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

So, how’d you come up with the idea for the light suit segment?

Nick Waggoner: The LED suit was a product of our collaboration with Swedish agency Ahlstrand and Wållgren and Philips TV. It was this visceral way to represent their new Ambilight TV and its style of glowing color and light. The world of skiing and snow happened to be the perfect way to show that off, so it perfectly paired with what we wanted to do with a night skiing segment — to bring a totally new aesthetic to skiing.

Eh, no, you saw what Jacob Sutton, James Sweet & Will Hughes did with the LED suit back in 2012 and you thought you’d copy the idea. It was even used in “The Crash Reel” FFS.

Nice film, and a much bigger project, but lets not try to claim it as an original idea!

@wallop, thanks – going to listen to some more tracks and tickets are available so may book tonight. I’m quite open minded about music, if they are good I don’t care if its full on folk acoustic. My daughters boyfriend is in a band called Adult Jazz, went to see them last month and was about the oldest in the venue by 30 years (along with his parents 🙂 )

Apologies for the topic diversion…

Anyway. Seven weeks til skiing and the temperatures need to drop about 50 frigging degrees! 😡

When is it too early to start looking at snow reports for a January holiday?

Looks like snow on Wednesday in the Chamrousse/Alpe D’Huez area.

When is it too early to start looking at snow reports for a January holiday?

SerreChe have recently been on teh interwebz saying that if there are good conditions, they’ll open early. Just had a peek at the webcams. Nothing. Not even a fleck on the tops.

When is it too early to start looking at snow reports for a January holiday?
Looks like snow on Wednesday in the Chamrousse/Alpe D’Huez area.
POSTED 3 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

January 1st..

It’s looking promising for the Italian borders with Switzerland and France towards the middle of next week (which would look good for Serre Che).

http://www.oakley.com/en/snowboarding-for-me

Streaming live for the next 24hrs.

Seems a pretty cool anthology of stuff.

Anyone seen the new Oakley Prizm lenses? Have been around for shooting for a while, but they’ve just released the snowsports version. If the promo video is anything to go by they’ll be on my Christmas list.

Is Prizm basically a polarised lens?

The name suggests it might be and the claims / photos suggest it too.

Of course there are good and bad polarised lenses.

(Ridden boards with polarised Bloc sunglasses – with a helmet just to restart that argument – for years. Occasionally I put the goggles on over the polarised sunglasses)

It looks like some sort of polarised lens, I agree.

Never been massively keen on that for snow use, as I’ve found that sometimes it can dull out icy patches. FWIW, I use Black Iridium (Snow) and Persimmon in Crowbars.

Interested to know if Oakley have made something that works like polarising, but only cutting out “bad” glare. As above, sometimes you need a little bit of glare to spot different snow conditions.

http://www.serre-chevalier.com/en/winter/ski-area/resort-live2/webcam/

Winter’s arrived!

Off to Champagny over new years, will be about my 4th time there but I still haven’t managed to find a good off piste/ slack country line. Anyone know of any guides around there or La Plagne? I’d really like to get to know some of the other stuff there, it doesn’t seem to be as obvious to find as places in Canada though.

Currently sitting here on the transfer between Vancouver Airport and Whistler. They had a big dump a few weeks ago, but nothing since then and nothing in the valley. Opening weekend is end of the month though so plenty of time for more snow.

my 4th time there but I still haven’t managed to find a good off piste/ slack country line

Go somewhere else?

Otherwise, I’ve just had quick look in the Vanoise-Tarentaise Ski de Randonnée guide book and there are a couple of big descents listed with only 100-200m of climbing required. A couple with 1000m+ climbing required as well of course…

In French, but with maps & pictures: http://www.editionsvamos.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=35&category_id=7694f9b96122dba13292f1aef7d5b376&option=com_phpshop&Itemid=7

Don’t go alone….

Whatnobeer – I hate you right now 😈 😉

Spent a season there from 2011-12, would deffo go back.

Going alone is fine if you are patient and only go out alone when the conditions are excellent. No more dangerous than MTBing alone, open-water swimming alone or anything else where not having someone to hand could reduce your chances of surviving. There’s no-one around to impress/distract/affect judgement and all your mental and physical energy goes into skiing the best line cleanly.

I only know one person who has died alone in the mountains and several who have died in pairs or in groups in places their better judgement would have probably told them not to be had they been alone. Fear is a good thing, peer pressure is not.

No more dangerous than MTBing alone

Not convinced about that one although I broadly agree with the rest of your post.

In French, but with maps & pictures

In english.

Anyone know of any guides around there or La Plagne?

Home

Simon really knows his stuff and is a top bloke too.

Can anyone recommend somewhere to rent skis and everything else in Les Gets .

booked ski passes and ski lessons for family , only the airport trasnfer to book but not available till end of next week .

Go somewhere else?

The parents own a place there so it’s kinda convenient 😆 .

Going alone is fine if you are patient and only go out alone when the conditions are excellent. No more dangerous than MTBing alone, open-water swimming alone or anything else where not having someone to hand could reduce your chances of surviving. There’s no-one around to impress/distract/affect judgement and all your mental and physical energy goes into skiing the best line cleanly.

I only know one person who has died alone in the mountains and several who have died in pairs or in groups in places their better judgement would have probably told them not to be had they been alone. Fear is a good thing, peer pressure is not.

I don’t disagree with you. In fact, I regularly go out alone in the mountains in all seasons. I like the solitude and the self-sufficiency of it.

Nevertheless, backcountry skiing/snowboarding solo is a risky game that should really only be played in very, very safe avalanche conditions. Even then, choosing lines very carefully to avoid risk. I have many years experience to help me make those decisions, but, with all due respect to michaelmcc (who I know is training as an instructor), most people asking about backcountry ski routes on a mountain-bike forum would be unlikely to have the experience required.

Some lines I actually think are less risky solo – tight couloirs, lines with exposure, etc. I don’t really want to be thinking about anyone else in those situations.

The parents own a place there so it’s kinda convenient cheap .

😉

Haha too right flashy. And I was training for level 3 Steve but I’m putting it on the back burner for the next year or two! 🙂

Serre Che have just announced early opening for the last weekend of November.

And that book looks tasty, might have to get it. None of the dates for those offpiste skiing courses really work for me!

And I’ve just booked 10 nights in the Lyngen Alps. first week of March-ish. No midnight sun, but snow should be better and the mid May I’ve been there before, there’s a full moon high in the sky that week, and a chance of Northern Lights. 😀

Morzine for a week on the 31st of January. BA flights £80 return to Geneva. 6 of us self catering for £240 each. Cheapest I’ve managed it for a while!

Also heading to Morzine for a self-catering trip two weeks before you!

It all looks white up the hill above about 1700m but looks are deceptive early season, and each turn would probably add unwanted texture to the ski bases.

Went with the wife last year and a workmate was staying with jollygood adventures. Said it was brilliant so that’s where we’re staying this time.

Just booked GVA flights for a mates housewarming in Chamonix in a few weeks. Only a couple of days skiing, but a nice early start to the season.

Still hoping for another Scottish winter like last year 🙂

Just back from a few days in Cervinia/Zermat. Awesome conditions and a bucket load of fun.

Did you eat in Lo Copa Pan?

I spent early season living in Cervinia and used to eat there every night. Good memories 🙂

and a chance of Northern Lights

Nice one nedrapier! 8)

Yup, I’m all excited. Need to bring my map into work to scan and save into the GyPSy as a custom map. Renew the glue our skins – it’s gone gloopy and gunky, comes off on the base and your hands – I’ll try the parchment paper trick before I get the scraper out. Hope that sorts it.

And possibly get a new transceiver. I’ve got an analogue one, but it’s got a really good range and I’m used to it and quick with it, find it easy enough to sort out multi beacon signals. Dunno. if I’m kidding myself though. I need to borrow a few beacons, head up to the heather on the common and do some back to back tests with wife’s 3+.

Did you eat in Lo Copa Pan?

I used to work there, well the bar above. Happy days.

Really bluebird?? 🙂 What season? I was there a long long time ago (2001/2002)

Incidentally, it’s still the best steak tartare i’ve ever had.

Just bought a pair of these. Had some facewest points, so worth a try for less than a tenner. I was keen to try the G3 Love Gloves, but not for £40!

These are 19cms wide, so should be wide enough for splitboard skins.

http://www.facewest.co.uk/Coll-Tex-Pro-Skin.html