J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by bedrock barney

That's absolutely terrible. As a parent, it obviously must make you worry about placing the care of your son or daughter in the hands of someone else.

Calling Dobby and Dan55......I've just booked a week in Are so expect some serious stalking. If you could both wear pink carnations, then that would assist me greatly.

Just read the blog on the skistar site which includes pictures. Looks like they've had a lot more snow than the snow forecast.com site has indicated. Still quite a few pistes shut but presumably that's due to wind or perhaps they are readying them now they've had fresh snow? I've been unduly nervous about booking as we've got use to the mega resorts and the amount of skiing on offer even when part of the resort is shut down. We were frustrated one year in Hemsedal as only 50% was open due to a lack of snow. We also hate drag lifts.... However, Mrs BB is telling me to chill and book the damn holiday! I think we may go for 4 nights and 4 skiing days and then a couple of days in Trondheim at the end. The krone has strengthened over the last month which will increase costs by 5% - services me right for dithering.

Yve:-) wrote:Bedrock when was this......It might have been me lol

Ha ha! It might have been Christmas Eve.....

Recent holiday in Val d'Isere was my 11th week of skiing since I started back in April 2010 at the tender age of 40 something.

For the first few holidays I tended to suffer with a lot of fatigue and burning in my quads which I put down to bad technique. After some lessons and a bit more concentration the quad pain disappeared as my technique improved. However, I then typically suffered with calf pain particularly by day 3 but easing off by the end of the week. This didn't stop me skiing but it was a bit irritating. I think I raised this on the forum at some point for comments.

I decided to embark on a fitness regime last summer cutting out salt/sugar etc and trying to increase my exercise regime. I've lost about a stone in weight (not that I was really overweight before) but the biggest change has been a regular twice weekly run. I run about 2 to 3 miles each time on a mixture of tarmac and off road. I'm finding that I now stretch most days as I can feel muscles wanting to tighten up. The last time I did any running was in my teens! I've used mountain biking as my main form of exercise for the last 20 years or so.

Anyway, I had little or no calf pain during our last holiday. I don't think my skiing has improved since the last holiday (in fact it had been a 12 month gap and I felt very rusty) and I'm definitely not getting any younger! Same boots, very similar ski choice, same amount of skiing per day.

Therefore I've diagnosed running = stronger and more resilient calf muscles. Discuss!!

billip1 wrote:Sometimes it's discretion being the better part of valour and just take the gondola down at the end of the afternoon. That way you can also (legitimately) end your afternoon with a drink or two on the mountain without feeling you're being reckless.

I vote for this. I'm now at an age where I value my limbs and their ongoing functionality! It's actually quite pleasant to ride down on a chair or gondola at 4pm or 4.30pm after a long day on the slopes. Rightly or wrongly I perceive risks to be highest on a crowded mogulled red or black run at the end of the day. We watched someone slide about 200m down Le Face from the telecabin at the end of one afternoon......

If you've got the cash, Zermatt is great for both skier and non skier. Lots of people travel up the mountain on the train simply to take in the air and grab a bite to eat. Plenty going on in the town.

Yes, we've all had this experience!

I've skied it in reasonably pleasant conditions and then it's great fun (other than the flat section at the end).

On a bad day, it's really bad.

I don't think it's been opened yet this season. Not enough snow and now too much. Someone sadly died in an avalanche last week on the very same piste.