Who's going skiing and where? 23-24

[audi321]

Alp d’huez at Easter for me and it’s not looking good unfortunately

[The_Doc]

If you have paid for the trip, then ignorance is bliss.

Stop looking at the forecast and make the best of it when I get there, is my plan.

If you are looking for a reason to cancel and get your money back, or you haven't made or bought travel plans yet, then watch the forecasts.
What I don't know can't hurt me

[//j17]

The_Doc said:

Stop looking at the forecast and make the best of it when I get there, is my plan.

Useful to know if you're packing every layer you own and taking your polar jacket vs. t-shirts and shorts and your lightest weight waterproof jacket though.

Looking like the same 'summer' pack list it's been all season for Mayrhofen at Easter for me.

[eps]

Just on our way back from a week in Val d'Isere. The conditions have been amazing.

Lots of snow in the lead up to going and a white out on Sunday but then blue sky days thereafter.

Even managed to top up Tim's pension fund!! At Hibou, Cantina and Blue note!

[djsmith74]

//j17 said:

The_Doc said:

Stop looking at the forecast and make the best of it when I get there, is my plan.

Useful to know if you're packing every layer you own and taking your polar jacket vs. t-shirts and shorts and your lightest weight waterproof jacket though.

Looking like the same 'summer' pack list it's been all season for Mayrhofen at Easter for me.

We have just come back from a week at Mayrhofen. Its Spring warm at ground level, reached a high of 17degrees in the sun yesterday. Up on the tops, it’s warm when the sun is out. Virtually all the runs are open, but the conditions are very changeable. Most days, the snow turns to slush as the day goes on, more so on Penken than Ahorn due to traffic. Moving across to Horbern was a little better. My advice - do some planning, get the first cable car up, do your runs when it’s cool, have lunch, maybe a run or two in the afternoon if it’s not too slushy then call it a day. We still had a fabulous time though!

[Charlie1986]

Just back from Val Thorens - Amazing week thou Saturday was a write off due to the storm and road up there getting blacked by a Tesla.

Conditions were great up to Thursday then it was very slushy lower levels and Orle wasn’t great to ski on. All in all for the time of year it was good

[//j17]

djsmith74 said:

My advice - do some planning, get the first cable car up, do your runs when it’s cool, have lunch, maybe a run or two in the afternoon if it’s not too slushy then call it a day. We still had a fabulous time though!

I'll be there with children doing ski school 10:00 till 12:00 then 13:15 to 15:15 the first 3 days so ski times rather set. Assuming they don't ask to do more ski school the second 3 days we have control over timings...but are skiing with children who will be even harder to get up and out without a ski school deadline!

[JEA1K]

Just back from a week in St Anton ... great week, decent snow mid week (20-30cm) ... getting very warm/mild later in the week. Massive rainstorm Friday night like something we get in the UK which will have knackered the remaining snow below 1600m or so.

Although they have had a good season out there, much of the lower areas off the piste at town level had no snow ... pistes were still well covered though. All upper areas still have a lot of snow ... as soon as there is a new covering, it gets tracked out v quickly.

We had a few days in Lech and Zurs ... plus a day across in Warth which is very quiet compared to St Anton and has larger pistes and lots of off untouched off piste. Many of the runs down to St Anton and Lech for that matter are hammered and moguled to fk by lunch, so become hard work ... the granular snow really doesn't help, but thats typical of mid/late March. You get what you get.

[timlongs]

eps said:

Just on our way back from a week in Val d'Isere. The conditions have been amazing.

Lots of snow in the lead up to going and a white out on Sunday but then blue sky days thereafter.

Even managed to top up Tim's pension fund!! At Hibou, Cantina and Blue note!

Haha - amazing. Hope you enjoyed the snow and the beers. Cheers!

[4Q]

Pissed down with rain most of today at Les Arcs

[eeLee]

oddman said:

Blimey. MRI technology has improved since I was ordering them. Do his doctors expect it to replay the moments leading to his crash?

more to work out whether there is something up with him or whether he might have been crash into. They did not install the Time Machine versions here yet.....

[Mr E]

4Q said:

Pissed down with rain most of today at Les Arcs

Forecast to get colder at the end of the week. I appreciate this doesn’t help now.

[4Q]

Mr E said:

Forecast to get colder at the end of the week. I appreciate this doesn’t help now.

I can’t complain as I’ve already been here over two weeks and the weather has mostly been great.

[Trash_panda]

I'm guessing most on here wearing backpacks include abs or more serious but can anyone recommend a decent molle/army backpack that can strap skis on the traditional way plus feed my inner Walt and use it everyday

I've got one at £40, 40l but the waist harness is st and regularly comes loose at the bit connecting to the bag.

Also been watching ski reviews etc and seems like lots have nose shakes as manufacturers chase weight reduction. Shame you can't go to a shop and try put all thr skis to see what you gel with as opposed to all the normal brands etc.

Edited by Trash_panda on Monday 18th March 19:14

[mikeiow]

Mr E said:

4Q said:

Pissed down with rain most of today at Les Arcs

Forecast to get colder at the end of the week. I appreciate this doesn’t help now.

I just saw that - good news, if it does!
The overnight snow forecast turned into a drizzly rain which helps nobody….

Got a pal joining us Sat for a week, then our son next week for 9 days….be a relief if they have something to ski on!

Will try zipping over to La Plagne tomorrow…hopefully not all slush down new the gondola!

[oddman]

Trash_panda said:

I'm guessing most on here wearing backpacks include abs or more serious but can anyone recommend a decent molle/army backpack that can strap skis on the traditional way plus feed my inner Walt and use it everyday

I've got one at £40, 40l but the waist harness is st and regularly comes loose at the bit connecting to the bag.

Also been watching ski reviews etc and seems like lots have nose shakes as manufacturers chase weight reduction. Shame you can't go to a shop and try put all thr skis to see what you gel with as opposed to all the normal brands etc.

Edited by Trash_panda on Monday 18th March 19:14

Any backpack which has 2 compression straps on each side will be fine for strapping skis A frame style. A helo strap to bind the ski tips together stabilises things.

With specialist ski packs, the ski carrying features tend to be more for security, speed and convenience. They might have tough loops in addition to compressions straps so you can just drop the ski in until its stopped by the lower ski binding and use the upper compression strap to secure.

Others have a loop coming out of the base of the pack whereby you put skis together, snare them with the loop. The loop is tightened - usually from inside the safety compartment of the pack and the skis are secured at the shoulder. This can be quicker than setting up an A frame but I find it swings about if the pack isn't full.

Many rucksacks will have a system which allows boards to be carried. Not necessary if you're a skier and interfere with the lines of the pack.

Separate safety compartment for shovel and probe - essential IMO if you are carrying these items.

Sleeve and elasticated holes for hydration bladder. Bladders are OK for day trips but risky for multi day trips

Access with a U shaped zip directly through the back of the pack - very handy but adds weight and £

Systems for carrying and deploying ropes and ice axes.

It helps if they are as light and low profile as possible even if you are not going uphill. My main touring pack weighs less than a kilo when stripped and is very tough

I can get away with 20l for lift serviced ski touring 30l is a decent size for bigger days and overnight trips. £100-£200 seems to be the ball park for a decent ski pack. Add another £300 - £800 for airbag system.

Airbag sacs will have the usual features of the specialist ski pack.

[//j17]

Trash_panda said:

Also been watching ski reviews etc and seems like lots have nose shakes as manufacturers chase weight reduction.

While nose chattering is a feature of lighter, softer skis it's not generally because manufacturers are trying to make all skis lighter but rather the type of ski you're highering. Hire a full on SL piste ski and the nose won't chatter but they will have real heft and stiffness to them - because true piste skis are designed to sink through any surface fluff seeking out an icy base. At the other end of the spectrum hire a powder ski or touring ski and they will be super light and flexible - because they are meant to float on top of soft snow in once case/are weight you have to drag up the mountain in the other.

The go-to skis on the hire rack have tended to shift away from being pure piste skis to more all mountain ones. These sit in the middle ground trying to be Jacks of all trade, which means they are lighter/softer than traditional pure piste skis but not as light/flexible as powder/touring skis and this might be why you're finding more nose chatter. If you don't want nose chatter/do want a pure piste ski don't just accept the first pair you're given in the hire shop and actually talk to the ski techs, telling them what you're after. This can be tricky on Saturday/Sunday afternoons where the queue is snaking out the door but if you've paid for one of the more expensive packages nothing to stop you going back on Monday morning and asking to swap. The techs will have more time and in fact often be a bit bored so happy of the destration.

Trash_panda said:

Shame you can't go to a shop and try put all thr skis to see what you gel with as opposed to all the normal brands etc.

Umm, have you actually tried asking because you very often CAN go to a shop and try their skis. You'll need to do a little research in resort as you're looking for more the "ski retail shops" than the "ski hire shops" but most resorts of any size will have a few. Standard practice is you pay a hire charge to take a demo pair of skis out each day then come the end of the week if you stump up the cash to buy a pair of skis they will knock some or all of that hire charge off of the retail price.

Another option I've used is to scout the hire shops looking for those with wider selections and more specialist skis, then going in mid week and hiring some pairs I was interested in trying out on a day-by-day basis.

You'll also find public ski tests running throughout the season that anyone can rock up to and trial the skis on offer. The issue here though is that they tend to be aimed at the locals so not widely advertised and often run on Sat/Sun meaning you normally only stumble across them as they are packing up!

[troc]

Regarding Airbag sacks, it's well worth doing research before purchase - especially regarding where you are intending to ski.

Flights in the USA and Canada don't allow any gas cartridges so the usual airbags can be an issue unless you can rent a cartridge at your destination. That's why the US (and Arc'teryx) companies developed the electric ones but they are super heavy and the LiPo batteries they use are dangerous.

I have a Scott Alpride system (after years using a Mammut with gas canister). The Scott uses 3 large super capacitors which ate charged via USB and maintained via 2 AA batteries. There's enough charge for 2 deploys and they refill fairly quickly. No issues with flying - don't even need to declare them to the airline. It's also a fairly light system and seems pretty robust (had it for 2-3 seasons now)

But yeah also need shovel, probe and transceiver. Totally pointless only having 1 or 2 of the 3, get the whole lot and learn to use them Oh and get a shovel with a telescopic handle. It makes digging people out much less strenuous.

[oddman]

Trash_panda said:

Also been watching ski reviews etc and seems like lots have nose shakes as manufacturers chase weight reduction. Shame you can't go to a shop and try put all thr skis to see what you gel with as opposed to all the normal brands etc.

It's a little to do with weight reduction but a lot to do with the construction and profile of the ski. The development of long tip rockers has made skis much easier to keep on the surface off piste.

The price you pay on piste is that there is a shorter effective edge for carving and the rocker tips have a tendency to flap around. You might need to size up 5 or 10cm to give you the same edge length you'd have on a piste ski. I'll always trade less than perfect piste perfomance for keeping me afloat elsewhere.

It's usually fairly clear what type of ski from the width and graphics but if you put a pair of of skis base to base you can see how long the rocker tip is.

[//j17]

troc said:

...That's why the US (and Arc'teryx) companies developed the electric ones but they are super heavy and the LiPo batteries they use are dangerous.

I have a Scott Alpride system (after years using a Mammut with gas canister). The Scott uses 3 large super capacitors which ate charged via USB and maintained via 2 AA batteries....

Not sure where super capacitorys fall but any uninstalled Lithium batteries need to go in hand luggage, not the hold these days too.