J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by admin

...brief encounters with day old powder at Val d'Isere showed the Screams as very capable here too - the shovel is fat and stiff enough to pull the ski into surprisingly tight turns in the soft stuff and the mid-fat profile works a treat. And back on the hard-pack, they are rock solid and oh-so-predictable, even blasting over really ugly crud without ever losing grip.

Really feel on top of these skis now and can't wait to go bigger, steeper and deeper - a terrific all-mountain ski. 8)

Anyone know Champoluc or Alagna???

Ok, just back from a long weekend in Val and... er, I still don't quite get it. About the fourth time I've skiied there (though not for a few years) and it still seems terribly spread out - interminable blue runs linking great runs at opposite ends of valleys, some decent steeps but almost all ending far too rapidly in some pedestrian motorway piste that is only fun at eye-watering speeds (when quiet)...

The Face, an exception to the above, can be a terrific run but is often an anti-climax; either positively nasty down low (rocks'n'ice as per this last weekend) or the snow is decent in which case every man (and his dog) clutter it up so much you're lucky to link more than 2 turns in the steep sections before having to dodge some terrified "intermediate".

Some fun to be had between the pistes but the best off-piste action is in some serious "take a guide or die" territory... or is that last actually the point?

The town is pleasant enough but just why is it so highly rated? Compared to, say, Les Arcs it seems to me that Val is somewhat overblown and certainly over-priced...

So, any fans of Val want to help me out here? What am I missing?

Certainly the major places like Tignes (a quick google showed up Sport 2000 at Tignes, Les Arcs, the Three Valleys and, of course Chamonix see here for starters and some hire-related links should see you right. From a quick look, Chamonix appears to give you the best possibilities and has a wide variety of skiing too (from easy cruising to serious extreme).

I also recall seeing plenty of telemarkers around Les Aravis (La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand) too.

What an inspiration... he comes within a whisker of losing a leg in an accident and two years later is not just competing but winning world class events.

Big Respect, Hermann!

Hi Dig, "romantic skiing" is not uncommon in France so I'm sure the larger resorts would have hire available. Decide where you want to ski and then check the links from the official web sites - most list the major rental shops at each location.

The Aiguille Rouge, despite its name, is a Black Run that descends the peak of the same name from way above Arc 2000.

It is notable for its length (8km) and vertical descent (over 2000m), spectacular setting and opportunity for some challenging variations off the run.

From the interestingly steep start the first section widens out onto a gentle initial gradient before descending through a wide variety of slopes. For more than 8km the run continues, dropping away to the other side of the ridge from Arc 2000 and descending, eventually, to the hamlet of Villaroger in the adjacent valley.

There are a few points that can be challenging but most of the run can be tackled by a confident intermediate. The piste starts above 3000 metres altitude so good quality snow can almost always be found on the upper half at least. The lower half of the run is fairly sheltered (being North facing) and so holds the snow well, although late afternoon descents can be made tricky by failing light.

The marked run itself can be left at several points, notable among which are several different routes down into Arc 2000 (which include a wide and steep slope and a couple of possible couloirs), and interesting deviations through the trees toward Villaroger.

Refreshments can be grabbed in the latter part of the run, either at Henri's mountain restaurant or at Le Ferme in Le Pre.

A fine place to stay, for a weekend doing the Aiguille Rouge, is with <a href="http://www.optimumski.com" target="_blank">Optimum Ski</a>, in Le Pre - at the end of the run.

8)

Screams are now christened... at Tignes on Saturday and Sunday just gone...

Off piste was out of bounds so I was "confined" to blasting the Reds down the Grande Motte to Val Claret but that gave me a good feel for the skis on piste.

I'll post a fuller review later but, in summary, I'm well pleased so far. They lock into the carve beautifully, whether vandalising the corduroy behind a piste-basher or running from hard-pack into soft stuff and then back into crud.

They do need to be edged properly (e.g. will not suit a "lower" intermediate coming straight off carvers) but feel very light under foot and flick edge-to-edge very quickly.

And they do need stiff boots - I did my first run with boots not fully tight (to let my feet warm up) and was all over the place... but...

With everything set right the Screams are the most precise and predictable I think I've ever skiied on.

And, yes David (;^), they do "chatter" a bit on the hard-pack but at least those dopey snowboarders who sit down out-of-sight below the ridges can hear me coming for once!

Bring on the powder... please...