Just arrived in St Anton. I’ve got a hangover that would stun an elephant but that weather report has cheered me up! :D

Innsbruck tomorrow then St Anton on Sat for the week. Canny wait!!!! :D

Got some work mates going out on Sat as well. Think there’s about 12 of them staying in St Anton. If you see them, you’ll know. I’m going to Innsbruck on Wed then travelling up next sat. If there’s no new snow by then i’ll stick to on piste.

Me and 2 mates are staying in Apartment Flunger which isnt too far from the town centre.

:roll:

Just been looking up snow heads and guide prices. Might be better just getting the bus.
8O

Off to St Anton next week. Is it possible to ski from St Anton to Lech without dropping down in to Stuben to get the bus? I heard a rumour (somewhere) that its possible to hire a guide who will take you? Any advice?

A baby polar bear walks up to his mum. In a confused voice he asks, “Mum, am I a polar bear?”

“Why yes son, you are a polar bear” She replies.

The little one nods his head and walks away.

5 minutes later he’s back.

“Mum?”

“Yes?” She says suspiciously.

“Are you SURE I’m a polar bear?”

Exasperated she replies, “Yes son. I’m a polar bear, your dads a polar bear, therefore your a polar bear!”

The cub walks away looking confused. After half an hour he approaches his dad.

“dad?” he asks.

The dads been expecting this, “is this about the polar bear thing?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“Look, your mum’s explained this to you. Your a white furry bear, so its safe to say your a polar bear. Why do you keep asking?”

“Cause I’m fricking freezing!”

Very impressive course.

Air Traffic Controller.

Absolutely love it.

It’s taken long enough to get it, so I’d be stupid to give it up.

6 on 4 off so plenty of time for the bike.

Changing bindings on to my older skis later. Does anyone know a recommended torque setting for the binding mounting bolts?

Cheers folks. Good options there. Going on a night shift so got plenty of time to sort it! :wink:

Does anyone know how long it would take to use up a 500mb allowance?

I’m pretty thick at this. Don’t want to buy a digital radio for car so thought this would be as good as.

Cheers folks. Just booked Apartment Flunger for the week!

I knew someone would come through!!!! :lol:

Brain trust, need help. Looking for accommodation for me and 2 mates in st anton from 9th of march for a week. Literally just after beds, shower and close as possible to town centre.

Anyone help?

At Vancouver airport. Flight delayed 20 min. That’s not the bit that bothers me. It’s the weather forecast for heathrow tomorrow. Looks like a diversion is on the cards. Bollox.

Wee up date. No upgrade on flight to Vancouver. My mates getting in shit for that. Transfer bus driver couldn’t find any gears between the airport and whistler. Digs are good. Other halfs friends (whistler employee and other is ski patrol) took us on some of the best runs I’ve ever seen! Watched snow and fire show from GLC balcony. Cloud inversion on the way up to blackcomb glacier. Hiked up to the top of glacier. Proposed to girlfriend. She said YES! Cue group of ozzies cheering me on! skied down to crystal lodge for WAFFLES!!!! Then went up whistler peak to creek. Beer in roundhouse. Back down to hot tub. Now back in hotel after celebratory sushi! Hope you’re not struggling in the cold in the UK! Will update in the next few days! :lol:

May still get one inflight. I’ll hold off for the now. :-)

Alas no upgrade. What she doesn’t know won’t won’t hurt.

My DIN are set quite low so I’ve had no problem with them releasing. My only problem was with the retainer strap snapping when they did release. Spent an hour digging my ski out of a small ravine in austria.

The only other tellie bindings I used were old NATO touring ones. They had better control but as I said, I’ve already grubbed my ACL in the past and I’m using everything I can to not do it again.

I’ll keep an eye out for NTN in the summer sales. Ski Bartlett have s massive stock.

It’s buying a whole new set up that puts me off NTN. Would like to give it a try to see the difference though.

CFH. I think those bindings might be good for ski disability, especially for those with lower limb injuries. My mate has a fused ankle and I think these would be quite comfortable. Saying that, he’s already bought boots and had them enlarged to fit a custom inner boot.

Supersaiyan,

For releasable bindings check out 7tm bindings. I’ve been using them for 5 years as I didn’t want to risk my ACL again. They’re not as good as NTN for control and power but I get along with them no problem. Also plenty of attachments available for them such as crampons and ski touring hinge plate.

Been telemarking 10 years now. It’s a very rewarding way of cutting around the hill, but coming from snowboarding bi-passing alpine is going to create a few problems.

1. The technique is vastly different, so it’s pretty much starting from scratch again. Finding your centre of balance, muscles you never use on a board etc.

2. As already stated, it can be tricky to find stuff for hire in some resorts and I’ve checked the ski schools for instructors. They can seem thin on the ground.

3. The equipment is expensive.

Saying all that though, it’s absolutely brilliant when you have it nailed. I ski in the telemark club at hemel when I can. Most indoor slopes have a telemark club that will meet up once a month. Very friendly with a couple of spare bits of kit for u to try. Most of these clubs have a Facebook page so you’ll be able to get most of your answers there.

Alternatively, if you like your knees in good condition, there’s always alpine touring bindings. :wink:

Be there Sunday bright and early!

Get it, no. (at the moment. Company want make it degree applicants only)
Do it, no.

Saying that, I can think of only 3 other people out of a maybe 100 who don’t have a degree in this job. I don’t, but no one has ever made me feel inferior about it. If you can do the job, that’s good enough.

Unfortunately I won’t find out if I’ve got the upgrade until we check in so can’t take advantage of my new baggage allowance.

Crispo. I spoke to my OH about the waffles at the crystal lodge. She has heard so much about them but in 2 seasons never managed to get them. She says it’s her biggest regret!!!

I’m so excited a wee bit of wee came out! Through contacts at work I’ve hopefully got us an upgrade on BA. Not telling the other half until we get to heathrow!

I’m really after improving my powder skiing. I’ve not really managed to get any done for the last couple of years, so the first day or 2 I’ll stay outside of the treeline on unpisted runs to work on technique. Once I’m bored of practice I think by the looks of the guide book I’ll go bowl hunting. Thankfully the other half still has friends in the area who are taking us out for 3 days so I hopefully won’t have to spend ages studying the best routes and they’ll just take us!

What’s prices out there like for kit? Looking at skins, poles and transceivers?

Off to whistler on sat! My other half worked 2 seasons out there a few years ago. She bought a guide book for the slopes but is still struggling to remember her favorite runs. Any of you in this fine brain trust have any recommendations, not just about the slopes?

Winchester.

I’ve just got mine for off piste without a guide from insure and go via touchdown website. £50. Don’t know if that’s good or not cause my insurance is normally covered by bank account, however it doesn’t cover off piste, hence the purchase.

Good shout on the bowman actually….

White hart hamble, but plenty of nice bits in Winchester.

Yeh ive been a couple of times. Not a local but it’s easy enough to link up routes with the local OS map. Some really good trails in the area but I reckon it’s a nightmare at the moment with this weather!

Whistler booked for jan 12th. On my tellies CFH. :P

Boo hiss. My idiotic accident prone mate has just buggered his leg in Japan and looks like he’s now coming home. Got 2 weeks leave booked in march with nowhere to go now.

Sorry to read that. Sending positive vibes….

I use an old clothes iron cause I’m tight but it works ok.

RIGHT. Deadline time. I have until tomorrow morning to tell ski Bartlett whether I want k2 coombacks or prophet 98’s as they are keeping them by for me.. Got whistler and Japan this season, then Europe next year so I’m going to leave it up to youze to pick em for me.

I love the powder/touring capabilities of the k2 but for longevity I think the 98’s have better compromise for on piste for the next few years. Help.

Went to auchinleck academy and my family’s from cumnock. Out of all the villages in the area, I would only live in mauchline. Would love sorn but errr……

I’m a loudon (refuse to use silly name) drinker but venture up to the bull occasionally for the duke box :P

pebblebeach – Member
Meant to say that Fenwick is quite a nice wee village too, couple of decent hotels/pubs. Some new houses being built too if thats what you’re after. Sorne also very nice.

Avoid the following – galston, newmills, darvel, tarbolton, mauchline, patna,dalsmellington, to name a few – all old mining/mill towns that have had the life torn out of them and they’re just shiholes now.

What pish are you talking?! I agree with you about the others but Mauchline a shit hole?! Brilliant primary school, good amenities for its size and 3 nice(ish) pubs. Ayr and Killie both 15min away, Glasgow 30 min. The only thing that lets it down is the lack of a railway station as the mainline to glasgow runs through it. Left when I was 17 but I visit family once or twice a month. Missus is from rural Oxfordshire and she loves it!

Killie town centre is run down and I feel that Ayr seems to be self destructing under the ineptitude of south ayrshire cooncil but given a choice, I’d stay in Prestwick or Ayr. On the coast with nice beaches and great links up to Glasgow.

As for mountain biking, I used to use all the paths around Mauchline as well as the old quarry in Sorn to scare myself. Mauchline pit has some nice little drop ins and there is a mountain biking club at New Cumnock (Glenafton MTB club) which meets once a week. I’ve not managed to meet them but they’re on facebook and seem friendly enough. Because of the right to roam act the best advice I would give you is the usual, get the landranger and go where ever you want. All the 7stanes sites are within 2/3hrs of killie and you have Fort william/Glencoe 3.5hrs away.

I would move back in a shot but work ties me down here. Hampshire is too impersonal compared to the “shire”.

My mate sent me a link for a company. You send them any graphics you want and the type of ski’s, then they will make graphics for them. Quite cheap and all you have to do is heat treat them on. I’ll try and dig it out.