Latest posts for the topic "The best and worst"

The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:28:56 GMT

OK, I need entertaining, been off work for a week now with chest infection & virus and I'm bored.

As everyone is having a little panic about there being little snow in our beloved alps, please entertain me with your stories of the worst and best snow you've encountered.

Thanks! :D

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:54:01 GMT

Worst snow EVER !!

1984 - Sarajevo Olympics weeks, and I know this coz I watched a lot of telly in bars ...
Val D'Isere - nursery slopes open :thumbup:

But nothing, absolutely nothing else for 4 days.
Too much snow - this was the killer.

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:35:59 GMT

I remember arriving in Montgenevre late November for pre season training, late 90s and there not being a drop of snow to be seen. That was worrying, but if I remember rightly that was the same season I was in Mayrhofen and it snowed every day for 6 weeks at some point in the season, it was ACE!

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:40:16 GMT

not been into snow sports long enough to really know but worst place i visited was lake district ski club on Raise. Poma lift there is incredibly difficult for snowboarders to use. skiers were fine tho. best place Ive been was Tignes. couldn't knock the boarding at all.

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:52:33 GMT

I think I had a very long run of good luck as up until last year I have always managed to be on holiday when they are having record snowfalls!

Last year alas my luck ran out and I spent best part of the season skiing on ice!

Who knows what'll happen this year...Time will tell.

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:53:19 GMT

Sauze d'oux in 2002 (I think) - snow was practically non-existent and what there was was so icy that beginners classes were suspended...

I'll try and find a photo Ive got of us all on a drag lift that was still moving despite there being no snow underneath it - we took skis off, yomped over there, put skis on for effect and took photo

Best snow was probably New Year's Day in Verbier 2009. We'd got a sensibly reasonable amount's kip in so were up for first lift which was deserted. 4 inches of fresh snow overnight was sat on the pistes, practically untracked for most of the morning!

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:14:49 GMT

Worst: Weekend in Glenshee 1988. First time I ever went skiing. Solid ice, wet down slope and ended up in car park as I could not stop!! Also, lost key to hotel room and had to break in....23 years later I am still skiing....

Best: Val D about 3 years ago. Loads and loads of snow, powder every day. Snowed at night, sunny during the day. Skiing was fantastic - and did not get locked out of room once!!

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:31:11 GMT

Worst: Mont genvre March 2005. It hadn't snowed for a month prior, temps were crazily high and there were only 6 runs open in the entire resort. So it was sheet ice until about 11am then slushy in the afternoon, this persisted for a week so we got to know the bars very well indeed.

Best: Les Arcs February 2009, fantastic amounts of powder. Snowed most nights and was sunny during the days. The conditions couldn't have been more perfect.

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:43:59 GMT

From one extreme to the other, I've heard of resorts being shut due to too much snow (Mr Nelly experienced this in Alpe D'Huez one year), my snowiest season was Pra Loup (small southern alps resort), I'd heard it didn't have the greatest snow history so wasn't expecting much, we had so much snow we actually had people COMPLAINING (!!!) that it was ruining their holiday! And the lifts weren't even shut.

Some people.

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:37:02 GMT

Does anyone else on here - of the slightly more mature ones - remember a winter in the 1960's when (certainly in the south of England) we had snow which lasted until about Easter? I can remember a sort of ice crust forming on top of about a foot of snow and being able to walk on top of this ice crust without falling through.

And those wonderful (lethal) slides we used to make in the school playground - elf and safety wouldn't allow it now!

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:46:24 GMT

jastem wrote:Does anyone else on here - of the slightly more mature ones - remember a winter in the 1960's when

Ah yes ...
I remember it well ...

We got a better class of winter in those days

:mrgreen:

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:47:58 GMT

jastem wrote:Does anyone else on here - of the slightly more mature ones - remember a winter in the 1960's when (certainly in the south of England) we had snow which lasted until about Easter? I can remember a sort of ice crust forming on top of about a foot of snow and being able to walk on top of this ice crust without falling through.

And those wonderful (lethal) slides we used to make in the school playground - elf and safety wouldn't allow it now!

1963 I think

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:04:25 GMT

This is easy for me.

The best snow in terms of how much fell whilst on a trip was Alpe d'Huez, Jan 2010. There was a decent coverage when we arrived, but about a metre and a half fell overnight on the 2nd night and there was some epic skiing to be had:

The worst conditions I have skied in were Sauze, March 2007. We arrived and it was 20c in the village, we actually sat and sunbathed outside a bar that afternoon. It did turn cold next morning, but the only snow that fell was the morning we were picked up for the bus transfer back to Turin. I have to say they did an amazing job to keep the pistes open and in good condition:

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:19:01 GMT

A familar sight in Sauze, Tony

I'd love to ski the Milky Way properly some time after my problems last time (though the bars got a real pasting....) but am so hesitant to book it due to the snow record

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:27:29 GMT

andyoneil wrote:A familar sight in Sauze, Tony

I'd love to ski the Milky Way properly some time after my problems last time (though the bars got a real pasting....) but am so hesitant to book it due to the snow record

I've been twice; once with a mate when i took that photo and we hammered the bars each night I am sorry to say, and I mean hammered, the 2nd time with the mrs and another group of people. The snow was better, but not a lot. Unfortunately it put a few off considering going back, but I'd love to go right after a massive dump across the whole area and ski it again as there really are some wonderful runs above Sauze. We found better snow in Sestriere, better still in Montgenevre, and the best was easily in Serre Chevalier.
You can sit in Sauze and watch a storm sock in, and hit every mountain around you with feet of snow, and totally miss out the slopes around there. Odd.

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:34:43 GMT

Thanks for the photos TH, if there was a prize for entertaining me today, you'd get it.

I've just heard that snows on its way at the end of next week!

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:35:01 GMT

Worst - White out in Val D'Isere, really grim, snowing, foggy and very cold. We took an early lunch at the Sports Bar and invented Extreme Lunching. We left at 7.15pm when someone pointed out that pre-dinner canapes were about to be served back at the chalet!

Skiing in the rain in Morzine was also very grim.

Best - powder days in St Anton, skiing over in Rendl on a run that scored a giggle factor of 16.
And Alpe D'Huez in 2010 waste deep powder everywhere.

Re:The best and worst

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 23:55:01 GMT

This is not an easy issue for me, I have been skiing for 44 years, and have had extraordinary good fortune, and met some brilliant people.

It is true that, like many others, I have experienced waist deep snow, and the tears of joy that go with the first discovery of deep bottomless snow.

I have also experienced some leaner snow years. In 1971, the snow cover had receded almost back to the trees, about a mile from the village. Even in those days, I was on the lift at a quarter to eight, and skied what I could, ended up hopping from snow patch to snow patch, four or five turns, then....you get the picture, Lake District style. When I reached the end of the snow, I put the skis on my shoulder, and jogged the mile down to the village. I kept going all day, and it cost me a good few beers at night, because, I discovered later, the liftmen were desperate to close up, and there was only me on the mountain.

My best and worst days involve people, not snow.Theses are the kind of best moments in my skiing memory:

Skiing with blind people and disabled skiers, for most of the past 10 years. Also, with their carers, some of the most wonderfully generous of folk. Having an opportunity to talk with them. So many people seem to worry about when it will snow, but skiing with these lovely people certainly gives me a sense of perspective.

Meeting very briefly, with a one legged skier, whose crutches were being fitted with ski ends. When I looked into his eyes, all I could see was ambition and hope. A very humbling meet-up, but one where I have since regretted not taking some kind of contact reference. Again, perspective.

Helping a 10 year old laddie progress his skiing, at the most amazing rate. He was autistic, but his learning rate was outstanding. Pure joy.

Just dozens of other people-related moments, some including the friendliest of J2skiers.

One truly bad time~ the death of a mate, killed skiing into the gorge above Niederau, with his wife and unborn daughter in the village. Ellis Brigham was solid in his assistance, and I still arrange for the grave to be maintained in Niederau churchyard.

I also like it when a painting works well, you lot don't get to see the really bad stuff!!!!

Re:The best and worst

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:12:38 GMT

You always manage to put things into perspective DM, we have all had some amazing experiences, but I think looking outside the box and doing what you've done and do makes us grateful that we are priveleged enough to be able to ski every year, no matter how much snow there is.

Re:The best and worst

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:16:18 GMT

A good metre or two snow base, a nice two foot dump the evening before arrival, bluebird skies and no wind from dawn till dusk every day, then a foot of snow every night for the whole week....awesome!

Just a dream unfortunately, but will be putting it in my wish list for 3V, Jan 21-28 whilst doing the snow dance on Sunday. Fingers crossed!
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :D :D :mrgreen: :mrgreen: