J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Neiltoo

There is a really pretty camp site between Tignes Les Boisses and Tignes Les Breviere, about 10 mins drive from the funicular at Val Claret. There were also a few camper vans in the Val Claret car park (its free in the summer)

KevinC wrote:

amanda n wrote:i love slalom beats me how they know which poles to go around, downhill very good too, and free style is completely nutty

Obviously it's left of red, right of blue (or the other way round) but can anyone explain why they have double gates sometimes, and why there are sometimes other poles on the course that they don't ski round - doesn't that make it confusing for them?

Perhaps it makes more sense to see it in person.

They are all gates, i.e. each gate is made up of 2 poles so you have red gates and blue gates.
Sometimes it will seem as if one pole of a gate is off to the side and not relevant but if it wasn't there then the course wouldn't make sense



You can see that sometimes it would seem that you could go through a gate in either direction but if you choose the wrong way then you come out of the course.

As to how they know which way to go? They have inspected the course beforehand and memorized it. They've been doing this since they were little kids - it becomes second nature after a while.

I spent a week in Tignes last August.
I had a great trip.
Standard wise, were talking blue and red runs.
Lifts open early, 7am, ski till 1pm. Gets too slushy after that.
In theory its very icy first thing and gets softer as the day goes on. Some nights it didn't freeze solid over night so not too bad next morning but then got slushy sooner.
I hadn't been in Tignes in the summer for 15 years or so and I was amazed how small the ski area had got. Not because the glacier has shrunk (it has a bit) but because there was so little snow on the glacier, surprising since there was so much snow there in April. It must have been a very warm spring.
If you go planning to ski half the day and spend the rest of the day walking or mountain biking then its fun, if you go expecting to do the same amount of skiing you do in the winter then you will be disappointed.

Its much cheaper in the summer than the winter. I stayed at Hotel Diva in Val Claret, room rates are almost half what they are in winter high season.

The size of the ski area will depend on snow cover. My avatar pic was taken in Tignes in July about 20 years ago on the 'face' piste. This august there was no snow on that part of the glacier at all.
The summer ski area piste map shows the leisse and vanoise lifts and their pistes - None of these were operational this August.

Pablo Escobar wrote:Quiet in the shop? :P

What makes you think that? :D

Research, part of my job )

I've had a chance to compare the web film with the DVD and there are a few more sections on the DVD including a group skiing the marinelli couloir (ski bums rather than pro skiers) its between 45 and 50 degrees for 2000 vertical meters. There is also a comedy trailer for the movie which is quite entertaining.

Matching skis, poles and jacket?

How co-ordinated of you )


Edit: as you said. I didn't see the text between the pics first time around :oops:

Pablo Escobar wrote:Also, am I missing something or can you actually download the file off vimeo to have on your computer? I would like it there also..

I'm watching it as I type this, we've had it on in the shop for days now!

There is some bonus stuff on the DVD and I think that you can download it but you probably have to join Vimeo.
Is the Marinelli couloir section in the web clip?

There are some downloadable clips on Guido's site as well.

There is a link to his site on the Macski home page, bottom right.

Pablo Escobar wrote:Neiltoo, when I came across it I knew I had seen it before.. sorry!!!

No Problem, I'm glad its getting some exposure :D

I've got the dvd (much better quality) its only 10 euros incl. postage.
Half of the profits go to Swiss disabled skiers.
I've skied with quite a few of the people in the movie, never met huck and chuck though.