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

Threads gone a bit quiet, saw on another forum, thought I’ll just drop this in here…

Wacky.

New skis arrived yesterday, mounted up and first laps today. Mountain was quiet, the weather was sunny, and the skis were sweet. Toes haven’t fallen off yet either 😀

Well 20cm of snow in Calgary meant it was time for sweajnr (2.5) to try out his new Christmas present a day early. After about 10 minutes of tantrums we succeded in getting him to do a lap of the street. Curious at what age people managed much success with toddlers and any hints or tips. First attempt wasn’t duck to water but wondering if the fact we got him on them and shuffling unassisted was a victory in itself.

Older son liked the idea, but not the reality, at 3.5. Loved it at 5.5.

Younger son quite liked it at 4, but not absolute love.

Nemesis, our boys have done well with ESF Montriond. They teach at the lindarets Bowl, still avoriaz sector, easy to get to from avoriaz itself. Up Tour, and down Prolays.

A bit breezy in Cervinia 😯

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38429571

Having favourite lunch in favourite bar at Lindarets. We’ve had the best of the difficult conditions these last 4 days and today the temperature has started to rise and what had been astonishingly well kept pistes with little snow are deteriorating quickly now. I pity those arriving tomorrow for Xmas week, there will be little to enjoy. We’re lucky to have had as good a time of it as we have before the hoards arrive.

On the bright side, I have a superb mountain walk lined up for tomorrow. High level but clear of snow.

Kids and actual skiing, 4 was too early 6 was ok. All 3 of mine where introduced to it before 7 and tbh none really love it sadly. They can all take it or leave it.

Stoner – which one? Really like petit lindaret, awesome croquet soufflé thingy 🙂

Looks like possibility the weather may change first week in Jan, but long way off yet and, as you say, pistes are going to take a hammering this week.

Oh Stoner, you git. I’m lucky enough to be lounging around in a Barcelona apartment today, but with you I would most definitely swap. 😆

Les Marmottes (last restaurant on right just before you head out of the bowl through the rock cutting) do rotisserie ham on the bone every Sunday lunchtime winter and summer. With the most perfect dauphioise potatoes. The pisteurs had done a great job of maintaining the snow that fell in November to form a good base. And reasonably low Temps meant it has skied well these last few days. But temp is now 5 or 6 degrees and the snow is melting under the skis as you ride. Changes by the minute.

I’m going to be out 3 or 4 more times this season at least so will catch better conditions as they occur.

And that there is an awesome boxing day walk.

The chalk boards at the lifts warning of ice pistes, not surprising after yesterday’s warmth.

The walking on the other hand was sublime. Clear blue skies and 5-10deg.

Wistful Stoner is wistful @2080m Pointe de la Chavache

does anyone have a dirt cheap transceiver for sale? I received a new one as a present for christmas but now would like a cheap one to throw in the snow and train with/ attempt to find. ta!

Take care anyone out at the moment. French family suing a resort for negligence after a fatality. Tough on resorts trying to keep things open over the busy holiday period.

Heard of an instructor who said even he was nervous today. Huge stretches of solid ice. Glad we have had no plans to go back up since Sunday and instead been enjoying walking and swimming

Yesterday walking above the valley all I could hear was a constant ferry of medi-heli from mountain to clinic following the thaw and freeze.

🙁

I think that’s one plus of having a place Stoner is you are out there enough to skip it if it’s not worth it. Link below, seems the skier went down a freestyle track

http://www.bfmtv.com/societe/la-famille-du-skieur-decede-a-font-romeu-porte-plainte-pour-negligence-1075085.html

Having skied quite a bit NY and Vermont I am familiar with signs that read “New England Powder” – what I would say is the local skiers where ***** outstanding

Fernie does it again – we were even getting face shots on Emily’s run today – the storms just keep rolling in and yesterdays dumped 25cms of dry powder. Shame I’m in a hotel rather than my cabin – its not working out keeping the fattie in the room so no biking before playing for me for a couple of weeks. I need to get some riding in soon or I’ll go mad.

So back to that old thread topic about people using drones on the slopes:

😀

I need to get some riding in soon or I’ll go mad

Are they intending to ‘groom’ the trails over on Ridgemont/Fernie Ridge for fat bikes this season?

Hope all the alders get filled in for you! Sounds like Fernie is having a good early season!

any hint of snow?

still pondering quick dash for 2-3 nights next week but need to be q close to Gva

I’ve heard talk of next week, but have not poured over the reports myself

There’s 3cm forecast for le Corbier on Monday night, wahoo! Needs that every night ’til I arrive on the Saturday after mind.

Fingers crossed – fly out to sestriere via Turin on Tuesday for 5 days 😀

Anyone been to Breckenridge? Heading out there next month. Any tips?

Late getting on here, but we got back from a week in Hinterglemm on Tuesday. We had a great week skiing pretty much on man made. The pistes were hard, fast but very skiable and most of all very quiet. We did the Ski Circus challenge route on Christmas Eve and managed to cover 110km pistes/lifts according to Skiline – I don’t think we’ve ever skied that much in a day which shows how easy it was to get around.

There was a dump of snow on Christmas Day which turned to heavy rain right up to the top of the mountain which trashed all the earlier snow. On our last day things were starting to look a bit brown. But then overnight it snowed on and off on the day we came home to freshen things up a bit.

They’ve done a fantastic job to keep as much open as they have. Not sure how the crowds of New Year week will have trashed things though!

Now got to see whether we can go at half term or Easter and work out where is best to go.

Have already booked flights for Mrs Stoner and I to come back at the end if the month for 4 days w/o the nippers as a treat before she goes back to work.

£60 return for the two of us. That’s nuts. It’s less than the €100 for return transfers to Morzine from GVA.

Here’s hoping there’s some decent accumulations over the next month.

@whatno it’s a long time since I was there and we where unlucky with conditions so no great memories aside from mega rental condo. We did have good days out at A-basin and Vail as we had a rental car. That would be my tip, do at least one day at Vail. Copper Mountain is supposed to be good too.

Bound to snow now as I have abandoned plans to go for a few days next week.

currently waxing my shred stick in ready for tomorrow’s pow day. early night for me tonight !

Snow. It’s still not looking good forecast wise. I am sure the storms will come in Jan but in prior recent years when it’s been dire a big fall has come to save Christmas/NY. Last year we had the best week of the season in early March.

Late getting on here, but we got back from a week in Hinterglemm

We were also a week before Xmas in Fieberbrunn which is connected to Saalbach-Hinterglemm. I had the same impression as you hammerite. There was about 15cm of snow the day before we arrived and we had blue skies and frosty nights the entire week. But the best was the pistes were in pretty good condition and best of all practically empty. We went to Zillertal last year for Xmas and it was horrible. Pistes were knackered and the crowds horrendous. The rescue helicopters were in constant demand,

We skied down to Fieberbrunn a couple of times Roter and really enjoyed it over there.

Anyone else sat in Geneva? Chaos!

I was in VT all last week….they’ve done a great job with what snow they’ve got. By the end of the week, it was getting icy to the point where it just wasn’t fun!

Off to Jasna in Slovakia in a few days, they seem to be having a decent amount of snow.

Friend missed his flight out of Portugal due to long security checks and flight disruption due to UK fog. He has had to rebook onto a flight tomorrow. Good luck.

Tom, just on our way to GVA now.

Our flight has been delayed which we were expecting. I’m only worried that the bars may be out of beer. Can you confirm I’ll be OK?

I’m not going for another three weeks, but starting to get a tad nervous about the lack of snow. Last year I went on the 16th and it had been pretty poor then through December but had about ten days of mega dumps before we arrived. (the weather, not me! :-))

You’ll all be relived to know I have successfully located beer. Am camped out in the bistro until chocks away.

Stoner – you out at half term?

No snow and positive temperatures for nearly a month but we have still been skiing down to 1400m over the last week. It never quite gets cold enough to get the canons à neige going. Junior had some kids to teach and we scuttled up and down on rando skis as there was nowhere to go X-C.

We skinned up to 2200m this evening at sunset; Champagne, huitres etc. (try eating oysters with down mitts on) then skied down before the Reds as hundreds of Chinese lanterns were set off. Fireworks echoing around the mountains. There’s nowhere like a ski resort to celebrate the New Year.