Who is going skiing and where in 2017
Discussion
We had a lot of new snow here, which was good fun tree skiing. Saturday was doing car sharing loops, and on Sunday did a new line on probably my favourite very local mountain. 30-35 degree average slope with nice open tree skiing, and being around 350m is a quick climb so easy to do. Also it gets sun later in the day, so good for after work too.
renmure said:
Anyone heading out to 3V This week might want to hope for some fresh snow. Was drizzling when we left Courchevel this morning and it was already a bit slushy and bare low down. VT was really busy yesterday as everyone seemed to be heading higher. Heading home looking more tanned than I have been after a week in Greece in summer!
I did the same week as you (Sunday-Sunday though), stayed in Meribel Mottaret. Wow we had a week of Caribbean sun - it was ridiculous! We spent most the week up high in Val T and most of the afternoons at resort drinking and eating as the snow was terrible to ski into resort late on...Overall a great week though, skii'd 125miles and topped out at about 58mph...
I got back from Madonna di Campiglio on Saturday. Without doubt the best pisted resort I've ever been to, every morning just miles and miles of empty corduroy.
It was, however, very hot - 20 degrees - and this meant getting out on the first lift and really going for it non-stop as by about 11.30 the lower runs were starting to get soft and by 2pm they were a proper mushy mess.
We stuck to skiing blacks and harder runs as they actually stayed in really nice condition as they were so much less trafficked.
It was, however, very hot - 20 degrees - and this meant getting out on the first lift and really going for it non-stop as by about 11.30 the lower runs were starting to get soft and by 2pm they were a proper mushy mess.
We stuck to skiing blacks and harder runs as they actually stayed in really nice condition as they were so much less trafficked.
russy01 said:
renmure said:
Anyone heading out to 3V This week might want to hope for some fresh snow. Was drizzling when we left Courchevel this morning and it was already a bit slushy and bare low down. VT was really busy yesterday as everyone seemed to be heading higher. Heading home looking more tanned than I have been after a week in Greece in summer!
I did the same week as you (Sunday-Sunday though), stayed in Meribel Mottaret. Wow we had a week of Caribbean sun - it was ridiculous! We spent most the week up high in Val T and most of the afternoons at resort drinking and eating as the snow was terrible to ski into resort late on...Overall a great week though, skii'd 125miles and topped out at about 58mph...
Welshbeef said:
125miles just doing mornings - you must be a very experianced and fit skier that's a very long way &58mph! Keepers
Really? I'm not some raving ski fanatic and we skied only mornings (see above) and I still managed this and it'd be quite a bit more if I remembered to turn my ski tracks on. Top speeds aren't that mental but we stuck to the much emptier steep runs; I'm not that brave.
Final days dismal mileage down to falling into a bar and getting totally mullered, needed to get the bubble car back down
Dog Star said:
Welshbeef said:
125miles just doing mornings - you must be a very experianced and fit skier that's a very long way &58mph! Keepers
Really? I'm not some raving ski fanatic and we skied only mornings (see above) and I still managed this and it'd be quite a bit more if I remembered to turn my ski tracks on. Top speeds aren't that mental but we stuck to the much emptier steep runs; I'm not that brave.
Final days dismal mileage down to falling into a bar and getting totally mullered, needed to get the bubble car back down
NRS said:
In my experience the phone apps I have used can be pretty inaccurate when looking at the detailed stats such as slope angle and top speed etc. I think it's to do with how often the check their GPS location, which then depends on coverage and battery saving mode etc. However it's not super crazy speeds, so could well be correct in this case. (Probably me being a bit skeptical of the apps comes from the amount of average skiers saying they've done 60-70 degree slopes as proven on an app, when the slope is like 35-40deg max etc)!
Lol yes I'd say so. On the speed front when I've been skiing before a friend claimed to have skied 55mph ish according to the app - which is way faster than I've ever gone 42mph. Anyway same resort same slope just shy of the 42mph I've done as a max before he was no quicker and following it stating how quick it felt and at times uncomfortably quick ... raises questions about the 55mph as that's a huge step on in similar conditions.
For reference, I spent last week at Alpe d'Huez in very similar conditions but on a snowboard. Spent a lot of time in the bar, and a lot of time dicking around rather than actually riding.
Managed 100 miles according to the app, and I know it missed several runs (and thought I was doing 60mph at one point - I certainly wasn't going that fast).
Managed 100 miles according to the app, and I know it missed several runs (and thought I was doing 60mph at one point - I certainly wasn't going that fast).
Mr E said:
For reference, I spent last week at Alpe d'Huez in very similar conditions but on a snowboard. Spent a lot of time in the bar, and a lot of time dicking around rather than actually riding.
Managed 100 miles according to the app, and I know it missed several runs (and thought I was doing 60mph at one point - I certainly wasn't going that fast).
The distance is not too surprising when you actually break it down. Say you do 20mph average then 4 hours skiing in the morning is around 80 miles. Obviously it doesn't include rest time, but depending on the app it will also include the lifts which will add distance to the total traveled.Managed 100 miles according to the app, and I know it missed several runs (and thought I was doing 60mph at one point - I certainly wasn't going that fast).
Mr E said:
The app I use doesn't include lifts, just runs.
The depressing stat was the slope time compared to lift and faffing time.
If you think that's bad then try ski touring, The depressing stat was the slope time compared to lift and faffing time.
Say 3 hours up, 10-15 min down (and that often includes waiting for friends as you don't want to go all at once due to the higher risk of avalanches!)NRS said:
The distance is not too surprising when you actually break it down. Say you do 20mph average then 4 hours skiing in the morning is around 80 miles. Obviously it doesn't include rest time, but depending on the app it will also include the lifts which will add distance to the total traveled.
20mph average? That's pretty hard to maintain. Standing for a couple of minutes whilst your mate sorts his bindings out knackers most averages.Apps are not very useful, except as a record of where you've been (handy for figuring out where bits of video were actually taken). It's nice to have a high score, but I've noticed that two runs that are apparently the 'same speed' can feel wildly different and need very different amounts of effort. BTW Doesn't the app above say a top speed of 48mph, not 58?
Dog Star said:
That's mine, not the 58 in question.
I don't have any reason to dispute the speeds shown - there are plenty of resorts that have speed traps on runs if that type of thing is your bag.
My mistake I don't have any reason to dispute the speeds shown - there are plenty of resorts that have speed traps on runs if that type of thing is your bag.
Yes, I'm aware of the speed traps - just saying the apps are a bit approximate. I've been playing with doing telemetry overlays on video so it's fun to see the numbers.Tuna said:
My mistake Yes, I'm aware of the speed traps - just saying the apps are a bit approximate. I've been playing with doing telemetry overlays on video so it's fun to see the numbers.
Speed traps vary a lot too - Some are too short to hit anything like a decent speed. Yes, I'm aware of the speed traps - just saying the apps are a bit approximate. I've been playing with doing telemetry overlays on video so it's fun to see the numbers.Resorts are very different too, a speed in one place may be fairly tame and wild in another.
This year in Garmisch, I hit 52 MPH indicated. I did 55 in Zermatt last year, but Zermatt has miles of bowling green smooth, dead straight runs. Garmisch has nothing like that, so 52 there was a lot more impressive to me.
With some slicker skis in Zermatt, 60+ would have been easy enough to attain if my ageing thighs held out!
M
I'm not gonna lie, we don't hang around - but I'm no pro just a decent intermediate still learning to carve properly.
As for the mileage, in the 3 valleys it's easy as all the runs are long and easy - lots of reds and blues. So a 25mile day isn't really a fuss. I'm sure on a nice day in Jan when the snow stays good all day you could put in 30miles+ easy.
We normally go to Val disere and that's a different ball game, shorter harder runs and in that same period we ski 20-30% less distance.
Top speeds - this is all about balls. In 3 valleys I hit 58 and on the same piste somebody in my group hit 66 - they simply tucked from the top of a slope where I stuck a couple turns in... They key is get out early whilst it's icy and still clean corduroy.
Had such a great week last week that we actually booked another trip this morning and are heading to Val disere with VIP ski at Easter. Will stay high in and around tignes/grand motte for most of the day, before sloping off to la folie and the fruitiere at 2-3!
As for the mileage, in the 3 valleys it's easy as all the runs are long and easy - lots of reds and blues. So a 25mile day isn't really a fuss. I'm sure on a nice day in Jan when the snow stays good all day you could put in 30miles+ easy.
We normally go to Val disere and that's a different ball game, shorter harder runs and in that same period we ski 20-30% less distance.
Top speeds - this is all about balls. In 3 valleys I hit 58 and on the same piste somebody in my group hit 66 - they simply tucked from the top of a slope where I stuck a couple turns in... They key is get out early whilst it's icy and still clean corduroy.
Had such a great week last week that we actually booked another trip this morning and are heading to Val disere with VIP ski at Easter. Will stay high in and around tignes/grand motte for most of the day, before sloping off to la folie and the fruitiere at 2-3!
Jarcy said:
Why do you think GPS apps are inaccurate? Same technology as SatNavs.
A bit of willy waving, but the velocity recorded felt representative:
Seeing the results and knowing they are not true. Slope angle is an easy one to know if you are used to planning routes in avalanche terrain. There is a lot of people I have seen on the net who say they have done stuff that pros would find a bit sketchy because their app said so. Also one glitch in position (like you get in your GPS) and it can give a very wrong reading as a max. People generally like to overestimate things to be more impressive, and so they don't question it as much.A bit of willy waving, but the velocity recorded felt representative:
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