Messages posted by : dgou
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Having skied for many years (badly! still not as good as I would like to be despite ski school - but hey!) I had a fab pair of Dachstein boots, however all good things come to an end, and so for the last few years I have hired boots, but suffered all the comings and goings of hire shops (including the worst one of all in the middle of Saalbach-Hinterglemm!) This year I have decided to reinvest in a new pair of boots around about the £200 mark-ish. Today I have been to my local outdoor shop for a fitting by a boot specialist - and after about 7 pairs, I found a pair of Nordica Speedmachine 8's (don't laugh, this is not how I ski!) but this is the first pair of boots I have tried this time. My problem is I have a very high instep, so have two difficulties, one is that it is quite often a real effort to get my foot into the boot to start off with, and two the top of my foot above the arch (the boney bit!)goes numb after a while because of rubbing. If I could have a pair of boots like the ones I eventually bought in 1992, I would be such a happy bunny! Back in the 1990's my local boot shop gave up on me after 3 whole Saturdays and 18 pairs of boots, I was the first person they could not help (other than shell out for custom made ones!)So - on the comfy slippers/trainers thread, has anyone found a brand that works for this type of foot?
(PS Suggestions of foot amputation are not welcome, I need them for lots of other things too!) |
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Olderskier - you weren't at the Hotel Austria in Saalbach Hinterglemm were you? We met a Ken who fits that description!
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I have just returned from a week in Saalbach Hinterglemm and was alarmed at some of the antics of snowboarders in relation to anyone else on the slope - I don't know what nationality the boarders were, but this is a word of caution to boarders who consider themselves to be above everyone else.
1. You don't own the slope - you should ride with as much consideration for everyone else. I saw several novice skiers taken out by reckless boarders - you just don't do it! 2. Don't hog the top of the slope when you get off the lift. If you have to sit on your board chilling and trying to look cool, please sit to the side, so everyone can gain access to the slope. I saw a whole group of boarders moved on by the lift attendants as they were hogging the whole of the entrance to the run. 3. Remember you don't smash into other people on boards or skis to stop yourself. I saw several people with injuries, both being airlifted off and at our hotel, because they had been hit by a boarder. Injure yourself by all means but don't ruin someone else's holiday and health! I have both boarded and skied and have consideration for other slope users. This may cause some controversy but it is a warning to boarders that they will get themselves a bad reputation. As I said I don't know what nationality these all were, but it happened all day every day that I was on the slopes. Apart from that Saalbach Hinterglemm was fab! |
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You would be very wise to make use of the whole week learning to ski as a beginner. Too many people are on the mountains who are on runs not suitable for their ability, and then they come unstuck, because they challenge themselves too early, and then either scare themselves, or get put off - or worse - have to be rescued!! You will find you will have a right laugh learning, make new friends, you can swap up or down with your Instructor depending on how you progress. I am on my 17th ski trip this year and still learning, still have the odd private lesson and pick up new tips each year. The saying 'Don't try and run before you can walk' applies to skiing too. Stick with ski school, you will have time to practice after your lessons have finished. You will be much better skiers doing this. Many resorts offer 4 hours ski lessons a day, so you will only have half the time to learn anyway. If you have never skied before then you will find what you have missed after all these years! Enjoy it, respect the mountains and listen to your Instructor! Happy skiing! I go in 10 days - can't wait!!
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Arinsal in Andorra is good for beginners, a lot of Instructors are from other English speaking nations, you get a gondola up to the main slopes, and once you have mastered the chair lift,there are a whole load of easy runs awaiting you up there. Nightlife is a bit mad, recommend Quo Vadis - check out the www.arinsal.com website for more info. Westendorf in Austria claims to have taught more Brits to ski, and there are some good nursey slopes in the village, before you progress up the mountain, and some quite easy reds too. Very Tyrolean! We have also been to Kirchdorf in Austria, and some friends learned there, good ski school, and once you have become proficient on the nursery slopes, the Steinplatte at Waidring is a fantastic place with easy blues, and plenty of mountain restaurants (Thomson Ski) - the beauty of this place is that you can do an all inclusive for a reasonable price, - half board, lift pass and lessons all included. Kirchdorf is quieter at night, but St Johann is 10 mins by taxi if you are a night owl. I have known skiers go to these resorts several times - and they are all very friendly too!
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I have skied both the Sierra Nevada (or Sol y Nieve as it used to be called) and La Molina up in the Pyrenees. La Molina was my first ever trip and was good fun, although the snow was not so good in March but 20 years later I am still skiing so it certainly sparked my enthusiasm. Sierra Nevada we arrived during a white out and could not see the resort for 3 days, so had no idea where we were, other than in a hotel on a hill! Bit scary. However, once it cleared and the damage to the resort was evident from the ice storm (1989) we spent a lot of time up on the slopes, with what runs and lifts we could use. Beware of the strong sun, I got severely sunburnt by not using a high enough factor sunscreen, and people were passing out in the lift queues as their heads got so hot, and people were also scooping up snow to put in the hats on their heads - extreme weather and rather peculiar!!! Found the resort a bit odd and lacked atmosphere but it was a while ago and I gather things have improved. Granada is well worth a visit and we had some time at the Alhambra, which was brill.
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I too have had a similar experience and many years of lessons could not get me sorted out. I have taken a different if slightly unorthodox approach this year and had 1 course of hynotherapy to get rid of the fear, plus a private lesson. So far the two have worked and I was so chuffed that I decided to take this route. A private lesson sorted out lots of issues, but the fear factor had definitely disappeared. I was amazed how common this problem is, once I had explained it to the hynotherapist. Money well spent!
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