J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by admin

Hi KP and welcome to j2ski - so sorry you've joined us in such circumstances.

That sounds like a truly dreadful accident and is a reminder of the dangers that are inherent in our sport but sometimes out of our control. All of us here wish your Dad the swiftest possible recovery - sounds like he's in good hands.

And if anyone needs advice on where to stay in downtown Calgary...

8) Thanks for that - good to know when we get it right (been a tough season for forecasting so far).

Sounds like you had some great skiing then!

For the first time this season, the general Avalanche Risk has moved to Extreme - Level 5 (of 5) - in the Northern French Alps.

Over a metre of fresh snow has fallen across much of the area in the last five days, including a period of rain as high as 2300 metres.

Natural (i.e. not triggered by human activity) avalanches may cross roads in mountain areas this (Thursday) evening and into tomorrow (Friday) morning. Extreme caution is advised for anyone venturing into the mountains.

More detail here on PisteHors.

In addition, our friends from Henry's Avalanche Talk are warning of a very dangerous scenario on Sunday; good weather will return, with mild temperatures, and a fresh and unstable snowpack.

In short, exactly the conditions that very often result in fatal avalanches.

Please be careful if skiing at the weekend; conditions will be superb on the pistes and there is really no need to take chances with your life.

Do NOT ski off-piste alone, wear a transceiver and carry a shovel and probe at all times. Check local conditions and plan your descents carefully to avoid risky slopes and terrain traps.

Have fun, and stay safe.

Hi guys, the forecast models we take our data from have been bouncing around a bit for Andorra this last week - looks like they'll be on the edge of a weather system that may bring rain, snow or neither... (this afternoon Metcheck were predicting much rain and snow-forecast were predicting a little snow... ).

So far, we've generally got things about right. We've been very close for Andorra to date, but we under-estimated the early snows in the Alps and were a little over for some of the February falls.

TBH, this season has been a bit of a sod. We were originally using the common ratio of 10:1 (snow:rain) to predict the snow depths, but the generally mild temperatures reduce that ratio considerably (wetter, heavier snow = much less depth) and give us a bit of challenge!

So stick with us - we won't always get it right but the feedback when we get it wrong is always useful.

pavelski wrote:3 hour session with tiny screw on heel areas and skier never leans back!!!

:-o :shock:

...if someone put a screw in my boot I think I could find yet another use for my ski poles!!! :lol:

Sounds extreme but I'll bet it works well - am not going to try it with the better half however! 8)

Hey jobster, nice of you to take a break from your skiing and drop in here... :wink:

Ok, you've done La Clusaz (hope you had a good time)... how about Flaine?

Variety of accommodation and the architecture's not to everyone's taste but the skiing is great and might suit your mixed little group.

There are easy (flat!) greens in the centre which are ideal for a first day on skis - with a bunch of decent cafes and restaurants all around for refreshment stops too. Unusually there are also a couple of green runs right up at the top, where there is a stunning view of Mont Blanc to give your beginner something to remember (top place for a group photo).

If he gets on well there is a very long, moderately easy Blue from top to bottom that will give a sense of achievement!

And for you girls, there are some brilliant, long Reds going from wide open to winding down through the trees. And a scary black or two if you're really feeling "up for it".

15 - Glove Holder (while taking photos)

16 - Glove Waver (using poles for semaphore - to tell your wife that your cell-phone battery just died due to the cold)

17 - Sock Airer - to hold ripe ski socks a safe distance from your apartments balcony).

18 - Self Defence against beasts when skiing the backcountry.

I received the following question by PM. My answer follows, but what do the team think?

Is it bad to ski without poles? I ski all of the time without them and I think that I do better.

Is it bad to ski without poles?

No, absolutely not! But it does depend on the type of skiing you aspire to, and the level you want to achieve.

In fact, skiing without poles often forms part of an instructor's drills - to get you to focus on your legs and your skis.

Poles definitely have their uses but they're a lot less necessary (for piste skiing, at least) than they used to be. With old-style skinny skis, pole-plants were almost essential to help un-weight the ski (prior to rotation) and to give you rhythm. Modern shaped skis just don't need the same input (on piste), and can be ridden very effectively without poles.

Aside from assisting you on the flat (if you don't skate), poles are still very relevant on steep trails, in the bumps, and away from the piste. Effective use of poles is an essential skill for anyone looking to ski the whole mountain.

But for the many people who are perfectly happy sticking to the piste (the "groomers"), I think poles are a matter of preference.

Just MHO, of course,