J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by admin

jasminapashmina wrote:Going to work in St Anton for the Winter season 2006.

Lucky you! 8)

Your best bet for the fashion really is to ask your friend, especially as she lives out there! Otherwise keep an eye on Snow And Rock for an idea on what's going to be in this year - but remember that Brit ski fashion may not be the same as St.Anton! Whatever styles you choose, make sure you go for quality - gear that will still be in one piece, waterproof and warm at the end of the season.

Buy your own boots as soon as you get there - get your friend to take you to a good boot-fitter; good boots will be the best gear investment you make.

As for skis - rent them, definitely. Shop around and you'll find some good deals for season-long rental. Make sure you can swap the skis occasionally, so you can upgrade as your skiing improves.

And after all that... try and save some cash for a few lessons at the beginning - you'll progress so much faster if you do.

It'll be a blast,

Anglwingz wrote:Is there anyway to break the snow plow habit?

There is no substitute for just building up snow time but if you want to progress fast your best bet will be some private lessons from a good instructor. It sounds like you're half way there and are doing something like a "stem turn" - which used to be taught as an intermediate step between snowplough and parallel.

Bite the bullet and book an instructor for a couple of hours each day; private lessons may cost you more up front but they will be much better value than group sessions. Private lessons can be tuned to exactly your level of skiing, fitness and embition so are much more enjoyable than hanging around in a group.

The danger of learning by yourself is that you will pick up bad habits that will be increasingly difficult to un-learn as you try to progress. There are basics of stance, edging and foot pressure that are essential to get right if you want to end up skiing the whole mountain with confidence.

The earlier you learn what's right, the quicker you'll progress and the more fun you'll have! 8)

Anglwingz wrote:How can we find more info on the chalet that Gravite will be operating?

I believe they will have two for 2006/7 - one self-catered and one fully-catered. I know they're just in the process of updating their websites but start at www.gravite.co.uk and www.snowchalet.com. I'm sure either Dave or Sam will drop in here shortly to bring you up-to-date! 8)

jobby wrote:We are looking at going to La Clusaz in January ( 18th for 10 days)...

Top choice. It's a favourite of ours and your timing is good - snow should be good unless you're very unlucky but best of all is that it won't be crowded (at all) and you should have plenty of choice for accommodation. Apres is civilised and locals friendly. There is good skiing for all levels - how experienced is your party?

The Ski Bus links a number of areas and all are worth a ski. Good skiers will love the off-piste at La Balme but, with 10 days to fill, must also make the trip up to Le Grand Bornand - the smaller area of Le Chinaillon has great off-piste too and one of the steepest Black runs in France (Noir de le lachat).

Both areas have long Blues and Reds for the Intermediates to roam on, and early skiers will appreciate un-crowded pistes. One of our regulars, Gravite (highly recommended), will be operating a self-catered chalet (I think) so would be worth a call. 8)

brayski wrote:Any advice about good ski dvds?

Yes, definitely - the Warren Smith Ski Academy DVDs are excellent, and are ideal for intermediate skiers and above. Warren breaks everything down into very specific technique elements and has simple exercises for each. There are currently 3 Lesson DVDs which each cover the four disciplines of Carving, Steeps, Moguls and Freeride.

There is also a pocket-sized handbook available for the first two Lessons - which are perfect for taking onto the mountain with you and leafing through over a Hot Chocolate.

We have some extracts from the Lesson 1 DVD on our Ski Technique Pages here and you can order any of the Warren Smith Ski Acadamy DVDs here. 8)

Highly recommended! If you have any questions, feel free...

Skiing the week before Christmas is generally pretty reliable at the higher resorts such as the ones you mention; and all those offer great skiing for intermediates. Personally I'd recommend Les Arcs though Val Thorens is the most snow-sure.

Also take a look at Tignes and Les Deux Alpes as they both have high altitude skiing.

There are some good "early bird" discounts on some of the ski holiday packages at the moment, though if you can avoid Christmas itself then booking last minute shouldn't be a problem.

Cheers,

Will Huckitt wrote:The base plate in the heel piece is weak and brakes a lot.

Yup, mine did... no complaints about the rest of the binding though - release has always been quick and smooth when required, and they've never pre-released on me.

Oh, actually, the paint's crap - it was all scraped off after about two days... !ill hmmm

For a mixed ability ski group, with beginners, I'd personally recommend you add La Clusaz to your shortlist; it's very traditional and is a proper mountain town rather than solely a ski resort. There are excellent beginner's runs on Beauregard and some cracking freeride territory at La Balme - linked by SkiBus and lift.

But it depends how wild you like your apres, as...

ash28 wrote:apres-ski scene and ... traditional French charm

...don't usually go together. There is night-life at La Clusaz but it's not Austrian style (dancing on the tables in ski boots right after the lifts close).

Of the others you mention, Serre Chevalier has a good combination of charm and variety of runs but, again, not sure the apres will burn your candle totally!

For more info, contact graviteski on this forum - they run a very friendly chalet in La Clusaz and are super-helpful too. They might even know where the night-life happens... 8)