The Snowsports Thread 2015-16

Everything about the place is great, brilliant snow, a decent range of pistes and you can easily hop between Hirafu/Hanazono/Annapuri and the Hilton areas on the lifts. Most pistes have big wooded areas running alongside with deep powder to carve though which is handy if you've got some mates who aren't up to that stuff, you can just tag alongside them as they go down the groomers. Such a nice little village in Hirafu, loads of good food. Half Note for some music, great gyoza place opposite too, usually fit in a curry feast from the van on the main road :) Just a nice vibe there, people are chilled, and you very rarely queue, even in busy times like CNY.

The night sessions at Hirafu are great, usually only a couple of people around and you can still blast down the off-piste bit on the left that's usually full of huge moguls to tit around on.

Couldn't recommend the place enough...just make sure you have proper cold weather gear as it's pretty nippy.
 
Aye, the news flash on C4 made it sound like a British school trip, maybe I miss heard. Terrible regardless. I'm not sure of the specifics but I've never had the impression European but much effort into avalanche control even in pisted areas.
 
3 dead and between 5 and 20 still missing. Could be a catastrophe. After this length of time it's only going to be bodies they're finding.
 
mid_gen said:
Dude if you're going all that way, why didn't you go to Hokkaido?? Niseko has never let me down, or anyone I know in 5 years since I first went. The geography is perfect for regular fresh dry powder. Arranging my trip for 2017 at the moment :cool:

My favourite run, the snow has always been that good when I've been there (not my vid).
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Oh don't worry, we are off to Niseko for the second week. It's just the first week in Hakuba might be a bit pants...
 
Semple said:
I've been looking at a few places for a cheap ski trip. The GF has only been once, so would need to be mostly beginner slopes.

A lot of resorts i've looked at so far though don't seem to have had a great deal of snow, and approaching mid season, that worries me.
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Its now where near mid season yet, Mid season is around mid-Feb. Resort generally open around December 10-20th until April 20th or so, or Easter if ester is late. January is very much low season because there simply is not the snow depths yet. Christmas week is notoriously risky time. January to February normally sees good accumulations.
 
Skidder said:
Lucky man, hope you rate it as much as we did. Honestly one of the most memorable weeks of my life.
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I hope so too!

Forecast for Hakuba has improved rapidly. Nearly 1M of snow now forecast between Today and Wednesday.

Hoping Wednesday might turn into a glorious blue bird powder day so I can crack out the Hovercraft!
 
Make sure you check out Strawberry Fields in Niseko (top of Hanazono lifts, hang a right), try not to stop though, I dropped off a small ledge and ended up neck deep in powder once, took me bloody ages to dig my way out and crawl to somewhere I could get moving again :)
 
Skidder said:
So buy one, don't even think of hiring if you're doing it that much.
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Yep. Do they have the equivalent of Gumtree over there? If so just see if you can get a cheap beginners board and boots.

We did this recently with skis and boots for the other half. For CAD$200 (£100) she got a decent pair of beginners skis and boots which she can use for the season. You should be able to get something similar and it would pay for itself after just a couple of rental days.

Probably going to pick up a board and boots in the same way as well shortly as I want to learn to board. Now I have time it won't take away from my skiing.
 
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The Craig said:
how much are peoples transfers from airports costing? they seem expensive and im weighing up flying vs eurostar (also expensive!)

preferably lookingnat la plagne\les arcs, whats the best airport to go for??
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Anyone?

Also, agreed Kreeeee get a cheap board and good fitting boots (spend more on boots). I Managed to get my boots new for 65 quid and a used
board with bindings for 70 or 80 and that's me set!
 
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The Craig said:
Anyone?

Also, agreed Kreeeee get a cheap board and good fitting boots (spend more on boots). I Managed to get my boots new for 65 quid and a used
board with bindings for 70 or 80 and that's me set!
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Grenoble is the closest but I believe it is the least reliable as flights are often diverted due to the weather.
Lyon and Geneva are a similar distance but you might have problems coming from Geneva as there was problems with allowing transfers between Switzerland and France - that might now be resolved.
The price will depend on whether you require a car, 7 seater, or mini bus.
 
Utah is off the charts good, face shots all day for as long as I could haul my ass up the mountain, 4000ft ascent all told but lots of trail breaking. Not often do I find my dynafit stokes, 178cm &105mm waist, not giving enough floatation.Not so much surfing but pushing aside and b leaving a deep trench.


Definitely an elevated avalanche risk; a pit on NW 25* @9500ft showed a moderate shear layer at 12-18inches on a layer of hoar frost on minor crust. Ski cuts produced moderate sloughing on the shear layer on 30* slopes so I kept thing genteelly. Plus the moderate wind was producing some minor wind slaps, 4 finger hard 2feet deep,
 
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