 Poster: A snowHead
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In a moment during which I lost all my normal mental faculties I suggested to a mate that doing one of these charity ski challenge mularkies (sp?) would be a good idea.
Due to other (skiing-related) commitments the ones run by Scope are impractical but there is one in Switzerland organised by Disability Snow Sport UK which sounds interesting and strikes me as a reasonably worthy cause.
Anyone have experience of one of these types of trip?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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zammo, I did the Scope one a couple of years back. It's good fun, and tiring.
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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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Wear The Fox Hat, the tiring bit is unsurprising, I suppose. The fact that you rated it as good fun as well minds me to give it a go. What I don't fancy is a weekend with a load of terribly worthy do-gooders - I would be out of place, for starters 
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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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Wear The Fox Hat how good does one's skiing need to be for such mularkie? (i.e. in order not to pi$$ everyone else off by being so slow as to hold them up)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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zammo, ok, rule number one: no matter how much you want to go out on the pi$$ on the first night, DON'T!
Rule nimber two: hot tubs are your friends.
Rule number three: no matter where you go, even in Switzerland, you'll always bump into snotty d!ckheads, but it is also possible to avoid them, as there will be more than just you who wants to have fun!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Manda, it's not about your skiing, but your fitness. Yes, you'll have a dreaded ski-off on the first morning. This is to put you into a similar ability group, so that everyone in the group is going at roughly the same speed, and is capable of doing the same runs.
The best tip for the ski-off: Don't show off, or try to ski as fast as possible - that way you may get put in a higher group, and have everyone waiting for you, while you hardly have time to catch your breath. But if you're in a slightly slower group, you get more time to rest!
What they also do is have a target for the number of runs per day, and then the better groups may do a few more.
So, for example, with Scope, we were supposed to do 24 peaks, but our group did 29, and the top group did 31.
You don't need to be mega-fit for it, but the fitter you are, the better - you'll probably cover more mileage in 2 days than in a normal 1 week holiday.
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Wear The Fox Hat, I'm now convincing myself to do it anyway. I reckon I can come up with most of the required sponsorship $$ without too much of a problem (large extended family, donation from company, armed attack of securicor van etc.), it's a good cause, and it gets me to the snow for an additional weekend.
Unfortunately, due to a knackered pair of knees (running injury - now almost fixed), I am not terribly fit right now, so I guess I'll need to put some hours in down the gym.
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zammo, use a website like www.justgiving.com to take your donations.
That way people can sponsor you by credit card, and you also get gift aid if they are UK taxpayers. (the site itself takes a small cut of the gift aid, so you don't lose out)
Get down to the gym, and get your leg muscles back into action (and do cardio work too - no good having strong muscles if your heart can't work hard enough to get the blood round)
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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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Wear The Fox Hat, agreed on the gym. Big progress with the knee problem this week - I am now allowed to use the Crosstrainer! Sounds sad but as I'm not allowed to run or cylce I was having to use a hand bike to do any cardio at all!
Your previous post also answers my only other question which was about how they group you up - a sensible 75% effort approach to the ski-off would seem the best approach.
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zammo, I rarely use treadmills due to knee problems, but cross trainers are good.
What about rowing machines? Are you allowed on one of them?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Wear The Fox Hat oh. Ok. Not so bad as I thought then (imagined a whopping big group of very proficent skiiers waiting impatiently at end of each piste for straggling Kiwi. Aka me)
zammo, what's with your knees?
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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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Manda, the only time you'll notice is on the last run, when you're heading for the bar, then no one will be waiting! 
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I'm planning a snowAngels thread which collects together snow related charitable events - people doing the Scope thing would be just the sort of thing I was looking to include. So if you decide to go for it then please let me know. I'd echo what Wear The Fox Hat, says regarding www.justgiving.com - it makes collecting donations dead easy - several people here have used it.
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You know it makes sense.
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Manda, patella tendonitis in both knees. I used to run and cycle quite a bit (although not loads) and just went too far too fast one day about 12 months ago!
Almost fixed now but still only allowed to do stuff in the gym. I've been doing a little bit of pilates with my physio so might give that a go in the stuidio as well.
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FAQ
