J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by SwingBeep

You haven't given us enough information to enable us to make a recommendation "fairly heavy and like to push myself" doesn't tell us much. What's your DIN setting? http://www.dinsetting.com/dinchart.htm

Your choice is limited by availability, the UK is a very small market (less than 30,000 pairs a year) and 95% of bindings are sold with skis so the shops don't stock that many extra bindings. What do your local shops stock?

I doubt if you will find anything approaching the price of the Storm bindings, my information is that the 97mm brakes will fit a 99mm ski, you could confirm this by contacting Heads UK distributor (Tyrolia is owned by Head). Jon's ski tuning in Nottingham http://www.jonsskituning.co.uk/content/view/43/65/ will mount them for 25 quid. Depending on where you're going on holiday you could get them mounted in resort.

It's very mild here at the moment October was 2 degrees warmer than average, the grape harvest hasn't finished yet. The locals reckon that weather wise things are about 2 weeks behind. This time last year we were snowshoeing.

You can mount (if you know what you're doing and have the right tools) or have mounted (if the shop has a mounting jig for the binding) any binding that has brakes that are wide enough to clear the skis.

As VBS said 100mm should be fine, and 110 would be OK, but 115mm is a bit too wide (over wide brakes tend to drag in the snow if you put the skis on edge) you should be able to get away with the 97mm brakes as they are supposed to fit skis up to 99mm. If they catch you can always bend the arms out a bit.

Storm didn't make any bindings, the ones Storm sold are re-badged Tyrolia bindings. I don't think they are very popular in the UK, before buying them I would find a shop that had the correct jig.

Wot no mention of Solda all' Ortles / Sulden am Ortler! Today was the first day of the winter season. Where were you? I was all on my own -)

Your right there are plenty of alternatives, but I think Solutions 4 Feet is the only shop in the UK that has a decent cuff stretcher http://www.southernski.com/toe-jam-spreader-ultimate-cuff-stretcher.html It might already be too late to get an appointment.

Don't even think about going to one of the major chains, they have little or no expertise in this area.
In resort fitting is very hit and miss, some places are very good and some are dire. These guys are extremely good; Jules Mills and Damien Amblard in the Boot Room at Sanglard Sports in Chamonix and Mark Festor at Total Feet in Archamps near Geneva. As Ranchero mentioned you might need some follow up work done after you have skied in them, boot fitting is often a multi step process.

If you are staying in Zermatt you have to buy the Zermatt lift pass and vice versa. If you want to go over to Cervinia you have to buy an extension to the Zermatt pass from the Cevinia lift company either on a weekly basis in the form of the international pass or as a daily supplementary ticket (CHF 41). Access to the lifts is electronically controlled so a ticket bought in Cevinia won't let you start skiing from the Zermatt side or vice versa. It gets very windy on Plateau Rosa so the link to Cervinia is often closed, especially in the early part of the season. Check the weather forecast before buying the international pass.

It takes a long time to get up there, it's a long way. The journey comprises a very long gondola ride from Zermatt to Trockner Steg via Furi and Schwarzsee followed by two drag lifts to Testa Grigia, alternatively you can take the cable car from Trockner Steg to the Kleine Matterhorn and ski down to Testa Grigia. Keep an eye on the time as getting stuck on the wrong side after the lifts have closed is very expensive.

Engleberg is a 2:20 train ride from Zürich so you will have to get up very early to make it worthwhile. It only takes 1:04 to get to Flumserberg http://www.zuerich.com/en/Visitor/Information/news/direktzug-flumserberg.html Swiss railways offer discounted combined rail tickets and lift passes (Snow'n'Rail tickets) to many ski areas once they open http://www.sbb.ch/freizeit-ferien/tagesausfluege/snownrail.html Snow'n'Rail customers also receive a 15% discount on ski hire at Intersport Rent shops.

I don't think there are any direct coach transfers, your options using public transport are:

1) Bus from Geneva to Aosta (7 am daily) bus or train from Aosta to Chatillon + another bus from there to Cervinia.

2) Train from Geneva airport to Chamonix + bus from Chamonix to Aosta via Courmayeur + bus or train from Aosta to Chatillon + another bus from there to Cervinia.

3) Train from Geneva to Martigny + bus from there to Aosta, then same as above.

If the link to Cervinia is open you could take the train to Zermatt, use the lifts to get up to Plateau Rosa and ski or take the cable car down to Cervinia. You would have to pack your gear in a rucksack.

It would be a lot easier if you flew to Turin.