The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2016-2017 season

Glad to hear it whatnobeer. How are we progressing on the toenail front…?

😳 Trimmed and sexy (as sexy as a toe nail attached to a blistered toe can even be)

Trimmed and sexy

Glad to hear it whatnobeer. How are we progressing on the toenail front…?

This thread is going off the rails a bit, isn’t it? How about a picture?

The utterly charming, and brilliant, Darren Turner going postal in the trees.

At least at L2A the easier slopes are up high so lackmof snow just hits the better skiers.

I’d much rather it was the other way around…

Thanks for all the tips etc above. I ended up in Tignes in the end and have had a magnificent week on the slopes. The majority of the Espace Killy is fully open – the only place you can’t get to by skiing at the moment is Les Brevieres. Conditions on piste are good but very hard snow, and there’s no new snow forecast for a while. However, it hasn’t got above freezing all week and the resort is virtually empty, so conditions have remained stable.

I got a pair of Atomic Redster ST skis from the hire shop and have been pretty pleased with them. I asked for a slightly longer pair (163cm, for my 165cm height) and they coped well with the hard conditions. They were happiest when going quickly but were by far the best skis I’ve hired for a long while. I suspect they wouldn’t do so well in softer conditions, however.

Skiing whilst pregnant was actually totally fine, once I’d got over the nervousness of the first run. It definitely helped that the place wasn’t busy (I wasn’t so keen on slopes with lots of people, but they were easy to avoid this week). I also stuck to mainly easy runs, although that was partly due to my husband’s longstanding knee injury (I did do La Face black run on the second day…). The baby enjoyed kicking me in the bladder whilst I was sitting on chairlifts though. And I have amazing blisters on my calves where my ski boots have rubbed on my slightly swollen ankles. All in all, I’m glad I made the decision to go skiing, although obviously it’s a very personal decision and depends very much on the pregnant person and their attitude to risk.

Nice one. My wife fell off her MTB during both her pregnancies and our two seem fine. Though bad things can happen, dangers can be exaggerated too.

I fell off my MTB when (knowingly) 7 weeks pregnant, whilst on a skills course – although the baby is well protected in the pelvis until about 13 weeks anyway. I was a little nervous about falling on the slopes (am now almost 22 weeks so the baby is definitely higher up and more vulnerable to any abdominal trauma), but decided that I shouldn’t do anything differently to normal as I haven’t fallen over on skis since I was a teenager. I’m glad that I have a supportive partner though – I wouldn’t MTB or ski if he wasn’t comfortable with me doing it.

Looking forward to taking the wee boy skiing next year now!!

5 & 10 our boys now. Older one happy paralleling down black mogul fields (I’m not), younger one cruising blues

haven’t fallen over on skis since I was a teenager

You are either utterly brilliant or not trying hard enough ! Glad you had a good time.

My first wife skied when 12 weeks with our second, she didn’t have the best attitude / skill level and that certainly put an end to it.

@footflaps I was trying to have the subtlest dig 😉

Have canned the idea of a quick pre-Christmas trip.

Brrrr. -25C at Lake Louise today. Upper runs in good condition but lower down icy, hard with rocks. Not busy though. Plenty of time warming up between runs. Forecast to warm up and snow across Western Canada Monday which should improve things for the Christmas rush.

You are either utterly brilliant or not trying hard enough !

Yep.

Just seen this thread – I’m off to Fernie for a while on Tuesday to get some good old Fernie face shots. Going to ride the fattie every morning before heading to the hill thanks to a brand new MaxxD light from USE. Thank you USE.

Ferrnie, skied a day there, well it wasn’t a whole day. It was so effiin cold. The only time I can tremember that it was colder when skiing than it was stood still. One of the chaps I was with got frost nip on his cheek and we called it a day. Must go back some day..

Defo not trying hard enough! I’m a big fan of pootling (both on skis and MTB!).

I’m a big fan of pootling

One doesn’t pootle down Le Face although certainly easier with no bumps (see what I did there 😉 ? )

Fernie for a while on Tuesday t

Wrap up warm! Between -25 and -30 there at the moment.

Forecast to warm up and snow across Western Canada Monday which should improve things for the Christmas rush.

Yup, hoping the storm rolls in as expected and doesn’t migrate south like the last one did. The snow here is apparently holding up well, but off piste it’s so soft and light that some of the steeper runs get scoured very very fast.

I’m there for 7 weeks, so the next system will roll in and the Griz will do his thing for us.
It does get cold in Fernie sometimes, but that is why there is a turbo trainer in the basement!

I’m off to Fernie for a while on Tuesday to get some good old Fernie face shots

Have a fantastic time! Fernie is one of my favourite places to ride!

And yes it does get cold there. Got a little frost nip there one year right on the very end of my toes wearing a pair of boots with integrated liners in -22 celcius!

Nowhere near as bad as yours whatnobeer. Which reminds me – how are the toes? Any change in colour? Hope they are making a good recovery. Are you keeping a ‘photo diary’ of them? 🙂

Fernie is superb. Weather can be anywhere from Baltic to rain to the top though, and you’ll get all at some point during a season. Did a year there a while back and never got tired of the terrain to go at, would much prefer that to having 100k’s plus of motorway piste to go at. And there is some excellent side and backcountry to hike to as well left and right of the ski area boundary. Watch out for Bill Handley too (check out his blog, always a good read).

I went to fernie in 2010, the notorious dry year where it didnt snow in Banff in feb virtually once. Fernie got the goods though

I’ve had lessons with Darren Turner – he’s ace!

We’re off for a week in val d’isere on the 2nd.

Snow is pretty nice (apparently, YSE say best in 25 years, but they would), mrs M has new boots (which she likes very much), jr has a new balaclava (which she likes very much), all good!

Wallop, they’re a nice family, that lot!

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Greetings from Neptune

Ice Station Zebra !

YSE say best in 25 years, but they would

That’s ridiulous. 2012/3 and 2008/9 much much better for certain.

Footflaps met a guy last night who had just come back from L2A, very nice above 2500 and man made down to 2000. All very skiable.

All in one anyone?

https://www.sportpursuit.com/catalog/product/view/id/788382

Can’t decide if I love or hate it 😆

Post 666 on the thread……

Makes you think……

Id love one.
I’ve just bought an airblaster ninja suit all in one thermal. It’s so comfy I want the outer gear all in one now too.

All in one were all the rage in the 90s.
I still have the Killy I bought in Val d Isere.

AFAIK, the modern fartbag is more for the powslayah who’s spending all day at snorkel depth. Makes sense, as there are less places for all teh powz to get in.

Then there’s this. Spotted on a sunny Sunday last year. Saw them on the hill a few times, and it seemed that they were just wearing them. Mid twenties couple. No fancy dress, no reason, just that this was what they were wearing. ORSUMZ!

Nowhere near as bad as yours whatnobeer. Which reminds me – how are the toes? Any change in colour? Hope they are making a good recovery. Are you keeping a ‘photo diary’ of them?

Getting there! Right toe looks pretty normal tbh. Blister has gone right down and is now just some normal coloured, slightly floppy skin. The left toe is looking a bit worse, the blister has gone a nice shade of grey with added purple around certain spots at the edge.

Went for a few laps today, toe warmers didn’t help too much and I popped inside for a cup of tea after 2 laps. Toe warmers then shifted inside my boot and gave me foot cramp. Not idea. Heated insoles/socks are probably the best bet.

So, what did you do at work today, darling?

Oh, you know, the usual. Some modelling. A photoshoot actually.

Really? Tell me about it, I’d love to hear….

Erm…

Went for a few laps today,

Pleased to hear you’re on the mend.

btw … for those with a bit of Fernie Love/Stoke:

Great little vid – they just had 30cms in the last day…. good job I’m going that way to help trash it all tomorrow.

I didn’t get the pizza one. Just plain blue unfortunately.

Pleased to hear you’re on the mend.

Cheers. Warmed up a lot today, so a cheeky -4 and some repositioned toe warmers meant near enough a full day on the hill. 28 cm of fresh snow and not too crowded. Fresh snow on every lap 😀

28 cm of fresh snow and not too crowded. Fresh snow on every lap

Only in BC … 🙂

Oh Canada!

Has anyone got any feedback on ski school for 5 and 8 year old kids in Avoriaz?

Both beginners though the older one will have done a few dry slope lessons while the younger one will be essentially a starting from scratch.

All of the schools seem to get mixed reports and since we’re going the week before most schools’ half term, I figure there won’t be many English speaking kids around.

Not in Avoriaz. 360 in Les Gets has been good for us, but that’s too far away.

They might give a recommendation though.