J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by powderhound

Darko wrote:I think its is great that Sochi got the olympics.
finally we will see something diferent and completely new.

Agreed, I expect EasyJet to announce flights to Sochi in fairly short order and no doubt RyanAir will be able to fly you to an abandoned air base 300 miles away for only the cost of your baggage allowance... :evil:

Apparently the ski station (Krasnaya Polyana) is a favourite of Putin - who played a major part in the final presentations to the Olympic Committee - and is known as the Russian Courchevel.

I thought Courchevel itself was largely Russian these days?

So, anyone hereabouts actually skiied there? We'd love to know!

greenskier wrote:Does anyone have an opinion on what is the best ski machine for simulating skiing? Pro-fitter, Skiers Edge or something else.

I've got a Skier's Edge and would rate it very highly - it's the first exercise machine that I haven't got bored of very quickly.

The Edge works all the right muscles and gives you a serious workout.

I've not tried the Pro-fitter but, purely from the pictures, the range of "ski-like" movement looks limited compared to the Edge. With the Edge you can get down into a very natural skiing position and really push the legs right out for a full extension to each side.

On the other hand, the Pro-fitter looks to support a more varied set of exercises but I'm not sure how many of them are really that effective... 8)

:D ... ok, first let me reveal what most Brits know about Nova Scotia; it has a very scenic coastline, and people catch lobsters there. Oh, and it's about the closest bit of Canada to the UK, no? Er... :roll:

Skiing??? :shock:

Look forward to reading more...

Powderhound

Dshenberger wrote:Just go buy your own; it will make a world of difference!

But you do need to keep them tuned - follow Pavelski's course in the forum or make sure you get them regularly service by someone good. A decent quality rental, properly tuned, will soon out-ski your new skis if you don't look after them.

...

Another thumbs up for Atomic. I skiied the Metron for a few days earlier in the season and it's a very easy ski to ride but not stiff or wide enough for all mountain use (IMHO, of course).

This week I'm riding next year's Atomic Nomad and it's a really superb ski. Has great rebound and likes to be short-turned on the steeps, but also feels really stable at speed too. Feels very similar to my Salomon Scream 10s - which is a good thing.

Just to return to the title of the thread though... it needs to be a decent ski that suits your style; I rode the Dobermann Spitfire (Nordica) for a day earlier in the season and found it hard work... very smooth at speed but a handful when dawdling. A seriously aggressive, and decently fit, skier would probably love it to bits.

Hi Jasmin,

That's not right - sounds like the boot is too tight and restricting circulation in your foot, which is going to be very bad news after an hour or two on the mountain.

You should certainly take them back now and get them changed or adjusted to your satisfaction; don't let them fob you off with "they'll stretch / pack in / fit perfectly after a week of pain". It might just be a simple adjustment, or you might need to go up a size or choose a wider boot model.

Even if the boots were discounted, Snow and Rock have a responsibility to ensure a good fit; I'm sure they'll spend some time to get it right for you if you explain exactly what's going on with your foot.

Let us know how you get on,

Powderhound

Hi Claire, glad you had a good time in Les Arcs - 2000 is not the prettiest place in the world (never stayed there), but the skiing is fab. Apart from the other Arcs, there are also a couple of indy chalets down in Villaroger for any future trips (including Optimum who I can highly recommend).

Did you make it to La Ferme?

We held our La Clusaz meeting in boot-deep powder on the Wednesday (it lasted all day but the business bit got adjourned until dinner!), which was an unexpected bonus.

Your question about avalanches (on the plane) turned out to be a touch prescient; see the Snow Report here. :shock: ...no harm done though. One more trip to the mountains planned in 3 weeks time - how about you?

Powderhound

Hi Sam, there are several slopes that I think will be ideal for you. The "Tetras" blue run is the main piste back to town and is long, wide, fairly smooth and probably an average gradient for a Blue. It's served by a fast, modern chair (that slows down to let you on and off) and ends right by a very pleasant restaurant (sunny terrace, great views and good food and service) where you can recuperate and reflect on your achievement! 8)

You can use the Papillon blue to get down to Les Eucherts where there is another modern chair (Eucherts Express) serving another two blue runs - Perdrix and Papillon which are very gentle and often almost deserted so ideal for building your confidence.

There are a number of moderately short reds on this side of the ridge too, for when you're feeling brave!

Hope that helps - one of the forum regulars (David@TraxVax) has a chalet in La Ros and can give you some more local knowledge.

Powderhound

Update - March 7th

Superb skiing in true "hero snow" on La Balme. Excellent time in boot deep and very light powder off piste (and on it too, early on) on a firm base. Fairly fierce wind at times made for some interesting visibility but generally it was good.

Last night's snow fell to about 1800 metres, with rain below that - so the lowest runs back to town are pretty soggy but still well covered. Above that level the skiing remains good to excellent.

Clouded over this afternoon which kept the temperature low, and hints of more precipitation of the right kind to come tonight.

Caution is needed on some off piste slopes as the fresh snow has fallen, in places, onto wind-swept hard-pack and evidently hasn't bonded. One of our party triggered a small slide on a North-East facing slope just before lunch. We'd noticed signs of minor avalanches on other sheltered slopes of similar orientation, immediately beforehand, and were crossing one at a time so nothing untoward... but a sobering reminder.

Similar conditions are likely across the Northern Alps for a few days (until the next heatwave!) so take care.

Powderhound