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

I’m off to Cham for a long weekend, Thu am early flight to Gva , tx to Cham, be skiing by 1pm. Fri ski, Sat ski, fly back home lunchtime Sunday. Flights 170 quid, accom about the same pp so not too bad

Great food for thought guys, keep the suggestions coming.

@jambalaya – I’d have to pick weekends in advance anyway, what with family commitments, so buy the flights as soon as I know.
I’d be on my own, so is there a good way or reducing accom prices?

@NZCol – that is about the budget I’d be looking at excluding car hire, pass and food. Ta.

Cheers

For cheap accommodation for singles you can try and find unsold rooms in Chalets, also good for company, tricky part is finding ones with Sun/Sun changeovers to match weekend skiing. When I was doing that we where paying something like £50 a night for dinner, bed and breakfast. Perhaps one of the reasons my weekends would often cost 75% of a weeks price is due to taking 3 nights in a hotel which is generally more pricey than a chalet.

If you;re going to switzerland (maybe not a good idea given the exchange rate) you can get “all-in” tickets inlcuding rail transfer, hostel accomodation and lift tickets

http://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/allgemeine-informationen/information-snownrail.html

thetallpaul – we can often accommodate last-minute, long-weekend bookings if we have space. We have chalets with both Saturday and Sunday changeovers, so can do, e.g. Thurs-Sun or Sat-Tues.

Price usually pro-rata off the weekly rate, no big penalty for short booking.

So I fell in love with my hire skis this week – they were made of graphene! Totally awesome. Unfortunately they are nearly £600 to buy 😥

When is the “end of season” sale for ski equipment?

Thanks stevomcd. I’ll have a look.

Just need to convince the Boss now (and save some money).

Off to Jasna, Slovakia in a couple of weeks for my stag do. Staying at my mate’s chalet business. Very excited as i’ve never boarded before, although it remains to be seen if we make it to the slopes……. 😆

Where are you Stevomcd? What do you do?

Wallop – if you’re serious, I’m in Les Gets at Easter. Tell me what they were and where you hired them from and I could probably ask (if you remind me nearer the time).
We could probably get that ski delivery company (skis2u? It’s on Steveomcd’s website) to get them back to you.

Speaking of Stevomcd – I’m liking your chalets. Might need to talk next year if our youngest take to skiing like his big brother – duck to water springs to mind. Unlike his parents and snowboarding where penguin to long distance running is more apt – ie they can do it but it’s not graceful.

Rockape – http://www.whiteroomchalet.com Sainte Foy, Tarantaise. Near Val d’Isere & Tignes

mrs DD has decided she wants a helmet this year. Some good deals online from Amazon. Where is the measurement made? eg for a 52-56cm helmet, is it around temples across the forehead horizontally to back of head?

oooh.

don’t get a helmet online! Loads of different shapes of heads and different shapes of heads.

I’ve got a long, narrow head, and I’ve still not found a helmet that fits well enough that I know I’d wear it by default. I try on every make I see whenever I’m in EB, S&R whatever.

Edit: Measurement is the biggest one you can find round your head, I think?

Its arrived – Board bag in the office and bobble hat on – Over-nighting on Eurostar arriving in Borg tomorrow 630 am for 8 days in St Foy

The stoke is High

Whats it looking like over there Stevomcd ?

I believe we have hired your old Chalet Base Tin Tin

^ one of those heads was supposed to be a helmets

dknwhy – Member
Off to Jasna, Slovakia in a couple of weeks for my stag do. Staying at my mate’s chalet business.

Propaganda or Chalet Slovakia?

Nedrapier – my long narrow, but quite large, head fits the expensive end of the Giro range. Sadly the more expensive, the better it fits. Currently using a G10, which has never impacted anything while my head’s been in it. Happy to keep it that way to be honest.

Failing that try a snow helmet from the same brand that fits you as a a MTB helmet as the brands seem to have standard head shapes.

Deadly – check the age of the helmet. You don’t want a 2013 helmet that was actually made in 2012 and has slowly been going off ever since. Might be ok this year, but next year it’s 4 years old and helmets tend to last 3-5 years before they need binning. More if you store them in a cool dark place and there’s a fair variance.

Try taking a lump hammer to an old bike helmet or two to see why you should change them – quite an eye opener. Some resist several blows, some disintegrate like sawdust on the first blow. Cost doesn’t seem to be an indicator – amount of use seems to have a minor effect. Over the years I’ve probably trashed a dozen or so of our family’s helmets that way prior to disposal.

Don’t know if that helps.

yeah, giro was closest. and the top of the range sweet! I had a giro mtb helmet for a bit, now spesh.

problem with snow helmets that isn’t an issue with bike helments is that I want the earpads to be snug against the side of my head and doing what they’re designed to do, i.e. keeping my ears warm, rather than scooping cold air past them! if I wore a buff, the nead would get even longer!

I did try on a Smith something or other last week. it was pretty good actually. It had sold by the time I’d gone back, but I’ll track one down before I go away at the end of Feb. It could be The One!

Try taking a lump hammer to an old bike helmet or two to see why you should change them

“Ah yes, I should change this one now, because I’ve just destroyed it with my lump hammer.” 🙂

igm – I never even thought to ask at the shop! I just googled them to see where they might be on sale in the UK (Edge & Wax only, by the looks of things). I’ve just checked the hire shop website and they don’t retail them online, but I could drop them an email.

Wallop – ex-rentals ought to be available cheap at Easter and probably in OK nick.

Ned – cheeky. I had decided to bin them before I hit them. What surprised me was the difference in structural integrity and how little structural integrity some of them had. They all looked ok – they were just a bit too old for my liking. It was really to stop someone pulling them out of the recycling and deciding there was nothing wrong with them.
But yes they definitely needed changed afterwards.

What’s the deal with ex-rentals? Won’t they be totally trashed?

Edit – your edit answered my question, thanks!

@GrahamS Chalet Slovakia. You know it?

I wouldn’t touch ex rental skis or boards but that’s me . Of course there are exceptions but most will have been used every week for a full season, and therefore serviced every week . Much better to get last years board or skis or wait for sales IMHO

@GrahamS Chalet Slovakia. You know it?

Yep, me and a mate have been out there for trips for the last three years. Love it.
Dan runs it just how we like it, very relaxed and matey.

Only not going this year because we’re heading out to Whistler instead (for 40ths) but we’ll probably be back next year. Especially now the Poprad flights are back on.

GrahamS – Member

@GrahamS Chalet Slovakia. You know it?
Yep, me and a mate have been out there for trips for the last three years. Love it.
Dan runs it just how we like it, very relaxed and matey.

Yeah, Dan’s pretty relaxed. Loves his bikes too. Try to go riding with him when he’s back here. Took the family out there a couple of years ago for a summer trip. Sort of place I could live if I could get work.

DD, more on helmets,

Needs to work with her goggles as well, so head to the shops and try before you buy. From the shop, obviously.

Have you been out in winter before? It’s a hoot. Most of the punters can’t ski for toffee and there is a ton of lift accessible off piste if you get the snow. Great place.

http://www.chaletslovakia.com for anyone that is interested.

No, the missus went in winter and loved it but this will be my first winter trip.
I’m not really a winter sports person but thought it would be a good place for a stag do.

Especially now the Poprad flights are back on.

oh… Wazz Air?
Remember O’Leary’s bunch cheering when Sky Europe went bust. Then didn’t fly to Poprad. Or was that Kosice?

Still keep trying to get to Slovakia on skis or bikes. Maybe this summer (have 5 days not yet allocated).

Yep, WizzAir from Luton to Poprad.

To be honest I quite enjoy the Bratislava train, especially if you get the one with the restaurant and bar, but this will definitely be easier.

We’re flying with Wizz Air and Dan’s getting us from the airport. Think it’s a 20-30 min transfer. One of the guys got his flight for £49 return!

Properly cold out today. Off piste there still isn’t enough to stop cutting down to the grass/stones/rocks on many slopes even when avoiding heavy turns and seeking out dips.

Celebrity A&E starts on Feb 1st, everyone!

Hoping to make it to the start line are Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson, former model, TV presenter and bone fide dare devil Jodie Kidd, ex-England Rugby captain Mike Tindall, philanthropist Heather Mills, ex-Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts, Jack Ass star Steve-O, socialite Lady Victoria Hervey, JLS singer JB Gill, pop star Stacey Solomon, paralympian Jon-Allan Butterworth, fitness expert and daughter of Richard and Judy Chloe Madeley, dancer Louie Spence, Gogglebox star Dom Parker, heptathlete Louise Hazel, TV and radio presenter and former England cricketer Phil Tufnell and TV personality Joey Essex.

I’m pretty sure the UK disability ski community will be cheering on Heather Mills…… (She’s not popular at all!)

Pissing down in Whistler, from the valley all the way to the middle of the mountain 🙁 Snow at the top, and a fair bit, but the freezing level is well about the top over the next couple of day.

Back froma week in Tignes . Been a few times and as the snow simply hasnt arrived decided to go for altitude . Was very cold every day -10 to -18 or so.
Met a guy who recomended a TDC 3 x 1/2day lesssons / guiding at 210eu not cheep but a breakdown to hourly rates looked sensible. Only 3 of us in the group, all skiers of similar ability.
Arrived Sat after an 0600 appoitment at LGW and got in a few hours, It was actually snowing a few cm’s and rather windy.

Sunday Busy so cruised around Tignes and had to retreat to cafes every so often for a coffee as it was bitter.

Monday am lesson . Off we charge at full speed out into the wilds for ARVA testing and recovery techniques, just incase like. Then a nice few hours of slack country lesson and follow the leader , analysis etc.

Tue Hiked up to Chaddonet bowl . Out of my comfort zone in te entrance gully and had a moment. Guide 200m below calls out ‘ Whats going through your mind’ My response .- ” WTF am I doing up here “

I have a very strong fight or flight mode and get very flighty if injury is potentially there ( only Jedi failure to date which ended in tears of fustration ) same here . Fittest and best skier in the lesson but stick me in a Couloir and Im a wobbly legged baby girraffe.

Lesson 3 booked for fri so rest of week mooched around in cold temps either on rock hard pistes or trying to find powder iin the slack

Skiworld Hotel Aigle , sauna and pool , was OK but very loud dining room so I retreated into myself rather than join in the shouting match

Thurs . Got dumped by text . Head screwed for lesson on Fri but still enjoyed it. I need to be braver and let the skis run through the turns on the steeper crud and not try to get them to a 90′ traveres asap

Whole resort needs alot of snow , concrete pistes are no fun and dangerous. Everything seemed axpensive as well this year , even with the £ / Eu exchange rate gettting better .

Just checked the weather forecast for Morzine this weekend. Don’t know what I was ever worried about………… 😯

Can anybody point me in the direction of a lens for my Oakley Crowbars for poor visibility/whiteout days please?

And while we’re asking…Nevica ski helmets are El Cheapo at House of Astley. There won’t be anything wrong with them will there?

I like Persimmon for that.