J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by SwingBeep

Grandvalira is about 2.5hrs from Perpignan airport
http://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Airports/Perpignan.html

Even though it only takes about 3 minutes to do it's not done as standard, so you will have to ask the tech to test them. If he doesn't give you the printout he hasn't done it. You might have to look around for a shop that has a machine as they are not that common http://www.wintersteiger.com/download/?file=Produkte/Prospekte%20SPORTS/Bindungseinstellung_E_final.pdf . Your best bet is to find a shop displaying the AFNOR label




It was hoped that AFNOR NF X50-007 would encourage French ski shops to use them to check the condition of their rental bindings.

AllyG, before using the skis that Ranchero has kindly given you, have the bindings tested on a binding test machine. This is the only way you can be sure that they are functioning properly; the shop should give you a printout with the values on it.

The type of fall that Trencher mentioned is called a phantom foot or slip catch fall, this type of fall seems to be the major cause of knee injuries, which account for about 40% of all skiing injuries. Female skiers are three times more likely to injure their ACL than male skiers.

IMO boot binding setup plays as significant role. A short skier in a small boot with a lot of forward lean combined with a binding that has a large delta angle (the angle formed by the difference in stand height between the toe and heel pieces) is likely to be forced into the 'back seat', making a backwards fall more likely.

A lot of research has been done into this type of injury, but little if any information trickles down to recreational skiers.

http://www.taosortho.com/Site/meniscus_pub_files/Skier%27s%20Knee-1.pdf

http://www.klokavskade.no/upload/Publication/Bere_2011_AJSM_Mechanisms%20of%20ACL%20injury%20in%20World%20Cup%20alpine%20skiing.pdf

jonG wrote: I got the injury skiing backwards whilst watching a friend learning and went down into a slight hole, the tails of the skis went into the snow up to the back of my bindings which threw me back into a sitting position quite hard and quickly and knee joint bent further than it's dessigned to do.....Imagine holding a piece of wood at the back of the knee then sitting down onto your heels hard, eventually youd pull the joint apart, thats kind of what I'd done....better posture and strengthened thigh and legs muscles would have probably prevented this injury to be honest.

Nasty, hope you make a full recovery.

The Monterosa ski area is well worth a visit. The lifts give access to a vast area of off-piste terrain with a large vertical range. The piste map doesn't really due it justice, a better idea of the potential can be obtained from the off-piste map http://www.monterosa.com/other-pages/piste-maps.aspx and the true size of the area can be compared with it's neighbours Cervinia and Zermatt by looking at the Swiss topo map http://map.schweizmobil.ch/ (enter Zermatt in the white box)

I prefer to stay in the Gressoney valley, because it's in the centre of the area. The downside is that there's very little night life and as the valley is quite narrow it can be quite dark early in the season. The best time to go is from the beginning of February to mid March.

As it's south of the main alpine ridge snow conditions aren't always perfect. Most of the snow comes from the south, usually via a Genoa low http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/wxfacts/Genoa-Low.htm , but in a good year it's probably one of the best off-piste areas in Europe.

So did I, it was only when I clicked on his WWW button a few weeks ago that I saw that he is a bloke!

AllyG, J2SkiNews is a bloke http://www.thesnowhunter.com/ Your not implying anything are you? -)

The numbers are department numbers. Chamonix is in Haute-Savoie, department 74.

If you buy online you have to post them a medical certificate within 15 days otherwise you won't be covered.

There are plenty of supermarkets in Davos / Klosters:

Rätia Shoppingzentum (inc. Migrosmarkt), Promenade 40, Davos Platz
Coop Pronto Shop (open until 22.00), Promenade 63, Davos Platz
Coop Pronto Shop (open until 22.00), Promenade 143, Davos Dorf
Coop Supermarkt, Bahnhofstrasse 1, Davos Platz
Migros, Promenade 146, Davos Dorf
Denner AG, Bahnhofstrasse 3 and Promenade 108, Davos Platz
Spar Handels AG, Bahnhofstr. 1, Davos Dorf
Coop Supermarkt, Bahnhofstrasse 10, Klosters
Denner Satellit, Doggilochstr. 96, Klosters

Denner is the cheapest, but only has a small range. Migros is a bit cheaper than Coop but doesn't sell alcohol. If you want to check prices before you go, this online shop will give you an idea of how expensive things are http://www.leshop.ch/leshop/Main.do;jsessionid=89C87182E91DAFA7A06EB08BC3CCA0BA.mgbtomp12?currentMenu=SHOP_SUPERMARKET

As you are travelling by car you could visit one of the larger supermarkets on the way
http://www.migros.ch/de/services/filialsuche.html
http://standorte.coop.ch/vstinfo/showMap.do