J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by dgou

I think I have found the right boots - highly recommend Ryan at the Snowdome, took a lot of time and trouble with measuring my feet and explaining. Sold me a pair of Atomic ladies boots which I now have to wear around the house for 20 hours to break them in, such a joy to find a boot I can slip my foot straight into without getting my instep stuck! Some very useful advice, no sales pressure and even gave me an after sales card and the offer to call him (even from the slopes) if there is a problem that needs tweaking! Very good shop too with some useful kit in!! Fingers crossed I will have a pain free week and my skiing will improve!

I am sure I will not be the only person doing the housework and the washing up in ski boots!

Been to Arinsal twice (I am a skier not a boarder) but there is plenty to keep boarders happy - as I have chatted to many during my breaks (drinks breaks not leg breaks!) - www.arinsal.com is a good website to look at. Hate the 4 hours transfer from the airports to/from in the middle of the night.

I enjoyed the easier skiing in Niederau and the easier reds in Auffach, although trying to ski back down to the bottom in a white out was a bit of a challenge! Try both, start off in Niederau and build up to Auffach for the latter part of the week. Good place!

Niederau or Westendorf in Austria, - sorry not done Italy, but these resorts suit what you are looking for, and can get the lift back down if needed. I have experienced the bit where you have an easy run back to the resort and 'poop your pants' (technical term of course!) down the last bit, and so dread the end of the day! (or what I sometimes have termed a 'brown run' - for obvious reasons!)

PS Forgot to say the staff come out with the guests on their days off so it does alternate who you go out with, so last time I skied with people from Argentina, Honduras, Canada, Australia, Denmark, etc. Made it a very interesting experience - and great fun!!

Now this is a promo for the world of the Guiding fraternity! Look at www.ourchalet.ch - this is an international Guide Centre which allows others to also stay. It is in Adelboden and I was there 2 years ago and had an amazing time, and the cheapest way to stay in Switzerland, beautiful views, lovely staff, nice rooms, no pressure to join in anything, so if you want an evening of chilling, chatting, soaking in a bath and doing whatever, so you can. Flybe go into Berne and then it is a 50 minute train journey to Frutigen then a connecting bus to Adelboden but as with all things Swiss - very efficient, but you can fly into Geneva and Zurich. The skiing is very good - type Adelboden in your search engine and it will come up with the village website, the World Cup skiing was from there at the weekend, it is a fully working Alpine village with goats and cows, lots of shops and people living in the way people in the Alps live! (Didn't see any lilac Milka cows though!) I was on my own two years ago without a care in the world and am going again this Feb. The skiing suits most abilities, with plenty of places to stop for a hot chocolate, take in the view and chat to people from all over the world. Flight, bed, breakfast, evening meal, train fare, lift pass and ski hire for about £600!

Scouts have a similar center in Kandersteg, Switzerland and neither centre would turn away business if they are not full!

Otherwise Neilson do solo ski holidays, where they have hotels specifically for skiers going on their own, which was my other option so you stay in a hotel where there are other people on their own, and if I remember rightly you can book just the accommodation.

Skiing is a very sociable holiday! Hope this helps!

The Peruvian type hats are great, and were worn by Peruvians and skiers long before the chav population got hold of them. Just make sure you have some hair sticking out the back, or it comes low down, otherwise you could have a draught in the neck area.

The shop I use (on a regular basis for all things skiing and outdoor) is Lockwoods of Leamington (and others also sing its praises) so I have always been to a specialist fitter (hence spending all the time and different pairs of boots). I am loathe to pay out £500 for a custom made pair when I am only able to ski once a year, owing to annual leave constraints. Will happily swap feet with someone (do Ebay do feet?)! but a high instep is not a question of having freak feet, lots of dancers have the same. I know somewhere out there is a pair of boots - hence asking the question on this forum to hopefully save me a bit of time in finding a make that perhaps is a bit sympathetic to my foot shape.