Snow Sports 2016/17

Well finally made it to bansko and well first attempt at skiing on snow tomorrow, pretty drunk and got to get up in 6hrs which doesn't help, well before my normal bedtime. .
 
Richdog said:
Guys I need a bit of ski buying advice for 80-90% piste, 10-20% powder.

I have my eye on some Atomic Vantage 85 Cti's as seen here https://www.snowcountry.eu/atomic-vantage-85-cti.html

The difficulty I am having is deciding which bindings to get with them (from those listed in the page I linked above). I will be wearing alpine boots, though I guess it's interesting to have the option for others with the MNC bindings.

Thoughts, please? :)

PS: I have thought about seasonal renting, but I'm a sucker for having an emotional attachment to stuff I buy, and have had a pair of old Volkl P60 race skis that I bought for 50chf 8 years ago that have been absolute champs and I loved them dearly. :o
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Well guys, in the end I bought a set of Rossignol Experience 88 HD's for a good price, they should arrive tomorrow or so. THey have universally awesome reviews. http://www.gearinstitute.com/skiing/skis/item/rossignol-experience-88-hd-2017 :)

I also think I'm going to get some new boots as my Nordica's chafe on me after a long day skiing. I've been looking at the Salomon X-Pro 100's and they seem very well regarded... https://www.google.ch/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=salomon xpro 100

Got an outfit change this season too for the first time in ages and as I have a thing about being highly visible, it's mainly "you've been tango'd" orange. :D
 
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Furyus said:
Awesome stuff! please do give a good review on the resort and snow :)
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unfortunately i cant give a review, as first ski holiday I've done, on top of that i'm ****, stayed on the nursery slope for the 2 days, while the others went off on to the proper runs, improved a bit but still face planted every time on the steeper section, over a certain speed I just loose control and cant get the plough out, turn, or well anything. Other than gain speed and decide when to bail out.

despite that still enjoyed myself and certainly want to get some more training and do another proper holiday(this was a stag).

but god bulgaria is run down, airport in sofia was tiny, new it was a poor country, didn't think it was that poor, houses all looked half finished and self built, or half falling down. Resort was fine though. Beer was about 2.80 lev which is like £1.20ish.
 
Just back from Utah, 6ft of snow over 4 days. too much snow really, closed the roads a lot and I lost 1 of my 4 days skiing stuck in a bus as they did avy control.
http://fox13now.com/2017/01/23/caught-on-video-avalanche-in-little-cottonwood-canyon/

Did an epic ski tour on Sunday, 7000ft lapping some perfect thigh deep blower through the aspens. Yesterday was storm skiing in a full on white-out at Solitude, face shots form first to last lift.
 
Glaucus said:
unfortunately i cant give a review, as first ski holiday I've done, on top of that i'm ****, stayed on the nursery slope for the 2 days, while the others went off on to the proper runs, improved a bit but still face planted every time on the steeper section, over a certain speed I just loose control and cant get the plough out, turn, or well anything. Other than gain speed and decide when to bail out.

despite that still enjoyed myself and certainly want to get some more training and do another proper holiday(this was a stag).

but god bulgaria is run down, airport in sofia was tiny, new it was a poor country, didn't think it was that poor, houses all looked half finished and self built, or half falling down. Resort was fine though. Beer was about 2.80 lev which is like £1.20ish.
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Some of the half built housing in that part of the world is to do with taxes, you only pay property/council taxes if your house is complete, not while it is "being built". A proper roof would meant eh house is finished being built so many people just leave a concrete slab with rebar sticking up. You see that all over Greece. Then people wonder why the governments go bankrupt. But yeah, Bulgaria is extremely poor by European standards.
 
Also, I realized I didn't fate this thread with my Xmas trip to Jackson hole.. 10 days on skis wih 10 great powder days, fresh snow every day. 1 day it was absolutely ridiculous, waist deep 3.5% white smoke. So deep that you had to stick to 35* or steep slopes or you could disappear up to your soulders and grind to a halt. Surreal experience shared with just 2-3 others out on skis. Insanely had work for the first 2 hours making the skin track but so worth it for a day if face shot every turn. One of those days where the snow is so light that it blasts your face and you have difficulty breathing.
 
Just weighing up options for a last minute holiday, anyone been to Sestriere? Looks slightly disjointed, is it a faff to get over to Montgenevre for example?

Probably up against Grindelwald/Wengen where I've been before but always keen to try somewhere new.

Any photos from your touring D.P.?
 
Off to Morzine on Friday, now snow for the last two weeks but at least it got a good dump and most of the runs are open now. Expecting icy pistes and tracked out everywhere else.

Think I'll just do Serbia again next year, at least if the snow is crap it's only cost you a few quid!
 
beh said:
Any photos from your touring D.P.?
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Wastach, Mill D creek:
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Wyoming, teton Pass:
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Every single track here is mine:
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All of these tracks were from me and 1 other guy
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Back from Morzine....just about ok. Sat & Sun were OK around the Morzine/Les Gets areas, off piste was pretty knackered but pistes mostly OK bar a few pretty rough ones. Went Avoriaz on Monday which had some decent coverage but the visibility was shot and it was pretty busy.

Knackered my shoulder on Monday afternoon not paying attention, doh! Nothing serious though and the weather warmed up and it slashed down with rain all Tuesday so I didn't miss anything.

Morzine/Les Gets will be barely open now until a decent dump comes down I should think. Got a fair few rock dings on my board to sort even with the snow that was there before the rain.
 
mid_gen said:
Back from Morzine....just about ok. Sat & Sun were OK around the Morzine/Les Gets areas, off piste was pretty knackered but pistes mostly OK bar a few pretty rough ones. Went Avoriaz on Monday which had some decent coverage but the visibility was shot and it was pretty busy.

Knackered my shoulder on Monday afternoon not paying attention, doh! Nothing serious though and the weather warmed up and it slashed down with rain all Tuesday so I didn't miss anything.

Morzine/Les Gets will be barely open now until a decent dump comes down I should think. Got a fair few rock dings on my board to sort even with the snow that was there before the rain.
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Europe is getting a very poor season sadly.
 
Not sure I'll bother with the alps any more tbh. Next year I'm either going cheap or going somewhere with better snow. It's expensive, the snow is increasingly crap, and it's too busy. Even with the poor conditions you were looking at 30 minutes between runs with the queues.

I'm either gonna go to Kopaonik in Serbia again (insanely cheap, good snow, but a bit of a trek on the transfer). Or just suck up the airfare and jetlag and go to Niseko again (expensive, but amazing snow, great food, onsens, and nearly empty slopes with no queues).
 
When was the last time the Alps had lots of snow in January? Not in the last few years.

I reckon there's plenty of places that aren't that expensive or too busy. Just need to avoid the bigger resorts, particularly in France, that everyone seems to go to by default. I seem to remember seeing your(?) Serbia pics from a couple years back, looked great.

Anyway, looks to be a bit of snow forecast this weekend. Off to Saas Fee.

Good stuff D.P. :cool:
 
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