowboarding in Kitzbuhel? Sounds like it might be a bit flat and tracky in places?

Not me personally, however I was skiing with a snowboarder who definitely struggled with the many flat sections. I used to pull him along with my pole and then skate off very quickly and leave 🙂

goggles are soo expensive, hoping wont need them pootling around the slopes, i guess if i really need them i’l have to either make do or buy some out there. not sure my aldi are up for posing either though 🙂

Thanks Jane, think we might give it a miss.

Dobo, cold wind on your eyes at speed, etc. Goggles are like face shelters. Great when super bright and great when it’s turbo-puking it down at -15!

grum – most (not all) of the Austrian resorts have areas of flat, which of course is difficult on a snowboard.

Goggle lover here too. Having forked out a fortune on a pair of Oakleys many years ago, they still look new and very rarely fog up and have never iced up, worth the expense as mine still look new and do what it says on the tin.

Goggles for the win. O Frames can be had for less than 40 quid.

36 sleeps to ST Anton. And found a rather nice new jacket today in TK maxx for 80 quid – 18k water and 13k breathability with Primaloft insulation !

29 days til I head out to Switzerland!

4 days of skiing, drinking and watching the Men’s World cup in Wengen for my Stag do! Bring it on!

I used my O frames with vented persimmon lenses last season and they were great in all but bluebird conditions. Glasses are useless when its snowing, the snow gets behind the lenses and you can’t see. Even cheap goggles will be better than any sunglasses in bad weather. Goggles are also less likely to fall off when you fall over.

I can’t think of a single situation (apart from a lunch stop) where I’d prefer to wear glasses rather than goggles.

Oakley Crowbars with blue iridium lens were my favourite. Currently have black iridium which isn’t quite as good. Also have some Smith Fuse in my bag, which I’ve had to lend to friends…

I can’t think of a single situation (apart from a lunch stop) where I’d prefer to wear glasses rather than goggles.

Agreed in full!

look, this is not how it works CFH! when i post and ask a question, if its going to cost more money and send me way over budget then you have to bend the truth a little. If its not going to cost me anything then i expect a full honest response 😉 this should be in the STW rules 🙂

link to awesome cheap goggles please

😀

CFH speaks the truth, I haven’t skiied in glasses for over 10 years, contact lenses/speed/wind makes for watering eyes and lost lenses.

Try eyewearoutlet.com for cheap oakleys/dragon goggles or ask santa….

Seeing as we’re counting 5 sleeps until Arabba 😆

There always used to be a fair sized stack of goggles in tk maxx usually heavily reduced, usually ranging from naf to reasonable. After skiing for 3 days in sunglasses on my first trip I put my goggles on…. They were a revelation!

Grum – my last trip was to Kitzbuhel – but skiing. I think most of the flat sections had steeper workarounds, but can’t really remember having too many problems with the flat.

grrrr 👿 still 45 sleeps until Arabba
(and 24 sleeps till Zillertal)

oooh – glitchybump not required?

Come on Andy it’s not worth a 👿 is it, you’ve only just got back from Tignes and have 2 more trips to look forward to!

4 sleeps now 😉

I hear there’s (more) new snow. I want to be there now.

edit: and need a ski holiday to recover from the Tignes ski holiday

Late to the thread – 36 pages crikey.

I’m off to Val Thorens in Feb half term again.
Expensive but amazing runs. Going with friends who always go there but next year I think we’ll try somewhere else.

Tempted by a new jacket as my current one is many years old – anyone have any experience of a North Face Bansko ?
Any other suggestions around £200.

So much snow….!

You lucky, lucky sons of bachelors!

£200 jacket? Eider are well worth a look, IMHO. I have a great shell jacket from them, doesn’t look like s ski jacket, which I think is a good thing, as I can wear it as an all round jacket for the rest of the year.

Though it pains me to say it, TNF ski kit is rather good. I have a pair of trews and gloves from them, Mrs CFH wears their trousers as well.

😥

Haven’t visited this thread until now…

Snow fun looking like no fun this year.

Andy – there is more snow, but when I get to Arabba rain is forecast 😡
I take it you’ve been there before? Which of the other resorts is it feasible to ski to (do a few of the runs there) and back to Arabba before lifts shut?
and I know it’s hidden :D, but how easy is it to find the Hidden Valley?

Yep. 4 times (well 1 to Campitello, 3 to Arabba) so far.

Hidden Valley is easily possible for a competent red run skier. Ski over to San Cassiano, but iirc you peel off to the right. Get taxi to Lagazuoi (€5/person, goes when it’s full). Go up, ski Hidden Valley, bit of poling, get the Horse Tow back to sort of where you got the taxi (actually there’s a drag lift just to get a little bit of altitude), then it’s San Cassiano back to Arabba.

We managed to ski a bit in Cinque Torri too, but that involved some clever fast dining in the time between 2 buses back to Lagazuoi.

Also recommend a trip to the far end of the Alta Badia piste map (top RH corner). Trying to remember the name of the restaurant (edit: Santa Croce / La Crusc). Mind your head in there though! Views are stunning.

edit: that’s top RH corner of the Sella Ronda piste map – I think Alta Badia one is back to front.

Ortisei is also possible. Might be worth doing a Sella Ronda Loop first, so you know the way to/from Selva (probably best via Corvara).

Marmolada – my biggest tip is choose a nice day, ski first thing straight to the 3-stage cable car for the mile vertical 8) and the queues should be minimal. Then ski back and do something else (we managed a full Sella Ronda after that before now).

The place really is massive – top place for racking up piste (or off-piste) miles.

Thanks Andy very useful, just downloaded all PDF maps for all the individual areas. We’re competent red skiers and ok black skiers too if conditions are fine. We tend not to blast around too much – well Jnr and I try at times, the OH takes it easy despite being better than both of us.

Definitely recommend the Alta Badia / San Cassiano / La Villa piste map when you venture in to that area. It’s on the standard Sella Ronda map too (eg the Arabba one), but is impossible work out what the heck is up and down! All the rifugios have the Alta Badia one – so I do recommend picking one up at the coffee stop.

Yep got that one. Thanks.

Thanks hammerite and Bunnyhop. I’m not too bad with flat tracky bits but my missus still isn’t that confident about going fast in a straight line. Currently weighing up Mayrhofen, Kitzbuhel, Passo Tonale, or back to the Schneewinkel area (went last year and it was small but really nice and great snow).

Biggest dumps are in the French alps but no cheap deals there – probably a connection between those two things!

Can’t decide – arghhh! Is this the ultimate first world problem? 🙂

When are you wanting to go Grum?

Have you looked at Alpine Answers[/url]?

The Hoff every time for me grum. Fantastic apres, great parks and cracking glacier riding on Hintertux.