The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2015-2016 season

CaptainFlashheart thanks for the pizza tip. I’ll check it out. We had a few days there late last season and I thought it had loads of potential if the snow was better. I was also ‘taken’ with the look of the mental drag lift that went through the cliffs in Sestriere, WTF were they thinking when the put that up?

if time is the issue not cost then there are quite a few people. However, ski weekends sometimes (often) cost more than a week as you are talking about scheduled flights and hotels. Try Momentum ski or Ski Weekends. If you are happy to sort your own transport then have a look at MountainSun who do bookings for short breaks and can sort transfers

Bruk,for short breaks we have used Ski Solutions a few times.
Never for a group only 2 or 4 people.
They are quite flexible for small groups so I would think you could call the shots for a larger group at a quiet time of year.
Not the cheapest way to ski though. The main thing is to get a short transfer and agreeable flight times.

Bluebird, I love a bit of loony tunes drag lift action some times! There’s Pre du Bois in Serre Che which goes up steeply through the trees.

However, the one lift I really, really want to try is this one;

Roca Jack in Portillo, Chile.

SLINGSHOT!

Pre Du Bois, ahh the queues there could be dreadfull at the wrong time of year! Fond memories.

I usually just gun it back down to the valley, and up Casse du Boeuf. About the same time and more skiing!

That chair wasn’t there then!

Well, I’m getting divorced so that means I can go on as many trips as I like.

Got Val Thorens booked for New Year, hoping to do a guided we of off piste in Chamonix in Feb, then me and a mate may do Snowbombing in April.

Gear wise, I may treat myself to a new jacket for the slopes….main priority is a new freestyle board though (I ride Chill Factore weds-fri every other week for freestyle)

Either a Burton Namedrop or a Salomon Villan I reckon. Roll on Boxing day, can’t wait to get back on some real snow!!!!

That chair wasn’t there then!

Before Casse du Beouf?

Is this you?

😉

No, I had the black and orange Salmon Equipe and K2 KVC’s.
I did have that “move” though.

CFH – in my mind (and everyone else’s here) that’s roughly how I picture you.

But to misquote Fleetwood Mac “But don’t ask you what you think of me
You might not give the answer that I want you to. Oh well”

A rare reappearance from me, been a busy couple of years. We started last year with a shocking week in Soll at Christmas due to lack of snow. Then finished off at Easter with a mega week in Saalbach.

We’ve not booked yet, but are likely to head back to the Ski Amade fro Christmas, beyond that who knows. Spent last week there and loved it, so want to go back (skied there a few years back too).

After hiring for a good few years I bought some Rossignol Experience 80s from Glissphop (bargain). Jnr has got some new Head World Cup Rebels, he’s starting to take the p!ss every time we ski giving me tips and hints to improve and at 14 is already talking about doing his first season.

That’s my steeze, IGM! 🙂

Ned – reply from your question last week. I stick my Garmin in my pocket and let it run all day. Our week in Serre Che last year we totalled approx 45,000m of descent. Saalbach was quite a bit less, but we went in to group lessons for 3 whole days, ended up with about 30,000m.

Dont really want to go back to Les gets due to lack of snow last year .

thinking Morzine ?

Wind up? They are right next to each other and at almost exactly the same height (Les Gets is marginally higher). Neither had any snow last Christmas!

CaptainFlashheart, Slingshot looks like it’d be lively on a snowboard

we go to Sainte Foy. went really late last year (this year) snow was fine higher up but i like it to be stacked up on the rooftops in resort to get the full effect, sitting on a cafe terrace surrounded by green and brown earth doesn’t feel right… so its late January next year! last summer in the alps was minging, this year was perfect. last winter was warm so hopefully next will be snowmageddon!?

We may have done this last year, but it’s worth repeating, I reckon!

Oh Christ, I’m still a bloody Euro

You may still be Euro, but I’ve sorted my goggle gap.

All it took was spending a sackload (even in the end of season sales) on a new pair of goggles that actually fit with the helmet.

Anyone want some decent, hardly worn Anon goggles?

I see Superheroes of Stoke has turned up on Redbull.tv

http://www.redbull.tv/videos/1398694555257-667442912/superheroes-of-stoke

But Lofoten is calling too.

yeah nedrapier – I’ve been looking at Lofoten as well – it does look pretty amazing! 8)

Planning a trip to Greenland in April – not decided yet on the rest of the season yet …

Just found this;

Some of the White Doctor range for 2015/16

Baseporn with the “danger”, and topsheetporn as ever from Bob!

Also, looks as if K2 have brought in some different designers. Nice looking skis, these.

i know that Morzine is lower than les Gets , but there were a lot more slopes open in Morzine than les gets . and the Morzine ski pass gave access to Avoriaz , not the one from les Gets .

I’m going to start asking for a lot if advice this year. I’ve been skiing every season for 20 years but this will be the first with our 10 month old baby in tow!

We’re flying to France or Austria. Other than that its a big unknown!

Any help with resorts, child care, packing lists etc would be great. I’m feert!

Can’t comment on child care etc but we have been going to Austria for the last 10 years or so. Generally the resorts are far nicer than the purpose built French ones, and, being Germanic, everything works, is on time and is clean! Love going to Zell am See, it’s a fantastic wee place and usually comes in quite reasonable too, heading back there in January for a week.

Anyone been to Steamboat Colerado? Thinking of heading there in March.

I’m going again this year, hopefully Val Thorens in late feb

Any experiences of val?

Also I’ve always just rented the cheapest skis, this will be my 4th week and I have my own boots should I bother looking at the ‘better’ rental skis?

I have my own boots should I bother looking at the ‘better’ rental skis?

YES! I like using the pimp rentals for a few reasons;
1 – They’re always newer skis.
2 – They’re less likely to have suffered a thousand hours of noobs.
3 – The ability to swap them as conditions dictate. On my last trip, I had a couple of days on some phattttt all mountain numbers for two powder days, then I awoke to see a bluebird sky overhead, and empty pistes. Swapped to a piste-rocket. Went back a couple of days later, and there was more fresh, so back on to da phatttnezz! It also meant that even on days with the same conditions, I could try different stuff, so I did.

@titusrider.

I went to val last year for the first time, it was excellent. It’s a vast ski area and the elevation meant we had great conditions despite no fresh snow. If you’ve been lower in previous years you might need an extra later is pretty chilly on some of the chairs.

Also, speak to someone who knows the village before trying to get around, there’s a short cut through the sports centre that saves you lots of walking.

cobrakai – drop me an email if you like (website in profile). We have lots of new parents come and stay with us and we can generally help out a lot in terms of equipment, childcare, etc.

val thorens – high, snowsure, massive access to all sorts of skiing

potentially the coldest place on earth – nothing to stop the wind since you’re almost right at the top of the alps

should you tyr “beter” skis ? Probably, yes. Ask at the shop, see if you can demo a few varying types during your holiday, maybe starting with “ordinary/easy” ones for day 1 while you set your legs again

(you could also ask for a cap’nflash procabulary phrasebook ! 😀 )

cap’nflash procabulary phrasebook

In all good bookshops from Monday! 😀

HMSO surely

Digby – Member

Planning a trip to Greenland in April – not decided yet on the rest of the season yet …

Very nice! You going with McNab?

Exupmonkey, I have been to Steamboat a few times so I may be able to answer your questions.

I’m planning on buying some new skis this year. I’m currently on a two ski plan with the Dynastar Powertrack 89 as the frontside ski and the Volkl Shiro as my backside ski. Does anyone have any experience of either?

If anyone can get me 60% – 80% off a Kessler The Ride, could they let me know, please? 164 or 168.

Email in profile. Many thanks.

Cheers 10, not looking for war and peace but a general overview would be great. Enough piste to keep an experienced boarder happy, and similarly, enough mellow piste to accommodate inexperienced skiers? Not looking for a banging nightlife as we are all far to old for all that but are there some good pubs downtown? Eating out costs etc? According to the crystal ski site lift tickets come in at £60 a pop, is that about right as far as you recall, if so it’s a bit steep!

the Morzine ski pass gave access to Avoriaz , not the one from les Gets .

Only if you buy the PdS pass. And certain you can get that in Les Gets. The standard pass is just Morzine/Les Gets and you can’t go up Super Morzine on that.

Can anybody recommend a shell only jacket preferably in black? I get way too hot in my insulated cheap Dare2b jacket. I’m thinking about just wearing my Gore-Tex TNF jacket but its a tad short and doesn’t have a forearm pocket for the lift pass so would probably need new gloves too. It would probably be ok if I didn’t spend half my time upside down in the powder.

i got one of these for my back country/powder adventures in chamonix

Very nice! You going with McNab?

Yep! 🙂 Getting rather excited already!