Don’t really understand why folk do that. Or (worse) go to the same place for a summer holiday every year either. The world is a BIG place – there’s lots to see!

Maybe I’m a bit OCD but I’m constantly guilty of going back to the same locations – For example I’ve been to Chamonix about 7 times, Whistler twice, La Thuile 3 times and I’m off back to Fernie again for a month for the 5th time. I do enjoy trying new locations as well though! :-)

Local knowledge counts for a lot I reckon – on a powder day you know where to go and what spots to [hopefully] miss the crowds; you know the terrain traps to avoid and where to find freshies days after a storm – i.e. a secret spot that you just would’t find on a [unguided] 6 day trip.

If I find a run I like I’ll keep doing laps on it until it’s tracked out etc = ‘knowledge of results’ and all that! Avoids spending half the day on chairlifts ‘ticking off’ the runs.

Having said all that I’m also off to Norway this year – a place I’ve never been too before but always wanted to visit.
I’ve got a list of places I want to ride before I’m 50 including Chile & Japan! :D

+1 for carrying all 3 items (in the backcountry), and knowing how to use them. (If I’m staying ‘in-bounds’ and it’s dumped heavily, I’ll often just wear the transceiver).
Not sure it matters what [fairly up to date] transceiver you use as long as you are comfortable using it i.e. it becomes 2nd nature and you don’t have to think about it.(they all operate at 457 KHz)

There’s plus and minus points regarding analogue or digital in terms of coarse & fine searching – number of antennas etc, but apparently despite analogue devices such as the Ortovox F1 (pretty much a ‘work horse’; easy to use & long battery life), the ‘industry’ recommendation is to move towards digital.

Digital transceivers often have advanced ‘multi-search’ features etc which prevents some of the confusion that could occur when an older analogue devices picked up multiple signals – it could be tricky to isolate and pin-point each one.

I’ve now retired my Ortovox F1 in favour of an Ortovox 3+ (also purchased from Facewest – highly recommended).

Look out for ‘practice areas’ at many resorts – these allow you to practice and refresh your search techniques.

Some places offer a discount bundle when you buy transceiver, shovel and probe. Whatever you get, practice, practice, practice and make sure the people you head out into the Backcountry with are also comfortable with their kit – they are going to be the one’s digging you out if you are unlucky enough to get caught in a slide!

Yeah I realise my “gloves over sleeves” look in the OP is a terrible fashion faux pas these days

Just looked at your OP picture again – did you used to get on the Fernie ski-hill shuttle bus at ‘The Stanford’?

Personally I’ve always prefered the gloves under the sleeves ensemble, but whatever works for you I reckon – as long as it’s not the seat of one’s trousers hanging down to one’s knees in a yo-gangsta stylee I say vive la différence. But we were all young once and the youth has every right to annoy the elders with its fashion quirks…

Black jackets look good, but don’t you sweat like a mofo when it’s a sunny blue sky day?

Surprisingly not – mind you a clear, sunny day in BC is likely to be a chilly -20 something celsius! 8O

@GrahamS – In your OP are you posing next to the sign at the top of the ‘Timber’ chair near the ‘Lost Boys Cafe’?

… and nedrapier makes a good point about ‘powder skirts’ – they are often more trouble than they are worth I’ve found. The only functional ones (i.e. they don’t end up round your nipples when you wipe-out) are the ones that attach to your trousers with a system of loops … but you don’t want to get caught short trying to unfasten a dozen loops when nature comes-a-calling! :oops:

+1 for Arc’teryx.

They are definitely on the spendy side but I got fed up with ‘proper’ snowboard jackets from the likes of Westbeach, Quicksilver, Burton et al – that are either heavily padded so as soon as you’ve hiked a couple of feet you’re overheating or they soak up every bit of moisture/sleet at lower levels so when you are on the inevitable chilly chair lift you get cold really quickly.

And yeah it’s true – jazzy colours seemingly do look better in photos, but I still go for subdued ‘old goth in black’ look … 8)

Quite like CFH’s idea of a plain black jacket with some seriously loud strides!

I find wearing a decent jacket means you can fine tune to match the changing weather/aerobic activity with merino layers etc, and the same Arc’teryx jacket has lasted me 4 winters now (with an average of 6 weeks use each year) whereas previously I was having to buy a new jacket nearly every year as they would end up held together with duct-tape as the gaps between the trees are never as wide as they appear at first! 8O

In 16 days there wasn’t one day when the lifts gave access to the kind of fresh powder McNab shows.

I did a Backcountry splitboard trip with Neil last March. I’ve never seen the valley floor in Chamonix so green and free of snow at that time of year. The arete at the start of the Vallee Blanche was closed because conditions were so poor.

However we managed to get fresh tracks every day of the five day course – although this did mean three trips through the tunnel to Italy & a couple of day with long hours of hiking/skinning-up.

Sometimes you have to work pretty hard for a couple of powder turns but for me the reason to go with a guide is becuase they have the local knowledge and experience to find the goods. But anyway – just being up in the hills brings a smile to my face! :-)

Sorry to hear your 16 day Christmas trip was so grim Edukator – I guess the early season conditions in the Alps were pretty exceptional this year. Guess that’s the luck of the draw sometimes.

I’ve gone with Snowcard this year as for a couple the annual renewal for Worldwide multi-trip alpine/snowboard with BMC was just shy of a grand!!

Be careful of some of the cheap online insurance – when you actually read the policy you might find you aren’t actually covered for much.

However, if sticking to Europe a EHIC & carre/carte neige [purchased with a lift pass] should cover your winter activities at least

GrahamS – You’ve been to Fernie before right?

I know it doesn’t fit with your criteria of short & cheap but if you ever head that way again, have a look at ‘Fernie Wilderness Adventures’:

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

Their cat-skiing is fantastic! Unlike Heli-drops they aren’t at the mercy of the weather; there’s no hiking involved; you get ‘fresh tracks’ every run; you don’t have to carry a heavy pack with backcountry gear in it and you can hire transceivers etc (the day starts with a ‘refresher’ using them as you can never practice ‘too much’)

Other cat-ski outfits are available …

Unfortunately, I can’t think of anything similar closer to the UK – pretty much everything in Europe will involve hiking for a few hours (including McNab’s 3 day off-piste clinic!!). Like others have said fitness is pretty important in making the whole backcountry touring experience enjoyable.

Well worth paying the 4.90 Euros and watching the whole film – it really is absolutely amazing!

http://www.sebmontaz.com/videos/237-i-believe-i-can-fly-flight-of-the-frenchies

Yep – there was one in Chapeltown near Sheffield. Was a pretty good venue and quite a few races were held there including some of the Dialled Bikes Series. Not 100% sure but I think the Liability Insurance costs became prohibitive eventually which is a shame.

what is this “Economy” of which you speak?

lol … i believe the original term was ‘steerage’! :-)

nice one getting bumped to First! The closest I’ve ever come was getting one of the left over First Class in-flight meals .. :?

Compression legwear helps by preventing the blood pooling in the lower limbs and helping with oxygenation of the surrounding tissue

Indeed – they are supposed to work by assisting your ‘venous return’ particularly when you are not moving i.e. asleep, or travelling.

They’ve certainly helped prevent me from suffering from the ‘day after’ swollen ‘cankles’

Like Captain Flashheart I wear mine for recovery – in particular after a big day on ski hill, but I also wear them for long flights – I’ve never got on with ‘flight socks’ but previously suffered with ‘legs of lead’ after 9 hours etc in cattle class economy.

Not scientific I know but for recovery & travel they’ve made a huge difference. Kindof like ‘surgical support tights’ for the active middle-aged :-)

Aye, I was thinking the straps were a bit naff. I’ve got some spares lying around, I might try to put a “best of” together

I did this last year with my Spark Blaze bindings. I used the highbacks from a pair of Salomon Codes (perfect fit!) and a mixture of Salomon & Burton straps to create a ‘Franken-binding’. worked really well (with some judicious use of threadlock!)

I don’t think 32 is too old at all – far from it!

I was made redundant when I was 39 so I did my first ever season without working so could make the most of time on the snow. Really wish I’d done one before. Sure – there’s bound to be a worry about employment on your return, but like stevomcd says 3 to 4 months is hardly likely to make a huge amount of difference.

Live to work or work to live?

Pendantry corner though: It’s a backside slash from a drop-in above his head in the photo.

I believe the correct Fernie colloquialism is:

Giv’er!!!!

:lol:

@nedrapier

did you recognise the hat, the black or the steez?

All three! :mrgreen:

@stevomcd – well good luck with your level 3 as and when! Sounds like you’re living the dream for sure!

This bit really made me smile! :lol:

probably been a bit guilty of just going up, looking for the best powder line and hooning it

@stevomcd – interesting stuff. thanks for the info. Did my CASI level one a few years ago (not sure, but I don’t think the CASI level 1 is quite as demanding as the BASI level 1). Really wish I’d continued with it.

Will you consider doing your BASI level 3?

@stevomcd, fantastic! Well done! Is the level 2 BASI more teaching/pedagogy or performance/practical based?

@bajsyckel – thanks for the tips. really Looking forward to it as I’m hearing nothing but good things about the Lyngen area.

Working on the fitness already and I’ve dropped 100Kg just by learning to type properly! :roll:

Seriously though – currently riding 3 or 4 times a week, running once a week and then core, stretching & skating or bouldering if time allows, so fingers crossed I’ll be able to hold my own.

@stevomcd, you’re right. It’s certainly not cheap riding with Neil these days, but I still reckon it’s good value for money though; despite some very ‘mixed’ conditions in the Chamonix area in March earlier this year we managed to ride fresh lines every day – we just had to work for it!

Nice one on the Mnt Blanc descent!!!! How did you get on with your BASI exam? Good I hope!

@nedrapier … lol 185Kg :lol: … I certainly need to do some exercise as I seem to have gained a bit of weight! not sure where that extra 100Kg came from – didn’t think I’d had that many pies! :oops:

Met Rupert (and his dad & sisters) a few times – top bloke and I really like what he’s trying to do with NONSTOP Ski & Snowboard. Good to see a ‘business’ really pasionate about what they do! Quite fancy spending a summer on the bike in Fernie, but at the moment the winter trips come first!

Snow conditions were pretty much the opposite to yours when we were out at the Boulder Hut in the Purcells – almost too much snow and with a weak rain crust layer so the avalanche risk was quite high so we stayed mostly below the tree line. Fantastic experience though – Mark & Yancy are wonderful hosts aren’t they?

That picture of the avalanche rescue dog is great! and I guess that’s Rupert ‘dropping in’ and second from the left in the window picture?

@nedrapier – Thanks for the splitboard mini review. Like bikes I guess it’s good to try as many as you can before you buy, but at some point you just have to bite the bullet, stop procrastinating and buy one!

Seems like there’s more choice every year. Even in Zero G in a Cham they had about a half dozen different splitboards whereas previously there’d be only one stuck in a corner.

I’d only ridden a Voile Mojo before this year and found the nose a tad too soft and once the board I had was a bit short for me anyway (with backcounty kit I’m about 185Kg – more if I’ve drawn the short straw and carrying ropes)

Bought a Jones Solution 168W earlier this year from TSA (with 15% McNab discount). Really impressed with it across a real mix of conditions. As I previously mentioned I ended up modifying the bindings quite a bit but really appreciated the lower height of the Spark Bindings when compared to normal bindings sat ontop of a Voile slider rack etc.

One of the guys (a 6ft 6″ Californian) I rode with in the Alps in March was using a Prior (a 176 I think). Looked like a lovely setup!

Re: Fernie & NONSTOP – yep small world eh? … I did a NONSTOP course a couple of years ago and had an amazing time. The course included a Hut trip and that’s where I got into splitboarding.
Have you done a NONSTOP course? You mentioned you had friends in Fernie.

@ Yellow Belly – you are right in thinking that the French (Govt) aren’t keen on Heliski etc however there’s a few Organisations in the Chamonix area that organise Heli trips mainly in the Valle D’Aosta area:

try the likes of http://www.chamonix-aventure.com or http://www.chamex.com/%5B/url%5D

btw … you’re never too old! I’m 44 next year and I’ve still got the hunger for progression!

@nedrapier

I’m ok for [splitboard] bindings at the moment, but thanks anyway – greatly appreciated. I’ve got a pair of Spark Blaze & Mr Chomps, but I ended up cannabalising a pair of Salomon ‘Code’ bindings for the highback & ankle strap as I found the Spark Blaze highback far too soft & flexy.

I actually lent my Salomon Code highbacks to one of the guys who went to Greenland so my highbacks have seen first descents whereas I haven’t! 8O

Look forward to reading your trip report!

Edit – btw, what splitboard did you use for Greenland and how did you get on with it?

Up until recently I’ve only bled Hope brakes so didn’t have anything to compare them with. Always thought the system for bleeding Hopes was a bit basic/crude but on the whole effective:

open/squeeze/close/top-up/open/squeeze/close/top-up/repeat …

However, having just taken 3 attempts (and a £30 quid bleed kit) to get a decent bleed with a pair of Formula Ora K18s, all I can say is that bleeding Hope brakes is so much easier and you’ve got more chance of working out whether it was a ‘good bleed’ or not straight away.

@nedrapier

Wow … that does indeed sound like a absolutely fantastic trip!

Loving the comma separated synopsis! Trips like that aren’t just about the riding are they – it’s the whole experience!

And whilst I’d love to see a Polar bear, I’d be soiling myself if one came anywhere near camp! :oops:

Would be good to see some of the photos if you ever get round to sorting through them!

@GrahamS

The McNab courses are pretty demanding for sure – I did the splitboard touring course last year and although I was riding & hiking in Fernie for a month before I went to Chamonix, the hikes at altitude still hurt as nothing can prepare you for altitude like altitude and Fernie is pretty low in comparison.

However this shouldn’t be a problem in Norway! :-)

I can definitely recommend the McNab tech-clinics if you fancy working on your off-piste technique etc.

@nedrapier

Yeah … I know what you mean about the ‘once in a lifetime’ recurring theme – I said that when I was about to do a season a few years ago! just one more hit! :-)

Thanks for the fitness tips. Greatly appreciated! :-)

What was your Greenland trip like? Would like to hear about it. I know a couple of guys who went with Neil last year on his Greenland trip and they said it was an amazing experience!

@GrahamS

Quoting from the McNab website:

“Technical ability levels are scored on a scale of 1 to 6 where 1 is a beginner with little or no experience (up to 3 days) and 6 is someone very experienced and able to perform at the highest level, anywhere on the mountain.

Fitness is also graded on a scale of 1 to 6 where 1 is a person with a very basic fitness level and 6 represents someone with a very high level of fitness”

The Norway trip is graded 5 in terms of both technical ability and fitness … hence the need to do some work on my fitness particularly CV fitness!

I’ve only been riding for 9 years but I did learn to ride [properly] with Neil McNab as I had some shocking bad habits at first – then did a season four years ago and have spent a month riding in Canada every year for the past few years as well as a few backcountry trips in the Alps, so I’m really hoping I can make the most of the experience!

@nedrapier

More than happy to share info.

You are right – it’s absolutely eye-wateringly expensive! Staying at Lyngen Lodge, but doing the trip as part of a ‘McNab Expedition’ with Neil McNab (http://www.mcnabsnowboarding.com

I’ve done quite a few backcountry trips with McNab in the past and can highly recommended them if snowboarding is your thing.

It’s all guided touring either directly from the Lodge or using a boat to navigate the Fjords.

I doubt I’ll get an opportunity to do anything like this again, so I’m looking at it as a ‘once in a lifetime’ trip.

Happy to provide more info if you want and let you know what it was like when I’ve been!

Whereabouts, Digby? I REALLY want to visit Lofoten and the Lyngen Alps

Off to Lyngen Alps … and really looking forward to it as I’ve never been to Scandinavia before!

Need to crank up the exercise routine abit though over the next few months to try ensure I’m in ok condition … I’m not getting any younger!

Off to Fernie for a month again in February. Hoping for a repeat of last years epic conditions and then heading to the Northern Norwegian Fjords for a week in April.

No new toys this years apart from a new pair of bindings as last years new pair were cannabalised to try and improve the performance and response of my splitboard bindings.

Have just watched ‘The Art of Flight’ and ‘Twelve’ so really looking foward to the coming season! :-)

do they have weekly offers on a certain day?

Sign up for the CycleSurgery newsletter for details of their weekly & ad hoc offers

CRC have the Post jersey SS you are after (but not in blue). As others have mentioned Cycle Surgery often have Dakine bargains (I picked up a jacket & 2011 8 Track shorts for a bargain last month)
Also TheBikeChain stock quite a bit of Dakine as do BikeTart.

Stock levels for Dakine can be a bit hit & miss. Not heard anything about Surf-Sales losing the Dakine brand … would be a shame if they have!

2009 Blood frame was 135mm rear (m)axle and 83mm BB, however the BB changed to 73mm at some point during 2010.

Great bike and proper fun for playing in the woods for a few hours. Low BB & large(ish) Q factor (esp with big flat pedals) can result in a few more pedal strikes than normal when negotiating rocky ascents or climbing in narrow ruts, but this bike is such a giggle on the descents.

Will be interesting to see if Orange come up with a replacement for the Blood. They’re still doing the ST4 so I don’t think they’ve ditched the single pivot linkage actuated design just yet.

If buying a 2nd hand Blood watch out for cable rub around the swing arm

Geographically local – 18 Bikes in Hope
‘Virtually’ local – The Bike Chain in Edinburgh

@ .duncan – no need to remove the ‘Rainy Day’ video as far as I’m concerned, but ta for the offer.

I thought that was a cracking little video as well :-) … but I don’t for one minute think it was in any way associated with the recent sabotage that I’ve seen at any rate. Most of that was on the ‘middle’ & ‘lower’ sections across the road as discribed by ‘gravity-slave’ before the drop to the boardwalk bit.

By the sounds of it someone or some people took offense to bikes on that bit and embarked on a sustained period of sabotage, which hopefully has fizzled out now.

But yeah … like gravity-slave said – “keep ’em peeled” especially if riding in the dark.

@ Pook – I’m involved in as much as I do the odd bit of trail repair & maintenance [mainly on the lower section], remove glass, rubbish & litter etc from the trail and more recently, clear the bricks, rocks, logs & branches (and once a rusty old lawnmower) that have repeatedly been strategically placed across the trails as obstructions.

I’ve been riding round there for many years and traffic has seemingly significantly increased recently – which is good in many respects as the paths don’t get quite as overgrown! It is cyclical though. I’m not involved in any of the recent major trail building which has taken place on the top section – oddly despite the trail building & tyre ruts etc indicating more traffic I rarely see anyone on a bike.

Main issue recently has been the sabotage, which I first put down to kids mucking about as it was around the start of the holidays, however on one occasion it took me a long time to clear the trail so the effort involved to place all the bricks & branches etc meant someone wasn’t keen on bikes in the area! and a couple of days later I had to clear everything off again!

Had the odd grumble from nearby allotment folk and once had a close call with a skinhead and his staffy down towards the road, but a cheerful & polite hello seem to disperse any confrontation.

Like I said these things are cyclical – and like skate spots if they become ‘blown out’ seemingly the best approach is to move on and ride somewhere else for a while – which I’ll be doing if the sabotage keeps recurring! but would be a shame as it’s part of my regular local loop!

I’m not even sure if the trail(s) classify as ‘cheeky’ since much of it is really post-industrial wasteland (with a couple of obvious exceptions), which is why I was so suprised at the effort someone had gone to to disuade riding round there!