Who is going skiing and where 2015?
Discussion
CAPP0 said:
Dog Star said:
My "holiday" is a total write-off; because the OH has taken a new job with lots more money but lots less holidays we could only manage three days skiing. Yesterday was lost because of trying to get here in the snow, and today there are no lifts open; same predicted for tomorrow. There is *tons* of lovely fresh snow too. What a sickener.
Total waste of time, money and the OHs scarce holidays.
I have had the same happen to me, I know how you feel. Drove into Tignes Les Brev a few years back in the early hours of the morning. Light snow on the way up from Bourg. We parked up at around 3am, on the street as we didn't know where the car parks were. I got up early in the morning, as I know they don't like you parking on the street there, and the car was gone. We had had some absurd amount of snow overnight. I assumed that the plough guys had dragged/pushed the car away. However, eventually we discovered that the car was in fact where we had left it but under about 4ft of snow; I have pictures somewhere. Spent the morning digging it out, and the rest of a long weekend eating and drinking Total waste of time, money and the OHs scarce holidays.
In the end the only lift opened all weekend was the little free chair in le Lac opposite the Loop, and that was hardly worth booting up for.Anyway, having had two trips this year so far and a third already booked, I've just been offered a 4-dayer to Chatel next month. Should be able to get high enough to find whatever snow is left.
OscarIndia said:
I do rent it out, sleeps 10 English style not French!
http://www.acm-immobilier.fr/en/vacances/recherche...
I hope I'm not breaking rules, but I was asked!
It has been done up since the photos, I must get some more done. Reduction for pistonheads.
Thanks!http://www.acm-immobilier.fr/en/vacances/recherche...
I hope I'm not breaking rules, but I was asked!
It has been done up since the photos, I must get some more done. Reduction for pistonheads.
CAPP0 said:
Anyway, having had two trips this year so far and a third already booked, I've just been offered a 4-dayer to Chatel next month. Should be able to get high enough to find whatever snow is left.
Hmmm. I wouldn't bet on it. Been a while since I was there but I remeber one season that I was there the link to Avoriaz was f
ked. Chatel's skiing is North facing and when you go over the other side you have to ski down a south facing piste/track which isn't at very high altitude. Jahorina (near Sarajevo) was brilliant again this year. Great snow, glorious sunshine all week. Lift passes have gone up since my last visit though, from 50 quid a week to 80. Flights and accommodation still cheap (one place I know is offering 90 euros a week accomodation ski in ski out from 9th March).
Still mega value.
Still mega value.
OscarIndia said:
I do rent it out, sleeps 10 English style not French!
http://www.acm-immobilier.fr/en/vacances/recherche...
I hope I'm not breaking rules, but I was asked!
It has been done up since the photos, I must get some more done. Reduction for pistonheads.
Very nice - bookmarked http://www.acm-immobilier.fr/en/vacances/recherche...
I hope I'm not breaking rules, but I was asked!
It has been done up since the photos, I must get some more done. Reduction for pistonheads.
Cheib said:
CAPP0 said:
Anyway, having had two trips this year so far and a third already booked, I've just been offered a 4-dayer to Chatel next month. Should be able to get high enough to find whatever snow is left.
Hmmm. I wouldn't bet on it. Been a while since I was there but I remeber one season that I was there the link to Avoriaz was fked. Chatel's skiing is North facing and when you go over the other side you have to ski down a south facing piste/track which isn't at very high altitude. CAPP0 said:
Never heard of this. I'll hunt about - any links? Thanks.
Turn up to any resorts mountain guides office, book yourself a guide and hire some touring gear. They'll teach you how to use the gear and the techniques required. A lot of guides are free lancers and will happily do an intro day to touring with you. I know quite a few dotted around, a couple in particular based in Chamonix who will cover a range of resorts in the area.Touring is great fun with quite a few dimensions to it, you can use the lift system then access terrain (1-1.5+) you can skin up just for the hell of if for fitness (there are a lot of races across the Alps doing just this). Or join the touring season which is normally April when most resorts will close, it's often the case that it's not because of the lack of snow rather just a set date (usually after Easter) when it's not economically viable to keep the lifts running and staff paid. There is of course still plenty of snow and great potential for several dumps of fresh snow too, so can access it all by touring when the lifts are closed.
I've never been that seriously into touring as at that point it all becomes about saving weight in your gear, becoming really obsessed about a few grams here and there. You get to the point where you definitely sacrifice the downhill ski part of the performance of the gear at a certain point. Plus I weigh 17 stone so saving a little here and there I didn't think would make too much difference.
I was recently skiing with a guide for a full week, who would lead our group all day skiing hard then after getting back would skin up and go for it uphill. Hugely fit and mental.....
Ski Touring Rocks! It opens up so much more of the mountains and if you actually do organised tours for a couple of days, staying in the high Alpine huts overnight and having the weather close in is oddly awesome. Let's not mention being stuck in a makeshift Igloo for 4 days with three other blokes during a mental storm! Bizarrely, it's where I learnt to juggle.
I did a fair bit of it in the Army and it was a natural extension of skills as I was qualified as both a Nordic & Alpine instructor and spent a fair bit of time in Norway.
I'd make sure any initial training involves a good understanding of how the equipment works especially the transceiver and probe - If they don't, walk away. If it's something you get into then look at acquiring old-school navigation skills as well.
I did a fair bit of it in the Army and it was a natural extension of skills as I was qualified as both a Nordic & Alpine instructor and spent a fair bit of time in Norway.
I'd make sure any initial training involves a good understanding of how the equipment works especially the transceiver and probe - If they don't, walk away. If it's something you get into then look at acquiring old-school navigation skills as well.
Asterix said:
Ski Touring Rocks! Staying in the high Alpine huts overnight and having the weather close in is oddly awesome.
Asterix makes a very good point that I forgot to mention here. Unless you have a access to a chopper then there are endless classic off piste routes in the Alps and elsewhere that you can only do in this fashion-staying in huts etc and whilst the novelty of being in a chopper is great it's a lot of fun getting a good group together. As Asterix says any guide worth their salt should make sure that everyone in their party has done some training with the avi gear and of course make sure everyone has it with them on the day.
Talking of ski touring I am thinking of trying to do the Haute Route when I am 50 in three years time. I need to get a lot fitter and lose some weight first.....intention is to start on that this year and do a decent amount of skinning next season. Good excuse to buy a load of new gear too!
http://www.alpine-guides.com/skiing/touring/haute-...
This run is about an hour's skin off the back of one of the lifts in Verbier....going to try it next weekend hopefully (with a local guide).
https://vimeo.com/120690080
http://www.alpine-guides.com/skiing/touring/haute-...
This run is about an hour's skin off the back of one of the lifts in Verbier....going to try it next weekend hopefully (with a local guide).
https://vimeo.com/120690080
a311 said:
Asterix makes a very good point that I forgot to mention here. Unless you have a access to a chopper then there are endless classic off piste routes in the Alps and elsewhere that you can only do in this fashion-staying in huts etc and whilst the novelty of being in a chopper is great it's a lot of fun getting a good group together.
As Asterix says any guide worth their salt should make sure that everyone in their party has done some training with the avi gear and of course make sure everyone has it with them on the day.
You can also read up a lot online about avalanches and what to do/ not do etc. When practicing do things like hitting each other on the helmet with your poles. It really annoys you/ increases your stress levels and so is much more realistic and helps you remember what to do. Also when you practice using your transceiver to find other ones in the snow it can be fun to hide beer with it as a reward, As Asterix says any guide worth their salt should make sure that everyone in their party has done some training with the avi gear and of course make sure everyone has it with them on the day.
Ski touring is awesome, going to a mountain no one has been on since the new snow and walking up, taking some lunch and then skiing powder down again is great. If you buy the gear expect to pay something like £1000-1500 for it without the clothes. If you're skinning up then you'll also want thin clothes and layering you can open to breathe on the way up, and a lightweight down jacket at the top when removing the skins/ putting helmet on/ having lunch. Depending on the time you'll also want a good light for going up/coming down. Comfortable boots (as usual) are most important. Slide your skis when walking up rather than lifting them.
Hi...question to the floor!
4 of us looking to ski 18-21st March, fly either to Geneva or Zurich and planning, if poss to keep transfer down to 2hrs max. Have never skied in Austria and Lech has been suggested. From Geneva have recently skied Les Gets / Morzine and Courmeyer. Any ideas where to head?? Somewhere lively would be a bonus...
4 of us looking to ski 18-21st March, fly either to Geneva or Zurich and planning, if poss to keep transfer down to 2hrs max. Have never skied in Austria and Lech has been suggested. From Geneva have recently skied Les Gets / Morzine and Courmeyer. Any ideas where to head?? Somewhere lively would be a bonus...
willyjc said:
Hi...question to the floor!
4 of us looking to ski 18-21st March, fly either to Geneva or Zurich and planning, if poss to keep transfer down to 2hrs max. Have never skied in Austria and Lech has been suggested. From Geneva have recently skied Les Gets / Morzine and Courmeyer. Any ideas where to head?? Somewhere lively would be a bonus...
Verbier...great skiing and very lively. And the transfer is very easy from Geneva....train station in the airport. One (very easy) change takes you to the bottom of the mountain. Or you can get a minibus which is just under two hours.4 of us looking to ski 18-21st March, fly either to Geneva or Zurich and planning, if poss to keep transfer down to 2hrs max. Have never skied in Austria and Lech has been suggested. From Geneva have recently skied Les Gets / Morzine and Courmeyer. Any ideas where to head?? Somewhere lively would be a bonus...
BUT it's Switzerland so not what I would call cheap. You pays your money..........
Desperately looking for an end of season get away, considering Tignes - getting a coach from Folkestone overnight and staying in Tignes les Brevieres as the prices are much lower with the same access to pistes. Anyone else heading to this area mid April/ fancy coming along as I have already done my family ski holiday back in February but need another fix before the end of the season.
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