Messages posted by : Meercat
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Klosters/Davos is 1.5 hours by train from Zurich.
Change once at Landquart. |
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Re. The 12Km run - it's in Davos.
Longest run 12 km from the Weissfluhgipfel to Küblis covering 2'034 m of difference in altitude (from 2'844 to 810 m a.s.l.) (But this assumes that there is snow all the way down to Kublis - which there rarely is early in the season - these days). You can always check by going to:- http://www.parsenn.ch/Berge/parsenn/Pisten/dD0yMyZsPWRldQ.html and checking :- 1 (nearly always open) 24 (sometimes open) 56 (Rarely) |
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Since May 2006, I?ve been planning my family?s ski holiday for January 2007. And this evening I leave to drive from the UK to Switzerland with the car full of luggage etc. My wife, two children and au pair will fly over on Saturday.
We?re off to Davos ? and it?s been snowing there the past few days ? how lucky is *that*? Forecast for next week is mostly cloudy/sunny with snow showers and possibly a bit of the other stuff which is wet but not cold (you know that forbidden word). So it?s set to be two weeks of what we spend all year dreaming of. I?ll let you know how it was when I get back Jan 21st. In the meantime ? for those already in the mountains ? enjoy the new snow ? and those yet to go ? think of the snow that has yet to come?.. but will surely. Ciao for now!!!! |
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Very nice Pavelski!!!
You could also add these to the list. 1. Go into all your friends houses and throw the windows open saying 'Wow, it's so hot in here'. 2. Try and find all the face creams and lip salves you remember you saved last year for this year. Give up anyway and buy them (again) when you get to your resort. Bring that collection back and hide it with last last year's (which you'll now be able to find). 3. Climb into the smallest closet in your house with the ironing board, vacum cleaner, brooms and anything else bulky to get you in the mood for riding in cable cars. 4. Go up to shop windows and blow on the them and then rub your hand on them and pretend you're trying to peer through a frosty window like you get in cable cars and funiculars. 5. Get your skis out and go to the local park and sit on the swings swinging your skis about as if you're on a chair lift. 6. Walk bown a busy shopping street and weave between people alternately so you can pretend you're doing a slalom course. 7. This is a good one for the office. Go into the racing crouch and sway from side to side. If anybody approaches you just wave and say 'See you at the bottom.....'. 8. Walk into your local bar and trip up saying 'Oops, I've got snow on my boots'. 9. Buy some snow chains for your car and practice putting them on and taking them off. If anybody asks you why you're doing it just say that snow's coming. (Esp good if you live in the Bahamas) 10. Start planning next year's trip, and ask people where they're going for 2008. |
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I had to think carefully before replying to this thread.
When I was a child - I was always given children's tights to wear to go skiinig. And I've always worn thick woolen tights since. I did try wearing Long Johns, but I found that the bottoms of the long johns would bunch up and cause blisters on my shins. I think that it's the totally sensible under garment to wear for skiing. Sure - I get my wife to go shopping for me even though there's nothing 'sexual' about it - you can imagine that a sales assistant would jump to the wrong conclusion. Having said all that, it's essential to ensure that you get thick woolen tights which are warm. Anything else is just not worth it. |
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Pavelski,
Nice story - and one that strikes a familiar chord. It *is* a :roll: situation when you're inside a lift and somebody decides to 'do their work' whilst on holiday/vacation. 'Oh look at me and how important I am that my company can't do without me for a few hours'. Why can't they leave their business until they stop for lunch etc? However, you have to be careful about what you do in the confines of a bubble lift/gondala. What if the bloke had decided to throw a punch or two? A fight's bad enough in the opne let alone in the confines of a gondala lift!!! Anyway, your story reminds me of one time I was on a train in Switzerland. In one group where two 'youths' with a ghetto blaster at full racket. Other passengers were getting annoyed about it. Eventually, a large black man who was travelling on military service (he was in full uniform) got up and went over to the youths and asked them to turn the sound down. They refused. The military man calmly pulled the window down and threw the ghetto blaster out of the window. He did not offer to pay for it. :D |
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James,
Here's some input from me (fwiw). 1. Most rental skis these days are carvers. Yes, you can get extreme carvers (aka fun carvers) which have a more pronounced profile to them - and you may find that the boot sits higher on the ski to 'help' angle your skis during the turn. a) Shorter skis are easier to turn and have a shorter turn radius. b) Be *very* careful if taking fun carvers that your ski binding is not *too* high up. The extra force on the knees as a result of the high bindings has caused some unplesant knee accidents - and your insurance may be invalidated. c) If you have fun carvers, you may be missing out on some of the other fun stuff - like high speed skiing (on carvers) is better with long skis. (180cm). 2. Poles are optional - but watch out for a white out. Without poles you'll be left with no sense of balance. *Always* take poles with you when it's a white out. You may find that poles to start with helps promote a better techniique. (You need to make sure that your weight is over your skis - not back - and poles forward helps you do this). 3. Wait 'till you've achieved 'sound' carving before trying to do the difficult stuff. You'll have enough trouble keeping the carve going all the way through a carve let alone managing to get it to stay 'on' all the time. (And it's easier to do with the fun carvers anyway). 4. The essential 'rule' in getting the skis to carve is to make sure that the whole ski length - paying particular attention to that part of the ski in front of the boot - is staying in contact with the snow. And that includes both skis. This is where the toe up/down rule comes into play. You're trying to ensure that you use both skis to carve. You'll know when you've 'hit the spot' because your skis will leave two parallel tracks in the snow behind you - and also - you'll feel a 'kick' about a third of the way through the turn as the skis take on a new 'bite' and you get thrown into warp drive (!!!) Have a great time - and you'll love it when the carve kicks in...... and keep an eye out up the slope for somebody who's just going straight (and missing out on the fun!!!). |
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Re. The OP.
A lot of it depends on the circumstances of those travelling to Europe in search of snow. Take a :- Single or couple with no children or couple with BOTH children under school age - You can go any time, but the off peak season (January) is probably the most attractive price wise. 22 December to 2nd January - a lot of people in the UK are off work for this period so it makes sense to do something without eating into the rest of the holiday/vacation entitlement. However, prices are mega high. School holiday time (Easter) is second only in price to Christmas - precisely because it's school holidays. That leaves February and part of March/April - couples with children can't go - which leaves it to those who are single, couples who's children have 'flown the nest' or the retired. I think. :) |
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