Who is going skiing and where in 2017
Discussion
Boys trip to Gerlos at the start of Feb is already in the bag. Just booked for a week in Morzine with the family towards the end of Feb and it looks like some friends will be in Les Carroz for the week preceeding, so we're going to extend the family trip and spend 3 days in Les Carroz. I'm getting very excited already.
We're very much creatures of habit.
Long weekend in Obertauern,AT with wife's family mid December, been good snow there last 3 years.
Then a week in Folgarida,IT with MIL, FIL and couple other families with young kids early Feb, got lucky this year, it's low season and don't seem to be many countries with school holidays the week we'll be there. Be our 6th year there, great for kids (if not experts - few black/really challenging pistes) always stay on the slope which is great for exchanging baby-siting duties.
Long weekend in Obertauern,AT with wife's family mid December, been good snow there last 3 years.
Then a week in Folgarida,IT with MIL, FIL and couple other families with young kids early Feb, got lucky this year, it's low season and don't seem to be many countries with school holidays the week we'll be there. Be our 6th year there, great for kids (if not experts - few black/really challenging pistes) always stay on the slope which is great for exchanging baby-siting duties.
I've missed the last two seasons due to birth of our son in 2015 and family holiday that fell through due to my father in law being terminally ill, and sadly passing away the week before we were due to go in 2016.
I'm itching to get back on the slopes, and have negotiated the golden ticket of a boys' week away somewhere. TBH I don't care where it is as long as it is snow sure, it'll probably be the last one I get to do before we start going as a family, which will be a) considerably more expensive and b) see me cover far less terrain.
I'm itching to get back on the slopes, and have negotiated the golden ticket of a boys' week away somewhere. TBH I don't care where it is as long as it is snow sure, it'll probably be the last one I get to do before we start going as a family, which will be a) considerably more expensive and b) see me cover far less terrain.
PurpleTurtle said:
I've missed the last two seasons due to birth of our son in 2015 and family holiday that fell through due to my father in law being terminally ill, and sadly passing away the week before we were due to go in 2016.
I'm itching to get back on the slopes, and have negotiated the golden ticket of a boys' week away somewhere. TBH I don't care where it is as long as it is snow sure, it'll probably be the last one I get to do before we start going as a family, which will be a) considerably more expensive and b) see me cover far less terrain.
Tignes if you want to be killing it every day and it will have snow,.I'm itching to get back on the slopes, and have negotiated the golden ticket of a boys' week away somewhere. TBH I don't care where it is as long as it is snow sure, it'll probably be the last one I get to do before we start going as a family, which will be a) considerably more expensive and b) see me cover far less terrain.
Mothersruin said:
PurpleTurtle said:
I've missed the last two seasons due to birth of our son in 2015 and family holiday that fell through due to my father in law being terminally ill, and sadly passing away the week before we were due to go in 2016.
I'm itching to get back on the slopes, and have negotiated the golden ticket of a boys' week away somewhere. TBH I don't care where it is as long as it is snow sure, it'll probably be the last one I get to do before we start going as a family, which will be a) considerably more expensive and b) see me cover far less terrain.
Tignes if you want to be killing it every day and it will have snow,.I'm itching to get back on the slopes, and have negotiated the golden ticket of a boys' week away somewhere. TBH I don't care where it is as long as it is snow sure, it'll probably be the last one I get to do before we start going as a family, which will be a) considerably more expensive and b) see me cover far less terrain.
//j17 said:
Take a look at Ischgl. About as snow sure as it gets as (season runs Nov to end April) and every bar's a party every night so you just try a few till you find one that fits.
2nded, we went there last year for the 1st time.. bars are great fun from skiing until dinner time when everything get very civilised!i had my first ski lesson at the weekend on an indoor slope. massive difference to previous attempts at learning to board on a uk dryslope which only ever resulted in pain. turns out i am a quick learner and have caught the bug. my OH is a proficient skier and so this is now set to become a weekly thing with hopefully a trip to the alps this coming season.
the reason i'm posting is because the rental boots were absolute agony on my shins so i am looking to buy a pair as soon as possible. i can live with a rental ski suit or cheap clothing for now but i'm pretty fussy about what i put on my feet and know i will only moan until i get this sorted.
the main problem being that there is only one ski shop in dubai [for fairly obvious reasons] and they only stock a limited range of current season gear at full rrp. my northern genes rejoice in the knowledge that ski gear is very much like cycling gear in that i can get last season's colours for 40% of the current rrp if i shop online, but i am now struggling with the myriad of width, instep and flex options and the strange sizing system.
from what i have read online the advice is always to have boots fitted.is this really the case? can anyone give me some pointers as to what i should be looking for and how i can measure my foot/calf to get a better guesstimate? ideally i want something that will last a few seasons and not be something i will 'outgrow' after only a short time.
i recall when i was last in a ski shop [about 15yrs ago] thermo formed liners were a new thing. are these more widespread so i can at least take the sole bed shape out of the equation?
the reason i'm posting is because the rental boots were absolute agony on my shins so i am looking to buy a pair as soon as possible. i can live with a rental ski suit or cheap clothing for now but i'm pretty fussy about what i put on my feet and know i will only moan until i get this sorted.
the main problem being that there is only one ski shop in dubai [for fairly obvious reasons] and they only stock a limited range of current season gear at full rrp. my northern genes rejoice in the knowledge that ski gear is very much like cycling gear in that i can get last season's colours for 40% of the current rrp if i shop online, but i am now struggling with the myriad of width, instep and flex options and the strange sizing system.
from what i have read online the advice is always to have boots fitted.is this really the case? can anyone give me some pointers as to what i should be looking for and how i can measure my foot/calf to get a better guesstimate? ideally i want something that will last a few seasons and not be something i will 'outgrow' after only a short time.
i recall when i was last in a ski shop [about 15yrs ago] thermo formed liners were a new thing. are these more widespread so i can at least take the sole bed shape out of the equation?
If you don't know what you need in terms of width, flex etc. I would recommend renting at the resort of choice. You will be able to exchange them unlimited times if you can't get comfortable.
How tall are you? What do you weigh? Do you have wide feet? Are important factors when choosing boots.
For example if you are a beginner and quite light, then quite a low flex would be desirable. That's the 'give' in the boot shell. If you are going to be falling over a lot then the more flexibility in your hardware (including binding settings) the less stresses your legs will need to deal with.
How tall are you? What do you weigh? Do you have wide feet? Are important factors when choosing boots.
For example if you are a beginner and quite light, then quite a low flex would be desirable. That's the 'give' in the boot shell. If you are going to be falling over a lot then the more flexibility in your hardware (including binding settings) the less stresses your legs will need to deal with.
6ft1, 90kg, no idea about my feet tbh.
i have good balance, not arsed about falling over as its inevitable. i guess its the jargon i need to adapt to the ratings for flex seem arbitrary. would i notice a difference between a 90 and 110? seems the comfort and tech goes into the upper ability ranges and not the lower, so is it genuine or just bumf to sell you another pair a season later?
eta: renting at resort not a goer as i want to be at a reasonable level before we depart so we can do the same slopes together. i dont want to go another lesson with shin killers.
i have good balance, not arsed about falling over as its inevitable. i guess its the jargon i need to adapt to the ratings for flex seem arbitrary. would i notice a difference between a 90 and 110? seems the comfort and tech goes into the upper ability ranges and not the lower, so is it genuine or just bumf to sell you another pair a season later?
eta: renting at resort not a goer as i want to be at a reasonable level before we depart so we can do the same slopes together. i dont want to go another lesson with shin killers.
Edited by shirt on Monday 26th September 14:51
shirt said:
6ft1, 90kg, no idea about my feet tbh.
i have good balance, not arsed about falling over as its inevitable. i guess its the jargon i need to adapt to the ratings for flex seem arbitrary. would i notice a difference between a 90 and 110? seems the comfort and tech goes into the upper ability ranges and not the lower, so is it genuine or just bumf to sell you another pair a season later?
eta: renting at resort not a goer as i want to be at a reasonable level before we depart so we can do the same slopes together. i dont want to go another lesson with shin killers.
I'm not really sure it is possible to get a good pair of boots for your fit without trying them on. Problem is the width might be ok (for example generally American boots are wider, Italian are much narrower) but then you have a pressure point on a different part of your foot on one boot, but not another that is similar in size. For example I had used boots that were wide enough but didn't work with my foot arch height. i have good balance, not arsed about falling over as its inevitable. i guess its the jargon i need to adapt to the ratings for flex seem arbitrary. would i notice a difference between a 90 and 110? seems the comfort and tech goes into the upper ability ranges and not the lower, so is it genuine or just bumf to sell you another pair a season later?
eta: renting at resort not a goer as i want to be at a reasonable level before we depart so we can do the same slopes together. i dont want to go another lesson with shin killers.
Edited by shirt on Monday 26th September 14:51
In regards to the stiffness perhaps it's not too important to get really stiff boots if you won't be going too much as it will take a while to be good enough that you would notice the improvement of a stiff boot. That said, I'm not the best person to ask as I use a ski touring boot for 95% of my skiing so they're pretty flexible anyway.
shirt said:
from what i have read online the advice is always to have boots fitted.is this really the case?
Unless you're really lucky and happen to have feet the size and shape one of the boots the local shop stock were designed for then yes. Having them fitted is best. That's not to say you can't get a good fit just by trying on every pair in the shop but it's like the difference between a tailored suit and an off the peg. Sure you'll find an off the peg suit that fits you quite well, but it's a little long in the arm and could do with just a little more slack in the small of your back so it hangs properly when you do it up.My advice would be to hold off buying until you're in either the UK and can get to one of the specialist (Pro Feet in London and Solutions4Feet in Bister both have very good reputations in the SE - but you'll need to book ahead) or buy them in-resort when you get to the alps (again having asked for recomendations in your chosen resort on somewhere like www.snowheads.com).
For now try a few different makes of boot - I'd expect the snow dome rental place to have a range - and make sure it's not down to user error - very few people actually get taught how to put their boots on/tighten them so go round with things too tight. You should be able to open the toe clips with a flick of one finger - they're just there to stop snow getting in and too tight will lead to poor circulation and cold feet. The shin clips should be 'comfortably tight' - you don't want your foot slopping around in them like a pair of wellies but neither do you need to go insainly tight. In the first case you won't be able to feel what the skis are doing or be able to control them correctly. In the second you'll just restrict circulation and bruise your legs making life very painful.
Try starting off with the shin clips loser and tighten them a little (spin the clip in 2-3 times rather than just jumping to the next position) after a couple of runs if that feels good (on the legs). Keep fiddling till you get a good balance between being pain-free and able to ski.
I know Ski Dubai well. IIRC they have/had a deal with Rossignol and they supplied the kit. Generic rental boots will often be of a wide fit just so they cover all the bases. As mentioned, each manufacturer has a certain type of last and some will only get low volume once you get to their race lines. For instance, I have a 'Lange' foot which means I have a narrow foot.
Remember you're going to be spending at least a few hundred quid on the boots, you're also going to spend way more on the actual holiday and if your boots don't fit properly, you'll throw the whole thing down the toilet.
Either wait until you get back to the UK and go to a decent boot fitter, or get them in the resort. Be prepared to take at least an hour and if budget is fine get custom footbeds made. Takes comfort and feel to another level.
Skiing is the best thing ever!
Remember you're going to be spending at least a few hundred quid on the boots, you're also going to spend way more on the actual holiday and if your boots don't fit properly, you'll throw the whole thing down the toilet.
Either wait until you get back to the UK and go to a decent boot fitter, or get them in the resort. Be prepared to take at least an hour and if budget is fine get custom footbeds made. Takes comfort and feel to another level.
Skiing is the best thing ever!
shirt said:
stuff about boots
DO NOT BUY A PAIR OF BOOTS ON LINE [/endofdiscussion]I think you have a couple of choices;
a) if you can slide through the UK on your way to teh Alps and go to Profeet or solutions4feet and have a proper fitting.
b) choose a resort with a very good boot fitter, i can't remember the name of them now but there's one respected fitter in Chamonix and one in Courchevel 1300.
ok thanks for the advice. i am passing through heathrow 4 times in the next couple of months so will see if i can get an extended layover and book a fitting.
FWIW these are what i had 'settled' on prior to the recent responses. i have a high instep and everything else seems to be bang in the middle of what is normal.
http://www.skis.com/Atomic-Waymaker-90-Ski-Boots/3...
i have no issue paying a few hundred quid for a pair as i am super fussy about what i put on my feet, even my safety boots have thermo formed insoles! just wanted to confirm it wasn't all jargon to try and drive sales.
FWIW these are what i had 'settled' on prior to the recent responses. i have a high instep and everything else seems to be bang in the middle of what is normal.
http://www.skis.com/Atomic-Waymaker-90-Ski-Boots/3...
i have no issue paying a few hundred quid for a pair as i am super fussy about what i put on my feet, even my safety boots have thermo formed insoles! just wanted to confirm it wasn't all jargon to try and drive sales.
Mothersruin said:
Skiing is the best thing ever!
it has promise, but doubt will replace track days for outright thrills. will pop you a PM on FB matey. you're correct that ski dubai are rossignol heavy but you know what its like with shop assistants here. i was still impressed by the facility and instruction though, does beg the question why i haven't ventured in before.you say you have high arches, I would say that off the shelf footbeds or even better- custom footbeds are the way to go. I've just got new boots and custom footbeds made up and they feel very comfortable.
remember you are liable to be wearing these 6-8hrs a day for a week, mixture of standing/ pressure on the feet or sitting on/in a lift. you don't even get much restbite at lunch, some people loosen their boots or even take them off at lunch, but I've found that makes the afternoon even worse/ harder.
In prep for the new season I've actually just went and bought some new skis- salomon Q90's (last seasons) I looked at them last year and seemed a decent price, I just now need to get bindings and get them mounted.....
remember you are liable to be wearing these 6-8hrs a day for a week, mixture of standing/ pressure on the feet or sitting on/in a lift. you don't even get much restbite at lunch, some people loosen their boots or even take them off at lunch, but I've found that makes the afternoon even worse/ harder.
In prep for the new season I've actually just went and bought some new skis- salomon Q90's (last seasons) I looked at them last year and seemed a decent price, I just now need to get bindings and get them mounted.....
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