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With the Captain MIA, and it being August already, I thought it was time to kick this off.
Current hopes are for another great Scottish winter that we can make use of this year and probably a couple of trips to Italy - maybe a road trip over Christmas involving the Newcastle to Amsterdam ferry.
I'm probably due some new planks too.
What about you lot?
We've got a 14 day trip planned to Sun Peaks, BC in February... if the Canadians will have us.
First year of Motorhome ownership, so will be doing our trips mainly in that.
Hopefully some Scotland stuff over Xmas/New Year. Combined with some winter walking. Then 2 weeks either Italy or Austria at Easter.
As for new gear, need to get my gf some Skis....and will probably treat myself to a Splitboard funds allowing.
Hope all is well with CFH, not sure if anyone on here knew him irl?
The Captain is alive and well, just not active on here
We came back from Ste Foy in Jan 2020 and bought new boots for Mrs NBT which have remained unused. Various plans for a second week or just a trip to Scotland at the end of the 2019-20 season were made and quickly abandoned due to lockdowns
2020-21 was a write off from that moment to be honest.
The original plan for the 2021-22 season was three or four weeks in Whistler for my Big Birthday (and that of a mate), but given the pandemic I honestl don't think I'll travel intercontinental for quite a few years.
As a replacement, I've been dreaming of a longer trip to a european resort, but a trip like that requires a bit of planning and at the moment I don't think I'm ready to commit to stuff as we don't know how things will go. Anyone got a place in a French / Italian / Swiss resort that they might want to rent out for a long stay covering non-peak weeks?
Timely as just booked Accomodation and euro tunnel for a feb22 family trip to the Aosta resorts. Fingers crossed!!!
Our hotel booking that we made for 2019 has just been reconfirmed for this year in March so hopefully make it to Obergurgl this time of asking. Might drive it this time though.
Hopefully get a trip in (probably France) at the end of Jan too and try out the new skis I bought 2 weeks before the 2019 trip got cancelled !
Hell if the weather and travel gods are smiling a trip to our place in the Massif Central and a cheeky ski at the Lioran might happen around New Year too
We came back from Ste Foy in Jan 2020 and bought new boots for Mrs NBT which have remained unused.
How familiar. Although in our house it’s boots for me.
I wonder if I can still ride a board.
Booked for the Alps.
Nothing booked as yet, but hoping to get out to Bulgaria in Feb and hopefully good few weekends in the Cairngorms / Nevis range.
New skis and boots last autumn and only used in the field at the end of the street…
When there's snow up the hill we'll be making good use of it. Last year was a bumper year for snow up to confinement and a busy buying year in terms of gear so I'll be selling things I don't use much rather than buying. I used the Dynastar Vertical Bears just once last year, they're a good all round ski but I've got skis that are better when it's hard and skis that are better in powder/soft so they get overlooked. I might put some bindings back on my old Atomic MX 11s and think about entering a race but probably won't.
The main objective is to get X-C fit again, that starts now.
Week booked with our ski club in Sauze d'Oux for March.
Hopefully get some decent snow on the Scottish hills.
And no having to walk up the lofty peaks of the Bathgate Alps for 30 seconds of icy downhill action!
Booked 10 days at Les Deux Alpes for Easter - high up & it’s a glacier resort so hopefully still got a mixture of stuff useable at that time.
Feel really down about the whole Covid thing (currently getting over it, so more Mardy than usual); I feel robbed; would normally get away a couple of times but didn’t get anywhere last season. Fingers crossed hey?
Sauze d’Oux end of Jan then Saalbach for the Feb HT, looking forward to it!!
Anyone know if there are other decent resorts within say an hours drive of Sauze, we'll have a car and like to see as many places as possible.
Sauze d'Oulx is on the Via Lattea so there's plenty of skiing available there. In terms of other resorts Bardonechia is quite close, add from there you can go through the Frejus Tunnal towards Modane where there are plenty of resorts in the Maurienne. Easier though too drive through to Montgenevre at the other end of the Milky Way, it's then only a short drive to Serre Chevalier
Nothing booked so far, we normally go twice and would have booked Xmas / NY already. Still unsure as to what will be open / will we be able to go etc.....
We have a week at New Year arranged using a customer of mines place in Zel am see. Driving out so leaving on Boxing Day. It’s a very relaxed arrangement so nothing ventured yet. We will hopefully have the camper van build done for Easter and have an apartment booked for a week in Tignes and hope to take a bit of time to get back. Will see if the family want more skiing or something different en route home. And several of my mates are all passing their half century this year so there is a suggestion that a bit of skiing may be in order so a possible cheeky one for without the family.
I will be amazed and delighted if all or any of that happens though!
Kit, I quite fancy a pair of full fat slalom skis. I have most other things covered in the current quiver and like the idea if a proper piste sl carver. Usual used eBay ex hire type thing for under £250 but got confused by additional tax stuff.
Missed two seasons now so am gagging to get to the mountains next winter. Hoping we can get out to my sister's place in the Pyrenees for Christmas and New year, then maybe get a trip to the Alps as well later in the winter.
Got somewhere in Grand Massif may be of interest for you in non peak Jan or March.
PM me I’ll give you more details
Doz
We've got early Feb Dolomites booked. Val Gardens is beautiful when it's cold and clear
I'll be staying local in Scotland this season, really hoping for a repeat of the conditions we had earlier this year, chest high powder within 5 miles of the house was epic.
I've got some Spark R&D bindings on pre-order from the Sick and Wrong for the splitboard so that will improve my set up no end.
I'll mainly be at the Lecht & Glennshee. Hoping to get over to Nevis and maybe down to Glencoe, I'll be giving Cairngorm and all it's stupidity a wide berth though, well other than touring obv's 😎
I'm on holiday in Speyside just now and took a drive up Cairngorm on Monday.
Was surprised to see actual work being done on the funicular!
Any idea when or if it'll be back in service?
Much the same as Swavis for us; last winter gave us a lot more powder than we could have possibly hoped for, even within the confines of Angus county. More of that would be just grand...
Glenshee is our nearest and dearest, Nevis for a longer day out and a change of off-piste options. Coe combined with Nevis on a long weekend.
As above, touring only at Cairngorm. The waste of public money there is simply obscene. Should be nuked from orbit next time the HIE folk are there on a sightseeing visit. If they even know where to find it.
Have neither booked nor looked at overseas yet, unsure if we will bother until certainty improves a bit. But would love a week or two somewhere sunny in Italy for a change.
No kit needed, got plenty. Maybe xc kit for the Mrs, mine has had a lot of use these last two winters.
Covid, sick dog, changed jobs once already this year and changing again in October. None of this brings with it the impetus to book an expensive and liable to cancellation ski holiday, but I really missed not going last season, did manage a week in 20, while aware of Covid at the time we got back, just before all the carnage from Austria kicked in, so we were lucky to have made that.
Looking at France catered chalets in Feb half term, flights included (first time we've done chalets in Feb).
Are they usually £1500-1800 per person or is it covid tax?
I think we paid close to £1100/1200 per person last time we went at Xmas.
Third time lucky feb/March Corvara, great snow last two years but no travel, so this year will be travel and no fresh snow 👍
I don't often go at half term, but if you paid £1100 for Xmas then £1500 for half terms seems about right - it's a more popular week than Xmas. Looking at a place we stayed at last tme we went out, prices do seem higher though - the 2nd week of Jan was priced at £750, but this year it's listed at €975
Feb half term
As I understand it half term in France is a 2 week affair with half the country on 1 set of 2 weeks the other half on week 2 and 3, so a 1 week overlap in the middle, add to that UK half term and demand goes through the roof, plus snow is usually good in Feb, so yeah, it's just normal.
Half term dates can be seen here
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=154963
half term in france lasts a month, overall, with a @toby1 says 3 zones overlapppoing their 2 week periods. Avoid the paris half term if you are looking at the northern end of the french ski resort (portes do soleil, grand assif etc), and avoid the middle 2 weeks if you have any chance to do so
Half term dates can be seen here
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=154963
/blockquote>VERY helpful - thanks 🙂
We're 12th through 19th 🙁
Yep 👍
Our 2021 booking for 4 weeks of January has been moved to 2022 so fingers crossed we'll be in Flaine and the Grand Massif to start 2022.
Just hope that the skis and boots we left in the resort in 2020 are still there, we left them at the end of Jan as we were going back for a long weekend in March .... just after lockdown started.
Just hope that the skis and boots we left in the resort in 2020 are still there
It depends which Apres-Ski bar you left them outside I’d imagine
The bar happened to be in a ski shop so quietly optimistic they will be there.
Still hope to ski with dozofoz at some point 🙂
Glencoe rolled seasons passes, hopefully this season will be the usual mix of English and Scottish skiing. Not really sure about booking anything else as the long covid is too random on fitness.
Hi Dozofoz,
All ready to go. Surely it's going to be third time lucky behind high winds/lift closures and COVID. We're going to get the season lift pass before end of September as they have a full refund promise if you don't use it.
No new purchases needed - I'd bought a new Norrona jacket before Brexit so it's unworn despite having it since 2019 and some new insulated ski pants from sports pursuit in 2020 when we still had hope that we might get to ski in 2021. I will be rocking a green and purple look
We’re going to get the season lift pass before end of September as they have a full refund promise if you don’t use it.
Oooh, that's interesting as we're considering a long trip but we're not looking to spend lots on a trip that might not happen. GM is definintely on the radar, will have to look at that. Might see if any other resorts are doing it too as it's a very interesting development...
Some good prices on gear at the moment. Bought me and Mrsdts new ski jackets from Ellis Brigham sale website yesterday. Didn’t venture into looking at skis, “move away from the skis, you have enough skis”
Madame picked up a Vertical jacket and trowsers for 300e last weeek. 30 000 jacket and 20 000 stretch rando trowsers.
A week over New Year and a week in February booked for Italy.
Just trying to decide if it's worth looking on ekosport for some new skis.
Can I be arsed with the customs charges etc? 🤔
There's still some amazing deals online at Ellis Brigham.
We're 50/50 on a few days in Jan in Slovakia. Got Chunnel booked for Easter.
Did a quick stop off at some ski resorts in Scotland whilst we were up there a few weeks back (actually we visited all but Glencoe) Shame about Cairngorm as they've got the best place to stay in our motorhome, and we really like Aviemore too.
Historically, what are the chances of anything being open in Scotland over Xmas?
Increasingly finding the idea of flying to a ski resort where the glaciers are melting a bit depressing/irresponsible. 🙁 Combine that with Covid stresses and I'm not mad keen to get back to the Alps - used to be one of the main things I looked forward to.
I really want to teach my young lad to ski soon but it might have to be in Scotland.
Increasingly finding the idea of flying to a ski resort where the glaciers are melting a bit depressing/irresponsible.
Yep, with you on that. We're driving this year, mostly though becuase we're doing a 3 week trip. If that works ok I can see future trips will be fortnight by car rather than two one week trips.
Would like to investigate the train but so far the price is not helpful - time wise it's better than the car but prices wise it certainly isn't
Fri night train to london
Overnight hotel near St Pancras
Early Saturday (8am) Eurostar to Paris and on to the Alps (7pm in Bourg St Maurice with a change at Chambery)
Return is 10am train from BSM, getting into London 18.30 so MIGHT be able to get an onward train back Up North but maybe another overnight - and that's a SUNDAY train as the Saturday train is not bookable (maybe sold out already? booking window for that week only opened today) so would need an extra night in BSM itself
Total cost for the week before Christmas currently looking about £800 for trains, plus hotel cost, for 2 adults.
Has anyone used the train to get to the mountains?
We are thinking of doing a long weekend. Eurostar to Paris or lille, overnight then get an early tgv to the mountains. Then late train back and euros early the next morning.
Has anyone used the train to get to the mountains?
crossed posts, I'm looking at trains but as I'm not london based a weekend is not feasible
as for doing a weekend - I've not personally done the train yet for skiing but but it can be done. I understand that overnght eurostar ski trains will be running agin soon, not sure if this season or next, but only when yuo book with Compagnie des Alpes. they MAY sell off excess seats close to the date, and back in the day I know people would do a one day trip - fri night out to BSM, ski in les arcs, get the same train back sunday night
an alternative might be the overnight sleeper train to Briancon to ski in Serre Chevalier - departs from Gare d'Austerlitz which is walking distance from Gare du Nord. Check Seat61.com for tips. THere are other overnight sleepers to e.g. switzerland that might be suitable too?
I've done the train to Bourg St Maurice many years ago but as above the cost is a bit eye-watering, and obviously it isn't the quickest way. Wasn't too bad though.
That was some timing in crossing posts.
I wasnt sure on the sleeper, but will investigate.
Am thinking of we can get the last train to Paris nord. It arrives at about 10pm, then an early train from gare du lyon to bourg st maurice gets you there at about midday.
Will investigate more as we are only 30 mins from st Pancras intl
Looks like about £600 for 2 people to get from London to bourg by train. Not including an overnight stay in Paris.
Seems crazy when you compare it to flights, but I'm just not finding the justification for flying to the mountains for a weekend
I'd recommend checking set61.com for general tips on travelling by train and ski flight free for tips on skiing by train
http://skiflightfree.org/train-travel-alps/
this might be worht looking at too?
http://www.2thealps.com/skiing-by-train-maps_copy.htm
Historically, what are the chances of anything being open in Scotland over Xmas?
In my experience, slim. I live an hour from Glenshee and I'm the eternal optimist, but unless you get a storm in December there's no chance.
Another possibility on the train is Argentière/Chamonix which goes from Gare de l'Est just a stone's throw from Gare du Nord. There are 3/4 changes though to keep you on your toes.
Interestingly, similar discussions are going on over on Snowheads
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=156263&highlight=
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=156273&highlight=
Here's a direct link to a readable version to the paywalled telegraph article by Danieal Elkan, "The 15best ski resorts you can access by train"
as discussed on this thread:
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=156508&highlight=
If you speak French (or use a translator, it's built into google chrome) th ethis article my Le Figaro lists french ski resorts accesible by train / bus
https://www.lefigaro.fr/voyages/montagne/ski-ces-stations-facilement-accessibles-en-train-20211006
A friend did a Briancon / Serre Che trip by train. Was seamless apparently. They did stop in Paris though. We did the adding up and concluded that driving was the better of the various travel options. We do take lots of stuff though so that adds to the saving. (Food and hire) I have done long weekend trips to Three Valleys and Chamonix by car. You need three or four committed people to share the driving. We nearly always drive home in a one-er though. Beat mum and dad back to Bristol once, after dropping off in BSM (train to GVA- BRS by easyJet) I collected them from BRS and took them home! To be fair they did have a nice day out in GVA and a nice lunch while we were driving!
Remember that thanks to the joys of brexit, you can't load your car with a weeks worth of meals any more, it i understand the rules correctly, you can't take food abroad without jumping through hoops
Was always the case with Switzerland too. Never had a problem.
Edit
To be fair most of the shopping has been done in France before going up the hill.
Any recommendations on where to sell a ski jacket? Looking for a STW classifieds equivalent!
(North Face Descendit Jacket, red/orange, medium... bought in 2020... only used for 1 ski trip and winter in the UK so perfect condition...#stealth ad)
Ebay
Snowheads.
Has anyone seen any decent non-insulated waterproof ski trousers on sale recently?
I don't mind fleece lining but not insulated as I get too warm.
I've booked a week on a back country explorer course with mcnair snowboarding in Jan at sainte foy. Last time.e I was at the resort was about 20 years ago
Anyone on here used mcnair snowboarding for a trip?
Cheers
Anyone on here used mcnair snowboarding for a trip?
No, but a mate of mine harps on about that guy all the time. He's been on loads of trips with him and loves it.
EDIT: Actually perhaps I'm thinking of McNab ( http://mcnabsnowboarding.com) not McNair ??
@ElShalimo - The Picture trousers I got before were not insulated, absolute-snow might have something in your size that works?
Has anyone seen any decent non-insulated waterproof ski trousers on sale recently?
I don’t mind fleece lining but not insulated as I get too warm.
https://www.sportpursuit.com/catalog/product/view/id/2304128
@elshalimo ski or snowboard? Westbeach do non-insulated trouseers but they're meant for boarders so they don't have the reinforced gaiter on the inside of the ankle.
I found that out after I bought a set that was later replaced under warranty for different reason - as a result of which I have some unused size small Upstsart pants in Combat green
@nbt - for skiing...I'm okayish on the pistes but boarding is well beyond me as it requires balance and bravery
Thanks @oldtennisshoes<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">t - lots of choice on there, had anyone got Marmot skiing pants?</span>
I've not had their ski kit before but happy enough with their outdoor kit
@ElShalimo Decathlon's Simond waterproof trousers are pretty good value.
I've worn them up here in Scotland in some pretty miserable conditions and they haven't let me down.
Plenty warm with just thermals and a pair of shorts.
And the snow has arrived in Cervinia
Saw a few pics of VT and Zell am see today. Looking much whiter.
Also a mate is just securing a place in La Tania for the season so a cheeky lads trip may well be a possibility. He is trying to get a visa for the whole season, not working so may be possible to stay for over 90 days. Fingers crossed.
We are driving for Half term. This will be my first family trip after a 10 year long break waiting for funds and the family to be at the right point to try it. We have the option of practically free accommodation close to La Cluzas and Le Grand-Bornand. These resorts are pretty low 1300 - 2000 tops with lots of the green and blue runs more like 1300 - 1700. 10 years ago at the end of Feb I wouldn't have worried about it. I am prepared for it being slushy mid to late afternoon. I understand fully that there are no guarantees. Has anybody been to similar low resorts on the edge of the alps in the last few years at the end of Feb. We will have a car so can travel if necessary.
We are off to SunPeaks in BC in February for 2 weeks. I'm suffering from carbon anxiety about the flights which is becoming existential. I love my annual snow holidays in BC. I've been looking for meaningful ways to properly offset the carbon - which I realise is no where near as actually meaningful as simply not flying, but this holiday is booked and paid for so the question of whether we go to BC in the future is for next year. So, for those of us that are flying this season what's people's thoughts on offsetting? I'm looking for something that does something useful and not just some airlines promise to plant a tree bullshit.
I'm not flying because offsetting is just greenwashing IMHO. It's a thing dreamed up by companies to justify the unjustifiable. If you want to do something useful then look at investing in low-carbon energy production - preferably directly. Or perhaps look at other elements of your lifestyle where your could make savings that would reduce your own carbon footprint. It's not cheap or easy but if you live in your own individual home I'd like to bet that with enough insulation, solar panels, heat recovery and a heat pump you could make it energy positive most of the year though perhaps not in December.
We all have a carbon footprint, if we all look at it objectively and do something about the most CO2 heavy aspects of it we can make a difference, collectively, in every country. It's not going to happen is it.
The alternative is to take the cycnical view that we're going to exploit and ultimately burn every drop of oil, coal and gas the industries can get at and anything we do individually is utterly futile. Of the two approaches that's going to be the more likely scenario.
I've adopted an approach that doesn't penalise my lifestyle but has considerably reduced my carbon footprint.
Insulate
solar thermal
PV
Cut off the gas
Economical appliances
Electric car
Buses
Trains
Ferries
Bikes
Walking
All of those are actually more comfortable and or enjoyable than the high carbon alternatives. Conveniently I hate flying and fly as little as family panics allow. However, one day I'll fly to Quebec in Winter, one day.
We have ditched our second car and the one car is electric. We have installed solar panels and insulated our 200 yr old house by drylining the entire house with insulations (No cavity in our rubble filled walls). The Singletrack office has solar panels and we've refitted all lights to LED. And we use Ecotricity for elec/gas grid supply. I get the train to work and we've now adopted hybrid office working so we are 4days at home 1 in the office.
It looks like the long range forecasts are starting to show promise for the UK this time next week... A lot can change in that time, but fingers crossed some of the Scottish slopes get enough of a covering to allow them to open!
Gone fully leccy on the cars - will probably drop down to 1 when junior leaves home.
Underfloor insulation and attic insulation maxed out. No commute to work, ditched gas for cooking, fully green leccy tariff (yes I know, but hydro in Scotland can work on the cloudy still days too). Gone virtually vegan - little meat or dairy.
Still feel conscious of flying - maybe take the leccy car next year.
Improvement options - cavity wall insulation (still nervous about this), solar panels and ditch the cats 🙁
A lot can change in that time, but fingers crossed some of the Scottish slopes get enough of a covering to allow them to open!
Nay chance this side of January
'll be most interested to hear how the active antenna works, although I'm getting a hefty signal the quality of the fax is still dire due, I'm sure, to poor signal/noise ratio.
Well, sure it's unlikely. BUT last month I bought a new pair of touring Skis and this morning the postie brought me a new wax iron and some wax. Will you give me this glimmer of hope that I'll get to use them next week?
Sounds like we're in a similar situation then, Mark. Tackled the things that can be done without suffering but we're still part of the consumer society, still eat, still wear clothes and buy toys. It's for each person to decide how far they are prepared to go. I could buy some land and go back to the middle ages but that would be taking it too far. It wasn't really that hard to knock 60-70% off my carbon footprint but taking it further would be self deprivation for little gain. I am, therefore I pollute.
Some ski related things do leave me drop jawed though, things like one member of a family driving the car out while the others fly in comfort and are picked up at the airport.
As I said earlier in the thread, our original plan this season was a three week trip to Whistler. With the pandemic that has gone out of the window, but I've also reached a point where I've decided that taking flights for holidays will be an absolute last resort. This season we'll be driving down to Ste Foy for a 3 week trip, but future trips could well be by train where possible as I am not a fan of driving
@Mark, is the road to Sun Peaks affected by the massive BC stornm? Highway 1 up the Fraser Valley is shut and might well remain so over the whole winter, but you will presumably fly to Kelowna? Getting supplies by freight from Vancover side might be an issue perhaps?
In better news there's a wonderful temperature inversion in the Tarentaise Valley today