Author Topic: The Ski Locker thread (Read 128441 times)

Ham · « **Reply #175 on:** 02 January, 2013, 07:12:47 pm »

A number plate I really want .... http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=17094.msg1388372#msg1388372

closetleftie · « **Reply #176 on:** 06 January, 2013, 11:38:26 am »

OK here goes: NEWBY ALERT

I need some very basic advice. We've decided to go skiing at Easter & Ham suggested I post on this thread

Situation: Family. Mrs L has been skiing years ago and she's a confident athletic sort of type. I've never been, and am fit but less confident and likely to be a slowish learner.

Kids: 6 year old boy, temperamentally like his mother. Likely to be confident and quick on the uptake. 8 year old girl, could go either way. 10 year old boy, may struggle with balance, likely to be timid.

The non-negotiables: Easter school holidays,need instruction, need to speak English (everyone has a few words of French but not fluent, I speak passable German) flexible on location etc.

Questions:

1. We have time. Shall we drive for the sake of it?

2. Are packages worthwhile? I've found one which seems on the face of it to be reasonable value. Flights, catered chalet, La Rosiere, instruction etc included, £3.4k. Can I save much by sorting it out myself?

3. Book ski instruction here or once there?

4. Group lessons or try to find a private instruction for the family?

Any other advice appreciated!

PaulF · « **Reply #177 on:** 06 January, 2013, 12:02:16 pm »

I'd book lessons in advance if I were you as you're going at peak time. Also if you live near a dry ski slope I'd consider having some lessons before you go. Coincidently I'm on the way back from my sons lesson at the moment.

I'd also look at private lessons. I think that you'll make faster progress albeit at a higher cost but I think it's worthwhile. I've watched the progress that the group lessons made compared to my son's one on one lessons. He progressed much faster than the groups.

valkyrie · « **Reply #178 on:** 06 January, 2013, 12:17:01 pm »

I'm just back from two weeks in the Zillertal in Austria and I'd recommend Austria for value for money. I'd normally recommend leaving the booking until last minute so as to make sure you've got great snow but as you're fixed to Easter then you'll just need to book in advance and hope for the best. Somewhere high like Obertauern would be pretty snow-sure and offers a decent range of skiing for beginners. Ski-Schools there all speak excellent English and the group classes can be fun. Most of the accommodation there is very close to the pistes so easy to get yourself and kids out and going in the morning. Don't have any children myself but I do feel sorry for parents struggling along in big gondola queues carrying small children and assorted skis/poles.

Some of the very cheap deals you see in Austria are for resorts like Niederau, which are very low and very small. I have had a great holiday there but these small ones can get lots of lift queues if the snow is good or be closed completely by just a day or two of heavy rain.

Austria has more hotel based holidays and less in the way of self-catering compared to France. For us (a couple) it's usually cheaper to take half-board in a 4 start Austrian hotel than it'd be to take a grotty little studio apartment in a big French resort. On piste food prices are much cheaper too.

Check out the SnowHeads forum for recommendations on ski-schools etc = http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/

mark · « **Reply #179 on:** 06 January, 2013, 12:44:16 pm »

Quote from: closetleftie on 06 January, 2013, 11:38:26 am

OK here goes: NEWBY ALERT

I need some very basic advice. We've decided to go skiing at Easter & Ham suggested I post on this thread

Situation: Family. Mrs L has been skiing years ago and she's a confident athletic sort of type. I've never been, and am fit but less confident and likely to be a slowish learner.

Kids: 6 year old boy, temperamentally like his mother. Likely to be confident and quick on the uptake. 8 year old girl, could go either way. 10 year old boy, may struggle with balance, likely to be timid.

The non-negotiables: Easter school holidays,need instruction, need to speak English (everyone has a few words of French but not fluent, I speak passable German) flexible on location etc.

Questions:

1. We have time. Shall we drive for the sake of it?

2. Are packages worthwhile? I've found one which seems on the face of it to be reasonable value. Flights, catered chalet, La Rosiere, instruction etc included, £3.4k. Can I save much by sorting it out myself?

3. Book ski instruction here or once there?

4. Group lessons or try to find a private instruction for the family?

Any other advice appreciated!

The problem with private lessons for the family is that you've described four extremely different students, and you're likely to find yourself learning at the pace of the slowest learner in the group. 6 year olds generally do not have the same motor skills and cognitive abilities as 8 or 10 year olds, no matter how confident they are. Putting siblings in the same ski class, whether a private lesson or a group lesson, also creates the potential for sibling rivalry and other behavior issues.

Ham · « **Reply #180 on:** 06 January, 2013, 01:58:13 pm »

With a family of 5 you can make meaningful savings travelling and arranging things yourself. Here's an outline budget:

Shuttle - £120 if you book early, ferry is always an option.
Fuel (say 1,500 miles), tolls - £380 (ie £500 all up, check on via michelin for your car)

Apartment - £600 (ski apartments are...cosy, but the kids should be ok. bunk beds etc)

Food - probably more than you think - say £500

So, £1,600 so far - add £100 for a set of good snow chains. Do you need a roof box? (add to fuel costs, too!) Do you need continental breakdown cover?

So, meaningful saving to the package deal. Now you have to add on the rest.

Skis (rent booked in the UK) - £50 x 5 - £250 for basic skis
Ski passes - basic ski passes for everyone - 900E £850 for La Plagne.
Lessons - my suggestion would be morning group lessons - ski together in the afternoons which would be around 750E, £700 for ESF, the classic french school. La plagne does have english schools as well which would be a better option, probably.

So, another £2K - not forgetting clothing. Best to borrow if you can, if you can't TK Max has excellent deals on skiwear, do try to get someone who knows about ski along when you make any choices.

That's a budget, sound reasonable?

There is another option - buying a package and self travel. That will work if you can get a deal for passes and you know what you are doing and where you are going (as I just did over xmas) but I'd suggest leaving that to one side for the moment.

valkyrie · « **Reply #181 on:** 06 January, 2013, 06:43:59 pm »

Some of the smaller companies that specialise in just one or two resorts can offer pretty good deals and advice. I've never used MGS but they impressed me when I spoke to them at the Scottish Ski show and I'm seriously considering trying a week with them this year. They operate out of Val Cenis in France and mostly offering self-catering apartments. Prices per person at Easter about £390 and that includes accommodation, ski hire, lift pass & skiing with a guide/instructor every afternoon. You'd need to add on the cost of the drive down, food there and tuition for the kids. Have a look at http://www.mgsski.com/index.htm

PaulF · « **Reply #182 on:** 06 January, 2013, 06:49:28 pm »

Another request for advice - my son needs to wear glasses for skiing so we went to look for some googles. The shop - admittedly only the one at Bracknell dry ski slope - claimed that googles that fit over glasses don't exist for children. Does anyone know any differently?

Ham · « **Reply #183 on:** 06 January, 2013, 07:03:32 pm »

Quote from: PaulF on 06 January, 2013, 06:49:28 pm

Another request for advice - my son needs to wear glasses for skiing so we went to look for some googles. The shop - admittedly only the one at Bracknell dry ski slope - claimed that googles that fit over glasses don't exist for children. Does anyone know any differently?

Yes, utter bollocks. We may have some going spare-ish (or they may have been outed a while back).

edit: quick google for "OTG Childrens Goggles" turns up: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330791388385?hlp=false

Ham · « **Reply #184 on:** 06 January, 2013, 07:05:43 pm »

Quote from: valkyrie on 06 January, 2013, 06:43:59 pm

Some of the smaller companies that specialise in just one or two resorts can offer pretty good deals and advice. I've never used MGS but they impressed me when I spoke to them at the Scottish Ski show and I'm seriously considering trying a week with them this year. They operate out of Val Cenis in France and mostly offering self-catering apartments. Prices per person at Easter about £390 and that includes accommodation, ski hire, lift pass & skiing with a guide/instructor every afternoon. You'd need to add on the cost of the drive down, food there and tuition for the kids. Have a look at http://www.mgsski.com/index.htm

That's good stuff! I'm off to Val Cenis in Feb - any experience of it?

PaulF · « **Reply #185 on:** 06 January, 2013, 07:12:16 pm »

Quote from: Ham on 06 January, 2013, 07:03:32 pm

Quote from: PaulF on 06 January, 2013, 06:49:28 pm
Another request for advice - my son needs to wear glasses for skiing so we went to look for some googles. The shop - admittedly only the one at Bracknell dry ski slope - claimed that googles that fit over glasses don't exist for children. Does anyone know any differently?

Yes, utter bollocks. We may have some going spare-ish (or they may have been outed a while back).

edit: quick google for "OTG Childrens Goggles" turns up: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330791388385?hlp=false

Thanks - I rather thought it to be bollox. If you have some spare I'm sure we could come to some agreement

Ham · « **Reply #186 on:** 07 January, 2013, 11:26:25 pm »

1971 K2 demonstration team

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/CP3wU677tcg&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/CP3wU677tcg&rel=1</a>

Don't think much of their mogul technique

closetleftie · « **Reply #187 on:** 08 January, 2013, 06:29:44 pm »

Update: going to La Rosiere at Easter with Peak Retreats.

Driving...

Ham · « **Reply #188 on:** 08 January, 2013, 06:57:33 pm »

Peak Retreats are pretty reliable, you should have a good time! enjoy. BTW, the kids goggles are no more, sorry. (Miss Ham is 22 now....)

Feanor · « **Reply #189 on:** 08 January, 2013, 06:57:42 pm »

Just back from Les 3 vallées, and as has been previously reported, the snow is in excellent condition.

We were a group of 8, and were based in Courchevel 1850.
We did several long itinery days, and the snow was good enough to ski right down to St. Martin De Belleville for an excellent lunch.
Another day, we went over into the Orelle valley for lunch at La Rosael:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/257839701

The new Plattieres lift out of Mottaret makes a huge improvement on the mega-queues that used to form there.

A couple of pics..

P1000832 by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

But it's not all fun and games: a Feanor's work is never done:

P1000819 by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

And a first go at a panorama:

Saulire by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

Ham · « **Reply #190 on:** 08 January, 2013, 07:06:14 pm »

You had bloody sun. Grrr.

Snow was brill though, wasn't it?

PaulF · « **Reply #191 on:** 08 January, 2013, 08:26:30 pm »

Quote from: Ham on 08 January, 2013, 06:57:33 pm

BTW, the kids goggles are no more, sorry. (Miss Ham is 22 now....)

Never mind thanks for the thought and the eBay link.

Bledlow · « **Reply #192 on:** 08 January, 2013, 10:34:15 pm »

Quote from: PaulF on 06 January, 2013, 06:49:28 pm

Another request for advice - my son needs to wear glasses for skiing so we went to look for some googles. The shop - admittedly only the one at Bracknell dry ski slope - claimed that googles that fit over glasses don't exist for children. Does anyone know any differently?

Certainly bollocks, as already said. I think I've seen such goggles being sold in Carters in Reading.

A quick search of 'OTG kids ski goggles' turns up a choice of models & suppliers. Decathlon sells some, so might be worth checking the Reading branch if you're local. Aha! Website says they're in stock.

Ham · « **Reply #193 on:** 10 January, 2013, 06:28:34 pm »

Is this the scariest job in the world? Testing an avalanche air bag....

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/sMa28gFkils&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/sMa28gFkils&rel=1</a>!

Feanor · « **Reply #194 on:** 10 January, 2013, 06:54:08 pm »

Smallest Junior finds a shed with a roof which provides an opportunity to be James Bond in a chase scene...

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gLPSpPXPYO4&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/gLPSpPXPYO4&rel=1</a>

R

Ham · « **Reply #195 on:** 10 January, 2013, 10:00:57 pm »

Love it!

(down at 1650?)

Feanor · « **Reply #196 on:** 10 January, 2013, 10:15:03 pm »

Yes, well spotted.
That's pretty much down at the base station at 1650.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/258247523

For lunch at 1650, don't bother with the stuff at the side of the piste.
You need to kick off your skis, and walk down into the village ( at the most, a couple of hundred metres ).
There's a row of very good restaurants with wood-fired pizzas etc.

R.

Ham · « **Reply #197 on:** 10 January, 2013, 10:23:51 pm »

Quote from: Feanor on 10 January, 2013, 10:15:03 pm

For lunch at 1650, don't bother with the stuff at the side of the piste.
You need to kick off your skis, and walk down into the village ( at the most, a couple of hundred metres ).
There's a row of very good restaurants with wood-fired pizzas etc.

Yep, that's exactly what we did.

The sad thing is, I think I can pretty much name all the runs on the GPS trace (mur down from the altiport? yeah! hmmm maybe not?) AND I can see where you stopped off in the Tepee on the Indian run.

I hope your lot did this

edit

And with warpaint

Feanor · « **Reply #198 on:** 10 January, 2013, 10:45:48 pm »

Great photos!

Well spotted, we did indeed go down the Indians run.
But the kids were of such an age that they would not go into the teepee, as it would not be 'cool'.

This pic is taken on the piste, directly opposite the tepees:

Indians by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

That entire day was done with my Sister-in Law, who is not much of a skier, having had some bad experiences in the past. The 'expedition' to 1650 was a slow day's work for us, but an achievement for her, and that made it worth the time.

Times have changed.

There is no run now that I can do that Junior#1 cannot beat me on.
He's *way* faster than me on a Slalom course, and mostly faster on a GS.
He's better than me on-piste, off-piste on thin stuff or deep powder, moguls, and batshit-crazy steeps.
Seriously: on steeps that have me seriously worried, he's not side-slipping down: he's doing propper tight turns.
He now skis this stuff like it's just regular stuff.
No hesitations or anything.
Part of it is the Indestructability of Youth, where you feen invincable.
Part of it is just that they have been skiing since age 4, and are just better than me now.

R.

Ham · « **Reply #199 on:** 10 January, 2013, 11:25:32 pm »

Ah yes, what a familiar feel. Miss Ham (she in the yellow williwarmer) has been skiing since age 3 - she's 22 in that shot - 1st time in 1650 when she was 5. Through the ESF training, I think she overtook me sometime in the Equipe level, many years back. I now console myself with the responsibility of being the back marker most of the time - it's a dirty job but someone has to do it. I'm actually thinking of changing my skis because they don't like going slow. (Streetracer 10s, v heavy and great carvers through any crud or ice, great for moguls at a speed, but hard to initiate turns at slow speed)