The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2018-2019 season

We love having our own boards.

Ride a lot during the summer at snozone then take them with in the winter.

We have definitely felt the benefit of being used to the same boards over time. Plus having tried a fair selection of diferent boards over time we now know what style we like so it takes the chance away of not liking the hire boards.

It is hassle but nothing horrific and saves on messing about in a hire shop.

I can only imagine that ski’s are the same as boards in having a preference on style

You have to have a snowboard for all conditions. Swallowtail pow stick , icey gripper and ripper, short and detuned jib wand, splitty , no board for the bbq at the chalet. Christ renting one board would be like owning one bike!

I was reading some industry stuff and the marketing bods seem to think that everyone invested in backcountry / tour kit and the next thing they are going to push is the dedicated piste / groomer / detuned race skis.

detuned race skis

Yep, the next big thing apparently. Really brings the snowflakes alive…

Oi. CFH. No Brexit references on here.

The shops will be all be stocking 80’s style spyder race pants next.

Possibly looking to do my basi level 2 snowboard next year. That’s 2 weeks. Prob a week with some mates and a week with the family also.

Right then. We have a new recruit for our annual lads trip! If we are travelling from Bristol, which is the best fridge to take him for a pre holiday lesson followed by a civilised night out for us all?

Wallop. Same distance to Hemel or Tamworth, always gone to Tamworth. Don’t discount Avon Ski centre or Gloucester though. Lots to be learnt on a dry slope at considerably less cost. H8ters are gonna h8 but always worked before fridges were about.  Good to get a first go at the dry slope as it makes the lessons in the fridge much more worth the investment in time and money. Skiing or boarding btw?

Marvellous – thanks! He will be skiing.

 next thing they are going to push is the dedicated piste / groomer / detuned race skis.

Could believe it. It’s the only real gap in my ski selection. I tried a set of Head SuperShape things last season and they were stiff as ****, and absolutely ripped. A set of the new blizzard firebirds would be sick too.

Always fancied a blast on a pair of factory race skis. Not sure my legs or knees would last much more than a couple of runs though.

TheDTs, I had a go on some Atomic factory super g race skis in the Hemel fridge years ago. They were scary fast!

Ive got race stock slalom and gs skis. The slaloms are fundmanetally worrying if you ever get in the backseat. I had to take a lesson on them once as i was late for it and had been race training. Was a nightmare.

My new skis are certainly the narrowest I’ve ever owned but as Nakiska is home to the Canadian Alpine DH some of the runs are just ice.

Going to make an effort to do all my own tuning this year including edge sharpening.

My regular group is lead by a central figure, he has a child now at school age and has doomed himself to going in school holidays, I think with him out the rest of his group will bail 🙁

I’m starting a new job in October where I know there are some skiers so hoping to make some new ski friends!

We’ve been to Les Arcs 1950 for about the last 4 years, I love it round there and want a similar ski in ski out hotel and some reliable snow. We also dropped to Chamonix in March and the hire skis we had there were eye opening over how crap our hire skis had been before then! Open to suggestions from the room on places we should try.

Any of the big French resorts will tick the same boxes as Les Arcs. Tignes, val Thorens are both great and have more mileage and variation than anyone could need if that’s your thing.

Any suggestions for resorts that are, to quote Mrs Lunge, “like Obergurgl but not Obergurgl”? So quite pretty and not a super-resort/Ibiza on ice, high altitude, relaitvely quiet lifts and lots of blues and reds? Don’t mind the country, though I’m not sure budget stretches over the Atlantic this year sadly. We’ve done 3 years in the ‘gurgl and it’s about time for a change of scenery I reckon.

Flights booked for Les Collons (4 Valleys) at the end of January! A friend of a friend has a chalet right on the piste so I was going to turn down that invitation. I hope to get in a long weekend in December too, just need to choose between Turin and Munich…

Was on the verge of booking a holiday in a 4* chalet – 50 yards from the piste in Meribel Mottaret – when we discovered that the “en-suite” really is en-suite, in that the shower opens into the room. Not paying 4* prices for 2* or 3* quality, thanks

might leave it now till last minute as we seem to have missed the really good early bird offers

any recommendations on trips for the perennially single? None of my mates ski/ snowboard. I’m itching to get back out on my board

UCPA if you are young enough, or if not then UCPA off-piste if you are Gnarly enough.

Snowheads organise several trips (“bashes”) through the season – always very sociable, you will be allocated a roomie and there’ll always be someone to ski with

Not booked yet, but I’ve already bought a Helly Hansen insulated jacket which I’ve already decided is too hot, so that’s for sale as soon as we get close to ski season(sneak add This one: https://www.outdoorlook.co.uk/walking/clothing/jackets-coats/helly-hansen-mens-alpha-3-0-waterproof-breathable-stretch-jacket-coat-

how about it for £175 posted- still with the labels on!) so I’ve bought a goretex shell instead as well as some bright orange trousers. Can’t bloody wait! Oldest (7) was skiing reds last year and youngest (5) was on the blues. Will be a top year as I think we’ll all be able to ski top to bottom together for the first time. I get to dick around in the mornings while the nippers are in ski school and as long as I go for it, I’m normally pretty relaxed after lunch and happy to bimble.

Very tempted by a pair of skis, I drive normally and self cater so don’t need to worry about the carriage costs. Still won’t pay admittedly, but shiny is nice!

Les Gets, end of Jan, Lads holiday 🙂

Re – perennial single… Def worth trying UCPA. I went with a mate last year for a cheap late season trip to Argentierre and really rated the place. Like a posh youth hostel basically. We did our own thing and pretty much just used the place for food and accommodation, but loads of singles in there and a good vibe. Very friendly over dinner and in the bar. We’re mid 40s and plenty of folk around our age. Various instruction and off piste groups etc if you wanted to get involved in that too.

There’s a thread on snowheads about the various UCPA venues and how good they are (some are more recently refurbed than others).

Looking for a new jacket (well not really looking, it sort of found me 😉 ) and I’m considering a Patagucci Untracked Jacket. It’s more than I’ve ever paid for a jacket, even reduced, but I loved the fit and feel of it.

https://www.snowmagazine.com/ski-gear/1247-ski-jackets/patagonia-untracked-ski-jacket

Whaddya think?

Avoriaz with the family again 🙂

Airbnb for the first time. Hoping for fewer transfer issues than this year 😯

My Patagonia jacket is coming up for 10 years old and has seen countless ski days (I probably average 20 resort days / year). I love it and with appropriate layers it works for everything from -30C to about -5C

It’s proven durable and worth the initial outlay for me.

Hoping for fewer transfer issues than this year

I cant rate AlpNav highly enough, although the business may be changing soon as the owner is retiring. It costs a little more, but it really is the best transfer service Ive used to the Morz valley over the years.

I’m plotting to better my 30 days from last season – it will all be in Fernie BC  as its the only place we’ve been to in the past 10 seasons and we’ve still not skied it out. Last year through January it snowed pretty much every day and the biking pre-skiing each morning is superb. Got a 3 year old pair of Armada JJ’s still on the go and no plans to change unless a pair of DPS Wailers come my way. Happy skiing, biking and hot tubbing. Why waste the time getting pissed each night when there is more powder to trash the next morning?

Wasn’t planning to be skiing this year (settling into new job, not v flush, living room needs sorting etc) but my mate has just messaged me asking if we want to go to morzine for new year – accommodation provided! Whoop and indeed whoop.

Only problem is Mrs P may be of the opinion that a new sofa is preferable after banging a rib  last time we were there on thin snow.  It’s work in progress but She won’t deny me and the the two younger Pedlad lads fun in the snow Shirley?

Stoner – you out w/c 23rd Feb?

igm – no, we’re going out on the 2nd March.

Wave to you at Geneva.

Any recommendations for private transfers Geneva to Les Gets?

smokey: http://www.alpnavtransfers.com/

Ive used 4 or 5 companies over the years, these are the only ones I recommend.

However, I know Richard is planning on retiring soon, so things may change but I gather this winter season is still business as usual.

Thanks Stoner, they seem a bit on the pricey side but I’ll check them out

Henry’s Avalanche Talk dates are up. Well worth it if you’re going off piste IMO

Essentials Talk in the UK

they are more than most other operators smokey_jo, but I just found that I was so tense after poor quality service from others that I really didint care about dropping an extra €20-30 for a better service.

Good quality, smaller vans (9 seaters, not 16+) with mature professional drivers, means if you’re first pick up (and I often was) youre not getting smashed around the valley for an hour (up to Prodains, down to Essert Romand, back in to Morz, sheesh!), breaking the speed limit doing 10 pick ups on a collapsed rear suspension before finally heading over the hill and on the way to the airport. Im looking at *YOU* AlpyBus. I dont care that Alpbus or Easyjet are only €20 e/w, theyre shit.

Life’s too short to lose an extra couple of hours you could have spent on the piste/in the bar in the back of a stock trailer.

First snowfall of the season in the Rockies this morning. Sweajnr dragged his new skis upstairs and was all for shuffling in the garden on an inch of slush. Much tears when we told him mountain not open yet.