Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, Firstly this is my first post on snowheads. I spend quite a bit of time on a Mountain Biking forum and I know newbie's can ask some silly questions, apologies in advance. I moved out to Athens last September and managed to get a days skiing in (plan to do a lot more next year) on top of my main skiing holiday. I'm getting ready for next winter and I'm wondering what type of skiing to do (Here in Greece). I'm fairly a competent on general skiing and I had a crack at snow boarding last year which I picked up pretty quickly from years of skateboarding as a kid (Well that's what I put it down to). I'm sort of toying with the idea of trying something a bit different as firstly the ski centres over here are no-where near the size of central Europe and at the weekends the lifts get a little crazy (big queues). Now I've done a bit of hiking since I've been here and there are some lovely Mountains that although aren't ski centres could be accessible. I'm not talking about crazy off piste stuff but more like going up and down "fire roads" which aren't crazy steep but steep enough, plus lots of the mountains here don't have too many trees and aren't crazy steep so I'm sure I'll be able to find enough stuff to keep occupied.
Which has got me thinking about two things. Cross country skiing, I like the idea of being able to get about in country in the winter plus the fitness. Another thing that I've seen once or twice is Telemarking. Can anyone point me in the right direction for some information on the web (I've had a quick look but I'm sure some of you guys/gals probably know some top sites) on both forms of skiing so I can have a bit of a read up. Being as I don't want to wiz down silly little pistes and then spend half an hour getting back up to the top I thought I'd try something a little different.
Thanks in advance for any information you may be able to offer.
Simon.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Ha, Permission!
Elizabeth B, what's the difference between a duck?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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welcome to snowHeads Simon!
I'm not really an expert on any of these forms but I've always seen the cross-country thing as being for fitness freaks, (aging) Bavarians and (most)Scandanavians.
Telemarking has quite an esoteric charm about it - being that it's a)an olde form b)very technical and c)looks really demanding.
There is a third option which is very closely related and would seem to fit the bill: Ski-touring. In this case, the heal of the boot is detachable from the binding, giving the 'Nordic advantage' when skinning uphill but u re-attach for the down-hill parts giving the 'alpine advantage'.
To me, this looks like the best of both worlds when it comes to lift-free skiing.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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GrowingLad, most snowHeads are 'downhill-only' skiers, though the community is growing.
Interesting enquiry. The idea of exploring Greek mountains with a bit of hiking and skiing sounds great and would have some links with what quite a few people do in Scotland. If you've already found a pair of skis you can get a device that snaps into the bindings and offers uphill (i.e. hinged heel lift) of the same equipment, though specialised touring skis and bindings are obviously better.
Whatever, you might also get some tips by posting your enquiry on www.winterhighland.com, where many Scottish skiers and tourers hang out. If you're going to do this solo, all I can advise is to make damn sure you know about weather and survival. All mountains attract mist, and it's a killer.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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u brain seems to have quacked.
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GrowingLad
Telemarking is really taking off world wide. Its huge in the States which is helping to spawn rapid development of new equipment.
In the UK plenty of Alpine skiers are making the switch. In my case I became a little bored with conventional skiing but didn't wish to go into snowboarding as an alternative. It was also a good way to combine the thrill of downhill with light weight touring and access to hard to reach ski fields.
Its probably a bit more difficult to learn from new than alpine skiing because it is rather more technical. However as a cyclist you won't have any problems with the necessary fitness required. Indeed Mountain biking and telemark skiing are really very compatible and you'll find a lot of cross over between both sports.
The classic Telemark website is www.telemarktips.com you'll find most things you need to know about the sport there.
For gear try www.telemark-pyrenees.com
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 6-08-04 12:24; edited 1 time in total
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One of its legs is both the same as I recall.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yep, I must agree with the fitness freak part when it comes to cross country skiing, fair play to them but it does look a bit full on. There is some good info here, thanks guys. I hadn't really thought of Ski-Touring but now you mention it I remember seeing people last year with the different boots and bindings. Top stuff, thanks again.
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u brain wrote: |
Ha, Permission!
Elizabeth B, what's the difference between a duck? |
I think this would be better placed in the snowBoarding forum. It's usually up to about 15 degrees, I think
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Telemark is the most fun. Snowboard distant second. Cross country gear is no good on hills. Alpine skiing is a good choice if you lack strength or confidence or want to race gates.
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