The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2017-2018 season

If the word “Steeze” hadn’t been invented, surely that was the point where it was invented!

So stylish!

IMPORTANT – BA CHANGES RULES ON SKI CARRIAGE

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/sporting-goods-and-musical-instruments

You can take your skis or snowboard as checked baggage, provided they are packed correctly and within your baggage allowance:

Only use a recognised ski or snowboard bag for your skis or snowboard – this can be up to 190cm in length
Pack your ski poles with your skis in the same bag – this will count as one item of baggage
Your ski or snowboard boots must be packed separately from your skis or snowboard – this will count as a separate item of baggage.

If you’re travelling with your skis/snowboard in a bag and your ski/snowboard boot-bag as well as your free checked baggage allowance, you will be charged for two extra bags.

If you’re travelling on a hand baggage only (Basic) fare you will need to pay extra to take any additional bags, including those with your skis, snowboard or boots.

For safety reasons you are not allowed to board the aircraft wearing your ski or snowboard boots

BA have always said, as far as i remember anyway, that boots can’t go into ski bag but I’ve never been checked. I usually travel ski bag (boots inside) with 23kg allowance and carry on rucksack. Worst case scenario, I empty the carry on rucksack into the ski bag and boots in my ruck sack instead.

Flights booked (T5) to geneva for a weekend at the start of Jan, then another BA from gatwick for the family trip at the end of Jan to Ardent.

This is the old wording. Snap shot from 13th June 2017

You can take ski and snowboarding equipment of up to 190cm (75in) in length in your checked baggage, provided it is packed correctly:

Only use a recognised ski or snowboard bag for your equipment.
Pack your ski poles with your skis.
Pack your boots separately from your skis or snowboard.

If you’re travelling on a hand baggage only (Basic) fare or if your checked baggage allowance includes one bag only, you will need to pay extra to take your ski equipment.

https://web.archive.org/web/20170613041541/https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/sporting-goods-and-musical-instruments

Looking to get away March feb, for long weekend.

Been ski Eastern Europe of late Slovenia and Bulgaria done.

Looking at Slovaki; jasna.

Any one ski’d here?

Thanks

Sean Pettit

goes snowboarding

Ok advice time.

Once upon a time I skied a little. But that was 30 years ago and mainly cross country.

Been ont’ board the last decade or so, but our boys are on skis, and while it doesn’t matter with the elder one, the younger one (he’s only 6) could do with someone skiing with him, so my wife has started skiing again (in addition to boarding).

So.

I’m tempted.

But my bad knees (torsion and lateral issues) put me off.

But modem skis look a bit easier on the knees than 30 year old 210cm types.

But I can’t go back to snowplough- that would stop me walking instantly.

So parallel or nothing.

The local snow dome also has a rolling dry slope with 1-2-1 tuition at £30 per 45min.

Does that sound like a sensible plan?

Any other thoughts / advice?

Say “Bonjour!” to your new equipment, igm!

It will solve 1/5th of your problem!

No. Just no.

😆

Rolling slopes are good, but time in a fridge might be better.

Good boots, and modern skis, will make things a lot easier on the knees.

Might try rolling first as it’s a cheap way to do 1-2-1 and then head for the fridge.
Both in the same building at Xscape, 5 minutes from my work.

It begins…

Anyone else checking webcams already?

Yes! Need to stop – now!

Don’t look at Courchevel then, showing in the village earlier, no of course I wasn’t looking, not even going there this year

Anyone else checking webcams already?

*smug alert* no I look out my window 8)

Anyone else checking webcams already?

Yeap! Hoping to go to St Anon in Jan so I’ve been watching theirs. They’ve finally had a bit of snow there, though it is still very early.

YASS! Had the tentative amber light for a pre-christmas week somewhere. Now all we need is the weather to be NOTHING LIKE THE LAST THREE YEARS 😆

I have! Looking at maybe the Zillertal valley for the first weekend of December and so the regular Hintertux dumpings have been pleasing. Looks like more down to lower levels in the next week or so too

Where’s good for a week around Christmas?
Tentatively thinking of going. Is snow total pot luck or are some places better than others?

Go high. Zermatt or Tignes have glaciers.

If you’re looking at PDS then Avoriaz is a better bet than Les Gets…

Somewhere like Megève would be risky (and expensive, but that’s another question…)

We were hiking last Christmas in Villars, there was almost no snow at the summit (Bretaye 1800m). Verbier down the road was doing OK, but part of that was also down to north facing slopes and being further into the Alps proper..

Height gets you cold agreed, but are there any areas that tend to get early season precipitation with it?
Bits of France frequently seem to get cold by Christmas but not get snowfall until January.
Point taken about glaciers though.

Anyone else checking webcams already?

Sweajnr (3.5) has also got his first pair of proper skis and is so excited he insisted on wearing them in the basement for an hour on Sunday….

And yes I know no poles for his age but we had them for snowshoeing last year.

Sweajnr has the stance of a person who has been on skis for more years than his age would allow! Cool.

Have we done this [/url]yet?

Sweateezejnr

FTFY

Have we done this yet?

It might just be me and the lack of detail but no mention of release etc? So like a snowboard you’re strapped to the skis?

Looks to me like a plate on the bottom of the frame replaces the boot in the binding.

Higher off the ski, shirley?

My boots are more than comfy enough that I can’t see the need for this. Maybe good for a small slice of the market, namely those who are a bit better than beginner, only stay on piste and don’t want to (for whatever reason!) buy their own boots.

Agreed. My boots are fine! I could do with some new liners though. Stinky!

As their target market, snowboarder thinking of trying to get to piste cruising level on skis who likes a bit of comfort in his life…

Nope. I’m with CFH and Wallop.

Not convinced that what is comfortable on a board for a day would be comfortable on a ski for a day anyway.

So if you undo the boot frame and step out with the snowboard boots on, to the bar for a couple of jagerbombs, your skis are going to slide off down the mountain… I’m out.

igm – I’d look for an area with good snow making. Hopefully there’ll be good natural snow, but if not it makes sense to go somewhere with good snow making. The last three Christmases have been poor but we’ve been able to ski a fair amount on man made even staying relatively low down (Saalbach and Wagrain).

How will all the Tarquin and Jemima skiers of the world draw attention to themselves whilst they dance on tables and make the ‘thump thump thump’ noise with their hard boots? No Deal.

apologies skiers if you and or your partner are in the picture. It was Meribel, natch. 🙂

Still , stairs would be easier

Sooo,

I’m off to Val d’isere at the start of March with a couple of good mates. They’re both quite good skiers, whilst I’m still kinda snow ploughing my turns on the top section of the local Snow Zone slope. I went with them to Stubai (Austria), back in March and managed the blue slopes, maybe not elegantly, but I managed them.

Confidence is the big problem, I knackered myself quite impressively on my snowboard two winters ago and am having a real problem relaxing into these new fangled ski things.

Anyway, we’re actually going to be based in La Daille, just down the road from Val d’isere and looking at the piste map for the area there appears to be a funicular going up from the village to a large bowl of green runs. Anyone been up there? I’m not looking for thrills and spills, just a gentle bimble up and down with the odd beer stop to people watch. Does anyone know if this area will fit the bill, maybe even help me build enough confidence to attempt other stuff on the hill, later in the holiday. I can also see that there’s a green run back down to the village, but I’ve heard that the lower green runs can be a bit beginner unfriendly in this area! 😯

Am I doomed?

igm, the rolling slope is all about the snowplough. It usually takes decent skiers a few sessions to progress to parallel turns and for that to happen the speed needs to be higher so you can’t share the slope with anyone who is slow / snowploughing. I found it very unforgiving on parallel so no room for sloppiness which I thought was a good thing.

The most useful feature for me was the mirror. I had a tendency to watch the tips of my skis but you practice looking at yourself with no bumps or traffic.

Thanks all, for feedback on both questions I asked.

BeagleBoy, we spent quite a bit of time exactly where you are proposing last year and it will be just what you want. Also consider the greens and blues above Val D’Isere itself – you can get a free bus up to Val and take the lifts from there. Or even take the funicular up and the cable car down to Val.

The green (and all the other colours) runs down to La Daille can be crowded/icy/slushy/closed. If so, just take the funicular down and don’t sweat it.

I’m not looking for thrills and spills, just a gentle bimble up and down with the odd beer stop to people watch

Your biggest problem will be that at the bottom of that bowl of green runs is La Folie Douce. Good luck having the willpower to leave there when it’s in full swing.. 😆

Beagleboy, grab a couple of mornings of one to one lessons, you’ll be more confident and capable in no time.

Anyone off to the Ski and Snowboard Show? We’ve not bothered this year, still working our way through the 8 bottles of French’s Mustard we ended up with.

Anyone got any idea what the snow’s like in Milton Keynes? Off there at the weekend for my first ever lesson on a snowboard……wish me luck