Author Topic: The Ski Locker thread (Read 127744 times)

Feanor · « **Reply #750 on:** 29 March, 2022, 08:59:19 pm »

A few pics from the most logistically complicated skiing holiday ever! Three weeks, split across two different resorts: Les 3 Vallées and Tignes/Val D. We transferred between them in a public transport mini-adventure, involving two busses and a train! Various Juniors came and went for different parts of the trip.

This part of the Alps hasn't seen fresh snow since December, and the snow cover was really quite thin and patchy. I've never seen such thin cover in March before. This made the off-piste a bit more challenging, with steep hard ice which might spring up a bit later in the day depending on aspect and luck. The goldilocks period could be as short as an hour or two before we are into heavy slush and then re-freezing where the last skier's tracks are forever cast into the ice as a permanent record of their passing.

A few half days with Snoworks off-piste guiding / coaching helped find the best snow available. I recommend these folks very highly.

IMG-20220309-WA0000 by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

IMG-20220323-WA0002 by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

IMG-20220325-WA0001 by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

20220326_140734 by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

20220326_124417 by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #751 on:** 03 April, 2022, 11:15:53 am »

I was in Tignes last week. The snow on pistes was better than I have seen earlier in March. A couple of blacks were closed and off piste was not sensible. Three sunny days followed by three snowy days. The first couple just made poor visibility but Friday had heavier snow and colder temperatures and very nice skiing early on.

The bad part of the holiday was the journey home. The usual get up early to catch a bus that arrives twenty minutes late. Pass a few nasty car crashes on the freezing road down to Bourg St Maurice. We arrived at Chambrey in plenty of time to check the bags in. Then the plane to Birmimgham (only, other planes came and went) departed five hours late. I think TUI will need to pay out on that. I arrived home around 10pm.

The mistake I made. Before the holiday I decided to take my old skis because of expected rocks and stones. I should of brought my good skis which would have returned unmarked.

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #752 on:** 03 April, 2022, 06:31:18 pm »

There were five deaths in Tignes/Val D'isere so far this season three of them last week.
1. A heart attack so not a really a ski incident.
2. A young boy skied into a tree.
3. Someone skied into a marker pole.

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #753 on:** 15 November, 2022, 01:19:46 pm »

I hope someone has solution to this problem.

Yesterday I took a little trip to Bristol to buy new Ski Boots. After trying a few I chose a pair of Nordica Sportmachine 110 GW. I have a slightly wide forefoot. The boots are comfortable for me and I am almost happy, There is problem. I needed to replace the standard foot bed with a customised foot bed. This is the cause of the problem. The standard Nordica foot bed formed a structural part of the liner. The liner is designed to push in and hold the heel at the ankle. The original foot bed pushed back to prevent it closing too far. The custom foot bed does not do this.

There is no problem when my feet are in the boots but after a long period eg. overnight the empty liner closes to a very narrow gap at the ankle. This makes it almost impossible to insert my feet into the boot. I removed the liner put my foot in the liner to return it to my shape. Placed it back in the boot and my foot in the boot. So I can get it on. This procedure is not something I want to do every morning in a ski room.

Has anyone else had this problem? How did you fix it? There are boot shapers to keep creases out of ladies leather boots but they do not appear to do what is needed.

Ham · « **Reply #754 on:** 15 November, 2022, 01:54:36 pm »

Boot warmer?

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #755 on:** 17 November, 2022, 08:54:59 pm »

Since I have been wearing them for three days to settle the liner I am now able to put the boots on They are the closest fit I have ever had. All previous boots were easy to put on but these require me to use the straps to pull them on.

hatler · « **Reply #756 on:** 17 November, 2022, 09:55:07 pm »

I have ZipFit liners, and the only way I am comfortable in them is to wear the very thinnest socks I have (the ones I normally wear when at work wearing a posh pair of leather lace-ups).

Ham · « **Reply #757 on:** 28 December, 2022, 07:26:40 pm »

Anyone want to see what happiness on skis looks like ? https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmuRH54Dkkg

Ham · « **Reply #758 on:** 02 January, 2023, 05:19:39 pm »

Well, that was interesting, for certain values of meaning for the word "interest"

Spent the week in Flaine, not my destination of choice over the xmas week, as it is somewhat low, but this year was the worst in memory, probably for the life of the resort (a concrete monstrosity built in the 70's)

Only a handful of runs open, with consequent crowding and particular crappage of the lower slopes. On Friday night there was a biblical rainstorm (would have been a great dump had it been cold enough) and on Saturday, the overnight temperature was 8 and forecast to rise to 14 in the resort. The 0^o isotherm was around 3,300. The top of the resort is 2,500. Not looking good for the current week.

hatler · « **Reply #759 on:** 02 January, 2023, 06:46:23 pm »

How depressing. I just went to buy lift passes for next week and they're not selling anything. Just as well we're planning to use touring kit. Who needs a lift ?

The forecast is currently showing 6cm on Sunday and then over 30cm for the following two days. Fingers very crossed.

Ham · « **Reply #760 on:** 02 January, 2023, 07:24:33 pm »

Where are you off to? Touring is sketchy at best, Flaine was advising strongly against off piste because of holes and rocks that would normally be covered.

(ETA, the best skiing was to be had on the high blues, where snow was actually quite nice, avoiding the reds with sheet ice and people stuck way beyond their competence. On one slop we saw a (rather large) person clutching their skis and trying to shuffle down on their bottom. Unsurprisingly, not very successfully I might add. No evidence of a group he was in (maybe they just left him?) and I was going NOWHERE near.

hatler · « **Reply #761 on:** 02 January, 2023, 07:30:11 pm »

Flaine, for our annual (Covid allowing, so not for the last two years) boys/girls trip. Boys go for the first four days and girls for the second four days.

Date determined by the P&V 'cheapest week in the season' calculator. Thus far (10 years) it's been glorious and completely crowd free skiing, with a good healthy dollop of (guided) excitement and good food. First name terms with one particular on-piste restaurant's staff and last time out the guide took us down a run he'd only done with punters about 10 times in the previous 46 years.

Ham · « **Reply #762 on:** 02 January, 2023, 07:32:57 pm »

Aiiiiiiii. Good luck!! (see my ETA on the previous post

)

Walking up is possible, obv, but many routes that would normally have been possible are likely not.

hatler · « **Reply #763 on:** 02 January, 2023, 07:36:22 pm »

Yup. Pretty philosophical about it. As I said, we've had some fantastic outings there, so if one year is bad, so be it. Just a shame that for at least one of the Covid years they had fantabulous amounts of snow. Bah !

Ham · « **Reply #764 on:** 02 January, 2023, 07:49:19 pm »

this was the view from near the top of Telebene on Wednesday - it got worse

And yes that is a crutch in Mrs Ham's hand, she is still in a boot post op, the dismount was interesting

hatler · « **Reply #765 on:** 02 January, 2023, 08:14:16 pm »

Oooof. That is bare.

Very sorry to see the crutch. Is that a skiing injury ?

Ham · « **Reply #766 on:** 02 January, 2023, 08:52:06 pm »

No, it's post op in August to fuse multiple bones in her ankle, still isn't load bearing on it

:'(

Feanor · « **Reply #767 on:** 02 January, 2023, 08:52:42 pm »

Hmm. Mrs F and Juniors are off to Tignes at the weekend.
For various reasons, I am not.

So I'm looking at Scottish backcountry conditions right now, and I reckon I might have some better days myself.
But we will see...

Ham · « **Reply #768 on:** 02 January, 2023, 08:56:56 pm »

Tignes was better than Flaine (Miss Ham & Cohort were there before Flaine

), a bit slushy at the bottom but nothing a good dump couldn't fix

In the interest of balance (and proud grandparenting) here's the 4 year old at the end of the week in Flaine https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmrHjFyDnFX/

hatler · « **Reply #769 on:** 14 January, 2023, 11:27:23 am »

Back home safe.

Only Flaine in the Grand Massif was operating anything other than a nursery slope as we headed out on Sunday. Les Carroz, Morillons, Samoens, all closed.

Geneva arrival, Sunday evening, pissing with rain.
Monday morning Geneva, still raining.

Early morn taxi up the hill, still raining at Les Carroz at about 1200m. Not looking good.
It started going white at about 1500m.

Got kitted out and on skis by about 10.30 and had an OK day. A little reserved about heading off-piste as vis wasn't great and one thing Flaine is famous for is holes, and with so little snow, and then the current dump it seemed highly inadvisable. Day 1 finished with a near hurricane force blizzard as we came off the top for the last time.

Day 2. Blue skies, no wind, over a foot of fresh snow and, lordy be, we have pre-booked a guide for this day. Oodles of accessible fresh stuff which no-one had been near, and to top it off we had touring gear so hiked up to the top of one closed run before lunch and then to the top of Aup de Veran after. What a day.

On the way up

Top of the hill

Day 3. Mostly pooped as a result of the previous day so a gentle day in poor vis and snowfall. Spent the day practising technique under the watchful guidance of the qualified instructor in the group.

Day 4. Even more snow overnight and finally the links to the rest of the Grand Massif area opened. Repeated the guide's first run a couple of times and then headed over the hill and found an unopened run (Corbalanche) which starts gently (and in full view of the chair lift) but then turns into a brutal steep icy bump face with a tricky vegetation strewn exit. Usually it's horrible. Pretty much the first ones down it. Deep powdery bumps. OMG. We went straight back and did it again. Lunch, and then a skin up to the closed run we did with the guide, and a final closed route back down to Flaine.

An amazing four days.

Feanor · « **Reply #770 on:** 15 January, 2023, 09:12:10 pm »

Git!
Looks great. That's the kind of stuff I love.

hatler · « **Reply #771 on:** 15 January, 2023, 09:21:29 pm »

Sorry.

That's two out of our last three 'cheap January' visits to Flaine where we've hit the 'day of the season' with our pre-booked guide.

I think the Flaine Tourist Office should perhaps offer to pay for our next trip, and maybe have us there a week earlier ?

Ham · « **Reply #772 on:** 15 January, 2023, 09:26:10 pm »

What can I say... well done!

CommuteTooFar · « **Reply #773 on:** 15 February, 2023, 02:58:53 pm »

I returned for Selva, Val Gardena last weekend. It was cold so the snow was always in great condition. The Dolomites always prepares their pistes perfectly. My skis performed well but, sadly I did not. I got tired towards the end of the week and fell over four times on cut up red runs at the end of long days. I really enjoyed the black runs, Sasslong (Men's downhill), Volcano (Women's downhill) and Gran Risa (Men's giant slalom).
Everyday I found Campinoi hard work as the last run of the day.

My new boots fitted perfectly. No problems putting them on as I feared above.

Now I am 60 years old I appreciate the well groomed pistes of the Sella Ronda. Hotel Armin was a very nice hotel with a good wine list. The cheaper wines seamed marked up but the more expensive wines seemed closer to the retail price you would find them in the uk.

hatler · « **Reply #774 on:** 15 February, 2023, 09:22:56 pm »

Ooooo. That's all good to hear. Off to Corvara soon after last year's triumphant return to Arabba (after a gap of about 20 years).
Can't wait. Especially now we are not tied to school holidays.