Anyone booked for next season yet?

61 for me!!!! :D

Wish I'd been inti this carry on when I was at uni! It will be a blast on so many levels, I am actually jealous :)

Well here I go with an October Zermatt report, and right off the bat; not as good as May in terms of riding but that is to be expected.

Day 1. Go to work, check weather on Europes glaciers, announce I am leaving at 1pm and in resort at 7.15pm. Just as well I keep my snowboard bag packed for just these occasions. Accommodation 80 Euro for 2 nights B&B, okay it was the worlds smallest room but what more does a single traveller need? Early leave from work on a Friday means 2 things; a long weekend and an early start on the beer! So 1.30am and knocking on 12 beers down it's off to bed to be fresh for the morning. Man, badgers arse goes no way to describe how I felt at 7am on Saturday morning, but still up and ready to go I was. On the glacier by 9am,..... It's a long way okay?!?? Magically my riding was good, but after snowboarding at least once in each of 10 of the last 12 months might have something to do with it. Crappy day, flat light, intermittent snow and dense cloud at times. Add the fact that a day on t-bars is rough for a snowboarder, especially when sharing. Lunchtime and a wee sandwich and beer at the restaurant at the top of the KM. Absolutely blinding headache, 2 more runs and down. Pint a burger and in bed by 9pm.

Day 2. Up at 7am, bright as a button, sun is shining but the wind is blowing aloft. 50-60km/h and the announcement regarding opening was delayed. Rather than start my 6th coffee I took a look outside to see if I could see anyone in the garb heading for the lift. Sure enough there was. So a little later despite good intentions and behaviour. A1 conditions, really nice and straight into a groove. It started to get interesting after my second run, the queues were massive, were talking 25 minutes for a t-bar and lets not start on the behaviour of a lot of people who should know better. I was appalled by some of the stuff I saw in line today, it depressed me and I nearly called time after lunch. But no I sm Scottish and I had paid, I was notgoing to stoop to thier level but I was sure as hell gonna say something the next time a 12 year old ran over the topsheet of my board with full weight of both skis to get in line first before turning to say to me in German that he didn't have enough space and I should watch the back of his skis. Poor little #$€¥+*% I swear he was gonna cry.

To be continued........

117 sleeps for me :evil: :evil: :evil:

Anyhoo, what was interesting was I satrted to ride like I never had before. The punishment of the queue followed by the burn of the lifts meant it was all over too quick, so lets make it wortwhile and hopefully last a little longer on decent. I began to really push my linked turns, to the point of getting really low and only on the very edge of my weapon (sorry, it popped into my mind and I couldn't resist). I was turning so smoothly the back of my board was giving feedback and actually starting the transition to the opposite lock for me. I'm sure it wasn't and it was something subconscious really, but five or six times I felt like the skies had parted and I could fly. This sounds gushing and self indulgent, but I have never boarded like I did today, NEVER. I have been ecstatic since about 1pm. ( I was last off the glacier at 4pm and missed my train). The only downside was it made me faster, significantly. So more lifts :( Anyway long story short. I am just in Germany on the ICE with the most rewarding afternoon behind me, grinning like a cat. My rant would be 10 times worse if that had not have happened. I will divulge another time.

Don't you just love that feeling when you are properly carving it down, amazing!

I don't know I'm quite there to be honest, but I have never riden like that before, it actually feels like re-discovering the whole thing. I've never done lessons, because I hate direction (and I would certainly not advocate my approach) but I feel immensly proud tonight.

Well thats the main thing, feeling like you've accomplished the next step, i remember when i first started carving, it was essentially self taught, although my basic technique wasn't, but that feeling of being on right on the edge and pulled into each turn is awesome, one of the most exhilerating experiences you can have!

snowb4ndit wrote:Just thought I'd pop in and say 'hi' having not posted for a while.

I'm sure lot's of you are already booked and waiting impatiently for the winter, so I thought I'd ask you all where you're going.

I haven't booked yet but am hoping 'still' to go to Livigno, Italy for the New Year.

:)

Hi there! I'll be going to Whistler in BC, Canada this winter! How about you?