Messages posted by : Lynn_D
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In March 2013 my husband hired a pair of Stockli Y77 skis and fell in love. We looked at importing a pair from Switzerland, saw the price and had a rapid rethink.
Instead we managed to get hold of a pair of Y85s, very similar, and if anything seemed to get better reviews as more of an all mountain ski. He skied on them during our 17 day holiday in January and although he liked them he still much preferred the 77s. With a bit of googling we've managed to get the ones he originally wanted shipped from France (without breaking the bank) leaving us with a very expensive pair of skis doing nothing. The skis are 168s with Marker Griffon Bindings. They are currently set up for a ski boot sole length of 337 mm which is a size 29. Stats are 136-85-110 with a turning radius of 13.8 m. They have only been used for one trip (for which the pistes were mainly powder) so are in excellent condition. Bases are pretty much immaculate however there is some very minor (read as hardly noticeable) scuffing to the top sheets and the back of the bindings. I can't remember if they were serviced at the end of the trip but I don't think so. The RRP is ~1200 euros for the flat ski. We are looking for around the £500 mark (delivered within the UK) but are open to (sensible) offers. They are advertised on e-bay for a quick look and I can provide a detailed set of photos if anyone is interested. |
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I'll grab a shovel and keep digging should I? :lol: Wishing I'd kept quiet!
I can handle traffic perfectly well. I just don't like that *****y bit of piste - it seems to conspire against me! Anyway, they have a new lift and new run. This is good. Back on topic. -) |
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45 km, not a problem, that bit, kills me every time!
No matter how I time it there's ALWAYS someone who makes me stop for them. Husband usually gets straight across, jammy so and so. If I could just keep going I could get to the lift which is why it bugs me so much!! :evil: The Dolomites is an area I love and keep going back to (7 weeks in 4 years so far and back again in Jan) so I'm not critical, not really. -) |
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There are plenty of other ways to get back to Arabba and avoid this bit. It just so happens that the red that gets you to this point is one of my favourites so I put up with it. Uphill bit is avoidable by skiing to another lift and coming back down (if you have time) so not actually a problem per se, just always confuses me why they didn't make the lift in question a bit longer when they built it????
The road is a pain, no question, but only necessary once, and only if you come back this way (which is the scenic route anyway, takes 1h + more than the direct route back from Corvara which is road-crossing free.....) Even the best areas have their quirks. Just book it!! :lol: |
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That would be amazing but sadly can't see it happening any time soon.
The other area that would really benefit from something, (anything!) is the flat bit across to the lift back over Passo Campolongo towards Arabba (can't remember its name). By the time you've taken your skis off to cross the road, floored it to get across the 'junction' (usually having to stop for 'oncoming traffic' who seem incapable of going around you) then hiked up the short hill (due to having to stop) I for one am knackered! Can't understand why the lift is not 10/20m longer, would make all the difference.... |
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Also posted in other thread.
Morzine (March 2012, (1 week) Pros Lots of mileage, particularly enjoyed the runs in the Les Gets area. Good for beginners, easy skiing around Morzine itself. Short transfer from Geneva. Cons Low so snow isn't great at resort level or even above this. We went first week of March in a 'good' year and lower runs were very slushy by mid afternoon. Access to rest of PDS through Avoriaz was dangerously busy when we went, to the point we gave up and went back to Morzine before one of us got hurt, THAT busy! Had skied out Morzine/Les Gets area in 2 days. Piste grooming isn't great even on reds. All blacks were left as mogul fields (may be a +ve for many, not for me). Many lifts are old and slow. We were full board and in an on piste hotel so can't really comment on food and drink or the town itself. Seemed pretty spread out but pleasant enough. Also I got food poisoning midweek (lost 1 day) and we had a very heavy powder day with poor visibility (so didn't go far) hence essentially 4 days skiing. May have rated differently if I could have experienced 'rest' of PDS but just didn't suit the type of skiing I enjoy. Bored with Morzine/Les Gets and going farther afield was awkward. Probably wouldn't go back. 6/10 (but only as I liked Les Gets area so much, otherwise 5/10, maximum). |
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Looking forward to trying both in January :D
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Late 20s/early 30s couple who like lots of mileage on good mixture of runs, just beginning to think about off piste but only playing alongside runs at present. Preferably in a resort that won't break the bank with decent food. Don't do 'nightlife' beyond a meal and glass of wine.
Sauze d'Oulx/Milky Way - Italy Jan 2008 (learnt to ski), Jan 2009 (2 weeks) Pros Lovely tree-lined runs in Sauze area, ideal intermediate cruising. Well maintained pistes. Easy access to rest of Milky Way, inc more challenging runs in Sestriere. Short transfer from Turin. Decent food, drink and accommodation, averagely priced. Generally good for beginners, excellent ski school. Cons Erratic snow record (though good for us in 2008 and epic in 2009). Not always possible to ski back to resort. Could be a problem for beginners who struggle to find their ski legs. Although many runs are easy (despite being reds) they are not 'perfect' for building confidence – I've been to places which are better. Piste signposting is 'interesting' and doesn't always resemble the map.... Some old and slow lifts, though I believe old 2 man lifts from Sportinia were replaced last season? Lifts in the 'best' (in my opinion Moncrons) area very rarely running and mostly drags. Could be noisy/lively, check location of accommodation carefully (not a problem with the hotel we picked, Gran Baita). Bus service can be erratic and walking to Sportinia in ski boots would be hell! Less of a problem if you use Clotes lift but unsuitable for beginners. Would I go back? Yes, especially now we could get most out of Milky Way area. 8.5/10 (would maybe drop to 7/10 if snow was poor). Arabba/Dolomites Jan 2010, March 2011, Jan 2012 (10 days), Jan 2013 (2 weeks), March 2013 (1 week), Jan 2014 (17 days booked). Pros Excellent access to huge Dolomiti Superski area, impossible to get bored in a week (we did 220 km in 6 days last trip and didn't touch the sides....) Excellent piste marking – very difficult to get lost despite huge distances. Best challenging terrain in the Dolomites, fabulous reds/blacks from Porto Vescovo. Access to excellent off piste (apparently, not quite at the level to take full advantage yet) IF the snow is good. Scenery is like nothing on earth. Food and drink is fabulous and reasonably priced on and off the mountain. Large choice of refugios, ranging from good to excellent. Extensive snow making so can compensate if natural snow cover is poor. Piste grooming is excellent, (apart from on the way to the Marmolada for some reason...) Generally slopes are quiet/deserted but depends on timing. Cons Long transfer (3h+ from most airports). Not many UK operators travel here (= good thing in my opinion). Very small village so limited nightlife (pro in my book). Not at all beginner friendly, progress from one blue is on to fairly tricky reds – stay in Corvara instead with a mixed group. Slopes on Sella Ronda can get busy/ very cut up. Dolomites can suffer from lack of snow so a risk very late season (though Arabba is best option as slopes north facing). Depends on season however, end of March 2013 we were skiing knee high powder ON piste (best weeks' skiing I've ever had). Same week the previous year was apparently a real problem in some areas. Off piste is non-existent if snow is poor. Expensive taxi home if you get stuck in a neighbouring valley (same is true of any area). Need a car to access non-lift linked resorts on lift pass (such as Cortina, Kronplatz etc.) Not a problem unless you've skied out the rest of the area (500+ km). Access to Civetta is possible by bus but you need to know where you're going and check the timetables carefully as 1h+ skiing back from the bus stop (speaking from experience flooring it on mogulled runs as the lifts shut behind us, oops...!) My second home, 10/10, can't fault it. Objectively 9.5/10 due to transfer, snow record and unsuitability for beginners. Dolomites in general perfect for decent intermediates who like to travel for miles. Mayrhofen – Austria January 2011 (1 week) Pros Some lovely runs directly above Mayrhofen and many more areas accessible via good bus service. Pistes well maintained. Cheapest holiday we have ever done. Food/drink reasonably priced and decent. Good selection of bars/restaurants/accommodation. Short transfer from Innsbruck. Cons Can't ski back to resort. Lifts get busy if you time it wrong (going up or down). Need to get on a bus to access many of the areas (which I prefer not to have to do.) Think I may find the extent of slopes a bit limited now without travelling to outlying areas. Snow wasn't great when we were there. This was the first trip back on skis for my husband following knee problems so didn't do as much as we normally would. Also lost 1 ½ days to very bad weather (complete whiteout) and another ½ as it was ridiculously warm/slushy and couldn't risk OHs knees, which didn't help. Would I go back? Possibly for an extra trip if the price was right but not as our main holiday. 7/10 Morzine March 2012 (1 week) Pros Lots of mileage, particularly enjoyed the runs in the Les Gets area. Good for beginners, easy skiing around Morzine itself. Short transfer from Geneva. Cons Low so snow isn't great at resort level or even above this. We went first week of March in a 'good' year and lower runs were very slushy by mid afternoon. Access to rest of PDS through Avoriaz was dangerously busy when we went, to the point we gave up and went back to Morzine before one of us got hurt, THAT busy! Had skied out Morzine/Les Gets area in 2 days. Piste grooming isn't great even on reds. All blacks were left as mogul fields (may be a +ve for many, not for me). Many lifts are old and slow. We were full board and in an on piste hotel so can't really comment on food and drink or the town itself. Seemed pretty spread out but pleasant enough. Also I got food poisoning midweek (lost 1 day) and we had a very heavy powder day with poor visibility (so didn't go far) hence essentially 4 days skiing. May have rated differently if I could have experienced 'rest' of PDS but just didn't suit the type of skiing I enjoy. Bored with Morzine/Les Gets and going farther afield was awkward. Probably wouldn't go back. 6/10 (but only as I liked Les Gets area so much, otherwise 5/10, maximum). |
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