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

So, it’s Avoriaz time! Any top tips? Anyone know if you can book a ‘taxi’ before arriving to save dragging bags miles when everyone else is after the same?

Also, any recommendations for things to do other than skiing and a good restaurant for a milestone birthday dinner?

Can’t wait 🙂

Swimming? 😉

Aquariaz if it does appeal

What time you flying nemesis?

Flows and Step-in-bindings … I thought I’d opened the ‘the STW ski & snowboard thread. The 2005-2006-season’ thread by mistake!

Each to their own, but I always thought Flows sacrificed performance for comfort as they rarely locked the foot completely in place and tended to fill up with compact snow.

Board rentals have definitely improved in many resorts these days, but I would agree with others that ski rental offers more choice than board rental.

Plus (ski touring/telemark bindings aside) skis tend to have pretty much standard & adjustable boot/binding interface, whereas on snowboards bindings it can still be a bit hit and miss to get the setup right for your chosen boot so it’s another reason/justification for having your own!

Each to their own, but I always thought Flows sacrificed performance for comfort as they rarely locked the foot completely in place and tended to fill up with compact snow.

Yes but the binding’s impact on performance is nothing compared to my own ineptitude. And I like comfort.

Yes but the binding’s impact on performance is nothing compared to my own ineptitude. And I like comfort.

Fair enough – I like comfort too, but I wouldn’t go fell running in my carpet slippers! 😉

8 tomorrow, dd

Bit random but interesting:

http://frenchskiareaovermytown.com/

Thats actually pretty cool GrahamS. Weird how different the actual tracks of the runs can’t be reflected accurately on a piste map. Sometimes piste maps just don’t make any sense when you’re trying to link up long days but I think that site might work a bit better.

Also, putting Morzine on top of Sheffield makes Rotherham into Avoriaz. So many parallels in architecture I can see how they tie up.

Might see you there nemesis…0650 here (if you’re going from Brizzle).

You’re all the week before me. The curse of having a teacher for a partner. Try not to slide all the snow off the mountain for us DD & Nemesis.

PDS area is bigger than the whole Malvern Hills AONB 🙂

Nemesis – best on piste restaurant IMO, is the Marmotte at the bottom of the Lindaret bowl (before you pass through the rocks to the Goat Village)

+1 for Aquariaz, good fun as long as it’s not too busy.

I like the Matafan restaurant in Morzine, but I guess you’re not planning on coming down the mountain once you’re up there.

I’m going to be flying out to the flat on Tuesday for the week, PM me if you want to catch up as I will be on my lonesome and definitely heading up to Avoriaz/Fornet/Cuboret and over the Swiss Wall too.

Why no love for La Grave on this thread? I thought there were lots of us who like the off piste yet I never hear it mentioned. They could really do with your support….

I will be on my lonesome

Story of your life mate… 😀

Why no love for La Grave on this thread?

Have you ridden it? Is it rideable by us intermediate mortals?

I’ve looked enviously at it from the connection at the top of Deux Alpes but I gather you needs full avi equipment and a guide (according to Neilson anyway) and the prices for a day trip were pretty eye-watering.

Story of your life mate…

when you’re able to catch up with me, then I’ll be all warm and snuggly.

Graham S, Well it is off piste so you should have full kit. Lift pass is about 48 euros. No obligation to have a guide. But you should be competent off piste. Not skied there this season. Normally it is about 1hr45 from ours (5km from grenoble airport. Give us a wave as you land. I regularly ride a track just beyond start of runway)

and what, pray, is La Grave?

is it just a lift to the top of an unpisted mountain?

Yep.

Steep and deep.

Why no love for La Grave on this thread? I thought there were lots of us who like the off piste yet I never hear it mentioned. They could really do with your support….

I was in Les Deux Alpes for a week and the link to La Grave was closed the whole time due to the avalanche risk. In retrospect it’s probably a good thing as I had no clue and no gear but would probably have had a pop, probably on my own. 🙂

when you’re able to catch up with me

Not a chance…
…too much momentum.

Thanks CFH – I’m liking that!

@ 1:28 is a helluva ‘crux move’ – not sure I’d be happy doing that on a board without a rope!! … and the sheer speed that he drops that cliff above the bergschrund! Wow! 8)

No obligation to have a guide. But you should be competent off piste.

And have a map, a proper map and be good at using it. Not a place to go following your nose without a very good idea of where you are.

Missing a traverse could see you at the top of a 300m cliff back into town. Following a few tracks over rolling wide powder fields and steepening terrain and chutes can put you at a pinch point needing a 30ft abseil or a 3 hour hike back up again. or death.

Just get a guide. Not that expensive if you join a group. Snowlegends, Band of Boarders (they also ski) or the Bureau des Guides. They’ll take you to the funnest places and the best snow, and you might end up having a private guide at the end of the day because the others are tired or broken.

Love the place, very special. Been a few times, once for 10 days on my own, once for the Derby de La Meije with a couple of mates (bonkers top to bottom race – Megavalanche equivalent) and once on a road trip with the wife.

Nice vid CFH!

I was asking our guide about riding Le Pan de Rideau (“The Pan” in the video – it’s a big feature in the main valley – you see it from the lift on the way up) and he was saying it’s a lot more involved on a snowboard due to the top abseil/traverse/shuffle. I can see what he means!

Ha!

Just been googling Pan de Rideau, ended up on UKClimbing, on a thread about the World’s Best Skiing Lines, and look who’s there:

stevomcd – on 24 Oct 2007

Nope, haven’t been to Sainte Foy before! But doing a season there this winter. Quit my job in 3 weeks time, head out there on the 24th. Can’t wait.

Working out OK then? 😀

Have you ridden the NE face of the Courtes since then?

he was saying it’s a lot more involved on a snowboard

‘involved’ eh? 🙂 … that’s putting it mildly!

Just get a guide.

+1 … the guides will either know an area well or be have the skills and gear required if things end up getting ‘involved’. they also talk to each other a lot and will know if something is in condition or not.

Ian Mcintosh has done some insane stuff (including the massive fall last year that he blamed on not having his morning poop!). Still hires a guide though!

Well, this has been a superb holiday. I eagerly anticipate being **** miserable come Monday morning.

Lol yardsale

I eagerly anticipate being **** miserable come Monday morning.

******* deserve it yer bastard.

Anyway, we have the pleasures of DD spamming the forum with his pics as of Sunday.

I can just see* his wee oirish red cheeks tucked under the duvet now, all fizzing with excitement. Bless.

* that reminds me, I must turn of the baby monitor while he’s away

Jeez.

red cheeks tucked under the duvet now

Too much information.

Cheerleader alert!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/35446555

Woodsy might want to check his DIN settings!

However, the boy has skillzzzz!

After a couple of hours lesson with Charlotte Swift (Easiski for the Snowheads among us) years ago, I really wanted to go and do one of her On 2 Off courses around L2A and La Grave. Unfortunately they were never on during school hols (understandable). I understand she’s stopped doing off piste instructing now as she’s said she’s too old!

Yes great skills from Woodsie.

Umm…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03gxswt

Ho
Lee
FICK!

Ragdoll moment!

Geneva airport terminal two.

The illusion of Swiss precision and efficiency ruined.

WTF is terminal 2?

Round the back of the bike sheds just past the bins