Messages posted by : Far Queue
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I just decided to look through my bookmarked webcams to give me my morning "happy shot", and I can see that it is snowing right now in both Kitzbuhel and Wengen :D
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Snapzz, I am going to be brutally honest with you on this, and I do not mean in any way to knock Bedrock Barneys choice, as I personally really like Val D'Isere. However, if you ski on the Tignes side from VDI, you only have 3 ski options back to the resort. Two of these are black runs (one being La Face) and the third is the notorious Santons blue run. This is the run which ends up getting about 70% of the return traffic to VDI and funnels through a halfpipe type run. It can be a major pain at the end of the day, especially for someone who is nervous of busy runs. There are alternate returns which can be used of course. The gondola back down from the top of Bellevarde (I'm really surprised more people do not use this option) or ski down into La Daille and hop on the resort bus up the road to VDI proper. I am not trying to put you off of VDI, but just giving fair warning of the run home given your comment about your wife. |
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Icy (and apologies to thread starter that this is drifting a bit), if you are worried about your skis on planes, you can buy padded ski bags or protective tubes (like this click here) instead of a standard "ski bag". The downside to them is that they do not have any room for you to pack extra items in. People often wrap clothing round skis to protect them and take the items out of their main case.
With regards to buying your skis, I had my own back in the 90's (I won them in a raffle in a resort) but eventually got to the point where they were no good for me, and from then on I strated renting. My argument was that I could have "new" skis every season, and I could change them when I wanted. But I came to start realising that you never really got to know your skis and given the seeming increase in the cost of rental, I decided to buy myself a pair again a few seasons ago. I then spent the last few years trying to find certain models of ski in resort to try. It is not always possible to find the exact ski you wish to try, although things are starting to improve and in some resorts I see that certain shops are setting up stalls at the top of the mountain where you can try out skis down a run then come straight back up and swap them over for a different set and get the benefit of trying several skis. I finally decided to buy a pair based on write ups by magazines and websites, comments on this forum, and the fact that I did really like a predecessor of the ski. I did not go wrong, and am completely happy with what I got, in fact it is strange, but my skiing jumped a few levels because of them. I bought then in the UK, as tbh at the moment it can be cheaper or at least the same price, and then I knew I had what I wanted. It helps that the shop also threw in 3 years (read that as just "3") free servicing. I guess it is up to you. If you wish to keep renting, that is fine, but I would advise that you research the skis each year and don't just take the first ski a shop wants to give you, but discuss what they have with them and go for something you want to ski on. It's your money after all and there are other shops in the resort. Also, if renting, don't forget that if you don't really like something you have, go back and change them. Heck I used to change skis if the weather changed. One of the best rental weeks I had was in Val D'Isere. I started out with a set of giant slalom Volkl Race Tigers, and they were brilliant in the sun on well groomed pistes, but then it snowed fairly heavily so I swapped them in for some Atomic Crimsons and had a wonderful time with those in the softer snow. |
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Hmm, maybe not selling it well, but given a choice between chalet hotel and standard hotel, I would probably go for the standard hotel in future.
Don't confuse a chalet hotel with a standard catered chalet, they are totally different. |
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This depends on the hotel to be honest Icy. I have stayed in some chalet hotels where every group had a separate table for all meals, albeit in a shift pattern for dinner (so breakfast was a first come first table job and I would usually just take a bacon roll to the bar). I have also stayed in ones where the tables were all long ones seating 20 people, and groups would have to share the tables. Nothing wrong with that for dinner, but people can be a bit tetchy first thing in the morning :shock: |
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Didier Cuche retired from World Cup Ski Racing today, by completing his final race using 80 year old skis, he was suitably dressed as well. Watching him struggle and fall on the skis, made me wonder if he should have called Dave Mac first for some advice :twisted: |
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Fortunately for us Bandit, Mr J2SkiNews has a habit of starting threads which encourage wibble :twisted:
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This season or next? |
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