 Poster: A snowHead
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Heading to Whistler/Blackcomb next week, 12-30-2007 to 01-06-2008.
Anyone out there ever taken the three day Dave Murray ski camp?
What should a person expect?
Is the camp worth the time and $$?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Montyhh, you could try PMing hofmeister - he's on it right now, IIRC. may not be logged on 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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Gracias Senior, from the Tall Texan in Austin, Texas.
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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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Montyhh, Did it last year the last week in Feb. One of the best camps I've done, great coaching, really fun, good apres, met some cool folks. Good mixture of piste and off piste, they pretty much tailor the course content to the group ability and prevailing conditions, personally would have liked to spend more time in the gates (I'm just weird like that!) but there was too much snow so we had to ski powder all the time instead, sometimes life just sucks!  Was my first time in whistler and I skied stuff with Dave Murray that I wouldn't have had the bottle / knowledge to find on my own. Wife did the level below me and they really helped her confidence, she even got the most improved skier award! In summary do it you won't regret it
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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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Thank you, that helps me out a lot. I am glad you got to experience Whistler/Blackcomb. I know what you are saying when you say you skied stuff you may not have done on your own. It is a BIG place, this is my 5th trip there and still have not seen it all! We have done Ski Esprit last three years. Great experience too! Just wanted to try something a little different this year. I am with you regarding the gates. I grew up learning from a few of the best gate "crushers" in Utah then roomed with a former US Olympic team member in college who helped me improve some as well. I am too fat, old and slow now but still like an occasional run on a course. I look forward to trying the Dave Murray camp out!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I did the Camp a couple of seasons ago, and likeBG we had plenty of powder so not much in the way of gates. I was lucky enough to have a friend out in whistler for the season so I was already being shown the fun stuff - trees, chutes, hikes for powder etc (you *MUST* try Flute bowl if you haven't, it was a 40 minute hike for us so the new lift will be a godsend!). Given that I was already doing this stuff, I don't think I got as much out of the Camp as others did, perhaps I should have spent more time asking the instructor what I should work on (or more accurately listening, as I *was* told!). All in all, though, I would recommend it. It was a great experience.
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I thought it was excellent as well. We didn't do any gates at all, which I was disappointed at, but it was puking snow when I was out there.
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it was puking snow when I was out there
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Kramer, this is a really horrible expression which makes something rather magical happening in the mountains sound like a 14 year old cider drinker outside the kebab shop. 
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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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is dumping any better?
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I've heard that the dave murray camps are the best instructional yet still fun and tour the mountains type clinics. with the focus on getting good teaching regardless of 'type' of skiing you end up doing.
note to nbt, Flute bowl is awesome, the new lift doesn't help you get there though, but it helps you get out (used to have to hike out, but can now get a lift high enough to ski out again ). the hike is only about 20 mins for a reasonably fit person, as they now 'groom' a path to the top.
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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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Taking Symphony chair helps you get to the start of the 'uphill hike' without having to do a bit of traverse that you used to do, so yes i guess it saves you a few minutes of traverse traveling time (the old way of hiking Flute), but it really doesn't help you gain any elevation in the hike ( as you have to ski down to get to the start point of the hike )
it takes me a little less than 20 mins from the start of the uphill section, but i am probably fitter then the average person, as i am skiing / hiking most days.
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This is another vote for the DM camps. I have done a few and plan on doing another one when at Whistler at the end of January.In my experience the instruction is top notch.
What you should expect is to be stetched a bit in your skiing, whatever your level and whatever they happen to be doing that week, which is, in my experience, entirely weather dependent. If it is snowing heavily they may not open the race areas for safety reasons (too much new snow) so no gates. That happened to me on a couple of occasions. Alternatively if there has been no snow for a time you will spend more time on the race side of things and less looking for the (non existent) powder.
I have also done the Ski Esprit program (which I also enjoyed). The DM is more costly but it is a bit more intense and you may get a smaller class size. That depends on how many turn up on the day. They have a ski off at the start to try to split into groups and any "errors" will be sorted out in the first morning
All of my skiing in my 4 camps was on Whistler mountain. They dont tend to go to Blackcomb.
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You know it makes sense.
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They dont tend to go to Blackcomb.
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Great!
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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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ISn't it DM on Blackcomb and Extremely Canadian on Whistler?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Supergroups Levels 4-6 on Blackcomb ONLY, Levels 1-3 on Whistler.....
All groups (DM, EC, Supergroups) will go to both mountains, depending on ability level, snow conditions etc.
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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.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Snow is fantabuloous. Great skiing here at the moment, expecting 25cm tonight, 35cm Thurs, 45cm Friday, 25cm Saturday...... 
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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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yeah, as I mentioned elsewhere, plenty of snow coming, weather warning at the moment. freezing level is rising, so the snow will be wet and heavy, but not for long. the level will lower again, so the snow will dry out and be awesome.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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any idea how much supergroups cost and where they can be booked from in resort? i'm going to be there at end of jan/early feb 
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JONR, Cant remember costs but i stayed in Creekside last year in Legends and i was able to book underneath there at the ticket office, costs should be on the website, i well recommend the supergroups.
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liam, cheers for the info. there are two of us in the group, one is about a level 5, the other is a middle level 4. do you reckon it would be ok for us both to be in the same supergroup, or will one of us find we are being pushed too hard, and the other find it too easy?
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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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JONR, Well if you were to go in the same group then you would both have to go in the level 4 class (lower class), although when i did it there were only two of us in the group at level 5, so if you are fortunate enough you may get an instructor to yourselves which will cater for both abilities.
You WILL love Whistler.
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JONR, you're lucky as you'll be there for Discover Whistler -Jan 14 – Feb 8/08 - so you'll get 40% off Supergroups. The price will be $161.40 + 6% tax so about £87 at the latest exchange rate (it was $1.95 last night). You can book online at www.whistlerblackcomb.com and then pick up your ticket voucher in resort.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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geetee, cheers yes the plan is to go jan 26th through feb 3rd, so i'll be there during the discount season which is nice.....do i have to book online, or can i just go to the ticket office at the bottom of blackcomb?
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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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JONR, you can do either.
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JONR, It's worth booking in advance sometimes, the DM camp I did was fully booked weeks before I arrived in town
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FAQ
Then again I my juts be unfit 
