The Ski Locker thread

[Pingu]

tracks_2016_val_d_isere by The Pingus, on Flickr

[hatler]

Just back from a four day jaunt to Flaine. We hit it at exactly the right time (with regard the arrival of snow) and even managed to book a guide ahead of time for the one day when the vis was excellent.

The most amazing day (right up there in the top ten of all time days) at the end of which I was completely pooped.

It quite lifted the spirits.

[hatler]

Our guide mentioned these things which seems like a genius idea.

Apparently a number of the older ski instructors are using, and swear by, them.

If they keep me skiing into my dotage I'll be delighted.

[Feanor]

tracks_2016_val_d_isere by The Pingus, on Flickr

Lunch down at Tignes Les Brevieres one day, via La Sache, I see. 

Looking at the light turquoise line, from the bottom of the Tommeuses chair down to La Daille, was there enough snow to drop down into the Vallee Perdue?

[Ham]

An alternative ski lift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRv7G7WpOoU

[mike]

I'm off to La Plagne at ungodly o'clock on sunday for my second ever ski holiday, nearly 20 years after my first.

I'm not nervous so much as amused to imagine how many different ways I can find to fall over...  I've booked lessons.

The forecast looks bloody cold (-10ish). I can't remember how hard work it is, will I need more than a decent base layer, t-shirt and warm [borrowed] ski jacket?  I've bought some incredibly warm ski trousers and am going to decathlon for a spot of glove, helmet and sock shopping tomorrow.

Anything else I might forget?

[trekker12]

I did similar last year. Went to Austria following a gap of 18 years. Lessons were worth every Euro Cent. Loved every minute of it and have bought boots for our return trip in three weeks.

With the current forecast wrap up warm. It is hard work but as a novice you will spend lots of time stood (or lying in the snow) still and won't be continuously on the move like the 'pro's'. Also remember you are high up and going even higher on ski lifts in which you aren't moving much. Any heat generated on the way down the slope will rapidly be lost sat on a ski lift.

[hatler]

I'm off to La Plagne at ungodly o'clock on sunday for my second ever ski holiday, nearly 20 years after my first.

I'm not nervous so much as amused to imagine how many different ways I can find to fall over...  I've booked lessons.

The forecast looks bloody cold (-10ish). I can't remember how hard work it is, will I need more than a decent base layer, t-shirt and warm [borrowed] ski jacket?  I've bought some incredibly warm ski trousers and am going to decathlon for a spot of glove, helmet and sock shopping tomorrow.

Anything else I might forget?

I wouldn't wear a cotton t-shirt. Synthetics only.

You can buy hand warmers (and foot warmers) in Decathlon. They're tea bags sealed in plastic. Open the plastic and the contents of the tea bag warm up. Could be handy given the forecast. Slip one into each glove and possibly your boots as well.

A buff is always good. Maybe a balaclava if you chill easily.

Have you got good sunnies and goggles ?

[Ham]

I'm off to La Plagne at ungodly o'clock on sunday for my second ever ski holiday, nearly 20 years after my first.

I'm not nervous so much as amused to imagine how many different ways I can find to fall over...  I've booked lessons.

The forecast looks bloody cold (-10ish). I can't remember how hard work it is, will I need more than a decent base layer, t-shirt and warm [borrowed] ski jacket?  I've bought some incredibly warm ski trousers and am going to decathlon for a spot of glove, helmet and sock shopping tomorrow.

Anything else I might forget?

Layers are good if you don't know how you will get on with the cold, tech cycling tops work well. As trekker says, you will be doing a lot of standing around in lessons. Helmets are easy to rent, but I can understand you might prefer not to.

Where in La Plagne will you be staying? There are a number of linked villages.

[Pingu]

I saw someone with a Foska winter Marmite top this year.

[Exit Stage Left]

Just back from Bardonecchia. The plan was to do some easy off-piste if we got some snow. We got two 18 inch-plus drops, and had some very satisfactory runs through knee-deep powder.
The lifts are old and slow, and there are lots of drag tows to deter the boarders.

We went with Crystal and stayed at La Betulla, near the railway station. Good food, including lunch in the deal, and an open bar between 5 and 10. Very different from our usual chalets, with other guests including the engineers from the new rail link and the Frejus Tunnel, as well as a detachment of the Guardia Finanza. Ingham's go there as well.

We thought we might get bored with the limited skiing if it didn't snow, but there was a coach trip Montgenevre for €20, as the ski-pass allows a day there. We went to Sauze d'Oulx on the train on another day, it cost about €8 each and took about an hour to get there. The Bardonnechia ski-pass allows you to use all the Italian bits of the Milky Way system, so we took in Sestriere as well. On two days it snowed lightly, so we could have been anywhere, except for the empty slopes.

This was the bowl at 2800 metres at about 4pm, after the weather cleared at 2pm.

[trekker12]

First post for the thread this season

Flights and hotel booked for seefeld near Innsbruck

Flying out Boxing Day return on 2nd Jan looking forward to experiencing an Austrian new year!

[Feanor]

OK, so the season approaches.

As is traditional, our tribe will decamp to Espace Killy for Crimbo / New year.
Junior #1 who is now a Penniless Student Oaf and a keen ski-er, still wants to come on our parent-paid ski hollibobs, naturally.

But he's also signed up to Edinburgh Uni Ski Club trip, which is conveniently the week after our family trip, but in Les Arcs.
He's told then he doesn't need airport transfer, and will show up in resort under his own steam.

So we need to figure out if we can just dump the PSO at Bourg St. Maurice on the way back to Geneva, and tell him to get a bus, or if we need to divert up to Arc 1800.

[Ham]

Miss Ham managed under her own steam in similar circumstances. That was the year of the Great Sno, which meant she spent the night in a school hall, thobut

We're in Val T. over crimbo.

[Pingu]

PSO needs to get his skins on.

[Pingu]

It's St Anton for us this season. We will obv. be apres skiing at Krazy Kangaruh & the Mooserwirt before trying to kill ourselves on the icy slopes back to town in the dark.

[Jakob]

New season, new board:

Should be a fair bit better in powder than my old board.

Supposed to be a La Nina year, although the forecasters can't quite agree on how strong it'll be, but in any case, the forecast for this winter is wet & cold!.
I skipped on the season pass for the local mountains this year and plan to hitting Whistler & Mt. Baker a lot more.
Work should also be reasonable and I've kept a couple of vacation days in reserve for snow days.

[Drone]

First ski trip of the season now sorted. A week in Les Carroz in January. Just the February and March trips to book now. Is it time to start browsing for new skis?

[valkyrie]

Four weeks today and I'll be in Val D'Isere for their opening week! After that I've got Kaltenbach booked for Christmas week and Fieberbrunn for New Year. Going off-piste for a week in March with the Snowheads forum bunch, just got to sort something out for February now. And maybe a week in April too. All this is possible because I've been doing a lot of travelling on Sundays for work and consequently had a bunch of days due back to me.

Tomorrow I'm heading to the fridge at Braehead to try out my new off-piste set up for the first time: Scott Superguide boots, Dynafit Beast bindings on Whitedot R.108 skis. A high class ski-touring set up that'll have me in the "all the gear and no idea" category for at least a few weeks. After that I hope to be able to live up to my kit.

[Feanor]

I spotted your user-name at Snowheads, and did wonder if it was the same you.

the Serre Chevalier & La Grave trip sounds good; enjoy.

[valkyrie]

the Serre Chevalier & La Grave trip sounds good; enjoy.

It was excellent last year - why not come along?

[Jakob]

Finally snowing in the local mountains. It may get washed away in the weekend, though. Whistler is getting a decent amount and Baker is inching closer as well, so hopefully by the time my leg heals up, they should all have a decent base!.

[Exit Stage Left]

My first day's skiing at Yad Moss this season. Yesterday was great apparently, but Heather was rehearsing some Elgar and Parry.
It was above zero overnight, so the transformed snow was essentially Spring Snow in November, and was quite pleasant, by Pennine standards, when the variable light allowed us to see the surface.

[Ham]

3 Sets of skis fettled into readiness today.

[Ham]

Looking good for two week's time for me 

http://www.valthorens.com/en/live/livecams--webcams/resort-livecam.550.html