J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by admin

pavelski wrote:3 hour session with tiny screw on heel areas and skier never leans back!!!

:-o :shock:

...if someone put a screw in my boot I think I could find yet another use for my ski poles!!! :lol:

Sounds extreme but I'll bet it works well - am not going to try it with the better half however! 8)

Hey jobster, nice of you to take a break from your skiing and drop in here... :wink:

Ok, you've done La Clusaz (hope you had a good time)... how about Flaine?

Variety of accommodation and the architecture's not to everyone's taste but the skiing is great and might suit your mixed little group.

There are easy (flat!) greens in the centre which are ideal for a first day on skis - with a bunch of decent cafes and restaurants all around for refreshment stops too. Unusually there are also a couple of green runs right up at the top, where there is a stunning view of Mont Blanc to give your beginner something to remember (top place for a group photo).

If he gets on well there is a very long, moderately easy Blue from top to bottom that will give a sense of achievement!

And for you girls, there are some brilliant, long Reds going from wide open to winding down through the trees. And a scary black or two if you're really feeling "up for it".

15 - Glove Holder (while taking photos)

16 - Glove Waver (using poles for semaphore - to tell your wife that your cell-phone battery just died due to the cold)

17 - Sock Airer - to hold ripe ski socks a safe distance from your apartments balcony).

18 - Self Defence against beasts when skiing the backcountry.

I received the following question by PM. My answer follows, but what do the team think?

Is it bad to ski without poles? I ski all of the time without them and I think that I do better.

Is it bad to ski without poles?

No, absolutely not! But it does depend on the type of skiing you aspire to, and the level you want to achieve.

In fact, skiing without poles often forms part of an instructor's drills - to get you to focus on your legs and your skis.

Poles definitely have their uses but they're a lot less necessary (for piste skiing, at least) than they used to be. With old-style skinny skis, pole-plants were almost essential to help un-weight the ski (prior to rotation) and to give you rhythm. Modern shaped skis just don't need the same input (on piste), and can be ridden very effectively without poles.

Aside from assisting you on the flat (if you don't skate), poles are still very relevant on steep trails, in the bumps, and away from the piste. Effective use of poles is an essential skill for anyone looking to ski the whole mountain.

But for the many people who are perfectly happy sticking to the piste (the "groomers"), I think poles are a matter of preference.

Just MHO, of course,

ise wrote:gently steaming in the midday sun

Not sure I really needed that image just as I was biting into my (aromatic) blue cheese sandwich... :lol:

Hi Martty, some of our partners do Airport Transfers to Les Gets - worth giving any of these a try (they offer a range of private and shared options) :-

Transfer Intelligence do transfers from Chambery, Geneva and Lyon.
Ski Hoppa go to Les Gets from Grenoble and Turin.
Geneva Chamonix Transfers also go to Les Gets from Geneva.

8)

The following Avalanche Warning has just been issued by our friends over at PisteHors :-

The weather system over the course of Monday dumped 20 to 40cm of fresh snow at 2000m, 40 to 60cm at 2500m but with accumulations of snow due to the wind from the west. There have been three separate falls of snow since last Wednesday bringing 60 to 90cm of fresh to the Bauges and Beaufortain and 50cm elsewhere.

There are fresh slabs, particularly above 2000m on north sector slopes. These slabs resemble fresh powder and are very difficult to detect visually. A single skier or snowboarder could start a sizeable avalanche which could be sizeable on an open slope. Lower down take care on close to summits, convex slopes especially north-east to east slope aspects.

The sun will return to the Oisans, Savoie and Haute-Savoie during the course of Tuesday. The off-piste will look particularly inviting but the risks are very high at the moment even on quite low slope angles.

So take care if you're lucky enough to be out there this week.

So, do you or don't you? (wear a transceiver)

Remember a Transceiver is no use if you don't know how to use it; and if you don't carry a Probe and Shovel too - you'll have little chance of getting your buddy out before they suffocate.