Author Topic: The Ski Locker thread  (Read 126328 times)

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #150 on: 14 November, 2012, 12:59:51 pm »
Any goggle advice? I could do with replacing my 15 year old Scotts, bought in a resort shop heavily reduced because they make anyone look like a wasp.  (OK, maybe not Obama) But, they were £100 ones which have lasted well and made me appreciate (1) the non-fogging (2) the lens - yellow, for max definition in whiteout/flat light. I'd like to find some similar quality ones reduced before I go at Christmas (maybe like these http://www.ellis-brigham.com/products/off-grid-yellow--teal-chrome/6472), although again the resort shops where I can examine them maybe best.

Any thoughts?


CommuteTooFar

  • Inadequate Randonneur
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #151 on: 14 November, 2012, 01:28:53 pm »
The important thing to remember when you need chains you need chains.

Around ten years ago my brother was driving up to Alpe d'Huez.  Around half way up the snow increased and my brother decided to stop and fit the chains.  While he did it we had a wonderful view of cars crashing into each other, walls and barriers on the zig zag above.

Don't be the entertainment fit chains.


Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #152 on: 14 November, 2012, 02:06:37 pm »
A bit heavy and painfull on your head, tho.
And not very see-through.

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #153 on: 14 November, 2012, 02:39:07 pm »
Heavy? Nahhhhh

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/GBWp6Us3oEc&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/GBWp6Us3oEc&rel=1</a>

(go on, you know you want to press play)

Pippa

  • Busy being fabulous
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #154 on: 15 November, 2012, 10:10:09 am »
I lurve my Oakleys (A frame with a yellow iridium lens, not dissimilar to these) and would happily recommend them and when mine die I will replace with similar. But, I think the key with goggles is to get a good fit so whilst these work well for me, they may not for you. The lens and anti fogging on the Oakleys is superb.

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #155 on: 15 November, 2012, 10:23:50 am »
Thanks for that, I wondered which Oakley lens to go for if I was.

Hmmm I feel an Ellis Brigham trip coming upon me, always a danger.

CommuteTooFar

  • Inadequate Randonneur
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #156 on: 15 November, 2012, 12:35:46 pm »
I like to buy goggles in resort.  I wait for a snowy day.  Try a likely pair and step outside the shop with owners permission and see how it handles the conditions. Unfortunately that is difficult to do in UK conditions.

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #157 on: 15 November, 2012, 12:47:52 pm »
I've given up with expensive goggles for the same reason I gave up expensive sunglasses.

Basically, I end up scratching / damaging / loosing them.

So I tend to buy fairly cheapies, usually in-resort.

One thing to bear in mind when trying on for fit:
If you wear a lid, then try them on with the lid to make sure they still fit properly with the lid in place.   Many don't, and in particular they don't sit properly at the sides, because the elastic is pulling out to the side more than it is pulling to the back.

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #158 on: 15 November, 2012, 02:11:30 pm »
Strangely, much as though I wear a lid cycling, I don't skiing. Doesn't make that much sense when you look at it closely but there it is. I'm almost inclined to see the results of a poll would be in Lift the Lid......

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #159 on: 16 November, 2012, 01:50:15 pm »
Friday afternoon vid

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


How it's done

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/2soYD8LX7YI&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/2soYD8LX7YI&rel=1</a>

Pippa

  • Busy being fabulous
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #160 on: 16 November, 2012, 02:36:06 pm »
Is that Wiggo?  ;D

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #161 on: 16 November, 2012, 11:46:24 pm »
Strangely, much as though I wear a lid cycling, I don't skiing. Doesn't make that much sense when you look at it closely but there it is. I'm almost inclined to see the results of a poll would be in Lift the Lid......

Oh come on the ski lid keeps ears warm.

jogler

  • mojo operandi
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #162 on: 17 November, 2012, 06:57:58 am »
Heavy? Nahhhhh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBWp6Us3oEc

(go on, you know you want to press play)

I did & I did
 :thumbsup:

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #163 on: 28 November, 2012, 02:13:25 pm »

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #164 on: 02 December, 2012, 04:37:34 pm »
Ah, that brings back memories!
Here's Mrs F and myself at the Mer de Glace having come down the Vallee Blanche:


Photo-2-small by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

This was the first day the cable-car had been open for 3 days; it had been dumping down for 3 days solid.
Coming out of the tunnel at the top, and walking down the first hundred metres or so ( the section visible on your photo, I think ), you'd not want to fall off to your left.   It's about a thousand metres till the first bounce!
The cable car is a quite an experience.   The second section is a *single span* of over 2000m with no pylons in the middle!  The cables are close to vertical as they enter the top station.

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #165 on: 02 December, 2012, 04:59:40 pm »
I'm currently in Plagne 1800 doing a bit of odds and sods, and I can report that they have about 100mm of snow a couple of days ago, it is snowing a bit at the moment with 'lots' more due supposedly...
La Rosiere is slightly better off for snow and it is falling fairly heavy too!

Very cold all day and cannons running.

Jakob

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #166 on: 11 December, 2012, 03:29:05 am »
First trip of the season to Whistler yesterday. Missed the pow by one day, but the snow was still pretty good and there was no lift-lines at all. Straight to the lift all day. Never seen it that quiet before. Fairly cold in Vancouver as well, so hope to it the local mountain a couple of times this week.

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #167 on: 11 December, 2012, 07:27:57 am »
I'm currently in Plagne 1800 doing a bit of odds and sods, and I can report that they have about 100mm of snow a couple of days ago, it is snowing a bit at the moment with 'lots' more due supposedly...
La Rosiere is slightly better off for snow and it is falling fairly heavy too!

Very cold all day and cannons running.

If you wouldn't mind looking in on Meribel on your way round? Thanks  ;D

A reminder - I will have a cheap 3 Valleys 6 Day Pass available for sale in Meribel on 22 Dec

Jakob

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #168 on: 17 December, 2012, 05:46:34 am »
Bit of a rare day yesterday at Cypress, one of the local mountains. It caters mostly for park animals and beginner/intermediate locals and one of the old lifts, which covers a series of black/double black runs is mostly unused.
It is pretty crap most of the season, as it's very low and the snow is never that great, but yesterday, there was a good 40cm of snow, dry enough for faceshots at the top half and virtually no one on the slopes.


Probably the best day I've ever had at Cypress.
Low temps and lots of snow forecast for this week and we're off to Sun Peaks on Saturday for 5 days on the hills (ski in/out).
Good start to the season!!

Jakob

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #169 on: 18 December, 2012, 09:58:08 pm »
Temperatures near freezing at sealevel + more snow on the mountains, meant even drier powder when we went back up to Cypress after work. Easily the best snow conditions I've seen there in the 4 years I've lived here. Main runs were tracked out, but a high overcast bounced back more than enough light to ride through the trees, where there was loads of stashes of waist high powder. Funny how quality snow makes even black double diamond tree runs 'easy' to ride!. (And at night too!).
I did however manage to break one of the toe-straps and will need to head to the shop after work to get it sorted out, as more quality snow is forecast for rest of the week.

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #170 on: 18 December, 2012, 10:43:17 pm »
Looks like there's plenty of snow in Meribel, so I won't even be jealous. much.

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #171 on: 27 December, 2012, 09:57:47 pm »
Right.
So a whole day in the seekrit bunker, but all skis had the necessary ptex repairs, edged, and waxed.
Off to Courcheval 1850 for the New Year on Sat.

Bye!
( (
 ) )
( (
 ) )
( (
<splat>

Jakob

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #172 on: 28 December, 2012, 04:39:53 am »
Just got back from 5 days at Sun Peaks and we had some of the best conditions ever.
Drove up in a blizzard which was both scary and promising.
First day, there was still low clouds hanging about, but we found a stack of nice deserted black runs (with the odd tree in the way) and basically had a powder day, albeit, slightly heavy powder. Full on power day.
Next morning, clouds looked even lower, so we started heading up to the other side of the mountain, which is all blue(red) runs, but as we waited for people faffing about with lift passes, etc, my friend Joe and I looked up the other mountain and saw that the clouds were lifting and we took off. (The rest wanted to 'warm up' first).
We had fresh tracks every where we went for the first 2 hours and even had a local guy show us a few secret tree runs. Amazing dry powder that made double black diamonds a breeze to sail down on. As it finally got tracked out after lunch, we started heading into the trees (which there are a lot of).
Christmas day was a rest day and then yesterday was our 'last' day and most of us were still tired/bloated/hungover and was only going to a 'few runs', until we realized that there was still plenty of powder stashes to the side of the blue groomers, many leading in really nice tree runs. (I also managed to run into a few of them, but it was worth it).

Really been spoiled already this season and I only got 6 days in it!. (5 powder days!!)


Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #173 on: 30 December, 2012, 10:13:43 am »
Well, back now. And as I didn't post this when I arrived home at 01:00 last night, the story is here instead of the rant thread - it's a close run thing.

First, the ski. Brilliant - snow was great throughout one day of heavy snow, still out in it as the snow was so tempting. Skied the 3 valleys side to side, although again, one day the wind closed the connections, and on another we confined ourselves close-ish to home as there was a danger of connections being closed. Skifrance chalet (via igluski) was brill, 5*. The spare pass? Oh, Skifrance screwed that up completely, not sure what money we will get back but just as well nobody else was depending on it ;)

Some of the runs were a bit shit, Pic Blanc (a narrow, steep "blue" = red, but the only way that they can call the run from the top blue) was a particular bete noir - because the alternative black or blue path was closed - chopped up moguls and south facing, beaucoup de monde including lots finding it very challenging. All the naffness was as a result of chopped up moguls tbh, plus I was a self appointed lantern rouge/tail sweeper on more difficult slopes, with so much snow it was a bit wearying trying to go so-o-o-o-o-o-o slow.

But the fecking feckers at Monarch really screwed us up big time. On the way out, we had a 23 hour delay ( oh look - just short of 24) with the fecking fecking feckers lying to us all the day, on the way back another mechanical meant that we had to wait 8 hours for the good plane to fly to London and back to pick us up. NEVER choose monarch if you can possibly avoid. Pictures to follow.

Re: The Ski Locker thread
« Reply #174 on: 30 December, 2012, 02:42:36 pm »
Ah yes. The evidence. Yours truly, having just taken a photo of everyone, passed the camera to a stranger and asked him to take one of us all and inadvertently adopted The Posture. I couldn't get up for laughing.