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

I’ve been fine with dare2b stuff which you can often pick up pretty cheap.

Still snowing. it’s been falling all night. the snowploughs were out around 5am

Enjoy nbt (well as much as it’s possible to on skis 😛 )

nothing here, still always surprises me how localised mountain weather can be. Anyway maybe our turn tonight.

Looks like we should get a bit tomorrow, sun thursday, then quite a lot friday, saturday, sunday. 77cm forecast over the next 9 days (which is how long I’m out for 😀 )

@grum I’ll wave at any snowboarders I see dropping off cliffs

I think cliff may be exaggerating slightly – it was probably about 2-3 meters from take-off to landing but enough to scare me quite a bit! Nice powdery landing to stack it into though.

Nice powdery landing to stack it into though.

That awesome feeling when you land it right in to the deep stuff and ski out is almost as good as that awesome feeling when you land it wrong in to the deep stuff and come up like some giggling version of the abominable snowman!

CFH, good shout on TKmaxx, theres a decent one in town.

Ta Grum, will also have a look.

I’ve plenty of warm kit down/synthetic and big gloves from winter mountaineering.

I just dont want slide down a hill on new eVent kit

piemonster: yeah TinkyMax is always a good bet, and as mentioned earlier Lidl had some dirt cheap Crane stuff in too which would do the job.

SportPursuit is always worth a look, as are the Clearance Deals on Absolute Snow:

http://www.absolute-snow.co.uk/ProductList/Department/0?sort=3

There’s a bit of snow in Scottishland…
Scottish Avalanche Information Service Blog, Southern Cairngorms, Monday.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8aBRQ3D_Xuk/Uu_K4yHLU0I/AAAAAAAAEDk/05cbyocdK3c/s1600/IMG_2455.JPG

Check eBay as well – I’ve been looking for some trousers (I know, everyone calls them pants, but I am not American). Can get proper decent ones for about £30.

highlandman – Member
There’s a bit of snow in Scottishland…
Scottish Avalanche Information Service Blog, Southern Cairngorms, Monday.

Been quite a bit of wind too.

Three times now I’ve been near a shut ski area within the last month.

Twice Cairngorm, once Glencoe. Been a bit rough out.

Just back from a week in La Plagne. Epic conitions. Hired a guide for two days. First of the two had fresh pow the night before. Check it out:

While I was away I found out I get to go for a free work ski trip in Austria too! Get in…

today has mostly featured powder, trees and *win* with a light dusting of beer to top it off

Decathlon is great for skiing gear. I miss the good old C&A ‘Rodeo’ ski wear. Mine lasted many years of abuse such as sweating, falling over, beer spillage during apres ski 🙂

Right back to important stuff: it’s still snowing!

On the subject of important stuff… we’re off to Val d’Isere again this Easter (thanks for the encouragement and advice last year) and it transpires that I am giving Mrs Markie a new ski jacket for her birthday.

Things I know:

She thinks she’d like a black jacket (to go with bright trousers, apparently). She also quite likes the red of this Poc Helmet.

She has in the past admired Sweet Protection gear (they don’t currently make a black jacket).

She skis very well (apparently) and likes a sporty look.

Can anyone recommend a jacket? A brand? Where should I be looking for them? Am I best buying now, or are we going late enough in the season that even Val d’Isere might offer (relative) bargains?

I will be wearing a Buffalo jacket and some canvas trousers that can (through the strength of fabric not dirt) stand up on their own.

Markie, for good quality, plain jackets, Eider are always worth looking at.

I think you’re just as likely to get a good deal in the UK than in VD. Good to get it bought before you go. Fancy spending your first morning traipsing round ski shops? “JUST GET THAT ONE!” “Which one?” “I DON’T CARE!” That would be me, anyway.

I’d wait until March – sales will kick in by then (ish? anyone?) and take her round a few shops. Any good ones near you? Fit will be very important and the chances of you picking the right one are… I don’t know! She might want to compromise on technicality/features/ fabric rating for something that looks really good. Or fancy a softshell, rather than a hardshell.

You can always make a birthday thing of it, write a card with “voucher for one afternoon ski jacket shopping + one ski jacket” And you could do a bit of ground work if you’re near some good shops – useful if you might need to steer her away from the Norrona & Arcteryx!

Those 2 are great but big dorrar spendy. If you can find them art 40 or 50% off, sensible prices and quality kit.

She has in the past admired Sweet Protection gear (they don’t currently make a black jacket).

Bunch of Sweet Protection stuff on SportPursuit at the moment.

Hi Markie
Glad you’re off to Val again, we’re just back from Tignes. The Face was in great shape (until my other 1/2 slid down most of the 1st steep section anyway).
I have an Arc’teryx jacket that I wear with a fleece underneath, it’s years old and still looks great. Also flexible on spring days when I just wear it with base layers or vent the pit zips.
Always liked the look of POC helmets but they do not fit my head, weird pressure areas in seconds. Another premium helmet brand is sweet, they do trooper and rooster helmets which look great and seem really well put together. I’m not sure I’d like hard shell over the ears though unless I was racing.
Anyway, hope it helps
Linda

It’s still bloody snowing. Was getting quite light when o went to bed but now it’s coming down thick and fast. Weather forecast suggests tomorrow may be the best day to try La Rosiere, so will check bus times tonight

Sweet jackets are a bit nu skool gnar in their styling, which may not suit the lady folk as well as something a little more tailored.

Ended up playing bass for a band last night at an open mic night at La Vache bar – lots of fun. 🙂

That awesome feeling when you land it right in to the deep stuff and ski out is almost as good as that awesome feeling when you land it wrong in to the deep stuff and come up like some giggling version of the abominable snowman!

Yeah I love crashing in powder – great fun (unless you then have to spend ages digging yourself/wading out).

It’s still bloody snowing.

How awful for you! We’re meant to be getting some today but not much sign so far. Decent dump forecast for Friday though. 😀

It’s still bloody snowing.

I read through the colossal* tome that is the ”Best Gaper qoute of the weekend?” thread at TetonGravity

One of the recurring themes was gapers complaining that their holiday was ruined because it was snowing all the time. 😯

*(colossal as in : 181 pages, started in 2008 and still going!)

Bargains in Val??? I love the place but its always super expensive, even at the end of the season.
Should be able to find some UK shops with bargains by March, as they’ll start to target the Easter trips to shift the end of line kit.
I’m so jealous of this thread. 2 kids under 3 have meant my trips are shelved for at least another year.
Not good.

“We’re meant to be getting some today but not much sign so far. Decent dump forecast for Friday though. “

Coming down a bit now in 1950. Friday’s no good, we go on Saturday 🙁

Paid £150 for a sweet protection goretex jacket from Sports Pursuit a couple of weeks back… Absolute bargain and great jacket.

Get in! Ski holiday number 2 booked! 😀

A week in Les Deux Alpes, mid-March, staying in this gaff:
http://www.neilson.co.uk/ski/france/les-deux-alpes/neilson-hotel-aalborg

Me, the missus, our kids (0 and 3), and grandma in tow to handle the babysitting 😀

Excited bean!

It seems I’m going to Norway to slide down hills on my face.

Repeatedly.

Will I die?

Probably will do if I forget my down kit.

Also, hurrah for SCUK discounts[/url], saved us £227 on the cost of that holiday alone.
Not bad for a £15 membership. 😀

It’s STILL bloody snowing!. It hasn’t stopped all day

I’ve dabbled in that thread and others, but fair play to you if you’v read the lot

I’m not *actually* complaining, more gently ribbing Grum and Crewlie for being on the wrong side of the mountain.

Today has mostly featured deeper powder, steeper trees, almost constant hysterical laughter from Mrs NBT and a couple of unexpected drop offs. Some *may* have been landed succesfully, some may not.

Oh, and I got a GNAR[/url] style pro-call out to some random who crashed off piste as we passed overhead on the lift then – as we applauded his crash – tried to claim he was “the best skiier on the mountain. This probably won’t mean much unless you’ve seen the film but his mates thought it was hilarious. If you haven’t seen the film, grab a beer and get watching.

In all seriousness, it really is still snowing, it’s been bloody great out there today. Quite possibly the best day I’ve ever had on skis and I’ve had some amazing powder days in place like whistler, alta and solitude.

I’ve dabbled in that thread and others, but fair play to you if you’v read the lot

It took me about a week, reading it piecemeal during slow points at work 😀

I’m not *actually* complaining, more gently ribbing Grum and Crewlie

Yer I know. I’m just jealous.

Mind you – just been looking at the webcams for Les Deux Alpes and it is dumping hard there too:
[/url]

(but anything could happen between now and March).

Snowing pretty heavily/steadily here now too. It’s put a few cm’s down this afternoon and no sign of it stopping any time soon. Blue skies forecast tomorrow.

And I can actually make proper use of it because I have a snowboard. 😉

Be a shame if this thread just turned into people boasting about their conditions though eh? 🙂

Apparently Arabba in Italy had 173cm over night a couple of days ago!

Be a shame if this thread just turned into people boasting about their conditions though eh?

Indeed….GRRRRR! 😀

I hate you all. In all fairness I did get one powder day in morzine 2 weeks ago.

Still hate you though.

After the last few skiing holidays I’ve spent being either ill or injured, I’m going to boast away. Just in case anyone has’t read the above, it’s still snowing.

Hopefully nbt will put up some photos, then you can all critise my appalling powder technique = Turn then laugh.

Nbt had some great tumbles, coming out looking like a snowman. Me, I had one of those embarrassing sit downs on the slippery balcony of a mountain restaurant 🙂

Dumping right now here in Morzine, and forecast is for a clearish day tomorrow followed by more snow all over the weekend. Early start in the morning I think.

Sorry cobrakai!

Ooh that looks like fun grum 😀

(RE the earlier avi talk: I just ordered a BD Bandit Avalung pack, Ortovox 240 Carbon PFA probe and Deploy 7 shovel – all from http://www.snowsafe.co.uk – £190 all in with SCUK discount. Not bad. Borrowing a beeper for this year, but will probably buy one for next year. Hope that helps you all sleep a little better 😉 )

Here’s a nice photo (from a point and shoot camera with a dust spot on the sensor!)

[/url]
Courmayeur 2014[/url] by Notoriously Bad Typist[/url], on Flickr

More from today: http://www.flickr.com/photos/n_b_t/archives/date-taken/2014/02/05/

and a couple of videos taken with said point and shoot. I hadn’t realised my stance was quite so wide, nor that I shouldered quite so much, but to be frank I’ve had such a ****ing brilliant day I don’t really care. They say a bad day on the slopes beats a good day in the office – and they’re right – so what the hell does a day like today beat? Almost anything!

Visibilty in general has been better today, but it’s still been overcast all day. we’ve at least been able to see the pistes, though, yesterday visibility was down to three or four yards at times.

It’s stopped snowing.

Perfect depth for playing in and falling over .
Does look like you need your bike lights though .
La Ros is fun , not huge nad some cranky chair lifts , abit like Cormeyour in that respect . ONe side ( LA Thuille or La Ros ) always has more snow, depends on the wind direction .
The run back to La Ros from La Thuille has 2 long flats that need 100% commitment to avoid poling .
There is lowish black run that has some good slack country sections , it ends below the village and there is a lift up .
Off the newer 4 man cair on the RHS there is a small wooded area that can hold decent powder , near the bowling alley.

So apparently Glenshee has a bit of snow:

Cool pic. They should get the grease gun out now, that one can be done without getting off the skidoo 🙂

For the lolz: