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

Zell am Ziller / Zillertal Arena on Saturday:

Kaltenbach / Hochzillertal yesterday:

Most of the pistes were like that. Bit of fresh on top of scratchy hard base. Snow cannon snow down in the valley (fair enough – the valley is *really* low).
The Eberharter black run down to Kaltenbach would be ace in good conditions. Think I hit it at the wrong time of day, so was a bit busy, and lumpy.

“Just bought some new skis, Rossignol Experience 88s”

What size did you go for ??

I was going to demo some in Val the other week but never got round to it…will deffo try some next time out

I need something a bit longer and wider under foot than my 162 Rossi Zenith 7 iv have had for a few years (great on piste but thats about it)

Not sure if the 178 E88 may be a bit too long for me but will try a couple of sizes if i can (im just short of 6 foot i guess and about 12/12.5 stone)

Wee up date. No upgrade on flight to Vancouver. My mates getting in shit for that. Transfer bus driver couldn’t find any gears between the airport and whistler. Digs are good. Other halfs friends (whistler employee and other is ski patrol) took us on some of the best runs I’ve ever seen! Watched snow and fire show from GLC balcony. Cloud inversion on the way up to blackcomb glacier. Hiked up to the top of glacier. Proposed to girlfriend. She said YES! Cue group of ozzies cheering me on! skied down to crystal lodge for WAFFLES!!!! Then went up whistler peak to creek. Beer in roundhouse. Back down to hot tub. Now back in hotel after celebratory sushi! Hope you’re not struggling in the cold in the UK! Will update in the next few days! 😆

Andy W – Member

“Just bought some new skis, Rossignol Experience 88s”

What size did you go for ??

5′ 10″ and 15 stone porker I went for 178s, good shop in Cham lent a pair for the day. A hefty 20% off made them a bargain.
Going to Lange XT 100 boots from Technica Icon Alu Comps has made driving skis a new concept.

Yay! All the best people propose in ski resorts 🙂

I tried making a thread but as no-one answered i’ll ask here – can anyone recommend me some goggles? Ideally no more than £50. I’ve been looking at some Dragon DX that seem quite nice. Good anti-fogging is the main priority.

Most of the pistes were like that. Bit of fresh on top of scratchy hard base. Snow cannon snow down in the valley (fair enough – the valley is *really* low).

I was in Zell am Ziller on Friday and the snow was lovely and powdery almost everywhere apart from the lowest runs – seems weird it would have changed so quickly. Never made it over to Kaltenbach as it looked a bit drag-lift heavy on the lift map and my GF hates them.

I have these and a quick lens change means I can use them on my bike too. I found the persimmon lens to be great for most of the conditions I encountered, it was just the properly sunny bluebird conditions where I needed something darker.

http://www.extremepie.com/Oakley-O-Frame-Ski-Goggles-Matte-White-~-Persimmon/30561.htm?utm_source=googlebase

Oakley o-frame persimmon here, all the time everywhere

MAM TOR yesterday ….. bit fookin tufty.

I just have to post this. The best short movie ski clip Ive seen in a long time! Such creative urban stuff

Tut – they’ll ruin those skis………..

Cobrakai – Superb news! Congratulations!

Yes congrats CK.

MAM TOR yesterday ….. bit fookin tufty.

Good effort! Did you ride off the front side or the backside of Mam Tor?

Hiked up to the top of glacier. Proposed to girlfriend. She said YES!

Nice one!

I proposed to my now wife on the Hintertux Glacier near Mayrhofen.
I blamed the altitude. 7 years, one kid (+ one in the oven) and a lot of laughs later I can say it worked for us – hope it has the same good omen for yours. 😀

So Graham, if I get this right, propose on a glacier and you’re allowed boys ski/board trips to Slovakia and beyond forever more?…..

I have a cunning plan. 😆

Yep, that’s the way it works. 😀

Actually the transaction this year was more like:

Her: “Can we have another baby?”

Me: “Only if I get to go to Slovakia again.”

Her: “Deal. You get your trousers off, I’ll get the mask and the Astroglide..”

😆

Not sure I can manage the baby part of the deal (I’m capable, just not keen!).

Rode cliff side of Mam Tor looking towards Winnats pass, guess that’s frontside? Followed the footpath down mostly as more snow had collected there into little drifts. Drifted off the path a bit and started getting a bit stuck. Touched a few rocks on the way down but thats the risk you take. Worth it though. Been a long wait to ride the Peaks this season. Saw someone boarding down winnats pass as we went home.

Whoops had to google astroglide!……..

Whoops had to google astroglide!……..

Makes your base really slippy…

Even the best skiers snow plough 🙂

Had a brief ski with Yves detry yesterday, he is just too the right

Cobrakai – Congratulations.
I wanted (read we) to get married in Whistler, however my father was ill and he probably wouldn’t have coped with the journey or cold too well. So we opted for England. It did snow on the morning of my wedding, which I took to be a good omen.

ratswithwings – we skied a couple of years ago in Hayfield, hoping for some more of the white stuff to give it another go in the Peak District.

Rode cliff side of Mam Tor looking towards Winnats pass, guess that’s frontside?

It is in my head as I always think of ‘Coldside’ as the backside

Touched a few rocks on the way down but thats the risk you take

So pretty much ‘Scottish’ conditions at the moment? 😆
Might have to dig out an old board for a giggle if we get a bit more snow!

Crikey, there’s plenty going on in this thread – never bothered looking at it before ‘cos 40+ pages is a lot to skim through.

Is anyone else planning on taking advantage of the weather in Scotland over the next couple of days?

Also, I might as well post this thing;

Little vid of our family ski jaunt in Morzine over new year. It’s my first attempt with the GoPro/ any form of video editing. I’m quite pleased with it but I won’t be offended if you don’t bother with all of it, as it’s pretty longwinded…

Crikey, there’s plenty going on in this thread – never bothered looking at it before ‘cos 40+ pages is a lot to skim through.

We did the same last year! It was ace!

Welcome!

Nice vid. Lots of “Le style British”. 🙂

No much action but I thought I would share this little film from Shaun White.

What happened to his hair?

Lots of access roads and resorts closed due to avalanche risk in the Pyrénées. Something over a metre has fallen since Sunday. They’re hoping to open a small part of the resort this afternoon.

Her: “Can we have another baby?”

Me: “Only if I get to go to Slovakia again.”

Her: “Deal. You get your trousers off, I’ll get the mask and the Astroglide..”

Probably the funniest posting I’ve read on STW for some time! 😆

Well done GrahamS!

Last time I was in Scotland they had 20ft of snow. Was a spectacular year though.

Hitting the Peaks again this afternoon so hopefully there’s been a bit more snow. Off to Scotland at the end of the month.

There’s an mtbing thread over on snowheads atm. Doubt it’ll reach the 47 page mark though.

Thanks for the goggles recommendations folks. Now I’m getting tempted by a new board after trying out a mate’s last night. Never tried one of these new-fangled hybrid camber boards before but I liked it. Felt a lot easier to spin/play around on but still held an edge nicely – very confidence inspiring. Hmmm…….

@Andy W
If you decide to stay in Méribel I can recommend the Hotel Genepi. We stayed there a couple of weekends ago and liked it.
It’s in central Meribel-Mottaret and not too expensive. Compared to the Roc and Doron hotels for similar prices, it’s a palace…

Hotel Genepi

Never tried one of these new-fangled hybrid camber boards before but I liked it. Felt a lot easier to spin/play around on but still held an edge nicely – very confidence inspiring

I have a YES with the camrock profile, I really like it, but it is the first board I’ve owned, but I preferred it to the rocker I hired last year and the cambers i’ve hired in the past.

I ordered some HEAD I-Titans 😀 .

Thanks for all the advice, even though I didn’t really take some of it 😉 .

Can anyone recommend some cheap accom in Verbier? Need somewhere for three weeks, last week of feb and first two weeks of march. The hostel looks booked up 🙁 .

Plenty of snow inChamonix today 🙂

Thanks for all the advice, even though I didn’t really take some of it . completely ignored it

😉

Hope they’re awful! 🙂

Also, nice vid from Serre Che here – http://www.serrechevalier.org/videos/serre-chevalier-gopro-video/
This is why I love the place – Sunshine, snow, and sweet, sweet tree lines to play in!

Looking to carry two sets of skis and a board on a set of normal roof bars. Have a spare set of bars from an old car so thinking of putting some pipe lagging round both sets of bars and getting some U bolts to clamp the upper and lower bars together sandwiching just like the Thule carriers.
Will this work? How do other people attach skis/boards to the roof? Don’t want go to the expense of buying the proper thing as this maybe a one off.

How far are you going? Technically you could hold the board with the bindings.

600 miles, Flaine from Kent.