The 2012/13 ski & snowboard thread

specialman

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Pat MacInnes
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I know there are a few peeps on here who like the alpine life so just thought I'd start a thread where we can pass the time before we hit the slopes...

Where is everyone going and when? What kind of trip is it - family? Friends? Is it your first time or the latest in a long line of trips? Do you use one or two planks?

I haven't booked yet but looking at France as per usual for the seventh time in the trot. Seem to be edging towards Serre Chevalier, as its not a place I've snowboarded before, although Val D'isere keeps calling to me. It'll just be me and the missus - grandparents are looking after the wee man - so it'll be nice to have a semi- romantic week, if you can call freezing on chairlifts romantic :lol:

Anyway, let's share some general banter to pass the time that little bit quicker :)
 
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Serre Chevalier is good as long as you stay "up top", getting down at the end of the day is a bit meh as there are only a few runs & they get as icy as ****

But on the extra plus point, the ski train is only a short taxi ride from the resort, no luggage allowance & no problem with drinking your own booze :D
 
Serre Chevalier is good as long as you stay "up top", getting down at the end of the day is a bit meh as there are only a few runs & they get as icy as ****

But on the extra plus point, the ski train is only a short taxi ride from the resort, no luggage allowance & no problem with drinking your own booze :D

Heard there are a few too many button lifts too.... it's still on the consideration list but I'm oh so tempted by ADH and Val D'isere, just for the amount of big mountain terrain and the sheer amount of vertical you can do .
 
Val is superb - best resort I've ever skiied :)

Unfortunately knees are now shot and have to do it vicariously through my girlies :(
 
Val is superb - best resort I've ever skiied :)

Unfortunately knees are now shot and have to do it vicariously through my girlies :(

Gotta agree, Val just has something that the other resorts I've been to lacked. Can't put a finger on it but it just seemed to help me progress so much as a snowboarder. Probably the amount of steep and deep runs, especially in Le Fornet. I didn't have too much of an explore of Tignes, although if I end up in Val (or Tignes) I'll deffo spend more time on the Tignes side
 
I'd forgotten how cold the chair lift is across the top from Le Fornet to Val D'Isere, whem I was there it was reported as -27c (must have included windchill) :eek:
 
Gotta agree, Val just has something that the other resorts I've been to lacked. Can't put a finger on it but it just seemed to help me progress so much as a snowboarder. Probably the amount of steep and deep runs, especially in Le Fornet. I didn't have too much of an explore of Tignes, although if I end up in Val (or Tignes) I'll deffo spend more time on the Tignes side

And you don't have to ski the same run twice :D Unless you want to of course ;)
 
And you don't have to ski the same run twice :D Unless you want to of course ;)

I found an excellent run at the top of Val when I was exploring by myself. That evening I told the entire chalet about it , rambling on about the smooth, sweeping fast bends etc.

Following morning we all set off for this wonderfull piste....


and I took them up the wrong lift, the only way down was a black mogul field from hell.....:bang:

I was not popular :thumbsdown:
 
the only way down was a black mogul field from hell.....:bang:
:lol: There are some seriously scary ones of those around too, sometimes it was alsmost a case of shut your eyes and hope for the best :eek:
 
:lol: There are some seriously scary ones of those around too, sometimes it was alsmost a case of shut your eyes and hope for the best :eek:

Epaule du Charvet - moguls upon moguls upon moguls. Never have my weedy legs felt so bad. My manhood retracted inside by body when I stood at the top.
 
The mogul field at Val was that bad I did the walk / slide of shame :shake:


I much prefer speed / slalom than kneeing myself in the chin over moguls :lol:
 
Already booked Alpe D'Huez for the end of February. Mrs. Stratman and I are staying in a catered chalet, so are looking forward to coffee and cake when we crawl back.

We went to La Rosiere last season after a fifteen year break. I left my old K2 TRComp 200 cm skis at home and tried the new fangled shorties. To be honest they didn't seem much different. After fifteen years I was more concerned with my fifty-something year old legs giving up. The first run was interesting, I had to force myself to believe that it gets easier as you go faster. The second run I went from the top station back down to the resort without stopping :D

Even with a fifteen year layoff we felt we'd skied all La Rosiere had to offer after two days. The link to Italy takes ages and includes two incredibly long button lifts.

We've been to Alpy Dooz before and rate it highly. There's a good variety of skiing both above and below the tree line and some nice villages below the resort with good pit stop potential.

Its boast of 'the longest black run in the Alps' is a bit of poetic licence. The Sarenne is indeed shown as a 16km black, but that's only because there's no way of joining it except at the top. The first 750 metres or so are indeed black but the rest is a very scenic cruising red along the Sarenne glacier.

I suppose I'd better start the excercises.....
 
Hopefully going on a lads holiday early spring, but as usual leaving it to the last minute. Bit tight on cash as went on 4 last year! Tigne, La Plagne (twice) and Val.

Anyone going/gone to the Ski show this week?

Joe
 
Off to livigno in Italy on boxing day, can't wait! We go to this resort every year so I know it will be good! :thumbs:
 
We went to Livigno for a day from Bormio. If you get the chance you'll enjoy making the reverse trip. Bormio is a beautiful old town and has some great skiing too.
 
i've been to many of the bigger resorts in france meribel chamonix val etc.. but i have a soft spot for a small resort called flaine they seem to get dumped on its not so steep so holds the snow nicely and its quiet so no moguls great for snowboarding.
 
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Tignes (les Brevieres) on Saturday... packing is calling although so far I've spent more time setting up everything to use my Countour Roam2 every way imaginable while I'm out there :lol:
 
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