The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2014-2015 season

I think most North Americans would completely freak out if they experienced a European resort in high season. It still amazes me that Europe hasn’t cottoned on to alternating lift lines and a bit of customer service from the lifties. When it’s busy it really helps keep the crowds calm.

a bit of customer service

Yep. I remember a Canadian liftie dealing with the “crowd” at a chairlift by sitting up on a lifeguard-style high chair and asking us Trivial Pursuit questions while we queued. 😀

The little boxes of tissues at each lift are a nice touch too.

But mostly it’s the “After you”, “No, no, after you I insist” attitude that is a stark contrast to the anything-goes-Euro-rammy approach.

This was our Boys trip a couple of seasons back…..filmed by me on my iphone! 8)

That’s a quality “Ski Fail” video right there.
Tweak the brightness and colours up a bit, submit it to Jukin Video[/url] and watch your licensing payments roll in 😀

I realise Whistler is quite a bit busier than Fernie by the way, but even then there is “Canada Busy”

The biggest difference for me is the lift situation when it’s busy.

In Europe you’ve got people clawing at your face trying to get ahead of you in the queue. Stamping all over your skis and acting like they can’t even see you.

In Canada you ease up to let someone in the queue and they say “No, after you!” with a smile 🙂 Even when you’ve got two queues merging into one, they automatically merge in equal numbers from each side! This of course applies slightly less in Whistralia, for obvious reasons 😉

In Canada you ease up to let someone in the queue and they say “No, after you!” with a smile

Gotta love those polite Canucks!

When riding the Whistler Gondola alone, my missus was joined by a small group of park-rats who said to her:

“excuse me ma’am … would you mind if we smoked a joint on the ride up?”

How impolite. Surely they should have offered to share.

Surely they should have offered to share

I believe they did … 🙄

Whenever we’ve skied in North America, we get into the ‘singles queue’, for some reason it always makes me giggle, when the liftie shouts out, ‘single’.

Anyone got any general advice for either Trysil or Are (insert accent above A)?

I realise Whistler is quite a bit busier than Fernie by the way,

Stopped going to Whistler after 2006 because the peak season queues were starting to get a bit “Alpine”. Then we discovered the Interior BC resorts and never looked back. It’s great being able to wake up on a powder day and ski straight onto the lift.

“Alps Busy”

Look at it! Heaving!

🙂

I’m guessing that isn’t Half Term at an affordable resort tho eh?

I’m curious, where is that?

As it’s Flashy I’m 99% sure the answer will be Serre Che. 😀

Top two are L’Yret, and the last is the top of Grand Serre, all at the lovely Serre Chevalier.

And yes, Graham, not exactly high season! 😀

*Edit @Graham 😀 *

I was looking last night at a cheeky short break to Serre Che, but no options for flights from the SW other than at weekends to Grenoble & Turin and it’s a long way from Geneva. Come on easyjet & Ryanair get it together.

Come on easyjet & Ryanair get it together.

NO, NO, NO! Please don’t! We don’t want everyone being able to get there!

BA operate regular flights from LGW to Turin. Which is nice. 😀

If you live in London..
Is it still an itinerary round the back from L Yret right down to the bottom of Monetier? It’s not on the map anymore?
I’d love to go back there,

Is it still an itinerary round the back from L Yret right down to the bottom of Monetier?

Down Eychauda, and then pick your route, basically. There’s a great black off to the left as you descend (Bachas?), not good in late season though.

This is the oldest map I can find, when I worked there there was an itinerary in the Tabuc valley further to the right on the map, than the Tabuc black. It started skiers left off the top of L’yret. Fond memories of great snow and some wreckless attitudes or complete ignorance to safety.

piste map

😯 http://youtu.be/dN-osgGyt0s

Fresh underpants please!

Ouch.

Ouch indeed! He was lucky to get away with that!

I do wonder if we’re going to see a proliferation of asshats doing stuff they shouldn’t (Not that I know if that chap should or shouldn’t have tried that) just because of their GoPros and the hope that they can drop a psikk edit.*

There have certainly been more people not paying attention to lines because they’re more interested in their selfie-stick-silliness. The worry is that the pics of the people who ARE capable always make it look soooo easy.

*The p is silent, as in “the bath”.

quick question :
last time I skied , 1996 , i had some Salomon skis , very long ( size 7 or 8 in salomon ) .
since then, ski technology has moved on quite a bit .
i have booked some hire skis , advanced level , and i am slighty worried I wont know how to ski anymore .

am i worrying for nothing ?
I used to be a fairly confident and able skier , could ski anywhere on piste , and technique was good too .

on a different note , it seems the snow is finally arriving on the Alps .

I’m in no way qualified to advise.

But I’m going to do it anyway 😀

In your position I’d book some 1:1 instruction for arrival day and take it from there.

My brother in law skied at school. Fast forward 14 years and driving to resort the conversation was jumps, skiing backward blah blah.
First turn on the beginner slope, fell and slid most of the way on his back.
Still no jumps but after a couple of hours he had picked it back up.

Days Of My Youth from MSP is on Redbull TV this weekend. Well worth a watch.

Modern skis are much easier to potter about on compared with the old straight things that wouldn’t fit under a door. Making good use of them requires a significant change in technique though.

What do you mean by “advanced skis”, Chris. A pair of 35m radius FIS giant slalom skis are not very nice unless the snow is perfect and you have the whole descent to yourself. Slalom skis with an 11m radius are much more fun and allow pottering or really physical skiing. Tourist skis that are a bit wider with a about a 17m radius will be much more forgiving than either and not leave you exhausted after the first descent.

just booked them online .
i ll ask the shop when i pick them up . i hope , skiing is a bit like riding a bike , you never forget .

the small resorts next to my home town in france are covered in snow while the ones in the Alps are nowhere near ready .

The mountains were looking pretty white from Pau today. They’ve been making artificial snow for a couple of days. I could no doubt do a rando tomorrow but will wait for a bit more sous-couche.

but even then there is “Canada Busy”:

Looks like Harmony ridge! 😀

“excuse me ma’am … would you mind if we smoked a joint on the ride up?”

😆

Well I hope there is snow Champagny/La Plagne! Or WILL be in 3 weeks time.

Looks like Harmony ridge!

10 points to Gryffindor.

Also I should probably point out that six of the people in that “crowd” are actually with me. 🙂

Skiing will be occuring with the Piemonsters this weekend 😀

Probably…

Flashy, liking the look of Serre Che, lots of route options from lots of the lifts is appealing. Need to have a mooch about booking options(there’s a cattle class package from Edi which is handy) but I’m keen on that place.

i have booked some hire skis , advanced level , and i am slighty worried I wont know how to ski anymore .

As mentioned above, get your self booked into learn the new way.
Around about 2004 I had to re-learn how to ski. These new skis are so much easier, however technique is very different imo.

You’ll probably pick it up very quickly 🙂

@piemonster did you get any advice on Trysil or Åre ? Can give a little if you need …

I’ve just come back from Hemsedal, Norway from a long weekend. Decent snow base and a little fresh on Thursday night / Friday. Felt good to be back on snow after 7 month break.

Man do Norwegians have it good

Were you in Australia?

Pics are upside down!