J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Ranchero_1979

Chamonix just started snowing again, 15cm forecast for slopes which should be 20+cm for the Midi and Grand Montets. Skiing in Les Houches yesterday St Gervais, Megeve etc in distance looked to have full cover. Can't believe any resort in N France will have issues after week we have coming.

Skied Courmayeur yesterday and truly beautiful conditions onpiste. Friends were getting fresh tracks of the Yula so smiles all around. Fantastic resort!

14 days of snow in Chamonix now forecast. Definitely fantastic conditions now, really just need more sun.

Should add if I ever do my knee again will be heading straight to a board shop and then it will be awesome as I will still be in mountains vs work which is really why we all do it anyway.

I think if you look at Europe's serious ski mountains, Chamonix, La Grave, Alagna you will see skiers outnumbers boarders 20+ to 1. Simply boarding sucks for touring and if you can't tour is difficult to get powder so who cares if boards float well?
Get onto something steep and boarders struggle, get onto something flat and boarders struggle.

Definitely split boarding is giving it a mini revival but go to and apres ski bar watch a video and see how many min boarders get in it? Thanks for the rocker technology and enjoy sitting on the side of piste with your soft boots and boards wondering how people are carving :-).

Of course there are some awesome boarders out there but sadly becoming a real minority. I actually saw something truly awesome from a guy with stiff boots and board other day on lift. Amazing carving from a boarder and some people are really doing some amazing steeps but in general is a bit 1990's. Like having a ford escort with a big exhaust on it. There was a time and place but world moved on.

How good a skier are you? You could have a pretty amazing weeks offpiste from Courmayeur, has to be one of best locations in the Alps to base yourself. Would be pretty cool few days to do a French and Italian VB, Toula glacier and then tons of offpiste in Courmayeur itself. If you did that not sure your legs would allow you to do much more.

Well one of beauties of skiing in France is that all instructors are qualified to take you offpiste and hence is something they discuss.

Right now conditions are good, warm weather did a lot of damage and lots of the high risk slopes triggered (look at all the crowns). People have then re-skied the fresh snow "inbounds", really mixing up the layers. Chances of triggering something now <30 deg and near side of piste is very low indeed. Strong foehn today before more snow will help stabilize recent snowfall. People were reporting >waist deep powder on the VB yesterday which must be pretty epic indeed.

Piste skis after every 7 days edge and wax. Offpiste I would do every 2 weeks but would wax myself between. New Concept show in Chamonix is servicing whilst you wait with free beer thrown in. Almost rude not to have them serviced.