J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by jonG

:Dhi,
cheers ise for the spelling correction,i have a brain like a sieve and my french is not brill either,thanks again.
jonG. :D

:Dhi,not entirely sure about La Plagne as i ski the Les Arcs side,but if you can get hold of a La Plagne piste map before you go or from the lift ofice when you get there the free lifts will be marked as"des ramontes gratuit" (a little unsure about the spelling though sorry).
best of luck and have a safe enjoyable trip.
jon.

:Dhi,have you booked your car hire from the french side?,if you book from the swiss side at geneva the car will be supplied with snow tyres or chains or both as standard,chains or snow tyres are not always included on the french side.
many regards
jonG

:D,was thinking the other day if you could only ski/board one more run and then never ski/board again which run would it be and why?.My own choice would be the Aigulle Rouge from the top of Les Arcs down to the village of Le Pre (a run of several km),on a beautifully clear day with azure blue sky,with a temperature of around -2,and after a fresh fall of snow i think this would make a great last run.Not to mention stopping down halfway for lunch at Onre's and then after the final part down sitting in La Ferme with a large glass of Mutzig by the roaring fire would cap it off wonderfully.
How about the thoughts of rest of you?what would be your favourite and why? :D

:D,hi the weather in the alps seems to revolve round in a ten or twelve year cycle,one year Austria will have the best snow,the next France etc.
Technically we are still in an ice age,but i suspect the real reason for all the global warming miss-information from the G8 governments is because America's,Englands,Germany's,France economies are going to be put under extreme pressure from the emergence of growth in China and Africa in the next ten years.So if they can spread panic about the world ending because of fossil fuels etc,and mannage to get the use of these restricted in the most polluting countries (China especially) then this will hinder the Chinese economic growth).An example of the lies and mis-information about so called global warming-the picture in the papers of the two polar bears clinging to that small iceberg with the caption saying"Polar bears facing exrinction because all the ice is melting due to carbon emmissions",the people responsible for this picture and headline forgot conveniently to mention that it was taken in the middle of the summer!.
Also this is great way of raising taxes,if you can make the poeple scared,you can manipulate them!. :D

:D hi,at the time of day you will be travelling and if the roads are clear and the weather is good the trip from Aime to La Plagne should take around 20 minutes or so,but in bad weather will be longer.You may also find some info on taxis on the lA Plagne website at www.laplagne.com (but the last time i looked it was still undergoing construction) also i think the tourist information contact details are info@laplagne.com ,they may also be able to give you some more details on transport options aswell.
many regards
jonG. :D

:D hi,two good routes are take the drag up the Gampen section half way up there is a gap in the netting go through this and there is a wonderfull off piste route which takes you all the way back to the eastern end of St.Anton(mind you have not been to St.Anton for a few years so access on the Gampen section may have changed since).Another well documented off piste route is to take the second stage cable car up the Valluga (can only be used with a qualified guide)and ski off the back down to Zurs,some say this is one of the best off piste itineres in the alps,although it is stated that the top section is serious and a fall is not an option.
As with all off piste make sure you have the right kit with you and know how to use it,avalanche reciever,probe,shovel etc,and if attempting anything you are unsure about make sure you have the services of a qualified guide. :D,having said all that dont forget to enjoy yourselves.
many regards
jonG.

:D hi,i think the Ski du Test Alpin used to be called Le Equivelence,and this was a requirement needed to be passed by anyone from outside of france in order to be a ski instructor.The test itself is a timed slalom run down a piste and had to be completed quicker or within a set margin of timed error(+ or - ) of a time that had been put down by a race qualified ski instructor,once this had been completed the applicant would be granted ski instructor status (obviously all the other requirements would need to have been met already and it sounds like your husband is more than qualified.
The main reason for this set up in the first place was to protect french ski instructors lucrative jobs from outside competition,if i am correct in my thinking and the Ski du Test Alpin is the same as the old Le Equivelence(just a new name for it i think)then one of the following should be able to point you in the right direction ,Ecole Nationale de Ski et D'Alpinisme , or www.isiaski.org (International Ski Instructors Association.
Hope this info is of some use and the best of luck to you both.
many regards
jonG.