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

. Anyway, apparently it’s my responsibility to look back up the slope behind me. English bloke so we were able to converse very “freely” and I was able to bluntly explain what I thought of his opinion. And don’t get me started on the lift queues!!

Ah yes. One of my pet skiing hates, having been knocked over from behind ending up with a frozen shoulder (that took 18 months to get right). He is definitely wrong.

Lift queues – awful. We had much pushing and shoving last week, causing one guy to have his skis knocked out of his hand, also we ended up in a gondola with our skis in a completely different car, crazy.

There’s a front coming through that should drop a bit of snow and cool things down this weekend. Last weekend was great, one of those days to make resort managers happy “route noire, neige blanche, ciel bleu”.

As a student this year I was worrying we wouldn’t get away this season, but we’ve just booked trip 2 🙂

Went to Valmeinier with the coach people for 4 days skiing over half term. Really enjoyed the area, managed some pretty big days skiing inc 50 miles according to the Garmin on the last day (lifts and descents). Was surprised about the lack of queues.

Then tonight just booked to go to Flashy’s favourite area for the first time on 5th April. Was about to pull the trigger on some flights to Chambery on the same day and decide to book somewhere closer to the time based on conditions. But thought I’d give Igluski a quick check, it seems they have some bargains the week – gave them a call and all sorted now. Lets hope it cools down a bit and this snow at the weekend materialises. We’re quite used to skiing in the slush and it being warm out that time of year, just need there to be enough snow as we want to be able to explore the whole area.

St Anton last week, in the middle of the baking temps and slushy pistes – still found a few fresh tracks with a great day off piste with a local guide 🙂

Anyone thinking of a late trip I have recommend the snow conditions in Les Arcs are remarkably good given the weather, it was 16 degrees in Peisey-Vallandry when we arrived, Arc 2000 is especially good fresh snow due (possibly a lot) this weekend. Every day so far has been a bluebird 🙂 we are off to check out La Plagne later, we are based at Peisey next to the connecting lift.

Also White Room Chalet have posted up some late availability for next week (we went with them last year and they where excellent, GF wanted to go to ClubMed with friends this year or we’d have booked again)

I made my first turns 14 months after breaking my ACL and I’ve never been so happy to see a flat track motorway piste. I can confirm ACL free skiing is possible as that’s both knees “gone”

Hammerite, 5th of April in Serre Che? Pack your bikini, it’ll be HOT! 🙂

Yep, we expect that Flashy, as long as there’s some snow/slush to slide on we’ll be happy.

Been warm but cooling down this weekend with a top up on the way.

Jamba – we need to get back to Les Arcs, was too warm with only one (rapidly shrinking) run down to each village open when we were last there.

There’s a front coming through that should drop a bit of snow and cool things down this weekend. Last weekend was great, one of those days to make resort managers happy “route noire, neige blanche, ciel bleu”.

my eyes, is that hunter s thompson’s dad in lycra tights?

How long does it take to stop obsessing about skiing?

Planning two trips next winter. 😀

Not counting Scottyland days out. Very much looking forward to this new hobby.

Lyngen Alps late April/early May could be back on… Cautiously excited!

not following you there sorry? *stop* ?

That makes more sense.

As I stroll in the house with a brand new set of Skis.

@piemonster – I’m 51 and can only confirm “not yet”

Forecast snow duly arrived this afternoon in Peisey/Les Arcs/La Plagne – still above zero at 1600m but hopefully forecast temp drop and more snow overnight will freshen up the slopes.

Hey everybody, I’m back from the family trip to Les Deux Alpes.

Whole lot of hot. Sunny blue sky days every day. So plenty of this kind of thing* :

And lots of time spent applying suncream, riding in t-shirts and sweltering at lunch stops.

No snow for 15 days when we were there so the off-piste was pretty much non-existent. I turned down a guided cat-transfer trip to La Grave as I didn’t see the point given the conditions (maybe for free, but not for 100EUR!)

Still had a cracking time in the spring conditions though.

First time we’ve been able to snowboard together for a good few years. Got the missus well and truly out of her comfort zone by taking her over boxes and jumps in the park, encouraging her to ride switch, and doing the slushy remains of a nice sidecountry run between the black and red runs in Vallée Blanche**

My three (“nearly 4 daddy”) year old managed two and half hours of ski school with ESS[/url] every day. They were great. She can now confidently ride a full-size button tow to the top and come back down on her own in control. Which is more than I can do 🙂
She got to “Level 1A” on their grade system and was awarded the “Super Skier” prize by the kid’s club at the end of the week #prouddad.

So a great trip all in all. Despite the heat. Being back at work is killing me though. Can’t stop browsing snow stuff…

.

* (Excuse crappy phone photos – I couldn’t be bothered carrying the SLR)
**(not the Chamonix one! The Deux Alpes back-resort of the same name).

Just looking at an online preview of Ski Famille’s 14/15 brochure. They’ve killed the “Childcare Included” USP 🙁 and prices seem to have risen quite steeply (according to a few disgruntled folk on twitter). If anyone would like the link to it, feel free to email me at the address in my profile.

dd: Our three year old asked if she could go to the Kid’s Club at Les Deux.
Think it cost us about £180 extra for the week and was well worth it – they took her to ski school, picked her up afterwards then did activities with them till 4:30, so we got fairly full days on the slope. Which was unexpected and nice.

Ski famille are now asking £279 for the week to look after the little fella. 😐

We used Crystal’s childcare service a few times for Jnr and he always enjoyed it. He’d pick and choose if it was them collecting him or us at lunch. This generally depended on whether they were painting (or the like) in the afternoon, in which case it would be us collecting and he’d come skiing. If it was snow man building, bum boarding or ice skating then he’d go with them.

No idea how much it cost, but I think it was similar to what Graham paid.

Ours will be 25 months if we go (because it’s a **** “if” now) – so skiing won’t be an option for him.

Not good news DD. I would like the link if possible.

That change might kill Ski Famille for me – after five years.

Got your email igm, reply is on its way. 🙂 be interested to hear your thoughts.

Given what other friends have said about how Espirt have upped their game…

We’re going out to Les Gets with SF at Easter – I might have a better view after that.

DD – replied to your email

On a completely different track, check out the Every Third Thursday series by Signal Snowboards on YouTube.

Basically they mess around with daft materials and ideas for snowboard designs then ride them.
Glass snowboard? Paper snowboard? Bulletproof snowboard? Heated snowboard? All done.

Very interesting to see just how barking the design can be and still be (sort of) rideable.

In fact you can see all FOUR seasons of ETT here:
http://signalsnowboards.com/shows/ett

Just bumping this with a video (not mine) from the Grey Corries a couple of weeks back…

But really it’s an excuse to ask if anyone has been out in Scotland this past week? Might try and sneak a day touring in as the forecast looks decent. Anyone with anything to report RE current conditions, snow line etc?

@bajsyckel – nice video !

Try here bajsyckel http://www.winterhighland.info/publicreports/

@ jambalaya- I know, looks like a good day.
@ piemonster- yep, cheers for that. Also checked UKC but not many recent reports so thought I might find some closet tourers on here…

Anyone with anything to report RE current conditions, snow line etc?

I was touring on Cairngorm on Saturday and piste / off piste at Nevis Range on Sunday. Sunday was great.

Decent cover on the Cairngorm plateau but a lot of icy patches where it has been scoured. Good cover above about 800m in the west. Not brilliant for classic ‘travelling’ tours but loads to go at if you want to skin up to a good descent. Still some massive cornices and windslab about so caw canny as they say.

bajsyckel – Are you on the British Backcountry FB group? I’ve found it most useful for conditions.

Cheers Spin, that’s handy to know. Think I might head west and try and find something that avoids silly cornices and bulletproof/ windscoured neve. [edit] yeah also use the fb group but there heven’t been too many reports up lately.

We’ve had this conversation before but once we’re into spring snow there are going to be a few weeks / months of awesome action on the steeps en ecosse.

So, I’m trying to get mrs deadly to get her next year’s kit now when there are reductions. She’s not keen on the Westbeach stuff (unlike me…two jackets, one pair of slacks and lots of socks 😳 ) so anybody know of any other places doing good reductions on end of season kit…talking 50% level reductions here, not 5% here and 10% there.

You could try Absolute Snow. Not sure if they have a particular end of season sale, but they always have some gear on very cheap prices.

Hit the “Clearance Deals” bit for the bargains.

http://www.absolute-snow.co.uk

Other than that SportPursuit have always got a fair bit of snow stuff on. (Mail me if you want an invite/referral link)

Mail me if you want an invite/referral link

Oh yeah? You’ll have to have a bitch-fight with Dezzie for that. 🙂

Thanks Gee, I’ll have a look at Absolute now. Will also get her to take a look at Sports Pursuit too. I did see that they had ski stuff reduced there but forgot to look at the laydeez kit.

Sure looks white up the hill. Avalanche risk five and bit from experience.

Surely Mrs DD deserves……l.