In Canada you ease up to let someone in the queue and they say “No, after you!” with a smile

Gotta love those polite Canucks!

When riding the Whistler Gondola alone, my missus was joined by a small group of park-rats who said to her:

“excuse me ma’am … would you mind if we smoked a joint on the ride up?”

Didn’t Intrawest sell their stake in WB a few seasons back?

I wasn’t aware of that – A quick Google shows that yeah .. they sold the last of their shares in WB in 2012 … probably explains the change in pricing!

Yeah tempted by that Digby. Is it worth doing?

Depends entirely on the conditions, so there’s always going to be an element of luck:

Too much snow fall and the patrollers won’t have everything opened up and too little and you’ll be cruising the groomers.

It was March ’06 when I did it at Whistler – a good few inches of a freshies and whilst lots of folks were still stuffing breakfast I managed 3 laps off the Harmony chair before I saw another soul.

Either way I reckon it’s a change of pace and a nice way to beat the morning crowds!

If you do a bit of searching it looks like a 10 day pass for around then is now $748 CAN, which is about £420 at current rates

Nice! :-) Intrawest must be getting generous in their old age!

btw – if conditions are peachy or you just fancy being up the ski hill super early then have a look at the ‘Fresh Tracks’ breakfast up on Whistler!

10 day pass = £400

Wow … that’s pretty reasonable for BC – I thought Whistler would be about $100 CAN per day [with a discount for multi-days]

I think Fernie is over $80 CAN per day this season – hence why I bought my ‘early bird’ season pass in June!

You forgot the $1000 you’re going to spend in the GLC

And that’s just for a pitcher of beer & some nachos! ;-)

Here is Ryan Knapton ably demonstrating carving on a board

Gotta love a bit of ‘layback carving’! 8)

New skins arrived last night, they are snowboard specific

Which ones did you get? The G3 skins?

Trimmed my Black Diamond Glidelite skins with the supplied trim tool – was a bit apprehensive at first by was actually pretty straight forward

The Spark R&D tail-clip was a good investment – I think Spark’s skins are re-branded G3

I remember having dinner with a ski bum couple in Fernie who were in their 70s and they rode Morning Glory every day

Fnarr fnarr! :-)

Morning Glory – one of my favourites. I’m back in Fernie for nearly a month in January. Can’t wait! Then off to the Alps for 3 wks in March

My kids are only 1 and 4

Ahh … didn’t realise your family was quite so young. What made it easy for me was my daughter was off to Uni.

As ever stevomcd … nicely put! I see exactly what you are saying:

I think the difference is that most Brits don’t really have much of a clue about what really good skiing or snowboarding is

… kindof hits the nail on the head! :?

the problem is that most people think it’s just another word for turning, so when you ask them if they can carve they say “of course!”

That boat has sailed. Should have done it when I was young single and carefree

Never say never GrahamS! :-)

I did a season (well – 10 weeks) in 2008 – my partner was very accommodating & supportive and my daughter was a grown up teenager.

But yeah – I do take your point that it’s easier when you are younger etc.

However for the past few years I’ve tried to make the lifestyle choices that enable me to spend as much time as I can on the snow!

If you really want it you will find a way of making it happen!

what is the difference between a carved and skidded turn?

Corduroy P*rn … 8)

A well executed carved turn will leave a ‘pencil line’ in the snow from the edge of the snowboard or ski
A skidded turn will leave a large thick ‘brush-stroke’ since more of the base is in contact with the surface of the snow

Those that start in their 30’s or 40’s tend to struggle to get off the intermediate plateau unless they put in an awful lot of time and effort

lol … well I’ve been ‘pwned’ – I didn’t start snowboarding until I was 32 and my first winter holiday was in 2002! 8O

I’m a “couple of weeks a year” rider

I guess the point I was trying to make in an earlier post was ‘don’t obsess too much about what level you are’

For sure, it’s important to have a fair idea of your own capabilities before you throw yourself down a slope that might be out of your comfort zone but I don’t think it’s worth obsessing over – all too often I’ve seen holidays and trips spoiled by people trying to prove something when they probably would have had a better trip with some lessons to get them out of a ‘progression dip’.

As others have mentioned it seems to be a very middle aged bloke affliction.

To be fair anyone that only manages a week or so per year on the ski hill is doing pretty darn tootin’ to be intermediate and there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s a holiday and you are there to enjoy yourself!

Although if my maths is correct you’ve got three weeks scheduled for 2015 GrahamS! 8)

Seems to me that you’ve been well & truly bitten by the bug … I look forward to hearing about your plans for a season & trips to far off lands! :-)

Just out of interest what was the reasoning behind your Grading Scale stevomcd?

Chalet Guests, clients or folks being instructed?

doesn’t rely on people self-describing their skidded turns as “carving”

I can see exactly where you are coming from but doesn’t the inclusion of ‘carving’ (i.e. a pencil line(s) in the snow) give an indication of control and performance rather than just testosterone fueled speed?

As a rough guide:

Canadian Blue = Euro Red

[although they will vary from Resort to Resort and they aren’t really directly comparable as a Euro Red might be a Groomed Run of varying width whereas a Canadian Blue might be narrow cat-track/trail through an ungroomed area]

at what point does an Intermediate skier become an Advanced skier

I think it’s a ‘State of Mind’ 8)

I wouldn’t worry about it. Everyone has strengths & weaknesses; good days & bad days; crappy conditions & awesome conditions.

As long as you are progressing & enjoying it then what’s the worry?

If you feel like an ‘Advanced Skier’ you *might* be an Advanced Skier, but it’s purely subjective*

*Unless of course you are a seasonaire/instructor/guide/pro etc … in which case you can bask in the glow of your own Advanced Awesomeness! :-)

Note they also have How To Be A Mountain Biker and How To Be A Road Biker videos

And the ‘seminal classic’ … “I Only Ride Park”! ;-)

Their videos pop up on NSMB site as I think ‘IFHT’ that are somehow linked/connected to NSMB.

Very funny – and pleasantly self-deprecating!

Anyhow … back to the snow!

Do you have of those targeted at folk who like to pretend they are middle class?

Step 2 – Choose ‘Euro’!

:-)

@ stevomcd – nice write up and very interesting! Thanks!

I remember a conversation some years ago with some Canadian snowboard instructors who were of the opinion that too much yoga/stretching (esp in the legs) wasn’t helpful for snowboarding as it made you too ‘floppy’ – and you were better off being ‘stiff & p155ed’ … however these guys were young and it was interesting to note that as they got older and sustained more injuries through snowboarding, cycling and ice hockey etc that they needed to start looking after themselves – and so they started doing yoga.

I’ve been doing it for a few years now (I’m 46) and if I stop I can really tell the difference as I will get lower back pain, tight calves, tight hip-flexors etc within a few days.

So it’s yoga that enables me to keep going!

I learned from Rocky Snyder’s ‘Fit to Surf’ book and Barbara Currie’s ’10-Minute Yoga Workouts’ book along with the DVD ‘Yoga for cyclists’ with Andria Baldovin.

I really should try a ‘class’ though, but I’ll check out the Rodney Yee DVD! Ta! :-)

33 cm in Fernie overnight! :-)

A lot of “ski” clothing is really badly cut for snowboarding

Agreed – Established ‘Ski’ brands make clothing for just skiing (which is completely inappropriate for snowboarding)

However the point I was trying to make was that many ‘premium’ brands like Arcteryx, Norrona, Sweet Protection, Picture, Oakley and to a certain extent TNF, actively design products for both skiing & snowboarding without the traditional limitations of skiing.

I think much of this is because the latest generation of kids who ski, wear very much ‘snowboard inspired’ clothing and wouldn’t be seen dead in tradition ski attire, and it probably makes sense for apparel companies to maximise this cross-over potential.

Every resort in BC that I’ve been to has big groups of park-rats all looking gangsta & bad-ass mo-fo; all shredding the hill dressed in the same fashions whether they are on skis or snowboards. 8)

Europe on the other hand still has a big demographic of what I’d refer to as your ‘traditional ski market’ for whom rocking the Spyder jacket is perhaps still seen as the height of sophistication!

Anyway … enough of my sarcasm. Parenthetically the only pair of trousers I’ve split at the crotch [whilst snowboarding] were Westbeach! I sowed them up every weekend and they lasted the 8 or so weeks left of the season! :D

hehe – GrahamS … you said it in a sentence whilst I waffled on for ages! :-)

With a few exceptions (like Eider & Schoffel) many winter sport/activity brands seem to be agnostic when it comes to Skier/Snowboarder bias and this is a good thing in my opinion.

The likes of Volcom et al have also positioned themselves at the ‘park-rat/jib-kid’ market – irrespective of whether the kids are ripping it up on skis or snowboards.

Again … this is a ‘good thing’ I reckon. 8)

The downside with a number of these brands is that their clothing ranges are often well insulated and therefore they aren’t suitable for middle-aged chaps who get ‘hot flushes’ when exercising. :oops:

Not a problem if you’re just riding the chairs and cruising the groomers but if you are hiking/touring & sweating then shell jackets and a layering system is preferable.

Patagonia, Arcteryx, Norrona & Sweet Protection all make high-end (and pricey) shell jackets that are hard wearing and often multi-functional (since they are often derived from ‘Mountaineering’ style clothing)

So it really depends on what you want to use it for and what your budget is. If you are only having 6 days a year and staying in resort (i.e not far from a hot chocolate or vin-chaud) then it probably doesn’t make much sense to spend a small fortune. Just try one and and buy the one that’s comfortable and you like the colour of!

If your needs are greater, and you need something that’s light; packable; part of layering system; powder features; venting etc then have a look at some of the brands I mentioned earlier (including ‘Trew’ that nedrapier flagged up) that have heritage in ‘backcountry’ product lines.

In Whistler there were a few days where I was walking to the Gondola in the rain, and sometimes it was still raining up at midway

Same in Fernie – in can be raining in town or at resort level but snowing above the mid-station. Having a jacket with less than adequate waterproofing is a recipe for chilly-chair-lift-rides … hence my switch to an Arcteryx jacket. I can honestly say I haven’t been disappointed with the GoreTex Pro Shell

my trews are Gelanots, apparently. Not been disappointed

Although I’ve never heard of these – thanks for the heads up nedrapier as I’m toying with the idea of some new ‘slacks’ for the coming season! 8)

edit – sadly I don’t know anyone currently heading to the States – but they do look the business for the PNW!

edit#2 although I do see they have a UK and a Fernie dealer! Mmmmm

haha! great story stevomcd! :-)

I guess that kindof answers GrahamS’ earlier question :lol: :

Do you reckon the general quality of jackets has gone down in the past ten years or so?

Well I got fed up of having to buy a new jacket every season to replace the previous year’s that wasn’t waterproof and had fallen apart … :-(

So I bought an Arc’teryx Sidewinder in a sale in 2008 (RRP £500) and it’s still going strong today despite numerous altercations & encounters with trees, rocks & ice etc!

I retired my Ortovox F1 a few years ago and replaced it with a 3+

Barryvox Element also has lots recommendations, but whichever you buy, practice & familiarity is key, especially when moving from coarse to fine search.

Like you Nedrapier I purchased from Facewest – never had anything but a great service from them. They upgraded the firmware in the 3+ for free last year*

Facewest have become my regular one-stop-shop for outdoor & backcountry kit. Not always the cheapest online price, but factor in the 10% ‘loyalty points’, free postage & no quibble returns and they are very reasonable indeed.

*The firmware upgrade apparently addresses some of the ‘quirks’ that stevomcd mentions

So any thoughts on a “cheap” (relatively) way to holiday in Whistler for two weeks?

GrahamS … Have a look at the likes of ‘Skiworld’ as well – they sometimes have early season offers for Whistler.

As I’m sure you know, the problem with a lot of North American accommodation is that prices [for self catering] are often based on 4 or more people sharing and the ‘Catered Chalet’ concept is pretty rare, so I guess you’re going to pay slightly over the odds with just a party of 3

There used to be a Backpackers lodge next to the infamous ‘Boot Pub’/Strip joint but that got torn down to make way for more condos prior to the 2010 Olympics

just bought a pair of these

Thanks for the heads up nedrapier! 8)

Reckon I’ll be buying some of them as well as they look like better alternative to disintegrating cheat-sheets!

and a chance of Northern Lights

Nice one nedrapier! 8)

Mostly

snowboarding/splitboarding
longboarding
running
bouldering
cooking

and have recently started making Airfix models again after a break of about 33 years …

I now using a Petzl Tikka RXP for night running: It’s fairly light; USB rechargeable and with a decent variable beam

Last winter I used my Petzl Tikka – which just wasn’t quite enough. I then tried my Hope R4 with the headstrap – which was awesome for visibility but a bit too heavy with the battery on the headstrap / overkill for 30 minute runs afterwork etc.

Guess it depends on whether you are running over uneven/rough/rocky terrain at night (in which case 100+ lumens is useful to avoid ankle sprains etc) or running in an unlit park (in which case 40+ lumens might suffice)

+1 for lunch at either Whistlestop Cafe or No 1 Peebles Road

The indian [Saffron] in Innerleithen is pretty decent. Limited seating so either book or grab a takeaway.

I often think my riding is a bit sluggish tho’ after a big curry night!

… and agreed – the Prince of India in Peebles is just average. The starters are fine, but the mains a tad disappointing.

If you fancy Pizza/Italian you could try Francos in Peebles (above the Bridge pub). Decent pizzas etc at reasonable prices

Traquair Arms is ok for pub-grub

Turn the autopause off.

I really doubt a dedicated GPS device such as the Edge 2/5/800 won’t do the job when my not-very-smartphone has no problem running Strava…

I tried turning the auto-pause off but it didn’t make much difference when trying to use my Edge 500 running.

I can’t find the links at the moment, but I did some research and some info suggested that it was the fact that the Edge 500 had been optimised for cycling (in terms of ‘sample rates’). Also it couldn’t compensate for the ‘arm-swing’ effect of some people’s running styles.

Clearly it’s worked for some people so it might be worth trying but I gave up in the end as the results were too erratic/erroneous/inconsistent.

I tried to use my Garmin Edge 500 with a ‘Garmin Quick Release Mounting Kit (Forerunner 201 & 301 Only)’

… whilst the Edge 500 fits the strap fine, the running results were somewhat erratic as the device is effectively turned on its side whilst running so GPS signal was frequently lost

Ended up buying a Garmin forerunner 110 – which I use for both running and on the Mountain Bikes – whilst the Edge 500 is just used for on the road bike

I did a day at FWA years ago and, to be honest, I wouldn’t go back. Too flat. The snow wasn’t great when I was there

… and to be fair, when I went it had snowed 100cm+ blower powder in the previous 24 hours 8) – I probably would have had a great time anywhere, but I still think it’s worth checking out for a day if you don’t want to ‘hike for your lines’ etc

Looking at trying to sort a touring/ski mountaineering trip to the Lyngen Alps in northern norway.

Has anyone been?

Yep – I did a trip there in 2012 but stayed at the ‘Lyngen Lodge’ rather than on a boat. The sail & ski trips do look great, but I’m getting old now and there’s something quite appealing about comfort and dry boots.

It’s an absolutely amazing place and it was a fantastic experience – but then we were incredibly lucky with the weather.

http://www.lyngenlodge.com/%5B/url%5D

Let me know if you want any more info etc

I think nedrapier has been a couple of times as well …

I really really enjoyed FWA. I think they have access to similar elevation to Island Lake, but perhaps not as steep or varied

For sure there is some mellow terrain in the area they operate, but there’s also some steep stuff and some optional cliff drops if you want!

As I mentioned earlier, to get the best out of things like this it’s an advantage if everyone is riding/skiing at a similar level as they will tend to steer the choice of terrain towards the technically ‘weaker’ folks – which can sometimes be an issue with ‘Public’ groups

The advantage with FWA is it can be a ‘bonus’ / ‘value-add’ day out to your resort based trip as opposed to an ‘all-inclusive package’ inc accommodation at the like of Island Lake Lodge (2 day only options are available, but they tend to be limited availability and only during early & late season)

I don’t think you would be disappointed with FWA. Like most of these things you get out what you put in – as long as your expectations aren’t set unrealistically high!

Sounds like a great idea for a 40th! (you spring chicken!!) 8)

I’m sure it is in relative terms, but sadly my missus only gave me permission to go to Canada

In which case FWA is probably more appropriate as lots of Post Offices have closed over the past few years … :wink:

I have to say that Snowwater Heli setup looks pretty darn sweet! Love the idea of a Snowcat backup so there’s no ‘down days’! 8)

approx £2,400 for a 3 day all inclusive heli looks pretty good value (when compared with similar Alaska/Russia type trips)

just need some spark magnetos now..

Be very interested to know how you get on with the Magnetos … especially the ‘clog-free’ claims.