The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2013-2014 season

This week at work is going to be tough to focus, off to Niederau, Tyrol Austria on Saturday, only my second trip and so bloody excited!

Very lucky this year and getting a second trip in – back to Les Arcs to stay with a mate for 10 days on the 1st Feb. Woop!

Three year old loved it. Not much skiing done but plenty of falling over and laughing. He wants to go again.

So…..The Jump.

Amazingly, it was significantly more shit than I had been expecting. I’d been expecting it to be shit, but hoping it would be that sort of ‘so bad it’s enjoyable’ flavour of shit. It wasn’t, however, it had gone even further down the turd covered road of awfulness.

Sadly.

Was it crap? That’s a shame I recorded it and was going to watch it tonight after Ski Sunday. Oh well.

In other news.. Glencoe has got some serious snow according to their facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/GlencoeMountain

Here are some pics from the rescue hut:

Re. Offpisteskiing.com link on preceeding page.Simon Christy vas a very very good reputation. He, à long with others, coaches certain British Mountain Guides.

Hope everyone is having a good season. Some good conditions in the Vercors over the weekend.

Posting this here, in case anyone hadn’t read the other thread – http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/servicing-skis/page/2

TurnerGuy – Member
After all that a family death and funeral has meant that I can go on this trip, so the skis are back in the loft

As I had already paid for the short trip to Morzine I have put it on the classified rather than it go to waste – it will cost £50 to transfer our two names across to someone else.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/ot-ski-weekends-break-for-2-in-morzine-6-10-feb

Sorry to hear that news, TG.
(Hope you don’t mind me posting your link here as well, possible wider audience!)

Might be interesting for some:http://blog.jamesthacker.co.uk/2014/01/avalanche-rescue-and-safety-equipment.html

TurnerGuy – Sorry to hear your sad news.

Flashy – I haven’t seen the ‘Jump’ yet, it’s recorded but hope to catch up later, am now prepared for how bad it will be.

The Jump.

Wow.

Re. Offpisteskiing.com link on preceeding page.Simon Christy vas a very very good reputation

2nd that.

Early start to the NZ season yesterday (it being mid-summer and all)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/9654858/Summer-skiing-at-Mt-Hutt

I see the BBC are pushing the dangerous conditions in the Alps story again. Radio 4 last night had a repeat of the “layer of ball bearings” warning and the news site has this on it:

Alps avalanche warning to skiers
On duty with avalanche dog patrol

Kind of odd that they didn’t mention beepers or using local guides 🙁

Was listening to that on the train and thinking the same, Graham! Was also wondering where on the French/Italian border the dog piece was recorded.

Montgenèvre, according to the story on the BBC site.

Ta! Hadn’t seen the link, as I had assumed it was just a link to the original article on PM.

I did think if might have been Monty, which is just about as much “on the border” as can be!

The Radio 4 piece on PM is available here (starts at 39:40):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03s6mm7

One detail I thought was interesting was that, according to the report, the rescue dogs can only work for 8 years and there are just 25 of them in the Alps and Pyrenees. For every 10 dogs they are offered they buy 1, and from every 100 dogs they buy only 4 or 5 make the grade!

The guy they interview is apparently one of only 13 people to ever have been rescued alive by the dogs and he was under a metre of snow for 30 minutes. 😯

It was certainly interesting re the dogs.

My grandfather was, for many years, heavily involved with RAF police dogs. They went through similar selection criteria, and had a similar working life. It’s not an easy job, even if it may be just ‘playing’ for the dogs.

The description of being trapped was chilling.

On a lighter note, I’m loving this:

Gives me hope my 3 year old won’t be stuck on skis for too long 😀

It would be interesting to know if the 13 people they are talking about rescuing were ones that only the dogs could find or if they have rescued more people who were wearing transceivers.

For what it’s worth the powder in Meribel today was excellent. Nice and cold and light. The snow pack seems to have stabilised somewhat after a warm spell a couple of weeks ago and more snow packing down the weak layer from November. Anecdotally we’ve seen fewer slips caused by skiers this week than previously this season not that you can read much into that.

More on avalanches on the BBC News:

Deadly avalanches sweep French Alps

Basically exactly the same story as the PM clip earlier, with some extra casualty figures 😕

Still, good to see them making the most of that dog rescue footage eh?

GrahamS – thanks for sharing that video.
IMO anything that gets children exercising, even better outdoors type sports is the bees knees.
Loving the girls in their party frocks 🙂

Yeah I really hope Burton bring the lessons to the UK – the website says “we plan to eventually expand to more school in North America, with a global expansion for 2015.” 😀

http://news.burton.com/kid-n-play/burton-brings-snowboarding-to-gym-class/

The “Riglet Parks” look great too:

I know Tamworth have started doing Riglet Camps:
http://www.snowdome.co.uk/ski-snowboard/snowboard-lessons/riglet-camps/

IMO anything that gets children exercising, even better outdoors type sports is the bees knees.

Would be even better if it got them skiing! 😉

But otherwise, yes!

Would be even better if it got them skiing!

Absolutely 😉

🙄

I like the little concave balance-boards and the grab Twister game,they look quite fun for kids.

Time to pacify the skierists with some Candide chasing through the trees

Well I survived my second trip this year 😀
First time in Austria and it was great. Virtually no snow in Solden itself when we arrived, just a long strip of artificial back into town (it’s a fun ride though with refreshment stops on the way). High up on the glaciers was fine plus the snow during the week meant plenty powder within easy distance of the lifts both there and Ubergurgl.
Fairer prices than the Frenchies – €8.50 for currywurst mit brot and a big wheat beer on the mountain or €11 for spag bol and a drink.
They really need to enter the 21st century and sort out their smoking laws though, dirty barstuds. I was expecting it but it was still a shock 😡

CaptainFlashheart – Member

Would be even better if it got them skiing!
But otherwise, yes!

Bunnyhop – Member
Would be even better if it got them skiing!
Absolutely

And yet you ignore me when I proudly talk about my three year old on skis for the first time.

I just don’t know you two, I’m just not feeling the love…

Mind you Bunnyhop told me it had found a great wife when I was talking about her putting up with my toys addiction, so can’t be all bad.
Flashheart – what have you got to say for yourself?

Had a great week in st anton last week … plenty off piste with minimal avalanche risk 🙂

igm

And yet you ignore me when I proudly talk about my three year old on skis for the first time.

Brilliant.

There were some winks in there 🙂

Sorry, IGM! Must have missed that post, please accept a thousand stuffed marmots in apology.

😉

They really need to enter the 21st century and sort out their smoking laws though, dirty barstuds. I was expecting it but it was still a shock

Yeah my thoughts too, much cheaper but stinking of smoke isn’t nice, and I used to smoke.

On the smoking front, I will still hunt down and kill anyone who smokes on a lift. Have seen/smelt it in both France and Italy and it’s just vile.

*Disclaimer – I do like a nice cigar at the end of the day on a sunny terrace with a beer.

They really need to enter the 21st century and sort out their smoking laws though, dirty barstuds.

We were in Schladming for 2011 and 2012. Great place, but the only real black mark was the smoking.

Folk happily lighting up next to us, indoors, as I sat trying to enjoy a meal with my pregnant wife and my two year old daughter. Yuk!

Had the same thing previously when she was still in a pram!

Had a great week in st anton last week … plenty off piste with minimal avalanche risk

Nice photos – looks great. 😀

:|Just got 9 cats herded and dates sorted for 2 weeks in Norway and the place we wanted to stay is full. Not much else round those parts, so we have a crisortunity on our hands.

On the smoking front, I will still hunt down and kill anyone who smokes on a lift. Have seen/smelt it in both France and Italy and it’s just vile.

*Disclaimer – I do like a nice cigar at the end of the day on a sunny terrace with a beer.

Don’t get this. Why is smoking on a lift so much worse than smoking on a terrace?

I do appreciate the irony, Ned, but for me, being at an open air bar is somewhere I might expect to come across smoke.

A lift is a moment of calm, tranquility and clean air. A very different environment.

sounds like a lovely moment for a smoke! 😀

IANAS

👿

😉

Horses for courses, innit. I’d rather get the occasional waft on a chairlift than sit near someone smoking while I’m relaxing with a beer and maybe something to eat.

Not massively bothered either way, though

Going out to a bar in the evening and coming back with your clothes stinking of fags is rank. I think a lot of smokers would agree with that, too.

I’ll just steal the 1000th post if I may!