 Poster: A snowHead
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I want ideas, creative, off the wall, stupid or ingenious.
Special birthday approaches and feel it warrants something not run of the mill to mark it's passing. Where can I go? What should I do?
I live in an alpine resort, have heliskied NZ, and the slope outside Dartmoor prison on snow pisted by kids tobogganing on the bonnet from a scraped car. I am not saying the local hills lack fun or challenge but I am trying to dream up something of a fantasy trip.
Vague list includes
Norwegian fjords touring from a sail boatboat
Hokkaido powder
Alaska backcountrybackcountry
Kamchatka heliheliheli
Playing hide and eek on skis with SvalbardSvalbard bears
Nab a first ski summit somewhere like Vinson range or South Georgia
Couple of hours in a fridge on a retail park
Not too hot on the practical requirements for most of these options (Japan and Alaska excepted with well organised operators.)
I am looking for inspiration, and then maybe the practical stuff like seasonal timing, who can help me get around and tips on avoiding being eaten by the local penguin gang etc.
Skiin Gian
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Kamchatka heli sounds really good. Can't help with practicalities though
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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skiingian, Alpine Experience out of Val d'Isere have done Sth Georgia, but I think you need to be reasonably well known to them to be " invited"
Lars at mountainpenguins.com has worked Kamchatka groups on boards poss not skis.
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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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Budget please or you'll receive potentially worthless info
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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monkey tennis?
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Pam w the trip looks great, I hear what was said about the land based version being cheaper but idea of being boat based is so much more romantic/adventurous. Interesting comment that the French are operating the boats, which perhaps explains my poor findings when searching in English. Paf a la researche encore!
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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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Mike Pow €10k would be an ultimate limit, don't want to deny the children food/education etc even if they would eventually understand that nourishing the body and mind are overrated.
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under a new name, worked on my snowboarding last winter, but I think a ski trip would still be a better idea.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Arno, blown away! That is just spectacular, perhaps Ice axe need some dishwashers so I can work my passage. Adding in flights plus will make this a pretty pricy trip, at the top if not over budget.
Trekking/skiing/whales and penguins. What more can I ask for.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Check out Black Diamond Tours for Japan, I'm doing some stuff with them this season and it looks like a really great outfit.
For something more off the wall, I've been contemplating the possibility of combining the trans-Siberia Express with ski touring, but I haven't got round to looking into the details/practicality yet.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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in addition to the above:
iceland: www.arcticheliskiing.com
gulmarg: mountaintracks
have fun choosing - all part of the build up
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Poster: A snowHead
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Clarky 999. Trans-Siberia! Ahh, interesting, you said no details yet but are there mountains other than the Urals. Did check out the BAM variants link going to near Sakhalin. 5m of snow per year and mountains. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
| Special birthday approaches and feel it warrants something not run of the mill to mark its passing |
Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi, Arctic Circle - A truly amazing experience. Make sure you book an upgraded room with ice sculptures. On our visit we skied at Riksgranssen and a smaller area whose name escapes me. Driving on deserted, ice-covered roads with studded tyres was great fun too.....http://www.icehotel.com/
Catskiing at a luxury wilderness lodge in British Columbia - After a special birthday last December, we skied here in January. It was out of this world. http://www.mustangpowder.com/
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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How about a summer trip to Chile - I can highly recommend Portillo - the Hotel there is amazing - like going back in time to the 1920's - they even take your ski boots off for you at the end of the day and hand you your warmed shoes 
http://www.skiportillo.com/?lang=en
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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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| Johnor wrote: |
How about a summer trip to Chile - I can highly recommend Portillo - the Hotel there is amazing - like going back in time to the 1920's - they even take your ski boots off for you at the end of the day and hand you your warmed shoes
http://www.skiportillo.com/?lang=en |
WOW
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| jbob wrote: |
http://www.offpisteskiing.com/courses
I like the look of Norway.. |
went this year; going again next year (must pay the deposit) 
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+1
Bamiyan is amazing place, not skied up there myself but know a few lads that have and they where blown away by it (couldn't help myself sorry). Keep away from the ruined hill top forts, used by the soviets as defensive positions and mined up to the ying yang. Probably best to heliski though 
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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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Las Lenãs in Argentina gets my vote if you can make the trip work in July/August. I've never ridden anywhere with as much accessible 'back country' terrain straight off one or two lifts. Admittedly, I did it on the cheap a few years back, sleeping in staff accommodation on the floor with 5 other people, but the mountain experience was the best I've had (2000m vertical from 4000m peaks, really stable and dry snow, endless lines).
The resort is a strange world of 5* hotels and people in Prada, mixed with big mountain powder hounds charging for first lift on a bluebird day. Several North America outfits run summer guiding down there, but I met a few guys from H20 and they were incredibly knowledgeable about the area:
http://www.alaskahelicopterskiing.com/las-lenas
My other thought is Riksgränsen in northern Sweden if you are considering Norway. There is only one hotel, but you can luxury it up and it has a spa etc. Best of all, there is a heli operation from the hotel door, giving access to loads of terrain. It is also one of the cheapest operations I have seen (we managed it on dirtbag rations just after uni), so your kids should be alright. The season there is best around April - late June and you can get some midnight skiing in for that 'special extra'.
http://en.riksgransen.se/sidor/aktiviteter/heliskiing-i-riksgraensen.aspx
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Where I've been :
Argentina & Chile
Balkans - Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro
BC, Canada - resorts, cat, heli, touring
Hokkaido - resorts, cat, touring
Norway - Narvik, Stranda
US Road Trip - Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington
On my list :
Alaska
Armenia
Eastern Europe Road Trip - Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine
Greenland
Iceland
Iran
Lebanon
Norway - Lofoten, Lyngen
Russia
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| skiingian wrote: |
| Did check out the BAM variants link going to near Sakhalin. 5m of snow per year and mountains. |
Maybe add Rishiri (small Japanese island) and Sakhalin to an Hokkaido trip.
But definitely not instead of.
BTW for 10,000 euro you can spend a season on Hokkaido. Living it large. Easily.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Mike Pow, please keep the season in Hokkaido, wife dear has a special number coming up and that's what she wants to do. Where do you stay, I have not found much below yen 10000 per week.
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You know it makes sense.
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Buddy 1664, Does an Afghan trip = buying Kevlar layers to go over the snow kit?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| skiingian wrote: |
| Mike Pow, please keep the season in Hokkaido, wife dear has a special number coming up and that's what she wants to do. Where do you stay, I have not found much below yen 10000 per week. |
You can get a two bedroom house out of the main village for JPY 100,000 per month
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Poster: A snowHead
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Interesting, wife dear spent a couple of.years living in Japan and would need little convincing.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oh dear.... This thread has made me think we need to go to Chile or Argentina next summer......  Why did I not think of this before??
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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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OHH , yeah but where? S America was not on the list. The resorts of the far south seem interesting if fickle. Travelling I both for a long road trip countries seems like a winner but some years ago crossing the boarder was a bit sticky. Has this improved?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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skiingian, hahaha maybe to use on transit. I can't see kevlar plates attracting the super light touring crowd!!
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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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Buddy 1664, I have never really pulled off the superlight thing. Do you have any info on Afghan safety in the mountains?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| skiingian wrote: |
| OHH , yeah but where? S America was not on the list. The resorts of the far south seem interesting if fickle. Travelling I both for a long road trip countries seems like a winner but some years ago crossing the boarder was a bit sticky. Has this improved? |
Crossing from Chile to Argentina? I think that it has improved significantly - in 2010 we had no trouble going across a few times at various crossings on normal buses (I say normal, they were more comfortable than a 1st class flight). We heard of some guys with a lot of kit getting stopped coming over to Las Lenas from Santiago and having it all confiscated as customs believed they were going to sell it on. But we're talking a van load of freeriding gear for about 20 people!
Cerro Castor right down by Ushuaia has a fairly well developed ski area with a variety of terrain and good infrastructure. The maritime climate can make the snow a little variable but we found some easily accessible freshies a few days after the last storm. Ushuaia has a real frontier town feel so you know you are somewhere waaaaay south. Some amazing wildlife down there too if that is your thing
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Gnarbeque, thanks, interesting info. I have friends who agree with your impression of Ushuaia. And yes, the thrill of spotting wildlife is a bonus to all of my outdoor sports.
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I've done a 4 week road trip of a number of the Chilean and Argentinian resorts.
You could fly in to Santiago, Chile.
Head south to Nevados de Chillan, Antillanca, Pucon across the border to ski La Hoya, Corralco, Bariloche, Chapelco, Cerro Bayo, Caviahue.
Long drive to ski Las Lenas and then back across the border to hit Portillo, Arpa, Valle Nevado.
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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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skiingian, PM sent
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here is my latest plan: round the world ticket covering northern hemisphere. for example, London - Calgary - Vancouver - Tokyo - Hokkaido - Tokyo - Moscow - Kamchatka - Moscow - London.
that allows heli in Canada, Niseko etc, Kamchatka.ie 3 continents.
Alaska could replace or add to Canada.
Iceland, Sweden, Turkey etc could be added, although weather may make choosing optimal months to do this or even just the 3 above tricky.
could ask my wife to plan it but, er, on second thoughts....
the flight is reasonable: about £2000 for all of the legs in economy.
obviously the non flight costs could be high and it would take around 3 or 4. weeks
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FAQ
There are for sure some peaks, and a friend of a friend has hook-ups for logistics/drivers/translators for the area after a kayak trip there. Really no idea if the train could work out, but love the idea of it. I should really look into it properly.