 Poster: A snowHead
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anyone joined the SCGB? Seem like some decent discounts on equipment rental in resorts...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Can open, worms all over the floor.
We don't give discount to SCGB.
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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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GordonFreeman, troll post surely? Do you live under a bridge in Norway Gordon?
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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SMALLZOOKEEPER, do you charge them more?
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i was actually being serious but hey 
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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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GordonFreeman, Everything I have needed for skiing I have found here or elsewhere on the net for free. I chose to support here but you don't have to pay its a choice.
How much is it to join?
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I don't think I'd join for the discounts, though some get good deals. Just back from a holiday where SCGB members formed a group and had 1-1/2 days at Les Deux Alpes and 4 1/2 days at La Grave. Fantastic time. Hints and tips on how to go about it, a great instructor (easiski) and a superb guide (Manu Lestienne) came from snowheads. But though several of the group are now snowheads, the signing up to go was mostly done through the SCGB site, or emails resulting from it. Bizarrely, one member decided to go after reading the SCGB site, but then PMd me through snowheads, since she cvould not do so through the SCGB forum. So for me it paid to belong to both snowheads and the SCGB. As for discounts - well, I booked airport car parking through the AA.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There is a rumour that if you join with a rep in the resort you can get 18 months or 2 years membership for the price of 12 months but none of the SCGB reps on here seem to want to confirm this 
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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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So, more for the joining up with reps in resorts and social side of it than useful discounts, etc...?
I think it's about £50 isn't it?
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boredsurfin, it certainly used to be the case that signing up in a resort got you a better deal, but I'm not sure what the current arrangement is
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm only a member because, currently, the membership is less than the subscription to Ski + Board magazine alone.
I'm slowly coming around to the view that most magazines are generally not up to much, especially DMSS. So, when the membership goes up, I'll probably cancel.
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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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| D G Orf wrote: |
| boredsurfin, it certainly used to be the case that signing up in a resort got you a better deal, but I'm not sure what the current arrangement is |
Yes, somwhat unusually the normally vociferous SCGB reps on here dont seem to want to answer this one
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Poster: A snowHead
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skisimon, I was surprised to see that S&B seems to be available for free (well the previous issue was) in our club!
GordonFreeman, I'm a member primarily for the Freshtracks holidays, which are good value (although not cheap). The repping service is excellent, but as I mostly go on pre-organised courses/guided trips it's more a theoretical than actual benefit for me. Discounts do occasionally benefit, but I don't think they should be your major reason for membership - if you can plan your purchases for sales/internet you can probably get stuff cheaper that 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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GordonFreeman, I'm a member, although i'm on the Under 24 scheme which is only £18.00 per annum, this covers the cost for the magazine alone, so i'm happy, spent a few quid in EB getting a couple of 10% vouchers from the SCGB, so definatley paid for itself.
Although when i turn 24........... 
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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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| GrahamN wrote: |
GordonFreeman, I'm a member primarily for the Freshtracks holidays, which are good value (although not cheap). The repping service is excellent, but as I mostly go on pre-organised courses/guided trips it's more a theoretical than actual benefit for me. Discounts do occasionally benefit, but I don't think they should be your major reason for membership - if you can plan your purchases for sales/internet you can probably get stuff cheaper that way. |
Yes, I second all that.
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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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GrahamN, snowball, Freshtracks - is this like an organised/group holiday? Say ski touring and that kind of stuff?
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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 am another who is a member primarily for the holiday programme. They are not cheap but definitely value for money in my view, because of the quality of the guides used and in my experience the effort they put in to find the best conditions, as well as maximising the amount of skiing time available.
The ski club discounts are a useful bonus for me but by no means the most important factor, although I would imagine that for somebody with a family, ski club membership could well pay for itself on the discounts alone.
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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've 'had a member' since 1953 (or 1952, if you count the embryonic process) and first became a member of the SCGB in 1962.
The organisation fascinates me, for some weird reason, perhaps because I have mixed German-born and English-born parentage. The SCGB has a long, distinguished and intriguing history, going back to 1903 when eleven (I think it was) Edwardian gentlemen met in the Cafe Royal, Regent Street. It was my German-born father who signed me up for the SCGB, and I suspect that the Club believes that I am a German spy (only kidding).
Actually I'm not a German spy and have no connections with the German national ski club, the Deutscher Skiverband (DSV) - http://www.ski-online.de - which is a highly influential organisation as I understand it.
Should you join the SCGB? Certainly, if you value piste-side assistance (emergency breakdown and towing service in the event of ski or binding failure) it is unbeatable. The AA and RAC are useless in this situation.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Mon 4-02-08 12:36; edited 1 time in total
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| GordonFreeman wrote: |
| GrahamN, snowball, Freshtracks - is this like an organised/group holiday? Say ski touring and that kind of stuff? |
Yes, each holiday is for a particular standard of skier and type of skiing. All off piste holidays include guides. There are also instruction holidays and at least one snowcraft instruction holiday.
If you have skied with the Ski Club they will retain a record of your standard - otherwise the website tries to define each standard. The great advantage is you get everyone at roughly the same standard (if you are a great deal off the standard you may be asked to leave the group).
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| boredsurfin wrote: |
| There is a rumour that if you join with a rep in the resort you can get 18 months or 2 years membership for the price of 12 months but none of the SCGB reps on here seem to want to confirm this |
I'm not a rep - who are these vociferous people? - but I know that the terms are two years for the price of one if you sign up in resort.
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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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I'm not a rep either. Last time I recall this being discussed on the SCGB forum I was corrected on that point and that - strictly speaking - the bonus membership period is the remaining portion of the membership year when you join in the resort, plus the membership year you've paid for. But that may be incorrect.
Membership years used to be October-October, but I think they are more variable now.
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David Goldsmith, oh. Maybe. I think, in that case, that some of my friends wuz robbed the other week.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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No, it's not worth joining! This assumes that you are not looking for a means of getting really angry with people who (hopefully) you will never meet through discussions even more narrow minded and ski-borish than on here!
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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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| alicecat wrote: |
| This assumes that you are not looking for a means of getting really angry with people who (hopefully) you will never meet ... |
It's really not that desperate. You can meet them at the AGM.
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I don't want to! I was a member for several years, as I believed the gossip that their insurance was good ** and saw nothing to recommend membership.
**it isn't, as I discovered when making apaltry claim for around £100 worth of broken ski - the underwriters put huge effort into rejecting my claim on spurious grounds, SCGB rep was slightly less helpful than a dead sheep and it proved unjustifiably stressful. I vented my spleen on SCGB forum and found many other contributors had similar experiences.
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You know it makes sense.
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| alicecat wrote: |
| SCGB rep was slightly less helpful than a dead sheep ... |
In relation to what?
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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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| alicecat wrote: |
| ..........**it isn't, as I discovered when making apaltry claim for around £100 worth of broken ski - the underwriters put huge effort into rejecting my claim on spurious grounds, SCGB rep was slightly less helpful than a dead sheep and it proved unjustifiably stressful. I vented my spleen on SCGB forum and found many other contributors had similar experiences. |
There certainly was a problem, and it did the SCGB no favours. The episode caused me to switch to snowcard - and I have stuck with them; however, I gather the handling of SCGB insurance claims is now improved. If you saw nothing else to recommend membership, it was not for you, and you were quite right to leave. Voting with your wallet (staying in or getting out) is an extremely effective method of effecting necessary change, and is very healthy for any organization.
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Poster: A snowHead
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alicecat, if that was more than about 15 months ago you may find it's very different now. In response to all those complaints they changed from the previous underwriter/claims management to the guys that now handle the BMC insurance, which is considered one of the best out there. See various threads passim here and on the SCGB site.
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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 the Freshtracks holidays worth it compared to other companies offering week long holidays?
There are plenty listed on this site and many far cheaper than the Freshtracks ones?
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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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GordonFreeman, dunno. I went on a Freshtracks Furka Pass safari, with Rob Collister as a guide. I thought it was good value, Rob was a superb guide. More than that, some on the party were fairly experienced, and were very encouraging to me ( I had only one day's touring behind me. So I would recommend a Freshtracks holiday, but I have heard the Eagle Ski Touring set up is very good, too.
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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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GordonFreeman, I would say that they (or at least the off-piste ones) are on a similar footing to those offered by SnoWorks, or PisteToPowder (although I've not been on one of those) - groups of 6-7 led by professional guides/instructors, although there is generally a higher element of instruction rather than guiding (certainly at the higher levels) in the SnoWorks courses. General on piste holidays are more of a rep-led group, so are more akin to say Mark Warner ski-hosting, and I don't see such a draw for them, although you may well get more off-piste than you can with a TO ski-host (they're entirely restricted to the piste). If you're definitely into touring, then Eagles may be a cheaper option than Freshtracks (Arno is your main man there). As a general rule of thumb, Eagles will be better mountaineers but SCGB will be better skiers.
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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 have a 'friend' who joined over 5 years ago.
There was some mistake with his direct debit thingy - so they take no money but keep sending him the membership benefits.
he would say its great value
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Odin, A former member left a legacy for charity work amongst Northerners :-
The Rupert Throatwarbler-Mangrove Award.
I was hoping DG would continue this fine tradition.
Perhaps an SCGB-sponsored alternative AGM tour of the provinces ? Eco-friendly transport to get there and free drinks vouchers for all attendees ?
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what sort of age group on the freshtracks and snoworks thing do you reckon?
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GordonFreeman, I think the age range on the Freshtracks holiday I went on was 40s to 60s. Oddly, though it was a very memorable holiday, age was not something I thought about much. Here's some of the motley crew - judge for yourself. The forward and back buttons will let you browse through the gallery of the holiday - click an image to enlarge - click the little clapper-board icon thingy and you'll get a slide show.
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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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currently on a great freshtracks holiday in Fernie, the insurance is now better, the website improving. It has become a cliche here that anyone can get the same discounts with some blagging. True for TOs but maybe not for fat face, White stuff, Cotswold etc.
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stoatsbrother, how's the Fernie trip going? Good snow? Been to the Old Elevator yet?
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FAQ
'fraid you're stuck with me folks 
