J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Dave Mac

matton wrote:My office on Gold Coast Australia overlooks the surf and it is has been going off here recently. Next week I have booked a weeks holiday of surfing at Byron Bay in Wategos Beach, then back to work for 1 week, then to Val d' Isere for snow. Good times ahead. Any recomendations for ski hire?

Hi Matt, I have surfed on the East coast, and been to the lighthouse at Byron Bay.
On this site, J2ski, check out:
http://www.skiset.co.uk/partner/j2ski/

Ski well.......

This strikes me as a bit odd, Tspill. Assuming that you are not in your 70s, or a beginner, most people of average fitness should be able to get through a days skiing without being unduly affected. Yes sure, the legs are a bit tired, but there should be no effect of "hitting the wall".

I have suffered this, in 50 mile fell races, or marathons where the conditions have been hot, but would not come close to it in a days skiing.

Have you considered this might be a medical condition? Perhaps a diabetes type condition? Worth considering. Away from skiing, do you get tired in other sports?

This is a good and important thread. Avalanches apart, a complete whiteout is one of the most dangerous situations a snowsports person can get into.

A compass? Well yes, but does your lift pass show N & S? I have never seen one that does. Resort and run knowledge is useful knowledge to add to the use of a compass. I have never carried a compass when skiing, and I don't know anyone that does, but some people will.

A mobile phone app? Late in the day, when the January temperature dros below -15 deg, batteries has a propensity to go flat. If that is the safety net, I would not like to hang my hat on that.

If you are lucky enough to be skiing in a low resort ~ they have their whiteouts too, you can see more clearl if you ski beside the trees, and obtain the benefit of reflected light.

I have been caught out many times in whiteouts, sometimes it was down to a bad mountaineering judgement, sometimes an unexpected weather change.I have been caught out on the wrong side of a mountain, when the Lift company closed it for the day ~ most times resulting in some expense in getting back, once in a 15 mile low level walk.

I have also taken a chance and followed two guys I judged to be locals, down a glacier, and they were not hanging about! That day I learned a lesson about skiing whiteout in a high area.

I have occasionally made judgements at the top, that this was not safe skiing, and have gone down the hill on the Gondola. I see no difference to doing that, and turning back off Striding Edge, in a whiteout with sheet ice on the rocks. It is a mountaineering judgement.

No easy solution.

There are still high winds here, leading to a wind chill factor. Glenshee and Glencoe have the highest % of open lifts, and there is good snow cover.

Best overall site, which could be better is they removed the historical stuff from their lead page, is:

http://www.winterhighland.info/

Just to be clear, although it is a general situation that a lift pass is operational from 3pm prior to the actual booked date, equipment hire will only generally operate from 4.00pm.

So be in the hire shop 15 min early to fill out the paperwork!

moogy wrote:I have decided on the 175cm :)

That'll probably be OK, but if you change your mind, you can just change them.
I am taller than you, but will probably go for 165s and then use my 185 Volkl straights if the conditions are good. Will also try out my 2meter K2s, just for the nostalgia..... :-)

I am 6ft 3in, and an experienced skier. I have normally skied 185s straights, but also occasionally run out on my 200 K2carvers.
Last season I bought a pair of 165 Atomic carvers, mainly to reduce the leverage on my knees.
I find that after 10 mins, my action has adjusted the the ski change.

Not sure if Snowbrainer operate there. There are 3 hire shops in Niederau:
Thaler, I would not recommend, poor service.

Sport Blachfelder, I have arranged a group package before and got a good deal. Katrin and Christoph are champion racers, both have raced at world levels in their respective specialisms. The shop website is http://www.sportblachfelder.at/
You can also book them through Snowell at http://www.snowell.com/2/en/30/6314-WildschoenauNiederau-Austria-ski-hire-skirental?gclid=CML7oLrxua0CFaEhtAodADXrBA

Skiset, through J2ski
My experience is that there isn't a great deal to choose between the two of them, the J2ski discount generally just shades it for Skiset.

All three are within 50m of the slopes.

Moogy, your contract was with Skiset, and you should have taken up the problem with them on your return. Even now, I would register a complaint, they have a good response service.