J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by verbier_ski_bum

Base layer, fleece and jacket. Though now I've got a shell and won't need a jacket, except for really cold days. Pants obviously. Suncream. Lip balm. Goggles or sunglasses. Helmet and back grinder.

the problem with straight to parallel that not all resorts have enough flat terrain for this, hence the necessity of snow-plough. there is no room on nursery slopes so beginners are usually moved to a normal mountain on their second day. And when they teach the snow-plough schools usually teach a proper position too, so it cannot be contributing to bad technique. But is essential when learning parallel on a big mountain.

If money was no object I would purchased more than just one pair of skis:). But I picked up yesterday a pair of Armada JJ on sale. I have a pair of Voelkl Aura and they did a great job this season so I thought I was all set for couple years at least, but I happened to try JJ and I immediately knew I had to get them. They are so much fun in anything powder (even as little as we had this season) it should be illegal. They turn themselves. If it wasn't for long icy spells that happen here i could say they are brilliant all around and could be the only pair of skis. But the edge is very short so for ice a different pair is needed. and I am thinking now about getting a slalom-type craver, like Atomic ST, and maybe selling the Voelkl. or, keeping them too, they are very good skis.

I don't like camping, but I like hiking. I hope to make it to Mont Blanc this summer.

Inetersting. I doubt it's because of snow on Bec des Rosses, I spoke to one of the organisers last week and they said that the competition would go ahead as usual. The mountain admitedly looks horrible, but it always does and apparently when you look at it from above there is much more snow than is visible from below - usually it's the rocks that are visible. Plus they still hold the competition on this day, junior freeride, though I don't know if it also takes place on Bec des Rosses. If not, possibly they want to postpone it because of avalanche danger, there was some snow this week, so with 60-degree slopes it needs some time to stabilise. Bummer! was looking forward to a nice picnic tomorrow.

Well, they wouldn't know now how many properties they will have available, this season hasn't finished yet and often their clients will take the option to keep the apartment for the next season. I would suggest you start the process around end of June.

I think it can be hard to ski so many days straight, on 7th day my legs just don't want to turn the skis anymore, but then with 2-week holidays people don't have to and can afford to pick and choose. last Sunday we had the worst conditions imaginable, high wind, low clouds, blue ice on pistes with thin piles of blown snow mixed with soil in some places. and lifts were full because for many people it was the much awaited first day of their holiday and they had to go back after 6 nights.

Oh, and chalet operators are unlikely to provide accomodation for the season as they prefer to deal with people on weekly basis. So you need a real estate agent. Check classified adds too.