Who's going skiing and where? 23-24
Discussion
Just back from a work trip - heliskiing across the pond.
I know, I know - but I am feeling pretty smug, as it was free, and truly amazing.
It was above average.
Edited to take pic down as it wasn't of me, and I don't need him randomly recognised by someone else!
I know, I know - but I am feeling pretty smug, as it was free, and truly amazing.
It was above average.
Edited to take pic down as it wasn't of me, and I don't need him randomly recognised by someone else!
Edited by Harry Flashman on Saturday 9th March 07:27
timlongs said:
I always go to BouBous. (Who sell our pale ale, Liquid Fog).
Yep Pascal is still Benjis, I saw him today actually, he sells Lost in the Woods (our best seller).
Other places in 1800; Miam Corner do our Blanche and Chez o'Gust does our blonde.
Bar Mont Blanc in Peisey has 2 of our beers as well. Oh and the rooftop bar at Altiport has all of our beers in cans.
Should be good for this weekend, it snowed a bit up high today!
Fairly easy run here (o/n in Dijon), unpacked, into Benji’s to find this!Yep Pascal is still Benjis, I saw him today actually, he sells Lost in the Woods (our best seller).
Other places in 1800; Miam Corner do our Blanche and Chez o'Gust does our blonde.
Bar Mont Blanc in Peisey has 2 of our beers as well. Oh and the rooftop bar at Altiport has all of our beers in cans.
Should be good for this weekend, it snowed a bit up high today!
Looks like a bit of snow above us….& temperature nice & cool, unlike at the valley!
All positive….but my Scottish wife not happy with the final result of the rugby though….& our daughter is in Italy watching it live!
4Q said:
cashmax said:
Good to hear, keep it there until Easter please...
It’s been snowing most of the day today so you should be good for Easter Albeit late, I had my first day of the season last saturday in Grindlewald. Up with the first lift at 8am, 12 runs or so ranging from blue, red and black. Snow quality was fantastic in the morning, also helped that I was with a friend who is a ski instructor so had some free tuition.
Winds picked up heavily in the afternoon, final run of the day around 2pm was quite sketchy due to white out conditions in places and snow being whipped up.
Woke up this morning to the sad news of 6 skiiers lost/ (5 dead, 1 missing) near Zermatt, given the winds we have been experiencing I am holding out hope for the last ones successful rescue but its very dicey at altitude right now.
Back to Grindlewald on Wednesday for another 2 days of skiing with a friend who is arriving from the UK. Looking forward to it, especially since fresh snow is forecast in the next day or two.
Winds picked up heavily in the afternoon, final run of the day around 2pm was quite sketchy due to white out conditions in places and snow being whipped up.
Woke up this morning to the sad news of 6 skiiers lost/ (5 dead, 1 missing) near Zermatt, given the winds we have been experiencing I am holding out hope for the last ones successful rescue but its very dicey at altitude right now.
Back to Grindlewald on Wednesday for another 2 days of skiing with a friend who is arriving from the UK. Looking forward to it, especially since fresh snow is forecast in the next day or two.
So thought I'd share this tale and experience with you over my quest to learn speed riding.
So this year I've journeyed to valfrejus to learn under ataka who I've heard great things about as here meant to be a beginners-advanced playground and everyone who comes here (sorry for the present tense as I'm still here) and here's what happened on this experience;
Day 1 Saturday winds gusting at 120km/h apparently and they have a limit of 100km/h (I wasn't really paying attention here so I'm guessing 100 is for ground handling control) had a classroom session going over the theory, won the beginners competition of throwing out and setting up (flex them guns)
Day 2 - Sunday- due to continuous snow and apparently vf being avalanche central, low visibility etc. Day called off and free skiing session. Called it a day at lunch as tweaked knee and meant to have 2 weeks skiing so no point for heroics. Visibility picked up after I quit but only the lower slopes where open so didn't feel I missed much
Day 3 - Monday- so ataka do things differently here compared to the other schools in that they expect you to fly first then learn to ski with a wing (the other schools I've been to are the opposite but you can see why ataka has a good rep for progression.
Not sure what the training slopes called or the angle but I would put it on par with the steeper section of the off piste area next to solaise in val d.
Now I've got 0 experience of flying with any sort of wing and they want me to fly. People compare what I did as jumping into a supercar after your first lesson
Anyway
1st run I tried to stay on the ground as never flown before. Think I took to the air and crashed out. Packed up and down to start again. Sometimes you can restart from where you are but sometimes it's better to totally reset.
2nd run actually flew and not just a 1m off the ground. Thinking it was 30-50m in the air and length, f
k knows but long enough to get atleast halfway down the runway so i could ski under the wings power to bagging up point. Both legs where trembling on landing and took a good few minutes to stop.
3rd run, I didn't prepare properly and failed on launch or shortly then it was lunch time so packed up
4th run - went perfectly.
Run 5 - went all abit wrong, started off ok and turning then seemed to panic so pulled one side more than other etc then headed towards the piste then slammed on the brakes at about 1.5m and both skis off crash. Glad was wearing the armour and the snows deep
Called it a day after that. Probably should have done another run and just stuck to straight flight and ended on a high note but never mind.
Day 4 - Tuesday - woke up to it being overcast and with yesterday's crash on my mind, was kinda hoping the day would be cancelled and I could free ski... no such luck.
Run 1 - upon launch the lines got caught in someone so I didn't get far. Tried again and bad set-up = low speed on the ground crash. Bag up start again
Run 2 - was going good then I started drifting towards the pistes. Got into a panic as its kinda a no-no. I thought I was doing everything to get it to turn but apparently not and crashed into the deck just on the piste. Confidence shot really as it was a sign to stop. Said this to the instructors but they said they'd give me a different wing and I'd be on the ground/lower and wouldn't get into trouble
Run 3 - went perfectly, but still ended up 30-50m in the air. So not quite the low level wing I thought it was going to b. Did a touch and go (touch down then bounce back up on purpose)
Run 4 - now back to good confidence levels, tried again and went the same way as run 2 but this time I slammed into the just beneath the peak of the snow Bank and before the run. Both skis off (turned them down to what I normally have) and glad I did as you'll soon see. Laid there for abit checking myself over and burning sensation in my right ankle. Wiggled toes, flex and nothing broken but then the pain went to the back of the calf and thought it's where the crash was so violent that its just the padding and boot smashing into my calf. Someone informed ski patrol that I was down as they watched it from the lift but no ski patrol came and got me. The gentleman offered to help me down but I said I was fine and I'd walk (should have asked him to get me the snow mobile in hindsight as I had the insurance) took about an hour to walk down a blue and a flat, bout 1km. Couple of others swung by to check on me as they'd witnessed it from the lifts. Etc so it's a nice aspect of the sport no matter where you are in the world/nationality etc.
Anyway, eventually get down and getting my foot out of the boot was torture, one of my new course mates helped me get out by pulling the boot as much as possible and eventually it came but fk me did it hurt.
And so now I'm sat here at a restaurant feeling sorry for myself as had val d booked for next week and catching up with ski buddies etc but heading home tomorrow. The broken ski doesn't bother me but the ankle injury is the inconvenience.
Anyway here the aftermath of the crash;
Given that the ski is carbon fibre/titanium (someone correct me if I'm wrong but the wood used in it is at the mounting section) gives you an idea of the impact force it took and was off piste as well. It did snap at the mounting point for the toe but gives you an idea and appreciate I am a very lucky boy just to have a bad ankle/calf. Someone found the toe a few metres away and suggested I just pushed it back in and skied down
So now my indecisiveness gets to kick in a choose the replacement ski. Any suggestions on a soft but finish ski that would handle March off piste and the crud associated with it. The 95s where great but my ski 'style' meant the nose got bounced about in crud
Anyway, if I go again though I'm more tempted by cat skiing now as my arse belongs on the ground, I'd go with evo2 in tignes. It's a shame they don't run a course like this and expensive. If I had flight experience, I'd recommend ataka.
Oh, mine wasn't the only crash, witnessed someone fly into a piste marker knocking it down then crashed out just before the slow down warning signs. I'd need a piste map etc and diagrams. Saw someone almost fly into the chair lift or get very near it before they had sense to tactically crash (but they close to the ground) so I wasn't the only one.
Now time to claim everything on the travel insurance and hope they pay for next week even though i don't have a medical certificate to say what's wrong.
So this year I've journeyed to valfrejus to learn under ataka who I've heard great things about as here meant to be a beginners-advanced playground and everyone who comes here (sorry for the present tense as I'm still here) and here's what happened on this experience;
Day 1 Saturday winds gusting at 120km/h apparently and they have a limit of 100km/h (I wasn't really paying attention here so I'm guessing 100 is for ground handling control) had a classroom session going over the theory, won the beginners competition of throwing out and setting up (flex them guns)
Day 2 - Sunday- due to continuous snow and apparently vf being avalanche central, low visibility etc. Day called off and free skiing session. Called it a day at lunch as tweaked knee and meant to have 2 weeks skiing so no point for heroics. Visibility picked up after I quit but only the lower slopes where open so didn't feel I missed much
Day 3 - Monday- so ataka do things differently here compared to the other schools in that they expect you to fly first then learn to ski with a wing (the other schools I've been to are the opposite but you can see why ataka has a good rep for progression.
Not sure what the training slopes called or the angle but I would put it on par with the steeper section of the off piste area next to solaise in val d.
Now I've got 0 experience of flying with any sort of wing and they want me to fly. People compare what I did as jumping into a supercar after your first lesson
Anyway
1st run I tried to stay on the ground as never flown before. Think I took to the air and crashed out. Packed up and down to start again. Sometimes you can restart from where you are but sometimes it's better to totally reset.
2nd run actually flew and not just a 1m off the ground. Thinking it was 30-50m in the air and length, f
k knows but long enough to get atleast halfway down the runway so i could ski under the wings power to bagging up point. Both legs where trembling on landing and took a good few minutes to stop.3rd run, I didn't prepare properly and failed on launch or shortly then it was lunch time so packed up
4th run - went perfectly.
Run 5 - went all abit wrong, started off ok and turning then seemed to panic so pulled one side more than other etc then headed towards the piste then slammed on the brakes at about 1.5m and both skis off crash. Glad was wearing the armour and the snows deep
Called it a day after that. Probably should have done another run and just stuck to straight flight and ended on a high note but never mind.
Day 4 - Tuesday - woke up to it being overcast and with yesterday's crash on my mind, was kinda hoping the day would be cancelled and I could free ski... no such luck.
Run 1 - upon launch the lines got caught in someone so I didn't get far. Tried again and bad set-up = low speed on the ground crash. Bag up start again
Run 2 - was going good then I started drifting towards the pistes. Got into a panic as its kinda a no-no. I thought I was doing everything to get it to turn but apparently not and crashed into the deck just on the piste. Confidence shot really as it was a sign to stop. Said this to the instructors but they said they'd give me a different wing and I'd be on the ground/lower and wouldn't get into trouble
Run 3 - went perfectly, but still ended up 30-50m in the air. So not quite the low level wing I thought it was going to b. Did a touch and go (touch down then bounce back up on purpose)
Run 4 - now back to good confidence levels, tried again and went the same way as run 2 but this time I slammed into the just beneath the peak of the snow Bank and before the run. Both skis off (turned them down to what I normally have) and glad I did as you'll soon see. Laid there for abit checking myself over and burning sensation in my right ankle. Wiggled toes, flex and nothing broken but then the pain went to the back of the calf and thought it's where the crash was so violent that its just the padding and boot smashing into my calf. Someone informed ski patrol that I was down as they watched it from the lift but no ski patrol came and got me. The gentleman offered to help me down but I said I was fine and I'd walk (should have asked him to get me the snow mobile in hindsight as I had the insurance) took about an hour to walk down a blue and a flat, bout 1km. Couple of others swung by to check on me as they'd witnessed it from the lifts. Etc so it's a nice aspect of the sport no matter where you are in the world/nationality etc.
Anyway, eventually get down and getting my foot out of the boot was torture, one of my new course mates helped me get out by pulling the boot as much as possible and eventually it came but f
k me did it hurt. And so now I'm sat here at a restaurant feeling sorry for myself as had val d booked for next week and catching up with ski buddies etc but heading home tomorrow. The broken ski doesn't bother me but the ankle injury is the inconvenience.
Anyway here the aftermath of the crash;
Given that the ski is carbon fibre/titanium (someone correct me if I'm wrong but the wood used in it is at the mounting section) gives you an idea of the impact force it took and was off piste as well. It did snap at the mounting point for the toe but gives you an idea and appreciate I am a very lucky boy just to have a bad ankle/calf. Someone found the toe a few metres away and suggested I just pushed it back in and skied down
So now my indecisiveness gets to kick in a choose the replacement ski. Any suggestions on a soft but finish ski that would handle March off piste and the crud associated with it. The 95s where great but my ski 'style' meant the nose got bounced about in crud
Anyway, if I go again though I'm more tempted by cat skiing now as my arse belongs on the ground, I'd go with evo2 in tignes. It's a shame they don't run a course like this and expensive. If I had flight experience, I'd recommend ataka.
Oh, mine wasn't the only crash, witnessed someone fly into a piste marker knocking it down then crashed out just before the slow down warning signs. I'd need a piste map etc and diagrams. Saw someone almost fly into the chair lift or get very near it before they had sense to tactically crash (but they close to the ground) so I wasn't the only one.
Now time to claim everything on the travel insurance and hope they pay for next week even though i don't have a medical certificate to say what's wrong.
I have those very skis and frankly, to break them is so hard that you must have had a very, very bad crash.
I found your whole post terrifying, and I'm someone who likes to do steep couloirs and big drops when skiing off-piste.
As for its replacement, I use a Line Blade Optic 104 (184cm length) for the sort of skiing you describe. It's excellent, and way more playful than the DPS Cassiar 95 can ever be. Line do it in a 96mm width too.
I found your whole post terrifying, and I'm someone who likes to do steep couloirs and big drops when skiing off-piste.
As for its replacement, I use a Line Blade Optic 104 (184cm length) for the sort of skiing you describe. It's excellent, and way more playful than the DPS Cassiar 95 can ever be. Line do it in a 96mm width too.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Wednesday 13th March 13:03
Harry Flashman said:
I have those very skis and frankly, to break them is so hard that you must have had a very, very bad crash.
I found your whole post terrifying, and I'm someone who likes to do steep couloirs and big drops when skiing off-piste.
As for its replacement, I use a Line Blade Optic 104 (184cm length) for the sort of skiing you describe. It's excellent, and way more playful than the DPS Cassiar 95 can ever be. Line do it in a 96mm width too.
Thanks, I knew you had them so you understand the impact forces. I'm a lucky boy to walk (hobble) away really. I found your whole post terrifying, and I'm someone who likes to do steep couloirs and big drops when skiing off-piste.
As for its replacement, I use a Line Blade Optic 104 (184cm length) for the sort of skiing you describe. It's excellent, and way more playful than the DPS Cassiar 95 can ever be. Line do it in a 96mm width too.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Wednesday 13th March 13:03
I'll check those skis out and maybe pick some up in the sales. Just got off an hour long call with the travel insurance agency and it looks like I'm not covered for the rest of my holiday nor are my skis due to the sport not being covered. If I had said I was on/off-piste skiing however, I'd be fine. I imagine Paragliding is covered so I might end up having a 'discussion' with them again, that I'll probably lose.
Guess it's my fault for not checking the t&Cs though might be able to claim via the credit card.
As for the skis, I think I paid around 1500 all in over 10 years (including repairs), so 150 a year for 2-3 weeks skiing isn't too bad return I guess. Plus each time I clipped in, was like going back to an ex for some fun which I find isn't what you get with each season rentals, which is another reason why I went with them, meant to have a life long shelf life
Edit - funny really, I'd do couloirs but wouldn't do drops in fear of popping my knees
Edited by Trash_panda on Wednesday 13th March 14:38
Edited by Trash_panda on Wednesday 13th March 14:45
CivicDuties said:
Friend of a friend in my town has died a couple of weeks ago in a ski incident. Father of 3 teenagers.
Take care out there.
That's terrible.Take care out there.
Edited by CivicDuties on Wednesday 13th March 15:01
How did this happen?
Off piste?
Guided?
I've skied for 38 yrs and never really seen anything dangerous. Although I have been caught in a few true white-outs, and I'm talking hallucinating in the white and crawling to the piste poles at the side.
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