J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by AllyG

Thanks Dixie Dean,
It does indeed seem to be a very complex situation. Do you think the treatment she's having now will strengthen the weak bones in her spine so that she'd have a better chance of being okay next year? Or not?

Best of luck with getting some clearer advice from the doctors on this :D

Based on what you've said, I would say she'd be okay to ski very carefully - like stick to wide easy blue runs instead of black and maybe try to surround her with a phalanx of your friends to guard her from some idiot crashing into her.

Ally

I agree with everything everyone else has already said (the beauty of the mountains, the social side, the fun, the satisfaction of knowing that my ski-ing improves year on year etc.), but in my case anyway I enjoy conquering my fear.

Going up in the lift I look down and think how vertical the piste is and how scary, and when I'm at the top I wonder if I'm really brave enough to ski down it, and then I'm over the top and concentrating on my turns and watching what the other slope users are doing and then when I get to an easy bit it's just like dancing once I get into the rhythm of it. Before I know it I'm at the bottom and looking back up the slope and feeling amazed that I actually managed to ski down something so steep!

And then, of course, I ski off to the next lift and it all starts again :D

Ally

NIIIXSY,
I'm glad you're sorted now :D

SnowBandit,
I took the chunk out of my finger when I was practising with the chains in the house. The automatic tension system has a control a bit like the lock on a metal tape measure - you push it one way and it releases, and you push it the other way and it locks. And I released it to pull out the extra cable (so that there is some spare to put it on the tyre), locked it, and then released it - and whoosh! The cable shot back into the control at a million miles an hour taking some of my finger with it :cry:

It wouldn't have happened if I'd actually had it on the tyre at the time, because it would have held it back, but I was just practising with the control. I am seriously thinking about writing a letter to the manufacturers :D

I had to do all my cleaning work all Christmas with that finger wrapped in toilet paper and surgical tape. At least it's healed now :lol:

And when we came to take the chains off the tyre my husband couldn't get the control to work, but I could - I knew all about it by that time :wink:

Ally

Hi NIIIXSY,
I would say it depends how much spare money you have. If you can afford it I reckon it's a much better idea to pay a bit more and buy them in the U.K. and then you can be sure of buying ones the right size for your tyres and you will have plenty of time to practice with them.

I bought some snow chains here in the U.K. to cope with all the snow we had in our country lane, for about £90 from snowchains.co.uk. I got the more expensive self-tensioning Weissenfels ones. It took me quite a while to work out how to put them on (and I took a chunk out of my finger), but then it only took about 3 minutes per wheel. You don't have to drive onto them, you can put them on whilst stationary and they tighten themselves up. They sell them in pairs, to go on the drive wheels.

We had to take them off in the dark when we reached the tarmac of the main road, and it was pretty difficult because of trying to hold a torch and cope with the mud, snow and cold and remember what to do. We could have done with one of those head torches really.

So, as I said, if you can afford it I'd definitely recommend buying them before you go and practising with them.

Ally

I hope none of my holidaymakers decide to make Dave Mac footbeds and cut holes in the carpet under the beds :evil: :lol:

Actually I'm surprised such a simple solution worked for so long :D

Ally

Dave,
If it's security that makes a fuss about the ski boots, what does one do with them then? I mean, by that point in time the suitcases have gone off to the hold.

And why are ski boots seen by some airlines as offensive weapons?

Ally

Scapula,
What about those new liners where you can surround them with foam to the shape of your foot within the boot? Or can you only get those with new boots?

Presumably you've tried the obvious solution - buying thicker socks!

I think beginners have boots with a softer flex because they make lots of unintentional wobbly movements that they don't want to transmit to their skis, whereas an expert wants boots that will transmit the slightest movement to their skis, instantly. Or at least this is how I see it - I'm no ski boot expert :lol:

However, I think Bandit's probably right and you need to buy some new boots now that you're a pretty good skier.

Ally

Hi Dixie Dean,
I'm glad to hear the insurance angle is covered :D

Forgive my ignorance, but assuming the worst happens and your wife breaks a bone, what effect will the osteopenia have on how long it takes to heal? Has the consultant told you? Is it worth the risk?

If it just meant something like the bone would take an extra 2 weeks to heal then I'd say go ahead. But if it meant that it would never heal properly and it would give your wife problems for the rest of her life then I'd say 'no' she shouldn't ski.

Do you see what I mean? I don't know the facts about this.

Ally