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

If its any consolation freeridenick’s pictures made me quite emotional too – only done a tiny bit of proper ‘back country’ stuff but its probably what I would like to do most of all – not sure I will ever have the strength/fitness again though. Putting my bindings on at altitude is sometimes a struggle. 🙂

Good to hear you still had some fun and at least Jules was ill too. 😛

That Nippergripper looks like a great idea. My oldest is having lessons up the mountain this year so will be fine but my youngest will try and chase after her but is only in the Piou Piou Garden so wont be able to.

Advice needed. Seemed the right thread. Where to ski at Easter with two kids (12,13) who haven’t skied since they were 5 and 6 and only been once. Plan is we all learn to snowboard (as I’ve skied loads and my wife hardly at all so we thought we’d all start something together). Family view is Italy preferred.

Apart from that, pretty open to ideas…

Easter is pretty early this year – mid march – so more or less anywhere shojld be good. I learned to ski at Passo Tonale, and can recommend that for you. I also like the Aosta Valley as it’s pretty, but the resorts can be expensive.

I was in Grenoble on Saturday and it was chaos. Yes it’s changeover day but the desks were in melt-down. All the flights missed their slots as they couldn’t clear the check-in queues fast enough.

All those moaning about Grenoble have clearly never been via Turin…!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi4b7rAuryQ&feature=youtu.be%5B/video

Just got back lastnight from Nendaz, a short break but big on snow, over 2′ whilst we were there, 1′ on the last night so we got a few powder turns in before leaving.

Hello – I’m back after a week away in The Dolomites (Canazei).

First time there and impressed with the place in terms of natural beauty. Probably one of the prettiest places we’ve ever skied/boarded. (No doubt helped by glorious sunshine, blue skies, quiet slopes and an enormous ski area).

The actual slopes were a bit cruisey – generally big wide reds with the odd flat bit – but they suited our mixed ability group pretty well.

There was a ton of slackcountry riding to be had – but conditions were a bit sketchy and there were signs of slides so we were fairly conservative. Did ride a nice spine at one point so hopefully have video of that soon.

Lil’GrahamS had her first ski lessons (at 2 and a half). She was a wee natural and is already a better skier than me. I even got her on a board with me on the last day:

#prouddad

Teh AWSUMZ! 😉

Having now watched Nick’s video I wish we’d got a guide and gone for some more backcountry stuff.

We did get as far as chatting to the folk at tourist info about it but decided against it because conditions weren’t great and my mate’s bum knee was playing up. Not that we could hack all that hiking anyway, but a little bit further off the beaten track would have been nice. As it was we stuck to lift-accessible slackcountry.

That’s great Graham its brilliant seeing them ski for the first time. This year I will be able to ski with my oldest, I can’t wait. I have the GoPro charged and ready to film it.

Au cours de ces vingt dernières années, seuls trois autres hivers ont été aussi neigeux en 1993-94, 2002-03 et 2008-09.

From the local paper. It’s been a good one and there’s snow falling in abundance now. So much I fear all the racing will be concelled for the third weekend in a row.

La Vonn injured out. Sounds nasty.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-sports/21342202

So, here’s a picture of her. Just because.

🙂

The french telemark champs was cancelled at Auris en Oisans last weekend.

Great stuff Graham, top work from your daughter.

CFH – Turin airport was practically empty both times we’ve been there.

Alex – we go every year at Easter and only had a problem with rapidly deteriorating snow once, it had been a pretty bad season anyway but it was 20+C when we were there. But if you want to go to Italy and be safe just in case I’d head for Cervinia. Really high (2000m at resort level), slopes are wide and relatively gentle so good for learning on.
Either that or leave it til the last minute until you know what conditions will be like and chose anywhere…

Thinking of a cheeky long weekend to avoriaz from 4-8 April. Would this still be worth doing? Or should we bring our bikes by then?

We don’t need perfect conditions, some snow would be nice.

Anyone done it?

Simone

Not Avoriaz, but as previous post we’ve only had one Easter (sometimes travelling after you intend to) recently where we couldn’t ski everywhere in the area and even then we could ski everywhere over 2000m, was a bit wet at times though.

Ta for the replies. Think we’ll look for a last minute deal then based on snow conditions… we’re pretty flexible with times

Yeah, PDS would not be on my shortlist for April snow, even if Avoriaz is the highest resort in that area. You really need somewhere where the majority of runs are way above 2000m to enjoy a week without skiing porridge the entire holiday. So in France Val Thorens, Tignes , Les 2 Alpes.

as I posted above, easter is in mid march this year so saying “go high for easter” is slightly nonsensical – it depends when easter is. For a couple or for a bunch of single blokes, then waiting and booking last minute should be fine. As you’re booking for a family, you might find your rooming choices somewhat constrained if you choose to wait

Isn’t Easter Sunday 31st March?

Yep, we fly out on 31st – Easter Sunday. School hols round my way start on Good Friday and last for 2 weeks. Next year Easter (religious holiday) is much later, but the school holidays start first Saturday in April – a week later than this year.

It would be a safer bet to aim high especially if booking now, but last year we were in Kitzbuhel (760m and skiing up to 2,000m) and all was fine. Not heeding my own advice this year we’re going to Ski Amade and which is nearly as low as Kitzbuhel – but has a huge skiable area so even in the worst conditions we should be able to find somewhere to ski.

My mistake, for some reason I was working on it being the weekend prior to that sorry. Just remembered it wrongly

Was in Bardonnechia (close to Italian/French border) last week. Tuesday and Wednesday we had VERY warm conditions, temps well into double figures at resort level and warm enough for jackets off outside the cafe at 2000m. For the snow this resulted in a lot of melting and refreezing so lots of big icy patches that don’t appear to have been noted on the Ski Club GB reports.
Anyone know how much further into the Alps the warm weather extended?

It was plus 7 at one point is Val d’Isere last week, and someone mentioned seeing 11 deg C on one board

Just been reading that Sochi, the venue for the next Winter Olympics is usually around 11C at the time the games are planned. Silly….!

is that in the mountains or in Sochi itself?

Report seemed to say that they were having to bring in 400+ snow cannons, so it would appear that the resort itself is rather warm!

Probably no more cannons than a typical resort has, so possibly just a contingency. They probably thought Whistler was a safe bet last time round, but they struggled for snow.

Makes me wonder what it’s going to be like in South Korea.

Sorry to hear about your lurgy too Jane – another trip later in the season?

Just the usual grum where I got some mild virus lurgy and because of pvf it’s taken over and I’m back to trying to get myself well again for weeks on end.
Was actually considering giving up skiing on this trip, as the time, energy and money wasted on me always catching something and missing out on skiing and even unable to work when I get home is doing my head in (typical 1st world country problem eh?)

So, a plea to everyone going out to the ski resorts: Please, if you have a cold or cough, could you cough into your sleeve and not your hand and then use the hand straight after to pick food from the breakfast buffet. Please also blow your nose into a hankerchief which then gets put into a bin. (our hotel put out handwash) at the side of the buffet and no one used it).
I was a bit fed up of watching adults coughing while in warm cablecars without making an effort to cover their mouths and spreading germs.

Also germs thrive in the fact we leap out of the very cold air and into a warm telecabin or such like.

Moan over -as you were.

Flashy yes have been to most major airports near ski resorts and Grenoble was the worst.

We also saw Lindsey Vonn crash live yesterday, it was shocking to see, poor lass, her season is definitely over. Chemmy did well though 🙂

GrahamS – that photo is lovely 😀

GrahamS – that photo is lovely 😀

Thanks. I do look rather good in it don’t I? 😉

Just finalised the UK leg of my Slovakia trip. Only two weeks to go. Excitedbean.

AND I’ve got a shiny new CX bike hopefully arriving sometime during those two weeks to distract me.

😀

Really sorry to hear all that.

Don’t give up! I’m sure at some point you’ll be able to have a good illness-free trip. I used to be quite blasé about germs etc but definitely more conscious of it now. Planes are a killer for spreading illness unfortunately. When I first went again after getting ill I tried to think of it like any skiing at all was a bonus – ended up doing a lot more than I thought I would.

I know it’s easier said than done but for me it’s important to try not to let it get you too stressed/down as that just makes it worse.

AND I’ve got a shiny new CX bike hopefully arriving sometime during those two weeks to distract me.

You’re one step closer to being a telemarker…! It’s not too late!

Free the heel, free the mind

Stop the brutal grooming!

Jane
I always get ill on skiing holidays .
This trip I went overboard with 1000mg effervesant Vit C tabs.
I put 1 in a 500ml water bottle and drank that throug the day .
At night I had another tablet dissolved in a mug by my bed. When I woke up i drank a load then went back to sleep.
Seemed to work as there were lots of ill people on the bus and plane , and so far I appear to be OK.
Why not self drive and self cater?
OK its more hassle but you remove some of the contact time with sick people, OK so you cannot use a bubble exclusively although chairs you sort of can by acting like a numpty in the queue.

Good idea Rob.
Jules would never drive (you are at least 4-5 hours nearer anyway than us).

A friend had one of these nasel spray things that they use over at British cycling. The minute you feel any sort of lurgy coming on, then stick it up and spray. Anyone tried anything like this?

I know Sir Dave Brailsford has got the cycling team into proper handwashing and keeping general germs and bugs at bay with sprays etc.

Another ski holiday illness sufferer you all have my sympathy, only missed one days skiing though others have been rather weary. I now do what STM does and dose myself up with all sorts prior to heading out.

I find continental pharmacies very good at handing out all sorts of wonder potions that seem to make you feel a bit better than you seem to get in the uk.

For a lot of people skiing is much harder exercise than they usually do and enough to supress your immune system. Add cold, dry air that impairs the flushing mechanisms of your nose and throat and you’re more vulnerable.

I find sprays irritate and are counter productive but give my immune system the best possible chance with plenty of calories at regular intervals, a healthy diet, no booze, adequate clothing, sleep and avoiding people in the half hour after a hard X-C session which is probably when my immune sytem is weakest.

Edit: I’ve noted the Brits in the resort are the ones that ski till they drop, drink to excess, stay out late and stand around outside the bars in disco clothes. 😉

It was 20 degrees at 700m last Wednesday near Grenoble. Was a nice change from the Uk ish grey of the last couple of weeks.

Anyway had a great day skiing* in the Vercors and drinking chocolat chaud and eating crepes with Mini Mugsy today. Decided to keep the sunny days before I head back to Borat land for work for bike training so going skiing by myself in the clag tomorrow.

* in the snow garden, we nearly undertook his 1st button lift but he opted for valour and stuck to the tapis roulant.

Have fun all.

Brits go to the Pyrennes? Thought you were our only representative down there Ed… 😉