 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm sure there are no doubt super athletes whose prep for skiing is so thorough that they are all go from the first time they get on snow in a season, but as a mere mortal it tends to take me about 3 days or so to be "on it" for a day of skiing. Now that's not a problem in a normal season where I might go on to do 30+ days skiing but is rather more of a concern if the slim chance of an April week were to manifest i.e. could end up spending half of it "warming up".
Obviously I'd still go anyway probably because what else is life for but I'm preparing myself to find it a bit disappointing (which is a nice psychological trick so missing out absolutely won't feel so bad).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Are you wanting prep tips, or have you decided at this point that it’s not worth the bother?
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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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Just posting to see any prep tips that Snowheads post.
For me regular kettlebell classes has certainly helped my strength endurance and core stability but with lockdown and no funds open not a lot of use to the OP.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 18-01-21 19:19; edited 2 times in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Neither really just expressing existential despair....I mean I "suppose" that some people get by on one 6 day ski holiday a year and somehow manage.....
(BTW you missed the opportunity to note that after 30+ days I'm not immune to a lot of boot faff and crying off with hurty toes etc  )
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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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I tried to ignore the thirty days as it just reminded me I should of worked harder at school...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There is a video analyzing Marcel Hirscher free skiing recently. The theme of the video is that the things he is doing are not "faults" because he is really good. I suspect that they are really down to him having lost a lot of fitness since he retired but still trying to match the timing of how he could ski when at his peak.
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| pieman666 wrote: |
| I tried to ignore the thirty days as it just reminded me I should of worked harder at school... |
Not having kids nor much of an interest in new cars/sofas/kitchens helps a lot....
I'm curious about your coffee stability though - is it just the right amount for a kick start without getting the jitters?
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@Dave of the Marmottes, actually, what you can do is go and hike up some steep, narrow ridges in the Lakes. Increase your exposure tolerance, with a bonus stamina boost
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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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 see I should of worked harder at school
I should proof read what I type...
I meant to say core but coffee stability sounds more fun.
At the moment as part of a challenge I do five Burpees everyone I make myself a coffee. Not sure it will help my fitness bit it's cut my coffee consumption down a lot.
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With no golf and no tennis in lockdowns I get the bike out and usually enter a Strava challenge to keep motivated.
It worked really well in first lockdown ... but this is harder given the weather.
Might have to resort to rowing machine in garage.
Still hoping for an April outing ... just ordered new skis ...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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I did the school work thing already, and figured out contraceptives just in time, not having had the foresight to be born rich.
Oh yeah, I also listen to experts
Personally I gain fitness fast, but don't keep it for long.
There are two approaches to the fitness thing, in my not so humble opinion:- For "long weekend" raids, you can go at it really hard, because by the time it hits at the end of day 3, it doesn't matter if you can still walk.
- For longer trips, Ibuprofen is my friend for those first three days.
As a kid I'd often get to the point where I couldn't walk either by cycling too far or even caving too hard.
If we'd had NSAIDs back then I'd have been completely intolerable.
I learnt a long time ago also that I can snowboard even when I can no longer walk, which is kind of handy.
My own best shot looks like Iceland in May if I can get my vaccine squared away before then. As being locked down means I'm less
fit than usual, I'll crank up my rowing machine hours once I know I've a realistic prospect of going away.
I expect everything will be super expensive if there's any season, but it is what it is.
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Two things are going to help. A pint of lemsip and associated recovery every afternoon, and monstering it for two days then just sitting on a terrace either getting pissed or recovering from getting pissed.
What I can confirm is that 6 days a season isn't enough to get any better than the season before. If you are going through the current hassle of travel you may as well do 2 or 3 weeks.
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You know it makes sense.
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I just don't think downhill skiing is that demanding if you are reasonably active and have decent technique. I snuck in 3 days before Christmas and was pretty tired at the end of each day but ready to go again in the morning
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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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| jedster wrote: |
| I snuck in 3 days before Christmas and was pretty tired at the end of each day but ready to go again in the morning |
Pah.... Try A FULL WEEK and then you'll pay! You'll be on your knees!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Klamm Franzer wrote: |
| jedster wrote: |
| I snuck in 3 days before Christmas and was pretty tired at the end of each day but ready to go again in the morning |
Pah.... Try A FULL WEEK and then you'll pay! You'll be on your knees!! |
I'd dearly love to be able to prove you wrong on that but this virus is getting in the way!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm told that the Icelandic government is removing the quarantine requirement from May 1.
I presume there will still be requirements on vaccination or testing; don't know the details yet.
The important bit about that is that most people don't want to slum it in a hotel for a couple
of weeks quarantining, so whilst that's in place local businesses remained effectively closed
because of insufficient custom. That may be about to change, in time for the midnight sun. Maybe.
There's a respectable chance of getting vaccinated in time for that I think, depending on age.
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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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Does Iceland have much of a ski industry? its all fairly small local resorts isnt it, how long ito the summer do they stay open?
I guess a long weekend do one each day works.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| jedster wrote: |
| I just don't think downhill skiing is that demanding |
Downhill? I generally think of it in a simlar league to chess, darts and crown green bowling in terms of physical demands.
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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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@Dave of the Marmottes, are you talking about fitness/leg strength which you can sort out, or "feel" for the skis/edges which takes time on snow???
For the ski "feel" I do some single leg drills very early on, usually on a very flat slope.
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I snowshoed with a couple of mates yesterday. 12km and 550m of vertical. We didn't take the easy routes either. One is 20 years younger than me, the other 30. But they couldn't keep up with me although tbf they both had snowboards strapped to their rucksacks, I walked down too 
Gonna be tough though with 1km/1 hour. Last time I could do 20km+ on an MTB without taking the wee wee. Too much snow for that now. Back to trudging up and down the hill behind mine instead.
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| t4tomo wrote: |
Does Iceland have much of a ski industry? its all fairly small local resorts isnt it, how long ito the summer do they stay open?
I guess a long weekend do one each day works. |
Yes, not big. Otherwise it depends on the snow and the business.
This year is not an ordinary year, so snow and customers will be a major driver, in my opinion.
Their season runs significantly longer than elsewhere
You can rent helicopters and there are ski tourers about into late May.
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| I just don't think downhill skiing is that demanding |
I don't think any sport I do is particularly physically
demanding, once you're at "expert" level. However I still feel those first few days.
On the other hand, most people are apparently incapable of skiing top to bottom without stopping,
so I guess those people do find it demanding. Perhaps it's all the online willy waving?
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| philwig wrote: |
| so I guess those people do find it demanding. Perhaps it's all the online willy waving? |
Hey ! I resemble that remark.
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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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It's as much technique as fitness though. Top to bottom here is about 15km depending on route and 2300m of vertical. It also includes a slight uphill section with poling (at 3400m  ) if you don't carry enough speed. Although I'm pretty fit and lean atm last season carrying more timber and at 60+ I could do it in about 20/25 minutes nonstop after the first week of the season.
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| Claude B wrote: |
| I could do it in about 20/25 minutes nonstop after the first week of the season. |
and how fast if you hadn't stopped to take photos ?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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| Quote: |
@Dave of the Marmottes, are you talking about fitness/leg strength which you can sort out, or "feel" for the skis/edges which takes time on snow???
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It has to be feel surely? I mean realistically 3 days skiing is not going to drastically change someone's physiology to the point where things are much easier (if only that was the case we'd all be doing marathons of a week or 2 training!).
I'd agree that 2-3 days is about right for me to feel reasonably good. To get to my best of the previous season probably takes 2 weeks. I think a lot of that is confidence though. I have a friend who is perhaps a little overconfident/crazy and his first day on a snowboard last season he put a very nice line down a tight chute and aired a decent sized cliff.
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Doesn't it depend how and what you are skiing too? Cruising around is gonna take a lot less out of you than practising short turns or skiing chopped up refrozen offpiste.
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You know it makes sense.
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when my head says go & my body says no.... so about 6 pints
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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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| kitenski wrote: |
@Dave of the Marmottes, are you talking about fitness/leg strength which you can sort out, or "feel" for the skis/edges which takes time on snow???
For the ski "feel" I do some single leg drills very early on, usually on a very flat slope. |
A bit of both although to be honest I find the fitness is often mixed with altitude effect. I tend to start my season somewhere pretty high which means that any actual physical exhertion is tough the first few days. Equally if it were to be possible to say start and end the skiing year at the EOSB Val T is pretty high and most of the skiing higher.
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Poster: A snowHead
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one year, practically my first turns of the season were straight down from the old Gugliamina refuge above Alagna at (I think 2800m). We arrived late Friday, got the last cable car, skied the traverse round in time for drinks and dinner. We'd booked a guide to meet us in the morning. It was two days after a big snowfall and we started off skiing straight down to Alagna offpiste.
We did warn him we were a bit rusty
Ten turns in we were OK.
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