J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by SwingBeep

The zero snow depth measurement that Engelberg is reporting is most likely the snow depth recorded by the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research at their manual measuring site which is located near the bottom of the Bordbahn lift https://www.slf.ch/en/avalanche-bulletin-and-snow-situation/measured-values/description-of-manual-measuring-sites.html It has nothing to do with the depth of snow on the lower pistes. Many of the snow depth measurements reported by the Swiss ski resorts are taken from these manual measurement sites and the automated IMIS stations located at higher altitudes https://www.slf.ch/en/avalanche-bulletin-and-snow-situation/measured-values/description-of-automated-stations.html They do not reflect the depth of snow on the pistes, especially at this point in the season.

You won't need anybody to show you round between the 5th and 8th of May as there will be very little open. During that period only the cable car & 3S lift up to the Klein Matterhorn, the Furggsattel chairlift and the Gandegg draglift will be open. For further info, see the summer timetable https://www.matterhornparadise.ch/en/Current-news/Timetable

Trencher isn't advocating excessive forward lean all he said was that you need to have an appropriate amount. As far as I am aware all the bindings on the market today have some degree of ramp between the toe and heel piece, it varies from model to model and on some it's excessive. Having to flex the boots in order to get forward is indicative of fore/aft balance problems.

For recreational skiing the idea is to be able to keep your centre of mass over your feet irrespective of whether you are in a neutral stance, at full extension or in deep flexion. Very often the angles built into the boots and created by the bindings prevent us from doing this.

All ski boots are designed in size 26.5, the other sizes are obtained by scaling the design size up or down, but all the angles built into the boots remain the same as those in the design size. A boot with 16 degrees of forward lean might well be fine for an average sized skier with size 25 – 27 feet, but skiers with short legs and smaller feet may need a boot with less forward lean conversely skiers with longer legs and large feet might need more.

The "delta" angle created by the bindings (the stand height differential between the stand points on the toe and heel pieces) varies from model to model and increases as the toe and heel pieces are moved closer together. A high delta binding combined with a short boot very often forces the skier into the back seat. Changing the delta angle changes the lower leg angle and where the knee plumbs over the ski.

Sorting out these issues can often lead to a dramatic improvement in your skiing, it did for me and it it also seems to have worked for Trencher.

Looks like you might be lucky! https://meteologix.com/uk/forecast/3167045-sauze-doulx/xltrend/euro/precipitation-total Saw a bloke in shorts at 2500m today!

The easiest and most effective way to get your weight forward is to pull your feet back, especially the inside foot. When you initiate the new turn pull back the inside foot and hold it back through the turn. This will keep the ski tips even. If you feel the skis sliding out from underneath you pull both feet back. Pulling the feet back is a key movement in skiing, unfortunately very few skiers have ever heard of it.

Somewhere in Italy or Switzerland, in Italy the half term holidays don't start until the beginning of March. In most parts of Switzerland they don't start until the last week of February and the strength of the Swiss Franc means that lots ski resorts are operating at well below capacity.

Snow socks don't provide as much grip or breaking performance as traditional chains. The Swiss equivalent of the AA/RAC carried out some tests, the results are in German, but you should nevertheless be able to see the differences in performance https://www.tcs.ch/mam/Digital-Media/PDF/Booklets/Schneekettentest-2011.pdf
Due to the wording of the law they are not legal for use in some countries when the blue snow chains obligatory sign is displayed.

In January I drove to Italy via the St Bernard tunnel in conditions similar to those in Msej449's video. On the way I passed a large Mercedes coupe that was snaking its way up the road with its back wheels spinning furiously and a BMW saloon that was stationary in the middle of the road, both of them were on summer tyres. It doesn't take much for a car fitted with summer tyres, especially a rwd one to get into trouble on a mountain road in winter.

I think it will be extremely difficult if not impossible to get a hire car fitted with winter tyres in Barcelona, but you can get them with chains https://www.europcar.es/servicios/complementos/cadenas-de-nieve

I agree with Ranchero, driving in the mountains in winter without winter tyres is not a good idea, but as there is no legal requirement to fit winter tyres in Spain you would probably have difficulty getting a hire car with them fitted.

In Andorra it is mandatory to either fit winter tyres or carry snow chains between 1st November and 15th May, failure to do so could result in a 180 euro fine. So you will have to get some from somewhere, they are called "cadenas para nieve" in Spanish.