Messages posted by : Innsbrucker
|
Austrians have a different style of kitschy music, and a different style of skiing than the French. You still see the old wedeln style on the pistes. For a great example of both the style of music and the wedeln style of skiing, check out this video by Hansi Hinterseer. The words say 'everyone one loves someone who can wedeln in rhythm'
If you ski (or sing) that way people will think you are Austrian… |
|
|
Amazing video. As for walking up, that must take a long time? There is a lift.... but coming down is so much better when you have earned it.
|
|
|
"winter": I like the warm sun in the day and the cosy bars in the evening. As someone lucky enough to spend a lot of time in the Alps, I and my friends who are in a similar situation do not ski when it is cold and snowing. Most of the time skiing in the Alps is sunny and at my favourite resort you find people have taken the lift for the sole purpose of sitting in deck chairs sunbathing. It is true that if you are based in UK and book a week, you are subject to luck with the weather, and may be faced with the choice of skiing in wintry weather or not getting much skiing done.
I have never been cold on a ski slope, but I have been (when touring) sweating in T-shirt and jeans. So for me a lot of the reason for skiing is to get away from cold, damp, windy English winter and get some sun without the inconvenience of travelling to southern hemisphere. Sure you can do that in the Costas, but the the white mountains are very pretty, especially when the peaks are gold with sunset. Risk? I do not like anything about taking risks. I ski slowly when people are around. You can still get into trouble, especially if you fall on a steep slope. Like driving a car the biggest risk is from the other idiots! No one enjoys the serious risk of seeing an out-of-control skiier or boarder heading your way. You minimise risk. The second biggest risk is skiing tired. So I don't, I spend enough time hanging out in ski huts, and I don't OD on alcohol when there. I end the ski day when too tired to ski safely, and this moment comes faster when the snow is difficult. |
|
|
Sorry Mr. Tongolese Barrister has beek kicked off. I have sent him the £2,000 documentation fee. Maybe now he will get annoyed and hesitate about sending me the 25 big ones....
|
|
There is also a glacier at Stubai which is pretty good, A friend told me today he was there earlier in the week and that and the 10km unpisted route from the bottom of the main ski area to the the road was still skiable, but that at the age of 67 he could not handle the thin air at the top. I may go up to Stubai glacier one day next week as I will be in Innsbruck, but reality is that the best skiing is over :-( For non-glacier your obvious high resorts are Obergurgl, and (closer to Innsbruck) Kuhtai. The same friend found Kuhtai reasonably good at the beginning of this week, without the very thin air at the top of Stubai glacier. |
|
Best wishes for recovery. Funny how knee problems are tied in with other things. Over-developed quad muscles I heard yesterday from my rollerblade teacher can also cause knee problems. It is tough skiing I think for anyone without strong kneee. A friend who is a fit young guy from the Pyrennese (so skiing should be second nature) but can probably not ski ever again after smashing a knee against a tree while boarding in the woods. At least you are doing a bit better than he is, and are on the mend, so some good news there, even though it is taking a while. |
|
Not great. Why? Still I guess you also do touring uphill, which is just a great in its way. I flew to Innsbruck for the weekend (expensive flight :-/), got to my favourite resort and found it closed (there were tourers, who are equipped to walk up, skiing, but no lifts open). Went elsewhere and did two shortish runs, it was horribly foggy at the top, and weather forecast for all nearby resorts was equally bad. Something was telling me it is over. Next time I go (which I do also out of ski season) it will time for the spring ritual of putting out the garden table and sun umbrella and making Pimms or Aperol spritzers. May do a glacier day. Real addicts must either go to New Zealand now or at least get into roller skiing in Hyde Park.... |
|
Never skied on 120 waist. That must feel different, especially on piste. I was more talking about the range of things which might be used on piste, from narrow to all mountain skis.
Skins and touring bindings are a separate issue. For the tiny minority of British skiers who ever buy or use such things, you need quality for different reasons than when buying skis for downhill only use. If hiking I would not economise on bindings or skins, but on skis I do, and (having now tried skis magazine critics rave about) I would in future. |
|