J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Wanderer

I hope they didn't fiddle the results :wink:

Anybody see the ladies downhill at the weekend?

The course was insane: they started with a straight schuss down a 70 degree hill for about 200 metres reaching 120kph in about 5 seconds :shock: That's faster acceleration than a Ferrari :shock: :shock: :shock:.

After they get over the shock of that they have to start skiing while carrying insane speed. Very brave ladies indeed :wink:.

From what I can see, there is generally plenty of snow higher up in all the major resorts so the solution is simply - stay high as much as possible :D

Even then, the resorts have gotten really good at preserving and preparing snow on key runs. The Skiwelt area seems particularly good - perhaps because they have to be :!: I can remember skiing down a perfectly good valley run while the mountain around me did not have a single snowflake left :shock:. It was like skiing a on a white river :shock:.

If the valley runs are really terrible, you can always take the gondola down :wink:

Not great for powder hounds I suppose :evil:

TraceyS wrote:Thanks Tony, I haven't committed to anything yet but have been looking at Zell am See instead. Seems to have great snow reports for this time of year. Its a bit of a minefield when you don't know the area.

Zell am See can be a good option because you also have the glacier at Kaprun on the same lift pass. Its also on the skibus service so transport is not an issue. Of course, if conditions in Zell are not great, you might find that Kaprun is very busy :x

Zell am See is also a nice town and the whole area provides a good selection of skiing in the right conditions. Be aware, though, that the valley runs are quite demanding and can be icy if busy. If you are not a very confident skier, think about coming down in the gondola :wink:

Personally, I cannot understand why we have not made this the law in Ireland/UK. It has been mandatory in Scandanavia for years. Given our dark and dreary winters, it would be a significant safety measure on our roads as well.

Snapzzz wrote:

felthorpe wrote:steering with big toes!

That is something i have never understood, my mrs bangs on about it too having been told such by her instructors. I swear she thinks there is a switch under her toes that activate steering.

I steer with my eyes, my head, my whole body. I kinda just look where i need to be and i am there. I guess its a bit like walking down a busy street.....its just natural.
Even in my early days i didn't ever focus on my toes.

I think the issue here is to get up on the big toes when turning, I.e. putting all your weight onto the front of your feet, as if standing on tippy-toes. This should force your weight forward and "unweights" the tails of the skis making it easier to turn. It does take a bit of getting used to but I think it does help with position. :wink:

Welcome to the club Tony. I converted after suffering a mild concussion following a very simple and gentle fall :shock:. In poor light conditions, I was barely moving and turned around to make sure the rest of the group were still following. I caught an edge and fell over banging my head. I was able to ski down the mountain but later had no recollection of doing so :shock:. Anyway, its been helmets all the way ever since :wink:

I cycle at home but had gotten very lax about wearing a helmet. However, a nasty fall before Christmas has driven home the point. I didn't hit my head on this occasion but did manage to fracture two ribs and puncture my lung (slightly) but it was a reminder of how easily accidents can happen :x Worst of all, I have had to cancel my January ski trip :( :( :(

You haven't said what level the family is. You might want to bear in mind that the valley runs in the Skiwelt can be pretty demanding with steep pitches, icy bits and if its anyway warm, deep slush (you can experience all of these on a single run down). They can be a bit of a nightmare late in the afternoon when traffic is heavy :x. Unless you all are pretty accomplished skiers, it can be simpler and safer to take the gondola down :wink:.

Just make sure you have skied your legs off first :mrgreen: