So who's going skiing 2011 and where?
Discussion
First snowboarding holiday is a success so far, it's got the most brutal learning curve of any sport tried, now on blue runs after 3days, so not too bad, almost mastered turning and switch to make sure I'm not on my arse all the time.
La plague snowfall is very little but bashers and cannons doing a great job, food is reasonable and not that expensive, beer at 5 euros is ok, but by f
k it's sooooo gassy and does not sit well after food.
Will definitely be going again once all the bruising and swelling settles Dow from knees, arms, back and of course arse.
Can't believe I didn't try it sooner.
La plague snowfall is very little but bashers and cannons doing a great job, food is reasonable and not that expensive, beer at 5 euros is ok, but by f
k it's sooooo gassy and does not sit well after food.Will definitely be going again once all the bruising and swelling settles Dow from knees, arms, back and of course arse.
Can't believe I didn't try it sooner.
Checking snow reports on british ski club website daily now. Off to Alpe d'Huez a week on Saturday - seems to have been rescued by the fresh dump, just hope it continues!
Also checking temperatures - I often take kit that's too warm with me and have no alternatives. Newish Animal jacket has a liner / inner jacket that I might take with me and just wear that on the hotter days.
Also checking temperatures - I often take kit that's too warm with me and have no alternatives. Newish Animal jacket has a liner / inner jacket that I might take with me and just wear that on the hotter days.
alfa pint said:
Checking snow reports on british ski club website daily now. Off to Alpe d'Huez a week on Saturday - seems to have been rescued by the fresh dump, just hope it continues!
Also checking temperatures - I often take kit that's too warm with me and have no alternatives. Newish Animal jacket has a liner / inner jacket that I might take with me and just wear that on the hotter days.
When learning I was just in snowboard pants and my thermal base layer, the jacket was left at the side of the run as it was that hot, even my normal ski jacket has been a little too warm and that's at 2300m Also checking temperatures - I often take kit that's too warm with me and have no alternatives. Newish Animal jacket has a liner / inner jacket that I might take with me and just wear that on the hotter days.
Conditions here now are not the best.
Snow isn't too bad, although a little hard packed, but there's no off piste left at all, it's like spring came three weeks early.
Thank God for snow cannons, otherwise there are areas here that would be closing a month early!
Very busy today too, which is odd? Lots of numpties around, which can be fun to watch.
Snow isn't too bad, although a little hard packed, but there's no off piste left at all, it's like spring came three weeks early.
Thank God for snow cannons, otherwise there are areas here that would be closing a month early!
Very busy today too, which is odd? Lots of numpties around, which can be fun to watch.
maser_spyder said:
Conditions here now are not the best.
Snow isn't too bad, although a little hard packed, but there's no off piste left at all, it's like spring came three weeks early.
Thank God for snow cannons, otherwise there are areas here that would be closing a month early!
Very busy today too, which is odd? Lots of numpties around, which can be fun to watch.
D'Oh! I'm flying out on Saturday (staying in Hollersbach, so not really Kitzbuhel as such). Hope there's some last minute snowfall!Snow isn't too bad, although a little hard packed, but there's no off piste left at all, it's like spring came three weeks early.
Thank God for snow cannons, otherwise there are areas here that would be closing a month early!
Very busy today too, which is odd? Lots of numpties around, which can be fun to watch.
Handbag said:
maser_spyder said:
Conditions here now are not the best.
Snow isn't too bad, although a little hard packed, but there's no off piste left at all, it's like spring came three weeks early.
Thank God for snow cannons, otherwise there are areas here that would be closing a month early!
Very busy today too, which is odd? Lots of numpties around, which can be fun to watch.
D'Oh! I'm flying out on Saturday (staying in Hollersbach, so not really Kitzbuhel as such). Hope there's some last minute snowfall!Snow isn't too bad, although a little hard packed, but there's no off piste left at all, it's like spring came three weeks early.
Thank God for snow cannons, otherwise there are areas here that would be closing a month early!
Very busy today too, which is odd? Lots of numpties around, which can be fun to watch.
It's not actually that bad on the pistes, it just looks pretty green on the sunny side, more like mid spring than late winter.
You should be ok next week, but the forecast says its going to be warm and sunny for the rest of the month, so don't hold out too much hope for snow I'm afraid.
Had my first day back at work after 3 weeks on the snow in Japan. Let's just say that I attempted seppuku on the tube this morning but the blackberry wasn't sharp enough.
I went to Myoko Kogen, which is about 3 hours from Tokyo by train. It gets a lot of snow (avg. 13 meters annually) and not as many foreigners as other more famous area (i.e. Niseko or Habuka). It's a collection of four resorts which are interlinked with buses. It has absolutely no apres scene at all - the pubs don't open until 6pm and tend to shut at 9:30 on a week night so if you're after parties, don't go. It does have a very Japanese vibe with not much English spoken in restaurants and hotels.
The Myoko resorts are very liberal in their approach to off-piste, unlike most Japanese resorts. They are fine with you hitting just about all trees in the resort boundary but don't like you poaching under the lifts. There aren't many roped off areas, but where they are it's for good reason. Japanese resorts tend to be a lot lower than European resorts so there was tree cover all the way to the top of all resorts. Pistes were well maintained and quite wide. There weren't a lot of steep runs that weren't moguls.
We had good snow fall in the first week with a couple of 30cm+ days and a nice 5cm dusting another couple. The second week we had nothing but clear blue sky and spring snow (ie slushy), which was nice for a change but not really why we were there. The third week snowed the whole time with one massive 80-90cm dump where we got most of these pics.
Wheelies are really good fun. This is on-piste at about 11am:
The resorts were basically dead Monday to Friday with no lift lines to speak of:
This was a groomed run which then had 40cm of snow over the top.
There are a couple of day trips to do from the resort. There is a hot spring that some monkeys have taken to hanging out in:
A large temple in Nagano called Zenko-Ji:
And a castle built in the 1500s called Matsumoto:
It's a great place and I will be going back. Wish I was still there!
I went to Myoko Kogen, which is about 3 hours from Tokyo by train. It gets a lot of snow (avg. 13 meters annually) and not as many foreigners as other more famous area (i.e. Niseko or Habuka). It's a collection of four resorts which are interlinked with buses. It has absolutely no apres scene at all - the pubs don't open until 6pm and tend to shut at 9:30 on a week night so if you're after parties, don't go. It does have a very Japanese vibe with not much English spoken in restaurants and hotels.
The Myoko resorts are very liberal in their approach to off-piste, unlike most Japanese resorts. They are fine with you hitting just about all trees in the resort boundary but don't like you poaching under the lifts. There aren't many roped off areas, but where they are it's for good reason. Japanese resorts tend to be a lot lower than European resorts so there was tree cover all the way to the top of all resorts. Pistes were well maintained and quite wide. There weren't a lot of steep runs that weren't moguls.
We had good snow fall in the first week with a couple of 30cm+ days and a nice 5cm dusting another couple. The second week we had nothing but clear blue sky and spring snow (ie slushy), which was nice for a change but not really why we were there. The third week snowed the whole time with one massive 80-90cm dump where we got most of these pics.
Wheelies are really good fun. This is on-piste at about 11am:
The resorts were basically dead Monday to Friday with no lift lines to speak of:
This was a groomed run which then had 40cm of snow over the top.
There are a couple of day trips to do from the resort. There is a hot spring that some monkeys have taken to hanging out in:
A large temple in Nagano called Zenko-Ji:
And a castle built in the 1500s called Matsumoto:
It's a great place and I will be going back. Wish I was still there!
Handbag said:
Never mind eh, was in Obertauern at Christmas and it was the other extreme - wouldn't stop snowing and lots of fog! Will just have to soak up some rays on the sun terrace if the snow gets too slushy in the afternoons 
Just get out as early as you can, make the most of the pisted bits, and have lazy afternoons.On the plus side, its gloriously sunny!
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/Ecm2XGqu.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/jY0qohok" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/jY0qohok.jpg)
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/op31vf0j.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/Ecm2XGqu" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/Ecm2XGqu.jpg)
seefarr said:
Had my first day back at work after 3 weeks on the snow in Japan. Let's just say that I attempted seppuku on the tube this morning but the blackberry wasn't sharp enough.
I went to Myoko Kogen, which is about 3 hours from Tokyo by train. It gets a lot of snow (avg. 13 meters annually) and not as many foreigners as other more famous area (i.e. Niseko or Habuka). It's a collection of four resorts which are interlinked with buses. It has absolutely no apres scene at all - the pubs don't open until 6pm and tend to shut at 9:30 on a week night so if you're after parties, don't go. It does have a very Japanese vibe with not much English spoken in restaurants and hotels.
The Myoko resorts are very liberal in their approach to off-piste, unlike most Japanese resorts. They are fine with you hitting just about all trees in the resort boundary but don't like you poaching under the lifts. There aren't many roped off areas, but where they are it's for good reason. Japanese resorts tend to be a lot lower than European resorts so there was tree cover all the way to the top of all resorts. Pistes were well maintained and quite wide. There weren't a lot of steep runs that weren't moguls.
We had good snow fall in the first week with a couple of 30cm+ days and a nice 5cm dusting another couple. The second week we had nothing but clear blue sky and spring snow (ie slushy), which was nice for a change but not really why we were there. The third week snowed the whole time with one massive 80-90cm dump where we got most of these pics.
Wheelies are really good fun. This is on-piste at about 11am:
The resorts were basically dead Monday to Friday with no lift lines to speak of:
This was a groomed run which then had 40cm of snow over the top.
There are a couple of day trips to do from the resort. There is a hot spring that some monkeys have taken to hanging out in:
A large temple in Nagano called Zenko-Ji:
And a castle built in the 1500s called Matsumoto:
It's a great place and I will be going back. Wish I was still there!
Awesome!I went to Myoko Kogen, which is about 3 hours from Tokyo by train. It gets a lot of snow (avg. 13 meters annually) and not as many foreigners as other more famous area (i.e. Niseko or Habuka). It's a collection of four resorts which are interlinked with buses. It has absolutely no apres scene at all - the pubs don't open until 6pm and tend to shut at 9:30 on a week night so if you're after parties, don't go. It does have a very Japanese vibe with not much English spoken in restaurants and hotels.
The Myoko resorts are very liberal in their approach to off-piste, unlike most Japanese resorts. They are fine with you hitting just about all trees in the resort boundary but don't like you poaching under the lifts. There aren't many roped off areas, but where they are it's for good reason. Japanese resorts tend to be a lot lower than European resorts so there was tree cover all the way to the top of all resorts. Pistes were well maintained and quite wide. There weren't a lot of steep runs that weren't moguls.
We had good snow fall in the first week with a couple of 30cm+ days and a nice 5cm dusting another couple. The second week we had nothing but clear blue sky and spring snow (ie slushy), which was nice for a change but not really why we were there. The third week snowed the whole time with one massive 80-90cm dump where we got most of these pics.
Wheelies are really good fun. This is on-piste at about 11am:
The resorts were basically dead Monday to Friday with no lift lines to speak of:
This was a groomed run which then had 40cm of snow over the top.
There are a couple of day trips to do from the resort. There is a hot spring that some monkeys have taken to hanging out in:
A large temple in Nagano called Zenko-Ji:
And a castle built in the 1500s called Matsumoto:
It's a great place and I will be going back. Wish I was still there!
I have plans for a 'World tour' ski season in 2012, japan, aus, nz, chile, the home again. That's just made me want to spend a little bit longer in japan.
maser_spyder said:
So you made it to the top of the Hahnenkaam then? I recognise the view.
Was up there today, it looks different already.
I did, but only to get some lunch and collect the skiiers! It was a gorgeous day, for sunbathing that is! There actually was a woman in a bikini on a sunlounger in the restaurant.Was up there today, it looks different already.
Slightly different to the amazing Japan pictures above!
SunnyD said:
maser_spyder said:
So you made it to the top of the Hahnenkaam then? I recognise the view.
Was up there today, it looks different already.
I did, but only to get some lunch and collect the skiiers! It was a gorgeous day, for sunbathing that is! There actually was a woman in a bikini on a sunlounger in the restaurant.Was up there today, it looks different already.
Slightly different to the amazing Japan pictures above!
Although it was a tad icy today on the steeper sections, still much fun.
Doesn't Japan look amazing! My sister speaks Japanese, and is actually (randomly) a qualified ski instructor in Japan, I really should get her to come along with me next year...
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