 Poster: A snowHead
|
people mark pistes off their list, I mark off beer huts 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
I’ve enjoyed every ski trip I’ve been on. Luckily neither myself, nor any of my ski buddies, have injured ourselves so I guess they are all a success too. Even the ones with missed days due to whiteouts, rain, illness, etc.
I guess what makes some more enjoyable than others for me is mainly down to the weather. You really can’t beat a bluebird day after a huge dump. Doesn’t matter where you are or who you are with. Though the right company will make it even better!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
I remember once talking to this guy who was a non-skier at work. And I told that we skied all day (9/9:30 to 4/5) for 6/7/8 days on the spin and he asked the question "don't you get bored". Whilst my initially reaction was "whaaat!?" it was actually a fair question. And in actual fact on occasion it can get a bit samey. It's rare for me not to find something to get buzzed about but I've definitely had meh days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
A successful ski trip is one that ends in the bar discussing the week, not in a hospital discussing the accident.
re. Garmin/Strava I use them to see where I've been rather than how far or how fast. But while out skiing, waiting for faffers or standing around discussing where to go next is my least favourite part of the whole thing since it is wasted time that could be better spent actually skiing or actually relaxing in a cafe/bar/restaurant/salle hors sac etc.. High millage on strava definitely correlates with a lack of faffing or waiting around rather than how fast someone actually skis, so therefore a high millage day would be more likely to be a good day for me since it probably means there was less faffing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
A successful trip for me is
1 - no injuries.
2 - spending time skiing with family and friends
3 - spending time on the slopes when I feel like I am shredding it. I'm not personally interested in if I am measurably skiing fast or a long way. Just if I am skiing in control and in a flowing enjoyable way. It's more a feeling for me that when I get when I'm focussed, free form distractions and loose track of time.
I respect people that want to push their Carv rating or Strava stats but that kind of thing kind of ruins the flow for me. It seems a bit like going to a concert and videoing the whole thing rather than getting lost in the moment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Henwc wrote: |
A successful trip for me is
1 - no injuries.
2 - spending time skiing with family and friends
3 - spending time on the slopes when I feel like I am shredding it. I'm not personally interested in if I am measurably skiing fast or a long way. Just if I am skiing in control and in a flowing enjoyable way. It's more a feeling for me that when I get when I'm focussed, free form distractions and loose track of time.
I respect people that want to push their Carv rating or Strava stats but that kind of thing kind of ruins the flow for me. It seems a bit like going to a concert and videoing the whole thing rather than getting lost in the moment. |
Very well put.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| bouquetin wrote: |
| A successful ski trip is one that ends in the bar discussing the week, not in a hospital discussing the accident. |
Excellent.
For me and my group definitely the above but take that to one side...Powder is the be all and end all. A successful trip means we had plenty of powder opportunities which included off-piste, on piste and back country. We had tracking apps etc which were fun for a while jumps, speed, distance covered etc but ultimately it was about finding powder. The early years powder was gruelling to say the least but as we improved we just couldn't get enough.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Skied as a couple, family, with just the kids, in large/ small groups both lads and mixed and enjoyed every format in different ways. Even done the odd half day solo and as mentioned, the lack of faffing/ waiting improves productivity enormously. Hands in pole straps before chair gets to top and unload and ski off immediately!
Love to top to bottom the occasional run too as a blow out - two faves are Folyeres in LT and Face in VdI.
Use Ski Tracks and like to reflect on daily data. Distance/ vertical etc just to see what we covered and how it felt compared with the higher/ lower figure on previous days etc. Eg, we did loads more yesterday but today felt harder etc. Never have a distance target but do like to set off with the intention of reaching a certain point or area. Eg if in La Tania, head over to VT for lunch, or reach a certain peak eg Mont Fort in Verbier. Might have a vague idea of route but if we see an empty corduroy red from the chair, or like a run so much we want to do it again, we don't let the itinerary dictate the fun!
Always check top speed of the day (for mild banter with son/ mates etc) though never really consciously pushing for Vmax. Interestingly, it always comes in the morning, don't think I've ever improved speed after lunch - various reasons apply here!
When I was younger and not as good, the skiing was more exhilarating and it was easier to find yourself pushing the (personal) envelope on piste - the endorphins from doing something slightly scary are brilliant, especially when combined with apres beers and comparing tales of derring do! I do miss this element and find myself skiing within my comfort zone as pure speed gets less attractive due to the heightened probability of personal damage should it go wrong! The natural progression is off piste but I'm so poo-poo at it and the investment in proper kit/ time and lessons generally feels a step too far. I also have an unreasonable fear of avalanche - whatever .....phobia that is?
Just being in the mountains is a success for me. Feels so right and at home. If I could have my time again, I'd definitely work harder to find ways to have spent more time there. So pleased my daughter is doing a season right now and falling in love with the hills!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Successful to me would mean a high proportion of my time spent riding with no one else within 50m allowing me freedom to carve all over the piste.
Small resorts rule.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Ski Tyke wrote: |
Love to top to bottom the occasional run too as a blow out - two faves are Folyeres in LT and Face in VdI.
|
This is what I am talking about with the self-described "milage bashers" I have skied with. They view a top to bottom run without stopping as something exceptional. We typically don't ever stop on a piste (and Mrs Z would express her displeasure if we did). If we come across an accident of course, or an agreed stop for toilet/drink/food and occasionally if there is a high consequence navigation point. I just don't get why this is not the norm. And am amazed at the sorts of vertical that many seem to consider a hard day out, which we would view as a pleasant morning skiing. I remember hearing here many say that it was a full day out from Champoluc to Alagna and back for example. It is not. We will typically be stopping for morning coffee in the Gressony sector on the way back from Alagna (actually probably Pianalunga to be fair as the rest of the that descent is not great and ends with a bit of a hike). But the point is, stop stopping and you will cover a huge amount of ground without really having to try.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Great thread subject @Specialman.
Similar to Gainz, the difference between a good holiday and great holiday for my group in recent years is fresh snow before and during our trip. Doesn't have to be snow at night and sun in the day either. In fact snowy days mean quieter mountains.
We've had our fair share of dry weeks, and mostly enjoyed them all, but there is something magical being out on the hill in heavy snow, with all sounds being dampened.
Fingers crossed Montafon delivers this Feb.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Generally in this order:
no injuries
good vis
uncrowded slopes
good snow
good food
good company
comfortable accommodations
scenic beauty
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Depending on skill and fitness, the smaller the group, the less stops. As the group grows, so does the range of speed, ability, fitness and therefore the number of “regrouping” stops increases. If I top to bottomed Face with some of my ski pals or family, I’d be waiting at the bottom a long time! More fun and manageable to stop intermittently and ski in good company.
Usually, sight of the bottom of the next lift and confirmation that is the target is the trigger for a continuous run to the bottom to wait to upload.
Whatever makes you happy, I guess…
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
@Layne, ha, for what we all pay it seems only reasonable!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Quote: |
So what's important to me? Good snow and plenty of sunshine (yes I know, but I'm a fair weather skier) beautiful views, congenial company, a comfortable bed, decent plumbing and good food (including on the mountain) and knowing that, mostly, I've skied as well as I can.
|
This - throw in a couple of beers and I'm on cloud 9.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Decent plumbing? What does that mean 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
If my plumbing is bunged up it definitely causes problems.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
On a serious note we stayed in a chalet once where the toilet flushed hot water.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
It was hard work having a shower I tell you
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Layne, I wasn’t sure where this one was going
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| v1cky24 wrote: |
| Decent plumbing? What does that mean |
mountain huts with decent toilets rather than a hole in the ground?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Sorry for my shorthand, which appears, a bit weirdly, to have flummoxed people. Decent plumbing means, for me, a loo with no problems of any sort ie not rickety, reliable flush, no lingering smells etc, and a shower (I'm not keen on baths) in which I can stand up and shower without flooding the shower room, has a detachable shower head and provides a powerful supply of constant hot water.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| biddpyat wrote: |
| v1cky24 wrote: |
| Decent plumbing? What does that mean |
mountain huts with decent toilets rather than a hole in the ground? |
decent mountain loos are a bonus, but not a deal-breaker.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Thinking about it, when Lady F was skiing, a successful ski trip was one where I didn't get regularly thwacked with a ski pole for taking her down a run that was "Lovely this morning" and is now full of IEDs to trap the unwary! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| KSH wrote: |
| biddpyat wrote: |
| v1cky24 wrote: |
| Decent plumbing? What does that mean |
mountain huts with decent toilets rather than a hole in the ground? |
decent mountain loos are a bonus, but not a deal-breaker. |
Worst loo I have ever experienced was by the Village Chair in Les Deux Alpes - it was/is basically a few bails of straw and a toilet seat. It pen and inked like mad by the end of the day and on a sunny one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@abc, Sometimes, your posts are just spot on!
| Quote: |
| Happy drug addicts we all are! |
indeed! Three posts here I totally agree with.
@v1cky24, You need to do a lone trip for a long weekend to the 3 valleys and go for the Escapade, it covers all points of the whole area and is quite hard to do in under two days but can be done in one apparently...our record is 2.5 days but we did have a boarder with us in mitigation!
(Is the escapade still a thing btw?)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
@gixxerniknik, looking at that map - I about did that in a whole week of skiing there
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Obviously different folk do things differently, which doesn't make any of them right or wrong.
| zikomo wrote: |
| ... But the point is, stop stopping and you will cover a huge amount of ground without really having to try. |
I also never stop mid run, with obvious exceptions already listed. It's not, to me, anything to do with vertical, just flow. Perhaps it's more of a snowboard thing, although my skier buddies can ski, so... they don't need to stop mid run either. It seems a bit weird to me, stopping.
A good trip? Well all of them are, but injury would mark a less than ideal trip. I had the odd week or dodgy snow in the Alps back in the day... those weren't ideal trips, but they were still good. I was happy with 100m of plastic for 10 years after all... I just need a patch of snow and I'm good.
On the Strava thing, well back in the day we'd use statistics more for training purposes than enjoyment or competition. It's one thing to check you're getting enough [exercise], but something different if you willy-wave about your vert. Or about unrelated quantity metrics as apparently some are chasing. No one else cares.
Which reminds me that some heliski companies used to run a daily vertical competition. It was a pretty negative thing - groups [of almost all males] were encouraged to compete to see who could ski the most... rather than who rode the best snow. CMH published league tables of rich people, so you could see who rode most vertical each season and over their lives.
The result was an incentive for people to ride "garbage vertical" - they'd always ride to the valley bottom, for example, even if the last 100m of snow was less than perfect. Wiegele switched to "unlimited vertical" and stopped posting daily vertical in the 1990s (!), removing the incentive to ride less than perfect snow. CMH are making the switch to unlimited next season; I'm not sure if they still have the competition there. It's not been missed at Wiegele; no one bothers with these metrics there. To be clear, everyone needs to know they get what they paid for, so the vert/ time is still tracked, but it's almost never used.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| Old Fartbag wrote: |
| Thinking about it, when Lady F was skiing, a successful ski trip was one where I didn't get regularly thwacked with a ski pole for taking her down a run that was "Lovely this morning" and is now full of IEDs to trap the unwary! |
sometimes when you post, I think it's my husband because you do and say things just like he does, he suffered a lot of thwaks in our early skiing days, ( for the lets see how this is, icy steep black, but sure if we do it we will have got practice.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@biddpyat, I must start a club. I think I'll call it the "Thwacked Hubby Club".
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 8-01-25 19:32; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Old Fartbag wrote: |
On a list of what makes a ski holiday successful for me - The speed, distance and number of hours I have been on the slopes would be at the very bottom. At the top of that list would be:
- The company I am with and the friends that I meet there for the first time
- The simple "Good for the soul" atmosphere of being in the mountains
- How well I ski is much more important than how far
- The weather and quality of snow
- The enjoyment of eating on the mountain; Apres ski drink with friends prior to going going back to accommodation; A tipple before bed by a log fire with good company, where we discuss the day and put the world to rights.
- Remaining injury free |
This!
I count myself extremely fortunate enough to live in an alpine area. Last season my skiing was cut short (in Dec) with a skiing injury. Today, skiing a black run in control and relatively fast put the biggest smile on my face. 25kms, pristine conditions, lift to lift, no stops, awesome views, friendly chats with locals and holiday makers on the lifts, a beer when I got home, light the fire, reflect on a pretty decent couple of hours on the slopes. Plenty good enough. And apologies if that all sounds a bit smug. Not the intention. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Jäger, brilliant! I can see the smile!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| KSH wrote: |
| @Jäger, brilliant! I can see the smile! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Henwc wrote: |
I respect people that want to push their Carv rating or Strava stats but that kind of thing kind of ruins the flow for me. It seems a bit like going to a concert and videoing the whole thing rather than getting lost in the moment. |
The true being in the zone of skiing's when the track that comes on shuffle lines up perfectly with the terrain in front of you. Today it was Mungo Jerry - In the summertime with some very mellow bumps.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great topic. I concur with the majority here - top of the list is coming home injury-free. Having NOT done that once, I'll pass on a second... Mostly I want to feel strong and capable, I want to leave a little better skier than I arrived, I want to eat good food, see beautiful scenery, have good snow, and just have so much fun that I get home needing a vacation from vacation. Making specific memories that will last and come to mind easily 20 years later. (I got engaged at Whistler, that was a highlight) Just deep-breathing (or huffing) that gorgeous mountain air!
I also don't want to underestimate the power of a little misadventure. Sometimes the things that go awry make for the best experiences.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
I discovered my issue when I ruptured my ACL and while the physio was putting me through my recovery he pointed out that my flat feet wouldn't help my recovery, and asked did I fall a lot on flat runs, as I was catching an inside edge, doesn happen on steeps runs, only when I relax . So have been doing my foot exercise, leg exercises , and have good insoles.
