 Poster: A snowHead
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And it was great. Stewart W booked lessons for me with a great instructor called Rorie who promises to join Snowheads soon (remind him, Stewart!) 
I was knee-knockingly nervous on arrival, but Rorie was so patient and helped my confidence grow. No, I didn't make spectacular progress compared with what others might achieve, but the confidence was the most important thing as my nervousness was seriously hindering progress - yes I could do linked snowplough turns on a shallow gradient, but a hint of something steeper and to try to slow down, I tend to turn my body towards the hill and push outwards in an increasingly awkward snowplough. I now realise the effect was to reduce the pressure on the downhill/outside ski, which is why it took masses of panic & effort to stop the inelegant diagonal slide! Rorie used my little camera's video facility and we did a bit of analysis and he then gave me a whole variety of imaginative exercises to try, until we found the ones that worked for me - suddenly things started to improve, and NewSkier started smiling!
Watch this space for the next installment and a link to some pics and video when I get sorted out. Only got to bed 3.15am, and have had total 4 hrs kip!
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brian
brian
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NewSkier, well done.
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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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NewSkier, nice one - well done
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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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NewSkier,
Cool. How did you find Tignes?
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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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johnboy, satnav?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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johnboy, rather warm actually! rayscoops, Well I did have the satnav, but the minibus driver knew the way from Geneva! 
What did I think of Tignes? Architecturally a bit of a 60s concrete jungle, but facilities-wise, very good. We were staying in T Les Boisses (£75 for 3 days full board, incl transfers) and I found the frequent free shuttle bus service to be excellent and quick. I also like the fact there are several free lifts for beginners, both chair and poma, with short slopes of varying difficulty, so you don't have the expense of a full week's lift pass if you don't need it. It was also great that a number of lifts are accessible to pedestrians, meaning I was able to join my expert skiing friends for a fantastic lunch high up in Val d'Isere yesterday.
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NewSkier, Well done - look forward to the pics
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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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NewSkier, glad to hear you had such a good time, and that you enjoyed yourself. All progress is progress, and it sounds like you made quite a lot.
See you at MK in June 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ok, as promised - here's the gory detail and pics.
I met Rorie on Tues morning and he took me to the free Lavachet Poma where I was instantly able to show him my unwanted diagonal descending slide which insisted on happening as I tried to complete turns. He got me to do various exercises, and I got so warm the coat came off - the freedom of skiing with no coat was a fantastic feeling. We worked with and without poles and tried to overcome my tendency to turn and lean in towards the hill in an attempt to slow down the diagonal slide (the fact it didn't work wasn't enough to stop me doing it!). In the Day 1 video you can see me using 1 pole to try to stop this. WHen we reviewed the day 1 clip, Rorie noticed my legs were not a matching pair when it came to turning. I was leaving my foot and ski too flat, and that was not helping the turn. WHen I subsequently consciously pushed down with my big toe, this helped and the turns started to happen much more cleanly with less sliding.
Another exercise that worked for me was to trace an arc on the snow with the outside pole (the downhill one). This had the effect of stopping me leaning into the hill, and it magically increased the weight on the outside/downhill ski and this too helped the turns a lot. I am doing this a bit in the clip from Day 2, but it felt like I was doing it rather more than it appears in the video! If the vid has sound, you'll hear Rorie telling me to look at the camera - I wanted to keep watching the skis to make sure they did not cross, but he wanted me looking down the fall-line!
The 3rd day's clip shows me attempting to narrow the snowplough and bring the skis parallel between turns. Yes, I was going ever so slowly, but having conquered the "diagonal slide disease" it was great to be able to feel really in control and to go at a slow speed if I wanted. I didn't quite manage this on the steeper sections of a blue run, and sadly the diagonal slide and all the mistakes that caused it came back, but at least I now know some strategies I can practise at Xscape to sort it out!
On the afternoon of Day 2 I went up the Grande Motte funiculaire with friends and did a relatively short blue run (Rabotch). Well, the first bit of it was lovely - really enjoyable - then I found it had hidden delights - a very scary steep bit (yes, well it was to me!) and I must confess to walking down a little bit of it after falling over  . Then we came back up the chair lift and my legs had been shaking so much they had turned to jelly, and getting up off the seat at the top, which was quite low down................................ Yes, Newskier was flat on her back and the lift had to be stopped while the liftie came to my rescue  Just after getting back to Le Lac, I met Stewart who told me that he thinks the steep bit on that run is rather more Red than Blue - that made me feel HEAPS better, so thanks for that Stewart
On the 3rd and last day we went up Paquis and joined Piste H, skiing to Val Claret. It was great, and I loved it right until the very last steep bit which had got very slushy/heavy and a bit bumpy too - but most bumps were slush - and I found the one which wasn't - yep, the skis went down the other side rather faster than the rest of me - and I ended up on the deck again!
All in all it was a great few days - too few though. I learned a lot, and my confidence grew which was exactly what I needed.
You know, I just might be forced to go to Xscape tomorrow and practise what I have learned, as I have to be in Sheffield until about 2pm and then in Knottingley at 5.30 - what else can I do with a spare couple of hours???
Links to photos and videos. Constructive criticism of the videos is welcomed! Sorry about the size of the video on snowMedia - had awful job finding out how to reduce it to that size without losing too much quality. The version on Google might be easier to use (it's the same video)?
http://www.snowmediazone.com/the_zone/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/787
http://www.snowmediazone.com/the_zone/showphoto.php/photo/7260
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-3135361967039901027&q=newskier
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Mon 30-04-07 5:17; edited 2 times in total
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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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new skier.....nice one and thanks for the pics, boarding or sking its all good
cheers
mongoose505
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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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cathy, the trip was with http://www.mountainsunltd.com/ and we got flights with Easyjet from Luton for £50. The staff at the chalet were brilliant - really friendly and helpful and the food was fantastic. As there were only a few guests, so not too much work to do, one staff member acted as a voluntary ski-host for the three days too, complete with minibus transport around the area. Given the varying snow conditions it was great for my 3 experienced friends to have her take them to the best places and on the final day she came and collected me from Le Lac and took me up via a pedestrian lift to a restaurant above Val D'Isere (by the Madeleine Express) to meet my friends. That made a superb finale to our stay.
stewart , it was good to meet you too. Do remember to remind Rorie he promised to join Snowheads!
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FAQ
That sounds like a great deal you got for the 3 days' skiing! Who was it with?