J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by andymol2

If you don't pre-book your hotel room on the way down don't leave it too late in the day to start looking as the cheaper hotels - Ibis & the like fill up very quickly come tea time.

Bar Le Duc is a reasonable stop off point en-route to the Alps.

I wouldn't go for the high mountain passes in Jan though - this was Stelvio in September!

They are the only option for some cars where there is insufficient clearance to use chains without fouling the body.

Apparently they work quite well but don't break the compacted snow up as well as chains do.

The Donjoy ones are the ones I'm most familiar with and can recommend. I don't doubt there are others.
The stats suggest those who've ruptured the ACL on 1 knee are more likely than the average person to do the same on the other knee. (Obviously this is a bit individual - a relatively low trauma rupture suggests an inherent weakness - being hit above and below the knee by a couple of 18 stone flankers is probably more than any knee can take)

If one knee's gone without major trauma I'd go for a pair of braces.

Swell - the mechanical function of the knee, whilst on the face of it is a hinge joint, the reality it is far more complex. To deliver functional support that significantly supports your anterior cruciate is difficult. (Trying not to get too medical here) braces like the Donjoy grip the inside of the knee so that the hinges align themselves with the joint, grip the thigh and calf firmly enough to handle the stresses that get passed through them. They also have adjustable stops that prevent the knee from over extending.

There is verified medical research that shows the wearing of a functional brace (rather than a simple hinged support) reduces the risk of re-injury. That's rather different to manufacturers claims. the research was published in one of the major US sports medicine journals but didn't get a lot of notice in the orthopaedic world in the UK. I stumbled across it after my wife did her acl skiing (won me a wager with one of my partners who also works in an orthopaedic clinic who also claimed there was no evidence)

A lot of people with strong quads & hamstrings can cope without an ACL - I'm pretty sure Rory Underwood was playing for England without them. (Repairs were less common and less predictable back in those days). It depends on leg strength, knee structure and sex.

olly123456789 wrote:There is know real reason for someone to fall over when being taught to ski.


Cant remember the last adult to fall over in one of my lessons.

If you learn on the dry slope the first lesson is a lot of work but from there on is quite easy, as was said on an erlia post if they really want to learn to ski they will be able to. i don't see 65 as being to old.

They will fall whether in the lesson or when let loose on the nursery slope. At that age I guess it's a case of pushing the envelope gently as they won't bounce as easily and certainly won't be used to bouncing as a younger person.

At that age I would suggest they invest in some protective equipment (not just the helmet) but consider wrist guards like snowboarders do and possibly hip protectors. This is particularly relevant to older women skiers who are more likely to be osteoporotic (to an extent) and at greater risk of fractures.

A deal of cardivascular fitness work may be worthwhile so that the exercise doesn't come as so much of a shock or they are too exhausted to ski. Obviously this depends on their normal exercise levels. There are a lot of uber fit pensioners out there these days.

In general they aren't as expensive although they have the Euro.
The ski school in El Tarter was good and in general the Andorran ski schools have a good reputation and have ski instructors from many countries.

Where you stay depends on what you want - El Tarter is quite quiet, Soldeu has a bit more and the livelier night life is to be found in Pas.

silicon paper (available from cookshops). Cling film is another option- will peel off eventually but won't show if it doesn't come off easily.

Is it April Fool's day?
Perhaps they could carpet it & spray froth on top to make it look like the snow in a supermarket advert?


I know we've cold weather forecast for the weekend but with global warming isn't Yorkshire too far South to make it as a ski resort? Perhaps we could get a big tugboat & tow Britain towards the North pole for the winter & perhaps down to the Med for the summer

The disused coal mines could then be lifted above ground and the tops of the tunnels removed & used for the bob runs. The many disused railway lines could be used for the cross country skiing.

The biathlon could prove tricky given the Britains strict gun laws so perhaps instead of rifles it scould be swapped to clay pigeon shooting?

The apres-ski would be different - you'd have a choice between proper ales, malts & alco-pops instead of larger, wine & Jagermeister. Steak & Kidney pie would replace Tartiflette (apologies for the spelling). Full English v buffet breakfast, kippers v cold ham, mash v polenta, black pudding v boudin noir?
Round 2 to Yorkshire as cheese gives me migraines.
The Scandinavians have whale meat, Yorkshire would counter with a couple of fat lasses. (Better stop there to avoid getting censored for smut). Gin v Aquavit.

Then health & safety would ban chair lifts & deem downhill skiing too dangerous to be allowed without a licence & points & fines for speeding. :wink: