J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by tino_11

Anyhoo, what was interesting was I satrted to ride like I never had before. The punishment of the queue followed by the burn of the lifts meant it was all over too quick, so lets make it wortwhile and hopefully last a little longer on decent. I began to really push my linked turns, to the point of getting really low and only on the very edge of my weapon (sorry, it popped into my mind and I couldn't resist). I was turning so smoothly the back of my board was giving feedback and actually starting the transition to the opposite lock for me. I'm sure it wasn't and it was something subconscious really, but five or six times I felt like the skies had parted and I could fly. This sounds gushing and self indulgent, but I have never boarded like I did today, NEVER. I have been ecstatic since about 1pm. ( I was last off the glacier at 4pm and missed my train). The only downside was it made me faster, significantly. So more lifts :( Anyway long story short. I am just in Germany on the ICE with the most rewarding afternoon behind me, grinning like a cat. My rant would be 10 times worse if that had not have happened. I will divulge another time.

Wish I'd been inti this carry on when I was at uni! It will be a blast on so many levels, I am actually jealous :)

Well here I go with an October Zermatt report, and right off the bat; not as good as May in terms of riding but that is to be expected.

Day 1. Go to work, check weather on Europes glaciers, announce I am leaving at 1pm and in resort at 7.15pm. Just as well I keep my snowboard bag packed for just these occasions. Accommodation 80 Euro for 2 nights B&B, okay it was the worlds smallest room but what more does a single traveller need? Early leave from work on a Friday means 2 things; a long weekend and an early start on the beer! So 1.30am and knocking on 12 beers down it's off to bed to be fresh for the morning. Man, badgers arse goes no way to describe how I felt at 7am on Saturday morning, but still up and ready to go I was. On the glacier by 9am,..... It's a long way okay?!?? Magically my riding was good, but after snowboarding at least once in each of 10 of the last 12 months might have something to do with it. Crappy day, flat light, intermittent snow and dense cloud at times. Add the fact that a day on t-bars is rough for a snowboarder, especially when sharing. Lunchtime and a wee sandwich and beer at the restaurant at the top of the KM. Absolutely blinding headache, 2 more runs and down. Pint a burger and in bed by 9pm.

Day 2. Up at 7am, bright as a button, sun is shining but the wind is blowing aloft. 50-60km/h and the announcement regarding opening was delayed. Rather than start my 6th coffee I took a look outside to see if I could see anyone in the garb heading for the lift. Sure enough there was. So a little later despite good intentions and behaviour. A1 conditions, really nice and straight into a groove. It started to get interesting after my second run, the queues were massive, were talking 25 minutes for a t-bar and lets not start on the behaviour of a lot of people who should know better. I was appalled by some of the stuff I saw in line today, it depressed me and I nearly called time after lunch. But no I sm Scottish and I had paid, I was notgoing to stoop to thier level but I was sure as hell gonna say something the next time a 12 year old ran over the topsheet of my board with full weight of both skis to get in line first before turning to say to me in German that he didn't have enough space and I should watch the back of his skis. Poor little #$€¥+*% I swear he was gonna cry.

To be continued........

Blue sky day here folks, pistes in excellent shape.

Although I am having a good time, I will be having a rant when I cross the border into Germany and am back on free bandwitdth.

Update from The Kleine Matterhorn.

Piste Quality: hard pack with 15-20cm ungroomed new snow.
Weather: clear first thing, thick cloud now with intermittent snow showers.
Beer: tell you in 20 minutes

Very busy up here, but worth it, tiring on a snowboard when only drag lifts are open. Lots of ski teams up here and some quite funky stuff going on in the snow park.

Sitting having a beer at 3823m, or 12535ft and I can feel the altitude, and last nights beer :)

Oh yeah, ignore the Piste grading! Not worth the placards it's written on.

One of the most tempting sights I've seen is the glacier fields falling from the Jungfraujoch miles and miles of relatively shallow white. Quite a fe big blue and black holes mind ;)

sitting in the Brown Cow, just had a Burger and a couple of Weissbier, gonna give Marco's musical entertainment a blast at Grampi's in a moment. Note to Pabs, he must play every night of the soddin' year!

I have not had call to use simultaeneous equations in quite a while, but now I know your budget ;)l

I was in St Anton for a few days with Tony and I agree it's quite some resort, I threw myself down a couple of un-pisted ski runs on my board, and went off piste from them. Was great fun. Unfortunately I was only there for 3 days so did not get round to Lech etc.

Although good, St Anton is expensive. I would compare it as a resort with Zermatt in Switzerland and Tignes/Val in France in terms of the whole package snow-related-stuff-wise. However I found it more expensive than both which schocked me somewhat. In terms of paying that wee bit extra for the extras then I would have to take Tignes/Val of my shortlist leaving Zermatt and St Anton. From those it comes down to altitude and this is where Austria loses out a little. Being able to drop 2km vertical down into Italy for a cheap and tasty lunch is one of the highlights of my brief sliding career.

Back to the topic though, St Anton is fantastic. Thoroughly reccpmend it.