J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by bandit

boardbiker wrote:I have travel insurance inc winter sports cover, do i need to bother with the EHIC thingy (because i have NO idea of what it is about)?

Yes, absolutely!. The EHIC is free and many insurers will waive the excess on the medical section of a policy in the event of a claim, if an EHIC is used.

Check your small print :D

Tony, did the man in S&R do a shell check to see if you have the correct size shell?

If he did, and it was okay, then you may be able to simply replace the liners, get some foamed, or buy some Zipfits to replace the loose ones. Which would save money now, and give your boots a new lease of life.

Ski boots generally share a shell size between 2 Mondopoint sizes, it's the amount of filling in the liner that varies. Not all makers make the same call on the measurement though.

jeremyn wrote:thanks for that bandit, whne you say more compact, is CM small ?, I have had a look at the maps and it's hard to tell how big it actualy is and also if there are many black runs which will keep me ocupied ?

thanks so much

C-M is not a small resort in mileage terms, and will be fine for a week's stay. The marked black runs are pretty tame, but as the resort attracts deck chair loving skiers, the off piste can stay untouched for days. The only place that the off-piste is a big no-no is from the Plain Morte glacier, though the run down is long and a serious leg burner if you don't stop. It could be that this year, you will need to compromise a bit, so that your wife can learn her skills without being surrounded by 6'5 cliff jumping Scandi's all carrying ice axes in their packs on the cable car up IYKWIM :D

http://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Switzerland/Crans_Montana.html

Hi jeremyn, welcome to J2ski :D

I have skied both resorts, Crans Montana more so than Zermatt. For a beginner I would say that C-M is a better bet, as it is well geared to novice skiers/boarders.
Zermatt is big, pricey and the whole place feels dominated by a rather large mountain (that'll be the Matterhorn then). C-M is more compact, has a linked system, and has some gentle tree lined runs to Crans, which are great on foggy/snowy days. It has a fun feel about on the slopes. Plenty of bars and cafe's with deckchairs on the hill.
Plenty of trudging in boots in car free Zermatt, as the electric buses seem a bit over-subscribed!. I saw big queues for electric taxi's last year. C-M has a skiers shuttle between the base stations, which, AFAIR is free and runs to a timetable.

At this time, your wife is not going to be able to appreciate the range of slopes on offer in Zermatt, maybe next season?

Wanderer wrote:You lot are frightening me - I spend quite a bit on getting new boots in resort last year and they fit beautifully. Now I am terrified that they will "pack in" and be too loose within a short period. Thanks for the worry :evil: :evil: :evil:

If you are wearing the correct size boot, it will not be a problem, have a little faith in your fitter :D

Dave Mac wrote:

Tony, I have had my Raichle for 16 years, they still handle perfectly well. And that is with multiple weeks skiing each year, so approaching 60 weeks.

Dave Mac, ISTR that the liner foam on your Raichle boots are of a different compound to most modern ski boot liners. Less likely to compress.

Dave Mac wrote:
I am not a boot expert, Ise and bandit are the knowledgable folk. But thinking from first principles, if the boots did fit well, what has changed? (I suspect in your case it may be something to do with the binding/binding location)

I'm not a boot expert, actually I only know what works for me and my OH, and can't claim any expertise connected with ski gear. Some of it is common sense, some I have learned the hard way with mistakes costing £££

For me, what has probably changed for Tony, is that he's skiing harder, with better skill and needs his boots to be an extension of his legs. Modern piste skis require precision to make them really carve well, and any sloppiness in a boot gets magnified when it reaches the ski. Then, because the foot is moving in the boot, you get friction/toe bang/blisters all of which are bad.

Tony, if the Snow & Rock foam padding is insufficient, then it may be worth emailing cem for advice, as there is a product which might help called a "boot bra" (no jokes please). I know of them but I have never seen them in the ski shops. I bet the dealers hide them away as it's much easier if we all buy new boots.

We also have UK petrol stations that sell "gas" (LPG) for cars to run on :D

I was out for a test drive in a new Subaru Forester Diesel yesterday. Very interesting. Drives like a petrol powered car, handles like a Subaru, accelerates like a turbo Subaru, but does 40mpg ) :D
The dealership was offering £25 worth of fuel for our car, simply to take a test drive.
Well I enjoyed myself )

espinchi wrote:I am planning to go to Zermatt or Engelberg next week (Wed 12th to Fri 14th).

If I wait until the last minute (ie, 2 days in advance) to book the hotel, will I have any problems finding accommodation?

Welcome to J2ski :D

That all depends on other folks not having the same idea :D

The Tourist Offices in both resorts are very helpful, drop them an email and enquire.