Time to book a ski holiday!!

[JULE5]

Does anyone do a lot of off-piste skiing? Over the last two years I have ventured off-piste, and love it!!!!! But i'm now thinking of getting a ski helmet just in case I go smack into a tree lol

Anyone got any advice/tips?

Over the Atlantic helmets are very common. There are some cool ones too. I think of some of the dodgy skiing I've done through trees without a helmet and wonder how I survived! Not that it was extreme skiing or anything, but I'm just not that good at it!

A helmet might be an idea anyway, it's not just the off piste, but more the speed that causes issues (i.e. the impact) and that is more likely to occur on slope with other skiers or leaving it and hitting a tree.

I know the conditions in Europe can mean a lot more rocks and ice, so even a simple fall could result in a head injury.

I guess serious incidents are rare though.

I'd imagine they would be cheaper out there but don't know to be honest. Get yourself a shiny chrome finished helmet, or a matt dark green army stylie finish. Or a Union Jack, or...

[Powderhound]

Does anyone do a lot of off-piste skiing? Over the last two years I have ventured off-piste, and love it!!!!! But i'm now thinking of getting a ski helmet just in case I go smack into a tree lol

Anyone got any advice/tips?

I've always skied with a helmet (Since I started age 3, when it's virtually compulsory, I'm just used to it). I suggest that unless you're doing seriosu racing, you should get one with flexible ear coverings (almost like a skateboarding helmet) as opposed to an all-round hard goldfish bowl style helmet, as the latter have a tendency to cause headaches after prolonged use due to the pressure on the sides of your head.

[Zak33]

/sigh

/past memories of such excitement and such deep love of a sport that Zak wet's himself

I am uber uber jealous. I've not skiid for a few years now and I miss it like I'd miss good coffee.

Now as to ski's , I never did understand buying them. I mean, christ I've ripped the base out of rented ski's over exposed roots, exposed rocks and you just hand em over after a week and someone else sorts them. (note to all ski repair/rental bods who now HATE me, it was NOT deliberate)

Andbearing in mind you need to get them TO the mountain from your loft at home, and all that that entails AND get the rewaxed occassionally, AND get them home.... and that realyl good ski's are so expensive and as Clingy said, they make you ski UP HILL they're s much better than cheap planks....


I'd rent em. Not buy em.

/sigh

Oh bloody hell I'm jealous

[kushtibari]

I got the snow train one year to Val Thorens - seemed a good idea at the time, but 6 blokes crammed into one cabin type thing and a train driver who modelled himself on a stunt driver from "Runaway Train" meant that it wasn't quite the experience we hoped for.

The skiing was great though. As has been said its bloody cold up the top.

[Zak33]

its not cold anywhere.... if you ski hard enough

but the lifts are HELL when your body temp drops, the sweat dries and it just STOPS in a howling wind for 20 minutes

[kushtibari]

its not cold anywhere.... if you ski hard enough

I bet you haven't skied at Glenshea then.

Been all round Europe and the coldest spot is till Carn Aosda on a bloody horrible January morning. You couldn't ski hard cos the wind wouldn't let you go more than walking pace downhill.

[tiggerai]

If you're looking at helmets I can recommend the DEMON ones

http://www.bargainboards.co.uk/Produ...t=135&Brand=15

I wore mine all day when learning to snowboard in March and they are very comfortable. Only discomfort I suffered was a sweaty head! yuk!

(I did manage to catch my heel edge a few times and go straight over onto my bonce... I can confirm that these will save you from a very sore head... tried and tested!)

Am investing in a snowboard at the end of next season... Leave it at my Uncles for any random snowy weekends!

[Powderhound]

I got the snow train one year to Val Thorens - seemed a good idea at the time, but 6 blokes crammed into one cabin type thing and a train driver who modelled himself on a stunt driver from "Runaway Train" meant that it wasn't quite the experience we hoped for.

The skiing was great though. As has been said its bloody cold up the top.

Yeah, after a couple of attempts with the snow train (Bad idea if you're on your own; you tend to end up as the filler for the 6th bunk in: a: A 5 person family party- bearable, B a 5 person group of early-starting apres skiers- bad), we discovered the Eurostar option. It's infinitely easier than the snowtrain as there's none of this rubbish with coach transfers to Calais; you just chuck your stuff on the train at Ashford or St Pancras, find an inventive position in which to sleep comfortably (Top tip: aisles... ) and next thing you know you're at Albertville, Moutiers or wherever.

[AledJ]

I tend to have some music playing when I ski, helps with the waiting for the lift. Had a look around and found these:

A

B

C

D

[AledJ]

Settles on this now

[Clingy]

Always wear a helmet now. Ever since my youngest skiied into a rock the size of a house. Thought I'd better lead by example and could not ski without it now.

My one and only memory of the snow train is of aisles of puke .

This year if the Vanoise Express is open I think we'll try Les Arc and ski the Paradiski. I just love long distance piste skiing. My favourite "expeditions" were from top of Grand Motte glacier in Tignes to top of the Iseran Glacier In Val. Then top to bottom in Tignes (2100m of decent).

Getting all excited now....was someone thinking of planning a Hexus Chalet trip?

Coldest place? -24C on a single man chair lift on Hintertux Glacier....it broke down

[Powderhound]

I tend to have some music playing when I ski, helps with the waiting for the lift. Had a look around and found these:

A

B

C

D

I'd never ski while playing music; much of my spatial awareness on the slope comes from working out where other skiers are simply by listening.

[JULE5]

I just love long distance piste skiing. My favourite "expeditions" were from top of Grand Motte glacier in Tignes to top of the Iseran Glacier In Val. Then top to bottom in Tignes (2100m of decent).

Getting all excited now....was someone thinking of planning a Hexus Chalet trip?

Coldest place? -24C on a single man chair lift on Hintertux Glacier....it broke down

Yes me too (when the legs are fit enough). I've done Whistler a few times, and the Blackcomb Glacier, top to bottom is a fantastic long run. The glacier itself is absolute bliss. It's just that bit more difficult to get to than other parts of the mountain (a bit of skis-off walking) to keep it really quiet. [closes eyes, goes to happy place...]

They're actually opening up a peak to peak gongola there in December in readiness for the Olympics in 2010. 4.4km span! Amazing.

Longest I've actually done is the Sarenne glacier run at Alpe d'Huez? 16km top to bottom. Boring and flat after the first 2 though!

As for cold. Landed in Calgary (for Banff) one year into the record low temp ever! At the airport it was something mental like -15. We ski'd in (supposedly) -40 incl windchill factor in Lake Louise. We narrowly missed getting stuck for an hour on a chair in Mt Norquay in attrocious wind that year - we got off, the lift broke. Poor souls up there needed thawing out when they got off.

Apologies for my indulgence. I don't know why I'm making myself remember all this, as I doubt I'll get skiing again for a few years to come. Torture.

PS: Skiing to music = silly. Wouldn't it break mountain rules too? Risky if you cause an accident, esp over in the States.

[AledJ]

I'd never ski while playing music; much of my spatial awareness on the slope comes from working out where other skiers are simply by listening.

Music is only on when i'm on the lift, something to pass the time!

[JULE5]

Music is only on when i'm on the lift, something to pass the time!

You are excused. Return to class.

I tend to get addicted to that euro-pap they seem to have playing at lift stations and cafes in european resorts!

I am guilty of singing a bit on the way down the slope too...

[Tobeman]

Never been skiing but its something I've always wanted to do and I need an excuse for a holiday... sure I can drag someone along with me too.

Suggestions?

Ta.

P.S. Thread hijack