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

We were out in Whistler last year visiting my brother when he was working a season!

Skiing wise it depends what kind of skiing your after as what to recommend.

When we were there we had 2m of fresh snow in 9 days so skied powder everyday! Favourite play areas were the frees underneath Crystal chair. It’s a natural snow bowl and a bit quieter so got many a tree run in the deep stuff! The Crystal hut is great for a break and the waffles and Mac and cheeses are the business!

On the last day when the sun came out we really enjoyed skiing from the peak chair all the way down. Mrs Crispo isn’t quite as keen on deep snow with no visibility but she loved the blue bowl up there.

If your more after cruisy runs then you have to ski all the way down to Creekside. It’s a massive long run and the food at Dustys is unbelievable….. Literally anything you have is immense. The chicken wings, yam fries and a pint of Alexander Kieths IPA was the best ski lunch I’ve had!

Other good places for End of day beer and food is Merlins at Blackcomb day lodge. First night we ate there and the portion of nachos fed 5 of us!! At the end of the day has a great après feel to it with ski and board films on, big pitchers of beer and a dj in a gondola!

I’m so excited a wee bit of wee came out! Through contacts at work I’ve hopefully got us an upgrade on BA. Not telling the other half until we get to heathrow!

I’m really after improving my powder skiing. I’ve not really managed to get any done for the last couple of years, so the first day or 2 I’ll stay outside of the treeline on unpisted runs to work on technique. Once I’m bored of practice I think by the looks of the guide book I’ll go bowl hunting. Thankfully the other half still has friends in the area who are taking us out for 3 days so I hopefully won’t have to spend ages studying the best routes and they’ll just take us!

What’s prices out there like for kit? Looking at skins, poles and transceivers?

Through contacts at work I’ve hopefully got us an upgrade on BA

Woo! To Premium or Club? If the latter, check out your new, massively larger baggage allowance! Then hit the lounge (If you get that with your upgrade) for a few pre-flight cheeky Vimtos.

🙂

Not telling the other half until we get to heathrow!

*swoons*

wallop – Member
Not telling the other half until we get to Heathrow!

My other half was similarly surprised when I led her straight in to the Concorde Room before a flight out to New York recently. She thought I’d booked us tickets in Premium. Pah! Up in the nose, thank you very much. (Airmiles upgrade, natch!)

Re flying, if you’re a frequent flyer, well worth it on BA as it gets you a much better baggage allowance, both in weight and numbers of bags. Most useful for ski trips! Carry on Timbuk2, Bootbag and a 120l Animal wheelie bag in the hold and I’m still well under the allowance!

I’ve only ever turned left once. I boarded a flight to LA and was told that my seat was next to the door everyone was boarding through, therefore would I mind taking a seat in first for a few moments. I managed to squeeze in one glass of bubbly before I was asked to go back to my proper seat 😥

Sorry to say that I tend to turn left to business, if not all the way left to First, on a regular basis! I’ve had four or five upgrades to First and the one trip where I traded airmiles to sit there.

Upstairs is nice too. Last trip (Also LA, as it happens) saw me sitting upstairs with Susan Boyle. Nice enough lass, but definitely a few DIN settings short of a secure binding.

To be honest, even on really long haul schleps, I would’t pay for First, even if I could afford it! On almost every (quality) airline these days, business is so good there’s no need to. Nice when you get it free, but not worth the money!

Unfortunately I won’t find out if I’ve got the upgrade until we check in so can’t take advantage of my new baggage allowance.

Crispo. I spoke to my OH about the waffles at the crystal lodge. She has heard so much about them but in 2 seasons never managed to get them. She says it’s her biggest regret!!!

All this talk about first and business class. I don’t think I have ever been on a plane that had first or business. We tend to get the flights that are cheap because of the cattle that are on board and have zero luggage allowance due to the hold being full of straw!

Every time I flew Air Canada has been in 1st. Good to actually have proper knives and forks to eat the steak with, rather than the plastic disposables. On proper plates with a dinky personal table cloth. Glad company was paying.

Bog standard EU business or cattle class for every other flight though.

Aaah Whistler.

Sitting in the Longhorn with a jug of beer, wearily admiring the gorgeous barmaids, and discussing the best way to swim out of powder holes.

Happy days.

I love crystal hut, their juicy steak sandwiches are delicious – drooling now.

What’s prices out there like for kit? Looking at skins, poles and transceivers?

Everything there is over priced imo! Better off buying before you go I would say.

Oh and def try the wings at Dusty’s! Unbelievable!

On a “what we wore” tip, was thinking about this earlier.

When Little Miss CFH is really old enough to appreciate things, my boots, which are these;

will look about as modern and technologically advanced as these;

🙂

Nice CFH.

I seem to have bought some flights for Easter to Salzburg, so looks like I’ll be spending some time eating strudel, germknoddel and grostl that week, oh and hopefully a bit of skiing.

For Whistler I second the Flute bowl for whenever everything else is tracked out. It’s really only a 20-25 minute hike up

Whistler tomorrow for me, first trip up this season so very excited!

Whistler tomorrow for me, first trip up this season so very excited!

Be there Sunday bright and early!

Any tips/suggestions for St Gervais/Megeve/Chamonix area starting on Saturday?

1 sleep till trip #3 🙂 Anyone in Innsbruck/Zillertal?

I’m thinking I can squeeze 1 more weekend in in March 😈 (1st or 2nd weekend). Can’t decide where to go though.

6 more sleeps until I head out to Wengen on my Stag. So excited about it now, looking at the forecast it’s getting cold and the snow is on its way too!!

Andy – we did Chamonix for a weekend last March which was great. It’s less than an hour from Geneva do easy to get to, which means fly out Friday evening and back on Sunday night and still get two full days skiing in! Plenty of reasonably high slopes too so good snow still too!

10 more sleeps for me!

10 more sleeps for me!

+1

I’m like a kid at christmas. Keep checking the weather report every half hour (snow later today, then very cold with snow showers for the rest of the week – hope this lasts). Last night I got my boots and helmet out the cupboard ‘just to check them over’.

What am I going to be like next week?

Chamonix is certainly an option. Even kipping over in the Ibis in Sallanches or Thonon or somewhere, and making it up from there. Makes a change from driving down after work. Think Sunday evening flight back was at a bad time though (need to check again).

wish you lot would shut up….I’m really feeling the need to hit the slopes and I’m not going until March! 😥

Intriguing. What do we reckon? I’m sure someone has tried the binding/boot separation before, but can’t remember who it was!

They’ve tried that many a time already, they just can’t get them stiff enough like that!

This time tomorrow I will be on the boat heading for France and Chamonix for a pootle, followed by a trip to Avoriaz 😀

Anyone want a last minute break on either 26th Jan or 2nd Feb?
I feel the need for more snow , and can risk waiting till next couple of weeks to get something cheaper.
Looking for something catered in Europe , not Bulgaria
On a budget but usualy find a bargain

CaptainFlashheart – Member
Intriguing. What do we reckon? I’m sure someone has tried the binding/boot separation before, but can’t remember it was

Snowboard boots for skiers – no?

A snowboard binding for skiers, Flash, whatever next? It looks like they’ve managed to combine the (lack of) stiffness of a rando boot with the looks of a snowboard boot; it should be great for après ski or driving in but I’ll need a lot of persuasion to ski in them.

More rain too high again 🙁 but the temperature drops next week and snow is forecast 🙂 You should have a good week Kevin, don’t forget your pastille RECCO and ARVA if you nip under the hors-piste banners in Argentiere.

Binding looks odd.
Get boots fitted properly, and they’re not painful. Pretty damn snug maybe, but not painful.

Looks like snow is on the way. Subzero here, just about, and I think snowing in Austria now? Exactly where I intend to be going tonight 🙂

Boosh, the PdS has had a much needed 20cm overnight and and its still snowing!

Dales_rider you are very lucky.

A lot of snow here in the French Alps for those of you heading over this weekend and still falling…

Where can I buy a Recco on its own?

Just googled and found a French forum. The replies got longer and longer and I stopped reading at: “on ne parle pas du fight club…” 🙂

I know an Arva is better.

20cm seems to be underestimating it a bit. More like 30 cm.

http://www.morznet.com/ski/dump/the-powder-is-back-in-the-portes-du-soleil-11th-january-2013.html

CFH. I think those bindings might be good for ski disability, especially for those with lower limb injuries. My mate has a fused ankle and I think these would be quite comfortable. Saying that, he’s already bought boots and had them enlarged to fit a custom inner boot.

A lot of snow here in the French Alps for those of you heading over this weekend and still falling..

coming on weds night! keep some for us!

News from Daughter in Cham loads of fresh snow, she’s guiding in Les Houche off piste through the forest 🙂
Right packed and we are off 🙂 🙂