Who is going skiing and where 2014?
Discussion
Only 36 hours until 4 days in Chamonix with my mates for a boys weekend 
Looking forward to varying amounts of drink and ski related carnage
I do find myself wondering whether I should buy some new boots while I'm over there, though. Mine are super comfortable, but are starting to feel a little on the soft side. Debating whether to just crank up the flex reduction and live with it, or run the risk of an investment that may take a little while to break in...
Looking forward to varying amounts of drink and ski related carnage
I do find myself wondering whether I should buy some new boots while I'm over there, though. Mine are super comfortable, but are starting to feel a little on the soft side. Debating whether to just crank up the flex reduction and live with it, or run the risk of an investment that may take a little while to break in...
schmalex said:
Only 36 hours until 4 days in Chamonix with my mates for a boys weekend
Looking forward to varying amounts of drink and ski related carnage
I do find myself wondering whether I should buy some new boots while I'm over there, though. Mine are super comfortable, but are starting to feel a little on the soft side. Debating whether to just crank up the flex reduction and live with it, or run the risk of an investment that may take a little while to break in...
If you are thinking of buying boots in Chamonix then you need to see Jules at Sanglard sports. He has ESF instructors come to him from all over the Alps as he used to be a boot fitter for the FIS racers on the world cup tour. Looking forward to varying amounts of drink and ski related carnage
I do find myself wondering whether I should buy some new boots while I'm over there, though. Mine are super comfortable, but are starting to feel a little on the soft side. Debating whether to just crank up the flex reduction and live with it, or run the risk of an investment that may take a little while to break in...
Another recommendation for Sanglard. My GF bought her boots there last year and has been back pretty much every week this season to have them tweaked. They've kindly entertained her requests, with smiles, each time and she hasn't been charged a cent. It's customer service like this that keeps bricks and mortar stores alive and I'm very happy to recommend them to others on this basis. Plus, they're considered to be the best at the job in the first place.
In other news; I came down the Vallée Blanche again on Monday after dicking about on the Italian side. Still no fresh stuff and the moguls are a frightening size on the main routes. But, if you time it right (and any guide worth his ice screws should), you can catch it just as it starts to soften and it's not unpleasant at all. Definitely not recommended on anything less than a sunny day though.
In other news; I came down the Vallée Blanche again on Monday after dicking about on the Italian side. Still no fresh stuff and the moguls are a frightening size on the main routes. But, if you time it right (and any guide worth his ice screws should), you can catch it just as it starts to soften and it's not unpleasant at all. Definitely not recommended on anything less than a sunny day though.
As for whether or not to buy boots; my advice, for just a four day trip, would be to ride your old boots and buy a pair at the end of the trip. Four days isn't really long enough to properly break in good boots. You'd probably just spend your whole trip cursing the things while waiting a whole year to reap the rewards. But it'd be a shame not to take advantage of the end of season sales and the fact that you now know of a world class boot fitter on your doorstep.
Just back from my week in Verbier where I enjoyed some great Spring skiing....I actually don't mind skiing in slush before it gets too wet. Properly warm conditions. Unfortunately my week came to an abrupt end a couple of days early when I took an innocuous fall and dislocated my shoulder. Thought I'd broken it such was the crunch I heard. Mate was following me he thinks it might have been a binding not in properly as we had just come out of a lift station.
One of the more unpleasant experiences I've had was the local doc trying to get it back in.....a modicum of drugs, on a camp bed in the surgery...bracing himself with his foot in my arm pit whilst manipulating my arm and telling me to relax! Had to go to hospital to have it put in under general...entirely preferable!
Honestly can't remember the last time I fell on piste....I was probably only doing 15 or 20 mph.
One of the more unpleasant experiences I've had was the local doc trying to get it back in.....a modicum of drugs, on a camp bed in the surgery...bracing himself with his foot in my arm pit whilst manipulating my arm and telling me to relax! Had to go to hospital to have it put in under general...entirely preferable!
Honestly can't remember the last time I fell on piste....I was probably only doing 15 or 20 mph.
Just waiting for the cab to pick us up for the drive to gatwick.
Flight at 6am, land at 8.30, 3 hr transfer so lunch before we get to val claret - it'll be all slushy by then.
I hate all this waiting around! On the plus side, the weather reports say 30-40 cm of snow due in the coming days to tignes and surrounding areas.
Might not be a total bust.
Flight at 6am, land at 8.30, 3 hr transfer so lunch before we get to val claret - it'll be all slushy by then.
I hate all this waiting around! On the plus side, the weather reports say 30-40 cm of snow due in the coming days to tignes and surrounding areas.
Might not be a total bust.
Just packing the last of the kit for a flight to Turin then a 1-1/2 drive to the highest French skiing resort of Briançon.....
To say the little'un is excited is the understatement of the year, been promised snowboard lessons so he's properly stoked.
We always go late season so we can spend time with our friends that run businesses out there.
The lovely Tom and Ali of http://www.alpsaccommodation.com/
The equally lovely Emma and Jax of http://www.alpine-transfer-company.com/
Bring it on.....
To say the little'un is excited is the understatement of the year, been promised snowboard lessons so he's properly stoked.
We always go late season so we can spend time with our friends that run businesses out there.
The lovely Tom and Ali of http://www.alpsaccommodation.com/
The equally lovely Emma and Jax of http://www.alpine-transfer-company.com/
Bring it on.....
CedGTV said:
The highest French skiing resort of Briançon.....
Sorry can't tell if your being sarcastic or not? I always thought Val Thorens was the highest resort base at 2300m? I believe Briancon is the highest town?Last skiing of the season for me this week off to Tignes. Love spring skiing!
a311 said:
CedGTV said:
The highest French skiing resort of Briançon.....
Sorry can't tell if your being sarcastic or not? I always thought Val Thorens was the highest resort base at 2300m? I believe Briancon is the highest town?Last skiing of the season for me this week off to Tignes. Love spring skiing!
Thought I'd share some ski porn from today. Fresh turns on the Glacier des Grands, Switzerland.
Rock & roll road-side pickup
Heli-selfie
DZ on the Plateau du Trient (3,350m)
The plateau of the Trient Glacier
Sightseeing flights buzzing the plateau
Fresh snow, six weeks since the last significant dump
The village of Trient in the distance
Flying the #JonesSnowboards flag off the Pigne d'Arolla
Rock & roll road-side pickup
Heli-selfie
DZ on the Plateau du Trient (3,350m)
The plateau of the Trient Glacier
Sightseeing flights buzzing the plateau
Fresh snow, six weeks since the last significant dump
The village of Trient in the distance
Flying the #JonesSnowboards flag off the Pigne d'Arolla
(in Italy)It's been found. I just need to go and get it now, half way up Gran Paradiso. No guarantees that it'll still work when I get there, but I'm optimistic. I had some great photos and videos from the summit earlier that day.
I might head up there on Tuesday and see if I can set a new PB for climb-rate. Up to the refuge and back in under three hours… that's my goal I think.
I might head up there on Tuesday and see if I can set a new PB for climb-rate. Up to the refuge and back in under three hours… that's my goal I think.
I'm sitting on the flight back at GVA as I type. We had an absolute ball. We decided not to do the VB, as we had from you and some others that it is pretty tracked out, so have decided to come back in January when there is a bit more snow!!
We caught the cable car up to Aguille de Midi this morning to have a mooch about before heading back to the airport. The footpath down to the VB looked bloody terrifying!!!!!
The skiing was superb fun. Snow was bloody slushy after about 1030, but that just motivated us to get up early, shake the hangover and shoot for first tracks every morning. The snow melt was really quite staggering, though!!
The hotel we stayed in was excellent (hotel l'Arve) with super clean rooms and very centrally located.
All in all, a fantastic weekend away. My liver feels ruined, but that was always going to happen and we have vowed to come back next season.
We caught the cable car up to Aguille de Midi this morning to have a mooch about before heading back to the airport. The footpath down to the VB looked bloody terrifying!!!!!
The skiing was superb fun. Snow was bloody slushy after about 1030, but that just motivated us to get up early, shake the hangover and shoot for first tracks every morning. The snow melt was really quite staggering, though!!
The hotel we stayed in was excellent (hotel l'Arve) with super clean rooms and very centrally located.
All in all, a fantastic weekend away. My liver feels ruined, but that was always going to happen and we have vowed to come back next season.
Probably not a bad idea. It did get a sprinkling on Tuesday, but literally dust on crust so it wouldn't have been the best skiing you've ever done. Maybe best to wait until late January next year to give the snow bridges time to form. Otherwise you might get to see the Mer de Glace a bit more thoroughly than you'd like.
The path down to the VB is known as the Arete and is all part of the fun. I'm sure if it was at sea-level people would skip down it quite merrily, but it's very exposed. Every so often a few people slip off and make their final journey, quite dramatically, back to Chamonix. Normally if you're with a guide they'll rope everybody up and probably wear crampons themselves.
The path down to the VB is known as the Arete and is all part of the fun. I'm sure if it was at sea-level people would skip down it quite merrily, but it's very exposed. Every so often a few people slip off and make their final journey, quite dramatically, back to Chamonix. Normally if you're with a guide they'll rope everybody up and probably wear crampons themselves.
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff