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Am a bit concerned that when we move I will be found to have a "surprising" number of skis in the loft.
😀
Maybe time to ditch the 207cm volkl RS?
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Turning radius - Approximately 438 miles. 🙂
TheDTs - are you me? 😯
We are also supposedly buying a house - I'm pretty much in denial though 😆
I don't think they have softened with age.
I would turn them into a sledge for the kids, but fear that would be lethal.
Now MrsDts, has seen this, she is threatening to go in the loft and have a audit.... Nooooooooooo.
Now MrsDts, has seen this, she is threatening to go in the loft and have a audit.... Nooooooooooo.
OK, so we know that's where you keep your ski stash, but is it also where you keep your *ahem* gentertainment stash?
Nope, it's in a hedge on the A38.
😀
I don't have that problem.
My wife has at least as many snow boards and bindings as me (since I sold one of her boards and I gave an old snowboard to the LBS owner in payment for some work he did - he's now hiding it from his wife as I understand it - apparently she expects him to be paid in money not old kit)
My wife also has multiple bikes.
The moral? Make them complicit.
("gentertainment"? You're on your own)
Visor Helmets then? Junior J (12) likes the look and fancies one. Assuming we avoid the bargain basement brands, are there any issues / practicalities worth considering? Then its a case of getting the right fit.
TIA
Without wishing to be too maudlin ...
R.I.P. Ralf Tenbrink 🙁
Anyone have any tips on a decent splitboard package? Tell me what to buy!
@howsyourdad1 - when you say 'package' do you mean a Splitboard/Bindings deal ?
Can't say I've seen much in the way of package deals as the kit choice tends to be very personal
May I suggest having a wonder over to The Sick and the Wrong:
[url= http://snowboardexperts.co.uk/ ]http://snowboardexperts.co.uk/[/url]
They have a pretty extensive range of many leading products.
Splitboard gear has undergone a fair amount of development over the past few years, and whilst some of it is big chunk of change, the quality has really improved.
My question would be: 'what do you want to use it for and where?'
if it's just casual use to augment your piste riding and mix it up a bit then consider DIY'ing an old board, but if you want performance and features for technical backcountry descents then consider one of the purpose built splitboards from the likes of Jones or Burton.
There won't be a Where to Ski and Snowboard for 2017 or indeed a book in the same format. I've had tons of value out of the books, so useful for researching holiday ideas or just dreaming
[url= http://wheretoskiandsnowboard.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/d/6F03FB8328B139E1/A2651B9B64F577430F8C96E86323F7F9 ]Linky[/url]
Zeal GPS Goggles on Sport Pursuit
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Not bad considering they start at only £120
CFH an mtb fyi here Bike Alp relocated from Samoens and offer guided hols in Briancon/Sere-Chev now
[url= http://www.bike-alp.com/ ]Linky[/url]
@digby cheers i'll take a look . Basically want to hike a mountain or take a loft up and access Off piste. No multi day epics or climbing etc
St Anton booked. Boom!
Wallop, never been, love to go one day. Not the place for small kids though I imagine. Not easy for a cheeky long weekender with MrsDT's, from Bristol either.
@wallop nice. At Anton is fabulous one of my favourite resorts. Something for everyone, great offpiste too. We used to do long weekends there inc flying to Zurich with a minibus transfer. Popular weekend place for Germans as train station is right in the town centre. Have done lads and family trips there
St Anton is brill!
Nice one guys - I can't wait. I love Austria but haven't been for a couple of years (a relatively snowless Christmas in Saalbach).
It's the number of ungroomed runs I'm looking forward to, as well as the excellent Austrian hospitality 😆
Interesting you mention Saalbach Wallop, we're about to sort out a week to Saalbach for Christmas. Was only there a couple of weeks ago for a weeks biking (highly recommended). Hoping to check out the connection over to Fieberbrunn.
My favourite resorts are St Anton/Verbier/Val d'Isere/Jackson Hole - there is a theme 🙂 Fabulous skiing on and off piste, stunningly beautiful mountains, great atmosphere, party scene available if required, quality mountain late lunch venues for a lazy afternoon
Wallop have had some great days with Piste to Powder (in my 35 years of skiing its fair to say my progress has been limited but its not for lack of quality guiding/tuition - definitely a talent issue)
Ta - I'll check 'em out.
Hammerite - Saalbach is really lovely. Bit of a gamble snow wise at Christmas but where isn't? It's still a really nice place to stay.
My local resort of Åre now has direct flights from Laaaaaandan via Easyjet if anyone fancies a cheaper trip to Scandinavia for empty pistes and loads of tree runs
Wallop - Yes Saalbach is great. We've been skiing every Christmas for the last 8/9 years. The last two years have been the only dodgy ones in that time. Last Christmas we were in Wagrain and I have to say they did an amazing job with the man made, pistes were hard and fast. I understand Saalbach did a decent job too last year.
The year before we were in the Skiwelt and to be honest they struggled, we just kept repeating the same runs and dodging the mud patches coming through - we finished early every day for the first time ever and headed to a bar.
We must be due a good Christmas this year surely!
Do we have any japan aficionados online?
What's the best time visit?
^^ similar season to Europe, Feb / March is good I believe. I never went despite living in Singapore for 2 years as door to door (to Niseko) it took as long as getting to Switzerland and more expensive when there. Is supposed to be amazing for powder with snow filled clouds rolling in off sea and law abiding locals refusing to leave the piste
Hey folks,
I wonder if I can ask a wee question regarding travel insurance?
My last snowboarding holiday in February 2016 ended rather abruptly with me being hospitalised for five days in Bulgaria, before getting flown home in a private air ambulance, and spending another five days in hospital here. I'm assuming that until the wonderful NHS staff got me, I racked up a fair bill through my travel insurance. Although I've never heard a peep from them since.
Everything's tickety-boo...ish now, to the point where a bunch of my friends have kindly invited me to join them on a ski holiday in Austria. Apparently, I have to learn to ski though, I'm not allowed to take my snowboard... 😳
I'm rather excited about this as I honestly thought my winter holidays were done and dusted after my little mishap, but as we organise flights, transfers and villas etc. I keep wondering about the insurance.
I've just had a quick look at travel insurance with snowsport cover online, and after answering all the online medical screening questions ( I have to go through medical screening anyway as I'm a type 1 Diabetic), there didn't seem to be a problem or a penalty. Do you reckon that's right? Has anyone else come a cropper one year and gone out the next year without having to jump through hoops to get insurance? It seems too good to be true....thus I'm very, very suspicious. It's not that I'm trying to avoid paying more than I have to, kind of the opposite actually. I was prepared to take a mahoosive hike in the cost of insuring me as the price I had to pay to be lucky enough to get away again so quickly....but I do want to make sure I'm actually covered in case lightning really does strike twice! 😯
CokeItUpAndWatchItSmoke - Member
Do we have any japan aficionados online?What's the best time visit?
Just seen this, bit of a late reply - sorry!
Jan usually gets most snowfall, but visibility can be consistently bad so harder to ski any of the higher alpine / backcountry. Feb seems to be the best balance and we certainly had no shortage of snow last year when we were there. It was actually unusual when it wasn't snowing - honestly!! Short season though and tends to end abruptly as lots of resorts are quite low - you don't get late season, spring skiing in March / April like Europe, but then that's not what you go to Japan for 😉
Snowfall can be highly variable between resorts, even those close by each other, so it pays to be mobile and flexible. We probably skied 8-10 resorts when we were there - only one I didn't like was Niseko - hardest place to score fresh tracks as very busy, expensive and generally a crap hill to get around.
Overall, definitely recommend a guide over there - resorts vary widely in their tolerance of skiing off piste but in general it's not like Europe where you'll get rescued off piste and sent a big bill. They just won't rescue you. you're on your own and it's a long way to drag yourself out of some of the back bowls with a broken leg (or even just a lost ski could turn epic pretty quickly).
What else do you want to know?? 🙂
ps. Sorry - can't figure out how to embed video!
remove the s from the https
Ta! 🙂
Everything's tickety-boo...ish now, to the point where a bunch of my friends have kindly invited me to join them on a ski holiday in Austria. Apparently, I have to learn to ski though, I'm not allowed to take my snowboard..
Friends eh.........I'd still take my snowboard!
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New Nitro movie! Great to get you stoked before you shred !
@dashed as jam bo says no "s" what's bizarre (to me) is youtube links work with the "s" left in
cheers for Boom! I enjoyed that!
Looking at booking for end of Jan.
Has anyone been to claviere? Seems to have good links with the milky way area
Aging snowboard fans will be delighted to learn that they can now buy Daniel Franck monogrammed training and activity socks on Sport Pursuit.
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@Digby - aye, leaves a big hole behind. 🙁
I've spent a lot of years in the mountains and only 2 weeks with Ralf and somehow his name seems to come up all the time in mountain stories!
Ned - no, just no
Bought my pass this week. I'm back on the Epic Local this year for some Vail resort based fun. I'll be spending a few days in Utah, obviously Colorado and California this winter so the Epic made sense.
Anyone seen a good beacon / probe / shovel kit going?
@stevomcd - yeah ... I knew him from the days when he did some of the Backcountry Intro courses with McNab when Neil was still an aspirant ... hadn't seen him for a couple of years as he was busy with the Heli-Ski outfit in Kamchatka, but you're right ... his name always comes up in stories. A real character ... and a really sad loss! 🙁
Booked for Les Arcs again this year (21-28th Jan) as I had a great time last year and loves the area. Time to improve and get gooderer so I can handle any red.
Would be nice to see some fresh snow this time, I think I've caught a tan on my last 3 trips.
Roll on the winter, he says sitting in a hot office in central London waiting for the cooler wetter weather to arrive.
Howsyourdad,
Face west were good when we got our beacons. We got Barrydox Pulse FWIW. Brilliant.
Face west are very good for support and firmware updates, I have sent mine back for updates twice, no charge.
They have got good advice and comparison videos on their site too.
Saw a good website on shovel choice / comparison, linked from this thread last year I think..
Square / horizontal top, so your foot doesn't slide off, was the advice I think.
Thanks will take a look
Yeah, 19 weeks to go 😆
+1 for Facewest - I've bought loads of backcountry kit from them over the years and never had anything but great service. And as TheDTs mentioned, if you buy your beacon from them, future firmware upgrades are covered.
We have Morzine booked for January, hopefully there will be snow this season unlike last time.
After the pain from last season's snowboard boots I have just today bought my first pair of snowboard boots. Some nice ThirtyTwo Light JP Walker's hopefully they will help bring me on a bit.
Having your own boots is A Good Thing.
The hire boots I had last season were terrible, I could barely go an hour without having to stop at a bar for a pint. A good excuse but I was so drunk by the end of the day I couldn't even remember how to do my bindings up.
Less pain and heel lift should mean I can actually make a decent fist of it.
Each year our usual group considers Japan, and each year we play it safe elsewhere. Seems such a big trip and outside of comfort zone of European or North American resorts where only speaking English is generally no problem and you can understand signs and menus (or at least make a guess with French, German and Italian).
Been distracted from usual North America trips for last few years with cheap week in Europe on package deals, but want to get back to my favourite of Utah.
V excited for this season, I got a Bataleon Magic Carpet towards the end of last season and it was a revelation, so looking forward to riding it as much as possible this year. Here's hoping for powder in the PDS every weekend 🙂
Ok next question, anyone have any experience of making their own splitboard using one of the kits ? Quite want to try splitting but can't really get transceiver , probe shovel , new downhill bike and splitboard kit all in one year my wife would go mental....
Ho Ho just booking up for first time with our 4 year old, wife did a cast around for some prices and VIP offered us a week over new year for a bargain 10 grand ! Errr possibly not.
**taps fingers on desk waiting for easyjet April schedule to be released*
geoff - are you in the EasyJet flight club?
There's not a whole lot of benefits BUT they have this one:
We promise passengers will always get the best price fares from easyJet. If on a rare occasion passengers find the same flight on easyjet.com at a lower price, we’ll give them the price difference towards their next flight. Our customer support team are on hand, so passengers can give them a call
I booked return flights to GVA for the family of 4 for Xmas, for £330 in July.
The return flight was recently a lot cheaper that at the time I booked, I phoned up Flight Club chappie, and he's given me a £102 voucher off my next booking. Unfortunately its not an automatic system, you have to keep an eye on flight prices yourself. So once a month I just check each booking and keep a note of it in.....you guessed it....a spreadsheet 😀
Stoner - will investigate ta.
Edit - [i] Membership is by invitation from easyJet. [/i]
🙁
Easy Jet Flight Club? 😆 😆
And a bit more... 😆
Anyway, anyone know anything about Goldwin? If I do get away this year, some new trews may be in order, and these look goooood!
http://www.goldwin-sports.com/products/mens/g31510.html
Big colours, all about right on the tech front. However, I know next to nothing about the brand!
A PSA of sorts. Sports Pursuit (I know I know) have a flash sale on smith Helmets and goggles, including the excellent IO7 googles with a brilliant field of vision , and the vantage helmet which is the best helmet I've had and gets great reviews
Unlike us to be organised but long weekend in Morzine booked an family hols in Les Gets as well. Woo hoo
When you in LG then? Half term for us.
11th March for Les Gets, Feb for Morzine.
End of Jan for a trip to the milky way area
Flights released and booked for early April - yeah 😀
Just need to find somewhere to stay now.
Good call on the SP Smith sale as well, new helmet that actually fits !
Worried about whether I can afford beer at Alpine prices and the £/€ exchange rate. 😕
geoffj - Member
Flights released and booked for early April - yeah
Just need to find somewhere to stay now.
If you fancy courchevel I know someone who has availability in a chalet in le Praz 1st week of April..[url= http://nhm-ski.com/ ]http://nhm-ski.com/[/url] Great guys, fabulous food nice chalet. 5 min walk to the lifts
Worried about whether I can afford beer at Alpine prices and the £/€ exchange rate.
You only need 1 Kidney and skiing is more important than having 2!
Thanks Smokey Jo, but we are now sorted.
Any recommendations for family insurance with off piste cover?
TIA
I've always wanted to go and see Iran. Looks like another reason now!
i'd love to go to Iran with a snowboard/ splitboard. If anybody is thinking of going... MIM
Any recommendations for family insurance with off piste cover?
Skiing or Snowboarding?
Have a look at DogTag, Snowcard, or BMC if it's for skiing (BMC have an additional 'premium' for snowboarding)
i'd love to go to Iran with a snowboard/ splitboard
So would I ... but I can't see me heading there anytime soon despite recent developments in international diplomacy etc. There are loads of other places that aren't so politically volatile that I'd rather visit first.
Just used my Easyjet flight club voucher* to pay for a chunk of our Easter flights. I doubt there's going to be much snow left between then 10th and 20th of April, but PDS is still a great place for a spring break.
* eat it, CFH 😉
So that's 21-Dec to 31 Dec
4-Mar to 8-Mar
10-Apr to 20-Apr
and Mother has given Mrs Stoner and I the nod to head out on our own in Feb for 4 or 5 days as well. Sweet. 28 days. Not bad 😀
That chalet in Le Praz, Courcheval up there^ is very tempting and I love the concept but I'd prefer to be a bit more central to the 3 Vallées... Does anyone know of a similar setup (catered chalet where you don't have to rent the whole thing) in Méribel or Val Thorens?
You can ski into Le Praz from Bouc Blanc in about 10-15 mins depending on how many irish coffees you had at the Bouc Blanc 🙂
In Le Praz there's a couple of good bars and the Peuplier Hotel has a really nice chilled out lounge downstairs although the Apres is more quite a bit more civilised than 1850 or Meribel! Although drinking pints of Gin Slushie in the Sports Bar on a Thursday when they have live bands on can be quite fun too.
Not much choice for eating out but the food at the chalet is so good you wouldn't want to