Who’s going skiing and where 2019

[malks222]

Whoozit said:

Before going anywhere outside a resort, buy the beeper/shovel/probe and invest in a 2 day avalanche training course somewhere with real snow. Having the gear is no use if either a) you're under the snow, or b) you're the one on top but don't know how to search and dig effectively. There is an 8 minute window to find and extract someone under the snow once they disappear, beyond which they run out of air. If they're 1 metre down, you have to find exactly where they are in a slide which could be 500 metres long, and then shift a metric ton of snow. If they're 2 metres down, 4 tons. If it's a multiple burial, the ones on top need to remember how many were in the group, count the survivors, assess how many are buried, where on the slope they were, and sort themselves out to start searching in different teams. There are lots of little things to remember to increase their chances, and only regular practise will drill that into your head.

This is serious stuff. Find a group you like and tag along with them for a few trips, to learn the ropes. While there can be the occasional great offpiste run, much of the time is spent minimising risk rather than searching for the best lines.

Dont worry, I'm fully aware of the risks of avalanches and training/ learning is top of the agenda before venturing off. I've seen what can happen all too easily, even close to home at glencoe they have fairly regular issues with avalanches. Last season someone got caught in one when skiing on their own when they hit a closed slope and also someone I went to uni with had to get dug out, again skiing the same closed slope!

[Speed 3]

Four of us are booked to go to Sauze D'Oulx for a long weekend on the 31st. One of our party is getting jittery about the conditions and suggesting cancelling. Given we're already in for flights and accommodation deposits we're trying to calm him down. The video reports don't seem too bad on-piste higher up but one concern is the red link to Sestriere is closed because of investigation into a fatality over xmas, no confirmed date to reopen.

Whilst I think we will go ahead, what theoretical alternative options do we have with a semi-sensible drive from Milan Linate. We're reasonably decent intermediates but getting on a bit in years. Budget is not unlimited as I'm going again with family at half term so Switzerland might be tricky.

[//j17]

Take a look at the snow depth map on snow-forecast.com - https://www.snow-forecast.com/maps/dynamic/alps?ov...

Sauze's a 2.5hr drive from Milan, which is about the same as the distance from Milan to St Moritz. Or there's Madesimo 2.25hr from Milan. Don't know anything about it but showing 45cm at the bottom/250cm at the top.

[CAPP0]

[redacted]

[Simond S]

Morning all,

Driving to La Tania in Feb. I have booked Eurostar for 10.30 am. Would Macon be a sensible stopover?

We wont be going to fast (driving a Discovery!)

Ideally i'd like to be in resort before lunch the following day.

Or thoughts on somewhere else to stay?

[Jarcy]

Depthhoar said:

malks222 said:

looking for some advice/ help as I'd really like to start to learn to ski tour/ do a bit of back country/ off piste skiing and dont know where to start. Not sure if this is a topic for here, but PH seems to deliver on most stuff!

Are there any courses that are worth while? I've noticed Glenmore lodge do a few different courses, does anyone rate them? Are there any other courses/ days in scotland or am I best heading abroad on a week long course?

I like the idea of getting out into the hills, not necessarily the steep/ hard stuff, just getting away from it, earning my turns.

Obviously there is a lot to learn, i'm not expecting a one day course and I'm off into the back corries at nevis. I'm expecting a lot to take in:
- mountain navigation
- reading snow/ avalanche conditions
- touring kit (boots/ bindings/ skis)
- learning to skin/ turn on the way up
- avalanche kit and how to use them

At the moment, I have normal alpine skis (salomon Q90's with normal marker bindings) and normal alpine boots. Can you learn the basics of touring with this set up, or do I need to hire/ borrow touring boot/binding/ ski's?

Any help greatly appreciated!

Right up my street this one!

Glenmore Lodge are local to me and I know several of their instructors. Yes, they offer good courses but I'd opt for one of their overseas intro ski touring courses rather than risk booking one based in the Cairngorms. We have no snow at the moment. Nadda. That might improve as the weeks elapse but it might not... There's a Glenmore Lodge one based in Galtur that looks great and ideal for those just getting in to ski touring.

Ski touring in Scotland is a very different game. The weather can be appalling, the snow rubbish and opportunities fleeting. You need to develop 'combat skiing' skills to cope with conditions, which might include occasional surfing down hill on rimed up heather. I kid you not! The Scottish mountains are a serious sub-arctic environment and at times can make big demands of your mountaineering skills/experience. Ski touring in the Alps is often (but not always) much more mellow/sunny/ fun.

Skinning is easy and you'll be good enough for most ski tour routes after a day or so, as long as you're reasonably physically competent/co-ordinated etc..

Gear. You can get inserts that fit into regular alpine bindings and give heel lift but I don't recommend these other than for a little 'side country' skiing nr resorts but not for extended tours. Proper ski touring gear is what you'll eventually need. You can also use a ski touring set up for resort skiing as well as the gear has come a long way in design/performance terms. Weight is a big deal when touring and the lighter your set up the better. Check out 'tech bindings' - they look alarming flimsy but work surprisingly well and you'll feel the benefit on an extended tour with a lot of skinning. Also check out 100% mohair skins. Much less tiring than hybrid 70/30% mix or 100% nylon - the latter are like dragging carpets around under you skis.

Ski touring is great and if the bug bites you'll never want to go resort skiing again.

Edited by Depthhoar on Wednesday 16th January 09:38

Edited by Depthhoar on Wednesday 16th January 09:39

I joined the Skiclub of Great Britain to embark upon an off piste experience, and am now in my 5th consecutive year of off piste holidays with them. Some of their courses are specifically off piste tuition, so I guess would be perfect for you. They have a presence in Flaine in particular.

The minimum kit that you would need would be to change your bindings to frame (free heal) bindings, and acquire a suitable backpack, shovel and probe, and skins (which will need cutting to fit your skis. I did this myself in resort having watched a Youtube video). The Skiclub will hire transceivers to members by the week, or provide them free if you're on one of their off piste holidays.
As suggested above, don't get the inserts for regular binding - they're rubbish. I got some, and they snapped within the first 5 yards! Had to leave the group and ski down to the village ski shop to get Market Barons fitted.

This will serve you for a resort based holiday where you might skin for 30 to 90 minutes away from the lift system to reach the silence of untracked backcountry wilderness. For anything more serious or extensive, i.e. day tours, then you'll need specific light weight touring kit. I haven't gone that far. The experience of skiing powder on fat skis vs touring kit is very different. If it's the skiing you're after then don't bother with the touring setup route. Just adapt backcountry skis. If touring's your goal, then you do need to invest in the lightweight stuff, but don't expect the downhill element to be satisfying.
As a halfway house, I am seriously considering the new Salomon Shift binding. My boots take tech inserts and I have the tech sole plates. Just need to marry up with the perfect 1 ski quivver, perhaps 95 to 100mm underfoot.

[CAPP0]

Simond S said:

Morning all,



Or thoughts on somewhere else to stay?

Behind the wheel

How far are you driving before the tunnel? I live in Kent and we regularly do it in one hit, albeit usually later in the day.

If you're going to the 3 Valleys, make sure you book in to absolutely THE best secret, hidden, hard-to-find restaurant I've ever had a ski lunch at

[Whoozit]

Jarcy said:

As a halfway house, I am seriously considering the new Salomon Shift binding. My boots take tech inserts and I have the tech sole plates. Just need to marry up with the perfect 1 ski quivver, perhaps 95 to 100mm underfoot.

I can thoroughly recommend the Head Kore 99 as a very, very good freeride ski that still weighs 1.88kgs unmounted in 180 length. May be a good compromise.

[Simond S]

We live in Sussex but didn't want to leave too early as out the night before.

I've booked La Farcon for chalet maids day off, happy with any other recommendations.

[Rojibo]

So, please forgive me for asking what may be an obvious question, in anticipation of our holiday I've been reviewing the piste map (sad?) and I've spotted a couple of black runs with little L's in circles, any idea what these mean? I can't find a key to it anywhere. Unpisted perhaps? Though these are normally marked natur' I thought.

[Mr E]

I hope it means “awesome”.

Bindings on. I have stood on the new board for the first time. Wheels up at 6am.

[Whoozit]

Rojibo said:

So, please forgive me for asking what may be an obvious question, in anticipation of our holiday I've been reviewing the piste map (sad?) and I've spotted a couple of black runs with little L's in circles, any idea what these mean?

No idea, even after hunting around. This video looks like it gives a decent view on the slope. Even if unpisted, it's a decent slope. Could get mogulled up after a storm, though, especially if not pisted.

[CAPP0]

Whoozit said:

Rojibo said:

So, please forgive me for asking what may be an obvious question, in anticipation of our holiday I've been reviewing the piste map (sad?) and I've spotted a couple of black runs with little L's in circles, any idea what these mean?

No idea, even after hunting around. This video looks like it gives a decent view on the slope. Even if unpisted, it's a decent slope. Could get mogulled up after a storm, though, especially if not pisted.

I've no idea either. Never seen that before. If you zoom right in, I'm not sure it's an "L" - the horizontal part is very short. That said, could it be Lookout, ie a viewpoint?

There are some on some other blacks too. Let us know after you're back!

[EddieSteadyGo]

Rojibo said:

So, please forgive me for asking what may be an obvious question, in anticipation of our holiday I've been reviewing the piste map (sad?) and I've spotted a couple of black runs with little L's in circles, any idea what these mean? I can't find a key to it anywhere. Unpisted perhaps? Though these are normally marked natur' I thought.

Not exactly sure, but I would assume they were like Austrian "ski routes". So mostly not piste-bashed, some variable terrain and varying gradients, generally not that difficult to ski or that steep, but you would need to be able to deal with variable conditions.

[Rojibo]

In a couple of the videos the same symbol appears on the piste markers. It also appears on one other black in the resort. I agree it’s not strictly an L, just the best way to describe the shape.

I shall have to ski them and let you know. They look like wide unpisted runs on the video, however other runs in ADH are unpisted and not marked as such.. odd.

[troc]

I’m flying back from an awesome week in Niseko today. Yesterday was the highlight. 7 cat runs in perfect neck-deep powder through the trees in the middle of nowhere.

Niseko itself is nice, it’s heading upmarket at a rate of knots though and is getting very expensive, very fast. The fridge bar is excellent and the food in general is great but the powder. God, the powder.

I wouldn’t recommend if for a ‘nice’ family holiday as the weather isn’t all blue skies and sun but if you chase the powder and like to ski gnarly runs through the trees neck-deep in snow, then this area is the place to go. Not for the off-piste beginner though

I’ll try to upload a video or two alternate on so you get the idea

[lemmingjames]

Did you head to rusutu?

[troc]

lemmingjames said:

Did you head to rusutu?

Yeah, did a day there when it was windy and all the other main resorts were closed. Interesting hotel........

[Mr E]

New board feels good. It has edges that just chew through hard piste and ice.

The 10 hours or so of dry slope that the boy have done appears to be time well invested. He put skis on, pointed downhill and went.

[chandrew]

Speed 3 said:

Four of us are booked to go to Sauze D'Oulx for a long weekend on the 31st. One of our party is getting jittery about the conditions and suggesting cancelling. Given we're already in for flights and accommodation deposits we're trying to calm him down. The video reports don't seem too bad on-piste higher up but one concern is the red link to Sestriere is closed because of investigation into a fatality over xmas, no confirmed date to reopen.

Whilst I think we will go ahead, what theoretical alternative options do we have with a semi-sensible drive from Milan Linate. We're reasonably decent intermediates but getting on a bit in years. Budget is not unlimited as I'm going again with family at half term so Switzerland might be tricky.

We're having a good season in the Engadin / St. Moritz. Of course what this area is famous for are the 5 star hotels and equally smart mountain restaurants but there are cheaper options.

Before moving here we used to stay in Inn Lodge in Celerina. It's where the bobsleigh teams stay when there is a big event. The top floor comprises of studios with kitchens which can bring the cost down.

I think the hotels still do a half-price deal on the ski passes which would bring the cost down.

If you stay outside St. Moritz itself the costs might be lower. The local buses have good connections and are free if you're with your skis / have a ski pass.

As noted though, I'm sure the resort you've booked is OK. The Alps has a real North / South divide and the heavy snow last week was mostly at the North side. I guess we had 50cm over 2 days which was nice but nothing really to worry about.