Ski+board December 2015/January 2016

Dec 15 Jan 16 ÂŁ4.50 where sold

Produced by skiers and boarders for skiers and boarders

Back to ski school 2 + New lifts + Snow wear + Cold weather accessories + Technique + Off-piste safety + Fitness + Resorts + Books + Discounts + Puzzles

Found!

The world’s first skiers

skis, boots, boards

Piste performance issue publication

South Tyrol seeks winter lovers looking for the Alps’ best-kept secret.

South Tyrol seeks you.

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Bolzano Bozen

Discover Italy’s beautiful hidden gem, with breathtaking views set against the dramatic backdrop of the Dolomites. 300 days of sun­ shine and guaranteed snow on more than 1,000 km of slopes means South Tyrol offers a truly unique skiing experience. Exquisite food and wine, delivered with friendly local hospitality, make the après ski as perfect as the setting. Come and see how Italian flair and German precision combine to create the ultimate winter holiday. www.suedtirol.info/dolomighty

12/18/11 4:46 PM

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Editor’s note

Editor Colin Nicholson colin.nicholson@skiclub.co.uk

Colin Nicholson Editor

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

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Deputy Editor Ben Clatworthy ben.clatworthy@skiclub.co.uk art director Nicole Wiedemann designer Amanda Barks media sales Madison Bell madisonbell.com 020 7389 0859 OVERSEAS MEDIA SALES Martina Diez-Routh martina.diez-routh@skiclub.co.uk +44 (0) 7508 382 781 PublisheR Ski Club of Great Britain London SW19 5SB skiclub.co.uk | 020 8410 2000 Distribution Jellyfish Print Solutions Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Independently audited circulation of 18,714 (January to December 2014) Issue 191 © Ski Club of Great Britain 2015 ISSN 1369-8826 Ski+board is printed by Precision Colour Printing, Stirchley, Telford TF7 4QQ

Cover photo: Jonas Bendiksen/Magnum Photos

At the museum in Burqin, a small town in a remote corner of north-west China, is a rock carving showing a skier hunting a large animal. Local historians claim the petroglyph is well over 5,000 years old — evidence, they say, that the indigenous Tuvan people, who still make their own wooden skis by hand, just as their forefathers did, are the world’s first skiers. And Ski+board’s roving correspondent, Andreas Hofer, finally caught up with the skiing Tuvans at the end of his gruelling quest over the Altai mountains in Siberia, Mongolia and China. You can read the final part of his trilogy on page 22.

Of course, the historians’ claims should be treated with a little scepticism. It is very convenient for China to find that it is home to the world’s first skiers at a time when the snowless sites it has selected to host the 2022 Olympics are raising eyebrows. However, as Hofer explains, ski historians such as John Allen, professor emeritus at Plymouth State University, do take the claims seriously. And if we unquestioningly assume that skiing must have started in the Nordic countries, rather than in a culture far older than ours, then we could rightly be accused of Eurocentrism.

What is really remarkable is that the Tuvans in China still ski for a livelihood, unlike most of the rest of us who ski for fun — at least in principle. For many first-time skiers, those initial days in ski school can be anything but fun. I recently met the comedian Richard Herring, who, having started skiing just a year ago, has memories more vivid than most of his debut on skis. First, he found his boots unbearably tight. Then he realised he would have to walk in them to the nearest nursery slope. And finally, his skis were misbehaving as he tried to carry them over his shoulder. As he puts it, he felt like Christ carrying his cross on the road to Calvary. And, like Him, he knew worse things were to come on the hill.

Given these traumas, is it any wonder that so many of us see leaving ski school as a rite of passage, akin to passing the driving test? For all that we may bemoan the passing of our youth, ski school is one coming-of-age drama that most of us are in no hurry to repeat.

That is a shame, as there are now many excellent ski schools and other organisations offering an ever-expanding range of courses. What is refreshing is that their focus is on helping you enjoy your winter holiday, rather than slaving under some deluded notion that we are all part of a selection process to find the world’s next Downhill racer.

Admittedly, Ski+board would draw the line at the language-cum-skiing lessons that two schools are now offering in France. The greatest advance in ski instruction in that country has come from the arrival of native English-speaking instructors. But there are plenty of other courses, just a few of which have been tried out by Ski+board’s writers, as you can find out on Page 31. Their sheer diversity suggests there is something there for everyone.

This season is shaping up to be a good one. So far the snowstorms that have arrived in the Alps have proved more timely than they did this time last year. And a little extra challenge could help guarantee that this will be a winter to remember.

All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher.

All prices are correct at time of publication. Opinions expressed in Ski+board are not necessarily those of the Ski Club of Great Britain, nor does the publisher accept responsibility for advertising content.

Contents

December 2015/January 2016 Photo: Pierre Carbonneau/Québec Original

7 Exposure The best action shots taken by our team of thrill-seeking photographers

14 You say A plea from Northern members, and your thoughts about female mountain guides

Photo: flomotion.at

Photo: Paul Tomkins/Visit Scotland

15 Ski club news An update on Ski Club insurance, instructor-led guiding takes off and news from our AGM

17 News

31 Never too old for school…

Europe’s cheapest resorts, how Easter became the new Christmas, and bills for smashing up chalets

Learning to deal with powder, ice and piste bashers, we head back to school to prove you’re never too old to learn

The inside edge 50 Snow wear

58 Ski tests

68 Boots

74 Snowboards

How to stay warm on the slopes (without looking like the Michelin man), plus the return of teddies

Our test team tear down the groomers to find this season’s best pisteperformance skis

They may not be the most comfy, but these are the boots you need for serious piste control

We review entry-level boards and explain why they represent such good value for money

Photo: Jonas Bendiksen/Magnum Photos

22 Found! The world’s first skiers After a gruelling quest Andreas Hofer discovers the tribe who have been skiing in China for thousands of years

44 What’s new on the slopes this season?

Faster chairlifts, shorter queues, luxury lifts and linked resorts — a complete lowdown on the latest developments

78 Gear

82 Technique

86 Fitness

89 Resort insider

We try out some of the ever-growing range of accessories to keep you warm this winter

Instructor Mark Jones shows you how to carve more cleverly. Plus, off-piste safety in groups

The best exercises to prevent and fight knee pain — and do energy drinks really work?

Skiing with children can feel like an uphill battle, so we pick the best resorts for your brood

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

skiclub.co.uk

4 Countries - 1 Airport

â?† Ski resorts

Route closed during winter

Friedrichshafen-Airport (FDH)

Your Gateway to the Alps Discover the snowy landscapes of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Ski Lifts to Friedrichshafen-Airport (FDH)

www.bodensee-airport.eu/ski

7

SKIER Thibaud Duchosal LOCATION Near Sochi, Russia PHOTOGRAPHER Stef Godin Sochi is buzzing, reports photographer Stef Godin, due in no small part to the collapse of the Russian rouble. But this also makes it cheaper for foreigners like him to go heliskiing in the Caucasus. He was there with a crew of four in March, waiting for a sunset shot. But the clouds were coming in fast in these wild, steep and snowy mountains. Communicating with skier Thibaud Duchosal by walkie-talkie from the helicopter, Stef knew they had to go for it, as the slope was also rapidly disappearing into the shade.

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

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8

SKIER Dorian Konrad LOCATION Gressoney, Italy PHOTOGRAPHER Guy Fattal Guy Fattal was chasing a storm heading in the direction of Italy’s Val d’Aosta with an Austrian film crew last winter. And he and rider Dorian Konrad finally caught up with it after it had passed through Gressoney. Guy says: “The lines through the trees and 60cm of fresh snow made for an epic day.

We had the time of our lives in this small but completely empty section of the mountain.”

SKIER Derek Chandler LOCATION Kühtai, Austria PHOTOGRAPHER Ross Woodhall It looks like the fjords of Norway, but in fact Ross Woodhall took this picture during the Ski Club’s annual ski tests in the Austrian resort of Kühtai. The test team — who know all the best spots in the Tirolean ski area — headed off the black number 10 run into an off-piste sector overlooking the Speicher Längental dam, and Ross took this shot of Derek ‘Del’ Chandler appearing as if he was heading for a drop in the drink…

Ski tests — Page 58

9

SKIER Joe Harkess LOCATION Tignes, France PHOTOGRAPHER Guy Fattal When French New Wave director François Truffaut made the film Day For Night he referred to American filmmakers’ technique of fabricating night scenes. But Guy Fattal used no trick photography to realise his vision of a skier going down a steep couloir at night. He and Joe Harkess hiked for an hour to the top, only to find the flash wouldn’t work in the extreme cold. After several failed attempts they captured this one shot and quickly skied down before they also froze.

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

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10

SKIER Unknown LOCATION Arlberg, Austria PHOTOGRAPHER Hans Wiesenhofer In cartoons, snowballs just get bigger and bigger as they roll down slopes. But these ones in Austria’s Arlberg valley, home to such legendary resorts as St Anton and Lech, are almost as impressive in their delicate beauty. Photographer Hans Wiesenhofer caught them in the process of being created by a lone skier in this freeride capital.

Learning to ski off-piste in St Anton — Page 33

11

SKIER Julien Lopez LOCATION Fieberbrunn, Austria PHOTOGRAPHER David Carlier Fields of untouched powder are what most of us dream of — but not the skiers on the Freeride World Tour, which begins next month in the VallnordArcalis area of Andorra, before moving on to Chamonix, Fieberbrunn, Alaska and Verbier. For the contestants there, such as Frenchman Julien Lopez, captured here on the Austrian leg of the tour by David Carlier, the challenge of dodging the rocks and jumping off cliffs is all part of the fun.

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

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12

BOARDER Flo Orley LOCATION Haines, Alaska PHOTOGRAPHER Dom Daher The Freeride World Tour isn’t just for skiers — snowboarders compete just as intensely, as Austrian Flo Orley demonstrates here. Despite the fact that photographer Dom Daher was shooting this picture on an exposure time of one 2,500th of a second, even that wasn’t fast enough to prevent the rapid snow slide underneath Flo turning into a blur.

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you say…

14

Please increase the scope of the Freshtracks holidays

May I say how much more relevant you have made the magazine with all the ‘newsy’ articles. I would also be interested in new and upgraded lifts.

I would also suggest that it would be beneficial if you could list the dates and venues of the World Cup events. With some resorts these can cause havoc for the holidaymaker, unless one specifically wants to be a spectator, due to the race course ‘carving up’ the mountain.

The other issue is that in my distant experience the leading service has not been good due to group sizes.

Maybe these days the club has given Leaders instruction on numbers?

Edwin Holbrook

Last year, I convinced three friends to join the Ski Club so we could book a Freshtracks trip to Folgarida, Italy. It was a great holiday and we liked the combination of three days’ instruction and three days with the Leader.

We made a couple of good friends on the holiday and will ski with them in March. However, Freshtracks does not offer a holiday appropriate for our group of six, which is very mixed in age (from 40s to over-60s), experience and budgets. Some of us would like to try off-piste, but half prefer to ski on piste with a Leader.

It would be great if we could do this on a Development holiday.

Also the club needs to consider Northern members. Freshtracks has few flights from Manchester and none from Leeds/Bradford, so we had to pay twice over, since flights from Gatwick were included and there were no discounts for not using them.

I like the magazine and found the article on skiing moguls, equipment comparisons, resort insider and news helpful. I am amazed at Crystal’s decision — reported in the last issue — to withdraw resort hosts. It may have shot itself in the foot.

Jacky Snowden

Ski+board writes: The World Cup calendar is quite involved so we hesitate to reproduce it in print. But we have created a link where members can see it at bit.ly/skiworldcup. For resort leading, the maximum number of members on an on-piste day is 12, and eight for off-piste.

Off-piste safety and groups — Page 85

More reader comments I do enjoy the magazine, but it is hard to share features with friends.

I understand you want to protect content from non-members, but it would help me convince friends to join if I could email even just the text.

Ski+board writes: Ski Club members can read back issues of Ski+board online at skiclub.co.uk/skiandboard and now non-members can buy issues to view online at bit.ly/skiboardmag.

I feel that Ski+board has improved, but there is still not enough news on where lifts have been built this season and other changes to resorts, particularly those members frequent.

New lifts — Page 44

Photo: Ross Woodhall

I’m seeking advice on how to get far from the madding crowd

Freshtracks offers more than 175 holidays

The Ski Club writes: We are sorry you haven’t been able to find a Freshtracks holiday that fits the bill on this occasion.

One of the key concepts of our holidays is to offer the chance to ski with others of a similar level. No one likes to struggle to keep up, or feel they are being held back. Sadly, we cannot offer a variety of airports as we must commit to having a minimum number on each flight. But 40 per cent of our holidays are offered with no flights so members can be flexible in arranging flights from their local airport.

What about the British guides?

A nice article on female mountain guides in the last issue: we have skied and climbed with women guides.

But it was a pity it focused on an American and a Swede, when British guides include the Ski Club’s Kathy Murphy, Tania Noakes (who led an 80-day ski trek across the Alps) and Caroline Ogden. I hope we can read of their achievements in future issues.

Ian Jackson

Ski+board writes: We would love readers to report on skiing with female guides and with the club generally. Freshtracks is working with Kathy in Chamonix, Edurne Pasaban (the first woman to scale all 8,000m peaks) in the Pyrenees, Hannah Burrows-Smith and Julie-Ann Clyma.

Got something to say? Share it with us at: @TheSkiClub

/theskiclub

skiclub.co.uk/snowtalk

Ski Club of Great Britain, The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon Village, London SW19 5SB Or email: colin.nicholson@skiclub.co.uk

15

ski club NEWS

Rush in bookings for instructor-led guiding service in France

The Ski Club’s new range of travel That said, the club is talking to insurance policies is proving popular. its insurance partner about providing The cover, launched in partnership an upgrade option that will allow with Travel Insurance Facilities, offers members to add extra days to their year-round holiday travel insurance. cover — and will keep members It caters for every type of skier updated on this. and snowboarder, including those The club has also taken a lot of venturing off-piste without a guide, calls about the new Ski Club Platinum heli-skiing, cat skiing and touring — membership — with lots of members activities that are often excluded by choosing to upgrade. generalist insurers.

Platinum membership includes The policies offer cover for an enhanced version of the standard travellers aged up to 85 for single Platinum travel insurance policy, trips, or 75 for multi-trip policies. offering 45 days of snowsports in a A few members have been asking year and cover for children up to about the limit on snowsports cover 23 years old on a family membership. included in multi-trip policies. This is If you would like to upgrade, or 31 days in total, with 24 days covered if you have questions about Ski Club in any single trip.

Platinum membership, please The number rises to 45 days in total call Ski Club Member Services on for those members who have Ski Club 020 8410 2015.

Platinum membership.

If you are interested in purchasing This covers more than 95 per cent a travel insurance policy, or for a of member requirements, but a few quote, visit skiclubinsurance.co.uk or members have asked why it isn’t call 0300 303 2610. longer. The feedback received earlier Ski Club members get 15 per cent this year from a major survey the off the policy prices. club undertook in the summer was that the previous insurance policies were too expensive, so the club was keen to address this. Generally the more days that are included as standard, the more expensive Buying the right insurance policy to suit your travel plans is essential the policy.

The Ski Club’s Instructor-led guiding service opened for booking in November — and within two days 130 of the slots offering members the chance to ski in guided groups had already been allocated.

The club is partnering with the Evolution 2 ski school to offer the service in 11 French resorts. The move will see instructors offering three or more sessions a week designed to suit a variety of members’ standards.

The new service will be available in Alpe d’Huez, Argentière, Avoriaz, Courchevel, Flaine, La Plagne, Méribel, Les Arcs, Tignes, Val d’Isère and Val Thorens.

Members can secure a place by paying a booking fee of £10 for half a day’s session and £20 for a full day.

To find out more and book visit skiclub.co.uk/skiwiththeclub.

Photo: Stef Candé

Your questions on Ski Club insurance policies answered

Leader details are now available online The details about which Ski Club Leaders will be in which resorts and when have now been posted online.

The club operates its Leader service in 18 resorts. In Switzerland they are in Verbier, Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Mürren, Wengen, Grindelwald, Davos and Klosters. In Austria they are in Ischgl, Obergurgl, Mayrhofen, Kitzbühel and Zell-am-See. They are also in: Sauze d’Oulx and Cervinia, in Italy; Soldeu, in Andorra; Whistler, in Canada; and Jackson Hole, in the US. Members can pre-register to ski with a Leader at skiclub.co.uk/leaders.

New council members elected

French leading case is adjourned at last minute

The Ski Club held its Annual General Meeting on November 19 at the club’s headquarters in the White House, Wimbledon.

Elected to the Council were Bridget Cassey, who works at marketing agency Ogilvy and who served on the Ski Club staff five years ago, and Sarah Williams, a barrister. Thanks were paid to Gerry Aitken and Alan Lyons, who have stood down after

The Ski Club’s appeal on behalf of its Leader who was stopped by gendarmes in April 2014 was due to be heard in Chambéry in October.

But the case, which the club’s head of partnerships Simon Henwood travelled out to attend, was adjourned at the last minute, with a new date set for March 30.

The club had to withdraw its leading service in France in 2014.

Ski+board

four years of service on the Council.

Questions from members included those about the club’s preliminary investigations into selling the White House, with members expressing disquiet, particularly if the funds raised were not earmarked for a specific project.

There were also observations about how much the club was doing to reinstate the Leader service in France.

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

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For stockists information call: 01572 770900

17

NEWS

Neilson reveals partners for guiding service to replace resort hosts

Ben Clatworthy

Ben Clatworthy

The price of ski holidays in the Eurozone has fallen thanks to the strength of the pound. According to the latest Post Office Ski Resort Report, prices fell in three-quarters of the resorts it surveyed, with doubledigit percentage drops in a third.

Bansko, in Bulgaria, remains the cheapest, with the price of a week’s lift pass, ski hire, lessons, on-mountain food and drink falling by one per cent to £260. However, Kranjska Gora, in Slovenia, a Eurozone member, is closing in at £264 — a fall of 12 per cent on last winter.

The annual report surveys 27 resorts in ten countries. Overall Italy remains the cheapest of the major Alpine states. The Italian resort of Livigno ranks third with a price rating of £286, down £36, while Ellmau, in Austria’s SkiWelt area, ranks fourth at £306, down £5.

Fifth was Sestriere in Italy at £322, a fall of £31, and sixth was Morzine in France’s Portes du Soleil area at £333, a reduction of £32.

“Skiers heading to many resorts in Europe will benefit from sterling’s increased strength,” said Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money.

“Even where local prices have edged up, UK tourists will find the cost of skiing, as well as meals and drinks, noticeably cheaper this winter.”

However, he said that in Switzerland sterling had not risen

Tour operator Neilson has revealed the ski schools it will be working with to offer its guests the chance to ski with instructors free of charge.

Following the French ban on hosting, where reps showed guests around on piste, it will offer the service where it has its ‘own-brand’ Mountain Collection properties, including Italy, Austria and Andorra.

In France, it will work with Oxygène in La Plagne, the ESS in Les Deux Alpes, Ski Connections in Serre Chevalier and Evolution 2 in Val d’Isère. But it is also working with the ESF, which brought the case against resort hosts, in Tignes, Alpe d’Huez, Les Menuires and Montgenèvre.

Photo: Christof Sonderegger/swiss-image.ch

Cost of ski holidays continues to fall as the euro plummets

Travelling in a group?

Pick your pals wisely Beautiful but costly: Zermatt in Switzerland

fast enough against the franc to counteract rising local prices. Zermatt remained the most costly European resort surveyed, with prices rising by £12 to £699.

Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar has fallen since last year. Tremblant, at £526 — a fall of £40 — offered the best value of the six North American resorts surveyed, while Whistler, at £610, has seen a £98 fall.

When should you travel? — Page 20

Skiers are being warned of a risk when booking group trips with tour operators. MPI insurance brokers says that if one of a group damaged a chalet, it could be the ‘lead name’ on the booking who is sued.

MPI and Mayo Wynne Baxter solicitors of Brighton say the issue arises because it is the ‘lead name’ who enters into a contract with the tour operator. They recommend liability insurance cover.

Alternatively, Ski+board suggests travelling with people who are unlikely to smash up chalets.

Fastest lift is solar powered

Why don’t all chairlifts have weather bubbles?

A chairlift that claims to be the world’s fastest has been unveiled in Brixen im Thale, in Austria’s SkiWelt area. Built by Doppelmayr to run at a speed of 13.5mph (22kph) it is also partly solar-powered.

Last season Ski+board revealed the firm had built the world’s first part solar-powered chairlift in Austria’s westerly Vorarlberg province.

But its rival Leitner has also built a chairlift that can run at 13mph in nearby Kitzbühel. It has leather seats.

New ski lifts — Page 44

Sunshine Village has built Canada’s first heated chairlift with a bubble… and not before time, skiers will say.

They often ask why all chairlifts don’t have weather-protection bubbles.

According to Pascal Bourquin, head of the Grimentz and Zinal lift company, the chairs weigh more and the bubbles create more drag, so are susceptible to being blown about in the wind. This means the lift needs a bigger engine and a thicker cable.

The pylons and stations need to be bigger too, adding millions to the bill.

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

skiclub.co.uk

19

NEWS

Skier numbers are falling, but that hasn’t stopped the British

Cancellation blow to holidaymakers taking the train to Geneva

Colin Nicholson

Ben Clatworthy

The number of skiers worldwide is falling — but the British seem undeterred, reports suggest.

Laurence Vanat, a Geneva-based consultant, said in his International Report on Snow and Mountain Tourism that there were about 325 million skier visits last year, compared with nearer 340 million the previous year. Of these about 190 million were in Western Europe last year, compared with nearer 210 million the year before. However, reports by tour operator Crystal and the Ski Club suggest the British share of the market is in rude health.

Crystal, which this year abandoned its survey of the market as a whole to focus only on its own brands, reported a seven per cent annual increase in customer numbers in 2014-15, with particularly strong gains among families and under-35s.

The Ski Club’s annual consumer research report also found the mood among British holidaymakers to be buoyant. From 13,000 responses from skiers and snowboarders across the industry, it found 93 per cent intend to go on a ski holiday this winter.

It also noted growing interest among lapsed skiers (those who have missed three seasons) with 47 per cent expressing a desire to return to the sport, up three percentage points from the year before. This was

A train that takes skiers to Geneva was cancelled just 24 hours before tickets were due to go on sale.

The Lyria service, which was launched in 2012, ran from Lille and meant skiers taking the Eurostar from London or Kent had to change trains only once. However, many complained that the train, run by the SNCF, the French rail operator, only arrived in Geneva at 8pm, while the return train left as early as 8.30am.

“It’s a great disappointment to skiers but isn’t that surprising given the timetable,” said Daniel Elkan, of rail advice site Snowcarbon.

British skiers could find slopes quieter this year

despite a difficult start to last season, which saw high temperatures and little snow before Boxing Day, then travel chaos on ‘transfer day’ the day after, as a huge snowstorm effectively closed many road in the French Alps.

By contrast, a more timely snowstorm swept the Western Alps in late November this year, with parts of the Alps receiving over a metre of snow in one weekend, and most of the Northern Alps seeing at least 50cm. Italy and Austria missed out on the biggest snowfalls, but the cold meant their snow canons were firing.

Read comprehensive weather reports and forecasts at skiclub.co.uk/snowreports

China’s newest resort opens this month. Chongli Thaiwoo, 100 miles north-west of Beijing, will eventually boast 46 lifts and sleep 80,000 people.

But the first lifts — an eight-person gondola, two chairlifts, and magic carpets — started turning this month.

“This will be China’s best resort,” says Paul Mathews of Ecosign, which designed the resort. “The ski terrain is awesome, and the resort beautiful.”

The popularity of skiing in China is soaring. Club Med opened its first allinclusive hotel in China in 2009.

Found! The world’s first skiers — Page 22

Picture: Ecosign

‘Awesome’ Chinese resort opens

Ski+board

Chongli will rely on artificial snowmaking

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

Halfpipe champion is up for BBC award Molly Summerhayes, the reigning world junior halfpipe champion, has been nominated for BBC Young Sports Personality of the year.

Summerhayes, 18, from Sheffield, is one of ten candidates. The winner will be announced on December 20.

She said: “I watch the awards every year and to be shortlisted feels pretty crazy. I couldn’t be happier.”

Sheffield has proved fertile ground for British skiers, including James ‘Woodsy’ Woods, even though its Ski Village — once the biggest artificial ski resort in Europe — closed in 2012.

New owner pledges to upgrade Megève’s lifts Ski lift nostalgics should hurry to Megève. Last month, the owner of Chamonix’s lift system took a majority share in its creaking lifts.

The Compagnie du Mont Blanc has vowed to invest heavily in the 113 lifts serving 445km of pistes, with upgrades due for Lanchettes, Jardin and the main Chamois lift out of town. First-time visitors to the upmarket resort are often surprised to board this tiny bubble, built in 1983.

This season a Mont Blanc Unlimited Pass will serve Chamonix, Megève, Les Contamines, Courmayeur and Verbier.

skiclub.co.uk

NEWS

20

As equipment sales fall retailers launch their ‘buy British’ campaign

Easter has become the new Christmas, say tour operators

Ben Clatworthy

Ben Clatworthy

UK Sales of ski and snowboard equipment fell in 2014-15 — although at a slower rate than in recent years.

Annual sales of the most popular category, ski boots, fell one per cent to 59,223 pairs, according to the Snowsport Industries of Great Britain, which has launched its Go UK, Buy UK campaign to persuade skiers to buy gear at home rather than in resort.

The sales of skis fell six per cent to 25,713 pairs, but there was strong growth in junior snowsports equipment and female specific kit.

Ski tests — Page 58 Boots — Page 68

Tour operators are reporting that they filled their Easter slots before the Christmas ones, as skiers opt to travel later in the hope of guaranteeing better snow conditions.

The change comes after last year’s slow start to the season, when many low-altitude resorts remained closed over the Christmas week and others had just a few slopes open. And this season Easter falls early, on March 27.

“That can have a big impact on the ski season,” says Louise Newton of HotelPlan, which owns Inghams, Ski Total and Ski Esprit.

“Christmas has been a slower burner than usual this year.

However those looking to get away can enjoy offers.”

At the time of Ski+board going to press in late November, some tour operators were advertising discounts of up to 50 per cent on holidays over the Christmas period.

But skiers without school-age children will still find the best deals by avoiding Easter, Christmas and the half-term weeks.

Ski+board has taken some of the guesswork out of picking a quiet week by compiling a chart to show when the main skiing countries’ state schools generally have their holidays this year.

Instructor’s battle with Basi to resume in spring The battle between Simon Butler, the instructor at the centre of the debate over British ski instruction in France, and Basi, will rumble on this winter.

On November 18, an Edinburgh court heard his case against Basi, the British Association of Snowsport Instructors. He is claiming £500,000 in loss of earnings for denying him the stamp which allows suitably qualified instructors to teach in France.

Basi has said it will continue to fight the case, which is set for March 8.

Butler said: “This means I can’t work for a third season.”

By travelling from January 2 to February 6 or March 5 to 26, skiers can avoid the school crowds

Ski lift firm is cleared over schoolboy’s death

Baxter in downhill comeback…

The parents of Kieran Brookes, the boy who was killed on a French chairlift, say justice has not been done after the lift company was cleared of involuntary manslaughter.

But lift supervisor Richard Cettour, 50, was convicted of the same charge, and received a six-month suspended sentence. Nick Brookes and his wife Cindy said that they had “mixed emotions” after hearing that SAEM Sports et Tourisme had been cleared.

Their 14-year-old son died during a school trip to Châtel, in the Portes du Soleil, in February 2011.

Alain Baxter, the British slalom skier who missed out on a medal at the 2002 Olympics because he used the wrong nasal inhaler, is racing again… but on ice skates.

The 41-year-old qualified in November’s Red Bull Crashed Ice event in Québec City, where skaters race down a tilted ice rink, despite breaking three ribs in a fall.

He still hopes to enter the next race in Munich

in January, saying: “The atmosphere is electric, the crowd hangs over the barriers, the lights, the noise. It’s hard to describe the buzz I get from it.”

Photo credit: Dave Lehl / Athlete: Mirjam Jaeger / Conception & Graphic Design :

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Found! The world’s first skiers In the final part of his quest to ski with a tribe believed to have been skiing for over 5,000 years, Andreas Hofer headed to China. But getting there was to prove a tricky mission

M

ore than 5,000 years ago, when mammoths still roamed the northern hemisphere, the Tuvans, a tribe of hunters, carved mankind’s first skis.

At least that is what ski historians such as John Allen from Plymouth State University report.

These stone-age skiers carved out a living in the Altai mountain range, which stretches from Siberia to Mongolia and China. And, according to recent reports, they have never stopped skiing since.

Schorsch Schichl, my Austrian mountain guide, and I planned to seek out our Asian skiing ancestors and — if possible — ski with them. Having covered thousands of miles by car, on foot and on skis, we did meet Tuvans, sure enough, many of them in Siberia and more in western Mongolia. Alas, none of them had ever skied.

This last part of our quest to find the world’s oldest skiers — this time venturing into the Chinese part of the Altai mountains — did not start well.

Coming from Mongolia, we found the border to China cordoned off by the Mongolian authorities.

All roads were closed and quarantine had been declared because of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease — or the plague, as some locals called it. Suddenly China seemed out of reach for us.

After endless days of conference calls to Ulaanbaatar with officials at the ministry of health, foreign ministry and ministry of the interior, and frantic petitioning with much hand-wringing, Nomads, our tour operator, secured the vital transit papers through the plague-infested area to China.

Finally it was agreed that on April 3 this year our Chinese hosts would wait for us on the other side of the border crossing at Takashiken, to take us to Hemu village on the southern slopes of the Altai range. Here, it was promised, we would meet the fabled Tuvans and learn their skiing techniques.

Gazelles roamed the plain as we drove through

Photo: Jonas Bendiksen/Magnum Photos

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the fertile marshes that feed into the Bulgan River towards a group of tents complete with a Soviet-era ZIL-131 truck that was belching smoke.

It had been converted from a rocketlauncher into a strange-looking distillery, sprouting coils and controls.

This was the plague station where we had been told to collect a final stamp to gain our permit. Waiting on a bench in the morning sunshine, we watched as our cars were hosed down with a nasty-smelling solvent, while the alchemist’s creation on the ZIL truck was heated up, noisily producing steam and puffs of white smoke.

We had no idea what this was about.

After a few minutes we were invited to take a seat in a windowless compartment in the ZIL truck. At least it had the reassuring sign of the Red Cross on its door. Hatches were closed and we sat in utter darkness.

Before we knew what was happening, pungent smoke filled the cabin until we couldn’t breathe any more. Almost asphyxiated, we frantically banged against the iron doors, trying not to vomit.

Just before we passed out, we were released into blinding daylight again — coughing, crying and throwing up what our guts had to give. As an antidote we were given phials of iodine to gargle. Then cigarettes were

offered and our papers stamped for onward travel to China.

After our near extermination by the Mongolian Red Cross, our usual border difficulties seemed minor by comparison. Some of the cars we were travelling in were confiscated, and I was held up for many hours after a computer check of my passport suggested I was a North Korean gunman on the run.

After a while, even the Chinese border guards were satisfied that the similarities between me and the Asian gangster were remote. After many apologies, we were waved through.

But not before our skiing equipment was disassembled and my passport had been leafed through by so many hands it became almost unreadable.

After all that, the landscape on the Chinese side of the border looked none too different to Mongolia. We saw the same desert, the same camel herds, the same yak, grazing between poplars and stumps of willow. But the degree of industrialisation was of a different scale. We travelled on fourlane asphalt roads, under pylons that criss-crossed the country connecting cities, factories and refineries.

In the towns, everything was neon lights and apartment blocks, but these were eerily devoid of any sign of tenants. Large high-rise buildings were as empty as the bungalows that had been built for nomads in the hope they would settle there.

As we entered Burqin, the road was lined with petrol stations and shops selling jade. Burqin is one of the towns growing at a ruthless speed into the 21st century, but it felt good to spend the night there and be in a proper hotel room again after such a long time sleeping rough. Washed and scrubbed, we enjoyed a dinner of grilled fish, kebabs and pilau rice in a Uighur street restaurant.

The next morning we were all set for our journey, but the same could not be said of our Chinese guide. A former English teacher, he suggested we call him David, but that was where his allowances for us — and our peculiar quest — ended. He was utterly unprepared for the journey into the mountainous land of Kazakh and Tuvan herders. His people carrier and the truck he had hired for our luggage had summer tyres and no snow chains, and were no match for

pungent smoke filled the cabin until we could no longer breathe

Left and bottom right: The snow festival in Kanas. Top right: The ‘decontamination’ truck that Andreas Hofer survived on the Mongolian border

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Russia

Mönkh Saridag

Lake Baikal

Mondy

Ulan-Ude

Tsagaan Nuur

Kyakhta

kanas

Sky Resort

hemu

Murun

Lake Khövsgöl

uliastai

Ulaanbaatar

burqin

china

takashiken

Otgon Tenger

Mongolia 100km

Andreas Hofer’s quest to find the world’s original skiers took him first through Russia then Mongolia

roads buried in layers of snow. We got stuck as soon as the landscape started to rise when we were still miles from our destination. The 3,000m peaks glittered tantalisingly on the horizon.

Would we ever reach the villages of the Tuvans in the high valleys of the Altai, now steeped in snow?

Evidence of this Turkic tribe’s skiing prowess is available thanks to petroglyphs: images of stone-age skiers found in Russia and Mongolia, dating back thousands of years. And primeval skis that have recently been excavated from permafrost may date back to 6,000BC. Until recently, the Tuvans roamed the Altai regardless of borders and only found themselves to be Chinese, Mongols or Russians in

modern times. Today, the largest group lives in the Russian Republic of Tuva, annexed in 1944 by Stalin.

But as we had found on the first leg of our journey, the Russian Tuvans, alas, don’t ski. The Tuvan population in China, however, were said to ski.

And Genghis Khan is alleged to have tasked them with guarding the mountain passes into Xinjiang, making good use of their skiing prowess.

But stranded as we were at this point, after just a few hundred metres of snow-covered road, we could only gaze at those peaks and wonder.

Schorsch and I unpacked our skis, glued on the hiking skins, and made our way towards the first pass and the Kanas Tourist Resort.

The Chinese have a soft spot for the romance of Alpine villages. Next to a private airport serving the moneyed elite stood rows of multi-coloured, gabled houses, looking like outsized replicas of Swiss chalets. Like most Chinese real estate excesses, these too were eerily empty. At a steady pace we moved up the serpentine contours of a snowbound mountain road.

It was not long before we were stopped by a flashy 4x4 driven by a Chinese television crew. With much gesticulating and laughter, the two young men loaded us into their car promising to take us to the ‘Sixth Kanas Snowboard Festival’. There we would find steep descents, lots of powder and it would all be great fun.

At least — because this was all delivered in Chinese — this is what we understood from their waving hands, wide eyes and mimicking of the sound of speed and bravado of skiers.

The festival was indeed in full swing when we arrived. Everyone who was anyone was there: the committee for Beijing’s bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics, at that point still up against a bid from Kazakhstan; camera teams; the press; hundreds of photographers — and the border police.

When they asked to check our visas, which we had left in the stranded car, they were pushed back by a crowd

Left and bottom right: Hemu village. Centre: Andreas Hofer holds the Tuvan skis aloft at the snow festival. Top right: Hemu’s ski maker, Malchiin

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excited to see two foreigners join in the fun. So dense was the cheering cordon of fans sweeping us along it was impenetrable for the officers.

Once we had our skins on and started to hike up the slopes in earnest, the day was ours. On one descent after another we frolicked in metres of fresh powder, decorating wide areas with neat ‘Arlberg’ turns. In between, we were given gifts, we were fed, and had to give hour-long interviews.

For a while we were the stars of the show… but not for long.

Two buses arrived with a convoy of Jeeps, and a horde disembarked looking like extras for a Genghis Khan movie. They were wearing Mongolian fur caps, pointed leather boots, silk gowns and sashes of all colours. To the delight of the hooting bystanders, they waved large, yellow flags and began to unload their quaint gear: giant rocker-shaped skis, covered in horse hair to aid their climbs and long wooden poles to help them steer.

The Tuvans had arrived!

We felt as if we were meeting heroes from another age. We handled their gear with awe, stroking the horse skins, and admiring the perfect shape, length and balance of their skis. There must have been 20 of the Tuvans, of all ages, some in their 80s, the youngest a girl of just six.

And what a show they put on! As the horse skins could not be removed for the downhills, they needed a lot of speed to manoeuvre with ease.

Their body weight had to be far back so they used the long steering pole for support, at times looking as if they were sitting in the back of a gondola, with the tips of their skis floating up ahead of them. They raced down the hill in formation, jumped over rocks and turned boldly between trees.

When the television crew asked us if we backed China’s Olympic bid, we couldn’t but agree.

“This is the homeland of skiing,” we shouted enthusiastically, waving the yellow Tuvan flag, emblazoned, as we now saw, with the image of a stoneage skier carrying a bow and arrow.

The dreadlocked festival-organiser, Wanglei, a freeride champion of note who was married to an Austrian girl from Schladming, was excited about the future of skiing in Kanas.

“We’ve got a new Kässbohrer PistenBully for cat-skiing and are in talks to organise heli-skiing here,” he told us. “The next time you come, we’ll take you to the slopes by heli.”

We were a little dubious about the prospects of heli-skiing just a few miles from the Russian border and, as if on cue, the men in green were again insisting on seeing our visas, unimpressed by our newfound television celebrity status.

David, who had finally managed to hire a 4x4 locally, brought the visas just in time. We left the event in the late afternoon, driving through the

They raced down the hill, jumped over rocks and turned between trees

The treated horse skins are nailed to the bottom of the skis, made from freshly cut trees that have been bent into shape and allowed to harden before bindings are fitted Photo: Jonas Bendiksen/Magnum Photos

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Photo: Jonas Bendiksen/Magnum Photos

Hemu valley towards the border with Russia and Mongolia. A snow blower had cut a two-metre-wide lane out of the deep duvet of snow that was just enough for one car to pass through.

We hoped we would not meet any oncoming traffic — giving way would have been impossible.

It is hard to say why this road, winding alongside the Hemu river and crossing numerous mountain passes, conferred on us such a sense of tranquillity. Was it the gentle, snowsteeped hills, beaming in the sunshine, and the lone farmhouses? Or was it the horse-drawn sledges, pulling logs from a wintry forest? Perhaps it was the hay wagon, carrying heaps of fodder to a herd of cattle, steam rising off the cows in the frost.

“Come on baby,” shouted the farmer to the gelding he was riding, as he passed our car, laughing proudly at the English expression he had managed to make use of at last.

Hemu village, a community of Kazakh and Tuvan farmers, with its log-built farmsteads, woodfenced paddocks and hayracks, was huddled under deep layers of snow, with smoke rising from blackened chimneys. Even at this time of year, tourists from urban China were wandering along the main street, taking photos of each other or hitching a ride in one of the horsedrawn sledges through the copse by the river. The slopes were marked with the tracks of Tuvan skiers who had gone hunting in the mountains or were simply looking after their cattle.

That evening we met Malchiin, the 32-year-old village ski maker,

in his workshop. He proudly explained how he chose the best birch, bent the chiselled planks in pots of boiling water, planed them into shape and tanned the skins for the bindings.

He shared his log cabin with his extended family and a handful of newborn calves and lambs, which huddled around the central stove.

Among the many dozen skis and single poles in his shed, we also spied three new Burton snowboards. Despite the traditional way of doing things, Hemu was not immune to the advances of technology. Malchiin offered to sell us a pair of made-to-measure village skis for the equivalent of £300, but we declined, knowing that we would never be able to use them with the same grace as the locals.

“When you stay in Hemu village, you are not allowed to ski the border mountains,” the men in green had warned us as they handed back our passports. But when we woke on Easter Sunday, the sky was deep blue and the village was still asleep, horses snuffling and neighing gently, as if to acknowledge the morning without waking anyone.

Schorsch and I shouldered our skis, and crossed a sturdy iron bridge over the river to make for the peaks overlooking the farmsteads — the river forests and rolling,

The slopes were marked with tracks of tuvans who had gone hunting

Photo: Jonas Bendiksen/Magnum Photos

The petroglyph at the Burqin museum that local historians say is more than 5,000 years old

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DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

The skiers use a single wooden pole and the base of their skis have horse skins permanently attached for traction on uphills

snowy hills were calling us. The People’s Liberation Army would have to forgive us. Skiing over wide open, powder slopes, we celebrated the birth of skiing by weaving our tracks into those of the Tuvans — the oldest skiing tribe on earth.

Crossing the border back into Mongolia felt like a breeze. Our driver, who had spent the entire week collecting permits to release the confiscated car, had finally been successful and welcomed us with a big grin. And this time the border police, instead of treating me as a North Korean robber — or even as the trespasser on skis that I really was — greeted us like old acquaintances, waving and smiling. They had seen us on television and treated us like celebrities. No luggage screening, no lengthy visa checks — and no prospect of gassing on the other side of the border. Just smiles, group pictures, friendly shoulder-padding and a cheerful “see you again”.

Andreas Hofer travelled with Nomads (nomads.mn) and mountain guide Schorsch Schichl (sportladen@sport2000. at) based in Heiligenblut. He researched his travel by reading the books Beasts, Men and Gods by Ferdinand Ossendowski, The Bloody White Baron by James Palmer, and The Diluv Khutagt of Mongolia.

skiclub.co.uk

Ski far and wide and relish Tirol’s exhilarating quartet of winter playgrounds!

Bored with yo-yo skiing? In some ski areas, you’ll be wondering whether there’s enough variety to keep you going for a weekend, never mind a week. But in Austria’s Tirol, many of the ski areas offer a huge patchwork quilt of opportunities that mean neither you nor your skis are likely to ever run out of ideas of where to go next. So, are you ready for the ultimate ski adventure? The Tirol, which features some of the best skiing in the world, invites you to explore the vast network of pistes at four of Austria’s most celebrated epic ski areas: Sölden, with its magnificent glaciers; Mayrhofen, where many British holidaymakers first learned to ski; Kitzbühel with links to a whole cluster of neighbouring slopes; and the SkiWelt, with its vast array of linked villages.

2 Rudi Wyhlidal

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Ski Sölden’s BIG3 Rally and see where the latest Bond film was shot

The “Altitude Guzzler” Tour from Mayrhofen in the Zillertal valley

This amusingly named but exhilarating tour starts at the Penkenbahn top station, and finishes at the Ahornbahn valley station. It’s only possible if the Ahorn Valley run is open. But what excitement along the way! Among the 16 pistes you’ll get to ski one of the steepest groomed runs in the world – piste no. 34, the Harakiri.

After guzzling all this altitude and finishing the tour, you can check how many vertical metres you’ve actually covered. And you won’t be disappointed! Just give your card to one of the cashiers at the ticket counters of the Ahorn, Penken or Horbergbahn and you’ll be given a special certificate.

This breathtaking 50km loop through the Sölden ski area with magnificent panoramic views will take at least four hours – but make time to visit each of the BIG3 viewing platforms, with views as far as 100kms away! This superb journey through the heart of this extensive glacier ski area means you’ll conquer all the BIG3 mountains in one day, clocking up 10,000 metres of vertical.

Start by taking the Giggijoch gondola up to the slopes close to Hochsölden (2090m). Continue on to the Rettenbach glacier and the first BIG 3 summit, Schwarze Schneid (3340m). Take your first breather here and admire the scenery, before continuing towards the Tiefenbach glacier and the second BIG 3 experience on Tiefenbachkogl (3250m).

From the Rettenbach glacier continue through all the way down to the Gaislachkogl gondola, which whisks you up to the third BIG 3 platform on Gaislachkogl (3058m). More stunning views are guaranteed from the rooftop terrace at the futuristic ICE Q restaurant, which doubled as a lair in the latest James Bond film! Eventually you’ll have to tear yourself away to complete the Rally – via the Heidebahn chair – finishing at the Gaislachkoglbahn gondola base in the valley.

Other great tour possibilities in the Zillertal valley include the much gentler Ahorn Family Tour (nothing too testing and certainly no Harikari) the XXL Tour (a super ski safari sticking mainly to red runs), a Fun and Action Tour, and there’s even a Penken Beginners’ Tour!)

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Glide from summit to summit in the celebrated Austrian resort of Kitzbühel!

Skiers and boarders alike will be thrilled by Kitzbühel’s famous “Elephant Ski Safari”, which enables them to visit the huge ski area covering Kitzbühel, neighbouring Kirchberg and as far afield as Pass Thurn. Why queue for the ski bus when you can glide happily from summit to summit?

The 35km safari is a brilliant way for confident intermediates and above to get to know the entire ski area, riding from summit to summit and making good use of the celebrated 3S-Gondola.

Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, the unique 3S lift links Kitzbühel’s most scenic ski areas. This enables skiers to explore the classic Ski Safari, using signposted elephant symbols to work out the route in both directions.

Following this main “artery” which connects the entire Kitzbühel region is the key to linking Kitzbühel’s world-famous Hahnenkamm area with the Jochberg slopes, making it possible to roam the entire ski safari in either direction!

It’s a huge area – and huge fun to be able to explore it this way. The ski elephant even tells you the fastest possible access. You’ll never forget the experience!

bergbahn-kitzbuehel.at

For more information on the Austrian Tirol see

visittirol.co.uk

Discover the SkiWelt with its 280km of slopes and its vast array of linked villages

With the mighty Wilder Kaiser mountains, the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental ski area has no fewer than 280km (175 miles) of slopes served by 90 ski lifts. You can really motor here from one village to another – the slopes are almost always gentle, and ideal for relaxed cruising. Four resorts in the Wilder Kaiser network take you to the heart of the huge linked area: lively Söll, family-favourite Scheffau, traditional Going and all-rounder Ellmau.

There are three circuits through the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental region. The Kaiser Runde (Kaiser circuit), Salven Runde (Salven circuit) and the Westendorf Runde (Westendorf circuit).

Clockwise, the Kaiser Runde starts at Going, moving on to Ellmau, then Scheffau and Brixen im Thale, taking 13 lifts. Anti-clockwise, you start at Sheffau, moving on to Brixen, then Going, and ending at Ellmau, using 12 ski lifts. If you ski the Salve circuit clockwise, you start at Brixen im Thale, moving on to Hopfgarten, Itter and Soll, riding seven lifts. Anti-clockwise you start at Hochsöll and Söll itself, moving onto Hopfgarten and Brixen im Thale (also seven lifts).

The Westendorf circuit (only skiable in on direction) starts from Westendorf itself, and with nine lifts ends up Brixen im Thale. Whichever circuit you choose, you can’t fail to have great fun, great scenery, and some great pit stops in a huge assortment of mountain huts!

skiwelt.at

CHAMONIX

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Since Ski+board first covered some of the extracurricular courses that resorts offer, their number and variety seems only to have increased, suggesting none of us are too old to learn new tricks

You may have left your days in ski school far behind you, but there are plenty of innovative courses on offer in the Alps and beyond that promise to get your pulse racing and the adrenaline flowing all over again.

Learning a new skill in the mountains can add extra excitement to your holiday — and give you

extra respect for the skills you already have. In this issue Ski+board’s boarding guru Tristan Kennedy goes splitboarding for the first time, while Gabriella Le Breton brushes up on her off-piste skills to go in search of hidden stashes of powder.

By contrast, piste-lover Ben Clatworthy learns to drive a grooming

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DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

machine, while Clare Kelly is challenged by the world’s biggest indoor ice wall in Scotland.

Colin Nicholson learns cross-country skiing’s new skate-ski technique, while Minty Clinch develops a taste for a cooking-cum-skiing holiday.

Finally, Leslie Woit really stretches herself on a yogic skiing course.

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Splitboards give snowboarders the freedom ski tourers have long enjoyed, but beware of tricky little downhills, warns Tristan Kennedy was deep in the backcountry when I came across a terrifying descent… a short incline followed by a gentle uphill. You might think that would be no obstacle to someone who’s boarded for 15 years. But this was different.

I had joined the growing number of splitboarders, using the two halves of the board like touring skis for going up, then clipping them together to go down. That bit was going well.

It’s the tricky uppy-and-downy bits in between that posed the problem.

Having never set foot on skis, I was preparing to descend through thick powder with my heels unstrapped and just the vaguest notion of how to stop.

“Just do a snowplough like you see the kids do in ski school. It’s easy,” shouted James from below. It wasn’t.

James Stentiford is an ex-pro rider who teaches freeride and splitboarding in Chamonix. But we weren’t in France. We were in Kyrgyzstan, miles from medical aid.

What goes up must come down: James in action

This may seem a daft place to learn to splitboard, but the advantage of this new discipline is that it opens up a world of terrain where there are no lifts, helicopters or snowcats. In the past, boarders who were willing to hike would carry a pair of snowshoes with them. But not only do splitboards save on weight, they save on time… if you can ‘ski’ the undulating sections.

Having muddled through and got used to the climbing ‘skins’ — similar to the ones ski tourers use — I sat down with James for a few tips. Sparing my blushes, he tells me boarders often fall when ‘skiing’. He laughs and says: “They’re the best comedy moments.”

In fact, he says, splitboard ‘skiing’ is harder than touring, as a plank wider than your boot is tough to control.

Yet, despite the challenge of the new technique, it did finally prove fun.

There has been a big increase in the number of brands making splitboards, and James says: “I’m getting a lot Photos: Dan Milner

more enquiries about the introductory course. It’s now in its third year.”

The reason can be summed up in a word: powder. Splitboards take you off the beaten track easily and affordably. But there are other benefits. In an age when people are increasingly aware of the environment, splitboards are an attractive alternative to noisy, polluting helicopters or snowcats.

“A lot of people like the idea of travelling under their own steam in the mountains, immersing themselves in the peace and quiet,” says James.

This was a reason cited by splitboard pioneer Jeremy Jones for abandoning helicopters in his classic movie Deeper, which along with its sequels Higher and Further, popularised the discipline.

The fitness benefits also play a part.

Zigzagging uphill, whether on skis or a splitboard, is hard work. James says: “I’ve got guys on my courses who are really into fitness. The kind who really push themselves on a road bike.”

As I hiked up the mountains of Central Asia, I began to feel the ‘runner’s high’. And ‘earning my turns’ made them much more rewarding.

But the big appeal of splitboarding is the sense of adventure, far from the conveyor belt feel of some resorts.

After a week in the backcountry that was what I grew to love most. We were enjoying the climbs, keeping fit and riding incredible fresh snow every day. And my falls here and there while ‘skiing’ were a price well worth paying.

James Stentiford offers splitboard coaching in Chamonix, starting at £445 for a three-day introduction. See stentifordsnowboarding.com.

33 Photos: flomotion.at

Learning off-piste techniques broadens your horizons, says Gabriella Le Breton aster, Gabriella, faster! Remember, speed is your friend…” As Picco’s voice faded, I pretended I hadn’t heard him — that his enthusiastic shouts had been sucked into the snowstorm. But then, he’d been saying the same thing all morning, so I had no excuse for my slow pace, as I ploughed blindly on.

I was in St Anton, the charming Austrian town that is the birthplace of Hannes Schneider, the father of modern ski instruction. It was he who conceived the Arlberg technique of skiing and tuition. And that innovation in instruction continues in St Anton today. Piste to Powder, founded in 1998 by a British guide, takes skiers

on the journey to becoming assured freeriders. Now run by two Austrians, it employs eight qualified mountain guides, rising to 15 at peak periods.

I was on one of its off-piste technique sessions. Lead by Picco, an Austrian with the exuberance of an Italian, our group included Simon, the 40-something director of a British double glazing firm, and Olaf, a Swede travelling with his teenage son, Per-Johan, and Per’s best friend Oscar.

Picco started us off with… coffee at the Galzig Café, where he lent us a

Ski+board

St Anton offers more than 200km of off-piste itineraries, which will take you all the way to Lech

transceiver, shovel and probe, telling us how to use this holy trinity of safety equipment. A short, sharp run on the Galzig piste served as a warm-up and gave Picco a chance to assess our skill.

Legend has it that Piste to Powder asks clients to rate themselves on a scale of one to three, then drops men down a level and pushes women up a level to get a true idea of their off-piste ability.

I don’t know if this was the case with us, but we were well matched.

Warm-up complete, we dived off the piste for some laps either side of the Zammermoos chairlift, learning some basic techniques for unpisted terrain.

We learnt to keep our legs loose and our knees like springs. We maintained an aggressive, forward-facing stance, and had to forget the old-school idea of leaning back in powder, as modern, rockered skis lessen the chance of nose dives. And then there was the allimportant pole plant. Picco offered us tips on how to address our errors, yet didn’t overwhelm us with information.

With the weather closing in, he whisked us up the Valluga cable car to the Mattunjoch off-piste itinerary, a marked, patrolled, but unpisted run.

The Arlberg area, which includes swanky Lech and Zürs, has more than 200km of off-piste itineraries in addition to its 340km of pistes. If you take the second stage of the Valluga lift you can ski to Lech, skipping the tiresome journey on a overcrowded bus. But there are no pistes and the cable car is open only to those skiing with qualified guides.

The prospect that faced us at the top of the first lift was nerve-wracking enough. As we stared into the bowl

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

of swirling snow and mist at the top, the excitement — and nerves — of the younger Swedes, who had never ventured far off-piste, was palpable.

Simon went in first, followed closely by the others, with the boys’ gung-ho whoops turning to giggles as they bumped into each other and plunged head first into the snow to emerge like snowmen. Granny here took up the rear, Picco’s shouts ringing in her ears…

Piste to Powder guides are as adept at finding lunch spots as they are at sniffing out powder stashes, so lunch in the cosy Dorfstuba in Stuben followed, before we moved into the remote Albonagrat area, where we practised on more open terrain with longer descents to build our rhythm.

Picco also taught us the basics of ‘reading’ a mountain. We learnt how to judge the incline and aspect of a slope to assess avalanche risk, how to ski safely in avalanche-prone terrain and how to decide which slopes to ski — and which to leave. We also practised finding buried transceivers.

Maybe it was the wine at lunch, but I saw a marked improvement in our skiing by the end of the day. Simon was using his poles more, Olaf’s legs were absorbing rather than deflecting bumps, and the lads were approaching steeps with consideration, as well as bounce. And, while speed and I may not be best friends yet, we’re enjoying becoming acquainted.

Piste to Powder’s one- to fiveday off-piste courses start at €125 a person including avalanche gear. See pistetopowder.com.

skiclub.co.uk

34

Several resorts now offer visitors the chance to learn how to drive a grooming machine, though Ben Clatworthy wasn’t offered a job ’m in the driving seat of a £280,000 vehicle. It has a 527 horse power engine and a top speed of… 10mph.

I’ve had a fascination with pisting machines since I made my first wobbly turns on immaculately groomed corduroy as a boy. And it turns out I’m not alone in wanting to drive one.

Resorts such as Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Gstaad and Courchevel all offer a chance to hop in the cab. But it’s in Crested Butte that I take the helm.

Crested Butte is small compared with other resorts in Colorado but it packs a remarkable variety of terrain into its boundary. It enjoys cult status among

Driving a snowcat can prove counterintuitive

experts for its ‘gnarly’ chutes, steep trees and open powder bowls.

But I am here to flatten rogue bumps.

My lesson begins with what feels like a practical joke. Dropped at the foot of the mountain near a remote snowfield, I’m told by a happygo-lucky resort worker to await my

driver. So I wait. And I wait. Just as I consider walking back, the rumble of a cat breaks the silence and it rolls into view. At the helm of the Prinoth ‘Beast’ is Mark Voegeli, the resort’s chief of grooming and, for today, my instructor. He introduces me to his toy.

“At the front is the blade, used to break icy surfaces and demolish piles of snow. At the rear there’s a tiller that churns the snow, and a comb,” he says.

It is this flap with grooves cut into it that creates the dreamy corduroy. In awe of the weight, power and size of the Beast, it’s time to take control.

“Remember, Ben,” Mark says in an ominous tone, “you need to be patient — and open minded. You can’t jump in the cat and think you’ll be the best.”

He’s a good judge of character. At the turn of a key, the flick of a switch and twist of a dial the cat roars, before settling into a satisfied purr. We’re off! The machine lurches forward in an undignified manner and I feel I’m sitting my driving test all over again.

At first, the controls feel highly counterintuitive. The two caterpillar tracks work independently and I have selected different power settings.

This is why I’m going round in circles.

“To drive a cat, you need to be able to pat your head, rub your tummy and chew gum at the same time,” Mark explains. And that’s before you add the blade and tiller into the mix.

Finally we’re managing a straight line. The dashboard looks like that of an aeroplane, with 41 buttons, knobs and switches. There’s also a screen flickering away, displaying information about the state of affairs outside.

Learning to drive a groomer in a

resort known for its off-piste may seem odd. Earlier that week I’d skied double-black diamond trails with huge moguls — thigh burners of the first order. And last season Crested Butte opened a 40-acre off-piste bowl called Teocalli 2. But my lesson isn’t a work creation programme for underemployed grooming staff. There is also an impressive variety of gentle beginner slopes, and wide cruisy blues.

Mark and I plough up and down the field. It’s not just the technical aspect that makes grooming a hard job.

“It’s very solitary,” he says. “The drivers are on the mountains for eighthour shifts, the only company being their music and their thoughts.”

Groomers are seen as slightly obsessive by other resort workers.

And after a few laps our chatter in the cab dwindles, and I focus solely on creating white strips in the snow.

But it is beautiful as the bright March sunshine catches the snowflakes billowing around us. I focus harder.

A twitch of the tiller will ruin my work.

When the lesson is over, I hang around expectantly, but there is no offer of a job. Mark says: “I’ve seen worse. But I’ve definitely seen better.”

I head for the slopes to enjoy the results of the professionals’ efforts.

Even though it’s late afternoon, I find slopes manicured like a cricket pitch.

That night I look up the mountain and see the flickering lights of three piste bashers, the unsung heroes of slopes, slowly working their magic under the cloak of darkness. By sunrise they’ll have vanished with the stars and once again, the pistes will be as new.

Ben Clatworthy travelled as a guest of Colorado Ski Country (coloradoski.com) and Crested Butte (skicb.com). Two hours’ snowcat driving (+1 9703494554) costs $199 (£130) per person.

Photos: Paul Tomkins/Visit Scotland

35

Near Glencoe is the world’s highest indoor ice wall. And as a first-time skier Clare Kelly found ice climbing as challenging as skiing lencoe is a magical place, with its views of one of Scotland’s best loved mountains, Buachaille Etive Mor, rising Fuji-like out of the russet coloured heathland. And it’s especially magical for me — it was to be where I would go skiing for the first time.

Our instructor Raymond gently took a small group of us through the basics.

At the rental shop he ensured we were suitably kitted out, then we had to learn how to board the ski lift.

Yes, as a beginner everything is hard, including dodging moving chairs.

But once on the lift, I was exhilarated.

It was snowing and the cold was biting, so I pulled my hat down and my scarf up in preparation… and promptly fell getting off at the top.

Side-stepping was top of Raymond’s to-do list and he was keen we master it before tackling snowploughs. I’m not sure I’m an easy pupil to teach — one of my skis came off and I skidded everywhere. But I got there in the end as I remembered what Raymond had told me — I had to master the basics if I was ever to go out on my own.

After a successful snowplough, I got chatting to a fellow pupil, a guy in his 20s who had just moved to Fort William and was not only a first-time

skier but ice climber too. He told me that just half an hour’s drive away was the world’s largest indoor ice wall.

I clearly wasn’t ready to be let loose on the slopes so, after the morning lesson ended and though my legs were aching, I decided to give it a go. In for a penny, in for a pound, and all that.

Having never so much as tackled a stone climbing wall, I felt a chill in my bones, and not just from fear. The ice wall is in a Victorian aluminium smelter that shut in 1996. And the hydroelectric dam that once helped produce a third of the world’s aluminium now helps power this giant fridge.

The harness and helmet I was given by my enthusiastic instructor, Joe, were unflattering but reassuring. Putting the crampons on was a challenge, as was walking in them. Particularly if you’re carrying a fearsome serrated ice axe. And then I faced it — a 12-metre wall made from 500 tonnes of snow, with the natural freeze and thaw cycle of a frozen waterfall emulated.

Joe was used to novices and pitched his lesson at just the right level. He stayed on the ground holding a rope attached to my harness and explained how to kick the crampons in hard and distribute my weight. It took me a few

Ice Factor is 30 minutes from Glencoe, below

goes, but I learnt to trust my ice axes, and bit by bit I made progress.

Now I like to think I’m fit. I’m 34 and have run a half-marathon, but hauling my body up was tough. I relied on my upper body strength hugely, while trying to avoid doing the splits.

If done well, ice climbing is as much about strategy as it is about strength. I had to fight a desire to rush things, but each move should be slow and precise.

That said, it didn’t take me too long to reach the top. Looking down at Joe, now tiny below me, made me giddy.

My heart thudded, though I’m good with heights. Yet my biggest challenge was still to come. To descend, I had to step off the narrow icy plateau at the top to let Joe winch me down.

It was terrifying, but liberating.

Back on the slopes of Glencoe the next day, my whole body reminded me of the experience — the aching arms and heavy legs. But so did the glow of pride I felt on my face and the confidence it inspired in me to tackle that morning’s lesson. Your first week’s skiing is a steep learning curve… but curves don’t come much steeper than the one I had just tackled.

A 90-minute lesson at Ice Factor (01855 831100; ice-factor.co.uk) costs £48, including gear hire.

A taster is £30. For more on skiing Glencoe see glencoemountain.com.

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

skiclub.co.uk

36

‘Freestyle’ cross-country skiing is incredibly liberating, but perhaps entering a race was overambitious, reflects Colin Nicholson Photo: Jean-Pierre Huard/Québec Original

Skate skiing, as in the Gatineau Loppet, right, is faster than the classic style, above

Club. The temperature was still -26°C in the park, but without the wind this felt balmy, with the sun even warming my face a little as instructor Frank Roscoe analysed my technique.

“You look like you’re heading for a dump in the woods,” said Frank of my squat style as I stuck one ski out then the other. What I needed to do was learn to balance, he explained, so I could ‘commit’ to the forward ski.

He had me go up and down the track, throwing my centre of gravity over the leading ski, like an ice-skater. And it did indeed feel elegant, if precarious.

He then explained the six types of skate skiing you can do depending on the steepness of the slope. But their essence is the same. You must commit to balancing over that forward ski.

Over the next week, I went back to the park every day to practise my new skills, quickly generating my own heat on climbs through woods of beech and birch, with trees often bent double by the snow, and stopping in the warming cabins for picnics. I realised I had fallen in love with cross-country skiing all over again.

Will I be back for another attempt on the Loppet? I think so. And this time I might even stay the course.

Colin travelled as a guest of Québec (quebecoriginal.com). The Gatineau Loppet (gatineauloppet.com) is held from February 26 to 28 and has classic and freestyle races from 5km to 51km.

Photo: Yves Geoffrion/Gatineau Loppet

have always loved cross-country skiing. Speed? Who needs it if you can go under your own steam?

But when I was overtaken by ‘freestyle’ skiers doing the modern skate-skiing technique suddenly I didn’t feel quite so special after all. So I decided to get up to speed with this popular style.

Out of the tram tracks that ‘classic’ skiers use, I struggled to balance. But soon my good days outnumbered the bad and, dizzy with my success, I entered a race in Eastern Canada.

The resort most British skiers visit is Mont Tremblant, a pretty village, which, in addition to its 95 downhill pistes, has miles of cross-country tracks.

But Canada’s biggest race is held in the far south of Québec, near Ottawa.

Gatineau Park is the lungs of that city, stretching far into the Laurentian mountains. With 200km of trails it’s also where the Gatineau Loppet is held every February. I knew I’d be close to last, but the staggered start meant I wouldn’t be in anyone’s way, surely?

My first problem was that despite the sunshine and blue sky, with wind chill the temperature was minus 40 — Celsius or Fahrenheit, take your pick.

At the race HQ I thought I

was at an Invisible Man convention.

Everyone’s faces were taped up against the cold. Panicking, I went back to Greg Christie, whose shop in the charming village of Old Chelsea at the park entrance, had hired me skis. He daubed a thick cream, native Americanstyle, over my cheeks and nose.

The next issue was the organisers were imploring us not to go out on to the wind-swept starting area until the last minute. With the result that, with seconds to go, I couldn’t get my boots into the bindings. In fact, stuffed as they were with warming packs, I hadn’t realised they were someone else’s boots: three sizes too big for me and using a different binding system.

I finally set off alone and promptly missed the initial loop. This meant all 238 of the other skiers had to overtake me. To stay out of their way, I gave up my freestyle pretensions and poled along in the tramlines to the side.

My skate-ski days might have ended there, had it not been for my fellow racers. They urged me on, until I finally agreed with the ‘sweep’, who follows the final skier on a skidoo to make sure nobody is stranded, to turn back.

But I refound a sense of purpose when on my return to a refreshment stop, I rescued a lost skier who had missed the sweep. Frozen in his reasoning, he wanted to go on, until I persuaded him to turn back with me.

Clearly I needed tuition and the next day went for a lesson with the Skinouk

37 Photo: Relais & Châteaux Rosengarten

An Austrian hotel is offering foodie skiers a chance to combine their two passions, as Minty Clinch reports ne of the unexpected benefits of a cookery-cum-skiing holiday is that it can be a great equaliser. Perhaps you can’t create pretty, spaghetti-like lines in pristine powder, but you can surely create the perfect sauce to accompany them. Maybe you struggle with crust — but not on a baked Alaska.

And both ski instruction and cookery classes are on the menu at the Hotel Rosengarten, in Kirchberg, Austria. I was staying there in March, enjoying a seven-course tasting menu prepared by chef Simon Taxacher, when Walter Photo: Albin Niederstrasser/Kirchberg

Partel, the hotel’s instructor of choice interested us in his new ski school.

Having imbibed some excellent wines, the mixed ability gang I was with promptly signed up for the next day.

So on a rather soggy grey morning at nine we were riding Kirchberg’s Fleckalmbahn gondola to the heart of Kitzbühel’s ski area with Walter and one of his team. Would they have the ingredients to make our group work?

We comprised a young Mr Fit, talented but with minimal experience; a slightly older Mr Rash, whose ambition far outstripped his current capability; a Ms Maybe, sensibly so, after one nervy week on icy slopes; and a Ms Doubtful, giving skiing a

Ski+board

Hotel Rosengarten offers cookery classes with Simon Taxacher, left, and skiing in Kirchberg, below

rather reluctant second — and possibly last — chance. Plus there was one ‘try anything’ old timer — myself.

After one run, it was clear that while we all had room for improvement, we wouldn’t make a working group that day. Our ‘fusion’ class was not exactly what the Edelweiss Alpine Ski School plans to offer. It aims to specialise in classes for up to six competent skiers and combine carving instruction and off-piste adventure. But this would have landed the others in the soup.

Walter dictated I should do warm-up runs while he and his pal showed the others the basics. When I last saw him, Mr Rash was flatlining with inevitable results. As he dug himself out of his powder pit, Mr Fit passed him, eyes trained and brain in gear. The girls made steadier, if slower progress, and no one quit at the coffee break.

After that, Walter left his charges to practise technique at their own speed under his co-instructor’s watchful eye, while he showed me round the mountain. In Kitzbühel, that means the Streif, the run that is used for the Hahnenkamm, the most demanding Downhill event in the FIS calendar.

I wasn’t going to be taking its savage steeps and counter-cambered bends at those speeds, but Walter looked gratified when I successfully negotiated some of its more demanding sections, albeit in benign conditions.

So I was smiling on the lifts up to lunch even before we spotted Mr Rash sliding the whole way down a gnarly red run on his butt. To be fair, good skiers do need guts as well as skill.

Near the end of the day, while the group checked aching muscles into the

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

hotel’s spa, Walter took me on a long black run to little Aschau, an area I have never seen in my many visits. At the bottom, we stopped at a mountain hut unchanged in half a century.

“Prost!” he said, raising his glass.

“I have my secrets, but I love to share.”

Back at the hotel, Simon was ready to trade his own secrets in his demonstration kitchen. With a Gault Millau score of 19 (out of 20), he is one of Austria’s finest chefs. Learn from him and you’ll wow your friends with a touch of Tirolean magic back home.

As this old timer is far from dexterous in the kitchen, I struggled to stuff my not-so-neat ravioli packets with carrot infused in green tea, and to make rolls out of courgettes stuffed with brine shrimps, all the time checking to make sure my fellow pupils weren’t outshining me off the piste.

But my chocolate cake with exotic fruits was to die for and the gang was impressed. After all, let’s face it — the Hahnenkamm is as nothing compared to the real competition that starts in the kitchen when the knives are out.

skiclub.co.uk

Minty stayed as a guest of the Hotel Rosengarten (+43 5357 4201; rosengarten-taxacher.com), which offers four-night packages, including some dinners, ski lessons, lift passes and a cookery class (held on February 7, 28 and March 13) from €1,199 per person.

Photos: Freddy Planinschek/Alta Badia

38

Do you feel a bit stiff after a day on the slopes? Then you clearly want to swap après-ski for yoga classes, says Leslie Woit his is a big ask. Yes a combined skiing and yoga holiday makes your legs go further and your head feel clearer. But at what price?

We’re in the splendour of the rose-coloured Dolomites, in the tiny village of San Cassiano, where the Hotel Rosa Alpina is a shrine to gourmet decadence. It has a two-star Michelin restaurant, a cellar full of top South Tirolean wines, and a few slipper-padded steps take you to a spa

Fitscape offers skiing with yoga in the Dolomites

that cries out for supine bodies to be coaxed into soporific states. Would we sacrifice all this to do a work-out?

Skiing, as we know, can be a risky business. I’m not talking avalanches or crevasses — but pulled muscles and strained ligaments. If, like most people you do it for just one week a year, then it can be a shocker for your body.

Despite what we’d like to believe, skiing doesn’t make you fit. But it may provide an incentive to up your fitness.

That is where Fitscape comes in. Its weeks start with a 7am stretch class, skiing with a host or instructor, then returning to the hotel for a 45-minute fitness session, followed by an hour of yoga. All optional, obviously.

“It’s your holiday, not a boot camp,” our fitness instructor George insists.

Likewise, James, our yoga guru, appears good humoured when class numbers fluctuate. Everyone in the group — solos, couples, friends, all of whom seem to work in finance — has their own view of what a ski holiday means and are free to do as they wish.

We all ski every day though, and the group is split into two, with a local instructor each. Every afternoon, half of us take consistent advantage of après-ski yoga. Guiding us more in “flow yoga” than posture-challenging practice, James focuses on loosening ski-addled muscles to help thighs, calves and backs be limber for skiing.

Several in the group are yoga newbies, and he directs them without making it too complicated or disheartening.

“Inhale, exhale,” he intones in a vibrato, as we hold our downward dog position, hands down, bums high in the air. When James calls this our “rest position” I hear someone snort in disbelief. But when he uses the words cervix and anus a little later, universal silence prevails. I open my

eyes briefly to see if anyone else is sniggering silently behind us and catch an upside-down glimpse of a whiteaproned waiter passing with a bucket of Champagne. He winks.

Far from being fitness freaks who ski, some of us were genuinely curious to sample an alternative ski holiday.

Kirsty said: “When I’ve gone skiing with friends, we were straight into the après-ski both on and off the mountain, then we’d stay out late and wake up feeling crippled.”

“Our only decisions are where to ski and where to have lunch,” observes Stuart, back for his second Fitscape week, “and not in that order.”

It’s a conundrum in Alta Badia, with 500km of pistes circling the Sella massif. These mountains are sprinkled with gastronomic huts that specialise in not only pasta and other Italian dishes, but also the local Ladin cuisine.

Just hours after wolfing down a supremely tasty bowl of arrabiata, I was cross-legged on the floor trying in vain to hold in my stomach.

“Raise your lips up in a smile and take a moment to feel gratitude for the person you are,” intones James.

I paused to tuck in my legs to make way for Andrea, nipping out to make her 6pm massage. And that’s okay. Because on the mat or on the mountain, in Ladin or in Sanskrit, there are many pistes to enlightenment.

Fitscape (020 3235 0121; fitscape.co.uk) offers its seven-night ski and yoga retreat from £1,195 per person based on two sharing a room at Hotel Rosa Alpina half board, including skiing and stretching lessons, and yoga sessions, but not flights or transfers.

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From mountain railways to bubbling spas, the magic of Switzerland isn’t reserved for skiers Many people have fallen in love with Switzerland on the ski slopes, but there are other ways and places to experience the same feeling. Some would say just being in the mountains on a day of crystal-clear light and sunshine is enough to do the trick, but there is something very special about taking in a mountain landscape while luxuriating in the warm waters of an open-air hot spring.

And there are plenty to choose from. Some are architectural masterpieces in their own right: of all Graubünden’s spas, only one thermal source springs straight from the ground, at Vals, where the sensational building designed by Peter Zumthor has won many awards. He specified the local dark quartzite which roofs many of the local houses and the result is a visual and physical experience that draws people from all over the world. The oasis of peace was even designated a protected monument soon after it opened.

Equally impressive are the nine glass sails of Mario Botta’s four-level spa at the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa. They create an extraordinary effect at dusk when set against the dark conifers behind the spa. Imaginative lighting creates a different atmosphere after dark, when you can soak in the warm outside pool and watch the stars over the snow-covered mountains. Inside, tapered spirals of pale Domodossola granite rise above the large pool, while the granite-floored spa rooms are cocoons of maple-wooded calm.

Such pleasures aren’t confined to rural areas: The Schweizerhof in Bern has recently reopened with dramatic spa rooms offering a hammam, Finnish sauna, hot tubs and underwater massage lounges. You can enjoy views that Queen Victoria rode up Mount Rigi to see, from the waters of the mineral bath and spa in Mario Botta’s new hotel at Rigi-Kaltbad near Lucerne. You can study the extraordinary shape of the Matterhorn from the 35-degree comfort of Europe’s highest outdoor pool at the Hotel Riffelalp above Zermatt. Or indulge in an Ottoman ambience suffused with oriental fragrances at the largest hammam in the Alps at the Hotel Schweizerhof in Lenzerheide.

Watching the sunrise from Diavolezza after a night in the 3,000-metre-high mountain hotel is an experience enough, but after breakfast you could admire the Bernina range from the 41-degree bubbling water of a hot tub on the sun terrace before returning to Pontresina or St. Moritz.

Another dramatic location for the night is at Rochers-de-Naye, reached by a rack railway from Montreux. Mongolian yurts are pitched in a breathtaking position on the 2,045-metre mountain near the station and can be hired for up to eight people. It’s far from Spartan, the interiors are furnished with Mongolian furniture, and dinner and breakfast are served in the summit restaurant.

Rail journeys in winter provide a very different experience from other seasons, and many think it the best time for some of the mountain expresses, such as the Glacier, Bernina and Golden Pass Panoramic.

They are not really expresses because they are all narrow-gauge trains; they just don’t stop very often, but all three have panoramic carriages and stupendous views.

In the Golden Pass train between Montreux and Zweisimmen a few lucky people who book in advance can watch the track ahead from where the driver normally sits – a cab above is provided for them. The section of line above Montreux is the nearest a railway can get to a hairpin-bend road, as it twists and turns to conquer the contours, providing magnificent views over Lake Geneva and the French Alps. After a long summit tunnel, it enters the delightful Pays d’Enhaut. Winter is an optimum time for ballooning, so brightly coloured balloons are a common sight in the sky around Château d’Oex, its favourable micro-climate making it one of the world’s premier ballooning centres. Stop off and take a flight!

The Glacier Express between St. Moritz and Zermatt and the Bernina Express between Chur/St. Moritz and Tirano, just over the border in Italy, should be in any pantheon of the world’s great railway journeys. Both offer glorious views from beginning to end and both traverse the extraordinary World Heritage Site railway that spirals its way to the Albula Pass.

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The Bernina Express makes the highest rail crossing of the Alps, at 2,257 metres, and snow-clearing operations become a spectacular sight, especially when the railway uses its rotary plough, hurling a chute of snow high into the air. Lunch is served on the Glacier Express, usually as the train is passing through the wild valley where the River Rhine rises.

Food is also served on the world’s oldest electric cog-wheel railcar, as the 1911-built vehicle makes a moonlit climb up Mount Rigi from Vitznau on Lake Lucerne. After an aperitif, a fondue with potatoes and bread is served as the panorama widens and lights around the lake denote waterside and mountain villages. Coffee and a Rigi cherry brandy round off the unique experience.

And the lake ships don’t rest during the winter.

On Lake Thun lunch is still served aboard a vessel stopping at various piers around the mountain-ringed lake. On a clear day the peaks of mountains such as the Niessen, Niederhorn and the Harder above Interlaken can be seen, as well as the castles at Spiez and Oberhofen. On Lake Lucerne too you can take a lunch cruise from Lucerne to Flüelen, passing sites associated both with the legend of William Tell and the birth of the old Swiss confederation in a lakeside meadow in 1291.

For more information go to MySwitzerland.com/winter or call 00800 100 200 30

great events For high drama on ice, the annual White Turf event, a tradition dating back to 1907, is no longer ‘merely’ a horse-race. It stands for thundering horses hooves on spraying snow. These famous international horse races take place on frozen Lake St. Moritz over the first three Sundays in February. The event also includes concerts, art exhibitions and culinary events. Also in February St. Moritz Cricket Club hosts the 29th Cricket on Ice tournament.

Japanese cuisine is the theme of the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival 2016, with nine chefs displaying their talents and serving authentic Far Eastern delectations during the last week of January.

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Get your skis on with SWISS this winter

With winter tourism celebrating its 150th birthday in Switzerland last year, Swiss International Air Lines – SWISS – will be giving skiers a helping hand again this season by continuing to offer passengers free carriage for their first set of skis (or snowboard), poles, boots and helmet.

Regarded as ‘the skier’s airline’, SWISS offers more than 180 weekly flights to Geneva and Zurich from the UK and Ireland, including Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Birmingham, Manchester and Dublin, with prices starting

from just £54 one-way.

The SWISS hubs at Zurich and Geneva are the perfect gateway to Switzerland’s famed resorts, including the popular destinations of Crans Montana, Verbier, Zermatt, SaasFee. Along with free ski carriage, Economy Class passengers (excluding Economy Light fare) can also check-in one 23kg hold bag, while business passengers have double the allowance.

On-board, in Economy Class, you’ll be treated to a tasty snack, along with both hot and cold

drinks (including a free bar). During the cold winter months, SWISS serves you delicious and freshly made apple-cinnamon tartlets and tomato-mozzarella quiches.

Ski Club members are also eligible for a £25 discount on flights between the UK and Switzerland, provided the initial price is over £95.

For full details see skiclub.co.uk/discounts.

All you have to do? Relax.

Book your flight on swiss.com

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Free equipment carriage is provided for the following items: 1 x pair of skis, 1 x pair of boots, 1 x pair of ski poles, 1 x helmet or 1 x snowboard, 1 x pair of snowboard boots, 1 x helmet. Advertised price is for Gatwick to Geneva. Economy Light fare only includes hand-luggage. Price is correct at time of going to print. For full terms and conditions regarding the Ski Club discount see skiclub.co.uk/discounts.

44

Skip the stairway to heaven and take the lift A host of new ski lift openings this season is linking resorts, shortening queues and making journeys faster and more comfortable. Chris Madoc-Jones reports

Austria Leather seats, the world’s speediest chairlifts, free wi-fi, a major link-up…

Austria is leading the way One of Austria’s most famous resorts, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, has been linked to Fieberbrunn, giving easier access to the latter’s world-class offpiste. The ten-person Tirol-S gondola can shift 2,600 skiers an hour, creating Austria’s biggest linked area after the SkiWelt. New pistes have been cut under the lift too. Also the six-person Bernkogel high-speed chair replaces two ageing draglifts on the Saalbach side, improving access to the new lift.

In Kitzbühel, the new eight-person Brunn chair, built by Leitner, accesses mostly blue or black terrain in the Pengelstein area and can carry 3,300 skiers an hour. It has leather seats and can run at 13.5mph (22kph).

In the nearby SkiWelt, Leitner’s rival Doppelmayr also claims to have built the world’s fastest chairlift. The partly solar-powered Jochbahn eight-seater

get to the Gefrorene Wand and rest in Brixen im Thale is twice the of the glacier. Each of the 62 chairs length of its predecessor and leads is heated, which is welcome as the lift to a variety of intermediate slopes. reaches a lofty 3,135m.

Ellmau’s historic Hartkaiserbahn Fifty years after the first lift was funicular railway got a good send off, built on the Kitzsteinhorn in Kaprun, before being replaced by a modern the new Gletscherjet 3 and 4 will slash ten-seat gondola. It doubles capacity the time to the top of glacier, perfect to 3,200 skiers an hour and mod cons for the resort’s race training camps. include heated seats and wi-fi. A third Above Hochgurgl, a new ten-seater lift is the new high-speed six-seater gondola will replace a drag to access Schernthannbahn in Hopfgarten, some of the best, most snowsure which has bubbles and heated seats.

In Mayrhofen, the new Penkenbahn slopes of the Kirchenkar Mountain.

A short but sweet lift is new to Zürs. whisks 2,880 skiers up or 3,840 skiers The high-speed Ubungshang­bahn down an hour between six-seater replaces the the town and the ski two-seater from area, reducing the the base of the infamous queues.

Trittkopf cable The ‘3S’ gondola World’s fastest chairlifts in Brixen and Kitzbühel car, increasing is also the first in

13.5mph

the world capable of ‘self-rescue’ in a power cut.

The nearby Zillertal also has a new gondola, the Panoramabahn Geols.

More than 2,400 skiers an hour can make the trip up to Onkeljoch and the lift and a new red run in Fügen will cut the transfer time to Hochfügen to eight minutes by free shuttle bus.

In Hintertux plans for the new Lärmstange II were only approved in late June, but the six-seater, highspeed chair with weather bubbles was built in time to replace the Kaserer I T-bar this season, making it easier to

capacity on the vital link connecting Trittkopf to Hexenboden and Seekopf on the far side of the valley. Beginners are likely to benefit as this will make lifts to the blue runs less queue-prone.

Damüls-Mellau, one of Austria’s snowiest resorts averaging 9.7 metres a year, remains as yet undiscovered by most Britons. But this year it has been further enhanced with a tenseat gondola replacing the four-seat Mellaubahn to triple the capacity of the resort’s main access lift. It may not stay a secret for much longer.

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france It’s all change in Paradiski, while the Three Valleys is recycling older chairs

2,880

skiers an hour carried up in the morning by Mayrhofen’s new gondola, compared with the 3,840 it can carry down in the evening, proving we all eat too much on holiday

It’s been a busy summer in the French Alps, especially in the Paradiski area, which has also created a lift queue app.

In La Plagne, a new ten-seat gondola runs from Montalbert at 1,350m to Le Fornelet at 1,970m replacing two chairlifts. It makes Montalbert a more convenient base and improves access to some sheltered tree runs on bad weather days. The new Grandette button will follow the route of the lower chairlift to serve beginners.

In Les Arcs the vast Mille 8 project to revitalise Arcs 1800 is finally complete. A child-friendly zone has been created with a beginners’ area, accommodation, pool and a toboggan run. And several lifts have also been built. Following the construction of the new Villards gondola last year, a new six-seater chairlift, Le Carreley, runs from Arcs 1800 to the Col de Frettes, providing swift access to the Arcs 2000 bowl. The 15-person Dahu gondola will also transfer skiers from the bottom to the top of the Mille 8 development.

To accommodate the change the Chantal and Grand Renard chairs have been removed.

In the Three Valleys, the St Martin 2 quad has been upgraded to a sixseater, increasing capacity to 3,200 skiers an hour and improving the link to Méribel. The resourceful lift company is using the original quad to

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

replace the slow lift out of the small village of Le Bettex to whisk skiers to the heart of Les Menuires. And to improve the Plattières section above Méribel-Mottaret, another high-speed six-seater has been built. The Combes chair will rise to 2,200m, replacing the old Combes and Table Verte lifts, speeding up access to Tougnété.

One of the few bottlenecks left in the Portes du Soleil is set to be relieved this winter. The slow TSF3 Brochaux three-person chair in Avoriaz has been replaced by a high speed six-pack, increasing capacity to 3,000 skiers an hour. It will run 30 metres further up the hill than before, providing better access to surrounding lifts and a better run down from the ridge into Avoriaz.

Two new lifts have gone up in the Chamonix valley this summer. Les Houches has a brand new high-speed quad, Mélèzes, cutting the ride to the Plancerts area to four minutes. And a new ascenseur-style lift will take skiers 40 metres up the steep slope above the top of the Plan Praz cable car in Brévent-Flégère, helping beginners access learner slopes without having to ski the Vioz piste first.

Several smaller French resorts have seen some major lift openings, including the addition of five high-speed, six-seater chairlifts.

Look out for the Grand Haut lift at Gérardmer (in the Vosges département), the Grand Jeu in Aussois (Savoie), the Haute Plane in Auron (Alpes-Maritimes), the Bouleaux lift at St Lary-Soulan (Hautes-Pyrénées) and the Céciré chair at Luchon-Superbagnères (Haute-Garonne).

skiclub.co.uk

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switzerland Just a few Swiss resorts have been very busy and Porsche has designed its first gondola In comparison to Austria, it was a relatively quiet summer in the Swiss Alps. However the linked ski area of Adelboden-Lenk saw further upgrades after last year’s construction of the Stand-Xpress. The highspeed, four-person Höchstbahn chair replaces two slower lifts connecting the popular Chünisbärgli ski area to Silleren at mid-mountain level, while a new piste also links the two.

In Flims-Laax, the final stage of the resort’s masterplan is in place, with a new ten-person gondola running from Alp Sogn Martin to La Siala at 2,810m, accessing a vertical drop of almost 1,000m. The new lift will take less time than its predecessor, despite

stretching almost twice as far.

New pistes have also been created below La Siala.

Andermatt is undergoing a huge transformation, if not as fast as some hoped, with a single new lift marking the start of the grand project.

This is the high-speed six-person chair at Gurschenalp on the resort’s totemic Gemsstock mountain. It replaces two old lifts and significantly improves access to one of the Alps’ best off-piste areas. When the masterplan is complete within the next five years, Andermatt and Sedrun will be linked forming a ski area of more than 120km of pistes with up to 15 new lifts.

In Lenzerheide, now linked to Arosa, a new highspeed, eight-person gondola in the Churwalden-Heidbeul area replaces a slow old chairlift. It features a unique panoramic design from Porsche, which previously worked only on chairlifts. A four-person chair has also been built between Parpan and Obertor, connecting the Rothorn and Piz Danis sides of the valley.

In Engelberg, the ultra-modern, eight-person Titlis Xpress replaces the two-stage Engelberg-Trubsee-Stand gondola, halving the time to the top.

High above St Moritz on the Corvatsch mountain, the short, but vital, Mandra chairlift replaces a drag below the middle station at Murtel, serving a snowsure beginner area.

The heavy investment in Zermatt continues with the six-person Hirli chairlift replacing the 50-year-old T-bar serving the Schwarzsee area. The new chair now stretches almost two kilometres and covers 700 vertical metres — 255m more than the old T-bar.

Several smaller Swiss resorts have also invested heavily over the summer in new lifts. In Scuol the brand new Prui-Clünas six-seater chairlift has been installed. At Riederalp a new six- to eight-seat chondola was installed up to Moosfluh.

St Luc Chandolin in the Val d’Anniviers saw the new high-speed, six-pack La Forêt built in the summer.

And finally at Toggenburg the new ten-seater Stöfeli gondola was constructed ready for this winter.

car will take skiers from 1,495m to 2,376m in five minutes, linking the Ciampac and Belvedere ski areas better than before and helping skiers clock up some serious mileage on the Sella Ronda circuit.

In Kronplatz, the Belvedere gondola has been replaced by a bigger ten-seater, adding to its amazing lift system.

In Alpe Lusia-San Pellegrino an old, four-person gondola has been replaced with the eight-person Falcade-le-Buse, which can carry 2,400 skiers an hour, and offers free wi-fi.

In Val Gardena the short, but vital Comici 2 to Piz Sella has been replaced by a high-speed six-pack at one of the most queue-prone bottlenecks on this popular

offshoot of the Sella Ronda circuit.

Meanwhile Livigno, one of Italy’s most snowsure resorts, has had a facelift, with the new Vallaccia six-seater express chair running to 2,717m from the picturesque Vallaccia valley — a vertical rise of almost 700m. New pistes have also been added on the Mottolino side of the valley.

Finally in Passo Tonale a new highspeed gondola will whisk skiers up to the top of the Presena glacier. It has a capacity of 1,500 skiers an hour and runs from Passo Paradiso at 2,585m, with a mid-station by the Capanna Presena mountain hut. Further down the mountain, a high-speed quad has replaced the old two-seater Casola chairlift, better linking the Pontedilegno and Temu ski areas.

italy The Sella Ronda has had upgrades, but not the one we hoped for The big story is the lift that never was in Arabba. It was meant to connect the only part of the Sella Ronda — Italy’s answer to the M25 orbital motorway — where skiers have to take off their skis to cross the village. They will have to wait, possibly for just one more year. But other areas in the Dolomiti Superski Area have had big upgrades. Alta Badia-San Cassiano has a new six-person chair on the open slopes of La Fraina, replacing an ageing quad. It has also spent €3.5 million on snowmaking.

In Canazei, a new 100-person Doppelmayr cable

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north america Park City swallows Canyons and cold Canada finally warms to weather bubbles Though the plan was announced only a year ago, Park City and Canyons are already linked, creating the US’s largest ski area, covering 7,300 acres and with more than 300 pistes. The Quicksilver gondola links the resorts and two pistes have been cut from the gondola mid-station down into Canyons. New, gated, expert-only terrain will allow skiers to ski into Park City from Canyons as an alternative to riding the gondola. The Canyons name has gone and the linked resort is called Park City Mountain Resort. As part of

the upgrade the King Con chair has become a high-speed six-pack, and the Motherlode triple has become a high-speed quad. There has been an upgrade of the restaurants too.

Also in Utah, Solitude saw the Summit double on the upper mountain replaced by a high-speed quad. And a new piste links the base of the lift to the Apex Express, improving access to expert terrain.

In Aspen the ancient twoseater serving the High Alpine area of Snowmass Mountain has been replaced with a high-speed quad so boarders will no longer face the long flat traverse to Upper Green Cabin. And you will no longer have to drop down to the lower mountain to access High Alpine from popular runs such as Rock Island, AMF and the Cirque.

Jackson Hole has celebrated its 50th birthday by building the new high-speed Teton quad to the top of The Crags, accessing some of its best expert

What’s coming up after that?

scotland The two glens go head to head In Scotland it is the two glens that have seen the biggest changes this season. In Glencoe the Access chairlift, which previously ran off a generator, has been overhauled adding a further 20 years to its lifespan and improving reliability. A new T-bar has also been installed in Mugs Alley, providing a great, snowsure beginner’s area at the top of the Plateau Poma.

Meanwhile at Glenshee, on the Cairnwell Mountain, the historic oneperson chair has been replaced by a more reliable three-seater chairlift, which leads to Glenshee’s steepest slope — the Tiger. The old one-seater chairs were snapped up by nostalgics when they went up for auction this autumn. New parts have also been delivered for the key Poma draglifts at Sunnyside and Caenlochan.

Ski+board

Austria In Stubai work has begun on a €58 million access lift for Austria’s largest glacier ski area. The 3S Eisgratbahn gondola is set to open on October 29, 2016, replacing a six-seat gondola, increasing capacity and cutting journey time.

Meanwhile in Kaprun’s local ski hill, Maiskogel, there are plans for the gondola to be replaced by a ten-seater for 2016-17 — pending state and environmental approval. france Although not set to be complete in time for this season, access to the Solaise mountain in Val d’Isère is set to be transformed for 2016-17 thanks to the building of a high-tech ten-seat gondola.

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

terrain (and new pistes). Previously you had to hike to reach this area, but the new lift hugely increases the number of lift-served expert slopes and should relieve pressure on the iconic cable car.

In Vail, the Avanti Express Quad has been upgraded to a six-person Doppelmayr chair, increasing efficiency by 30 per cent and adding a rolling carpet. Vail has also developed a lift queue app called EpicMix Time.

Squaw Valley has replaced the Siberia Express — the oldest highspeed quad in North America — with a new six-seater, serving runs in Siberia Bowl.

It will also be more reliable in bad weather, especially the high winds that often plague the resort’s top lifts.

Finally in Canada, Sunshine Village has a new four-seater chair in the Tee Pee Town area, replacing an old double. The chair is western Canada’s first to have heated seats and most importantly weather bubbles — commonplace in Europe, but as yet relatively unknown in Canada, where the mercury regularly falls to -30°C.

Construction began this summer, but the old lifts will remain in place this winter. The new lift will replace the ancient cable car and existing Solaise Express chairlift and is set to run parallel to the current chairlift. Queues to get up the mountain should be significantly reduced, as the new lift will be able to shift 3,600 skiers an hour. north america In Squaw Valley significant progress has been made over the summer on plans to connect it to Alpine Meadows via a town-to-town gondola, which will hopefully be in place for the 2016-17 season.

Keep an eye out for a link between Deer Valley and its latest purchase — Solitude a mere two miles away. scotland Lecht and Nevis Range are to receive £342,000 and £531,000 respectively to renew ageing infrastructure.

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49

The inside edge Winter is here and we have everything to make you a piste pro (plus a few gift ideas too)

68 Boots

89

Sleek, stiff and designed for serious skiers, we review some of the best piste-performance boots

Resort insider Our experts pick the best family-friendly resorts to guarantee you a harmonious holiday (but we can’t order sunshine)

50 Snow wear How to stay snug on the slopes (without wearing your whole wardrobe), plus a blast from the past as teddies return

86 Fitness

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The best exercises for stretching and strengthening your knees — and do energy drinks really work?

Snowboards We test some of the best new entry-level snowboards for those still, ahem, mastering their turns

92 Books

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From recipes, to biographies and tomes for your coffee table, we review the latest releases, plus ski films

Gear From £3.50 to £380, low-tech and high-tech kit to keep your fingers and toes toasty on the slopes this season

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58

Technique

Ski tests

Mark Jones is on hand to transform your carving and make you look like a pro (so don’t go slow), plus off-piste safety

Hotly anticipated, the Ski Club’s industryleading ski testers select this winter’s best pisteperformance skis

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

skiclub.co.uk

50

Snow wear

How to stay warm on piste without losing your cool Photography: Melody Sky

Lighter layers and stretch fabrics make it easier than ever to look stylish while staying snug, says Maisha Frost Every skier knows the problem. It’s freezing, and piling on the layers is the only way to keep warm. But can you avoid looking like the Michelin man and walking like a robot?

The trick is to go for stretch fabrics and designs which make it possible to look cool, while staying warm.

“Technology has made a tangible difference,” says Sharon Campbell, Snow+Rock’s brand director.

“From an item’s outer fabric, to the insulation and the lining, every part should stretch.”

A mixture of layers and insulation is key. Layers trap air, while insulation protects you where you need it most.

“Functional base layers such as Icebreaker’s merino wool ranges are crucial in ensuring all-day comfort,” says Dave Whitlow, Ellis Brigham’s fashion buyer. “Some brands are using the wool laminated to the inside of outer shell garments. This is an interesting idea, but the jury is still out on its long-term performance.”

It is particularly important to protect your extremities and your waist and neck, both of which affect your overall temperature. Jackets and thermals with high collars and thumb loops prevent draughts, while highbacked pants prevent kidney chill.

And if you’re heading off-piste, look for a jacket with a powder skirt.

Rachel wears Planks Good Times 2 Layer Jacket (£170) and Pants (£140), Planks Eye Force One goggles (£90) and POW Gem gloves (£65)

Snow Wear

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The models are outside St Anton’s museum, which was featured as the chalet in the 2011 film Chalet Girl. Ashley (left in group and inset) wears Roxy Winter Break Pants (£115), Icebreaker Quantum Long Sleeve Zip Hood (£160) and Coal The Rosa Hat (£25)

Clockwise from top, Tony wears The North Face Ravina Pants (£190), Manbi Supatherm Top (£20) and O’Neill Ollie Goggles (£75).

Rachel wears Icebreaker Fair Isle Top (£100), Picture Sweety joggers (£65) and an Icebreaker Atom Hat (£40). Will wears Planks Good Times 2 Layer Narrow Pants (£160), Planks Shred Base Layer (£35), O’Neill Rocklin Goggles (£95) and an Eisbär hat (from £40)

Snow Wear

52

Is it okay to pick’n’mix ski wear?

When you buy a new outfit must you strictly coordinate elements?

And will mixing and matching labels compromise functionality and looks?

“For the ultimate mountain steep-and-deep protection choose a zip-together outfit such as Norrona’s Lofoten jacket and pants,” advises Ellis Brigham’s Dave Whitlow.

Even if you don’t have zip-on inner layers, a thin down jacket can help.

On the style front matching is best for those seeking “dress-to-impress alpine chic”, Whitlow says. “But always put performance and comfort

before couture and mix-up to your heart’s content.”

Women especially are now becoming more choosy about their snow pants rather than going for trousers that match the jacket, says Snow+Rock’s Sharon Campbell.

“The old-style padded pants were not flattering or comfortable. There is now demand for the finest tailoring and stretch insulation that results in a perfect fit and comfort. We now see adjustable leg lengths as attention to detail increases and designers realise how important pants have become.”

Rachel, hiking in St Anton’s extensive backcountry, wears Roxy Quinn Jacket (£250), Roxy Torah Bright Whisper Pants (£150), Von Zipper Cleaver Goggles (£80) and POW Gem gloves (£65)

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Snow Wear

In St Anton’s Galzig gondola, which has a remarkable ‘Ferris wheel’ construction, Ashley wears Didriksons Freja Parka (£280), which has storm flaps and taped seams

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

skiclub.co.uk

Snow Wear

54

If you go down to the glades today you’re sure of a big surprise…

Do you remember those 1990s ‘teddy bear’ textured fleeces that are probably now bundled at the back of the attic?

If so, this is the season to get nostalgic. Pioneered by the likes of Patagonia and Fat Face a couple of decades ago, teddy fleeces were a staple in European resorts.

They are now known as ‘high loft’ fleeces — a technical term referring to their insulating properties — but their cosy appeal is the same as ever, as the vogue for retro snow wear continues.

Perfect for après-ski, Patagonia’s teddies still rule along with Rab’s turquoise Catalyst and The North Face’s Denali jacket.

Rachel wears Eider Sun Peak Jacket (£280), Eider La Molina Pants (£130), Salice Luna Goggles (£80) and Manbi Motion gloves (£28)

Standing outside the resort’s former train station, Ashley wears Arc’teryx Sentinel Full Bib (£420), Rab Catalyst Fleece (£120) and O’Neill Drifter RX104 Sunglasses (£75).

Tony wears Didriksons Outback Pile Jacket (£50), Planks YetiHunter 3L Pants (£200) and Planks Freak Out Sunglasses (£45)

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Snow Wear

BRITISH Retailers Ellis Brigham: ellis-brigham.com Snow+Rock: snowandrock.com Surfdome: surfdome.com TSA: snowboard-asylum.com All four retailers above offer Ski Club members ten per cent off full-priced products CONTACTS Arc’teryx: arcteryx.com Coal: freezeproshop.com Didriksons: didriksons.com; 01275 390451 Eider: eider.com Eisbär: specs4sports.co.uk Icebreaker: uk.icebreaker.com Manbi: manbi.com; 01787 881144 O’Neill: oneill.com; 01899 491006 Patagonia: patagonia.com Picture: picture-organic-clothing.com Planks: planksclothing.com Rab: rab.equipment/uk Roxy: roxy-uk.co.uk; 020 7392 4020 POW: ultrasporteu.com Salice: salice.co.uk; 01787 881144 The North Face: thenorthface.co.uk Von Zipper: absolute-snow.co.uk

Fashion editor Maisha Frost Fashion assistant Rachel Rosser Production manager Ben Clatworthy Photography Melody Sky Hair and make-up Jemma Barwick Models Ashley Crook Rachel Tugwell Will Siggers Tony Walker

Considered one of the world’s top ski resorts, St Anton am Arlberg is part of the expansive Ski Arlberg region, with a modern network of 97 lifts, offering 350km of groomed pistes. With on and off-piste challenges, awe-inspiring scenery and unrivalled après-ski, there are many reasons to visit.

Daily flights are available from London Gatwick and twice weekly from Bristol and Liverpool to Innsbruck with easyJet. Alternative airports include Zurich, Munich or Friedrichshafen. St Anton is also easily accessible by train. For further information on St Anton am Arlberg visit stantonamarlberg.com, while to find out about the Austrian Tirol region see visittirol.co.uk

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

skiclub.co.uk

Skiing with friends and family is great, but sometimes it’s good to go it alone, especially after a busy Christmas. If you’re hoping to meet up with a group of like-minded people to enjoy your skiing with, Freshtracks offers a range of holidays that bring together people who share a similar interest in skiing. We provide trips for different types of skier, both on and off piste. Groups are matched based on their skiing ability and the type of mountain experience they’re after. It’s a perfect formula for anyone looking for a solo adventure on the snow.

z Touri Nenda

January. It’s cold and dark, the scales are showing a few extra pounds as a result of the Christmas excesses, and the next bank holiday is months away. So it’s the perfect time to get out to the mountains, clip your skis on, and start the year off on a high.

sme

New Year treats for solo travellers

Off pis te heav en

in Nend az

Here are just a handful of the great trips on offer in January…

Nendaz Singles Off Piste Nendaz, Switzerland 9-16 Jan, £1,199 No single room supplement Alternative dates: 12-19 Mar This fantastic ski holiday in Switzerland’s 4 Valleys is perfect for those who want six days skiing off piste with mountain guides and the privacy of their own room. The terrain in the Nendaz area is brilliant for intermediate and advanced off piste skiers. Push yourself on the wide open and long runs, cruise the delightfully open powder fields or even cross over to the off piste mecca of Verbier. You will be well looked after by your very own Ski Club Leader off the slopes, and when on the mountain we’ve arranged for local mountain guides to show you the best tree runs, bowls and couloirs in the area. They’ll be with you for six full days so you can maximise your enjoyment off piste.

Intermediate / Advanced / Experienced Off Piste

n ills o k s our op y pistes l e v De en e-op d i w

Gug

hi Fa

ssino

ski club promotion

Technique Top Up Courmayeur, Italy 17-24 Jan, £999 No single room supplement Alternative dates: 31 Jan-7 Feb, 21-28 Feb, 28 Feb-6 Mar, 13-20 Mar

Top up in Co your t ec urm ayeu hnique r

h g wit n i i k s ur ine yo ring e Comb pamp s u o i r se

A charming Italian village, with stunning views of Mont Blanc and a varied ski area, Courmayeur is a popular destination for on and off piste skiers alike. Fast cable cars and gondolas mean you can ski the abundance of off piste from Cresta d’Arp, the wide and fast pistes of Checrouit and the narrower, more picturesque slopes of Val Veny, in comfort and style. The vibrant and attractive village centre with its boutique shops, cobbled streets and elegant bars ensures enjoyable après and relaxing evenings. This instruction-led holiday is designed to top up your technique whilst offering plenty of fun. Your Ski Club Leaders will be joined by a BASI ski instructor to show you everything Courmayeur has to offer, as well as the option of days in La Thuile and Pila.

Intermediate / Advanced On Piste

some

Deux Alpes Development Les Deux Alpes, France 10-17 Jan, £1,075 No single room supplement Alternative dates: 7-14 Feb, 6-13 Mar, 20-27 Mar In the fantastic high altitude resort of Les Deux Alpes, you’ll not only get to grips with your technique on piste, but you’ll also have a lot of fun. With over 100 marked runs and variety ranging from the wide, forgiving pistes at the top to the steep, narrow, challenging pistes lower down there will be the opportunity to broaden your skiing repertoire extensively. The laid back après atmosphere will be just what you need after an exhilarating day on the mountain.

Five full days on snow with a local BASI instructor ensures your skiing will move on to the next level, banishing those bad habits as you explore this snow-sure ski resort.

Intermediate / Advanced On Piste

Ski and Spa Bad Hofgastein, Austria 24-31 Jan, £950 No single room supplement Peak Experience trip (holidays for the over 50s) Alternative dates: 6-13 Feb, 20-27 Feb One of our most popular holidays, ‘Ski & Spa’ gives you the opportunity to ski hard with our Ski Club Leaders before relaxing in the impressive spa, allowing you to make the most out of your time away. Accompanied by knowledgeable Ski Club Leaders throughout your stay, the 250km worth of pistes, (reaching as high as 2700m in the area of Sportgastein) and easily accessible off piste mean that you can really practice your turns on the area’s diverse terrain. Downtown, you can enjoy the picturesque pedestrian zone filled with hotels, luxury boutiques, restaurants, cafés and gluhwein stands, or alternatively stay in the hotel and sample the fabulous spa facilities.

A buffet dinner and live music in the bar to finish means that this is one of the most high-mileage, sociable and exciting holidays on offer this season.

Intermediate / Advanced Intermediate On Piste

For details of the full Freshtracks programme, visit skiclub.co.uk/freshtracks or call 020 8410 2022

piste performance SKIS

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sidewall A wall of plastic, typically ABS (the stuff Lego is made of), running from the metal base edge of the ski to the top sheet.

It drives power to the metal edges, protects the core and can also help absorb vibrations

Camber If a cambered ski is laid on a flat surface its centre will be raised. Camber is now often combined with some level of rocker. Reverse camber (full rocker) is where a ski curves up from the centre to tip and tail

cap This is where the top sheet and other layers roll down over the side of the ski to the metal edge.

Caps can offer benefits over sidewalls, often cutting weight, making skis more forgiving and more resistant to damage

Rocker Rocker, or early rise, is where the ski has a slight rise before it gets to the tip or tail. Off-piste this helps lift and floatation. On piste it aids turn initiation and release

combo Cap and sidewall can be combined in several ways, for instance by having sidewall underfoot with cap at tip and tail, or cap rolling down to meet sidewall for the length of the ski. Each will affect the ski's performance differently

Ski cores A ski's performance is affected by the materials used and how they are arranged in the core.

Cores are normally wood or synthetic, combined with other layers, such as resin (usually epoxy), fibreglass, basalt, carbon, aramid and metal

Taper This is when the widest point of the ski is brought back from the tip or tail, reducing weight and making the skis easier to handle off-piste. On a tapered ski you may feel like you are using a shorter ski

Sidecut This is the width of the tip, waist and tail of the ski. A ski with a wide waist floats better off-piste, while a ski with a narrower waist will grip better on piste

Wood core

Wood cores tend to be made from strips of wood, glued side by side in a laminate construction.

Their characteristics vary greatly: paulownia is light; beech can deliver power; poplar offers a smooth flex and there are many others

Radius This is the radius of the theoretical circle that a ski will naturally make in the snow when tilted on to its edge.

A smaller radius will produce tighter turns and a larger radius will produce wider turns

Synthetic

What it all means

Synthetic or foam cores are traditionally used in lower end skis, being cheaper, lighter and more forgiving than wood.

We are now seeing more hightech synthetics in upper end skis to keep weight low and enhance performance

59

SKI TESTS

The power and glory of race technology

Our testers The Ski Club’s ski tests are unique to the industry, as our independent, impartial testing team comprises only the best skiers. They are signally able to relate what they feel under their feet to a ski's performance.

With the greatest input from boffins, new piste performance skis offer grip, stability and smoothness like no other, says Mark Jones

Mark Jones

As far as the latest technology goes, this season's piste performance skis are the cream of the crop. With these skis manufacturers have thrown everything at them to make them well equipped to deal with the rigours of maintaining great edge grip, stability and a smooth ride while making high speed turns.

Piste performance is a category that has been making a bit of a resurgence recently. Many skiers have tried allmountain skis, the category covered in the previous issue, only to find that sometimes there is too much of a compromise to give a true adrenaline fuelled run on the groomers.

Of course, piste performance skis

are not built for forays off-piste, as all-mountain skis are, and even less for days off-piste, as are freeride skis, which we covered in the first issue.

But many of these piste skis deliver a performance which is close to race levels, and will guarantee maximum fun out of every turn. Four of them have won the Ski Club's coveted top performance awards, while two win the top value accolade.

For backcountry fans we will cover the freetour category in the next issue.

Al Morgan

You can read the full results of the ski tests and watch video reviews online at skiclub.co.uk/skitests

James Allen

sidewall construction

TRADITIONAL CAMBER

Director of ICE training centre in Val d’Isère and trainer for Basi icesi.org Ski Club head of Member Services and former ski service manager skiclub.co.uk

Derek Chandler

Director of Marmalade ski school in Méribel and trainer for Basi skimarmalade.com

Kevin Harris

Ex-race coach and ski model who now covers competitions for TV kevinharris.tv Racer-turned-coach giving private tuition in Val d'Isère to highest Basi level jamesallenskicoaching.com

Pete Davison

Ex-action model who now owns retailer LD Mountain Centre ldmountaincentre.com

effective edge

CAMBER WITH FRONT ROCKER

Mike Barker cap construction

effective edge

CAMBER WITH FRONT AND TAIL ROCKER

Ex-head coach of England squad, offering off-piste and performance courses snoworks.co.uk

Rowena Phillips

effective edge

REVERSE CAMBER

Topsheet Core Reinforcement Edges Base Sidewall

These exaggerated diagrams show a ski's rocker, camber and effective edge as well as its core construction

Ski user rating We rate each ski by the type of skier it would suit.

So in the example below, the ski would suit upper intermediate to advanced skiers, but it’s not so well suited to beginners or experts. Generally, the skis tested are aimed at those who have skied before.

Beginner

Ski+board

Intermediate

Advanced

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

Expert

skiclub.co.uk

Highly qualified ski school director at Matterhorn Diamonds in Zermatt matterhorn-diamonds.com

Bella Seel

Fully certified in the French, Swiss and UK systems, she runs concierge service ALS alsprivate.com

Lynn Sharp

Ex-British champion who now owns Target ski training and race coaching targetski.com

Steph Ede

A great skier training for the highest Basi exam who runs a chalet in Val d’Isère stephede@hotmail.co.uk

MEN’S piste performance SKIS

60

What's new in men's piste performance skis?

Technically there have been many modifications and tweaks to these skis from last season, with many of them using lighter materials and new design methods to create less heavy skis without denting their performance.

The differences between each model mean that some skis will favour a certain turn shape because of their sidecut and profile. So it's worth reflecting on what sort of skiing and turns you enjoy on piste before making a choice within this category.

As always, we have listed the skis that suit the broadest range of abilities first, before moving on to the skis that favour experts best.

And we have picked out two skis which we feel merit the top performance award, and one that represents top value for buyers.

FISCHER PROGRESSOR F19Ti £600 inc bindings

SALOMON X-MAX

Build

Build Cap and sidewall combo/carbon and

Build

Sidewall/carbon and Titanal wood core/tip rocker

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

E A I B

SCOTT BLACK MAJIC

£500 inc bindings

£560 inc bindings titanium wood core/tip rocker

Cap and sidewall combo/Titanal elliptic wood core/tip rocker

N/A

Sidecut (mm) 120-73-101 Radius 15m (170cm) Lengths (cm) 155, 160, 165, 170, 175 Weight (per ski) 1,967g for 170cm

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

THEY SAY Limitless on piste, with Razorshape and Air Tec Ti technology slashing its weight.

WE SAY Every tester remarked on how light this ski felt. This makes it easy to use at low speeds and accessible for intermediate skiers honing their skills on piste. When the pace is ramped up, it still gives a great performance, delivering solid edge hold, especially in long radius turns. In short turns it works well, but lacked some of the lively edge-to-edge contact of other skis.

Overall, impressive performance for its weight.

THEY SAY Replacing the X-Kart and 24 Hours it has a new platform and 20 per cent lighter core.

WE SAY This is another ski that feels feather-light underfoot.

There is virtually no resistance at tip and tail, which makes it effortless to pivot, steer and make adjustments through the arc. Once up and running at speed it offers a very smooth ride with excellent grip in long arcs. In shorter turns on hard snow it pivoted easily, but felt less grippy than some other skis on test. Overall a very light ski, that works best in long turns.

THEY SAY The new Majic builds on the success of ‘The Ski’ and is destined to tear up pistes.

WE SAY The Majic feels similar to ‘The Ski’ — its great contact with the snow and sensitivity means the skier can really feel what’s going on underfoot. It feels strong at high speeds with good stability and strong edge hold. For these longer arcs it offers a smooth ride and is confidence-inspiring.

In shorter turns it also had good levels of grip but felt slower edge to edge. Definitely a ski at its best in medium to long turns.

122-75-104 15m (170cm) 163, 170, 177, 182

Light underfoot but holds an edge at speed. Prefers medium to long turns (Pete Davison) Good, easy all-rounder. Lively in most turn shapes (James Allen) Light, easy, yet grips well in long turns Less lively in short turns

E A I B

Great for a good British piste skier. Versatile in all turn shapes and conditions (Al Morgan) Smooth, light, easy. Nice grip on long turns (Derek Chandler)

A

Light, easy to use, smooth ride Less grippy on hard snow and in short arcs

B

E

I

122-78-112 14m (177cm) 157, 167, 177, 184 1,850g for 177cm

Very accessible, almost an allmountain ski, you can really go for it in long turns (Derek Chandler) Great charger, likes to be pushed, sluggish in short arcs (James Allen) Sensitive underfoot, grips well in long turns Not so punchy and reactive in short turns

MEN’S piste performance SKIS: intermediate to expert

£625 inc bindings

Build

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

HEAD iSUPERSHAPE MAGNUM £535 inc bindings Build Cap and sidewall combo/carbon and

Carbon and Titanal wood core/tip rocker

18m (179cm) 172, 179, 186 N/A

A I B

Good at speed in longer turns on grippy snow (Al Morgan) Great ski and binding combination but the Bolt lacked responsiveness (Mike Barker) Great edge hold in long turns Felt grabby in short and medium turns

THEY SAY A fast yet manageable fully equipped speed machine. For all-day on piste skiers.

WE SAY This is a TOP SKI superbly balanced RF ski that seems to OR M perfectly match all the ingredients of sidecut, profile and construction. Moving into the turn you always feel ideally placed in the middle of the ski. It makes lovely round arcs and feels equally at ease in short slalom turns or faster, drawn-out arcs. The ride is super-smooth, ironing out all vibrations from the surface.

PE

THEY SAY K2’s ultimate rock solid carving tool for top level performance on firmer snow.

WE SAY The ski and binding combo felt great as a package — sturdy and well integrated.

In longer turns the Bolt is good at speed, with a solid feel along the edge of the ski giving firm hold. But it didn’t keep the responsiveness and liveliness in all turn shapes, feeling grabby at times. This may be due to the tuning of the ski we tested, as in the past the Bolt has won awards and proved itself well-rounded.

E

Titanal wood core/tip rocker

Sidecut (mm) 128-72-106 Radius 13.1m (170cm) Lengths (cm) 149, 156, 163, 170, 177 Weight (per ski) N/A

125-72-99

SK

E A I B

ER

K2 AMP BOLT

2015

IC

LUB

IN ITA OF GREAT BR

Well damped, smooth, grippy and easy to use. A lovely ski (Mark Jones) Great all-rounder, very little to fault, lively with great performance (Derek Chandler) Superb balance and turn shape, smooth ride Hard to fault

Tester Profile

Derek Chandler Derek is a director of Marmalade, a ski school based in Méribel, La Tania and Courchevel, in France's extensive Three Valleys ski area.

Marmalade has gained an impressive reputation, due in no small part to the team of mostly native English speakers that Derek has working with him.

He is also a trainer for Basi, the British Association for Snowsport Instructors, and has worked around the world as a coach and instructor. skimarmalade.com

61

MEN’S piste performance SKIS: advanced to expert

BLIZZARD POWER S6

£500 inc bindings Build

Cap and sidewall combo/ wood core/tip and tail rocker

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

121-72-104 153, 160, 167, 174 N/A

A I

A

Good value all-rounder, grips all turn shapes Loses performance at speed in long turns

B

I

Build

Build

16.4m (176cm) 157, 164, 169, 176 2,170g for 176cm

THEY SAY Excellent high level ski, a perfect fusion of a slalom and giant slalom ski.

WE SAY This has huge grip, is rock solid on the edge and holds icy slopes well. For such a reactive ski it delivers a well-damped, smooth ride and feels balanced through the arc. It has a fairly soft flex, yet consistently delivered sweet, smooth curves. The tuning on the ski we tested favoured big edge angles, which lower level skiers might find daunting, but with less aggressive sidewall tuning it would work well.

Tester Profile

James Allen

E A I B

Solid, grippy, dependable, lively in all turn shapes, must be skied hard (Derek Chandler) Well balanced, a real all-rounder.

Fun at all speeds (Pete Davison) Smooth, grippy, accelerates out of turns Highly tuned, leaving little margin for error

IN ITA OF GREAT BR

£875 inc bindings Sidewall/Titanal wood core/ standard camber

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

117-72-104

LUB

Amazing all-rounder, high quality build Doesn't come cheap

KÄSTLE RX12

Sidewall/titanium wood core/tip rocker

2015

IC

Rock solid at speed, super edge hold, rips through ice (Pete Davison) Ridiculously good all-rounder, grips and skids where needed (Derek Chandler)

E

ATOMIC REDSTER XTi

£575 inc bindings

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

N/A

SK

IN ITA OF GREAT BR

Amazingly lively at all speeds, really easy at slow speeds and in short radius turns (Pete Davison) Near top of this category, but at the lowest price (Mark Jones)

B

164, 171, 178, 185

PE

E

LUB

124-76-105 18.2m (178cm)

THEY SAY With tip and tail rocker this is a fantastically playful high performance ski.

WE SAY Unchanged TOP SKI from last year, this ski RF still feels amazing. Its OR M smooth, easy character makes it easy to switch turn shape and its lovely, high quality feel makes it super-solid at speed with race-like grip. An awesome mix of playfulness and performance, this was the most powerful ski in the group — unbelievably stable at all speeds, yet accessible to early advanced skiers.

2015

IC

Sidewall/titanium wood core/ tip and tail rocker

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

14m (174cm)

SK

Kevin Harris

Ex-racer James holds the highest Basi Level 4 qualification and works as an independent instructor in Val d’Isère, France.

Because of his race background he is a very strong, accurate skier and is always crystal clear about how a ski feels under his feet. He also loves off-piste skiing and ski touring.

James now runs his own coaching courses and offers private tuition in resort. jamesallenskicoaching.com

Build

THEY SAY The S6 wood core and partial sidewall make it precise and stable. Likes all kinds of snow.

WE SAY This is a great, TOP high performance allSKI rounder on piste, with VA E LU strong edge grip and high stability delivering a smooth ride. It feels comfortable in all turn shapes, lively at all speeds and quick from edge to edge. At very high speeds in long arcs the tip feels soft and that lack of torsional stiffness means it struggles to hold on to the piste, but overall a great ski at an amazing price.

Tester Profile

Kevin started his skiing career as an action model, hitting the powder throughout Europe for top brands. He went on to work as a race coach in Chamonix, France, before obtaining his ISIA (International Ski Instructors Association) licence.

Kevin is now involved in TV covering major sporting events.

He is a powerful all-mountain skier, with lots of experience who is a huge help to the team. kevinharris.tv

VöLKL CODE SPEEDWALL l uvo

£700 inc binding

ER

62

118-70-100 16.5m (176cm) 168, 176, 184 1,900g for 176cm

THEY SAY With precise edge control and high speed stability the nimble RX handles all pistes.

WE SAY This is a class act. From the start you feel the quality of build and it feels light and easy.

But soon it becomes apparent that it offers a super-smooth ride, has lots of edge grip, yet still has a lively, reactive character. In short turns it’s powerful, can be thrown around with ease but still delivers brilliant edge hold. In long turns it’s stable with high levels of grip.

Some testers felt it lacked life in medium radius turns.

E A I B

Stable, smooth, predictable.

Holds an edge at speed, comes to life in long turns (Pete Davison) Light, but strong with good edge hold (Mark Jones) All-rounder, smooth, fast, stable, nice build Pricey and lacks life in medium radius turns

MEN’S piste performance SKIS: expert

E A I B

NORDICA FIRE ARROW 76Ti

£600 inc bindings

DYNASTAR OMEGLASS PRO Ti R21 £670 inc bindings

Build Sidewall/Titanal wood core/tip rocker Sidecut (mm) 126-76-109 Radius 14m (168cm) Lengths (cm) 152, 160, 168, 176 Weight (per ski) N/A

Build Sidewall/wood core/tip rocker Sidecut (mm) 121-67-105 Radius 13m (168cm) Lengths (cm) 158, 163, 168, 173 Weight (per ski) 2,050g for 168cm

THEY SAY A new ski that is like two skis in one, with super-stable GS body and easy turning slalom tip.

WE SAY Full of energy, this ski feels up for action as soon as you get going. In all turn shapes the sidecut felt super reactive and as soon as it is laid on edge it delivers a strong performance. It has huge grip, feeling exceptionally strong in short to medium arcs with plenty of punch coming out of the turn. For fast carving on the piste, it's a blast. Overall, this is a ski that would suit skiers who are aggressive, sure of their technique and love to max it out.

THEY SAY All-new slalominspired race-performance ski with accessible carving performance.

WE SAY You can feel the race construction of this ski. It has a heavy, solid feel underfoot, which gives the skier huge confidence to push both speed and edge angles. It loves short turns, where it just rips. It has huge power, is quick from edge to edge and feels like a great set-up for putting in serious mileage on piste. In longer turns that tight sidecut and power underfoot make it more twitchy with less stability. Overall a specialist short radius ski.

Grippy, strong, lively, lots of energy. Loved it (Mark Jones) Aggressive ski. Needs you to put energy in short turns. Less versatile in other turn shapes (Al Morgan) Full of energy, grippy, great in short turns Nervous skiers may find it hard to handle

E A I B

A powerhouse, strong on the edge, but hard to adapt turn shape (Pete Davison) Great slalomtype ski that handles long turns well, but needs input (James Allen) Good power and edge hold in short turns Less stable in long turns, not so versatile

63

Tester Profile

Pete Davison Pete is a powerful skier who loves his backcountry riding, having worked for many years in the French Alps as an action model on photoshoots for the biggest brands.

He is an inspirational freeskier who is also incredibly knowledgeable about ski hardware. Pete is now based in the UK, where he is the owner of LD Mountain Centre, one of the North East’s leading ski and mountaineering retailers. ldmountaincentre.com

SKI BOOT LAB

www.profeet.co.uk/skiing photo - www.konradbartelski.photography

THE UK SPECIALISTS IN SKI BOOTS, SKI BOOT FITTING, CUSTOM SKI INSOLES & CUSTOM LINERS “I had my boots blown out to accommodate my bunions, so I needed specialised fitting of the shell to my feet. It was done perfectly and the difference that it makes is considerable.”

Konrad Bartelski - Former British Team Skier

Personal assessment

Biomechanical analysis Custom insoles*

i

artelsk

B Konrad

Shell customisation

One of the widest ranges of ski boots in the UK!

Profeet 867 Fulham Road, London, SW6 5HP Ski+board

*depending on appointment type

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

Call 020 7736 0046 to book your appointment skiclub.co.uk

woMEN’S piste performance SKIS

64

What’s new in women’s piste performance skis?

A lot of the design and construction of the skis in this category mirror the advances made in the men’s versions, but often with tighter sidecuts and swapping heavier layers of reinforcement with a lighter material.

Such is the level of technological progress that some skis tested here are super-light underfoot, yet still manage to rip it up when skied hard.

There is also a greater choice of shorter lengths, while many have design features such as a raised heel, different placement of the binding and lighter tips and tails to work with the difference in morphology between women and men.

So whether you're tall or petite, intermediate or expert, you should find something here that will give you a bit of va-va-voom on the piste.

HEAD SUPERJOY £540 inc bindings

And the top prize goes to…

S

SK

IC

K

RD

SK

The Ski Club EST AWA provides the IT most in-depth, SKI 20 16 accurate ski 2015 tests available KI CLU C O.U B. to British consumers. Its testers were faced with 872 types of ski this year in the resort of Kühtai, Austria. But first our experts narrowed that down by talking to the 23 manufacturers present to pick the best performers in the four categories we cover: freeride, all-mountain, piste performance and freetour. It is the results of the testing of these 84 that appear in the four print issues of Ski+board.

We typically get three testers to try each ski. Those we think may receive awards can have six or more people ski them. In the evening, the testers ensure they are unanimous on the day’s decisions.

But it’s always pretty clear which skis have come out top.

LUB

IN ITA OF GREAT BR

E A I B

FISCHER BREEZE £360 inc bindings

Build Cap and sidewall combo/light weight

Build

honeycomb, carbon and wood core/tip rocker

Sidecut (mm) 128-75-108 Radius 12.5m (163cm) Lengths (cm) 1 43, 148, 153, 158, 163, 168 Weight (per ski) N/A

Sidecut (mm) 119-75-102 Radius 16m (155cm) Lengths (cm) 145, 150, 155, 160, 165 Weight (per ski) N/A

THEY SAY Unique Superlite women’s architecture gives daring women high-class, high-speed carving emotions on any groomer.

WE SAY With its super-cool design, this is a ski that felt like it was constructed to high standards, oozing quality.

Performance-wise it was a solid all-rounder, with strong edge grip in longer turns. It felt easy to use with a quick pivoting ability, while the tail is soft enough to be forgiving coming out of turns.

But on icier slopes it struggled and lacked some of the blockbusting grip and reactiveness.

THEY SAY This fast, precise and light action ski is suitable for all-round use and offers dynamic grip control.

WE SAY Easy to use, light and well balanced, this is a well-rounded ski, with the flex, weight and shape all combining to deliver a strong performance.

It feels grippy and responsive and is perfect for long carved arcs on groomers. In short turns it still manages to feel lively with good edge hold and a responsive character. A very strong performer all round.

No wow factor, but no major faults either. Good allrounder that held an edge well in longer turns (Steph Ede) Cool ski that is very light (Lynn Sharp) Looks fantastic, light, easy to use Lacks grip and punch on harder snow

Cap and sidewall combo/synthetic core/tip rocker

I

Fun, playful, well-priced, whippy and responsive (Bella Seel) Good price, well suited to this category, did the job and held the edge well (Steph Ede)

B

Well balanced, strong in all turn shapes Can feel less sure and stable at high speeds

E A

woMEN’S piste performance SKIS: intermediate to expert

KÄSTLE MX70

Build Cap and sidewall combo/Titanal and

Build

light weight wood core/tip rocker

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

12.5m (160cm) 146, 153, 160, 167 N/A

SK

E A I B

ER

LUB

IN ITA OF GREAT BR

Hits the nail on the head for the more advanced or expert skier. Works well at all speeds (Rowena Phillips) Lively and playful — a solid ski (Bella Seel) Lively, playful, yet performs well at speed Tip could be stronger

E A I

Lynn Sharp

E A I B

13m (163cm) 148, 153, 158, 163 1,810g for 163cm

SK

B

E

I

2015

IC

LUB

IN ITA OF GREAT BR

Versatile, playful, great value (Steph Ede) Good edge hold through length of turn. The right ski to take you from intermediate to advanced skiing (Rowena Phillips) Well-rounded, balanced, great in all turns Could be grippier on ice

ATOMIC CLOUD 9

£440 inc bindings

SALOMON W-MAX

£560 inc bindings

Build

Build Cap and sidewall combo/titanium, carbon and light weight wood core/tip rocker

Cap and sidewall combo/ titanium and synthetic core/tip rocker 128-74-104

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

11m (156cm) 142, 149, 156, 163 1,710g for 156cm

THEY SAY A best-seller globally, revamped with Atomic's revolutionary ARC technology.

WE SAY Super-easy to use, this is no effort to steer and initiate turns, particularly at lower speeds, and it feels really forgiving when skidding or adjusting through the arc. At higher speeds in carved turns it grips well and would suit most advanced skiers. But it has its limits. On hard snow at high speed it loses some grip due to its softer flex and doesn’t have the inherent stability of some of the stronger skis we tried in this test.

Tester Profile

126-74-104

THEY SAY A versatile, light women’s piste ski for aspiring to expert skiers.

WE SAY A great TOP SKI performer, the new R Active is one of those FOR M skis that can handle any turn radius, speed or conditions on piste with ease. A well-judged sidecut, profile and construction give it a well balanced, rounded character. It's easy to predict how it will hold an edge, and it's simple to release out of a turn and engage nicely into a new direction.

High quality, light, yet performs at speed Among the most expensive

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

Ski+board

1,490g for 152cm

A

Former British champion Lynn was a member of the British Alpine Ski Team for five years and has won 17 British junior and senior titles.

She is also a Basi trainer and now runs ski coaching sessions in Val d’Isère, France, all winter.

Lynn owns and runs Target Ski Training, which offers race training and coaching for all levels. Lynn rips in all conditions and is an inspiration to have on the team. targetski.com

12m (152cm) 144, 152, 160, 168

Super smooth and starts turns easily. Despite short length best at long turns (Lynn Sharp) Bouncy, playful, great for carving, and grips well, but over-priced (Bella Seel)

B

tip rocker

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

118-70-100

THEY SAY A fast grip shovel, ash and silver fir core, and sandwich build allows it to live up to its MX heritage.

WE SAY Like all the Kästle skis we tested, the MX felt like a high quality item. It is very light and exceptionally easy to use at lower speeds. Moving on to a faster pace and arcing out carved turns, it offers a super-smooth ride and starts turns with zero effort. Edge grip is high for a ski so light, and despite its weight it feels torsionally stiff and gives a strong performance in all turn shapes. Feels less stable in deeper snow on piste.

2015

IC

PE

PE

THEY SAY Finely tuned to crank out high precision with unmatched agility and accuracy.

WE SAY This had great TOP SKI feedback from testers.

R It’s lively, playful, easy FOR M to use at low speeds and you can adjust direction through arcs at any time. At higher speeds and on harder snow it's a great performer with strong edge hold, especially in long, carved turns. It has an easy, smooth edge change, which helps on transitions, even if you’re cranking it.

Build C ap and sidewall combo/synthetic core/

Sidewall/Titanal wood core/ standard camber

121-74-107

DYNASTAR ACTIVE 10

£455 inc bindings

£795 inc bindings

ER

K2 LUV MACHINE 74Ti

£530 inc bindings

65

150, 155, 160, 165 1,769g for 160cm

THEY SAY Engineered to empower confidence and unlock a new level of enjoyment.

WE SAY The W-Max is supersmooth in turn transitions and feels quite different to last year’s X-Kart. It's strong and reactive on long, fast turns and can hold an edge at speed on hard snow. For a women’s ski it’s stiff in tip and tail, with these sections gripping hard and keeping the skier balanced out of the turn. But that stiff tip and tail can work against it, making it feel quite grabby through the arc, especially at slower speeds.

Easy ski that performs best if skied gently (Lynn Sharp) Best and liveliest in longer turns, but I got ‘pinged’ a few times due to its soft flex (Steph Ede)

A

Easy to use, accessible to intermediates Loses performance at speed on hard snow

B

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

120-73-105 13m (160cm)

E

I

skiclub.co.uk

Powerful, strong and reactive on long, fast turns, but hard to steer at a slow pace (Bella Seel) Improved graphics, pretty sturdy and held an edge well (Steph Ede) Good levels of grip, works well at speed Harder to predict the shape of the arc

66

woMEN’S piste performance SKIS: advanced to expert

BLIZZARD VIVA S6

£500 inc bindings

VöLKL ALLURA

£550 inc bindings

Build

Build

Cap and sidewall combo/ wood core/tip and tail rocker

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

Sidecut (mm) Radius Lengths (cm) Weight (per ski)

119-72-102 12m (160cm) 146, 153, 160, 167 N/A

THEY SAY Smooth, light, lively, comfortable all over the mountain, comes with IQ System technology.

WE SAY The Viva is very much a high performance ski, feeling race-like in its ability on piste with fantastic grip in both long and short turns. You can work it hard and, especially in long turns, it won't break away and always feels smooth and stable.

Powerful, confident skiers will love it. At slower speeds, it feels a bit less forgiving and generally prefers to be worked hard physically.

I

Great to ride the edge in long turns, not so lively in shorts (Lynn Sharp) This beast takes time to tame! Suits powerful skiers in long, fast turns (Rowena Phillips)

B

Big, high performance ability, quality build Harder to steer at slower speeds

E A

Cap/steel and light weight wood core/tip rocker 125-75-96 17m (165cm) 144, 151, 158, 165 N/A

THEY SAY Could be the most playful women’s ski on sale, making pistes a carving playground.

WE SAY This is another women’s ski to give a strong performance on piste. It has great edge hold and is sturdy on hard, icy snow.

It can be relied on to give constant grip in all conditions on piste and would suit aggressive skiers who like to put a lot of effort into their skiing. It’s a bit more of a struggle at slower speeds, where it needs the skier's input to pivot and turn, but overall a powerful piste ski.

I

An aggressive ski, it likes to be worked hard, especially in short turns on steep icy slopes (Steph Ede) Can feel dull in passive carved turns (Rowena Phillips)

B

Powerful, grippy, works well in all turns Less versatile at slower speeds

E A

NORDICA CINNAMON 76 CA

£510 inc bindings Build

Sidewall/carbon and wood core/ tip rocker

Sidecut (mm) 124-76-104 Radius 14m (162cm) Lengths (cm) 144, 150, 156, 162, 168 Weight (per ski) N/A

THEY SAY For confident women seeking supreme carving with all-mountain versatility.

WE SAY Similar to the men’s ski, this has the metal layer replaced with carbon to cut weight. This means it's stiff, powerful and loves to go fast. Strong, aggressive skiers will love it. On ice it held an edge better than most and felt solid in all conditions. It has a stiff, strong tail to boost you out of turns, while the wide shovel helps with turn initiation. A beast of a ski that may intimidate more aspiring skiers.

Tester Profile

Steph Ede

Steph is currently preparing for the tough European race test and is close to completing her Basi Level 4 exams.

She is a phenomenal skier and is incredibly light on her feet, very accurate, with a great feel for how a ski works.

She is based in Val d’Isère, France, where she runs a private chalet, though this still allows her enough free time to train hard and fuel her incredible passion for skiing. stephede@hotmail.co.uk

E A I B

A bit of a truck, it just wants to go! Grips icy slopes well (Lynn Sharp) Always felt supportive and is a solid ski that suits experts (Rowena Phillips) Powerful, fast, strong edge grip Harder to handle at lower speeds

Where can I buy a pair of those?

Several retailers are present at the ski tests and many offer discounts to Ski Club members. They include: Absolute Snow: 10 per cent off absolute-snow.co.uk Craigdon Mountain Sports: 15 per cent off craigdonmountainsports.com Ellis Brigham: 10 per cent off ellis-brigham.com Freeze Pro Shop: 10 per cent off freezeproshop.com Glisshop: 10 per cent off glisshop.co.uk Lockwoods: various discounts lockwoods.com Sail and Ski: 10 per cent off sailandski.co.uk Ski Bartlett: 10 per cent off skibartlett.com Snow+Rock: 10 per cent off snowandrock.com Snow Lab: 10 per cent off, 15 per cent for servicing snowlab.co.uk Surfdome: 10 per cent off surfdome.com

Ski test sponsors With thanks to Atomic, Eider, Salomon, Scott and Planks, who provided clothing for our test team in Kühtai.

Ski Club members can get savings on these brands through the many shops in the UK that offer discounts to Ski Club members.

You can see the full listing of members' discounts at skiclub.co.uk/discounts Photos: Ross Woodhall

DOES YOUR EQUIPMENT PERFORM AS WELL AS IT SHOULD...?

Recent innovations in technology means ski equipment is better than it’s ever been before.

Ski boots are much more customizable, as plastic shells can now be heat moulded and shaped to the lumps and bumps in your feet.

Have you improved since you bought your current boots? Are they still comfortable making you reluctant to upgrade them?

A pair of custom fitted boots will be more comfortable than you can possibly imagine and give better performance than your old ski boots ever could.

Have your skis seen better days? Or are you still using rental equipment?

Skis have now become much more versatile and user friendly helping you to ski in all snow conditions.

If you choose the correct ski shape and ability level, you will see huge changes in your progression and enjoyment.

Come and visit us today to ensure you have the correct advice from experienced equipment specialists before you invest in your next pair of boots and skis.

Bringing you the largest specialist range of skis & boots in the UK and advice and expertise since 1965.

We’ll always be here to help and advise you on the correct equipment for wherever your passions and dreams take you.

Custom boot fitting specialists. Ski Industries Of Great Britain official ski testers.

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Piste performance boots

68

What it all means

Liner Designed to keep your feet warm and comfortable, some are standard, while others can be custom fitted to adopt shape of your calves and feet

Shell Most shells are two-piece and combine a cuff, on top, attached by a hinge to a lower part, often called a clog, below. Threepiece models also have an external tongue

Tongue Look at the top of your foot and you will see a maze of blood vessels and tendons. A badly shaped tongue compresses these… and that’s painful

Power strap The power strap acts as a vital extra buckle around your leg, and is usually closed by Velcro, but some high performance boots use a metal closure.

Don’t forget to do it up!

Cant adjustment With many boots you can tilt the cuff slightly towards the big toe or little toe side of the clog, making you feel more balanced in the boot

Buckles These are used to fasten the boot. Buckles should wrap the shell evenly around the foot, keeping it snug without creating pressure points

Walk mode The stiff back of ski boots, vital for performance, makes them no fun to walk in. So a walk switch releases the cuff to allow it to move backwards

LAST Flex

Footbed

This is the theoretical force in Newtons needed to decrease the angle between cuff and clog by ten degrees, and is written after the name of the boot.

High performance boots are stiffer, but often less comfortable

This is a trainer-type insole that comes with the boot.

A customised footbed is recommended to improve stability and give better foot-to-boot contact

This is the template around which the plastic shell of boots is shaped. It is measured in millimetres across the widest part of the foot, with 100mm being about medium. Generally the narrower the last the higher the performance

69

Boots

Buckle up for some serious speed

Size All sizes are given in Mondopoint. Men’s boots usually come in sizes 24.5 to 30.5, which corresponds roughly to UK sizes 5.5 to 11.5.

Women’s boots usually come in sizes 22 to 27.5 or roughly UK sizes 5 to 10.5

Piste performance boots can seem off-putting with their narrow lasts and stiff flexes, but for control they can’t be beaten, says Chris Exall

Chris Exall (skipress.co.uk) describes himself as being 40 years into an 80-year apprenticeship in skiing: his first boots were made of leather. He is a member of the International Federation of Ski Instructors governing body and has written widely on snowsports safety

Head Raptor RS 140 Price £435 other Flex 120 Size 22-30.5

Despite coming in just two flexes — a 120 (£320) and 140 — removing the rear spoiler bolts allows for great customisation. The mighty 140 will soften to a manageable 120, while the 120 model unwinds to a cushy 110. With a 96mm last, a narrow heel pocket and low volume instep, they suit performance skiers with narrow feet. The unique cable buckling system gives the sense of the shell enveloping the foot, though some skiers struggle with this. Use the Raptor on a race ski and you can cut serious trenches in groomed snow.

A serious boot, for serious skiers Narrow, with complicated buckling system

Before you read this, a word of warning. You may think that if you are a piste skier, these are the boots for you. In fact, all-mountain boots, which we featured in the last issue, tend to suit recreational skiers best, thanks to their forgiving shells and comfy liners.

Piste boot liners tend to be thin, so are usually colder, but allow for greater control. They usually have a basic overlap shell, an anatomical last, and a clog that is more ‘foot shaped’ than in other categories.

Unlike in other categories, where models with higher specifications come with more extras, such as walk

Atomic Redster 130

Rossignol Hero 130

Price £430 Other flexes 170,

150, 110 Size 22-29.5

Price £385 Other flex 110 Size 24-30.5

Glance at the Redster and it looks like the other boots in this category, with a traditional two-part shell.

However, the black strip at the rear is a carbon fibre brace, designed to reduce the boot’s weight while increasing lateral stiffness. Forget the 170 (£500) unless you own a piledriver to get you in and ignore even the 150 (£480).

Strong recreational skiers will enjoy the power of the 130, but will find the 110 (£400) more forgiving. Both have a good out-of-the-box fit with a narrow heel pocket and a medium to wide toe area. The shell can be heat moulded.

Light yet strong 170 and 150 flexes are for racers only

Ski+board

mode, with piste boots the opposite is true. The higher performance the model, the fewer gadgets you’ll find, making the most advanced (and expensive) boots appear the simplest.

As with most boots, piste models are produced in families, with performance designated by a flex rating. Extra care is needed here, as many manufacturers sell boots with flexes so high that most skiers can barely put them on, let alone ski in them. As a rule, most strong skiers find a 110 to 130 flex perfectly adequate, while intermediates should consider models as soft as a 90 flex.

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

If you love the edge-to-edge power of a Lange RS then the Rossignol Hero may do the job just as well — mainly because the two boots use the same shell, albeit with subtle differences. The Hero range has several World Cup specific models — with a bone crushing 92mm last.

However, for recreational skiers the 130 and 110 (£315), are wider, comfier and will go anywhere at speed without biting back aggressively.

The default last is 97mm, which is still narrow for most, so those with wider feet should opt for a 100mm version.

Powerful edge-to-edge Only two flex options in this shell

skiclub.co.uk

Men’s Piste performance boots

70

Nordica Dobermann GP130

Tecnica R9.3 130

Price £499 OTHER Flexes 150, 110 Size 22-29

Price £500 OTHER Flexes 150,

110 Size 22-29

Despite the classic black shell looking the same as the one that has been winning races for years, this season’s model has undergone a number of changes to make it ski better than ever. Tweaks to the shell include a cuff that can be both tilted and turned to either side. Nordica is one of the few manufacturers who still use a cork filled flo liner. They’re harder to make and take more time to mould, but once set they fit brilliantly.

The 130 model will suffice for strong skiers (avoid the 150), while the 110 (£379) is good for lighter skiers.

Cuff is more versatile than most Cork liner takes time to mould

With a low volume shell, yet an unexpectedly cushy feel around the cuff, the R9.3 has a good snow feel yet is versatile too. The pressure distribution around the cuff is remarkably even, making the boot feel slightly softer than its flex rating suggests — though we would still recommend avoiding the World Cupstyle 150 (£500). The forward flex is smooth and progressive, meaning that you are less likely to be knocked around in variable snow conditions than might be the case in other thoroughbred race boots.

Smooth and progressive forward flex Not one for skiers with wide feet

Lange RS 140

Salomon X Lab 130

Scott G2 130

Price £430 OTHER Flexes 130, 110 Size 24-30.5

Price £370 OTHER Flexes 110 Size 23-29.5

Price £420 OTHER Flexes 110, 90 Size 23-30.5

With its 95mm last, the X Lab is aimed at skiers wanting a snug, high performance boot. The focus is on power transmission, with a cuff that has a magnesium metal reinforcement for stability. For lateral power, Salomon uses a hinge three times the size of most boots. It says that this is needed to resist the forces generated by modern skis, but it comes at the expense of cuff alignment. Instead, the skier’s leg is balanced only by the heat mouldable liner. The 110 flex (£340) is plenty stiff enough to suit most skiers.

Scott’s G2 is the only boot here with no obvious race heritage. But look closely and you’ll see the shell is as raceready as the rest. Based on Garmont’s G Shell — one of the first low volume boots to be supplied pre-stretched and punched out over common hotspots — the G2 is simple, elegant and wraps the foot perfectly. It has a low volume fit in the heel area, but once adapted to your foot, feels like a medium to wide boot. It can keep up with all but the most full-on shells thanks to its light, quick upright feel. Lighter skiers should use the 110 (£420).

Lange’s classic RS shell is an evolution of a model first sold in the mid-1970s. It’s one of the most anatomically shaped boots on the market and, for most people, the outof-the-box fit is excellent. The boot has great snowfeel, which arises from the rigid bootboard that stabilises the clog, making sure all movements are transferred to the edge. However, the design will punish lazy skiers. The 140 is best reserved for Lycra-wearing racers, while recreational skiers should opt for the 110 (£315) or possibly the 130 (£384) for speed demons.

97mm and 100mm last available Not a boot for lazy skiers

Snug, high performance boot No cuff alignment

Anatomical pre-stretched shell No option to move up to a stiffer version of the boot

71

Men’s Piste performance boots

Photo: Jon Wick

So you think your ski boots are uncomfortable…

While the focus in this issue is piste performance, even the stiffest boots reviewed on these pages do not compare to the foot-crushing models used by World Cup racers.

While most recreational skiers would struggle in boots with a flex above 110, professional athletes use models with flexes in excess of 170. This is because the forces generated by a 100kg skier travelling at motorway speeds would collapse anything softer.

Any movement between the foot and shell also means lost time. Most race boots have lace-up liners, which are put on and tightened like a shoe.

Only then does the racer insert — often with a helping hand — their foot into the shell.

And taking a race boot off on a cold day often requires a friend or two to pull the shell open.

Most racers have a foam liner

made for them, while others opt for a liner so thin and lightweight that it can be rolled up like a sock.

These are seriously cold and uncomfortable, but leave the foot virtually pressed against the shell.

Such liners will fit in a shell that is infeasibly small.

When I raced, I used a size 25 shell, which corresponds to UK size 6.

I now ski in a still snug 27, which translates to UK size 8.

Remarkably, many World Cup racers use boots that are several years behind the models we review. This is because they are reluctant to change a boot which they know wins races.

The legendary Swedish racer Ingemar Stenmark won 86 World Cup races in the same pair of Caber boots.

By the end of his career they were so worn that the buckles were held together by wire coat hangers.

Chris Exall

72

Women’s Piste performance boots

Photo: Ross Woodhall

Powerful boots for powerful women Piste boots are designed and built for women seeking performance, control and precision. The shells fit much closer to the foot, with thinner liners that allow immediate transmission of power and energy to the ski.

Comfort is typically not the highest priority in these boots, however many manufacturers have worked hard in recent years to design liners that are comfier and retain more heat.

Janine Winter is ski manager and buyer at specialist bootfitter Profeet (020 7736 0046; profeet.co.uk), having spent 11 seasons fitting boots with the Boot Doctors in Telluride, Colorado, four seasons in New Zealand, and one in Australia

Salomon X Max 110W

Lange RX 110W

Price £330 OTHER Flexes 90, 80 Size 22-27.5

Price £340 OTHER Flexes 90, 80 Size 22-27.5

The X Max is ideal for women with slender feet and legs, looking for piste performance. As standard, it comes in a fairly narrow 98mm last. However, thanks to the custom shell technology, the shell can be widened to a roomy 104mm. The boot has a low instep and narrow cuff, which provides a snug fit for optimum control, and an adjustable cuff to fit differently shaped calves. This year the boot comes with an anatomically pre-shaped 3D liner, known for its out-of-the-box fit. If you need a wider boot, the X Pro, also by Salomon, is a great alternative.

Custom shell technology allows for widening Low instep compared to others

Developed by taking inspiration from the RS race series, the RX family comes in two widths — 97mm and 100mm — and is designed with an emphasis on comfort. Generous in its length, there are three flex options available, with the 110 model best suited to advanced female skiers. The liner has been redesigned this season, with a custom tongue that has a hollow area over the instep, to avoid undue pressure. Such pressure causes numbness, and restricted circulation in the foot, so the new tongue is a welcome addition to the boot.

Available in two widths and three flexes Comfort takes precedent over performance

Head raptor rs 90w Price £295 OTHER Flexes 110 Size 22-27.5

The Head Raptor has been built with performance in mind. Coming in a relatively narrow 98mm shell, the Raptor offers a close fit, and is laterally responsive for quick edge-to-edge movements. The 90 flex is aimed at advanced skiers, while a 110 version is a stiffer model for experts. The liner in this year’s boot has been adapted, creating a more open, comfortable toe-box. Given that this is a high performance boot, its liner is notably comfortable. This year’s boot is already attracting a lot of attention… not least thanks to its new matt grey colour.

Soft, comfortable feel for a high end boot Doesn’t have a replaceable sole

73

Women’s Piste performance boots

Atomic Redster pro 90W

Tecnica MACH 1 95W

Nordica Dobermann GP 110W

Price £300 OTHER Flexes 110 , 80 Size 22-27.5

Price £255 OTHER Flexes 105, 85 Size 22-27.5

Price £350 OTHER Flexes None Size 21.5-27.5

With a fairly narrow 98mm last, the Redster is built for power. It features Atomic’s Memory Fit technology, which allows the whole shell to be heated and moulded to match the contours of your foot. As with the men’s boot, it has a carbon spine on the cuff, designed to increase responsiveness and power transmission. The 90 flex is focused at intermediate to advanced skiers, while a softer 80 is aimed at low-intermediates. This is a boot worth considering as an alternative to the Head Raptor.

Developed from the race series, the low-volume (LV) Mach 1 is designed to offer both comfort and performance.

The boot uses Tecnica’s CAS shell technology, which is dimpled in key areas for customisation. The anatomical liner is designed for optimum out-ofthe-box comfort, but can be punched or ground if pressure persists. The 95 flex is focused on intermediate to advanced skiers. A wider, medium shell model is also available and offers seven per cent extra volume around the foot and leg.

The Dobermann, which has been available for many seasons, has finally undergone a revamp. A new toe box offers a more generous fit, and the shell features a special weather guard to prevent water ingress. The boots come with ‘extra-grip’ soles which can be replaced when they start to wear thin to aid traction while walking and prevent slipping. Derived from the race series, the boot is nonetheless still focused on performance. It is available in a size 21.5, which corresponds to UK size 2, so fits very small feet.

Carbon spine enhances performance Has an aggressive forward lean

dedprice: u l c n i l l A in the Accommodation All meals Lift pass Instruction/Guiding Ski/Snowboard and Boots Transceiver, shovel & probe Any required technical kit

Shell and liner can be easily customised A little heavier than some boots

Fits the smallest feet Only comes in one flex

ALL INCLUSIVE OFF PISTE SKI & BOARD COURSES Courses range from introductory Off piste courses for intermediate piste skiers keen to venture beyond the boundaries, to specialist Off piste guided courses for expert skiers eager to push their limits; steep couloirs, technical climbs and gnarly freeride descents.

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R FOR

Entry-level BOARDS

74

Base Extruded bases are cheap, easy to repair, and ideal for beginners. Sintered bases need more care and cost more, but are faster when waxed

Flex This is graded from one to five, with one being soft — making a board easy to turn — and five being stiff, for high-speed piste performance

Length Board lengths are measured in centimetres from tip to tail. Longer boards suit powder; shorter ones are best for freestyle

Effective edge

Width

The distance between the two contact points on either side of the snowboard

A ’W‘ following a length means the board comes in wide, and so is suitable for riders with larger feet — UK size 11 and over. All boot dimensions are given in UK sizes

Flat Profile A board with a flat profile is flat under the feet, with the board rising only at the tip and tail

Rocker Profile A board with a rocker profile has its main contact point between the rider’s feet, while the ends of the effective edge are lifted

Camber profile A board with a camber profile rises up between the rider’s feet and has contact points at each end — at the nose and tail ends of the effective edge

COMBO profile

What it all means

A board with a combo profile combines elements of both rocker and camber boards

75

SNOWBOARDS

Easy to ride… and easy on the wallet

Shape Directional boards have a setback stance, twin boards have a centred stance and an identical nose and tail, while directional twin boards combine elements of both

Entry-level boards suit budget-conscious first timers but this winter’s batch have some of the features of pro models, says Tristan Kennedy

Tristan Kennedy is editor of action sports and adventure website Mpora.com and former deputy editor of Whitelines Snowboarding magazine. He tested these boards exclusively for Ski+board at the Snowboard Spring Break event in Kaunertal, Austria

Because so many boarders rapidly fall in love with powder and parks, most ‘piste’ boards cater for beginners and intermediates and so are not the most high tech. You do get racing boards — but they hardly fly off the shelves.

Entry-level boards are designed for those who may have rented for a week or two and are mostly looking to cruise the pistes. Because they may have yet to venture into the park or powder, they are looking to prioritise price over the latest technology.

Despite this, many of the boards benefit from a ‘trickle down’ effect in terms of design and construction. For

example, this season both the Burton boards reviewed here feature the brand’s Squeezebox core, previously only found on pro models.

This has been made possible as brands streamline their production.

Features that were once cutting edge have become cheaper and easier to make, while materials and designs that started out as costly and experimental have become standard.

All of this is great news for novices, because, despite costing no more than £300, this year’s crop of entry-level boards are the most technologically advanced we’ve seen.

Arbor Foundation £300

Burton Clash £290

Ride Agenda

Flex Profile Rocker Shape Directional twin Lengths (cm) 148, 152,

155, 158, 161

Flex Profile Flat Shape Directional twin Lengths (cm) 139, 145, 151, 155, 158; 157W, 160W, 164W

Flex Profile Rocker Shape True twin Lengths (cm) 147, 152, 156, 159; 153W, 157W, 161W

Pistes Powder Jumps Rails

Pistes Powder Jumps Rails

Pistes Powder Jumps Rails

The simple graphics on this board reflect its simple purpose — to help riders nail their first turns. Its soft flex and forgiving rocker profile make it perfect for cruising around the pistes, while its uncomplicated, solid construction — with an extruded base and fibreglass weave — contains only the technology novices need. It will never perform like a pro-model on the steeps but on gentle blue runs and small park features, this board will be right at home.

Simple, solid and dependable Not the fastest base

Ski+board

The Clash has been a staple of Burton’s range for over a decade and remains popular with new riders. But this winter’s model offers more bang for your buck, with features such as Burton’s Squeezebox core (thinner in parts to make the flex feel more natural) and the ‘channel’ binding system, allowing endless stance positions. Such features were previously reserved for highend models and, combined with the board’s directional twin shape and flat profile, make it a great all-rounder.

Impressively good at carving both on and off-piste Too soft for bigger jumps

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

£275

The Ride Agenda is another long-standing and much loved board that has been updated for 2015-16. This season’s model features a LowRize rocker profile with gently raised contact points at the tip and tail to make catching an edge less likely. These design nuances also make the Agenda the ideal board to try tricks on for the first time. The construction is solid and simple — biaxial fibreglass with an extruded base — and perfect for riders who are just getting started.

Good for learning freestyle Centred stance makes powder tricky

skiclub.co.uk

Entry-level BOARDS

76

K2 Raygun

£300

Salomon Craft

Flex Profile Flat Shape Directional Lengths (cm) 150, 153, 156, 159, 161; 157W, 160W, 164W

Flex Profile Combo Shape True Twin Lengths (cm) 146, 149, 152,

154, 156, 158, 160

Pistes Powder Jumps Rails

Pistes Powder Jumps Rails

The Raygun may sit at the budget end of K2’s range, but it still boasts the great build quality that the brand prides itself on.

The flat profile helps spread riders’ weight, making it less likely that they will catch one of the contact points while carving, which is great news for budding boarders. The directional shape — with its setback stance — means the nose is longer than the tail, making the Raygun perfect for initial forays into powder.

Good for carving and powder Design isn’t suited to freestyle

More choice and lower prices for female riders

£290

The market for entry-level women’s boards is a competitive one, with most of the brands offering at least one aimed at novices.

Such a range of choice is, of course, great news for women considering buying their first board.

And with price tags sometimes well below the £300 mark, now is a good time to make that leap from renting to buying.

This is especially true as — just like the men’s boards featured here — these models have benefited from the trickle-down of expensive protechnology in recent seasons.

If you are a first-time female snowboard buyer, you really have never had it so good.

Designed for riders who are still honing their ahem craft, this board has a forgiving combo profile. Camber between your feet gives the board added pop, while the rocker at the tip and tail lifts the contact points, lessening your chance of catching an edge. This is great for mastering your first turns, and also newbie freestylers. And despite being an entry-level stick, Nils Mindnich, a Salomon team rider, uses it in the park.

Good for trying tricks Not so great off-piste Photo: Christoph Ascher/Kauns Kaunertal/Austrian National Tourist Office

You can still get a kick out of beginner boots There may not have been many great technological leaps forward in entry-level boots this season, but the leading brands are making incremental improvements.

Just as with boards, the more expensive materials and designs that were previously reserved for higher-end boots have trickled down to entry-level models, so you can still benefit from some of the technological advances.

There are limitations though. It’s worth noting that some models at the budget end of the spectrum have yet to adopt speed lacing systems, where a small wheel allows you to both tighten and loosen the boot with a quick twist. And some boots, such as the Burton Coco, also come in limited sizes, making it harder for women with larger feet.

All boot sizes here are given in UK measurements.

Read comprehensive advice on buying boards and boots at skiclub.co.uk/kit

77

Entry-level BOARDS

DC Biddy

Burton Feather

£225

Bataleon Feelbetter

£290

£295

Flex Profile Combo Shape True twin Lengths (cm) 139, 143,

147, 151

Flex Profile Flat Shape Directional Lengths (cm) 140, 144,

149, 152, 155

Flex Profile Camber Shape True Twin Length (cm) 138, 143,

146, 149, 152

Pistes Powder Jumps Rails

Pistes Powder Jumps Rails

Pistes Powder Jumps Rails

DC’s Biddy is designed using the brand’s softest core, which, combined with its rocker profile, makes for a forgiving ride. The board turns easily, which is ideal for beginners, while the relaxed feel also has benefits for freestyle too, particularly on rails and small jumps.

As you may expect, the construction is simple — there are no bells or whistles — but it’s a great option if you’re after a first board.

Good for freestyle and at an excellent price Not brilliant at high speeds

The Feather has been part of Burton’s range for a few years, but this season’s model is the first to feature its new flat top profile, which provides stability, while the gentle tip and tail rocker makes catching an edge less likely. This makes it great for learning turns, as well as trying small tricks. As with the Clash, it boasts Burton’s Squeezebox core, a feature previously available only on higher specification models.

Great both on and off-piste Struggles a little on rails

Burton Moto

This board’s name may be a cheeky play on Burton’s all-mountain women’s stick, the Feelgood, but it’s far from a competitor. With its soft flex and true twin shape, it’s best in the park, but still great for learners. Bataleon’s patented Triple Base technology, with the sides of the base raised off the snow, makes the perennial issue of catching an edge less likely — ideal for nailing your first turns and riding rails.

A great freestyle stick Extruded base is not the fastest

£145

Salomon Faction £135

Flex Size 5 to 13 Lacing system Speed lace

Flex Size 6 to 13 Lacing system Speed lace

Pistes Powder Jumps Rails

Pistes Powder Jumps Rails

The Moto isn’t Burton’s cheapest model, but it is designed with novices in mind. The soft flex makes it easy to get used to if this is your first time on snow, while the speed lacing system makes taking them off and putting them on easy.

Burton Coco

Like the Burton Moto, Salomon’s Faction offers plenty of bang for your buck, with a speed lacing system that was developed for more sophisticated models. Its construction also benefits from the years Salomon has spent working with new materials and designs on higher-end boots.

K2 Izzy

£120

Flex Size 2.5 to 8 Lacing system Laces

Flex Size Lacing system

Pistes Powder Jumps Rails

Pistes Powder Jumps Rails

At £120 a pair, the Coco is not just the most affordable boot in Burton’s range — but one of the cheapest on the market. Not that you’d know it. It boasts the same build quality as any other Burton boot, and the soft flex makes them great for mastering your first turns.

Ski+board

£125 5 to 11 Laces

As with the other boots here, the Izzy has a soft flex that K2 claims “gives you the comfort and support your feet deserve during the elementary stages of your adventures”. They certainly feel forgiving and are easy to ride — just avoid the biggest kickers in the park.

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

skiclub.co.uk

Photo: Melody Sky

78

Gear

Winter warmers The hottest gear to keep you toasty this winter starts at just £3.50, says Alf Alderson It’s the perfect powder day — blue sky, fresh snow. But with your feet and hands feeling like lumps of ice, you’re counting the hours until it’s over.

If that sounds familiar, there are now many products on the market that can solve the problem. Electric

boot warmers fit most boots, including hired ones, and can heat your feet all day, only needing recharging at night.

Heated socks do the same, but may be too thick for your existing boots.

This season also sees the launch of the first boots with integrated heating. Salomon’s new Quest freeride boots have been developed with heating specialist Therm-ic, and contain all the technology — including the batteries — within the shell.

Hands are even easier to keep warm.

If your fingers suffer in the cold, consider mittens. Merino wool or silk inner gloves are great for added warmth and cost as little as £10. Heat packs also work better in mittens than in gloves — or indeed boots. Costing between £3.50 and £6,

these disposable pads are activated by shaking them or peeling off a backing strip, and last for up to ten hours.

More environmentally friendly, but bulkier, are reusable gel pads. These have a metal disc floating inside that you bend to activate heating. They cool quicker, but can be recharged by boiling them in pan for ten minutes.

£170

£45

£199 (with battery) £69 (without battery)

Sidas Pro Set bootwarmers

Superfeet REDhot and hotPINK insoles

Sidas Pro Heat socks

Alf Alderson is an award-winning adventure travel writer who divides his time between the Alps and Pembrokeshire. He is co-author of the Rough Guide to the Rocky Mountains and other ski guides. He is an experienced gear tester for the ski press

These boot heaters can be fitted to any ski boots — including hired ones — and are easy to use. Heat comes from a thin heating element which sits under your boot’s footbed. This is connected to a small rechargeable battery attached to a boot’s power strap.

There are three heat setting — the lowest offering eight hours’ warmth, the highest, four hours’ — and battery life is vastly improved in newer models.

I’ve used Pro Set boot warmers for five years and found them to be invaluable on cold days. The heating element is undetectable, and you hardly notice the battery on the boot. It is not a cheap option, but if you suffer from cold feet, it’s definitely one for your Christmas list.

Warm feet guaranteed… … but they’re not cheap

Custom insoles are great for added stability in a ski boot, but few help keep your feet warm. These Superfeet ones do both thanks to two thermal layers. Coming in red for men and pink for women, the insoles also help reduce boot pressure points, and foot movement in the boot. A patented heel cup supports the foot’s natural padding, while Thermo-Foil and AirWeave technology on the forefoot deflect cold air, helping to keep toes toasty. I used the REDhot insoles all last season, and while my toes were a little chilly on the coldest of days, the rest of the time they were warm. In terms of support, they don’t compare to custom-made footbeds, but are a big improvement on standard ones.

Warm and comfortable May not work for ‘difficult’ feet

Incorporating a heating element into the weave of the material, these socks are made of wool and technical fibres designed to regulate your temperature and wick away perspiration (but you still need to wash them). A small — scarcely noticeable — battery heats the element and, like the Pro Set bootwarmers, they have three settings, the lowest providing heat all day. I was concerned the element would be irritating, but as the socks are thicker than normal this is not an issue. You may find the extra cushioning a little off-putting, but you soon get used to this, and they are a good option for hire boots.

But make sure to take them to the fitting if buying or hiring boots.

Elegant solution for cold feet May be too thick for your existing boots

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Gear

£115

£75

£198

Jack Wolfskin Alpine softshell mitts

Volcom Let It Storm

Ember phoenix Gloves

These softshell mitts can be folded back to expose your fingers, which is great if you often find yourself taking your gloves off. The finger covering is held back with a small Velcro disc and, once finished, you simply pull the covers back over your fingers. For ski tourers and alpinists this could prove useful, however cold air can get in through the gap, and taking them off can be a faff. Also as a softshell the insulation isn’t great, although Jack Wolfskin’s Stormlock fabric is windproof and water-resistant. I can see the mitt being useful for spring skiing, but in mid-winter they’re unlikely to be warm enough, unless you wear a fairly hefty inner glove.

Good if you regularly need your fingers free Not warm enough for very cold conditions

With their camouflage pattern, these gloves make a statement. But it’s not just looks. They have small exterior pockets for hand-warmers, however, as these are on the back of the hand, your fingers won’t feel the warmth.

The gloves’ Thermore insulation and micro-fleece lining is soft and snug, although they weren’t the bestinsulated gloves reviewed here. The leather palms and fingers are flexible and hard wearing. The cuffs have holes in the wrist, designed to help you pull them on, which works well for the first glove, but is a squeeze doing the second with gloved-hands.

They come with fleece glove liners for really cold days.

Look cool, with good goggle cleaner The ‘Power Pull’ cuff needs more thought

Heated gloves used to be bulky and limited to one brand, Zanier. Now you have a choice. These gloves,

by UK brand Ember, use microwire technology, and have four heat settings, which last from four to eight hours. The battery is housed in a small internal pocket and is scarcely noticeable. The gloves are well made with reinforced palms, lens squeegee, nose wipe, and a gauntlet with drawstring. They feel like any other glove, and come with a storage bag and battery charger with a Continental adapter. Ember currently only makes the glove in two bright designs, which may not appeal to everyone, but it’s a small sacrifice for warm hands.

Warm hands guaranteed… … at a price

Gear

80

Warmer feet — through a feat of engineering £115

£85

Terra Nova Extremities Glacier Gloves GTX

Rab Icefall Gauntlet

Designed to be close fitting, these gloves are not as well insulated as others reviewed here, however they do offer great dexterity. They use Primaloft insulation and Gore-Tex, which is bonded to the outer fabric, preventing any movement between the gloves’ layers. The leather is supple, but hard-wearing, and the gloves are easily adjusted thanks to a simple drawstring. The cuffs aren’t especially wide, so are best worn under your sleeves, and with the drawstring fastened, snow will really struggle to get in. Overall, a pleasure to wear, but do be prepared to go up a size because of the close fit — I found the large rather tight.

Lovely soft feel and good dexterity Beware! There’s no security leash

With a combination of Primaloft Gold insulation and a cosy lining, these gloves will keep your hands warm even in the coldest weather. The fit is roomy, allowing the use of inner gloves, however some users may prefer to go down a size. Supple leather on the palms and fingers is complemented by reinforcements across the palms and index fingers.

However, I was surprised to find this didn’t include the thumb, which is always a high-wearing area. I like the wide gauntlets, which make the gloves easy to put on and pull over your sleeves. Overall, this is a hard-wearing glove for mid-winter skiing that looks good too.

Good range of features Thumb reinforcements would be welcome

This year, Salomon has released the first boot with a fully integrated heating system.

The Quest Access Custom Heat, developed with insulation specialist Therm-ic and costing £380, could be a game changer, as all the heating elements, including battery, are in the shell.

Ski+board wasn’t able to test it, but Salomon says material around the heating elements means more heat is trapped in the liner and the batteries last for up to 18 hours before recharging, depending on the setting.

“It’s one of those ‘why did no one do this before?’ inventions,” says Chris Exall, Ski+board’s boot reviewer. “With a 90 flex, they aren’t as powerful as the rest of the Quest range, but promise to keep your feet warm.”

£100

£80

£185

Hestra Alpine Pro Dexterity

Helly Hansen Down Ski Gloves

Arc’teryx Lithic Gloves

With 80 years’ heritage, Swedish brand Hestra is renowned for the quality of its gloves, and the Alpine Pro Dexterity are no exception. These are a pair of gloves that ooze quality and are designed to last. They even come with a small sachet of leather balm to treat them: use it — these are gloves worth looking after. The turquoise and orange cowhide outers are well constructed, while the Thermolite insulation works well… until the temperature really plummets. Hestra makes no bones about the fact that these are not its most insulated glove.

It recommends the Dexterity for the spring. In wet weather your hands stay dry thanks to a waterproof and breathable membrane.

With a combination of down insulation and supple goat leather on the palms and fingers, these gloves are warm, waterproof and windproof. This is achieved thanks to a breathable membrane, combined with a water repellent treatment and a tough two-ply fabric in places where the leather isn’t used. My hands felt snug in the gloves, and the fleece lining is soft. The large gauntlet cuffs are fully adjustable and can be worn outside your jacket sleeves, adjusted on the go, and there’s an additional wrist band that can be tightened to keep warmth in. However, there is no security leash to prevent losing them while fiddling with the piste map on the chairlift.

Aimed at backcountry riders, the construction of these gloves is excellent. And, as you’d expect given the price, they should provide many seasons of hard use. There’s rugged fabric on the palm and fingers, along with fully taped seams, which seal out water, wind and snow. Three types of PrimaLoft insulation provide warmth in colder areas, such as the back of the hand, while retaining dexterity in the fingers. There’s also enough room inside the Lithic to wear an inner glove. I particularly liked the short gauntlets, which can be worn over or under sleeves and adjust easily with a single-pull elastic cord. There’s also a removable security leash, however this is a little fiddly to use.

Top quality look and design Possibly a little tight and not for real cold

Great, soft feel and plain, simple design No security leash

Excellent build quality, great looks Expensive and the security leash is a little fiddly

Victor de le Rue

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82

technique

How to make any piste fun You can generate huge speed and G-force even on the flattest piste to produce beautiful carved turns. Mark Jones shows how it’s done Skiers often seek out steeper pistes in search of a challenge. Many find open, groomed runs underwhelming once they have a basic level of control.

But, whatever your level, you don’t need steep slopes to get a kick out of skiing. If you ski with pros, you’ll find they get a huge buzz out of making turns even when the terrain is easy.

The reason is clear. If you carve your turns well the sensations you get back from your skis are incredible, turning even the most pedestrian blues and greens into an adventure playground.

Watch out for slower skiers below you — and above you, too. If you do proper carving turns you will often be crossing the path of others at speed.

In fact, a great time to practise high-speed carving is when you’re with a much slower skier. You’ll find it takes you the same time to make high-speed looping turns across the full width of the piste as it does for them to take a more direct line down.

It’s when there’s plenty of space that you can lay down some of your strongest turns. A key part to a great turn is being able to maintain speed moving through the arc. And it will give you a huge hit if you do it well.

Creating acceleration through the turn is a goal that top skiers focus on. It’s especially during the point at which your skis are moving away from the fall line that speed is created. This is the area you will want to develop.

If you watch strong, technical skiers at this point, the striking thing is the speed they are deflected across

— rather than down — the hill. This happens through their ability to fight gravity by carving hard, because the resultant force fires them sideways.

So how do you do it without giving in to gravity and skidding your turns?

PLACE YOUR FEET Try to push your outside foot ahead of the inside one coming through the turn. If you let your outside foot lag behind the other, as many skiers do, you will end up with too much pressure on the front of the boot.

The goal is to keep your foot centred in the boot, with good heel pressure, while still feeling the ball of your foot.

You should still feel your shin against the cuff of the boot, but if you put too much pressure on it, the back of the ski will break away.

Keep moving laterally, feeling pressure through the middle of your foot

Keep increasing the edge angle on both skis. Stay strong. Don’t collapse

INCREASE THE ANGLE As you move through the turn, keep increasing the edge angle of both skis. The greater the angle, the more they will grip the snow. The strength of that grip will send you forwards through the arc rather than see you skidding sideways through the turn.

USE BOTH SKIS You will feel most pressure through the outer ski but, as you turn, add pressure to the inner ski to give you double grip and so you can start creating a platform for the next turn.

MOVE LATERALLY To create bigger edge angles your

body must move laterally. This means moving your legs, hips and torso towards the centre of your turn.

Rather like riding a bike, the more you lean over, the tighter the arc and the greater the deflection from the skis, giving you more speed. As you move your body across, keep facing towards your direction of travel.

BE STRONG To generate that speed, all the forces building up through the skis need to be controlled by the edges. This means you will feel a lot of pressure through your legs and body. Be strong, don’t collapse, and keep your body aligned.

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Technique

Start to move your torso across the skis. Push your outside foot forwards Go for maximum edge angle while looking to the end of the turn

Commit to your upper foot. Use it as a platform to move into a new turn

Start to transfer some pressure across to your upper foot

DON’T TWIST Particularly at the end of the turn, the temptation is to twist your body towards the centre of the turn. Any twisting can cause the skis to rotate, skidding them and losing speed.

FEEL THE SPEED To create speed you need to feel it.

Keep monitoring what is happening to you. Are you accelerating or losing speed? If you’re losing speed ask yourself what’s going on. You should feel the G-force increase towards the end of the curve. If not, make adjustments and change your movement patterns. Mentally, a desire

Ski+board

to accelerate through the arc is crucial.

Getting to a stage where you can consistently blast out this type of turn takes a lot of work, both physically and technically. Make sure that as a base skill you can maintain strong posture and balance. This means being continually balanced over the middle of the feet while adopting an athletic, ready-for-action stance.

To use these forces effectively also requires a good level of physical strength. If there is weakness, there’s a greater chance of your body collapsing and losing alignment.

If you haven’t already, now is the time to get fit for the coming season.

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

Read more of Mark Jones’s ski tips along with other useful information on instruction and developing new skills at skiclub.co.uk/skitechnique

Mark Jones is director of ICE (icesi.org), a training centre for aspiring skiers and instructors in Val d’Isère, France. He is also a trainer and assessor for Basi and has been in the British demo team at the industry-leading annual Interski Congress four times

skiclub.co.uk

ski club promotion

Ski Club Travel Insurance What’s the big deal?

Ski Club Travel Insurance has always been a great specialist winter sports product, designed for our members – and with our new Silver, Gold and Platinum policies, it offers even more value for money with exceptional cover for skiers and snowboarders.

So what makes Ski Club Travel Insurance such a big deal?

Ross Woodhall

Key features • Cover for on & off piste skiing & snowboarding, with or without a guide • Children under 18 covered for FREE on family policies • Age limit has been increased up to 85 years old for single trip, and 75 for multi-trip • Extra sports & activities are included - over 100 as standard • Travel delay and missed departure covered • Emergency medical and legal expenses cover has increased • Loss, damage or delay of winter sports equipment cover has increased

Multi-trip covers you for summer and short breaks as well Multi-trip policies provide cover you for any trip or break you take in the 12 months – including a vast array of over 100 sports and activities, so your summer holiday water sports are covered, as well as any short breaks. From winter sports such as ski touring, cat skiing, heli-skiing and backcountry skiing, to adventure sports and activities like white water rafting, mountaineering and cycling - our Ski Club Travel Insurance covers you for more than just ski holidays.

Ski Club Platinum Membership Our new membership tier offers all the great benefits of Ski Club membership, plus an annual European multitrip insurance policy. Not only does the package price help you save money, Platinum membership offers 45 days of winter sports cover across the year (maximum 24 in any one trip), and free cover for children under 24.

You can upgrade to Ski Club Platinum membership online, or by calling our Member Services Team on 020 8410 2015.

So whether it’s Platinum Membership or a stand-alone policy, choosing Ski Club Travel Insurance this season means getting a great deal, and excellent cover for all your mountain adventures.

For an insurance quote, visit skiclubinsurance.co.uk or call 0300 303 2610

85

technique: off-piste safety

How groups reach bad decisions Photo: Ross Woodhall

Recent research into avalanches has focused on how social norms cloud decision-making.

Nigel Shepherd explains the traps to avoid Tom was looking forward to skiing with his friends. But when he arrived at the agreed meeting place he found a new addition to the group, Mick, who had a reputation of being gung-ho.

“There’s been a change of plan,” his pal Matt said. “Mick thinks we should go to the Col de Roulette Rousse.”

Alarm bells rang in Tom’s head.

The night before they had discussed at length the best, safest route, even ruling out the col. But the others were already on the lift up. Tom mumbled to Matt that he wasn’t happy, but Matt said: “Mick knows the area well.”

At the top Tom asked: “Anyone checked transceivers?”

“No need. You got them? Are they on?” shouted Mick over his shoulder, Nigel Shepherd is safety adviser to the Ski Club. He qualified as a full guide in 1979 and was president of British Mountain Guides from 1993 to 1996. He has climbed, skied, taken photographs and guided all over the world and has contributed to several books.

Ski+board

heading off rapidly towards the col, having spied a party of three ahead that had stolen a march on them.

Tom spent the hike worrying about the high avalanche hazard. But none of his friends seemed fearful, so maybe it would be fine, he told himself.

At the top, Tom asked what line they should take. The other party was staying close to the rocks bounding the slope and went one at a time, which seemed wise. Mick called: “We’ve got the whole slope now. Let’s have it.”

And off he went, closely followed by Matt and the others. At that moment there was a hollow wumph and the slope started moving. When they found Matt’s body three days later his transceiver was in the off position.

This is a fictitious story composed of true elements, and most of us will know the dynamics. The psychology of group skiing has come to the fore in avalanche research, with experts looking at how groups bypass the lengthy process of assessing risk, particularly if there is no clear leader.

In groups, skiers often leap to the comforting conclusion that someone else has thought through the risk, especially if one of them is familiar

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

with the terrain. So others defer to them, especially if there is a ‘summit or bust’ attitude. In such cases individuals may feel unable to express concern or put forward alternatives, as that seems out of synch with the group’s dynamic.

In the story, Tom had concerns from the moment he realised the carefully worked out plan had changed. He had the option to drop out but, because his friends were going, didn’t want to.

Expressing his concern in private on the chairlift was a good idea, but the dismissive response made him feel unduly worried. The fact nobody took the responsibility to do a transceiver check shows the group was leaderless, as this is a simple and basic procedure.

Rushing off before all are ready is typical of a group hell-bent on a goal.

Add in the competition of trying to get to untracked snow first, and yet another decision process is bypassed.

At the col the warning signals were there for all to see if they had taken the time to consider how to tackle the slope. Such discussions must include everyone in a group. Clearly the skiers ahead had chosen a safe, if boring line.

The trickiest call in such scenarios is whether to ski the slope or not. If one of the group is not happy, the decision should be made for everyone — and all the more so in an unguided group.

A sympathetic guide or leader will quickly assess the group’s ability and soon know who is comfortable and who has concerns. Even if you pay for a qualified guide, it is fine to express worries. You are unlikely to get a curt response. A confident leader will explain why they feel a slope is safe by outlining their decisions.

Indeed, in my experience, it’s helpful to be asked such questions, as it forces me to go through the computational process out in the open.

Turning back will be tainted with disappointment, especially if you see tracks others have left. But if it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it — it’s better to live to ride the powder another day.

In the next issue — when is a piste not a piste? Itineraries and the like.

Read comprehensive weather forecasts at skiclub.co.uk/snowreports

skiclub.co.uk

86

Fitness

Have a knees-up skiing Strong, supple legs will help you ski and can prevent injury, says Craig McLean Knees can be an ongoing problem for skiers. Research by the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine shows that 17 per cent of adults suffer knee pain, with the number higher among those who exercise regularly. But if you prepare your body for winter with a few simple exercises you can help ensure your knees let you enjoy skiing for years to come. Stretching is a good way to prevent injury, as is strengthening muscles around the knees.

The following exercises focus on improving their flexibility and strength.

Craig McLean is a chiropractor and fitness expert.

He has worked in the ski industry for over 15 years, helping Olympians Chemmy Alcott and Graham Bell recover without surgery. He consults for the Warren Smith Ski Academy

1 Passive stretches

2 Active stretches

A. This is a familiar stretch, and one that is vital after a day’s skiing to loosen the quads. Hold your foot behind you, for 30 seconds, pulling it as close to your bottom as possible.

A. Swing your leg back and forth, ten times on each side, repeating three times.

You’ll feel the stretch in the hamstrings when swinging forwards and your quads when swinging backwards.

B. The sitting quad stretch is good if you struggle to balance. Sit on your feet and lean backwards to stretch your quads. But beware of doing this if you have had knee problems.

B. If you have good flexibility, increase the stretch by swinging the leg higher, but make sure to keep your core strong and not wobble. Repeat three times on both sides.

C. If you have suffered knee issues, the sitting hamstring stretch is an easy exercise. Keep your back straight, and with one leg out straight lean forward as if touching your toes.

C. Lunges are a good lower body workout, and improve hip flexibility and core strength. Step forward on to one leg and lower your upper body until the front knee is bent to 90 degrees.

You’re doing it wrong if… you rely on trying to touch your toes as a way of stretching your hamstrings.

This puts too much pressure on your lower back, and is best avoided.

You’re doing it wrong if… you bend the front knee past 90 degrees, or let the back leg touch the floor. Make sure to keep steady in the lunge position, and not bounce.

Myth buster

Sports supplements and energy drinks improve your performance… or do they?

Energy drinks, gels and supplements claim to boost your fitness, improve your health and help you focus.

But do they work?

“Water is generally sufficient for shorter sessions,” says Wendy Martinson, nutritionist

for the GB Rowing Team.

However, she recommends an isotonic drink for sessions over an hour.

Isotonic drinks, containing salts and minerals, are designed to replace the compounds lost as a result of sweating. Two

ingredients are key to any sports drink: carbohydrates to fuel muscles and sodium to maintain fluid balance.

However, an investigation by scientists at Oxford University found that many popular sports products have “a striking lack of

87

Fitness

3 Squats

B. Progress to the split squat, where you separate your legs — one forward, the other backward — and bend both knees, allowing the back heel to lift. Do not extend past 90 degrees.

C. The one legged squat is tough, but is made easier by not bending the weightbearing leg too far. Start with a shallow movement, only bending lower when your strength improves.

You’re doing it wrong if… you squat too far, which puts too much pressure on the lower back, and over-flexes the knees, both of which can do more harm than good.

B. Jump! Spring up to initiate the jump. Use your core muscles to bend your knees further while in the air, remembering to keep your head up, and eyes forward.

C. On landing remain strong, keeping your feet shoulder-width apart.

Bend your knees to absorb the impact. Repeat in the opposite direction, ten times in total.

You’re doing it wrong if… you let your knees come together, your hips splay outwards or your lower back collapse on landing. Any of these can cause pain.

A. A foam roller massages muscles and improves their performance. For your hamstrings roll on it with your legs outstretched.

B. The iliotibial band (ITB) runs down the side of your thighs. A tight ITB is responsible for many knee problems. Roll back and forth on the roller to stretch and strengthen it.

C. Calf muscles are prone to stiffness after skiing, so using the foam roller is good way of loosening and massaging them. Use your arms to propel your body back and forth.

You’re doing it wrong if… you attempt to use the foam roller on your knee joints. This is likely to be painful — and wobbly.

It feels wrong… because it is wrong.

evidence” to support them.

The scientists studied 101 trials carried out by GlaxoSmithKline — the former manufacturer of Lucozade — and found the evidence to be “poor”.

Dr Carl Heneghan, who led the research, said: “The

evidence does not say that performance is improved by carbohydrate drinks.”

Post-exercise drinks, such as protein shakes, have also come under scrutiny.

Many claim to aid muscle repair and regrowth, and stop delayed onset muscle

soreness (DOMS) caused by lactic acid and muscle tears.

One alternative is ‘superfoods’, such as blackcurrants, which claim to reduce muscle pain by increasing blood flow. The Ski Club’s Rob Waldram, a keen cyclist, tested CurraNZ,

but found that after a promising start the results were negligible.

“I would recommend these to someone in early training stages,” he said.

“However, for a fit person, the results seem unclear.”

Ben Clatworthy

A. Squats strengthen knees.

Keep your feet shoulderwidth apart and bend your knees to 90 degrees.

Do three sets of ten.

4 Jumps A. Side-to-side jumps increase core and leg strength. Start in a skiing stance, feet shoulder-width apart, and your knees bent.

5 Foam rolling

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

skiclub.co.uk

ski club promotion

Ski with the Club One of the great things about being part of a club is getting together with others and doing what you love best. And in the case of the Ski Club that means being in the mountains and having a great time on the snow with fellow members.

SKI CLUB LEADERS Get more from the mountain

Robert, Ski Club Member Photo: Vannessa Fry

If you’re tired of looking at your piste map, join a Ski Club Leader group and get straight to the best slopes the mountain has to offer. Our volunteer Leaders can take you to the best snow, and help you meet people of similar ability to ski with. Leaders also host a social hour each evening, where you can relax with other Ski Club members and recount your stories of a hard day’s skiing.

Pick the days and times which suit you best, as each weekly programme includes a variety of options for skiers of different abilities.

Nikki did more than lead us, she turned a Ski break into a lifetime experience.

Ski Club Leaders are in 18 resorts in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Andorra, USA and Canada.

Find out more at skiclub.co.uk/leaders or call 020 8410 2011

INSTRUCTOR-LED GUIDING The best way to get around French resorts this season The Ski Club has teamed up with ski school Evolution 2, to provide a comprehensive, instructor-led guiding service in 11 French resorts this season. The instructors will take Ski Club members to the best slopes, as well as hosting a social hour each evening where members can relax and get to know each other. Ski Club members can also get 10% off privately booked lessons with Evolution 2.

The instructors will be operating in resorts from 20 December to 9 April.

Advance online bookings: £20 full day / £10 half day* Direct bookings with instructor in resort: €40 full day / €20 half day *Online bookings can be made up to 12pm on the Friday of the previous week.

Find out more at skiclub.co.uk/instructors or call 020 8410 2011

Photo: Nigel Sepherd

And don’t forget Ski Club Freshtracks – exhilarating group holidays for Ski Club members in some of the world’s finest ski resorts.

Find out more on page 56-57 and at skiclub.co.uk/freshtracks or call 020 8410 2022

89

Resort insider

Make family skiing holidays child’s play Can parents who are experienced skiers find resorts that cater for both them and their children? Our panel of experts investigate WRITERS Ben Clatworthy, Emma Lewis, Colin Nicholson, Arnie Wilson

Skiing with young children can at times feel like an uphill struggle.

But many tears and tantrums can be avoided by following a few steps.

Your choice of resort can make or break a holiday. Look for somewhere where the accommodation is close to the slopes, as little legs tire quickly and you’ll end up carrying lots of gear.

Opting to travel with a tour operator can reduce hassle, especially if it’s your first family trip, as reps take care of most of the logistics,

Courchevel Extensive ski area with good choice of ski schools Why there? With a reputation for glitz and glamour, Courchevel may seem an odd choice for most parents.

However, away from expensive 1850, the lower-altitude resorts have all the attributes needed for a family holiday.

Courchevel 1650, officially renamed Moriond, is a good base, with plenty of accommodation close to the slopes.

But at peak times the queues for the

helping you relax and they may offer childcare for those too young to ski.

Researching and booking ski school lessons in advance is a must — especially during school holidays.

One question often asked is at what age children should start skiing. In France most ESF ski schools will teach children aged three and over. But you may prefer to wait until your child is of school age, by which time they’ll be familiar with being in a class, so lessening the chance of quivering lips.

gondola can be lengthy. The slopes here are family-friendly, with easy blues and greens aplenty.

Also in the 1650 sector is the popular blue Indiens piste, with its tepee village and natural half-pipe.

Courchevel 1550 — now called Courchevel Village — is another good base, with a fast chairlift thatconnects to the main slopes. There are plenty of ski schools in the Courchevel valley, including British run BASS and Supreme. The French ski school, the ESF, has a huge children’s area at 1850, which has its own gondola.

Many chairlifts are equipped with an electro-magnetic safety system, which works with bibs that can be hired at most rental shops.

Pistes Our pie 22% charts show how 15% resorts grade 30% 33% pistes according to difficulty, showing what percentage are black, red, blue or green (but Austrian, Swiss and some Italian areas don’t have green runs).

SLOPES We list the combined length of all the resort’s pistes, as claimed by the tourist office.

If the resort is part of a linked ski area we list the total of the whole area.

Lift pass Prices are for a six-day adult pass during high season.

What we think Snow Lifts Lack of queues Restaurants Mountain food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste Lift pass £205 Lifts 172 Pistes 600km Piste height 1,300m–3,230m

Can’t ski, won’t ski A new €10 million aquatics centre, Aquamotion, has opened in 1650 with 11 pools, water slides and even indoor surfing, as well as saunas, steam rooms and hot tubs. A great floodlit toboggan track descends from 1850 to 1550. BC Huge ski area, and choice of four villages One of France’s most expensive resorts

Ski+board

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

skiclub.co.uk

10%

16%

35% 39%

Resort insider

Soldeu Good ski school and a big area of child-friendly slopes Why there? Soldeu lies in the middle of the 195km of linked pistes that make up Andorra’s biggest ski area, Grandvalira, which caters well for beginners and intermediates, though it also has a good freeride area.

Towards the high end at Pas de la Casa you have the best snow, steepest runs, but few trees. At the Encamp end you have sunny, cruisy runs among

La Rosière A sunny, south-facing resort that is linked to Italy Why there? With easily accessible nursery slopes and the excellent Evolution 2 ski school — which provides fun lessons for little ones — this small resort is great for families.

The main slopes are on a broad mountainside, with a good selection of blues and gentle reds. Most of the runs are on the short side, with the exception of the Marmotte red, which descends over 800 vertical metres to Les Eucherts at 1,175m.

For more competent skiers, La Rosière is linked by lift — albeit two long draglifts — to La Thuile in Italy, where there is more varied terrain and some challenging reds. Competent skiers will be able to reach the resort by lunchtime for good-value pizza.

New this winter, the resort is opening a special sledging area, and also offers childcare for children

lush pines. Conditions can deteriorate when it’s warm, but Andorra has invested heavily in snowmaking, as well as fast, modern lifts.

The people are helpful, and the state-run ski school is excellent, with a huge number of native Englishspeaking instructors, particularly in Soldeu. The Sport Hotels, which are right by the main gondola, have most of the ski-in, ski-out accommodation in Soldeu, and offer free childcare for four- to 12-year-olds from 9am to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm daily. They also have a multi-level spa.

Andorra’s self-service restaurants are very good with free, pristine loos, and sometimes even indoor picnic spots.

What we think Snow Lifts Lack of queues Restaurants Mountain food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste Lift pass £170 Lifts 67 Pistes 195km Piste height 1,710m–2,560m

Can’t ski, won’t ski There is snowmobiling, dog sledding and snowshoeing, but less sporty visitors can also go to the capital Andorra la Vella, which is a bus ride away, to buy duty-free clothes, electronics, perfumes and alcohol, and afterwards relax in the giant Caldea spa. CN

20%

29%

17%

34%

Good instructors make learning a joy Slopes can be icy in the morning

four-months and older. There are also new introductory ski touring sessions, plus some cross-country ski trails — a sport that suits the whole family.

What we think Snow Lifts Lack of queues Restaurants Mountain food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste

Can’t ski, Won’t ski Off the slopes, the restaurants and cafés are childfriendly, plus there’s an indoor ice rink with special sessions for four- to eightyear-olds, a cinema with screenings most evenings and ten-pin bowling.

There are also mountain footpaths for winter walking and guided snowshoe walks in the forests. EL Family lift pass includes children aged up to 17 The resort has no swimming pool Photo: Propaganda

90

Lift pass £140 Lifts 37 Pistes 160km Piste height 1,175m–2,610m

16%

12%

33% 39%

91

Resort insider

WHY there? Hemsedal, in Norway, is ideal for families, with absorbing but mainly unthreatening runs — and plenty of them.

Even the highest lift-served run (Solløypa at 1,500m) is green, although it perhaps should be blue in parts. There’s also a new 4km blue run that descends to Hemsedal Sentrum, improving access. For stronger skiers there are a handful black runs and some good off-piste areas to explore.

Hemsedal regards children as ‘guests of honour’ and gives free ski-passes to under-sevens with free helmet rental.

All the instructors speak English.

At the base of the resort, away from the main runs, there’s a beginners’ area, Valles World, mainly for children, with seven draglifts and a magic carpet serving eight ‘mini’ runs. It even has its own piste map.

Snow Lifts Lack of queues Restaurants Mountain food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste

Can’t ski, won’t ski There’s snowmobiling, on a track or on ‘safari’ (free for children under 16 if riding with an adult), tobogganing (both by day and night), husky sledding, snowshoeing, winter walking, and spas aplenty. AW Some of Norway’s most impressive skiing Like all Norwegian resorts, Hemsedal isn’t cheap

Lift pass £140 Lifts 20 Pistes 46km Piste height 620m–1,500m

10% 20%

45%

25%

SkiA SkiTrainer

Train and Prepare Anywhere, FAST

Emily Sarsfield

Great children’s area and a new 4km blue run

What we think

Photo: Hemsedal.com/Nils-Erik Bjørholt

Hemsedal

Non-skiing parents can sit in the lounge at the Hemsedal Alpin Lodge to keep an eye on their offspring (and the weather). Much to children’s delight, a large animated snowman sometimes emerges to play with them on the slopes.

Recommended by:

skia.com

92

Skiing by the book Whether you are looking for last-minute Christmas gifts, or tomes for cosy evenings by the fire, we review the latest releases The Chalet Cook Book Hardback £25, paperback £15

Chalet cooking has come a long way from the days when the most you could hope for was shepherd’s pie. Chalet operators now vie to outdo each other on the culinary front, as this second Fish & Pips cookery book shows. The recipes are novel and intriguing, but do try them at home, not on a self-catered trip to the Alps, unless you want to skip skiing. This is ambitious dinner party food and you may struggle to find razor clams even in the UK. Colin Nicholson To buy a copy call 01483 421777 or email cookbook@fishandpips.com

Where To Ski And Snowboard

Biography Of Sir Arnold Lunn

by Elisabeth Hussey CreateSpace Paperback £15 This is not just another book about the ski pioneer, because Elisabeth Hussey knew Sir Arnold Lunn better than most, having worked with him for ten years. Lunn is known for inventing the slalom in 1922, but it is Hussey’s insights into the risks he took pioneering ski mountaineering that are most compelling.

Hussey, who was editor of Ski survey (Ski+board’s predecessor), writes that Lunn regarded mountain guides less as authorities and more as “partners in a common enterprise”, and twice reached peaks alone when his companions dared not follow.

One complained he was “cosmopolitan and urbane below the snowline, but degenerated rapidly into un vrai type Anglo-Saxon in the High Alps.”

His first wife Mabel worried so much about his mountaineering exploits that when he made an attempt on Mont Blanc he pretended — in a series

of letters he arranged to be sent to her back in England — that he was away writing a book. The press, however, foiled him by breaking the news that he had failed to reach the summit. Ironically, he outlived her by 15 years, dying in 1974, aged 86.

Lunn once wrote: “If I am remembered at all after I die, I shall be remembered not as a writer, but as the founder of the Arlberg-Kandahar races and as the inventor of the slalom race, both of which will, I believe, survive for many years, and perhaps for many centuries.” He was not wrong.

Arnie Wilson

NortonWood | Paperback £19

Celebrating its 21st edition, Where To Ski And Snowboard is the UK’s only guidebook to ski resorts. It scrutinises resorts across the globe, providing a frank and unbiased appraisal of everything from infrastructure to mountain restaurants and ski schools. The ‘resort price index’ assesses the cost of food, drink, lift passes and equipment hire in major resorts, allowing for quick comparisons. This year’s edition has 24 new resort chapters.

BC Ski+board readers can buy the book for £14.99 (inc p&p) by visiting bit.ly/WTSSbook

Skiing Into Modernity

by Andrew Denning University of California Press Hardback £45, paperback £20 For a man who admits to never having skied, the Canadian Andrew Denning has some interesting observations into the sport we love.

Sometimes it’s best that way — an outsider can often come up with insights an aficionado may be unable to see.

In this book, Denning examines the history of skiing, and looks at its impact on the Alps.

Early skiers, Denning writes, had to overcome the incredulity of locals, who viewed them as “a blend of madman and clown”. But this soon changed. Up to then, snow had imprisoned villagers for weeks, with the boredom leading to alcoholism. They now realised snow could “transform local life and

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Photo: Neil Emmerson/Robert Harding World Imagery/Corbis

… and films too

Cert 15 119 mins £6

Force Majeure How would you react in an avalanche? That is the theme of this Swedish art-house drama, which brilliantly captures the social tension of an upmarket holiday in the Alps. The skiing is brought to life by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and the cinematography combines the brooding tension of a Nordic thriller with genuine comic touches. Most of all the film leaves you pondering the at times tenuous nature of family relationships. Beautifully filmed in Les Arcs and hauntingly acted, it was awarded the Jury Prize at Cannes. Out now on DVD. CN

The Stylish Life Of Skiing

by Gabriella Le Breton teNeues | Hardback £30 Beautifully presented, this coffee table tome takes readers on a journey that begins with tales of skiing’s early days, before critiquing the sport’s

fashions, cultures and its depiction in art. Pictures taken through the ages provide an interesting take on bygone eras, though in parts the book feels a little indulgent, with countless pictures of well-heeled skiers posing and parading. This book will fit the bill in a plush chalet, but some skiers may feel it lacks gravitas.

Ben Clatworthy

N AT I O N W I D E S K I F I L M TO U R | N O V E M B E R 2 0 15 - J A N U A R Y 2 0 16

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Chasing Shadows afforded an enormous extension of liberty to the mountain dwellers”.

But skiing also scarred the landscape and placed “unsustainable stress on the Alpine environment”, he says.

Denning finds an ally in Sir Arnold Lunn, who later condemned the development of the sport seeing it turn “from a curious diversion at the dawn of the 20th Century into a mass sport that counted

millions of practitioners and billions in profits by century’s end”.

But, just as you start to be swayed by Denning and Lunn’s idealism, another quote makes you wonder. Speaking of a Swiss valley, Lunn, aged 31, wrote: “The chalets are all extremely old and dirty. So are most of the natives.

Nothing in this valley seems much less than 300 years old, except the children, who only look

Ski+board

about 70 — queer little wizened trolls, carrying vast baskets of manure on their backs.”

In spite of the book’s title, I found Denning’s glance back to the beginnings of mass skiing far more revealing and insightful than his predictions as to where the sport may be going in the future — after all, nobody really knows the answer to that.

AW

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

With awe-inspiring stunts in stunning locations… and a cheesy narrator, Warren Miller’s latest film is in many ways similar to its predecessors. Except that this one is a little more quirky.

There’s a scene at the annual monoski convention in Jackson Hole, and another at the day in Steamboat when rodeo cowboys take to the slopes. The film may lack an epic soundtrack and the endless ‘steep and deep’ shots favoured by newer filmmakers, but this makes for a refreshing change. This is a ski film with at least half a plot. BC

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96

In your next issue…

Happy camping Can you save on transport costs and hotel bills by driving to the Alps in a motor home?

Resort insider Our panel looks at the best resorts for that cunning little last-minute break

Technique We focus on the increasing popularity of touring and backcountry skiing

Exposure More great actions shots — and the stories of how they were created

The freetour issue On test — freetour skis, plus reviews of boots that are made for walking, and boards to float your boat Ski Club members can read back issues of Ski+board at skiclub.co.uk/skiandboard. Non-members can buy issues at bit.ly/skiboardmag

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Photo: Jonathan Griffith

97

Cryptic crossword

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Expert

By Myles Mellor

Try your hand at one of our ski-themed crosswords.

Experts can attempt the cryptic crossword here, but should avoid turning the page as the same crossword appears overleaf with less daunting clues.

The solution will be in the next issue of Ski+board.

Across 1. A hundred Romans wait at orange on slope in road (6) 4. May gravity be with you (5) 9. Get a bit of nothing in big jump (3) 10. Ice pack in mint condition (7) 12. Winter holiday’s happy ending in Poland (3) 13. Cold eyes (3) 14. Rep got muddled earlier (3) 15. Sphere is back to front in relative terms (3) 16. Rant at the terrain park (4) 18. Guevara feels at home (4) 19. Let’s shorten autumn month to bring on winter (3) 20. Sheepish to a degree (2) 21. Living in blocks — Eskimo-style (6) 23. Great horse race staged on skis (5-1)

20. Green run is for rabbits only (5,5)

25. Never ending number of desserts (2)

22. Passé hunting trip has gone too far (9)

27. Steel edges are not quite level (5)

24. Wind and rain wore us down (5)

29. Tot’s nan got confused in Austrian apres-ski hot spot (2, 5)

26. It is short (3)

32. Crash an American garden event perhaps (4,4) 35. Helmet’s crustacean-like protection (5) 36. You’re missing nothing with Continental currency (3) 37. Get started in the Emirates (3) 39. White House office might be good venue for snow cricket (4) 40. Ski brand lost a Scandinavian (6) 42. He issues red cards for shortening citations (3) 43. Talk on popular Oxford degree is curiously motivating (3)

28. Hearing mistake provides cold comfort (7) 30. Rolling stone’s cloud done Sinatra’s way (2) 31. Smooth-talking salesman is so greasy he creates oil spill! (5) 33. Petal, mix your jumps! (5) 34. Swiss mathematician made mistake with ruler (5) 37. Carving triumph in France (3) 38. Hamlet, or not? (2) 41. Social functions held in honour of computer operating system (3) 44. Dad’s a first-class golfer (2)

45. Throw a suitable hissy (3) 46. Tra-la! Break into song crossing piste (8) Down 1. Was that a chamoix? I saw nix (8) 2. Jolly ringing sound in the Three Valleys (7) 3. Its north face is not as soft as its clothes (5) 4. Lose your cool on jump (4) 5. Unusual steak order (4) 6. Ancient non-commissioned Army officer has title cut short (3) 7. Mountain shack could be found on the ocean wave (5) 8. Z-shape moves will get you down the steepest piste (7)

So much more than just a winter holiday Luxury Fully Catered Chalets l Fine Food l Personal service l Stunning Locations in Mèribel l

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11. Did I make a mistake? Umm… (3) 17. Skating moves can send you flying (5) 18. French cliff is all at sea (3)

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98

Easy crossword

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Expert

By Myles Mellor

Across 1. Upward curvature of a ski or snowboard between feet (6) 4. The cause of acceleration (5) 9. It's fresh up in the mountains (3) 10. Ice mass used for summer skiing (7) 12. ____ patrol, responsible for slope safety (3) 13. It forms below freezing (3) 14. Before as a prefix (3) 15. Sun or moon (3) 16. Metal bar in terrain park (4) 18. At the house of (4) 19. Autumn month, abbr. (3) 20. Arts degree (2) 21. Ice houses (6) 23. Racing discipline in alpine skiing (5-1) 25. Radius ratio (2) 27. Angle of a snowboard's steel edges (5) 29. Austrian resort known for its offpiste and après-ski (2,5)

32. Crash with ski gear everywhere (4,4) 35. Hard plastic outer portion of boot (5) 36. Continental currency, abbr. (3) 37. ____ Dhabi (3) 39. Famous cricket ground (4) 40. It usually means cross-country in skiing (6) 42. He gives out yellow and red cards (3)

43. ___ talk — encouragement (3) 45. In good physical condition (3) 46. Ski across a slope (8) Down 1. Resort at the base of Mont Blanc (8) 2. Part of the Three Valleys ski area (7) 3. It towers over Grindelwald (5) 4. Haakon ____, aerial manoeuvre done in a halfpipe using a backwards takeoff (4) 5. Unusual (4) 6. Historic Army rank, abbr. (3) 7. Mountain hut (5) 8. Goes right, then left, then right again (7) 11. Make a mistake (3) 17. Toe or triple ____, ice skating moves (5) 18. Top of a bottle (3) 20. Area for beginner skiers (5,5) 22. Go further than the landing area (9) 24. Wear away (5) 26. It isn’t isn’t (3) 28. Protection against the cold (7) 30. "I did it ____ way" (2)

M O U N T A I N H E A V E N

31. Very smooth (5) 33. Jumped suddenly (5) 34. Swiss mathematician (5)

37. Rainbow shape (3) 38. "Let it ____" — Beatles advice (2) 41. ____ and don'ts (3) 44. Loudspeaker system (2)

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£99 PLUS FREE DELIVERY

ORDER WITHOUT RISK! We will fully refund any purchase, within one month of delivery, that you are not completely satisfied with.

For members of Ski Club Great Britain • • • •

Unique wines from specialist smaller growers Call our friendly knowledgeable wine advisors Free tracked delivery to suit your schedule Money back guarantee and free returns

• Family heritage in the wine trade since 1854 • Outstanding quality guaranteed • No onward commitment – you’re not joining a scheme by making a purchase, giving you total flexibility

*Free delivery to Mainland UK only. Please enquire for delivery outside of this area. You must be 18 years old to purchase alcohol. Offer closes on 31st December 2015.

ORDER NOW visit www.thewinecompany.co.uk/skiclubgb or call: 01206 713560

for new and experienced wine buyers

STORES NATIONWIDE | COTSWOLDOUTDOOR.COM *Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. Only valid upon production of your Ski Club GB membership card in store or use of discount code online. Offer expires 30.06.16.