OHHHHHH YEAH BABY!

Seems to me that we need to kick this off earlier every year. Started in August last year, but I’ve already had requests to get it rolling this year, so here we are, at the start of July, and it’s time. Time to open it up again. As ever, no real house rules here (Apart from blades. We all know what we feel about blades), so….What’s planned? What kit’s taken the eye?

For me, well it’s hopefully Montana again, and if possible and fitting with work, I still need to get that Japan itch scratched. We didn’t manage to get the kids out to Serre Che last year, so am already looking at late January as a possible ski en famille trip.

Kit? Well, Nordica are impressing again. The new NRGy skis look just as good, and if they ski as well, then I’ll be hunting them down to hire. The ladies versions are delicious, as well.

Elegant.

Line still produce some of the most stunning skis. Never tried them, but look…!

Perhaps the biggest bit of gear news I’ve seen though is this…

Yes. That’s an Arcteryx ski boot, ski-mountaineering stylee. Yes. It looks delicious!

Very timely. Considering taking the kids out of school for a couple of days in Feb to get a week. Possibly back to Cervinia but with passes for tother side of the hill into Zermatt too.
Can’t decide whether to buy some new swanky skis or just put the money aside to hire the best I can instead.
** heads off to easy jet website **

Whilst I think it may be a little early to consider skiing (after all, it’s only spring!), I hope to be able to head over to the US/Canada again this year.

After the last couple of seasons snowboarding, I’m tempted to give skis another shot and see what happens. I’m thinking that, with a bit of practice, I might be able to have some fun with them.

I’m tempted to give skis another shot and see what happens. I’m thinking that, with a bit of practice, I might be able to have some fun with them.

This early in the thread and we already have a convert to the good side of the force! 🙂

FWIW, modern skis are so much more versatile than those of yore. More fun, too! Boots are still the big thing, I think, and hire boots are almost always awful. You’re then at that awkward balance point of…Save money and hire, but risk having shitty boots. Or, spend the money and get comfy, but worry about wasting money if you don’t get hooked. Tough one.

Get some ski boots. All the cool kids are skiing these days anyway. 😉

(Never expected to light the blue touch paper this early in the thread!)

*smug alert* I’ve moved here so I’ll be getting my second ever season pass after Banff 2009. Or perhaps a skidoo 🙂

Not going at Christmas this year.
Hopefully February half term .

Avoriaz is looking strong favourite again.

Seriously? This forum had Fred as a member. I’m surprised there’s not been the verbal equivalent of a dirty protest by now!

I agree on the boots by the way. Even with a snowboard, boots can make a difference. My first season on a board I had a pair that were fractionally too small and suffered. Last year was better, but they were worn out.

It’s all about making choices though. I’m not sure i can afford a pair of each. It might end up being skis in the end, all the people I’m likely to go with ski.

Which reminds me, if I do swap to skis, I’ll need to get a new pair of trousers in a brighter colour.

I am having a pair of these with a set of Kingpins I have on another ski

Hoping for a long boozy sausage fuelled weekend in Garmisch again. Great location, wonderful beer and very friendly.

sausage fuelled weekend

😯

C’mon Flashy everyone knows Germany is beer & sausage heaven
😆

The Arcteryx Procline has been on the go for a while now, I keep checking on release date, not sure if we will see them in shops for 16/17 season, 15 degree lateral and 50 degree forward flex in walk mode sounds good when crampons are required.
Dynafit will probably beat them to it for this season with a lateral flex boot although no word of one yet.

Line still produce some of the most stunning skis. Never tried them,

I got some line Prophets cheap from EB a few years ago and they are absolutely amazing. Had my best day ever lapping the Dark Side at the Coe 2 years ago when the access road was blocked and hardly anyone could get up the hill. Just what they were built for… lovely deep off piste.

But what completely threw me was how well they worked on our half term trip to Val Gardena that year when there wasn’t more than 2 inches of natral snow anywhere and the whole week was spent on kunstschnee. The skis were brilliant. I completely expected them to suck, but they were really rather good. Love them.

Pretty much hoping for a rerun of last year’s holiday to be honest…
February half term in St Anton for the week. Huge dumps of snow; kids loving their lessons; do some of the Schindler couloirs; lovely off piste on Rendl; then more off piste with the kids at Rendl; relaxed evenings playing cards with the family with a few beers.

Headline cost around £300 per person. Total cost around £2400 or so for everything. Absolute bargain. God bless Lufthansa and Bahn.de

thegeneralist – Hospiz Alm for lunch I hope?

Not sure what we’ll be up to this season. Jnr and I have different Christmas holidays to the OH. Trying to convince the OH that Jnr needs to go on a race camp the week before Christmas and I need to go and chaperone. – she’s not taking it well. The usual Easter trip may be curtailed for Jnr’s GCSE revision – not that he’s likely to do much without threat of being killed fatally to death.

Kit wise… I got a Smith Vatange helmet and some XO goggles about a month ago. Can’t imagine I’ll get much else.

Line prophets as well. Think mine are 2013 so not too pretty but do everything I ask of them! Powder in St Foy last year brought out the best of me!

Hoping to go to St Anton with the husband this year. And the annual lads trip might take in Samöens rather than the usual Morzine.

Arcteryx ski boots, look nice but a little bit prototype..
Don’t Arcteryx = Salomon?

Kit? Well, Nordica are impressing again. The new NRGy skis look just as good, and if they ski as well, then I’ll be hunting them down to hire.

Yep, very happy with my NRGy90s….

We’ve already booked Les deux Alpes over NY, need to book another couple of weeks as well. Going to be expensive now jambalaya has crashed the £!

Woo love these threads!

So, my season……going to do a week long ‘high peaks’ split boarding course Xmas week. Get back home, spend a few days with my girlfriend then we’re going to Slovakia for 5 days together, been there in summer but not winter so looking forward to that!

Then, maybe back to Tignes in Feb half term.

Trekking in Nepal in April hopefully so won’t have time for a spring trip. Really want to snowboard down Snowdon and maybe try split boarding in Scotland/Lakes to if conditions allow.

Kit wise, definitely new boot time. Hate my Thirty Two’s so I think I’ll be going back to Salomon’s. The other biggie is clothing: Time to move on from the O’Neill stuff! Already bought some Paramo salopettes, got decent base layers. So jacket….I’ve got a nice Rab Alpine Light down jacket….. Any way of combining that with a decent lightweight hard shell? It’s an area that I don’t know a great deal about. Have to see how I get on with split boarding……may have to treat myself to a full set up 😯

As for plan this season, none yet, just a few possibles.
Quickie with mrsdts in Jan or Feb, always a chance.
Half term or Easter with kids, Easter is very late so could be a challenge to get good snow, never been let down before at Easter though.
Saying that, new home purchase may put all that on the back burner, never missed a season for 38 years so not keen to break my good run..
Kit, also pleased with the Nordica NRG100 from last year, already got a pair of short SL skis for the hard pack. That’s most conditions covered.

@willard variety is always good and skiing will add some flexibility and other options depending upon conditions. Many folk say the new split boards have opened up the back country but imo touring/skinning on skis still tops that (says the man who’s has spent two afternoons on a snowboard, still scarred from my 90’s go at mono-skiing)

Not sure what our plans will be this year, still eyeing my knee surgery. Looking at mid Dec cheeky week if conditions are good, after that who knows, maybe late Jan / March for a few days each. Just learnt a good friend has landed a job in Geneva, he’ll be living the dream.

New kit, none for me I suspect. Arteryx boots they’ll not be cheap !

I prompted CFH to get this started as we just watched this. Loved every minute of it I am of an age that I watched Eddie the Eagle at the time. Film doesn’t do his skiing justice, he was an excellent skier and made the Olympic trail for the downhill. I heard him on the radio years ago saying the cheapest accomodation he could find in Finland was in a mental hospital where he was locked in his room at night for his own safety, he said it was quite hard to sleep as there was lots of shouting all night !

Wonderful feel,good film, lead actor is excellent and captures Eddie wonderfully

[video]https://youtu.be/hyzQjVUmIxk[/video]

Some back story, tough times for him again sadly but listening to him on the radio recently he is such a positive character Daily Mail Link

jambalaya has crashed the £!

Lets see in 6, 12 and 24 months. Long game here.

I agree on the boots by the way. Even with a snowboard, boots can make a difference.

I had custom fitted inner boots last year and they made a huge difference to how much fine control I have.

Time to move on from the O’Neill stuff! Already bought some Paramo salopettes, got decent base layers. So jacket….I’ve got a nice Rab Alpine Light down jacket….. Any way of combining that with a decent lightweight hard shell? It’s an area that I don’t know a great deal about. Have to see how I get on with split boarding……may have to treat myself to a full set up

Have a look on Sports Pursuit, wife and I have just re-kitted with half price Arcteryx gear for this year. Stuff was so cheap I bought two full sets, GTX shell and Procline windproof stuff for drier days…

I’ve got a nice Rab Alpine Light down jacket….. Any way of combining that with a decent lightweight hard shell?

Yup, leave the down jacket in the chalet for the apres ski and use the hardshell with a lightweight thermal underneath, long sleeved if the temperature is below minus 10.

I’m gobsmacked when I see people skiing in down jackets. It amazes me how different people have such different tolerances to cold. I’m utterly useless when I’m too hot so tend to wear not very much.

When I was in Zermat last with a friend, I’d have thin cotton mix trousers, single lightweight thermal and gore tex trousers and jacket. Each morning it was about minus 13 at the lift station.

My missus on the other hand will wear a fleece and a ski jacket in the same conditions and be too cold.

Keeps the kit suppliers in business though.

I’m gobsmacked when I see people skiing in down jackets.

Depends when and where you go, in Jan at 3000m can easily be -20C on the tops. I often ski in a Down jacket over a thermal at Xmas / NY. By Easter it’s T-shirt and glove liners….

Bought, boards and bindings ready for next winter.
Just need to figure out where to go.
Thinking of courcheval, maybe pds?

Any specific recommendations of Arcteyrx stuff footflaps? I tend to run pretty warm tbh…..but over Xmas will be closer to 4000 than 3000m I’d imagine! Although will have avi bag etc so can always chuck my down jacket in just incase!

As a mid / outer layer look at their Atom / Nuclei tops, AR is warmer and more windproof than the lighter version (LT). Lightweight GTX shell in the bag.

I’ve also gone for Procline Salopettes for dry days. GTX if it’s snowing.

This is not the place but… If anyone wants a free snowboard and Vans boots drop me an email, would need to be collected today or tomorrow from just north of Newcastle, believe it’s a 5150 Empress 153.

It’s as good a place as any!

Snow and Rock sale is on, EXTRA10 code for an additional 10%

Next year’s skiing…..we’re taking leave and going for 9 weeks in a 4 and a 5 week block. Managed to find accommodation so that friends can come out and join us too. We’re too old to put up with living in a rabbit hutch as my other half is planning on doing some work when we’re out there.
Plan is to do off piste course then practice as weather permits.
Bought ourselves some Nordica NRGY100 for him and Wild belles for me with touring bindings courtesy of Glisshop. We’ll see how he gets on with the NRGY but I know I love the wild belles as they are my current ski.
Excited…..just a little bit….Grand Massif here we come

Fist messages about booking started on the 1st July, thinking Les Arcs again, just need to speak to the fussy one of the gropup about the exact date but usually late Jan/early Feb. IF (and it’s a big if) I can this year I’ll also book a late season week too.

So glad the threads back, thanks Flashy!

Good to see this back. We need an uplifting thread.

Half-term split over two weeks this year and our school gets the “cheap*” one.

So half-term French Alps it is. And depending on how the money/snow holds out possibly back at Easter.

*cheap. Ha ha ha ha ha ha…

I got an email from LeSki saying they were holding their prices till end of August, regardless of exchange rate variations, which saves roughly 9% if they were to re-price today.

NB the forecasts are for the £ to keep falling against the Euro: https://www.poundsterlinglive.com/gbp-live-today/5131-the-pound-to-euro-exchnage-rate-in-the-week-ahead

Rebooked the apartment in Samoens (but not fully paid yet 🙄 ) for half term yet again. I’m glad the kids have taken to the sport, but they need to show a bit more discipline. 😆
It’d be nice to get a couple of long weekends in as well.

found some Atomic park skis on sale at Decathlon- down to £149 with bindings from £500- not my usual sort of thing, but at the price thought they might be a decent +1.
Now waiting for PF to deliver them after RM accepted them, then decided they were too large to fit through the letterbox.

Those Lines look beautiful. As do the Nordicas. I picked up a set of NRGY 107s last season at a bargain price. Stunningly good – everywhere.

Suspect we’ll be back to Mayrhofen again. We’re wondering about a 10 day stint at Easter through rather than our usual week in Feb.