Author Topic: The Ski Locker thread  (Read 126301 times)

The Ski Locker thread
« on: 02 January, 2012, 11:00:49 am »
Anyone want to join me in here?

Back from a week in Tignes, it occurred to me it would be good to have a thread for ski stuff like where we'll be to maybe meet up for a ski or drink or .... maybe ... both, or just general ski chat.

Not that I'm being greedy or anything, but I'm going to be in La Plagne (Plagne Centre) on 11th Feb......



Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #1 on: 02 January, 2012, 11:26:41 am »
Bastard.

I went to Val D'Isere every year for a decade until we had kids..

 ;D

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #2 on: 02 January, 2012, 11:47:52 am »
Back from a week in Tignes...

Come on then, tell us about it  ::-)

We're going to Les Arcs in a couple of weeks  :thumbsup:

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #3 on: 02 January, 2012, 12:34:43 pm »
Bah!

I haven't been skiing since we moved to the UK.  That's 21 years!  Well, unless you count 2x1 hour at the indoor snowdome in Tamworth...

I do miss it sometimes, but actually mostly the cross-country skiing.  Co-ordination and balance aren't my strong points so slalom really is a challenge for me   ;D



Pippa

  • Busy being fabulous
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #4 on: 02 January, 2012, 03:15:10 pm »
I suffer with burning balls  :(

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #5 on: 02 January, 2012, 05:26:49 pm »
Back from a week in Tignes...

Come on then, tell us about it  ::-)




Awww...... if you insist ;-)

Deep Pan Crispin Heavin'

Actually, it only got  a bit heaving towards the end, one of the best Christmas weeks skiing for a while, huge dump for two weeks before, bit naff first and last days, but four days of glorious sunshine. You'll be pleased to know there's tons more dropping out the sky as we speak, so much so that off piste is off the menu right now (5/5 avalanche) but it should be good when you get there. Which of the Arcs are you going to? We've stayed in 1950 a few times and thoroughly enjoyed the 100% ski in ski out.

Chalet:

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #6 on: 02 January, 2012, 05:33:36 pm »
You're all first up against the wall, come the revolution.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #7 on: 02 January, 2012, 08:08:19 pm »
You're all first up against the wall, come the revolution.

Oh goody!!!!!

Le Mur is a rather nice red run  :demon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Lkg_pK4tQ

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #8 on: 02 January, 2012, 10:30:07 pm »

Not that I'm being greedy or anything, but I'm going to be in La Plagne (Plagne Centre) on 11th Feb......


I was in Plagne Montalbert 3rd December doing minibus transfers for a ski company and saw no snow but did see cows under the drag lift there! On the 4th I went over to 1800 and still no snow, but it then started on the 5th and carried on for 4 days solid - must be around about 12 foot now?
Montalbert had rain at village level today but it was absolutely white out over at Plagne Centre at 1850 so lots of snow at about 1500? Lots more due on Thursday too !

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #9 on: 02 January, 2012, 10:33:48 pm »
You're all first up against the wall, come the revolution.

Oh goody!!!!!

Le Mur is a rather nice red run  :demon:

<SNIPPED video>

Looks a bit tame, Mur over at Courchevel is a beast just by the Altiport, but the one at Avoriaz the 'swiss wall' is diabolical - the helipad for the flying ambulance is a big clue...

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #10 on: 02 January, 2012, 11:55:36 pm »
You're a bit slow Ham!  :demon:

Give me a clear run down Face anyday..

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #11 on: 03 January, 2012, 12:03:38 am »
La Sache is the run you want in Tignes, especially with moguls, just ask Mrs P  ;D

The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #12 on: 03 January, 2012, 12:20:52 am »
My real favourite run, in fact, is the grand  vallon off-piste from the top of Fornet.  It's awesome. 

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #13 on: 03 January, 2012, 07:18:26 am »
La Sache was great, although tbh more Mowgli than mogul-y this year, because of all the fresh snow around you get that curious almost-moguls type field where it has been skied as much by those who can't ski moguls as those who can, so you haven't got regular moguls and can't get a proper rhythm. Most of this year I was lantern rouge, following behind Mrs Ham for security. I convinced myself skiing slowly was good for my technique.....

And yes, I know and love the Courchevel Mur, but this one was the most recent in my mind, and the first hit on Youtube. Avoriaz sounds good, though...??

So.... favourite runs in recent resorts, anyone? Mine in Tignes was Santons - the natural half pipe. Not challenging, just fun.

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #14 on: 03 January, 2012, 09:43:38 am »
You're a bit slow Ham!  :demon:


Oh Yeah ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Serving suggestion. May contain technical glitches.




Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #15 on: 03 January, 2012, 09:47:21 am »
A little more credible....


Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #16 on: 03 January, 2012, 11:03:19 am »
My real favourite run, in fact, is the grand  vallon off-piste from the top of Fornet.  It's awesome. 
My most glorious run ever was from Pointe Pers at the top of Le Fornet (have I got that right ?  Le Fornet is when you go all the way through Val until the road is closed, yes ?)

Get to the top, walk up for what seemed like an hour, then ski along a ridge with some rather dramatic drops either side. This leaves you almost exactly 1000m above the refuge in the valley below. Only one way down and it's steeper than 45'.
Rust never sleeps

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #17 on: 03 January, 2012, 11:21:57 am »
Not done it for years but if you can do the Vallon de la Sache down to les Brevierres on fresh snow it's a truly superb run. Avoids the almost moguls on the Sache run :).

Most memorable run I've done is the run down from le Peclet in Val Thorens, but that needs a guide, and skins, and climbing and ropes....

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #18 on: 03 January, 2012, 11:27:03 am »
Val Mesdi on the Gruppo Sella anyone ?   That's great fun.
Rust never sleeps

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #19 on: 03 January, 2012, 12:26:50 pm »
Val Mesdi on the Gruppo Sella anyone ?   That's great fun.

It was indeed :)

Mustn't forget Marmolada in that area either. Although the less said about my 'exit' from teh chairlift three quarters the way up or the attentio of the Polizia Provinciale the better :demon:

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #20 on: 03 January, 2012, 12:33:21 pm »
Val Mesdi on the Gruppo Sella anyone ?   That's great fun.

It was indeed :)

Mustn't forget Marmolada in that area either. Although the less said about my 'exit' from teh chairlift three quarters the way up or the attentio of the Polizia Provinciale the better :demon:

Oooo yes !!   Marmolada.

Allegedly 12m of fresh snow on the glacier and fresh track, (almost all) on-piste skiing all day long for about 12 of us.
Rust never sleeps

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #21 on: 03 January, 2012, 12:41:23 pm »
Not done it for years but if you can do the Vallon de la Sache down to les Brevierres on fresh snow it's a truly superb run. Avoids the almost moguls on the Sache run :).

Most memorable run I've done is the run down from le Peclet in Val Thorens, but that needs a guide, and skins, and climbing and ropes....


Do you mean going around the back? I thought Sache went down Vallon de la Sache?

I've heard about the run down Peclet, never done it, but Christine is quite nice coming back the "normal" way from Peclet

And also happens to be Mrs Ham's name....




Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #22 on: 03 January, 2012, 12:47:22 pm »
My most glorious run ever was from Pointe Pers at the top of Le Fornet (have I got that right ?  Le Fornet is when you go all the way through Val until the road is closed, yes ?)

Get to the top, walk up for what seemed like an hour, then ski along a ridge with some rather dramatic drops either side. This leaves you almost exactly 1000m above the refuge in the valley below. Only one way down and it's steeper than 45'.

Yep, Fornet is the last place you can get to heading uphill on the road.  The Grand Vallon run goes from the top of the Signal button lift and you simply hop over the ridgeline and ski down off-piste, eventually joining up with the Vallon blue run a long way down.  It's a stunning run but quite straightforward for inexperienced off-piste skiers.   The one you describe mst be on the Pissaillais glacier?  Sounds a bit too hardcore for me :-) 

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #23 on: 03 January, 2012, 12:54:26 pm »
My most glorious run ever was from Pointe Pers at the top of Le Fornet (have I got that right ?  Le Fornet is when you go all the way through Val until the road is closed, yes ?)

Get to the top, walk up for what seemed like an hour, then ski along a ridge with some rather dramatic drops either side. This leaves you almost exactly 1000m above the refuge in the valley below. Only one way down and it's steeper than 45'.

Yep, Fornet is the last place you can get to heading uphill on the road.  The Grand Vallon run goes from the top of the Signal button lift and you simply hop over the ridgeline and ski down off-piste, eventually joining up with the Vallon blue run a long way down.  It's a stunning run but quite straightforward for inexperienced off-piste skiers.   The one you describe mst be on the Pissaillais glacier?  Sounds a bit too hardcore for me :-) 
Got it. The ridge line is (I think) Col Pers, and even when this was officially closed I saw ski school groups dipping under the rope to do the run. This drops you down to the same refuge we got to, except that we came in from higher left (when viewed from the bottom). No idea what the glacier was called. I'll check.
Rust never sleeps

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #24 on: 03 January, 2012, 01:15:22 pm »
That would be the Glacier Pers, and the refuge is the Prariond. I did a video yonks ago which features the Vallon de la Sachette, Point Pers and the Glacier Pers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiWk6IZqwDk
The Vallon de la Sachette is accessed via a traverse from the top of the Aiguille Percee lift.