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

Hopefully managed to sort out a midweek half term trip at a reasonable price. Anyone been to Bad Kleinkirchheim?

Thanks for the replies regarding back protection. Seems like I don’t need to worry for myself as I do very little park, tree skiing or racing.

twelve more sleeps til two weeks in chamonix 🙂

Off to morzine on the 16th! Can’t wait should have decent snow by then. Though currently on crutches getting sprained toe and sesamoid to heal

I’m tempted to say “balls, off home tomorrow”, but the truth of it is that I have been here for two weeks and have had only one day away from the slopes. I am tired and have a lot of small injuries, so I am slightly glad I am going home tomorrow.

It’s just been snowing though, so part of me wants to stay.

About a weeks worth of blue bird days now in Whistler, but a wee bit of snow forecast for the next day or two. Huge difference compared with last year. 80% of last years total snow fall already, and (the big difference) consistently low freezing levels so happily avoiding the freeze thaw cycle that **** what little snow we had last year.

Cougar Chutes by Jamie Carson[/url], on Flickr

Horstman Hut View by Jamie Carson[/url], on Flickr

Umm….. isn’t a bluebird day a sunny day after a big dump of snow? Or am I getting confused?

That’s a bluebird POW day

twelve more sleeps til two weeks in chamonix

Well Winter has seemingly returned to the valley, so hopefully you should have some pretty decent conditions.

Have you got any particular objectives to tick off?

That’s a bluebird POW day

Unsurprisingly, there appears to be heated debate on the issue!

http://www.epicski.com/t/122173/bluebird-faux-pas

Unsurprisingly, there appears to be heated debate on the issue!

Yes – I’ve observed an increasing trend towards using the term to describe a day dominated by blue sky, but without any recent storms. I guess if it gets used enough, that will eventually become the meaning …

rather like the term ‘boarding’ … 😳

I’d call any day with wall to wall sky a bluebird day and I think that’s pretty common in Canada.

So, after a week of skiing grass and stones in Avoriaz, my existing skies are down to the metal base plate in places and are being retired.

So, I’m after some new skies for 80% on piste 20% off piste, and these look pretty good value at £350 with bindings:

My current skies are Salomon with Z10 bindings and they’re been very good carvers although they don’t float well off piste as they’re very thin underfoot.

Thoughts? Not sure I can be bothered to try loads at a snow dome….

Just got back from a week in Champagny, Paradiski. Very average conditions overall, actually that’s probably looking at it optimistically. The pistes were ok, but off piste looked like a big no no. Saying that, it starting puking down on the night before we were leaving, and looks like it hasn’t really stopped!

Was like this on our first day.

Woke up to this on the day we were leaving.

So while I stayed at home to look after swejnr sweamrs went for a tour on the icefields parkway near Lake Louise with a photographer friend under what I’d happily describe as Bluebird conditions…..

Credit: Graham McKerrell photography[/url]

Credit: Graham McKerrell photography[/url]

My current skies are Salomon with Z10 bindings and they’re been very good carvers although they don’t float well off piste as they’re very thin underfoot.

Thoughts? Not sure I can be bothered to try loads at a snow dome….

well, I’m no expert but they look like carvers too, so should behave much the same??

I’m after some new skies for 80% on piste 20% off piste

Those ones do look a bit pistey. Just a thought – if you went for something that was intended for more 50% piste/off-piste you’d still be able to enjoy the piste but it would transform that 20% off-piste into something much more enjoyable, as well as those days when it’s dumped on the piste. I’ve had good reports of the Salomon Q90, for example (although I haven’t tried them myself).

I’m in the progress of being tempted by some good prices on EkoSport.co.uk
There are some 20014/15 skis which seem quite a good price..
Footflaps, re mount the bindings from your old skis with Quiver Killer inserts and then you can remount them on your old ones if you have another shocker of a week or for using on the local golf course!

OOps

I’m after some new skies for 80% on piste 20% off piste

These were a little more 65/35ish, but the best ski I’ve used in ages.

Nordica NRGy 100

Enough of a carver on the groomers, but still plenty phatt enough for off piste stuff as well. As ever, a compromise, as a pure piste ski is better on piste, and a phatt powdaplank is better in the fluffy stuff, but this ski is as close as I’ve found to being a balanced compromise.

Linky for the article around the picture.

Booked a week in Serre Chavalier . Anyone been ?

I do actualy know the answer to that and expect a list of bars and guides to magically appear in the next few hours.

Bit of a gamble but he forcasts look good for the next week+ and it was only £298 , flight ,1/2Board accom and transfer .

Going on the 23rd so enough time for future snow to build on the existing base . If we get enough for any over the horizon adventures remains to be seen.

Booked a week in Serre Chavalier . Anyone been ?

No. Heard it’s rubbish, though.

🙂

😆

I’ve been too STM. It’s very good, but can’t give many recommendations, we just skied a bit and stopped where we fancied. It was all good.

We bumped in to Luc Alphand in Carrefour though. He seemed to have a penchant for Chicago Town pizzas.

Just booked flights for a cheeky 4 dayer in March, group of 9 or 10, any recommendations for self catering accommodation in Chamonix?

Serre Chevalier – there’s a super restaurant opposite the bottom of the mickey lift – does a fabulous cheval burger. Restaurant might even be called Mickey’s.

10 sleeps

La Grotte Du Yeti for apres ski beers. (Aravet)
Say Hi To “Borough” for me.

STM, on a more serious note…..!

Food on piste;
Le Bercail at Aravet. Delicious.
Cafe Soleil at Serre Ratier. Great pizza.
Avoid the place at the top of the Frejus bubble. It’s awful.
Good coffee stop in the Village de Frejus, however. Seen here;

Food and drink in resort;
Which village are you in? If you’re expecting loud, partying apres-ski, I hate to disappoint, but…..There isn’t any, really!

We prefer Chantemerle. Good bars at the foot of the Alphand to rest the legs and watch the stragglers struggle.

It’s been dumping in Les Arcs apparently. My mate doing a season out there says he’s been in waist deep powder the last couple of days. More coming too apparently.

It’s been dumping in Les Arcs apparently. My mate doing a season out there says he’s been in waist deep powder the last couple of days. More coming too apparently.

Yep, can confirm all of this!

Not at all happy that :

1. I have a written exam on Friday and have had to study all week.
2. I have picked up a minging chesty cough from somewhere.

😉 Was that sympathy you wanted Stevo? 😉

Sainte Foy on Sunday. just booked some off piste guiding to take advantage of all the POW!!

Serre Che is pretty good, I have a mate who has a few apartments in Briancon and we have been twice, with another trip coming this March. I really like the mountain (probably helped by having knee to waist deep powder for a week the first time we went, every day), but I can’t help on mountain places to eat – can never remember that stuff! Briancon old town has got some good restaurants though and is quite picturesque.

9 sleeps to arriving in Couchevel 8)

Just checked the 10 day forecast and like here, its getting colder next week, continuing to snow, but on the day I arrive……its sunny! 😀

(obviously I am very dubious about such good fortune)

singletrackmind – Member
Bit of a gamble but he forcasts look good for the next week+ and it was only £298 , flight ,1/2Board accom and transfer .

That’s a great price. If you don’t mind sharing, where did you find that deal?

Sainte Foy on Sunday. just booked some off piste guiding to take advantage of all the POW!!

Nice! Soooo tempted by a last minute trip to see my mate with all this powder around but I’ve just booked about three holidays. 🙂

I’d recommend a look at The Serre Che webcams…..

TURBOPUKE!

@thetallpaul

Not an answer to your question, but just caught a tweet from Alpine Elements this morning advertising some pretty nice prices for departures this weekend. Seemed to be plenty under £300 (didn’t look any further than those prices though – I imagine they’ll somehow hike them up when you go to actually book).

As for us, not going till 30th to 3V. Over 1m of snow forecasted and temperatures staying low for now so hopefully good conditions when we get there.

These were a little more 65/35ish, but the best ski I’ve used in ages.

Thanks, will investigate…..

A review says “Go for head height to get the most out of it.”

Does this mean your full height? I’m 176cm, my current carvers are 170cm.