Season 14/15 Banter thread

cormee

Timmaay wrote: »

Last day but had an unbelievable last hr of skiing, gunning it down a few reds, and plenty of booze on the ready now!

Livin' the dream!

Timmaay

cormee wrote: »

Livin' the dream!

Hmmmm not quite today, jagurbombs are not my friend!!

fobster

Timmaay wrote: »

Hmmmm not quite today, jagurbombs are not my friend!!

Genepi and Chartreuse for me! Lethal!

Decent snowfall in Tignes? UCPA centre good there? I've heard the rooms are fairly small!

Les Deux Alpes had a wee bit of snow, great week, bit of everything, off-piste, blacks, reds and working on my technique... topped off with the instructor saying my turns were perfect on a particular section! And of course I ate a load of great food courtesy of the UCPA, I had the most tender lamb I've ever tasted and the desserts, ice cream and sorbets were so good!

Timmaay

Snow was good, decent dump before we came, so the Sun and Monday were epic! Tue morning I made sh1t of my knee, was getting abit slushy down at lower altitudes (hence my accident, I don't like slushy at all ha), Wed and Thur very very foggy down low, however I discovery the Glacier in VDI which had about 18inchs of fresh snow, and above the fog! That was epic!!

The Tignes UCPA certainly is basic, quite old, due to get a total overhaul I think, having said that that didn't take away from the good atmosphere. I have heard the VDI centre is much nicer, and there were loads of very good reds and blacks in around the VDI area, if I was to go back I'd probably stay there.

Biggest hassle of the whole weekend however were the transfers, took 4 or 5hours between the bus making loads of stops etc, on the way home 2hrs sitting in the airport also, I really did have it easy last year with less than an hr between Geneva and Morzine ha!

fobster

Yeah when I went to Tignes a few years I got a coach to Moutiers and then an organised taxi the rest of the way, bones of 4 hours, would have definitely been longer if the coach was only for Tignes!

Les Deux Alpes is 2 hours from Grenoble and Flaine is 90 minutes from Geneva, Flaine has one of the best snow records and the UCPA centre is a renovated hotel. The rooms are nearly twice the size of other centres and, based on the room I was in, each room has its own toilet and the shower is a proper unit with glass door. I was told in Val D you have to put a towel down to stop water getting into the rest of the room!

Tignes & Val D do combine to make a great ski area but man do I hate transfers!

xchancellor

Booked UCPA Val Thorens for w/c 11th, like the sound of it from the reviews in here

Timmaay

fobster wrote: »

Yeah when I went to Tignes a few years I got a coach to Moutiers and then an organised taxi the rest of the way, bones of 4 hours, would have definitely been longer if the coach was only for Tignes!

Les Deux Alpes is 2 hours from Grenoble and Flaine is 90 minutes from Geneva, Flaine has one of the best snow records and the UCPA centre is a renovated hotel. The rooms are nearly twice the size of other centres and, based on the room I was in, each room has its own toilet and the shower is a proper unit with glass door. I was told in Val D you have to put a towel down to stop water getting into the rest of the room!

Tignes & Val D do combine to make a great ski area but man do I hate transfers!

Ya get the text about flaine for 350stg for the full week? That was tempting ha, but my body defo couldnt have hacked a 2nd week of skiing! But interesting about Flaine, I sorta assumed it was too much at the edge of the Alpes to be snowsure, It's mad close to Geneva so easy transfers, and the bigger rooms sound like a bonus. I'll look into it for next year defo.

fobster

Got no text! Not an option for me, my first season where I got 2 one week trips in so I can't be too greedy!

I discovered Flaine by searching what resorts had the best snow records, couldn't believe it was so close to Geneva!
It is the perfect late January/early February resort as it only goes up to ~2,500m.

The terrace at the UCPA centre is great for eating lunch outside and perfect for basking in the sun!

In other news, I may well have the opportunity to spend next season in a resort!

xchancellor

I was at Flaine (Grand Massif) in Febuary and the ski area is great. Suffered a bit with the snow right enough this year albeit like pretty much everywhere

fannymagee

Last few days on skis! AAAGHH, SEPARATION ANXIETY!!! Oh the stress of it all ;-)

a148pro

Pretty sickening sitting here reading reports of tons of snow and low temps in Austria, while simultaneously eying up pretty cheap flights to Zurich and Munich... Can't convince any of my mates to go though

fannymagee

a148pro wrote: »

Pretty sickening sitting here reading reports of tons of snow and low temps in Austria, while simultaneously eying up pretty cheap flights to Zurich and Munich... Can't convince any of my mates to go though

Looks like a bluebird Easter here in Soll, flights tomorrow €138, do it!! Skiing alone is good for the soul

AlternateID

I'd always be up for a trip, assuming I'd get time off work, but just changed my car. Birthday present to myself.

cormee

AlternateID wrote: »

I'd always be up for a trip, assuming I'd get time off work, but just changed my car. Birthday present to myself.

Same here, am toying with the idea of one last trip, to Chamonix, before the season ends. They have been getting heaps of snow in the last week. Can't see the wife agreeing to it though.

a148pro

cormee wrote: »

Same here, am toying with the idea of one last trip, to Chamonix, before the season ends. They have been getting heaps of snow in the last week. Can't see the wife agreeing to it though.

My problem too unfortunately...

fannymagee

a148pro wrote: »

My problem too unfortunately...

I can highly recommend having the OH stationed in a ski resort. Problem solved ;-)

cormee

a148pro wrote: »

My problem too unfortunately...

Mrs Cormee had frowned upon my plans. Could this be it until next January? Dear God, it may be.

cormee

fannymagee wrote: »

I can highly recommend having the OH stationed in a ski resort. Problem solved ;-)

Good idea. I stay in Dublin, and she moves to resort, that way everything would be ready for my arrival.

fannymagee

cormee wrote: »

Good idea. I stay in Dublin, and she moves to resort, that way everything would be ready for my arrival.

Exactly. I have been known to text ahead & say "I'm arriving at x time, make sure my boots are warm"

Princess Fannymagee hates struggling into cold boots ;-)

Seifer

Back from a week in Val Thorens with the UCPA and it was awesome.
The whole UCPA set up is great and the skiing was unbelieveable. First four days the sun belted down for amazing views. The last two the visibility was poor and it rained low down but it meant we got powder higher up.

Signed up for confirmé level of lessons and they created a confirmé/expert group. We spent more than half the time off piste; instructor just took us where he felt like. Got coaching on black run moguls, skimmed the edge of Lac de Lou, skied powder gulleys; really was an unbelieveable week

fannymagee

Seifer wrote: »

Back from a week in Val Thorens with the UCPA and it was awesome.
The whole UCPA set up is great and the skiing was unbelieveable. First four days the sun belted down for amazing views. The last two the visibility was poor and it rained low down but it meant we got powder higher up.

Signed up for confirmé level of lessons and they created a confirmé/expert group. We spent more than half the time off piste; instructor just took us where he felt like. Got coaching on black run moguls, skimmed the edge of Lac de Lou, skied powder gulleys; really was an unbelieveable week

Sounds amazing!! It's great to come home with that feeling :-)

fobster

Sounds like an epic week! Was that your first UCPA trip? Deadly or what?!

Got myself my first pair of ski boots last Thursday, they're now in the attic... Out of sight so I won't go insane!

Fingers crossed, the stars align and I'll spending a few months in the pow next year

Seifer

fobster wrote: »

Sounds like an epic week! Was that your first UCPA trip? Deadly or what?!

Got myself my first pair of ski boots last Thursday, they're now in the attic... Out of sight so I won't go insane!

Fingers crossed, the stars align and I'll spending a few months in the pow next year

Yeah, it was my first time away with the UCPA and the first time I went solo. It was only my fourth trip and this year is the first time I've gone twice in one season.

The whole thing was really well organised. Centre was modern, clean and spacious. Food was amazing for the price. Was lucky to have a few other English speakers in my group too.

Gonna look to pick up a helmet in the off-season and if I do another multi-trip season I think I'll be looking at boots soon too

fobster

Where did you head on your first trip? This was my first two-trip season as well, Flaine in Jan and L2A in March. The UCPA centre in Flaine is the business, big sun terrace, big bedrooms. And the food... *drool*

Defo get boots man, I think the main thing holding me back improving more is rental boots.

Seifer

fobster wrote: »

Where did you head on your first trip? This was my first two-trip season as well, Flaine in Jan and L2A in March. The UCPA centre in Flaine is the business, big sun terrace, big bedrooms. And the food... *drool*

Defo get boots man, I think the main thing holding me back improving more is rental boots.

I was in El Tarter, Andorra at the end of February for a week of knee deep powder

Yeah, I can only imagine the extra feel and control you get on the skis from having boots that contour exactly to your foot. It's a long off-season, maybe gear splurging will be the best way to get through it :P

fannymagee

Buy the boots!! :-)

AlternateID

I saw snow on the webcam today fanny.

fannymagee

Yeah it was great, it's only going now! Seven more months- and I've gotta feeling that next season's gonna be a good 'un!! :-)

cormee

fannymagee wrote: »

Seven more months

I packed all my gear away two nights ago

It was laid out in spare bedroom, ready for action, never to be called.

It wasn't the best season for me, it has to be said. I hated Les Arcs, and my new boots were too small for me, I only changed to bigger boots on last day of second trip and it made a big difference, but still too late to make any impact on my opinion of the season.

I'll definitely be pushing for a return to the 3V next season.

fannymagee

cormee wrote: »

I packed all my gear away two nights ago

It was laid out in spare bedroom, ready for action, never to be called.

It wasn't the best season for me, it has to be said. I hated Les Arcs, and my new boots were too small for me, I only changed to bigger boots on last day of second trip and it made a big difference, but still too late to make any impact on my opinion of the season.

I'll definitely be pushing for a return to the 3V next season.

You just reminded me, I got my boots padded up a few weeks ago but I think I overdid it! Had numb toes a few times so better pop back in & get them redone. It makes such a huge difference when they're done properly.

Wait till you see though. It'll suddenly be Christmas & I still won't have done it ;-)