Who is going skiing and where in 2017

[feef]

lemmingjames said:

I must be one of the only ones who rewears the same gear year after year etc.

You do know that you can wash the jackets in a normal wash then get rewaterproofing wash stuff to return it to good dont you?

I still have my Berghaus 1st generation Pac-Lite jacket which I keep as a spare in my pack. It must be getting on for 20 years old now, and the tape on the seams is coming adrift, but it still works

[Mothersruin]

lemmingjames said:

I must be one of the only ones who rewears the same gear year after year etc.

You do know that you can wash the jackets in a normal wash then get rewaterproofing wash stuff to return it to good dont you?

Probably best if you do the wash without detergents. Not good for the membranes. Also, the proofing just helps with water running off the outer shell. More to do with the breathability really.

[Jarcy]

lemmingjames said:

I must be one of the only ones who rewears the same gear year after year etc.

I must be a tart, I know, but if a jacket lasts me 5 years, then that's 15 sets of holiday photos where I'm wearing the same kit.

lemmingjames said:

You do know that you can wash the jackets in a normal wash then get rewaterproofing wash stuff to return it to good dont you?

Ssshhh - don't tell Mrs Jarcy - that said, she likes her new gear as much as me.

feef said:

Dare2B is a brand name of Regatta

Shudders! - I didn't know that. My poor kids. At least they've out-grown that.

feef said:

Quiksilver, the new range of Roxy skis are now made by The Faction Collective

Interesting - I've been following The F.C. to see how they take off.

[Welshbeef]

Jarcy said:

lemmingjames said:

I must be one of the only ones who rewears the same gear year after year etc.

I must be a tart, I know, but if a jacket lasts me 5 years, then that's 15 sets of holiday photos where I'm wearing the same kit.

lemmingjames said:

You do know that you can wash the jackets in a normal wash then get rewaterproofing wash stuff to return it to good dont you?

Ssshhh - don't tell Mrs Jarcy - that said, she likes her new gear as much as me.

feef said:

Dare2B is a brand name of Regatta

Shudders! - I didn't know that. My poor kids. At least they've out-grown that.

feef said:

Quiksilver, the new range of Roxy skis are now made by The Faction Collective

Interesting - I've been following The F.C. to see how they take off.

Lol an average of 3 skiing holidays each year for 5 years.

In isolation that's not cheap I wish I could do it but school term times mean I'd be going without the kids - not reallly an option for us

[//j17]

lemmingjames said:

I must be one of the only ones who rewears the same gear year after year etc.

You're not alone! Much of my ski gear I can date back 10 years, and my 'skiing' jacket's actually a Buffalo mountain shirt that must be 15 or 16 years old now.

Personally I'm happier spending my £460 to go skiing the week after next rather than on a new Burton AK 3L Hover jacket from Slush and Rubble. I know I'll also be happier spending £460 on beer and schnapps in Ischgl in Jan. than on a new jacket

[NRS]

feef said:

Jarcy said:

Welshbeef said:

Decathalon does the kit so well if your after budget stuff which is ideal for novices and kids or those who simply cannot justify the big cost of too end brands.

I know I shouldn't be a brand-snob, but whenever I see "Wed'ze" on the slopes, or the '3 dot' logo, I think, well, I, errmmmm...
I'm sure it's terrific stuff and great value...Just so long as you're not sliding on something with the name Wed'ze on it.

For the average family who only ever ski once a year for a week, Wed'ze skis are probably going to be fine and will most likely be made either by Meditec in Tunisia ( http://www.meditec.com.tn/ ) or the Elan plant in Slovenia.

I wonder how many here would actually know and feel the difference if they were all unbranded, and how much of it is brand snobbery

For the average family it probably doesn't make too much difference, and there isn't much point in spending huge amounts of money for something you will hardly ever use. However for more extreme use/ touring you will notice a huge difference between the cheap and expensive stuff due to breathability (and also how waterproof it is if it starts raining). Comfort is also much improved with merino wool.

I have way too much stuff in many ways, but I do use it a lot. Think I'm up to 4 sets of downhill skis now, with another 4 sets for cross country skiing. Been skiing every month this year. I do wear my stuff for a long time, but I have recently been buying a few new things to improve weight/ make sure I am colour co-ordinated (most important part of skiing! Bright orange, blue and black theme going on here, ).

Jarcy said:

Knee bindings are traditional Alpine bindings, rather than Pin touring bindings.
They're designed to give more knee protection, by giving the toe part a 3rd dimension in which to release.
Billed as the safest binding you can get, and a popular choice with those that have already suffered knee injuries.

My friend got them fitted following his ACL mishap!

Thanks, good to know! Almost all my trips are touring and not immediate steeper climbs, so sounds like they wouldn't work for me in that regards.

[Jarcy]

//j17 said:

You're not alone! Much of my ski gear I can date back 10 years, and my 'skiing' jacket's actually a Buffalo mountain shirt that must be 15 or 16 years old now.

Personally I'm happier spending my £460 to go skiing the week after next rather than on a new Burton AK 3L Hover jacket from Slush and Rubble. I know I'll also be happier spending £460 on beer and schnapps in Ischgl in Jan. than on a new jacket

The flaw in my new-kit-spending fetish, is that after another £460 on beer & scnapps, most of it ends up on the new jacket

Top tip; SportPursuit is your friend if you want top kit for reasonable money. My Arc'teryx jacket was £230, pants, £170.

[theguvernor15]

After a bit of advise from the PH collective.
I'm currently learning to ski as the gf & i are off to Zermatt at the end of January.
I've got most of the kit required, however my sticking point is currently the helmet, the gf says just hire it when we get there, however i hate the thought of using a pre-used helmet, not having known what's happened too it alread.
I think it's around 30 Swiss francs to hire one, however for not much more i can just buy one in the UK & take it with me & bring it back, is there a 'done thing'?!

[Welshbeef]

theguvernor15 said:

After a bit of advise from the PH collective.
I'm currently learning to ski as the gf & i are off to Zermatt at the end of January.
I've got most of the kit required, however my sticking point is currently the helmet, the gf says just hire it when we get there, however i hate the thought of using a pre-used helmet, not having known what's happened too it alread.
I think it's around 30 Swiss francs to hire one, however for not much more i can just buy one in the UK & take it with me & bring it back, is there a 'done thing'?!

Buy a £30 helmet from Decathalon.

I bin mine after 2 years use.

I'd never hire one - if it's knocked it should be scrap and it's safety compromised. Not worth it.

[feef]

NRS said:

feef said:

Jarcy said:

Welshbeef said:

Decathalon does the kit so well if your after budget stuff which is ideal for novices and kids or those who simply cannot justify the big cost of too end brands.

I know I shouldn't be a brand-snob, but whenever I see "Wed'ze" on the slopes, or the '3 dot' logo, I think, well, I, errmmmm...
I'm sure it's terrific stuff and great value...Just so long as you're not sliding on something with the name Wed'ze on it.

For the average family who only ever ski once a year for a week, Wed'ze skis are probably going to be fine and will most likely be made either by Meditec in Tunisia ( http://www.meditec.com.tn/ ) or the Elan plant in Slovenia.

I wonder how many here would actually know and feel the difference if they were all unbranded, and how much of it is brand snobbery

For the average family it probably doesn't make too much difference, and there isn't much point in spending huge amounts of money for something you will hardly ever use. However for more extreme use/ touring you will notice a huge difference between the cheap and expensive stuff due to breathability (and also how waterproof it is if it starts raining). Comfort is also much improved with merino wool.

I have way too much stuff in many ways, but I do use it a lot. Think I'm up to 4 sets of downhill skis now, with another 4 sets for cross country skiing. Been skiing every month this year. I do wear my stuff for a long time, but I have recently been buying a few new things to improve weight/ make sure I am colour co-ordinated (most important part of skiing! Bright orange, blue and black theme going on here, ).

Jarcy said:

Knee bindings are traditional Alpine bindings, rather than Pin touring bindings.
They're designed to give more knee protection, by giving the toe part a 3rd dimension in which to release.
Billed as the safest binding you can get, and a popular choice with those that have already suffered knee injuries.

My friend got them fitted following his ACL mishap!

Thanks, good to know! Almost all my trips are touring and not immediate steeper climbs, so sounds like they wouldn't work for me in that regards.

There was a rather grotty lawsuit between Knee (the company) and Howell (the original inventor/designer of the Knee binding)

Howell has since set up his own company selling his design and is inthe process of patenting the design. I'm not sure what effect that will have on Knee the company.

Howells bindings are here

https://howell-ski-bindings.myshopify.com/

Edited by feef on Tuesday 29th November 18:32

[malks222]

I usually get a good few seasons out of my kit, but I have very rarely paid full price for any of my kit. I reckon 90% of my stuff has been bought 'out of season', also pretty lucky to have quite a few outdoors/ ski shops close by that I can go check out if I'm needing stuff.

also not being precious on 'this seasons' colours, design, pattern.... helps a lot. this summer was expensive as I bought new boots and skis, but cannot wait to get out and start the season!

[Welshbeef]

Bansko has had a huge snow dump over the last few days.

Last Friday no snow/gass pistes.
Today heavy snow everywhere + still snowing + -12 and snow cannons on flat out too.

Current view is they will open unofficially early 8/12.

[feef]

Huge dumps, mental low temps and no base means an unstable snow pack unfortunately, especially if it's not followed up with more snow or a quick thaw/freeze to consolidate the base.

The key temperature gradient is 10 degrees per meter. If there's more than 10deg per meter difference within the snow pack, then there's the likelihood that you'll see depth hoar develop, and the avalanche risk go up significantly

[Welshbeef]

feef said:

Huge dumps, mental low temps and no base means an unstable snow pack unfortunately, especially if it's not followed up with more snow or a quick thaw/freeze to consolidate the base.

The key temperature gradient is 10 degrees per meter. If there's more than 10deg per meter difference within the snow pack, then there's the likelihood that you'll see depth hoar develop, and the avalanche risk go up significantly

Oh!!! Don't destroy my joy.

[feef]

Welshbeef said:

feef said:

Huge dumps, mental low temps and no base means an unstable snow pack unfortunately, especially if it's not followed up with more snow or a quick thaw/freeze to consolidate the base.

The key temperature gradient is 10 degrees per meter. If there's more than 10deg per meter difference within the snow pack, then there's the likelihood that you'll see depth hoar develop, and the avalanche risk go up significantly

Oh!!! Don't destroy my joy.

It should be okay if they're firing the snow-cannons as well, and it'll be getting pisted which will help consolidate the pack on the marked runs. My words of warning are more for those venturing off-piste

[Cheburator mk2]

feef said:

Huge dumps, mental low temps and no base means an unstable snow pack unfortunately, especially if it's not followed up with more snow or a quick thaw/freeze to consolidate the base.

The key temperature gradient is 10 degrees per meter. If there's more than 10deg per meter difference within the snow pack, then there's the likelihood that you'll see depth hoar develop, and the avalanche risk go up significantly

Bansko's official pistes are OK in terms of avalanche danger. It is the off-piste stuff, which would be pretty bad. Same as last year. A guide there is essential - easy to get oneself killed...

[Welshbeef]

Cheburator mk2 said:

Bansko's official pistes are OK in terms of avalanche danger. It is the off-piste stuff, which would be pretty bad. Same as last year. A guide there is essential - easy to get oneself killed...

I'm a strict Piste skier so no worries there.

A few years ago we were in Bansko (2015) when we arrived the snow in the village was crazy meters deep wading through the stuff. Usually none in the town or just a tiny bit. Anyway there were strict instructions on all the information boards and speaker system (continiously) high avalanche risk off piste do not go off piste. Pretty clear and in countless languages.

Anyway sadly I think 3 - 5 individuals climbed to the peak and went off piste, they followed each other but the last person triggered an avalanche over them all. All were killed.

A few years before that friends of friends went and one liked off piste he got lost took 5 hours of wading through deep snow to get back to normality (no one knew where he was). As it turned out a local was walking and saw him then was waving frantically at him - he managed to get over to him, turned out he was walking over a small lake without knowing so could easily of died and really it would be unlikely of finding him until the thaw.

It looks cool in the videos but not for me or our kids

[NRS]

feef said:

Huge dumps, mental low temps and no base means an unstable snow pack unfortunately, especially if it's not followed up with more snow or a quick thaw/freeze to consolidate the base.

The key temperature gradient is 10 degrees per meter. If there's more than 10deg per meter difference within the snow pack, then there's the likelihood that you'll see depth hoar develop, and the avalanche risk go up significantly

Would it not depend a lot on if the ground was frozen previously? We had no snow for ages through November, but it was around -5 for a month with no precipitation, which has meant the ground froze nicely to help not result in a trapped heat "source" under the snow, which should help later in the season.

Welshbeef said:

A few years before that friends of friends went and one liked off piste he got lost took 5 hours of wading through deep snow to get back to normality (no one knew where he was). As it turned out a local was walking and saw him then was waving frantically at him - he managed to get over to him, turned out he was walking over a small lake without knowing so could easily of died and really it would be unlikely of finding him until the thaw.

It looks cool in the videos but not for me or our kids

Obviously the local would have known the local conditions and what had happened that season, but often walking over a lake is not an issue at all, as depending when in season/ conditions the ice can easily support a car. Just coming from the UK it tends to freak people out a bit more. Bit of a mistake to get that lost though - 5 hours walking through deep snow is not a great idea in most cases.

[Welshbeef]

NRS said:

Obviously the local would have known the local conditions and what had happened that season, but often walking over a lake is not an issue at all, as depending when in season/ conditions the ice can easily support a car. Just coming from the UK it tends to freak people out a bit more. Bit of a mistake to get that lost though - 5 hours walking through deep snow is not a great idea in most cases.

Where he was his phone had no coverage at all - was with a group of 12 but everyone doing their own thing. I think they assumed he was down in one of the village bars bottom of the gondola...

Yep 5 hours not a clue where he was he was really worried - beyond 5pm when the local spotted him ie getting dark. Very lucky.

[Jarcy]

Welshbeef said:

I'm a strict Piste skier so no worries there.

A few years ago we were in Bansko (2015) when we arrived the snow in the village was crazy meters deep wading through the stuff. Usually none in the town or just a tiny bit. Anyway there were strict instructions on all the information boards and speaker system (continiously) high avalanche risk off piste do not go off piste. Pretty clear and in countless languages.

Anyway sadly I think 3 - 5 individuals climbed to the peak and went off piste, they followed each other but the last person triggered an avalanche over them all. All were killed.

A few years before that friends of friends went and one liked off piste he got lost took 5 hours of wading through deep snow to get back to normality (no one knew where he was). As it turned out a local was walking and saw him then was waving frantically at him - he managed to get over to him, turned out he was walking over a small lake without knowing so could easily of died and really it would be unlikely of finding him until the thaw.

It looks cool in the videos but not for me or our kids

Once you get to a certain standard, then the ecstasy of skiing in deep powder and the magic of the isolation of an alpine wilderness, is worth all the risks and too much of a draw for many people. Once pistes no longer challenge you, it's natural to start exploring off piste.

There are never any guarantees, but of course the advice is to use a guide, unless you are skilled not only in detailed mountain-craft, but also have extensive local knowledge. One of my annual holidays that I take is a specific off-piste adventure, where we are looked after by a guide for the duration. Sometimes on a 'family' or 'mates' holiday I'll take a day out and hire a guide for some off piste adventures.

Myself and my kids (young adults) often explore lift-served off piste without a guide. But all precautions are taken, including ensuring that we're fully kitted with avalanche gear. Avalanches can always occur (even on piste) but one hopes that straying off the sides of the piste is not too dangerous so long as kept 'in bounds'.