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

No worries whatnobeer, just glad you are getting some.
We didn’t spend much time on Blackcomb as the snow there seemed worse than Whistler mountain.

Having knowledge of the “secret” areas seems to help 😀

Well there’d be no point in “secret” areas that were rubbish now would there?

Edit: 😉

Ok someone was skiing in a tweed suit, shirt and tie today.

Am I allowed to ask if it was someone on here?

Flashy maybe?

Did he have a monocle? I always imagine Flashy with a monocle. And probably a fob watch.

Anyone know who the UK Salomon importer is? I need some z12 binding parts as the @@@@@@ who sold me the Shoguns omitted the fact the bindings have death cracks in the placcy bolt holes.
tvm
rob

@singletrackmind.
Salomon UK Customer Service is probably your best bet.
Tel no is +44 20 7078 3528 (Local call, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

Just back from an amazing late season week in Sainte Foy.
was a family job this with young kids so only found 3 or 4 hours a day to ski but a wonderful time was had by all. sledging and snowmen with the brats in the mornings, then ski all afternoon while they were in lessons/creche. ugly patches of brown earth separated the pistes low down but on piste was fine, slushy but better than ice. Higher up however was perfect and still loads of off pisteing available. we had a mixture of foggy days and flag crackers but never cold or windy. woke up to fresh powder on 3 mornings too, not masses but enough to create the landscape and freshen up the runs. never felt restricted by the number of runs either, but mileage wasnt really the agenda. we could all get the Marquise lift up, a group of very mixed abilities, then all bomb down whichever way we fancied, some blue, some red, some off piste and all meet back at the bottom. not much happening of an evening in Sainte Foy but we were catered chalet anyway which was also bang on! top holiday.

Singletrackmind: Amer distribute for Salomon in the UK.

Phone +44 1276 404 800

La Plagne has had 45cm of new snow in the last 24hrs!

Hi all, went to Norwegian/Swedish border last week. Brilliant conditions at the moment with around 40cm new snow a few days ago. Empty off piste and plus degrees made for a great trip . Friend and I built a cool little jump out the back of out chalet and practised flips . Loads of fun with soft landings . Spring is the best for Snowboarding for sure !

A view from last week…

And another! 😀

Easyjet flights for Jan & Feb 2016 now on sale. Geneva here we come! Now to decide on a resort…

Getting lots of photos from people skiing at the moment (esp around Les Arcs), excellent conditions. My house guest last night is a Verbier resident and he said its looking like a corking last 4 weeks of the season there.

EDIT: Just seen @nbt posted this last week but its good enough to repeat !

Anyway having watched the Candide Thovex short posted here a month of so back (leaping over skiers and jumping into the lift station) last night we watched this whole film (60 mins) – its from 2012 but just made available for free, one line made me smile as after a big crash Candide decided to cut back on the jumping – if you watch the film you’ll see what he classifies as cutting back !

Apparently Whitelines and Onboard magazines are now digital-only, as are all Factory Media mags (including Ride and Dirt).

http://www.snowboardclub.co.uk/news-14490.html

Went to the Igloo bar above Avoriaz today. I forget who recommended it but thanks it was great.

And there’s snow promised overnight into tomorrow.

Thought this was funny 🙂

http://avalanchesurvival.tumblr.com

Avalanche survival story. One very very lucky boy.

Got back from Les Gets last night.

Excellent week with every sort of snow – slush, rainy slush, ice, frosty in the morning and soft by lunch spring snow and (unbelievably) fresh snow. I was actually leaving fresh tracks down the side of the piste on Thursday and Friday – which as I sat on the lift showed how much cleaner my toe side turns are than my heal side (another lesson or two needed methinks)

Les Gets was very quiet and the runs accordingly spacious. Avoriaz much busier and a little overcrowded at times. Morzine was green and spring like.

The Berghaus Goretex shell was worth every penny as were the Dakine Totan gloves but I’ve decided I prefer my old Flow bindings to the Now IPOs I took – comfort counts.

Now any recommendations for good quality trousers for a decidedly average slowboarder? Goretex shells any good, or is some insulation needed? More difficult to layer legs.

Now any recommendations for good quality trousers

Not sure what budget is, but I bought some Westbeach cockalorums at a knockdown price in the sale last year and they had their first outings in March – great pair of slacks. Never felt too hot or cold – good venting options and plenty of storage. I imagine in colder weather, they might benefit from a pair of long johns underneath. I’ve never really been let down by any Westbeach stuff I’ve bought.

***Paging Captain Flashheart***

Any general feedback/advice for Big Sky would be much appreciated.

Think this may be the destination for a big trip next season. We’ve got Avios points to burn.

An almost brilliant end to the kids first season on planks.
Glorious sunshine on Cairngorm, which equated to sticky end of season slushy snow.
Miss J’s mid afternoon run down the snake resulted in a tumble which did for her right tibia 🙁
Ski patrol were fantastic in getting her off the hill and bundled off to Craigmore A&E.
Hopefully I’ll be taking her home tomorrow. Fingers crossed that 8 year olds heal quickly.

@geoff sorry to hear that, healing vibes

@howsyourdad – yes indeed a very lucky boy. The intro sounded like a disaster waiting to happen with big snowfall after a long warm period and risk 4/5. The slope itself did look pretty shallow however and the Avalanche stayed “light” and not compressed and brick like. A sobering lesson for us all. The guy has a second birthday, 30/1/2015

Firstly, sympathy for Miss J. We have an 8 year old too, skiing mad but lucky enough to avoid injury so far. Heal well.

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And now… Is interest here slowly melting away?

Well without getting too slushy over it, it’s been another great thread and you guys have been wonderful – just the best.

(Bet I get a frosty reception for that last one – but maybe opinion will soften somewhat later on)

Thanks Flashy – too early for the 2015/16 thread?

Yes! Too early!

Piemonster, apologies for missing your question above. I’ll pen a proper detailed reply when back on a laptop!

Now then……As the season is almost over, let’s have your season’s;

Highlight
Low light
and…what have you learned

Highlight – going past the sound barrier through Norwegian trees (the sound barriers about 30mph right?)

Low light – Only 2 weeks of skiing. Life is cruel.

and…what have you learned – Many things from instructors. Ski like a Gorilla.

It needs to stay open until I’ve edited the video from my trip! So, possibly middle of next season…

Highlight – Holmbuktinden – from the sea to 1666m and back. Saw no-one but the 3 of us, every type of snow including the good types, used both sets of crampons, ice axe up and down, amazing weather, amazing views.

Lowlight, Norweigian air pilots’ strike and assoc. travel ballache. (Or actually, hearing from my brother on my way back that he was splitting up with his wife.)

What I’ve learnt: Verts are amazing for stomping up couloirs, but you can’t rely on just a tight strap to keep them both on your back if you stack on the way down. Single Vert with voile pucks seeks similar…

Highlights
Our eight year old getting bumped up a class in ski school and passing it (clean parallels on reds, so it’s off piste and clean parallels on blacks to pass next year – and only one more class after that).
Realising we had to beat said 8 year old’s class back to the bottom of we wanted to see the badges handed out and finding I was faster than I though on a board.
Fresh snow piste side and sunshine to go with on our last day.
My wife and I getting to ride our boards down a blue accompanied by our highly competent 8 year old and our just starting out 4 year old. I have never travelled so slowly or with such a big grin

Lowlights
The cost of family skiing holidays means one week a year (however I have a plan for that).
Ripping the crotch of my salopettes.
Accidentally totalling a skier who decided to come in from my blind side and stop dead in front of me. Both fine, but both a little shaken.

Oh and what have I learnt?

The bus from Les Gets to Avoriaz takes 42 minutes including changing in Montriond. We were at the Ardent lift by 0946.

Thanks Jambalaya and IGM

We have her home now with leg up and minecraft on so the recuperation can begin,

Hilights – getting back on skis after 20 years for me and a couple of amazing blue sky days at Cairngorm and Glenshee.
And of course, watching the kids progress from pizza and chips to getting some air over the period of about 10 ski days.

Low – see above 🙁

All revved up and ready for a full on season next year though. Need to book the foreign trip and consider the winter pitch at Glenmore for Cairngorm too.

PS for those who did watch the mountain, Colin (ops1), Ian (ops2) and Jo (the one who was reluctant with the heli training) are true professionals!

Highlight – Skiing again after an 8 year absence caused by nothing other than too much adventure racing in the winter meaning I was busy and/or not able to hurt myself! That feeling of nice open turns, skiing through chopped up spring snow *just* as it changes ahhhhh took me back to my years teaching and patrolling
Lowlight – I only managed 3 days
Next highlight – family holiday next winter to the Alps 🙂

Nice idea on the highlights etc. it’s not over yet though! I have one more weekend planned in Norway at the end of April for the penultimate weekend of the season.

So far though , highlight was going with my wife to Norway and having three days snowboarding , child free. We had very good snow so she really got into tree runs having previously been very nervous . Seeing her really enjoying it was fantastic.

Lowlight was having the squits on the family holiday meaning we were all trapped in the chalet in Norway. It was dumping with snow whilst we were inside dumping, constantly. I am sure we will look back at it with great amusement, given time

I learned longish ‘lazy’ backflips after trying to nail them for two years. Rad!

Another highlight..,

My wife taking her board into the soft stuff piste side. Deliberately. And coming back grinning.

Highlight:

Glacier Marbree

(although Giachetti couloir in Alagna/Gressoney was a close 2nd)

Low light:

Heavy Rain in Fernie washing the snow and my dreams into the Elk River

and…what have you learned:

That my snowboarding ‘journey’ is far from over …

Highlight : a second-hand snowboard, boots and bindings at 65€ for a very happy seven year old daughter.

Lowlight : her not being able to use it yet.

Next highlight : Les 2 Alpes for a week starting on Saturday for our now traditional end of season celebration.

Good work so far, folks! (Mine to follow shortly!)

Piemonster, re Big Sky;
As mentioned, I didn’t actually go there in the end, but spoke to a lot of locals about it both before and while I was over at Bridger Bowl.
From what I could gather from the locals….
The plus side;
Massive ski area. Rare in size for a US resort, making it feel a lot more like a European/alpine resort.
The bowls off Lone Mountain. Meant to be some great lift accessed lunacy. Double Blacks, which are sort of in-bounds off piste.
Tree line – Good skiing when the weather closes in.

The bad;
Expensive. OK, so these comments were from hardcore Bridger folks, but it’s not cheap!
Big. Odd, I know, but some people said they found it almost too big for a couple of days skiing. I think that may be something those of us blessed with big Euro alpine resorts will disagree with!
Food on the hill – Also expensive, and not brilliant. Again, may be wrong expectations there!

That aside, it sounded really good overall. I’d certainly include it in a road trip. Oh, and if you’re there, you have to go to Bridger! The Ridge is insane. Bradleys Meadow is a delight. And the rest of it is just good clean (cheap!) fun.

Also, re flights, the best route I’ve found for Bozeman that’s Avios friendly is LHR to Seattle, then a longish layover before an Alaskan flight to BZN. No points on the connection, but Alaskan are good, and as they have a code share internally with American, you may get nicely treated if you’re BA Gold (I always get to pick the best seat on the plane, which I suspect is linked!).

If you do go, let me know, will point you towards some ace places to eat and drink in Bozeman. It’s a superb town, truly superb!

Now then;
Highlight – Getting back on the snow, and doing it in another continent. AND on a work trip!
Lowlight – Not being able to get up to explore the Ridge at Bridger. Was skiing solo, and didn’t want to risk anything too silly with jet lag. Looked incredible.

What have I learned? That you don’t forget little skills you were taught. A couple of years away didn’t blunt my skillz! Still very much an intermidiot, but it was just great to get to use all the little things Petit Paul has taught me over the years.

Highlights: 1st ski season in a resort. Improving my skiing a huge amount from being a bit freaked out by the Canadian grading and uncomfortable on some of the blue runs to being happy heading to the ungroomed double blacks. Learning to ski powder.

Lowlights: The worst ski seasons in terms of snowfall in the last 40 years. Only a handful of powder days and not as many days on the hill as I’d of liked when I 1st arrived.

What I’ve learned: A huge amount, everything from better posture and technique when skiing to what I need to do to my body to allow full use of it on the hill. And apart from technique based stuff discovering some of the “secret” off piste at Whistler has been great when the conditions allowed it.

Learnt I dont turn right as well as i turn left.
Lesson showed too much upper body momentum without waiting for the ski to engage and connect .
Like a Jedi mtb trick , the lesson taught showed greater results on the nextbike ride ski holiday.
Guides are worth it if you want to ski off piste safely
2 weeks isnt enough each year

Oh, and Piemonster, also worth noting that the locals swear by the snow record at Bridger being better than Big Sky. Something to do with the way the bowl faces creating it’s own snow.