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

I’m off to Chamonix for a full week of off piste instruction in Feb…..you guys have got me worried now!!!

I went to VT for new year…..didn’t do a trip report: in summary, snow was awful, I drank a LOT, pulled a cute blonde from Glasgow and generally had an awesome time! 8)

Gatwick??

*shudders*

Just back from a week in Alpe D’Huez and for anyone heading out there later we had plenty of snow come down and it was still falling as we left with about 4/5 inches at Grenoble airport.
Unfortunately we also had high winds which meant a lot of lift/piste closures so only managed to get to the top of the resort on the final afternoon but it was grins all round at the bottom of Saurenne….
Tried the Neilson’s mountain masters programme and really enjoyed our 2 sessions but it is still finding its feet with people not turning up and hence preventing others from going.
Looking forward to Flaine (the ugliest resort on the planet) in March now….

Point taken about older kit. However newer does not always = better . As SteveMcD points out £100 for probe and shovel is OKish.
I use a really old Ortovox and its nore accurate within the 1m – 2m range than my mates newer version which bottoms out.

If you were buried in an avalanche with 3mins of air, ask yourself this. ‘ I wish I had spnet that £100 on something that gives me a chance , rather than not spending anything at all, which gives me zero chance of being found’

We practise for an hour or so each holiday , use the test zones , and carry probes/ shovels and SOP cards.

For anyone that doesn’t know there is a ton of good information on beacons at http://beaconreviews.com including good details about the theory as well as reviews and comparisons of beacons.

As SteveMcD points out £100 for probe and shovel is OKish.

No idea how it compares to that eBay kit, but SnowSafe have a package with a shovel, 240cm carbon probe and a first aid kit for £60.

FWIW, I have the BD Deploy 7 shovel (£49) and the Ortovox 240 Carbon probe (£49).
Take away the 10% SCUK discount and that’s a pretty good price.

DD, I’ve got airbrakes, love them, field of view great, no misting probs, lens swap system very quick and secure.

Turbo puking (thanks Flash) in Summit County right now. Should be an excellent day.

I wish I had spnet that £100 on something that gives me a chance , rather than not spending anything at all, which gives me zero chance of being found’

Not entirely sure I follow …

Surely it isn’t about the cost/perceived value of the kit, but rather whether it’s fit for purpose … i.e. a £100 beacon that works and tested ok is better than a £300 one that’s been dropped in the car park repeatedly with corroded battery connectors.

I’m not sure I subscribe to having a potentially faulty beacon being better than no beacon at all if that’s what you meant – or have I misunderstood? – Just having the kit itself is fairly pointless [and could lead to false sense of security when you are being relied on to find your mates] unless you:

1. know how to use it
2. know it’s working correctly (having done a ‘transceiver check’ etc)

Like you say, practice is key as it doesn’t always matter what make or model* you’ve got as long as you know how to use it.

*notwithstanding issues with older analogue beacons/frequency drift etc

What’s a ‘SOP Card’?

@GrahamS – great website. Thanks for the reminder as I’d forgotten about beaconreviews.com 🙂

jambalaya – the “new” telesiege at SJd’A is a replacement for the old one to Tetes I think. Handy, but Ive not been up La Grande Terche for years. Might head over there in feb though….

The more important news is that Brochaux has been upgraded with a new 6 man high speed TS with a new route from the bottom of Mosette up to the ridge along from Prolays for a fast (and high cap) return to Avoriaz for those coming back from Swiss, as well as for boarders to do a lift and drop to miss out the flat section from the bottom of Mossette back to Lindarets and the return to Ardent. Used to be a bit of a bottle neck at the end of the day. Havent tried it myself yet, but will be in a few weeks. Having watched it being built this summer, I cant wait.

Hey Sprootlet, Pic Blanc was a bit wild on Friday afternoon wasn’t it? The pisteurs seemed to be still battling with the nets as we stomped past, they didn’t seem overly pleased tbh. We also had a go on the Sarenne via Marmottes 3 on Wednesday – nicer conditions I think. Despite the dodgy visibility most of the time it was a good week, the snow dancing must’ve worked 🙂

Quick question.
I have some leather Oakley snowboarding gloves and after a trip to the snowdome the other day they arnt particularly waterproof anymore. Can anybody recommend a product that will reproof them without making them feel horrible?

Thanks

Nikwax glove waterproofer works on my motorbike gloves. Never noticed a nasty feel about it.

Deadly, I also have airbrakes (a generous gift from a friend) only used for a season so far but found them to be very good.

If I was spending my own money is also consider smiths and the sungod pair that seem to haunt me on facebook daily.

Thanks Stoner, just ordered some. I got some cleaner too as they are a few years old now.

Cheap snowboard if anyone is up for it

Absolute week of a lifetime in Sainte Foy. Don’t even care the sun only came out a couple of afternoons. The visibility was rarely poor but there was tons of snow and the slopes were empty.

New arrivals this weekend welcomed with snow on the ground at Chambery and it weighing down the tree branches as low as Bourg! The Bastards…

Lovely and cold in Les Arc 2000 today. Particularly enjoyed what can’t have been far off the last car up Varet. Absolutely no on the blue we chose to cruise home on, ahead or behind.

1800 was mobbed in the morning, didn’t hang around there for long. Even the run down to Bourg Funi station at (iirc) 1200 had decent cover, albeit a bit ‘twiggy’ in places. No rocks fortunately.

Hi Shifter
We missed Saurenne on Wed afternoon and you’re right, it was a little wild off Pic Blanc and gorgeous of Marmotte 3.
Pic Blanc was not helped by a bunch of French folk who took out my other 1/2 on the traverse.
Other than that it was a fun week …..especially the live music in the underground bar

Keep the updates coming piemonster, already looking forward to the weekend!

Snowing nicely in Whistler at the moment and forecast to continue for the next few days. It’s the Martin Luther King long weekend in the USA at the moment so the village and the slopes are totally packed. Went up a for a few laps yesterday but 15 minute + lift lines aren’t my idea of fun. Back to normal on Tuesday though so hopefully we’ll be back to quiet bowls and fresh powder 😀

Getting ready push the button on a Mammut Barryvox Element. Any reason not too?

@jaffe, nice ! shall I go back and find that post of yours where you where worried about not having a winter wonderland 😉

Lovely and cold in Les Arc 2000 today.

Quick shout out for the round bar/restaurant just above the resort near the Arcabulle chair, does great pizzas (no specials 🙂 ) , good music & atmosphere. Also had fabulous and inexpensive seafood platter when we where there one Spring, not sure if they do that all season long, possibly best on sunny day with magnum of Rosé

I’m at Gatwick. Work trip to Florida.

There’s a lot of people in the lounge who are clearly off skiing.

Bastards. The lot of them!

🙂

I know the one Jamba, nearly went in this afternoon but looked like they was closing up by the time we got there.

On the cards for tomorrow, another cold one 😀

Getting ready push the button on a Mammut Barryvox Element. Any reason not too?

Mate has one. I’ve only had a brief play with it but it seemed pretty good.
Gets a decent write up on BeaconReviews too:
http://beaconreviews.com/transceivers/Specs_MammutElement.asp

Where you buying from?
They are £184 from http://www.bergfreunde.co.uk/avalanche-beacons/

Cheeky half day at Glenshee this PM. Decent weather and shorter queues than Cairngorm. Over the confidence hump with Miss J as she handled the blues and pomas with aplomb 9 months after breaking her leg – proud dad here.

Your name is also on the list, piemonster

Someone has landed. 🙂

A much needed chuckle, DD, thanks!

Orlando. It’s like hell. With gift shops.

Oh crikey O’Reilly! Orlando?!? You have my sympathy. Hope you move lots of that new line of matching post-it’n’pen specials. Not long till snow time. No Montana this trip??

Saucisson au chanterelle, looks like a No. 2 on the Bristol stool chart but very firm, which is more than be said for the integrative consequences upon myself.

Where you buying from?

Probably from Absolute-snow, they’re working out a price for me incl. new shovels and probes. Prefer to get one from the UK just in case I have a problem with it.

We’ve got Burton branded Barryvox’s, which have been great (although never used in anger). Absolutely nothing wrong with them to be honest, but think it’s probably time for an update.

Probably from Absolute-snow, they’re working out a price for me incl. new shovels and probes.

Cool. You get a 10% discount on them from SCUK if you are a member.

how often do you guys get your boards rewaxed/serviced? Pretty sure I got mine done before the last holiday so it’s it’s only had 1 week of use on it, but about 5 years ago, dunno if this stuff dries out, looks a little hazy/white and a few scratches. Edge seems ok.
Yeah for the price should probably have got it done but meh, I’m crap at getting stuff sorted out.
As an amateur will I even notice the difference?
I’m guessing buying some wax and DIY using our steam iron is probably not a good idea…

You know the answer to this DONK.

I normally get my skis waxed in the resort on my last day – they just put them through a machine, costs about E20 and takes 10 mins.

igm yeah but I’ve only got 5 days before I go and bringing my board in on the commuter train to drop off at EB always gets me funny looks.

Could look at getting it done in resort I guess, seem to recall the shops being absolutley hammered on saturdays tho, I have bad memories about the free for all when picking up hire gear.

how often do you guys get your boards rewaxed/serviced?

Mine gets waxed (and the edges deburred) as part of my ritual for going away.

Though to be fair I have that weird Bataleon base material (synthduded I think) that refuses to hold wax for more than a few days.

I’m guessing buying some wax and DIY using our steam iron is probably not a good idea…

That’s what I do – it’s not hard.

(don’t use your best iron though!)

This should help: