Who is going skiing and where 2014?

[Rosscow]

schmalex said:

Only 6 weeks until we go for a mates' long weekend skiing.

I decided to try and prepare as much as possible and get the rhythm back after a year or so since my last ski, so am doing a weekly lesson at our local skiplex (revolving carpet thing). Whilst it is a very different feeling from that on snow (you remain stationary for a start!), it's a bloody good workout for the hips and quads!!! Plus, I've always worried that I'm a little twisted when turning and, as they have a mirror in front of you and an instructor alongside you, it's pretty easy to work on improving technical faults. Here's hoping!!

Edited by schmalex on Monday 3rd March 11:03

Just had to google this - looks excellent! Shame I'm about 2 hours away from the nearest one

[Stedman]

I'm off to Morzine for the first weekend in April. Pretty late, but hey I barely have to pay anything!

[//j17]

Stedman said:

I'm off to Morzine for the first weekend in April. Pretty late, but hey I barely have to pay anything!

Going to be there from the 29th and generally praying for a new cold snap. That or trying out the outdoor pool!

[Mr E]

897sma said:

Only two more days until I head to Morzine

Wish I had good news. Pistes better than they should be with double figures and direct sunshine.

Sugar snow from late afternoon onwards.

[897sma]

Mr E said:

Wish I had good news. Pistes better than they should be with double figures and direct sunshine.

Sugar snow from late afternoon onwards.

Oh well, as someone said earlier...better to be sat in bar in the sunshine in the alps than sat behind my desk. Can't complain as I've already had two weeks great skiing this year. First world problems eh? Just waiting for taxi to the airport and I'm on my way

[Gruffy]

bint said:

Snow flurries are now being talked about for next week here (Verbier), just as well as slush and minor avalanches have shut a few bits.

I'm afraid the forecasts I'm looking at show the mercury rising even higher over the next week.

[rpla102]

I'm in La Plagne, Champagny side (South) is getting very slushy in the afternoon, rest of the piste from la Plagne to les arcs is holding up. Last snow was a week ago and temps are v v mild, next week is going to be a challenge.

[GilesNZ]

Hitting up Queenstown, New Zealand in 4 months time! Went there two years ago and loved it, and for a local New Zealander, it is a bit more exotic then heading a few hours south to the Ruapehu Ski fields! Anyone else heading to NZ this coming winter?

[timlongs]

Season update from Bourg St Maurice - its seriously hot down here in the valley. At 1600 yesterday at lunchtime it was 17 degrees.

All things considered the pistes in Les Arcs are holding up well, but I'm not sure how much longer they'll last with this heat.

[DoubleSix]

Another holiday curtailed due to poorly set up bindings:



Really fed up. Last trip I broke two ribs as a ski popped off at speed, this year same thing as I was attacking a steep mogul run, fully committed, went down very hard.

Any advice welcome as I've lost faith in the Ski hire places to set them up correctly - I always specify 'expert' and 'aggressive' style but I suspect they dial it back because brits can't ski right?

So do the more experienced PHers do their own? I don't want to buy my own skis for one or two weeks a year (obviously have my own boots) but should I really be adjusting my own bindings now? Something has to change before I get seriously hurt.

[Asterix]

Shops will/should note what din they set at the initial setup.

You adjust them higher, wipe out and bork your knee, 'well, we recommended a lower setting'.

I set mine higher than the shops for certain conditions and depending on what I'm skiing. However, I've fitted thousands of sets of bindings in my time, know my ability and accept the risks.

[Marcellus]

DoubleSix said:

Another holiday curtailed due to poorly set up bindings:

Find out what your din settings should be, or rather what you think they should be, and then adjust after the shop has.

As previously said the shop will record what they set them at and if you have an injury and bindings set at a different setting they can't be held liable.

[DoubleSix]

Figured as much, they're playing it safe.

Mine were set to 9.5 (i'm only around 12 stone).

Edit: Thanks chaps, I'll read up on DINs and take a more involved approach I think!

Edited by DoubleSix on Thursday 13th March 16:49

[Marcellus]

Might also be well worth looking at your technique too!

[DoubleSix]

Marcellus said:

Might also be well worth looking at your technique too!

I was thinking that as well. But the first time was just catching a little air and popped out on landing. This time could be technique related I suppose, but wasn't doing anything I hadn't done before.

[tvrolet]

DoubleSixAny said:

..but I suspect they dial it back because brits can't ski right?

Nope, just the English But seriously, you actually do get a different reception if you say you're a Scottish skier. Don't want to open a Scotland/England debate, but I really have had attitudes change when I've pointed out I'm Scottish. There is a perception (in some part of Europe at least) that English skiers are one-week-per-year fair-weather holiday skiers who can't wait to get pi$$ed at the apres ski. Scots on the other hand are often perceived as spending their time at home rock-hopping, skiing on ice or slush and generally able to handle most things...but I digress...

DoubleSixAny said:

I don't want to buy my own skis for one or two weeks a year...

Why ever not? What's the cost of a lost holiday or a bad time because you've got some inappropriate stuff from the hire shop? How do you know what sort of ski you're going to get? It you're - lets say - an avid Porsche driver and well used to the foibles of a rear-engined car would you take pot-luck and rent anything from the 'sports car' list unseen for a track day? What's the difference?

Equally importantly - more importantly maybe - if you're buying flat skis you get to choose the bindings too. All bindings are not equal. All release level are not equal. For example you can set a Look Turntable style toe far lower than a conventional toe and stay in. You also get to choose what release options you get on the bindings - after a serious break that I think could have been avoided if I had an up/diagonal toe I've skied on Tyrolia and Head Mojo 15s (same basic binding, but the Tyrolia version has a better anti-slip thingy) ever since.

It means you can experiment with your own settings. The recommendations are typically fairly conservative, so you can start to 'up the settings' progressively if you find you're skiing out. It's your call if you go too far - no-one else to blame, but I don't think I've ever had a binding release when it shouldn't have in years and loads of ski-miles. I certainly can't remember when.

You might find you get more ski-days with your own gear too? With a ski-box it's really no real hassle to stick them in with your luggage (and boots of course!) on all sorts of trips where there might be snow. I had some great skiing at Crystal Mountain in Washington in January on the back of a business trip to Seattle. If I'd had to work out ski-hire and/or risk getting a pair of planks I probably wouldn't have bothered.

Anyway...off to Lake Tahoe/Heavenly next week

[DoubleSix]

Thanks. Good info there.

It's not the cost as such, more the hassle of lugging it and my perception (wrongly or rightly) that ski technology changes pretty fast so seemed like a poor proposition - I may need to reconsider this view.

Although, when hiring it's not a blind experience. I pay for 'Schwartz' skis and usually have a little chat about what I intend to do and how conditions are, AND you can take them back and switch as often as you like throughout the week.

Edited by DoubleSix on Thursday 13th March 17:32

[timlongs]

I currently work in a rental set up in France, we're an english company, for DIN settings we use a computer system which tells us what DIN to put you on. However the binding releasing might not necessarily be the DIN, the forward pressure on the binding could have been set incorrectly.

There are a lot of factors that go into a DIN not just height and weight. If you want I can put your info into our system and see what DIN we would put you on.

[DoubleSix]

timlongs said:

I currently work in a rental set up in France, we're an english company, for DIN settings we use a computer system which tells us what DIN to put you on. However the binding releasing might not necessarily be the DIN, the forward pressure on the binding could have been set incorrectly.

There are a lot of factors that go into a DIN not just height and weight. If you want I can put your info into our system and see what DIN we would put you on.

Thank you very much for this.

I will drop a PM your way so as not to clog up the thread. Cheers.

[Malx]

24 hours from now I'll be heading for Morzine for my first boarding holiday in 8 years with my brother and dad.
Knee braces are packed and I cannot wait to go