Ski+board November 2017

£4.50 WHERE SOLD

NOV17 Action shots + News + Technique in trees + Offpiste tips + Ski fitness + Snow wear + Helmets + Resort insider + Web news + Dates for your diary

SHINY NEW LIFTS… We roll out our comprehensive guide to new lifts in the Alps and Rockies

… AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

BAULKING AT THE BALKANS

One writer goes on a mission to find alternative ways to get up a mountain

What happens when you go on a ski trip only to discover the resort’s not there?

NG

RI A E P AP

IS D E TH

PISTE MAP MAPS

SKIS, BOOTS, BOARDS

All-mountain issue publication

It’s not a ight.

It’s the world’s longest ski lift.

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5

Photo: Les Carroz

EDITOR’S NOTE

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

T

he 1980s are often seen as the heyday of skiing. Perhaps this is down to the outrageous outfits, or to the relative rarity of foreign holidays at the time, or to the fact that skiers came back with what was then called a healthy tan. Somehow the carefree nature of that era became epitomised in skiing.

That is ironic because, as anyone reading these pages will see, the heyday of skiing is now. Given the number of new lifts built over the summer, you might think we were in the midst of a 1980s-style economic boom. Not only that, but resorts are investing heavily in snowmaking and other infrastructure projects.

Why does this matter?

Because it means that we can ski further and for longer, whether or not it has snowed recently. Nor must we make do with eating in dingy, canteenstyle restaurants, or sleeping in bunk-beds or on sofas in cramped apartments with woodchip wallpaper.

Even the most conservative estimates as to the current size of the UK’s annual ski market put it at double the half million British skiers of the 1980s. And this democratisation of skiing has become more evident in daily life. I have long had to hide my profession from dentists and optometrists, lest my eye consultation becomes a resort consultation. But now I find myself discussing the relative merits of ski areas

with the builders currently converting the loft.

The big problem with heydays is that most of us only realise that we have just lived through one when someone tells us so — after the event. It takes a certain type of person to live life fully in the moment.

Maybe that’s why I am, I confess, an incurable 1980s ski nostalgic. If you are too, then let me share with you my fix, which I discovered only recently. It is a film called Les Bronzés Font du Ski, recommended to me by countless French ski instructors of a certain age, and finally available to order in Britain on DVD (alas dubbed and not subtitled).

It would be best described as a French version of Carry on Skiing (a film that of

Given the number of new lifts built over the summer you might think that we were in the midst of a 1980s-style economic boom

course was never made) and will take many readers back to a time when a journey from hell to a nondescript, purpose-built resort was quite the most fantastic thing you could do. And the outfits were wonderful.

If you’re too young a skier or snowboarder to appreciate the appeal, don’t worry. Your time is now.

The cover shows Pierre Novat’s illustration of the Grand Massif ski area, which includes Flaine and Les Carroz, pictured top — Page 24

Colin Nicholson Ski+board Editor Ski+board

November 2017

skiclub.co.uk

DEPUTY EDITOR Harriet Johnston harriet.johnston@skiclub.co.uk DESIGNER Amanda Barks MEDIA SALES Madison Bell madisonbell.com jack.daly@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 19,907 (January to December 2016) Issue 197 © Ski Club of Great Britain 2017 ISSN 1369-8826 Ski+board is printed by Precision Colour Printing, Telford TF7 4QQ 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 based on information available at the time of going to press. 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.

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CONTENTS

24

8 EXPOSURE The ski world in black and white, with the boldest snaps from some of the best photographers in the business

14 YOU SAY High praise for free guiding services in Canada, and more tips on how to avoid school holiday price increases

15 SKI CLUB NEWS Instructor-led Guiding expands into St Anton and the winners of two prestigious Ski Club awards are announced

17 NEWS Comprehensive coverage of new lifts, new flights, plus the difficulty of hiring snow chains and a heroic bus passenger

24 THE LOST ART We don a deerstalker to solve the mystery of the greatest art heist of our time — that of the disappearing ski maps

32 THE ONLY WAY IS UP After a summer of building, we take an in-depth look at the new lifts rolling this winter in all of your favourite resorts

40 DITCH THE LIFT Can you disappear off the beaten track and move away from modernity to go skiing without using lifts?

46 THE NOT-QUITE RESORT To the amusement of border guards and local villagers, one writer struggles to find Albania’s putative new ski areas

40

Photo: Grandvalira/El Tarter

FEATURES

32

7

46

THE INSIDE EDGE 52 TECHNIQUE Branch out and try tree skiing with valuable advice from top instructor Mark Jones on how to ski through glades

55 OFF-PISTE Two decades as the Ski Club’s alpine safety advisor has given Nigel Shepherd plenty of cautionary tales — he shares just a few

56 FITNESS Avoid the afternoon slump and get the blood flowing back to your legs with these post-lunch exercises

58 SNOW WEAR What is the colour to be seen in for the 2017-18 season? It’s mystical, ethereal, playful — yes, embrace the colour purple

66

Photo: Zell am Ziller

SKI TESTS Take on the whole mountain with the best new all-mountain skis — tried and tested by our experts

78 BOOTS You don’t have to compromise on performance if you want just one pair of boots to cover the whole mountain

82 GEAR Stay protected with the latest skid lids and body armour to shield yourself from trips and flips that flop on the slopes

86 SNOWBOARDS Previously known as the a-little-bit-boring boards, this season’s all-mountain models are mould-breakers

90 RESORT INSIDER Fancy playing away? We review the resorts with the best options for day trips to neighbouring ski areas Ski+board

November 2017

skiclub.co.uk

8

9

LOCATION

San Martino di Castrozza, Italy PHOTOGRAPHER

Guy Fattal SKIER

Dorian Konrad Israeli photographer Guy Fattal has been winning award after award recently. Earlier this year he entered Whistler’s annual Deep Winter Photo Challenge in which teams of top photographer and athletes have 72 hours to shoot and edit a four-to-five-minute slideshow to fit a selected song. Fattal was duly awarded the King of Storms crown. But it’s not the photographer’s first coronation. Two years before, the ever-modest Fattal won the King of Dolomites title, with this rarely-seen photograph that had the judges in raptures about how he had captured this fairytale atmosphere.

Ski+board

November 2017

skiclub.co.uk

schoeffel.de For stockists information call:

01572 770900

11

LOCATION

Hohberghorn, Switzerland PHOTOGRAPHER

Tero Repo SKIER

Jérémie Heitz It’s not a bad shot for a warm-up run, is it?

Finnish photographer Tero Repo leant out of a helicopter to catch this vertigo-inducing image of Jérémie Heitz checking the snow conditions on a face of the Hohberghorn near Saas-Fee. The steeps specialist was filming footage for Mammut’s airbags and will appear at the Kendal Mountain Festival, which will be held at the Lake District town from November 16 to 19.

Ski+board

November 2017

skiclub.co.uk

14

YOU SAY

I am looking to buy skis, but your experts always list negatives. Is a ski without drawbacks not possible?

What a delight to have friends in high places

list potential drawbacks in all products they review, while still picking items they think will interest readers. We hope that neither their enthusiasm or caution unduly dissuades readers from buying.

hours despite temperatures of minus 9°C. We kept moving — no looking at maps!

On another day I joined a group of six skiers in Sunshine led by Gill, leading her first tour, with two senior guides

Your survey comments:

How to avoid holiday price hikes

Why not have all reviews in one bumper early season issue to help buyers?

Why do you refer to the big price rise over school holiday as being due to “demand” rather than profiteering by travel firms?

Low season weeks sell out fast too.

Janet Gray Gear and clothing should have proper reviews. They look like suppliers’ words.

Survey respondent

Ski+board writes: We cover the most popular category of all-mountain gear in this issue and piste gear in the next issue, out on December 9. Touring gear reviews will with you by January 27.

There are many advertorials, which diminish the worth of editorial content.

Ski+board writes: We do run advertorial content, but it is marked as such in the top right or top left corner of the page.

More news about new lifts and unusual locations to ski would be welcome.

New lifts — Page 32

Got something to say?

Share it with us at: @TheSkiClub

/theskiclub

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

Photo: Chris Moseley/Lake Louise

Ski+board writes: In the interest of editorial independence, our writers try to

Last winter I made my first visit to Canada while my son was working a season in Banff. I was impressed by the wonderful people who volunteer as Ski Friends to provide a free guiding service for visitors — twice a day at Lake Louise and once a day at Sunshine Village.

As an intermediate skier, I am not familiar with Canada’s colour coding and uncomfortable skiing alone, but my guide at Lake Louise, George, took me on blue runs and we skied together for three

Many North American resorts offer free guiding

for back-up. It enabled me to ski all the blues in the resort and even try a little off-piste. Fabulous. It is expensive to pay for lessons and this makes a ski holiday to Canada better value.

Jacky Snowden

weeks, we again list school holiday dates, this time adding a table showing which nationalities are the ten main visitors to which Alpine destinations.

Jerry Dunnet Ski+board writes: We put this to tour operators, who said they dearly wished Britain would spread half-term over four weeks, as in France. In the meantime, to help readers without children pick cheap

Inbound country

Outbound country Germany

UK

Netherlands

1

6

5

2

7

Austria France Italy Switzerland

3

Belgium Switzerland 9 8

10

4

Principal school holiday dates by country Week starting Dec 9 Dec 16 Dec 23 Dec 30 Jan 6 Jan 13 Jan 20 Jan 27 Feb 3 Feb 10 Feb 17 Feb 24 Mar 3 Mar 10 Mar 17 Mar 24 Mar 31 Apr 7 Apr 14

GB

France

Germany

Netherlands

Spain

Italy

Belgium

Switzerland

Table: International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism 2017

Should we be more or less critical of the products we review?

15

Photo: Ross Woodhall

SKI CLUB NEWS

Popularity of club’s Instructor-led Guiding sessions sees them grow

All change as dynamic chairman stands down after five years’ service

Following two successful seasons of running its Instructor-led Guiding programme in 11 French resorts, the Ski Club is expanding this popular service.

This season Instructor-led Guiding will be available in St Anton. Due to local restrictions, the club has been unable to operate its Leader service in St Anton for many years, despite the Austrian resort being popular with members.

So the club has teamed up with New Generation Ski School to offer Instructorled Guiding in St Anton, giving members a chance to ski together in groups led by an instructor. As in the club’s French resorts, the weekly programme caters to different levels of skier, with on and offpiste sessions available.

As with the service in France, the cost is £20 for a half day or £35 for a full day if booked in advance. If booked in resort the costs are €30 and €45 respectively.

Non-members will also be able to try the service this season to get a taste for the benefits available to members. For them the cost will be £40 for a half day or £70 for a full day (or €50 and €80

After five years as the Ski Club’s dynamic and inspirational chairman, Rob Crowder will stand down at this year’s Annual General Meeting.

Malcolm Bentley, the club’s treasurer, is standing for election as chairman, while Ian Holt, a current Council member, is standing for treasurer.

After the tragic passing of Frank McCusker this summer, the recruitment process for a new chief executive of the Ski Club continues, led by executive recruitment agency Warren Partners.

The service is now offered in St Anton, Austria

respectively if booked in resort). Even at this higher price, the service offers excellent value compared with the cost of booking an instructor direct.

As in most French resorts, the service will be available on two half days and one full day a week. This season every resort will have at least a half day dedicated to off-piste, and in Val d’Isère and Tignes, where the club already offers more sessions, yet more days will be offered due to exceptional demand.

Benefactor awarded Pery medal Sir John Ritblat has been awarded the Ski Club’s Pery Medal for his support for British winter athletes. A financial backer of snow sports for decades, he most famously stepped in when, shortly

Sir John Ritblat with Menna Fitzpatrick and guide

before the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the governing body Snowsport GB went bust.

Sir John was chairman of developer British Land until 2006, and still chairs property investor Delancey’s Advisory Board — both big snowsport sponsors.

“In many sports, as funding is cut, sponsors come and go. But through all of this, Sir John has been a pillar of support for British athletes for almost 40 years,” said the club’s president Frank Gardner.

As he accepted the award, Sir John, 82, who is current president of British Ski and Snowboard, said: “What I feel most proud of, and what the medal represents, is the way we’ve professionalised the sport and got young people from ordinary backgrounds becoming champions.”

Other club accolades include the Evie Pinching award, which was presented to British mogul skier Thomas GerkenSchofield, 19, also in September.

Ski+board

November 2017

Have your say as Council hustings open Voting is now open for the election of two new members to the Ski Club’s Council.

You can vote online at surveymonkey. co.uk/r/SCGB2017 until 5pm on Friday, November 10. The candidates are Dave Davenport, Sue Dowden, Tom Jarman, Edward Kilwick, Joanna Milner-Percy and Zoe Phillips. You can also vote in person at the Annual General Meeting on November 16, at 6pm at The Garden Room, City of London Club, 19 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1DS. If you have a question you would like to see raised email agm@skiclub.co.uk.

Please use the same address if you wish to attend to give the club an idea of numbers.

Office is still open for business as move nears The Ski Club is preparing to move to Connect House, Wimbledon, right, once the space is ready, hopefully in mid-November.

The new address is Ground Floor, Connect House, 133-137 Alexandra Road, London SW19 7JY. A redirect service will ensure post sent there or to the club’s current address at the White House will go to the right place. Phone numbers will stay the same.

skiclub.co.uk

17

NEWS

Alps and Rockies saw 80 major new ski lifts built this summer

Ischgl issues more than 2,000 fines following night time ski boot ban

Chris Madoc-Jones

Nicole Wiedemann

The mountains have been buzzing with activity over the summer as resorts have built an array of new lifts ready to turn as soon as the first flakes fall from the sky.

Of the 80 major projects, highlights are the world’s longest six-seat chairlift in Samöens, France, the €40 million gondola in Austria’s Zillertal Valley and the luxurious Ferrari-inspired gondola in Val Gardena, in the Italian Dolomites.

This insatiable demand for new ski lifts, coupled global with appetite for urban gondolas, has meant that lift maker Doppelmayr has outgrown its old base in the Montafon Valley. Since Konrad Doppelmayr founded his engineering firm there in 1892, the valley has seen many innovations, including solarpowered chairlifts, as Ski+board revealed in the February/March issue of 2015.

Now, on its 125th anniversary, the firm is moving to a new €62 million HQ in Wolfurt, also in the Vorarlberg region, and promises to keep innovating.

Not all ‘new’ lifts are as new as you might think. Recycled lifts have arrived at Val d’Isère in the form of the Datcha chair, and Beaver Creek has pinched parts from a newly-replaced fast quad from nearby Keystone. Indeed, Austrian gondolas have ended up on the world’s ninth highest mountain of Nanga Parbat in the Pakistani Himalayas and in a

It threatened to put the boot into the après-ski scene of one of the Alps’ most lively resorts. But the post-8pm ban on wearing ski boots in Ischgl has been welcomed, according to the Austrian town’s mayor, despite between 2,000 and 2,500 fines of €25 each being issued.

Mayor Werner Kurz told Ski+board that the fines, which were his idea, are issued by wardens on patrol every evening and have made the town quieter at night.

Miscreants can pay by cash or card, but must take a taxi back if they have no alternative footwear.

How Ski+board covered a visit to Doppelmayr’s old base in the Montafon valley in early 2015

theme park in the Colombian jungle.

Closer to home, some great news for Scottish ski areas is that chairlifts from the Alps will appear in Glencoe and Glenshee for the 2018/19 season.

While most resorts are keen to entice you to try their new lifts, one that has added a two-stage gondola, fast quad and triple chair will turf you out. Linked to the Montana resort of Big Sky, the private resort of the Yellowstone Club, whose members include Bill Gates and Justin Timberlake, is limited to 864 families.

New lifts — Page 32

US piste map artist is going strong While piste map artists have been put out of business by computer-generated images in Europe (see cover story, page 24), an American artist has delayed his retirement due to requests for work.

James Niehues featured in Ski+board in 2003. He planned to retire in 2014, but said: “I take on a few projects a year, but only ones I am really excited about.”

He recently finished a new image for Montana Snowbowl and is working with Taos on a new perspective for its ski map and a summer image.

Niehues, 71, who is also working on a coffee table book of all his images in

James Niehues in Ski+board in February 2003

initial stages, says: “I like the people I work with — skiers with backgrounds in graphics, social media, merchandising… and a love of ski maps.”

Ski+board

November 2017

Aldi offers ski gear with prices starting at £1.99 Aldi is once again promising cheap snow wear at prices from £1.99. The kit will be released in stores on November 26, but can be pre-ordered online from November 19 at aldi.co.uk. The range, which is for both adults and children, has in past years sold out within days.

Meanwhile, a new service ski-chic. com offers skiers in France a way to hire ski clothing. The site promises to deliver gear that has been booked online straight to your hotel or chalet in the Three Valleys and La Plagne for about €100 a week for adults and €80 for children.

Website promises to split the bill for skiers Working out who owes what after a ski trip can last a whole season. Now a new website, weski.co.il, promises to split a booking between a group, rather than require a leader to pay upfront.

Once dates and a location are set, payments are divided and it is each skier’s responsibility to pay their share.

The package is customisable to include ski hire, lessons and passes.

The Israeli firm says it is 20 per cent cheaper than other ski operators and offers trips to France, and hopes to add Austria and Switzerland later this season.

skiclub.co.uk

18

N EWS

Burton steps in to launch hands-free snowboard bindings

New flights beat the turbulence

Tristan Kennedy

Harriet Johnston

Burton has released a binding system that lets riders clip into their boards without having to bend over or sit down on the slope.

“I was sick of sitting down to strap in. It’s an area where skiing has been ahead of us,” said founder Jake Burton. In the 1990s and 2000s strapless bindings became infamous for icing up and were dropped.

As snowboard reviewer for Ski+board, I found the twisting motion similar to my bike’s clip-in pedals, and easy after a few tries. The total price of bindings and compatible boots is £510 to £570.

Despite turbulence in the industry, airlines have been unveiling a host of new routes for British skiers.

New airline Powdair will run flights from six UK airports to Sion, slashing transfer times to some of Switzerland’s most popular ski resorts, including SaasFee, Verbier and Zermatt. The flights will go from Luton, Southend, Southampton, Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh.

British Airways has added flights from Heathrow — on Saturdays to Grenoble and on Saturdays and Sundays to Turin.

It has also expanded its service to Innsbruck and launched a weekly flight from Manchester to Chambéry, after the latter’s €10 million upgrade last winter.

BA recently went head-to-head with low cost carrier Norwegian to launch flights from Gatwick to Oakland, the closest international airport to Lake Tahoe.

Meanwhile, Jet2 has grown its ski offer by a third. From Stansted there are five new weekly flights to Geneva, two to Lyon, up to three to Salzburg and one to Grenoble. It has also added flights from Birmingham, with three new weekly flights to Geneva, two to Grenoble, one to Salzburg and one to Turin.

EasyJet has added three flights a week from Southampton to Geneva and has launched a flight from Gatwick to Klagenfurt, to serve Austrian resorts in Carinthia, such as Bad KleinKirchheim.

The ski industry appears to have weathered the storm of Monarch’s collapse well. When it was announced

‘Pokémon Go for pistes’ gets official backing A new satellite navigation app for the slopes has got the backing of the International Ski Federation (FIS). Skadi differs from apps such as Fatski in that it gives voice directions over earphones on when and where to turn, in a similar way to an in-car GPS device.

It also lets users collect virtual crystals and engage with creatures, much like the Pokémon Go app.

FIS, skiing’s governing body, is more often associated with running ski races.

But it hopes this will encourage younger skiers to get more involved in the sport.

Film of editor’s epic ski feat is released online The moving tale told in the last issue of Ski+board of how its former editor skied the world with his partner, only to lose her in an accident in La Grave in 1995 has now been released as a film.

Ski the World features interviews and contemporaneous footage of how Arnie Wilson and Lucy Dicker skied every day for a year in 240 different resorts across 13 countries. Their feat made it into the Guinness Book of World Records but less than four months later tragedy struck, as the 12-minute film reveals. It can be seen at vimeo.com/231464839.

New carrier Powdair is offering flights to Sion, which is just 20 minutes from some Swiss resorts

on October 2, two of the UK’s largest ski holiday operators, Crystal and Inghams said they had managed to switch all their ski customers who were booked on Monarch flights to alternative flights.

Monarch was believed to have been selling around 50,000 seats on its flights to some of Europe’s most popular ski destinations this coming season, including Grenoble, Geneva and Lyon.

Although Ryanair cancelled 18,000 flights, affecting a potential 400,000 customers, the list of the 34 routes suspended on September 28 does not include any obvious ski destinations. The twice-weekly flights from Edinburgh to Toulouse and Carcassonne are not listed.

First grants go to British athletes The first grants have been awarded as part of two new initiatives set up last autumn to support British snowsports.

Before his death in June, Frank McCusker, chief executive of the Ski Club, brought together key figures in the industry to set up the funds. The British Ski and Snowboard National Foundation aims to widen participation in skiing, while the British Snowsports Fund aims to help more established athletes.

Both are funded by donations from recreational skiers buying kit, booking holidays with tour operators, and Ski Club members renewing subscriptions.

Ski cross racer Emma Peters is a beneficiary

The first set of grants total £16,000 and will help athletes attend training camps or travel to competitions to qualify for a place in the Winter Olympics.

20

N EWS

Eurostar axes winter train to Lyon just two years after launch Daniel Elkan Eurostar will not run its London to Lyon service this winter, despite launching it just two years ago — a move covered by Ski+board, right. It served resorts such as Les Gets, La Clusaz and St Gervais not on the direct Ski Train route and added capacity on peak dates.

Xavier Schouller, head of tour operator Peak Retreats, said: “It was convenient for many clients and feedback was positive.”

Eurostar said: “We base our timetables on demand. We continue to evaluate this, so this may be revised in the future. The summer train to Lyon is very popular.”

Chalet bookings rise but for later in season Chalet bookings are up on last season.

Consensio Chalets said 60 per cent of respondents to its survey reported a rise on 2016-17 bookings, 21 per cent saw a drop, and 19 per cent saw no change.

But many said these were for trips later in the season, especially Easter, with Christmas and to some extent New Year suffering due to fears of lack of snow.

Questions as to the size of the UK ski market as a whole remain. It was 1.5 million according to a recent Ski Weekends survey, but just 900,000 when Crystal did its last Ski Survey in 2013.

French pensioner saves coachful of passengers The quick reactions of a French pensioner on a mountain road saved a coachload of holidaymakers from disaster.

They were on a winding road in the Austrian Alps near Schwaz, in the Tirol region, when the bus driver lost consciousness. A 65-year-old passenger sitting in the front row leapt forward to grab the brake as the bus broke through a barrier and headed towards a steep gully.

Local police said he, along with the 21 other passengers on board, were a hair’s breadth from tragedy. Nine people were admitted to hospital.

Many hire firms do not let users book chains online despite offering other options for “peace of mind”

Difficulty of hiring snow chains is revealed at major ski airport Colin Nicholson A survey carried out by Ski+board has revealed the difficulty of booking a hire car with snow chains or winter tyres at the most popular airport for the Alps.

Of five major rental firms — Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt — based on the French side of Geneva airport, only Avis’s website offered the chance to book snow chains. Sixt did, but specified this was “subject to availability”, while Budget, Europcar and Hertz did not have that option for a small car rented in February.

All the sites were quick to offer other expensive options, such as a GPS system for £90 for a week “for peace of mind”.

Most cite the possibility of hiring snow chains at the rental desk. But since these are specific to the type of car, they may not be available, especially if a car has been booked through a third-party website.

When this writer booked a car at

Geneva airport in March with a metre of snow forecast to fall overnight, staff at the desk of Thrifty said that because the reservation was made via Autoeurope, the car had been brought in specially, and no suitable chains were available. Some seasoned skiers bring their own chains, then always rent the same type of car.

Even if skiers are able to hire chains, a further problem awaits those who have never fitted them before, as this can be tricky. One tip is to ask staff at a garage to do this for you, which might cost €5.

A recent alternative is ‘snow socks’, which are now legal in France. These textile liners wrap over the wheel and are easier to fit than chains, the AA says.

In Austria, where winter or all-season tyres are mandatory on snowy roads from November to mid-April, renting in Innsbruck or Salzburg poses no problems.

Sell old kit to help Scottish skiing Skiers unsure what to do with kit they no longer use, or those looking to buy cheap gear should visit Aviemore for the Cairngorm Ski Club’s sale on November 11.

Started 40 years ago, it allows goods to be bought and sold in one day, with a cut going to the club. Both individuals and commercial sellers are welcome and the club says buyers can secure skis, boots and a helmet for a child for under £100.

Volunteers help book in 2,000 items in the morning at the Dalfaber Golf Club.

A queue forms before the sale starts at 3.30pm, and most items are sold within two hours. See cairngormskiclub.co.uk.

The Cairngorm Ski Club’s sale stocks 2,000 items

NEVER-ENDING WINTER FUN IN THE DOLOMITES,

A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

You can ski endlessly across the Dolomiti Superski area with its 1,200 km of slopes, 12 valleys, and 450 modern lift facilities and explore the most beautiful mountains in the world: the Dolomites.

From the start of the season, the snow is guaranteed by the employment of state-of-the-art technology.

Every night, 320 snow cats roll the slopes flat and 400 ski huts on or near the slopes provide for culinary delights between one descent and another.

In collaboration with:

Kronplatz

Alta Badia

Val Gardena

Val di Fassa

Arabba

kronplatz.com

altabadia.org

valgardena.it

fassa.com

arabba.it

Kronplatz, the number 1 skiing mountain in South Tyrol!

Alta Badia lies in the heart of the Dolomiti Superski carousel, and is the ideal destination to explore the Dolomites on your skis.

The Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, takes the breath away from every visitor to the sunny Val Gardena thanks to its beauty.

Perfectly groomed slopes, modern lift facilities, and skiing excursions across 7 skiing areas - 210 km of pure bliss.

Start your skiing excursion thanks to the direct access to the Sellaronda, the World War 1 tour and the Marmolada.

Photograph: Alexander Lohmann © Ötztal Tourismus

HIGH &

MIGHTY That’s Obergurgl-Hochgurgl.

But not in a boastful way. For although these idyllic twin resorts, perched high at the far end of the Ötztal Valley are indeed high (at just under 2000 metres) and have a mighty collection of ski runs, they’re also incredibly friendly places for all the family. And (whisper it) the slopes are genuinely uncrowded, which makes the skiing so much more relaxed. And safe too!

This is partly because the majority of day-visitors to the Ötztal get as far as Oetz or Sölden but don’t proceed right to the end of the valley where Obergurgl-Hochgurgl soar to the heavens. So skiers – and especially freeriders – only really have to share the local slopes with visitors actually staying there.

But if they want to visit Sölden (or the other way round!) there’s now a new multi-resort Sölden & ObergurglHochgurgl ski pass, offering a grand total of 256 kilometres of skiing served by no fewer than 56 lifts!

Many resorts claim to be “ski-in, ski-out” – but in Obergurgl-Hochgurgl there’s no doubt about it. The skiin, ski-out is so genuine that once you’ve got here, no cars are needed. You can ski direct to the extensive slopes from almost the entire selection of top-quality accommodation.

And with their sparkling covering of pure, unspoiled snow, the resorts really do live up to their reputation as “The Diamond of the Alps”. Words like high-carat, colourful, and brilliant sum up the flavour of both the skiing and the villages themselves – an inspired mix of tradition and state-of-the-art architecture.

Between them they share an exceptional cocktail of high, snow-sure terrain, a compact but very varied lift network, friendly ski schools and kindergartens, fine dining at

ADVERTORIAL excellent gourmet restaurants and hotels, and a vibrant but sophisticated après-ski atmosphere. With no fewer than 23 four-star hotels, and two five-star hotels – all with spa facilities - along with doorstep skiing, both resorts manage to be lively and stylish at the same time.

Photograph: Dominic Ebenbichler © Ötztal Tourismus

And there’s certainly plenty of skiing – both on piste and off. There are very nearly 110 kilometres of prepared slopes served by 24 state-of-the-art lifts. All the principal freeride trails are easily accessible from nearby pistes.

And because most holiday skiers don’t even contemplate off-piste adventures, freeriders have acres of space!

Recently an exciting new state-of-the-art gondola opened high on the Hochgurgl side of the resort network. An even higher section due to open for the 2018/19 winter season will enlarge the whole area by around 2 – 3 kilometres of blue runs and new freeride terrain. The impressive 10-person Kirchenkar gondola, with heated seats, can transport 2400 people per hour, so – unlike the snow – lift queues melt away almost before they can even form!

Meanwhile the unrivalled 23-million-Euro “Top Mountain Crosspoint” Kirchenkar base station houses Europe’s highest motorbike museum – the “Top Mountain Motorcycle Museum” with 230 bikes of an astonishing 100 different makes! Enthusiasts could even spend all day there – with lunch thrown in! There’s room for 350 diners inside the high-end mountain restaurant serving Austrian alpine cuisine favourites. Plus seating for a further 400 outside on the sun-kissed terrace.

A WEEK OF GLITTERING PARTIES MARKS THE START OF THE SEASON Skilled riders are enthusiastic about the Fun Park and the smaller – but more technical one – the quattro Snow Park with rails, benches and jumps – both in Obergurgl.

Due to the great success of the already existing parks and the fun slopes in Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, another attractive new highlight below the quattro Festkogl Alm is the ultimate Audi quattro fun slope – a 14-element mix of ski slopes, snowpark and skier and boardercross, for young and old, complete with waves and banked turns.

But the star of the show remains Hochgurgl’s Top Mountain Star restaurant (3080 m). By taking a four-minute chairlift ride up to the top of Wurmkogl peak, you’ll find the glasswalled restaurant and stylish bar built on a panoramic platform with exceptionally stunning views across the Ötztal Alps and even the Italian Dolomites.

Meanwhile high above Obergurgl, the celebrated Hohe Mut – complete with its popular Hohe Mut Alpine Restaurant at 2670 metres, provides yet another superb location. What used to be a playground for hard-core skiers and snowboarders is now also the haunt of more modest intermediates thanks to the red run which avoids the tougher off-piste sections of the 854-metre vertical drop.

The Obergurgl-Hochgurgl area has plenty of activities to choose from off the slopes too. The whole family can whizz down the three-kilometre dedicated toboggan run above the hamlet of Pill and go ice-skating opposite the old St Bernhard’s mountaineer’s chapel. Cross-country skiing is also a popular family pursuit.

Obergurgl-Hochgurgl also hosts superb event highlights and attractions during the whole winter season.

A week of glittering parties marks the start of the season in midNovember, and you can enjoy a warming glühwein or glass of punch at the Obergurgler Christmas market in December.

January is a particularly busy time with a wonderful New Year’s concert on January 5 presented by the Brass Connection Tirol, and a Powder Snow Week (January 1320) including Yoga on Snow and snowcat rides.

No wonder they call it the Diamond of the Alps – even if the sun occasionally doesn’t shine, there’s always something going on to make the resort shimmer.

Six-day ski pass (inc Sölden): Off-peak season: €257 Peak season: €285 https://www.obergurgl.com/en

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Words by Coli

25

THE

T A E GR

in Nicholson

I

What we call piste maps are in fact oil paintings, but they won’t be for long Words by Colin Nicholson

I

t is the greatest art theft that skiers will experience in a lifetime — and it is happening right under their noses.

Because what we call piste maps are in fact oil paintings. Or rather they have been for the past 50 years. But now they are being replaced by cheap imitations.

Many skiers barely notice that the folded paper leaflets handed out by resorts bear little resemblance to the twodimensional maps they use when driving, cycling or walking. They are instead an artist’s 3D rendition of the mountains, with the pistes superimposed.

And what most skiers certainly haven’t noticed is that over the past ten years, in virtually every resort across the French Alps and Pyrenees, these beautifully painted landscapes have been switched for cruder computer-generated versions.

Yes, that priceless oil painting, which Ski+board

you’ve been carrying around so close to your heart, has been swapped for a fake.

So I resolved to turn sleuth and track down the origins of this forgery. Of course the place to start as an art critic is with the signature in the bottom corner of the image. All my current piste maps, which seem so bland, bore the logo ‘Kaliblue’. But all my dramatic maps of ten years ago featured the stylised, angular signature of either Pierre Novat or Frédérique Novat, or both.

I started with Kaliblue, which my research showed to be a firm in Grenoble with between six and nine staff, making a modest €25,000 profit a year on an annual turnover of €481,000. It is run by 38-year-old Olivier Mermillod, who boasts impressive snowboarding credentials, having competed in more than a hundred FIS races in his student

November 2017

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years. But that is all I know, as when I rang him he said he was busy and asked me to call back in two weeks. I turned my focus to the mysterious Novats, whose signatures appeared on all my old piste maps of the French Alps, even on images of Andorran and Spanish resorts, such as Grandvalira and Formigal, where Frédérique’s name appears alone or sometimes with Arthur Novat.

Anxious to avoid another rebuff, I tracked Frédérique down to her home outside Lyons and thought I’d go for the tough questions first. Was she responsible for my every wrong turn, for every time I had searched in vain for a non-existent connection, or attempted to ski down an uphill slope?

“Oh no,” she giggled. “The resorts tell us what pistes to draw on the scan. I just paint the picture.”

And then she explained how her singular profession began. Her father Pierre was scraping a living working as a Cubist-influenced artist in Val d’Isère in the 1960s with his young family. One job that came his way was to complete a painting of the area that an Austrian artist, Heinrich Berann, had started.

Then a friend whom Pierre went parachuting with told him that the resort of Courchevel was also looking for an artist to produce the sort of panoramas that Austrian and Swiss resorts were developing. He persuaded Pierre to give it a go and, little by little, it became the family’s main business, with Pierre teaching his daughter his craft.

Pierre Novat died in November 2007, but Frédérique, 61, often signs paintings with both their names in homage to her father. Her brother Arthur, 58, focuses on

what she calls “infographie” — the work of mapping information provided by resorts on to digital scans of her paintings.

These include pistes, lifts, restaurants and altitudes. Frédérique jokes: “We like to keep the work in the family.”

This was charming, but did it hint at why her paintings were vanishing?

Surely, I suggested, such a quaint system had had its day. Wouldn’t a photo or Google Earth image be far more accurate?

“An overhead projection would give no sense of the relief, while in a photo most runs would be hidden by other mountains,” she explained. In fact, it is precisely in the biggest ski areas that the skill of an artist is most needed.

“What my technique allows me to do is to cheat,” Frédérique went on. “You have this small mountain in the way, which is of no use to anyone. I gently contort the

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landscape so that you can see the pistes behind. Also painting allows me to give more importance to areas in the distance that would otherwise appear tiny.”

This is a trick Frédérique learnt from her father. It is no accident that Pierre was inclined to Cubism. By disrupting our sense of what is near and what is far, the Cubists gave rise to camouflage in the First World War, so practical application of their technique is not unfamiliar.

Creating an image is two to four months’ work for Frédérique. She first flies over an area to get a feel for it, taking photos and making sketches, then likes to ski it. She has tried boarding, but said she was getting a little too old for it.

From the photos and sketches she creates a first draft in black and white that she sends to the resort for approval.

Only then does she add colour, drawing in details like villages, roads and woods,

Frédérique Novat continues the work started by her father, Pierre, whose technique of reproducing entire mountain ranges on a single piste map originated with the Cubists

before handing the scan to her brother.

Frédérique is one of a handful of artists in the business. Another is James Niehues, who paints many North American resorts. Yet for the past ten years most of the Novats’ work has been amending existing paintings and scans, to which they retain copyright.

The problem is that the “contortion” she practises can now be done faster, but more crudely by computer. And she told me that since Kaliblue came on the scene, aggressively marketing its maps, demand has all but dried up.

She is occasionally called on to paint expanding villages, new reservoirs for snow cannons, or produce a summer vista for walkers, but the halcyon days of her ‘atelier’ — producing the works of art that are so evocative of our experiences in the mountains — are over.

So I rang Olivier again to ask him if he had indeed been “aggressive” in his marketing — he certainly sounded like he would wipe the floor with Frédérique in a snowboarding contest. But he told me he was still busy planning, so I would have to ring back in another two weeks.

Rather than twiddle my thumbs, I wanted to use the time to test the relative merits of each style. Frédérique told me the panorama of the Grand Massif was one of her father’s finest works. Yet the ski area was one of the first to drop the Novats, first at the turn of the century in favour of Dieup’art, which produces flyers and other advertising from its base in nearby Sallanches, then Kaliblue. So I booked a visit with my husband.

Ski+board

Having flown over a resort, Frédérique Novat creates a blackand-white image, top, then adds colour in gouache, before her brother Arthur adds lifts and pistes, above. But Kaliblue has recently been producing computer-generated images, below

November 2017

skiclub.co.uk

Photo: Monica Dalmasso/Flaine

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Pierre Novat’s first piste map, top, was of the Espace Killy in 1964 — a project he took over from an Austrian artist. His son, Arthur, has recently produced an image of Korea for the Olympics, above

The steepness of some of Flaine’s unpisted terrain is better shown in the old map

The difference in maps was to have ramifications even before we left the airport. Flaine, where we were headed, is an hour and a half from Geneva, and on the Kaliblue map looked pretty flat, lulling me into a false sense of security.

So I didn’t mind that the hire car had neither winter tyres nor snow chains.

But it was early March and a huge snowstorm was on its way. It fell as rain in the valley, but as soon as we left the motorway we faced a steep climb, with big flakes settling on the windscreen wipers.

What had happened to the innocuous landscape on the piste map? Never have I prayed so hard for rain.

The snow was getting deeper and we were considering abandoning the car, when we saw blue flashing lights ahead.

We were lucky. It was a snowplough and we followed it all the way to our fantastically swish apartment in the Terrasses d’Hélios, though frankly we were just glad to have arrived.

By the next morning, the car had disappeared under a mountain of snow, and the link to Samoëns, Morillon and Les Carroz was closed due to avalanche

the 14km run from Flaine’s summit at 2,480m down to the little village of Sixt at just 760m looks an easy pootle on the Kaliblue map, on the Novats’ map it is an adventure into an unknown valley.

On our last day, the link was finally opened and we got to ski the rest of the Grand Massif. Before us stretched a landscape entirely covered in snow — with its blueish tinge looking not dissimilar to the current map. But it was close up that we became aware of its limitations. Sure, it shows the ridge of the Arête blue run, with a light blue shading on either side. But the drama of being on this run, which appears suspended like a tightrope between two peaks, was missing. My husband put his finger on it.

He said: “The new map looks like the sort they give you at a theme park.”

This is a harsh criticism, so after we had dug the car out of a metre of snow and returned it to the airport I once again tried to phone Olivier. The receptionist suggested I ring the next day. And when I rang the next day, she suggested the next month, though she assured me Olivier was very keen to speak to me.

So the mystery of why so many resorts have decided to switch to the computergenerated maps remains unclear.

Was it on grounds of cost? Or was it a bid to make the resorts more appealing

risk. Yes, skiers bemoan the lack of snow, but too much can limit skiing even more.

We couldn’t complain, as we got to ski the most wonderful powder in Flaine’s giant bowl, which dominates the Kaliblue map, but is more in proportion in the Novats' image. As the snow kept falling, more of the higher lifts shut, so we skied through the woods further down, the deep snow slowing our off-piste turns beautifully.

By early afternoon, even the covered magic carpet that runs the length of the beginners’ slope in front of Flaine’s brutalist apartment blocks had stopped. With time on my hands, I asked the tourist office about the decision to switch maps. But I was simply told that the decision was taken more than ten years ago, so there was nobody who could give me a reason.

This is a shame, as our frustration at not being able to ski to Samoëns, which looked to be a molehill away on the Kaliblue map, was easily assuaged when we compared it with the Novats’ map.

The latter shows the dramatic ridge that separates the resorts. And while

“THE NEW MAP IS LIKE THE SORT THEY GIVE YOU AT A THEME PARK”

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SO COULD YOU USE AN OIL PAINTING AS A SATNAV?

to families, by emphasising the ease of getting from one valley to the other?

If so, does computer manipulation make it too easy for resorts to present the image of the mountains they choose to show off? That seems a path fraught with danger. With the Novats’ images, these were mountains first, with all the perils and excitement that involves, and ski areas second.

Readers can make up their own minds.

If you visit atelier.novat.free.fr and click on the ‘panoramas’ tab you can download 123 of the Novats’ images and make the comparison yourself, though they are shown without pistes, so you might struggle to use them for navigation.

And if you were planning to throw out a handful of old piste maps on the grounds that there will be more where they came from, then pause a while.

You might be throwing out an irreplaceable work of art.

Colin travelled as a guest of Crystal Ski Holidays (crystalski.co.uk; 020 8610 3123), which offers a week self-catering at Les Terrasses d’Hélios in Flaine from £404 per person (based on four sharing a one-bedroom apartment with a sofabed) including direct flights to Geneva from 17 UK airports, transfers, access to the apartments’ lounge, main spa and pool, and evening shuttle bus.

One of the obvious limitations of using an artist’s image to navigate the pistes is that many of us now rely on our phones to find out where to go.

And we are accustomed to having our position indicated on maps. There are apps, such as Fatmap and Skadi, that do show us where we are on 3D images. But that would be impossible with an oil painting — surely?

Bizarrely, it is not. Back in January 2008 I tried Satski’s interactive piste map in Val Thorens. I’d made contact with the company’s founder, JeanClaude Baumgartner, who gave me a pocket-sized device that showed the traditional piste map of the Three Valleys, but with a little yellow circle indicating our position in town.

Jean-Claude, who said he was Swiss but had a distinctive South African accent, was perhaps a little hazy about how it worked. But it was natural that he would want to keep a few details about a new invention up his sleeve. He also made a seemingly fanciful claim that problems with its location-finding were somehow linked to repositioning of satellites and nuclear targets following Barack Obama’s election victory. But all this only made me more determined to try it out, and he was happy to let me take it for a spin on my own.

Despite my scepticism, I was amazed by how well it worked, given that it was reading my position using satellites to place me precisely on Pierre Novat’s original image.

Occasionally it would think I was on a lift rather than the piste directly below, but in general it was accurate.

I felt the idea had huge potential, as 2008 was the year that smart phones were really coming on to the market. Users would simply have to download Satski’s map of a single resort for £8 or £16 for all its resorts.

And because it worked offline skiers did not incur what were then sky-high roaming charges. That said, I myself

Ski+board

November 2017

Satski, left, a GPS system that used traditional piste maps, was championed by JeanClaude Baumgartner, below

was a reluctant convert to smart phones, so I met Jean-Claude again in Regent Street for him to give me an improved version of the handset. This I successfully used in both Val d’Isère, again painted by the Novats, and even little Northstar in California, painted by James Niehues. They were just two of the hundred or so resorts covered, and again I had that same little yellow circle showing me where I was.

While I could see its advantages on a white-out day or in an unfamiliar resort, I never became dependent on it, as I’ve always been a pretty good map reader.

And being something of a Luddite, I prefer paper maps to screens.

After my trips, I was due to return the device to Jean-Claude. Curiously, he didn’t return my calls. As I later found out, I was far from the only person trying to get hold of him.

Unbeknownst to me, he had appeared in an episode of BBC2’s Dragons’ Den, screened in March 2010, where he had persuaded Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones to invest £230,000 between them in the company, now renamed Satsports, with the idea of extending it to runners, golfers and others. The problem was that Jean-Claude had racked up huge debts with a previous venture, called Picnics on the Piste, and was treating a girlfriend to a hedonistic lifestyle. So he had lied about owning equipment and falsified documents. Satsports went bust, the Dragons lost their money and Jean-Claude was sentenced to 32 months in prison at Blackfriars Crown Court in February 2012.

I’ve seen many ski-related inventions hit the rocks, albeit none as spectacularly as Satski. Nonetheless, Satski’s demise particularly saddens me. Because Satski actually worked. And which of us would not be proud to say we have appeared in an oil painting? Colin Nicholson

SATELLITES PLACED ME PRECISELY ON PIERRE NOVAT ' S ORIGINAL IMAGE

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SOUTH TYROL

an undiscovered winter wonderland

South Tyrol best ski resorts Home to the famous Dolomiti Superski and Sellaronda, the region offers excellent downhill and cross-country options for skiers and snowboarders of all levels, and there are 63 ski schools on hand for beginners.

The Dolomiti Superski is the world’s largest ski network with a staggering total of 1,200 km of perfectly snow covered slopes taking in 12 different resorts. Each area has direct access to this impressive network, which is covered with just one ski pass, making it an adventurous and affordable ski holiday option. The size of the network means that there is a huge range of skiing available from beginners and kids runs to championship level slopes, as well as great cross-country and off-piste skiing terrain.

South Tyrol also offers access to the mighty Sellaronda, a 26km merry-go-round for skiers around the dramatic Sella Massif with well-groomed pistes and modern, efficient lift systems. The Sellaronda is one of the most exciting routes in the Alps and links four valleys in the Dolomites: the valleys Gardena, Fassa, Livinallongo and Badia. Alta Badia and Val Gardena/ Gröden are in South Tyrol. In roughly five hours, skiers can complete the circular tour around the impressive rock formations of the Dolomites and are rewarded with some of the world’s most spectacular scenery. It is a must do for any keen skier or snowboarder.

Find more information here: www.suedtirol.info/dolcevita

Sun, snow and dolce vita on the slopes of South Tyrol.

South Tyrol/ Südtirol, Italy’s most northerly region, is set amongst the jaw-droppingly beautiful mountains of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Dolomites. It boasts some of the best ski runs in the world – add to this the 300 days of sunshine a year and a snow guarantee from December to April, and it really is the place to be for discerning snow enthusiasts. However, it’s not just the snow and landscape that makes visiting worthwhile. South Tyrol’s joint Alpine and Mediterranean cultural heritages influence everything from the region’s food and wine, to its spa tradition – all adding to its eclectic and unique nature. With only 1% of its visitors coming from the UK, South Tyrol is a secret ski spot waiting to be discovered, and the perfect place to avoid crowded slopes.

Kronplatz:

The most challenging slopes Kronplatz is the largest, most modern resort in South Tyrol. Perfect for the sophisticated skier and snowboarder looking to challenge themselves, Kronplatz is one of the few resorts in the Alps with five black runs. Test yourself on Sylvester (5km), Herrnegg, the giant slalom course at Pre da Peres, Erta or Piculin which, with a gradient of 72%, is one of the steepest runs in Italy.

Like Kronplatz on Facebook and post your photos there with the hashtag #KronplatzBlack5.

Three Peaks Dolomites: Unbeatable family skiing

Three Peaks Dolomites/3 Zinnen Dolomites is undoubtedly the best ski resort in the area for families, with several winter playgrounds for children. At Winter Wonder World discover the gigantic snowmen and ice castles, before going for a ride in a real reindeer-drawn sleigh.

Ortler Ski Arena:

Unknown but very family friendly ski resort The Ortler Skiarena, in the Western part of South Tyrol, consists of 15 unconnected resorts all covered by one lift pass. One of the resorts is not in South Tyrol, but they are still covered by the same pass. A total of 300km of pistes are served by nine cableways and 67 chair and draglifts.

The area is also home to two glaciers – Val Senales/ Schnalstal and Solda/Sulden.

üd IDM S

tirol/S

r Ueble eifert&

ADVERTORIAL

s e i l i Fam South Tyrol embraces visitors of all ages, and with an abundance of amenities for parents and children alike, it’s the perfect winter family destination.

From dedicated ski schools for kids to alternative winter activities like snow shoe walking and cross-country skiing, there really is something to keep the whole family busy.

For first time skiers, South Tyrol boasts over 60 ski schools, with more than 1,000 qualified instructors ready to teach the little ones how to hit the slopes safely and in style.

Resorts that are particularly great for families include Alpe di Siusi/ Seiser Alm - with both its gentle slopes where instructors are on hand for children and challenging black runs for the parents to tackle. Also Three Peaks in the Dolomites, has several winter playgrounds for children to discover giant snow men, ice castles and enjoy non-ski based activities such as reindeer sleigh-riding.

Another option is Val Gardena which offers special ski schools and lifts for children. The area is featured by several UK tour operators. With free skiing in the Dolomiti Superski area for children aged up to eight this winter and a discount for those aged between 8-16, when accompanied by a parent, there has never been a better time to try skiing as a family.

There are also a number of alternative winter activities for families to try out: snow shoe walking in the Fanes Natural Reserve is an excellent alternative to skiing and one of the best ways to explore the beautiful nature reserve. It’s easy to do and lets you reach heights that were only once accessible to ski mountaineers.

IDM Südtirol/Seifert&Uebler

5 Insider Tips 1. Prove your speed at Punta d’Oro Fancy yourself as a pro skier? Prove your speed at the auto-timed speed-ski track from the Punta d’Oro/Goldknopf – anything under 90kph and you need to try harder!

2. Are you World Cup worthy?

The World Cup-worthy slopes, Saslong and Gran Risa test the best, with thrilling vertical drops of over 400m and maximum inclines crossing 50%.

3. The longest slope: La Longia, 10,5km in Val Gardena The snow groomers and snow canons ensure the pistes are always ready for you at Seceda; ski down to the village of Ortisei on La Longia, which at over 10km is the longest run in South Tyrol.

4. Event not to miss: Swing on Snow Don’t miss Swing on Snow in March: a mix of traditional folk, jazz, soul, pop and classical music will take over the huts on the Alpe di Siusi and the villages at the foot of the Sciliar for eight days only.

5. Piz Boè Alpine Lounge: take a time-out where time stops Enjoy breathtaking views at the upper station of the Boěr cable car in Alta Badia. This exclusive hut offers up an unforgettable wine-and-dine experience, where skiers take a moment to admire the mountainous expanse that stretches across the Dolomites and Alps.

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SKIING IS ON THE UP

The hills were alive with the sound of diggers this summer, creating new lifts to speed up your journey to undiscovered slopes Words by Chris Madoc-Jones

France This autumn, lift builders across the French Alps can take a welcome break after a busy summer constructing new lifts for most of the major ski areas.

In the Three Valleys, all three of the main resorts built a major lift, further improving one of the world’s best lift systems. After two new lifts last winter, Val Thorens invested heavily again with the Moraine gondola. The Doppelmayr D-Line lift will have ten-seat cabins and should improve access to two popular blue runs, Moraine and Génépi.

Over at Méribel, one of the links back to Val Thorens has been transformed.

The Roc de Tougne six-seater chair has replaced two draglifts, improving access to the Belleville Valley from the Combes chairlift, taking pressure off the busy Tougnète and Trois Marches links.

Samoëns has been building the longest six-seat chairlift in Europe, opening up new tree-lined runs above the resort At the far eastern end of this ski area, perhaps the biggest project of the summer in France was at Courchevel 1650 with the lift company investing €18.6 million. The new eight-seat Ariondaz gondola has doubled the uphill capacity and the removal of two draglifts has reduced the environmental footprint of the Moriond area’s lifts.

By contrast, it has been quiet in the Espace Killy, especially after the new Solaise gondola was built last summer.

Val d’Isère is focusing on a five-year €200 million redevelopment of the town and the only lift project of note is Val’s ‘new’ Datcha chairlift. The high-speed quad uses parts from the old Solaise chair removed last summer. It will cut lift times to the Solaise area for those returning from the Glacier or Laisanant sectors.

Meanwhile, above the transfer town

of Bourg-St Maurice, the Paradiski area In Les Arcs has put new lifts at the forefront Doppelmayr has built a of its investment plans.

Following the chairlift featuring heated seats and grand Mille bubbles — a rarity outside Austria 8 project to

redesign Arc 1800, the focus has shifted to Arc 1950. Doppelmayr has built a luxury replacement for the Pré-SaintEsprit chairlift, featuring heated chairs and bubbles — a rarity outside Austria.

It will run from the same base below Arc 1950, but extend twice as far into the heart of the Arc 2000 bowl.

La Plagne has also invested heavily and skiers can expect a fast, new sixseater Crozats chair for the coming season. The popular area off the Arpette ridge above Belle Plagne will see capacity rocket to 3,600 skiers per hour and the journey time slashed to three minutes, thanks to rapid cable speeds of 13mph.

France’s biggest terrain expansion is in Samoëns in the Grand Massif area, where a new six-seat chairlift — the longest of its kind in Europe — has opened up new tree-lined runs above the resort. The new Coulouvrier chairlift will also allow for the removal of two old, slow lifts — Lanche and Gouilles — while still increasing the skiable area around the Marmotte and Paccoty runs.

Moving to the Mont Blanc region, two

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Belle Plagne will see capacity rocket to 3,600 skiers per hour and the journey time slashed to three minutes, thanks to cable speeds of 13mph

major lifts have been built. The first is the new six-seater Chamois gondola at Megève. As a major connection between both sides of the valley, the new Pomabuilt lift promises better reliability.

Between Megève and the linked resort of St Gervais lies 2,525m-high Mont Joly.

One of its two main lifts, l’Epaule, has been replaced, improving access to one of its most snowsure areas. The six-seater has a capacity of 2,400 skiers an hour.

Summer was quiet in the Portes du Soleil, but Les Gets bucked the trend by building the Ranfoilly chairlift. The new fast six-pack has replaced a 30-year-old lift, the resort’s oldest detachable lift.

At La Clusaz the Crêt du Merle access chairlift has seen a major revamp. After a remarkable 43 years of service, the old detachable triple — the first of its kind in the world — has been upgraded to a Poma six-pack. With a capacity of 2,800 skiers per hour, queue times will be cut.

In the southern French Alps, despite a poor season last winter, at Alpe d’Huez a key connecting lift has been upgraded to an eight-seat gondola, which can fit ten during busy periods. The Enversin lift traverses the valley at the base of the popular La Fare black run to the village of Vaujany and its cable car.

Finally, in the French Pyrenees Ax Trois Domaines has replaced a two-way double chairlift with two new four-seaters — Savis and Bisorne. The €12 million investment will revitalise an underused area and add new terrain to the 80km of slopes.

Italy’s first Doppelmayr D-Line lift in Canazei will speed you from the valley floor to the sunny, snowsure plateau above

Italy It appears to have been the summer of the new gondola in Italy, with no fewer than four high-capacity, luxury gondolas springing up ahead of the 2017-18 season.

And luxury car manufacturer Ferrari has also revved in at Val Gardena.

With cabins created One of the key links in the worldby the Ferrari team, the new famous Sella Ronda circuit has been gondola is as visually striking as Val beefed up at Val Gardena’s ski area itself Gardena. The Piz Seteur chairlift has been upgraded to a luxury ten-seat has improved the high altitude skiing gondola with an angled mid-station and in the Cimalegna area thanks to the a massive capacity of 3,450 skiers per construction of a new fast four-seater hour. With cabins created by Ferrari’s over the summer. Journey times have design studio Pininfarina and lift been cut, reducing queues when the stations designed by architects’ group snow is suffering on the lower slopes.

Perathoner, the lift is as visually striking At the high-altitude, snowsure resort as the ski area it is enhancing. of Livigno, a new ten-seat, two-stage In the heart of the Sella Ronda circuit gondola runs from town to the summit of Carosello 3000, significantly improving at the resort of Arabba, a replacement access to high altitude reds and blues. for the four-seater Fodom chairlift was Another snowsure Italian resort, built over the summer. The new ten-seat Val Senales, now has its first gondola. cabin lift will run on the same line and The popular Lazaun chairlift has been is set to up capacity to a massive 2,800 replaced by a ten-seat gondola, welcome skiers or boarders every hour. in bad weather. It serves two popular red Just off the main circuit, the Ciampac runs and the Lazaunhütte restaurant. sector above the town of Canazei Italy’s busy summer has also seen vital has also seen a new gondola installed new chairlifts installed. Kronplatz has ahead of the 2017-18 season. The first again added a fast lift to its world-class Doppelmayr D-Line lift to grace the array. The new Sonne six-seater chairlift Italian mountains is set to improve the will serve one of the most popular, highjourney up from the valley floor to the altitude beginner areas on the mountain. sunny, snowsure plateau above.

Over at Folgarida, linked by lift to Another offshoot of the main loop Madonna di Campiglio, a similar lift is above San Cassiano has also been set to cut queues up to the popular Monte improved by a new fast six-pack.

Spolverino. And in Bardonecchia, host Replacing a queue-prone fourto several events during the Turin Winter seater, the new Biok lift will give Olympics, a new six-pack has been built even more reason to venture in the Jafferau sector, accessing snowsure away from the main circuit. reds and blues.

The popular resort of Alagna Ski+board

November 2017

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Switzerland Once again, work at the central Swiss resort of Andermatt has grabbed the headlines in the Swiss Alps. Since its takeover by Egyptian businessman Samih Sawiris in 2009, six new lifts have been built — three of which popped up over the summer. The key lift is the eight-seat Gütsch Express gondola rising over 900m from the town up to the main ski area at Gütsch. This was joined by two six-seat chairlifts with bubbles — the Lutersee Flyer at Hinter BördliStrahlgand and the Schneehüenerstock Flyer at Forder Felli-Schneehüenerstock — bringing the link to neighbouring Sedrun nearer. This will go ahead next season, it has now been confirmed.

Across in Davos, one of the world’s first areas to see lift-serviced skiing, a major overhaul took place ahead of the 2017-18 season. A high-tech, fast six-seat chairlift complete with bubbles and heated seats will follow the course of an old two-seater up to the Furka Pass from the Parsennhütte. The new lift features luxury racing car-style seats and promises to cut the journey to the

Spain The Pyrenean resort of La Molina has had a very busy summer of construction, with two new lifts installed in time for the new season. An extension to the Alp 2500 gondola from town right to the summit of the resort has been built, removing the need to take a T-bar. In addition, a four-seat chairlift has been built up the Coll de Pal, adding more variety in the high altitude sector of the resort.

Across at Formigal, a minor change has been made in the Faballones sector.

A slow four-seat chair has been moved from the quiet Portalet part of the mountain and installed in a place where the resort management feels it will see more use.

In Davos, one of the first areas in the world to see lift-serviced skiing, a fast six-person chairlift with luxury racing car-style seats will follow the course of an old T-bar up to the Furka Pass top in half.

Another six-seater has been installed at the hidden gem of Lauchernalp in the Lötschental Valley. The lift looks set to transform the experience of beginner skiers and snowboarders — it replaces a slow chair and the adjacent draglift on the sunny village plateau.

Although a relatively small lift compared with those mentioned above, the new fast quad in Leysin is possibly the most complicated lift to be built this summer. It has replaced two 35-year-old double chairs and has two mid-stations, one at the bottom of the valley, from which it ferries people up both sides, and another towards the top to serve the popular piste 13.

So not only have 20 pylons been installed, but four separate lift stations have been built, driving up the cost to CHF15 million — almost double the price of a ‘normal’ high speed quad.

In addition, two fast four-seaters

have been built at the small resorts of Grächen, near Saas-Fee, and at the underrated Obersaxen, a mere 10km from the freestyle hub of Laax.

And over at Verbier, although no new lifts were built, the Mont Gelé cable car saw a total refit over the summer — new cabins are now serving the notoriously difficult itineraries from the top.

Germany and Poland Although Germany doesn’t top the list of destinations for most British skiers, many fast, powerful lifts have been built to cope with weekend crowds.

The headline is the completion of the Eibseebahn at Garmisch. One of the two main access lifts to the highest mountain in Germany — the Zugspitze — has been overhauled in the past two years.

Two eight-seat fast chairs have been built at two unheralded resorts. First, the new Köhlerhagen chair runs bottom to top at Willingen, an hour and a half from Dortmund. Second, at Sudelfeld, an hour from Munich, Germany’s fastest chairlift — with bubbles and heated seats — the Sudelkopfbahn has been built.

Most of us have never heard of

Szczyrk in Poland, but this could change. In one of the biggest projects of the summer, the Leitner lift company has transformed this small resort. It now includes three state-of-the-art six-seat luxury chairlifts with yellow bubbles and a ten-person gondola. All feature the DirectDrive system patented

by Leitner to ensure the smoothest and most efficient running of these powerful lifts.

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Alpbach’s lift has been sent to Pakistan to serve tourists visiting the world’s ninth highest peak, while Zell’s lift is being rehomed in a Colombian theme park

Austria Once again, Austria led the way over the summer when it came to building new lifts for the upcoming season. So much so that Doppelmayr, its Tirol-based, market-leading lift manufacturer, had to move into a new, €62 million home as it had outgrown its old headquarters.

Among many others, look out for two big new gondolas in the Zillertal Valley.

The first is the most expensive project in the ski world this winter — the new Spieljochbahn access gondola at Fügen.

Coming in at €40 million, the new tenseat lift covers almost 3km to access the popular Spieljoch mountain. Attention has been paid to the new lift stations, which feature a unique wooden design that is bound to turn heads this winter.

Meanwhile in Finkenberg, also in the Ziller Valley and close to the party town of Mayrhofen, the new Almbahn gondola — equipped with wi-fi and heated seats — has replaced a 30-year-old workhorse and doubles the uphill capacity to 2,400 people per hour. It will provide a great alternative route up to the sunny Penken mountain at busy periods.

4km-long Doppelmayr D-Line access gondola. The replacement for the vital Schatzbergbahn was built over the summer, almost doubling the uphill capacity in the process. In a great twist, the 32-year-old lift it replaced has been packed up and sent to Pakistan, where it will be rebuilt as a tourist attraction near the base of Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain in the world.

Remarkably, a second old lift has also headed to exotic climes. The new ten-seat AreitXpress has replaced one of Zell am See’s most important access lifts, with the old lift being rehomed at a Colombian theme park. With a capacity of 3,600 skiers per hour, the new lift promises to cut queue times in the morning and aid downloading at the end of the day.

The fifth resort to see a new access gondola this season is tiny Hochficht.

A new ten-seater has replaced three old draglifts from the base, via a new mid-station, to the peak of Reischlberg.

were completed during the summer.

The headline grabber comes from Kitzbühel, where the resort’s seventh eight-seat chairlift was installed. The new, Leitnerbuilt Jufenbahn serves some of the best steep terrain in the resort but — for those feeling nostalgic for the old chairlift — the old chairs were sold for a bargain price of €120 a pop.

Another eight-seat chair went in at high-altitude Obertauern, a first for this resort. The luxury Seekarspitzbahn, complete with seat heating and bubbles, serves some of the resort’s best and most snowsure red and black runs.

It wouldn’t be a new season in Ischgl without a new lift, and 2017-18 is no exception. As always, the resort management doesn’t do things in halves, so the replacement for the Palinkopfbahn is equipped with bubbles and racing

For nostalgics in Kitzbühel the old chairs were sold for a bargain price of 120 euros a pop Another near €40 million project has been finished at the small resort of Ifen, on the German border in the Kleinwalsertal Valley. The new ten-seat access gondola runs from the base all the way to the summit of the popular family ski area. It joins the six-seat Olympiabahn chairlift, which was built last season, to complete a full overhaul of the resort, which is now home to only fast, new lifts.

The ski area of Igls-Patscherkofel, one of Innsbruck’s three local ski areas, is another to boast a new access gondola this winter. Doppelmayr has built a replacement for the Patscherkofelbahn to whisk 2,450 skiers from the outskirts of the city to almost 2,000m in around ten minutes. This key lift will serve the downhill racetrack used at both the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics — one of the most famous runs in the Tirol region.

Another historic resort, AlpbachtalWildschönau, is now also host to a new

This new lift will transform the beginner options at the resort, especially on bad weather days and in low-snow years.

St Johann in Tirol is one of Austria’s top family destinations and was recently taken over by Scandinavian company SkiStar (owner of Åre, Hemsedal and Trysil). It has installed a new access gondola too. The Eichenhofbahn has replaced an old T-bar that used to suffer during poor snow years. In addition, further up the mountain a new fast sixseat chair has been built.

In the Arlberg at the northernmost end of the linked area that includes Lech and St Anton, Warth-Schröcken has a new gondola for the 2017-18 season. Although it is only 420m long, the new €3.5 million Dorfbahn Warth links the town to the slopes, making access to the huge 305km of linked pistes easier.

It’s not all about gondolas in Austria, though: four big chairlift projects Ski+board

November 2017

car-style, heated leather seats.

In the vast Ski Amadé region, the new Lumberjack Shuttle has been built at Flachauwinkl.

The new high-speed six-seat chairlift has transformed access to the popular family run and is the resort’s longest and fastest chairlift.

Queue times have been slashed and access to the new Wagrain-Flachau link (due for completion in 2018-19) has been improved ahead of its construction— the lift station is only 300m from the top of the new chairlift.

Little-known Nauders on the Italian border has invested in the only hybrid lift to be built in Austria this summer.

The new Goldwasserexpress has replaced two ageing draglifts. It will run with sixseat chairs throughout the winter, before turning into an eight-seat gondola for the summer to shift hikers and bikers up the mountain.

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US and Canada Across the pond in the US and bolstered by a record-breaking winter, the quest to eliminate old, slow lifts has continued.

Starting in Colorado, and after building the six-seat Avanti Express last season, the powerhouse resort of Vail has received another boost ahead of the 2017-18 season. The Northwoods sector is home to some of the best intermediate terrain on the mountain, which meant the old four-seater serving it had become a real bottleneck. This should no longer be an issue, as capacity has been upped with the quad replaced by a six-seater.

Vail Resorts’ policy of recycling old lifts has continued as Keystone’s Montezuma Express is now at Beaver Creek. The ‘new’ Red Buffalo Express has been built in place of the slow and bitterly cold Drink of Water lift to the summit, better serving one of the resort’s best beginner areas.

At Keystone the Montezuma Express has been upgraded to a new six-seater, cutting queue times when the weekend crowds come up from Denver.

Keystone’s neighbour and Colorado’s highest resort Breckenridge has also secured a new

At the skiers-only resort of Alta the new chairlift will use angled pylons to avoid protected wetlands. Clearly the resort cares more for ducks than snowboarders

six-seat chair for the season ahead. The Falcon SuperChair has been upgraded to a faster and higher capacity lift that is set to serve the resort’s racetracks and most challenging groomed terrain on Peak 10.

Workers have also been busy a little further along the I-70 Highway.

Owner of the freestyle mecca Copper Mountain, Powdr Co, has replaced a key beginner lift, Kokomo, with a fast quad for 2017-18. Added to this, it has installed a fully hands-free ticket system.

These are still relatively unknown in North America, despite their evident

advantages, especially in Fully hands-free ticket systems, like the bitingly cold climate the one at Copper, are still relatively of the Rockies. It will also ensure that Copper unknown in North America, despite keeps up with its bigthe biting cold of the Rockies spending neighbours down the road.

Locals’ favourite and increase lift capacity by a Eldora has installed its first high-speed massive 85 per cent. lift. The new Alpenglow six-pack can shift Perhaps surprisingly, the largest North 3,600 people an hour from the base to the American expansion of the summer summit, cutting the ride time in half. took place at a little-known resort in In Utah, the first Leitner-Poma lift to remote Montana. Montana Snowbowl be built in the state since 1998 has been has added more than 1,000 acres on TV installed at the skiers-only resort of Alta.

Mountain after a double chair recycled Replacing two old, slow lifts, a new highfrom Aspen Snowmass was installed. speed quad will transform the skiing This is the first of four lifts to be built in the next few years, putting this oldin the Supreme sector of the resort. school ski area on the map for visitors Halfway up, the chairlift will make an 8.4 from outside Montana for the first time. degree turn using angled pylons to avoid Moving to the east coast, there protected wetlands as Alta strives to were three big projects. First, and reduce the lift’s environmental impact. after a two-year closure following Clearly the resort cares more for ducks insolvency, Maine’s third largest resort, than snowboarders.

Saddleback, is set to reopen with two In the next canyon in the Wasatch new Doppelmayr lifts this winter. A Mountains, a replacement for new top-to-bottom quad has replaced Snowbasin’s oldest lift, the Wildcat a former double and the 57-year-old triple, went in this summer. The new Cupsuptic T-Bar, which serves the area’s Doppelmayr six-seater will take pressure racetracks, has also been replaced. off the resort’s other access lifts and will Nearby Sunday River has reopened halve the ride time of the old chairlift. important terrain thanks to a new triple Further west, it has been a quiet chair up Spruce Peak. The sector was summer in California. The only closed last season after a landslide major project in the north of the forced the old chairlift to close, but with state was at Bear Valley, where a Doppelmayr replacement now in place, a new six-pack the popular area can be enjoyed again. has been built In Vermont, and following its from the Day inclusion into the Mountain Collective Lodge to the Pass for 2017-18, Sugarloaf built two new Summit, slashing lifts. Both are short, slow quads, but have the journey time to replaced rickety 50-year-old doubles a little over serving important beginner terrain at the three minutes. base of the mountain.

Meanwhile, southern The recent decline in lift building in California and Snow Valley Canada appears to have continued with — a two-and-a-half hour drive from Los only one major new lift this winter. A Angeles — have got its first fast sixfixed-grip Leitner-Poma quad chair has seater. The new Chair 1 cost $6 million been built at Whitewater in the snowy and could pave the way for summer Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia. operations for the first time.

It’s the first brand new lift in the area To the east, a third new lift in as since 1975 — recent projects have used many years has been built at Arizona recycled lifts — so the difference will be Snowbowl, beefing up the lifts in the clear to the many visitors using the area beginner area. The new Hart-Prairie to warm up for cat skiing or heli-skiing quad chair completed the final part of a trips nearby. $15 million project to revamp the resort

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Alpe Ciamporino gondola will be the second eye-catching lift designed by the German car company at the resort, after the construction of a six-pack back in 2014.

Scandinavia and Russia Investment in resorts across Norway and Sweden continued on the back of a good 2016-17 season. At Kvitfjell in Norway, annual host to FIS Alpine World Cup Downhill races, an expansion into a new area has kicked off with the building of the Vardan Express six-seater, a 250m-long chair to link it to the rest of the slopes and 5km of new pistes. More slopes are due to be built and plots of land are up for sale for luxury ski-in-skiout developments, all of which look set to transform this formerly deserted side of the mountain.

At Trysil, a new draglift has been built in the children’s zone and a new piste built from the top of the Skihytta chair — a six-seater that was new last winter, attracting over 700,000 lift rides.

In Sweden, resorts such as Åre and Sälen have invested in snowmaking, but the only major lift project is at HemavanTärnaby. The new hybrid six-seat chair and eight-seat gondola lift runs from the town to mid-mountain and looks set to transform the ski experience. It forms the first part of the Hemavan Vision 2025 project to revamp the resort. Terrain expansion, two new six-seater fast chairs, a new draglift and ski lodge are planned.

The post-Sochi bounce has continued at the Russian resort of Rosa Khutor.

After last winter’s two-stage gondola and a fast six-seat chair, which opened up two new sections of the mountain, the fast Dafna six-pack went in this summer.

The new lift adds capacity from below the gondola’s mid-station, forming an excellent area of tree-lined slopes.

Whatever next?

Several projects due for completion for 2018-19 began this summer, while many others in the planning pipeline should be ready in time for that season.

Austria Work has begun on a complete revamp of the Schlossalm sector of the Bad Gastein ski area and two new chairlifts at Damüls-Mellau ready for next season.

France In Courchevel, plans for a new Grangettes gondola, the key link between 1550 and 1850, have been finalised.

At Barèges in the Pyrenees, plans are underway for a big new gondola to run from the resort to the skiing at the Lienz Plateau, cutting the need to drive or catch the bus to the lifts at Tournaboup.

Val d’Isère is focusing on a five-year €200 million redevelopment of the town. The only lift project of note is the renewal of the old TKE 3000 draglift above the Glacier chairlift and the reopening of its two black pistes either side of the Leissières ridge.

Meanwhile at La Rosière, work has started on two new fast six-packs running up Mont Valaisan, as well as the creation of five new red runs.

Italy In Val di Fassa at the resort of Alpe Lusia, a ten-seat access gondola is due to be built directly from the town of Moena to the slopes, removing the need to catch a bus to the lift base.

Lift maker Bartholet has teamed up with Porsche Design to build a lift at San Domenico in the Piedmont region. The new eight-seat

Ski+board

November 2017

Switzerland The final stage in the linking of Andermatt with Sedrun is confirmed for next winter, when the OberalppassSchneehüenerstock gondola is finished and a snowmaking system installed.

The anticipated Klein Matterhorn 3S gondola in Zermatt is due to be ready for Christmas 2018 and Switzerland’s fastest gondola is set to open around the same time at Aletsch Arena.

In Gstaad, a new Swiss-made tenseater will replace a 34-year-old gondola from the edge of town to Eggli at 1,557m.

Canada Construction is well underway at Silver Star on the Summit Gondola. The new Doppelmayr lift will cut travel time to the summit by two-thirds and should pave the way for other developments on the front side of the mountain.

Scandinavia Work has begun on the biggest project for many years in Norway, with its first 3S gondola. The Hangursbanen at Voss will run directly from the town’s railway station to the slopes, replacing an ancient cable car. So day-trippers from Bergen can catch a train, walk on to the gondola and clip into their skis in 90 minutes.

Germany The two-seater gondola at Königssee, which dates back to 1953, is due to be replaced by a modern ten-seater. Two new high-speed six-packs are due to be built too, transforming an ailing ski area into one of the most modern in the world.

Scotland Although last winter was disappointing for the Highlands, two new lifts have just been confirmed for next season. At Glencoe, a ‘new’ three-seat chair is set to run from the top of the Access Chair, across the Plateau area to more snowsure runs further up the mountain. The chair has been recycled from Austria.

Across at Glenshee, parts for another recycled chairlift have been obtained.

It will replace the slow but popular Cairnwell T-Bar, the principal access lift to the resort’s racetracks.

skiclub.co.uk

Winter in

Vorarlberg AS GOOD (AND VARIED) AS IT GETS!

They say the Inuit have a hundred words for snow – but in Austria’s celebrated Vorarlberg region, way out to the west of the country, it’s more a question of a hundred shades of snow. The sheer variety of the region’s winter landscape – not just the way the snowscape’s kaleidoscope of different hues changes subtly as each skiing day wears on – but the attractive architecture of the outlying villages, makes for a truly satisfying experience as you explore winter’s glory and nature’s beauty on both the ski slopes and hiking trails.

And when the day is over – sit back and enjoy tradition-steeped villages where the standards of quality are high and regional food and drink are celebrated with gusto.

So what’s the plan for the day? It’s not always just about clocking up kilometres on the slopes. Why not try venturing on a snowshoe ramble or a toboggan ride down to the valley. And there’s nothing​ quite like finding your way to the nearest

mountain restaurant where you can take in breathtaking scenery while feasting on delicious regional specialities?

Vorarlberg is home to a wide variety of ski resorts, all managed by highly professional lift companies. No wonder, as the whole culture of recreational skiing was pretty much invented here – and has been further refined ever since. An abundance of natural snow makes for ideal conditions on both the prepared slopes and freeride areas.

When it comes to ultra-convenient ski areas, natural scenery of breathtaking beauty and high quality standards, Vorarlberg ticks all the boxes. The feel is buoyant and cheery. And it gets more so when it comes to après-ski and Austria’s celebrated “Gemütlichkeit”, when some ski lodges and hotels lay on live music and other entertainment. Meanwhile, museums and exhibition halls unlock new horizons. Ski races and other sports also offer fun and entertainment, be it as active participants or as spectators.

There’s always a ski school on hand, where experienced instructors will not only take good care of you – but also bring out the Franz Klammer in you…whether you are a newcomer or want to perfect your skills.

Ample snow is also a boon in back-country touring, winter hiking and snowshoeing.

Guided tours and hikes, some at night by torchlight, are organised regularly.

The villages positively ooze charm.

The celebrated mix of traditional and contemporary, timber architecture is eyecatching. Many hotels and apartments skilfully combine old-world charm with modern-day amenities. You’ll be treated to genuine hospitality by attentive hosts in stylish surroundings while enjoying endless gourmet delights.

ADVERTORIAL

BREGENZERWALD not try a winter hike, take part in a guided snowshoe ramble, have a go at some crosscountry skiing, or ride down the valley on a toboggan. The ski schools offer guided ski tours for beginners and proficient skiers alike.

But do try to linger a little in some of the beautiful outlying villages. The blend of traditional and new, timber, architecture in charming villages might easily take you by surprise with its edgy architectural mix! The Werkraumhaus showcases the innovative spirit of the Bregenzerwald craftspeople and changing exhibitions – while the restaurants and inns serve regional and Austrian fare with a creative twist.

DON’T MISS: Skiing delights in Damüls Mellau. In snow-sure Damüls the slopes are at your very doorstep. The charmingly pretty village of Mellau features an edgy mix of traditional and modern, timber architecture.

Photo: Sepp Mallaun/Lech Zürs Tourismus

The Bregenzerwald region offers a vast choice of skiing and scenic winter hiking, combined with an eye-catching mix of traditional and contemporary timber architecture. The “Umgang Bregenzerwald” village walks provide intriguing insights into crafts and design.

Many aspects of Bregenzerwald look impressively different from anywhere else, be it a cable car terminal, a residential building or hotel – or even a bus stop! The modern timber architecture typical of the region is truly eye-catching. Beautiful design is highly valued here. You can see and feel that in the various ski areas too. Because the threevalley ski pass which connects all ski areas is also valid on ski buses, you can easily get to know more than just one ski area, including the snowsure runs in Damüls-Mellau or the truly scenic Diedamskopf, near AuSchoppernau. In Warth-Schröcken, also in the Bregenzerwald, you can hop onto a gondola which takes you to Lech Zürs am Arlberg, as it is part of Ski Arlberg, Austria’s largest ski area.

Keen on trying other winter activities? Why

Photo: Christoph Schöch Lech Zürs Tourismus

LECH ZÜRS Lech Zürs am Arlberg – ideal for that magical combination of Freeriding and Fine Dining!

Lech Zürs am Arlberg, Austria’s largest ski area, is the ultimate destination for skiing and freeriding fun. A string of award-winning restaurants serve mouth-watering cuisine.

Inaugurated only last winter, the new Flexenbahn makes the Arlberg an even more convenient and multi-faceted ski area. With this novel gondola, all resorts in the Arlberg are now accessible on skis, making Ski Arlberg the largest interconnected ski area in Austria. On the gastronomic front, Lech Zürs is top-in-class as well: arguably, few other villages in the Alps boast so many restaurants featuring listings in gourmet guides.

Creating the ideal skiing experience: this

Photo: Adolf Bereuter Bregenzerwald Tourismus

is what Lech Zürs am Arlberg has been subscribing to for over 100 years. In 1906, the first ski course ever was held on the Arlberg mountains. Many innovations originated here, from the refinement of skiing technique to heated chairlifts. Visionary pioneers played a part in designing a ski area which would become the largest and most varied in the Alps. And yet, the villages have retained their authentic, laid-back charm. So it’s not surprising that Lech Zürs am Arlberg is among the exclusive circle of the 11 “Best of the Alps” branded destinations.

Each year in winter, skiers from all over the world come to explore the slopes and runs - 305 altogether. Freeriders are lured by the fabulous variety of descents in deep powder and ‘firn’ (granular snow not yet compressed into ice). But if you venture into open terrain, make sure you’re accompanied by a professional ski guide. The ski schools offer courses and guided freeriding tours.

Photo: Ludwig Berchtold Mellau Tourismus

Accommodation and dining are top-notch.

Tradition-soaked hotels offer the ultimate in luxury. Foodies will be spoilt by chefs who are true masters of their craft. Wine buffs can uncork some surprisingly tasty options.

Exquisite wines from all over the world can be sampled at events such as “Arlberg Weinberg”. Uplifting events such as movie and music nights or light installations are staged throughout the winter season.

DON’T MISS: Lech Zürs am Arlberg: So much skiing fun! The Flexenbahn between Zürs and Stuben/Rauz makes this a winter dream come true. All resorts on the Arlberg have, since winter 16/17, been easily accessible on skis. www.vorarlberg.travel/en www.bregenzerwald.at/en www.lechzuers.com

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Lifts and how to

avoid them Ski+board sent one writer on a mission improbable to find alternative ways up a mountain Words by Neil English

s I gazed into the soulful eyes of Nuka the dog I realised my task would be harder than expected.

“Go find as many ways up a mountain as possible without using a ski lift,” barked the editor down the phone from London. “We’re running a six-page feature on new lifts and we need some balance.”

On the face of it, the assignment seemed easy. Andorra, the pocket-sized Pyrenean principality, offers a wealth of ways to get up a mountain, from new ski touring zones to heli-ski operations.

But principal among these has been that Hispanic speciality, the ratrac.

This is a caterpillar-tracked vehicle that can drag up to a hundred skiers up cat tracks to off-piste zones. I’d tried the one in Las Leñas, in Argentina, that took us to the top of one spectacular face not served by a lift, so I was looking forward to giving the one in Andorra a try.

But it’s a health and safety officer’s nightmare, and the Andorran one was halted after a fast drag lift was built to serve the growing number of freeriders looking to plunder the powder below the Encampadana peak. Such was the outcry that it was reintroduced at weekends. But

A

sadly, this was just a temporary sop to its fans, and it appeared not to have run for a couple of seasons. After repeated enquiries at the tourist office about cat skiing — yes, cat skiing I explained — I was introduced to a man… with a dog.

I was fearing linguistic difficulties would get the better of us, but our guide, Toni Rodriguez, there with his energetic Alaskan Husky Nuka, understood my plight. I wanted to get up the mountain without a lift; Toni could oblige. He kitted us out with touring skis, boots and skins at Esports Cubil, near El Tarter. We drove through the village of Ransol, to the side of a remote mountain pass, and started our steady climb at 1,900m. The itinerary, one of more than 200 routes in Andorra, leads to the Pic de la Serrera at 2,900m, which boasts amazing views... if you move fast and the sky is blue.

Neither was the case for us. While Toni had demonstrated the elegant kick turn required to zig-zag up steep faces, for us it was a Michael Jackson-esque leg shake combined with a ballerina’s pirouette — when we stayed upright. One of my early attempts had me balancing on one ski, while repeatedly shaking my lower leg to make the flailing ski flick around. I lost Ski+board

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my balance, the ski tip dug in the snow and I fell flat on my face, which moments later was being eagerly licked by Nuka as if trying to soothe my frustration.

It occurred to me — too late — that Nuka could have helped me in my assignment to find non-lift assisted ways up the mountain. I could had donned cross-country skis and let Nuka pull me up the 30km of trails that rise from Grau Roig up to El Peretol, at 1,450m.

But I am a poor cross-country skier and Nuka was too wild a beast. In this remote setting, she could be mistaken for a wolf, especially in the dim light.

At one point two skiers emerged from a couloir as it fanned out into the valley we were climbing through. All they could see was Nuka, ears back, flying towards them. Remarkably, in their panic, they stayed upright, lurching from side to side. And their relief was palpable as they realised this Hound of the Baskervilles was content sniffing their ski boots.

We probably could have made it to the top, but Toni took the decision to turn back when we were half-way up. The weather was closing in fast, and he had already witnessed not only our pitiful attempts at kick turns, but how slow we were crossing rivulets and negotiating

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The ratrac is a Hispanic speciality that involves skiers being dragged behind a caterpillartracked vehicle to reach new slopes

rather than

been to see a man about a dog

the March snow, which ranged from slush, to hard pack, to breakable crust.

Back at the comfy Hotel del Clos in El Tarter, I sought consolation in the plentiful supply of cava and rioja. How would I explain to an editor who expected me to go cat-skiing that I had been to see a man about a dog? Nor were the heliskiing prospects looking good, given the weather. I accepted another glass of rioja — Andorra is a duty-free paradise.

Late that evening, I remember some talk about a ride on a wire up a mountain.

I didn’t quite get the gist of it, but thought maybe that would work for the article.

The next morning, with a heavy head, I realised I had signed up for a zip wire ride.

I stood at Canillo, watching as screaming souls were propelled for half a kilometre 40m above Lake Forn at speeds of 80kmh.

But as I discovered, the major pulse-racer is at the ‘moment of death’ when, at full speed, a clash of metal rings out as the slide mechanism derails, making you think you’re falling out of the sky. In fact, I had been gathered by a safety cable and, after some thrashing around, was lowered to the ground. In this game of snakes and ladders, I wasn’t winning.

To forget my woes, I went for a blast around the Grandvalira ski area, which connects the resorts of Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig, Soldeu, El Tarter and Canillo, with 210km of skiable slopes and the avalanche-controlled, freeride zones.

On a high-speed day, we appreciated the vastness of the area, tanking it as fast as we dared down the Men’s World Cup Giant Slalom run at Costa Rodona.

We paused only to sample the wonderful

Catalan food, reasonably priced and served in beautiful, stone-clad restaurants often nestled in pine trees.

That night there was still no news on the heli-skiing, but my minders assured me they had something up their sleeve for the following afternoon. So the next morning I joined a half-day clinic with the new Grandvalira Freeride Centre.

Seven designated freeride zones across Grandvalira prove that Andorra has shaken off its image as a tame, cottonwool-wrapped skiing destination. Sure, there are novice areas and long, gentle groomers to take nervous intermediates to the next level. But some of the terrain our instructors took us down would satiate the appetite of any gnarly thrillseeker, and included pitches that I chose to admire from afar rather than ski. I could see why Andorra has become a regular stop on the Freeride World Tour.

The sort of sessions I was on come in many guises, depending on your ability, but all involve tuition in skiing ungroomed steeps, and advice on equipment and safety. Just as motorists can take an advanced driving course, here in Grandvalira you can also take an International Snow Training Academy (ISTA) course to help you make educated decisions about avalanche risks, fall risks and other hazards in the backcountry.

But the greatest risk I faced was filing an article that to date had precious few ways of getting to the top of a mountain that didn’t involve lifts. So it was with some trepidation that I arrived at the afternoon venue — to sounds of barking.

Oh no, I thought we’d been through this…

Photo: Grandvalira-El Tarter

cat ski I had

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getting them to meet me at the bottom.

Don’t laugh. This is how the king of Spain used to ski, not to mention thousands of Americans who do this on snowmobiles.

But not being royalty, I doubted they would let me off the ice-driving circuit.

Perhaps noting my hangdog air, someone came over to ask if I wanted to try out the First Trax programme. This is a great opportunity (particularly on a powder morning) to take the ski lift an hour before the official opening time of 9am to get exhilarating, high speed cruising under your belt before the crowds arrive. For €15 you get guided around expertly groomed, deserted runs, followed by coffee and a croissant.

What had the editor said? I’m sure it involved something about skiing far from the madding crowd. Well, I think that just about covers it.

four, and the price includes transceivers, training and a guide. Sadly, due to poor visibility, I was going nowhere, as the choppers were grounded.

I ordered another glass of rioja and scoured the Grandvalira website once more. Learning to drive on a snow circuit in Soldeu is on offer, so I even toyed with the idea of driving the 4x4 with a passenger up one of Andorra’s famously winding roads, then skiing down and

Neil travelled as a guest of Neilson (neilson.co.uk/ski; 0333 3314747), which offers a week’s half board at Hotel del Clos in El Tarter from £649 per person, based on two sharing, including flights, transfers and guiding by Neilson Mountain Experts.

Grandvalira (grandvalira.com) offers the three-hour Freeride Introduction for €42.20 and the husky session for €36.50. Experiencia en Muntanya (experienciamuntanya.com) offers touring expeditions and heli-skiing.

the king of spain used his driver and car as a lift

Photos: Experiencia en Muntanya and Neil English

To be fair, the husky sledding circuit at El Tarter did involve going up a steep hill, where we, as mushers, had to jump off the runners and help push the sled until the huskies could take over, which got my blood pumping. But my four dogs were far stronger than their size suggested and on the downhill to the home straight, the sense of speed and vulnerability was so thrilling I couldn’t resist a fist-pumping “yee-haw”, which I’m given to understand means absolutely nothing in animal language, but made me feel good.

I needed that. I had by now staked my credentials on heli-skiing on the last day. Many people assume this requires a trip to the Rockies. Not so. Heli-skiing is available right here in Andorra, and at a fraction of the price. Two descents, each ranging from 2km to 4km, with a drop of about 300 vertical metres, costs from €240 per person. You travel in groups of

Heli-skiing is possible in Andorra, as is skiing with dogs, zip wire rides, husking sledding and freeride courses, all done by Neil, pictured above

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SKIING IN VAL DI SOLE DOLOMITES – TRENTINO ITALY

FUN IN THE SNOW WITH 270 KM OF SLOPES AND 97 SKI LIFTS Breathtaking landscapes, stunning snow-covered stretches of land, amazing mountains, perfectly groomed slopes…plus the magical atmosphere of winter in Val di Sole.

In Italy, right in the western part of Trentino, you’ll find an incredible valley called Val di Sole. Known for its spectacular peaks that break through the clouds at a height of over 3000m and for the numerous days of sunshine throughout the year, it’s the perfect destination for those who love to ski or snowboard.

Val di Sole represents the largest ski region in the western part of Trentino and with its 3 ski areas, there’s definitely something for everyone.

Can’t get enough of thrilling freeride or downhill skiing? Want to feel the energy rush through you as you tackle crystalwhite slopes? Or are you looking for natural surroundings for a fantastic vacation with your family?

Folgarida Marilleva,

in the SkiArea Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta, sparkling white slopes A great ski area with 150 km of slopes that provides fun and excitement on the snow.

A wide range of accommodation available, often located directly on the slopes, which gives guests plenty to choose from for their ski holiday. This ski area, with direct ski access to Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo, is part of the SkiArea Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta, Val di Sole Val Rendena, which has 150 km of slopes that are all connected with a single ski pass.

The Folgarida Marilleva slopes can also be reached by taking the Dolomiti Express, a train that stops right at the Daolasa gondola lift.

Don’t miss!

THE FAMILY PARK FOLGARIDA The Malghet Aut area (1,855 m) in Folgarida is the perfect place for the entire family! The Family Park has a learning area with two button lifts, a beginners area with two magic carpet lifts, the Bamby chairlift, a snow tubing slope, a merry-go-round, a playground with slides, spring-toys and other fun equipment for kids!

ADVERTORIAL

Pontedilegno Tonale, a freeriders mecca

A holiday paradise with 30 modern lifts and 100 km of slopes with a particularly long ski season that begins in late autumn and continues until well into the spring.

The Presena Glacier’s towering 3,000 metre height makes all this possible.

Passo Tonale is also famous for its legendary black run, the Paradiso slope, which is not only ultra long, but incredibly scenic – the perfect adrenaline rush! A few years ago, a long red slope and a modern gondola lift were installed to connect Passo Tonale with the mountain town called Ponte di Legno, at a height of 1,200 m.

After an exciting day on the slopes, Passo Tonale is also a great apres ski spot, with numerous popular pubs and clubs.

Don’t miss!

THE PRESENA LIFT

Visit: www.valdisole.net/EN/Ski-Areas to discover more

The almost 500-metre-climb from Passo Paradiso (2,585 m) to Passo Presena (3,000 m) can now be easily achieved with the modern Presena gondola that takes skiers from Passo Tonale up to the very top of the glacier. At 3.000 m, you’ll be able to enjoy a fabulous view of the Adamello and Presanella mountains.

Pejo3000,

in harmony with nature Pejo, a renowned spa resort and the oldest tourist resort in Val di Sole, has been known far beyond the border since 1650 for the beneficial effects of its thermal springs. Skiers can enjoy fantastic slopes surrounded by the best known summits of the Cevedale mountains and endless fun in the snow in front of breathtaking views. Pejo offers visitors 7 lifts and 20 km of serviced slopes. Regarded as the most “natural” of the 3 ski resorts, Pejo is the perfect winter sports destination for families with children, where they can relax in this enchanting mountain destination.

The Thermal Spa Centre offers relaxation for both body and soul.

Don’t miss!

PEIO’S TOP SLOPE: VAL DELLA MITE - PEIO FONTI A breathtaking descent from a height of 3,000 metres, at the arrival of the “Pejo 3000” gondola lift, down to 1,400 metres at Peio Fonti. An 8 km descent with a vertical drop of 1,600 metres.

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ANDREAS IN...

THE RESORT THAT NEVER WAS What’s it like to turn up in a ski area that doesn’t exist? In Albania it’s not so rare Words by Andreas Hofer

“W

hat are you going to do in Albania?” asked the guard on the border between Kosovo and Albania, peering at us through the open car window.

As the blast of cold air hit our faces, he studied our features carefully, comparing them to our passport photos, as if they might provide a clue to our intent.

“Skiing,” we chorused dutifully. This seemed a fairly safe answer. While in Communist times, Enver Hoxha turned visitors back at the border if they had beards or wore bell bottoms, the Albanian dictator was keen to encourage skiing.

And the 2015 edition of the Bradt travel guide said that our destination of Puka was “the best ski resort in Albania”.

The guard burst into a fit of laughter, then asked: “Are you crazy? When Albanians want to ski, they go to Kosovo.

Nobody skis in Albania. It’s a fact. You‘ll have to come up with a better story!”

Obediently, we opened the boot of the Mercedes van and showed him our touring skis, ropes and ice axes. He shook his head in disbelief, still smiling.

“Happy journey then,” he said, handing back our passports as if making a gift to undeserving offenders. And so we drove off towards Tirana, feeling proudly adventurous. I had recently read Robert Carver’s The Accursed Mountains, a paranoia-inducing 1990s travel book about the blood-curdling lawlessness of Albania. With its tales of vengeance and murderous daylight robberies, it was scarcely less dramatic than Karl May’s

adventure thriller Through the Land of the Shqiptars, which I read as a boy.

Such ingrained lawlessness was, for a time, checked by Hoxha. Like many crazy autocrats, he was a fervent promoter of skiing until his death in 1985. There were atheist ski teams, antiimperialist ski races, and the pledge to build first-class ski resorts.

We might perhaps have doublechecked Bradt’s verdict in advance.

Given that Puka lies just 890m above sea level and its highest peaks hardly reach 1,400m, we could assume that the Albanian Skiing Federation, which runs the single Poma there, has a quiet life.

Or did it even have a lift? The 2017 edition of the encyclopedic International Report on Snow and Mountain Tourism reported that: “Albania’s first surface lift was only installed in 2012. The areas that offer skiing are not resorts, but villages in the mountains where one can go skiing, like the Alps a century ago. The ski area of Bigell, near Dardhe, is at present the only area equipped with a surface lift.”

At least Laurent Vanat, its esteemed author, didn’t claim that Bigell was the best resort in Albania! However, Vanat did give us a crumb of comfort, adding: “Backcountry skiing in the mountains is mostly enjoyed by foreigners.”

Freeride aficionados rhapsodise about the Valbona valley in the Albanian Alps. Better known as the “Accursed Mountains” of Carver’s book, they form a natural 2,700-metre-high border with Montenegro. A hiker’s paradise

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PA RT

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The nascent Shishtaveci Ski Club, and below, the summit of Mount Korab and local children

“OUR GUIDE SHOULDERED A BATTERED RIFLE WITH NONCHALANCE

in summer, with dramatic gorges and roaring waterfalls, the valley is becoming famous for its steep, sweeping slopes and prodigious powder in winter.

Alas, we had met snowshoers in a café the night before, who told us that all the fabled snow had melted in the past few days. And with such mixed messages about Puka and Bigell, we decided to pay a visit to the Ski Club of Shishtaveci instead, a village not far from the borders of Kosovo and Macedonia, where Hoxha staged his first slalom races in the 1970s.

The approach looked promising.

Leaving the motorway before Kukes, we drove along a new, two-lane mountain road winding up through a steep, dark gorge. It opened after an hour into a high Alpine landscape of sloping meadows and wide, snow-covered pastures.

However, it was all looking a bit too idyllic for the access road to a ski resort.

There were no other vehicles. A lonely rider passed us on a white steed. A goatherd blocked the road for a while with his unruly flock. Thatched stone barns dozed in the January sun. Sheaves of wheat stood out to dry.

There were signs of modernity too.

The hillocks were studded with strange, concrete mushrooms. These were Hoxha’s one-man bunkers to defend Albania not just against the forces of capitalism and imperialism but, in his increasingly isolated state, against fellow

communist rulers like Tito and Brezhnev.

The tarmac stopped abruptly and we drove into the village of Shishtaveci on a dirt road. At first we were eyed only by three dirt-encrusted cows. But then a throng of incredulous villagers poured out from the boarded-up remains of what must once have been a hotel, as well as from a shed with a corrugated iron roof, which turned out to be the local bar.

All attempts to explain our intention to ski in the resort led to nought. Our Macedonian tour leader Metodi tried in Albanian, while his compatriot Alex, the driver, tried English. Marco, my skiing friend from the Apennines, tried Italian.

Then the villagers pointed to our Macedonian number plates and started a lively discussion with Metodi and Alex in Macedonian. We had happened on a community of Gorani, a tribe of Muslim Macedonians living since Ottoman times in these border regions.

With the language barrier overcome, our skis were inspected, our boots admired... but our intention to ski was greeted with scepticism. Then a middleaged man with a weather-beaten face stepped forward to accept our challenge.

Serjan, as he introduced himself, would guide us to the Sport Hotel Skiatori. On foot, as the mountain roads were snowcovered and too treacherous for driving.

Serjan, in wellingtons and with a long hiking stick, marched ahead, accompanied by his son Nesim. Nesim introduced himself as the manager of the ski club and lead ski instructor, his broad smile showing a mouthful of dental braces. More ominous was the battered rifle he shouldered with nonchalance.

I began to recall Carver’s gory tales as we tried to keep up on our touring skis with father and son, who soon disappeared in the mountains above us. Snowfall set in, obscuring their foot prints in front of us. If we had feared we were walking into a robber’s den, we had

49

little chance of turning around to ski back to the car. Like patient sheep dogs, our guides kept coming back to make sure we were still following them into the mists.

In vain did we scan the horizon for any sign of ski lifts. There was nothing.

Just more of Hoxha’s mushroom bunkers and some gnarled fir trees. Then, on a high ridge, a multi-storied log building took shape, complete with a brand new Bombardier snowcat parked in front. The shining monster must have cost the best part of Albania’s gross domestic product.

Even more remarkably, the hotel had comfortable rooms with bunk-beds and en-suite bathrooms. But, as this was winter, the pipes had frozen and Nesim had to fetch water from a pond to make tea and soup and to boil potatoes, while his father roasted lamb shanks in a woodfired oven. After countless glasses of raki — our wet climbing skins dangling from the ceiling to dry alongside a mountain of cured meat and beef sausages — we plucked up the courage to enquire about the ski lifts. There were none, we were told with a broad metallic smile. Coils of cable and large pulleys heaped next to a shed were awaiting a brighter future, as were 100 pairs of scarcely used skis, poles and boots to rent. Sport Hotel Skiatori was the manifestation of a skier’s dream, of boundless optimism in the face of a haunting past and a doubtful future.

Given the lack of water, we decided to ski back to the village that same day. Nesim had changed into ski garb, stepping into a brand new pair of Atomic slalom skis, but his father in wellies was not much slower walking downhill than the three of us on skis, carving our turns into puffy powder, with heather and dog roses piercing the freshly fallen snow.

We arrived back to find that our lovelorn driver Alex, who had made several new friends, had learnt many of the rules of dating in Albania. “Pick who you like,” they said. “But you must bring back two Macedonian girls in exchange.”

The villagers were more keen to secure their bloodline than their economy, and were pained by our demands to pay for our day trip. We were their guests, they insisted. After much discussion, they asked for €1 per person with a €30 donation to the future ski club. “One day we will be back,” we promised, and they embraced us like long-lost friends.

We weren’t going to give up on

Albania without another shot at skiing its mountains and finding those fabled ridges. But to do so we had to retrace our steps. We crossed back over the border, happily avoiding the “I-told-you-so” of the jolly border guard, to reach our hotel in Prizren, Kosovo’s second largest city. It is home to Turks, a few remaining Serbs, but mostly Albanians, one of whom was Flutura ‘Butterfly’ Ibrahimi. Aged 27, she is a local celebrity, being Albania’s first woman to climb Everest. She suggested for our second foray that we should aim for Mount Korab, at 2,764m a formidable boundary stone between Albania and Macedonia. That would not be easy.

She introduced us to our guide, Fisnik Nimani, 35, a freeride star of the Balkans.

With his bright blue eyes and lion’s mane of unruly, blond locks, he was as funny and mischievous as he was athletic. We looked forward to a day skiing with him.

We stayed the night at a farm on the flanks of Korab, complete with one horse, one goat, six sheep and a handful of chickens, with a privy in the courtyard.

Our host and his wife cooked dinner: onion pasties, a lamb stew with broad beans, home-made yoghurt and sheep‘s cheese and honey from the village. Then she rolled out mattresses covered with sheepskin.

The small iron stove soon died down and we had to tuck the woollen blankets tightly around our bodies.

It was shortly before dawn when we heard, somewhere in the dark valley below, a strangely melodic song — a doleful lament that grew louder and more insistent, until all the cocks of the village had tuned in. The muezzin of Radomir was calling the devout to prayer.

And we too had to rise.

Dense mist surrounded us, as we made the strenuous ascent towards Mount Korab. For a few hundred metres we had to shoulder our skis until solid snow allowed us to put on touring skins and get into the rhythmic, meditational movement of ski hiking proper.

Soon after the tree line, the mist broke

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November 2017

and we stepped into brilliant sunshine.

The rugged Gates of Korab, marking the start of the summit ridge, were beaming in front of us under a spotless, blue sky.

After four hours of steep traverses we embraced each other as we finally reached the summit and tore the skins off our skis. For a few all too brief turns we were able to admire the seemingly endless chain of steep, majestic slopes, as our skis caressed the soft powder.

All along the western horizon lay the Adriatic Sea, carrying a thousand islands on an amethyst-blue shield.

But all the rest of Albania and Macedonia were still hibernating under a thick duvet of bubbling fog, pierced by the Albanian Alps in the north and Shar Planina with Tito Peak in the east.

Within moments we would dive into that blanket and cross the ‘drug border’ at Peskopi back into Macedonia for our next skiing adventure. But for now we allowed ourselves to enjoy the incredible lightness of skiing. After all, following our Albanian experience, who knew what surprises that country had in store?

Readers can find out in the next issue of Ski+board.

Andreas funded his trip independently.

He travelled with Macedonia Experience, (macedoniaexperience.com) on a threeweek journey through Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia that costs €6,500 per person based on single room, full-board occupancy accommodation in the best available hotels, ski passes, ski guides and private transfers.

skiclub.co.uk

ADVERTORIAL

The new “D-Line” at Ciampac and other surprises of the winter in Val di Fassa The upcoming season winter 17/18 will surprise you with brand-new lifts, entertainment and thermal reinvigorating moments.

December will be the month of surprises and brand-new lifts, with the official opening of the new cable car of Ciampac, the renewed chairlifts from Pera to Ciampedie, thus the beginning of a new winter season. Numerous weekends with music and sports activities, amazing slopes for ski and snowboard lovers and families, unique concerts in amazing landscapes, surrounded by the Dolomiti and wellness moments at QC Terme Dolomiti of Pozza: winter 17/18 in Val di Fassa will be the winter time of your life.

The introduction of new and faster lifts, alongside modified slopes will enrich and improve the offer of the valley, which includes 7 ski areas, connected by bus and slopes where possible, 86 modern lifts, 4 ski tours, incuding the famous Sellaronda, 6 snowparks and 210 km of slopes.

Ciampac lift and other news

The D-Line technology by Doppelmayr/ Garaventa will be used for the first time in December 2017 on the cable car from Alba to Ciampac ski area. An innovative panoramic lift with gondolas for up to 10 people will make the ascent to the Ciampac ski area even faster and comfortable.

With an hourly capacity of 2000 people, the Ciampac lift will efficiently connect the ski areas of Ciampac and Belvedere, easing the interchanges between Skitour Panorama and Sellaronda. Moreover, the Ciampac ski area will also see the change

will host. The weekends of December will have RDS (an Italian radio station) as guest, with sport, music and wellness, likely to be more appealing thanks to the Val di Fassa Sound Premiere offer hwww.fassa. com/EN/Special-ski-offers-Val-di-Fassa-Dolomiti-SuperskiPremiere

of the Sella Brunech and Roseal chairlifts, into a 4-seat lift with automatic hook system.

Lift innovations also for the Catinaccio Skiarea of Vigo: the two chairlifts from Pera to Pian Pecei have been substituted by two 4-seats lifts with automatic hook system. In terms of the slopes, the black “La Volata” at Passo San Pellegrino has been broadened for the ski competitions that will take place in February 2019, alongside the Skistadium Aloch of Pozza for the “Junior World Ski Championship”.

Each month a different event From the very beginning of the upcoming season, cold temperatures will be warmed up by the various events that Val di Fassa

January is the perfect month for some family quality time with Fassa Family Weeks.

Mums, dads and the whole family are more than welcome in Val di Fassa all winter long, although January is the perfect month for some family quality time with Fassa Family Weeks, from January 6 to January 20 www.fassa.com/EN/ Special-offers-Val-di-Fassa--FassaFamily-Weeks. In March and April, sport and entertainment will be at their best, with concerts at the huts with Panorama Music ski weeks and its offer www.fassa.com/ EN/Special-ski-offers-Val-di-Fassa-Dolomiti-SuperSun

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THE INSIDE EDGE 52 TECHNIQUE

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Make it out of the woods with leading instructor Mark Jones’s top tips for skiing between trees

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55 OFF-PISTE After two decades as the Ski Club’s alpine safety adviser, Nigel Shepherd shares some lessons he has learnt

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56 FITNESS Feeling full and frumpy after lunch? Try our warm-ups before an afternoon of skiing. Plus what’s cryotherapy all about?

58 SNOW WEAR From blue to red to… purple? We look at the new classic ski wear colour, and ways you can make the most of it

66 SKI TESTS

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Tackle both piste and powder with the best all-mountain skis of the season from our expert review team

78 BOOTS Customisable for your comfort, this season’s all-mountain boots put you squarely in the driving seat

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82 GEAR

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Get your head in the game to stay safe with the latest helmets and body armour.

Plus are music and skiing compatible?

86 SNOWBOARDS Once the most conventional of boards, all-mountain models will surprise you with their new shapes this season

90 RESORTS As new lifts across the mountains expand our ski areas, expand your horizons by visiting resorts with day-trip potential Ski+board

November 2017

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52

TECHNIQUE

Skiing through glades becomes easier if you follow certain tips, brush up on your powder technique and observe safety rules Being able to ski trees opens a door to a magical environment. On a stormy day there’s nothing better than heading into the woods — the wind drops, there’s

to help keep everything simple and make this an enjoyable experience: yy Plan ahead before making a run. As with skiing moguls, try to mentalise the

silence all around and you’re immersed in another world. But you need a few pointers if you don’t want to end up looking like a sniper because your helmet is so full of shrubbery.

In tree skiing you must be reactive and have the ability to change direction without even thinking about it. But we all need to start somewhere, so if you’re not feeling all that confident, find a spot that has an easy gradient, with big gaps between the trees. Use this to practise linking turns in powder before going deeper into uncharted territory.

When skiing powder in the trees, many of the rules of skiing soft snow apply, but tactics and decision-making must

first two or three turns before setting off. One of the hardest parts of skiing trees is dealing with the pressure to make quick decisions on the move, so if you’ve planned the first three turns it’s easier for you to be tactically smart. yy Keep your speed well under control so you can maintain a constant pace that makes you feel comfortable. If you ski too fast, you’ll be forced into concentrating on shedding speed rather than making good decisions.

If you make more of a steering angle at the end of the turn, this will make a huge difference to your speed.

Curbing your speed is much easier in powder where the resistance of the

be your main focus — they’re even more important than technique.

And remember, if all else fails and you’re heading for a tree you can always just sit down to avoid a collision.

snow will help you. yy If you’re not confident about speed control, try to break the run down into shorter sections. Link five to six turns together before stopping, having a rest, and then breaking into another run. yy Keep an eye on the gaps and possible pathways available. If you focus on the trees you’ll be drawn to them and the run will lose its flow. With practice you should be able to maintain longer descents and move beyond a point where you have to think through every turn. It should be instinctive — ‘think’ a turn and it happens.

TACTICS Fast decision-making and a clear focus are the backbone to having a great run in the trees. Use the following tactics

Mark Jones is director of ICE (icesi.org), a training centre for keen skiers and instructors in Val d’Isère, France.

He’s also a trainer and assessor for Basi, and has represented Great Britain four times with the British demo team at the Interski Congress.

IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING...

If you find you can’t respond rapidly enough to the terrain, it’s worth having a look at your powder technique. Here are some simple changes you can make: yy When starting the turn be confident in

allowing your body to topple over and move into the new direction.

As you topple over, positively steer your feet and skis across the hill. It should feel as if your feet and skis are swinging underneath your upper body. yy Make sure you distribute the pressure equally between both skis as this will stop you from sinking too far with the outer ski and losing your balance. yy Use your pole plant to help maintain a rhythm and to keep you balanced while linking the turns.

As your confidence increases you will start to be more aware of how your body works while it’s in motion. It should feel relaxed but alert, playful, and ready to move. Now you’ve arrived, and the magic forest is your playground.

But, having read this article thus far, don’t dive straight into the nearest wooded area. Staying safe is vital. Here are some essential tips.

SKI WITH A BUDDY While it’s magical to ski among the trees, there’s plenty of potential for accidents. So don’t ski alone. If you ski with a buddy there’s someone on the spot to help get you out of danger or call for assistance.

WEAR A HELMET Wearing a helmet and goggles is a necessity while skiing in the trees.

It’s also worth considering taking your hands out of your pole straps to avoid having your arm yanked when your poles are grabbed by branches, which will happen, especially when the trees are tightly packed, as is the case in many European resorts.

Photo: Ross Woodhall

Can’t ski the wood for the trees?

TEC HNIQU E

CHECK THE BASE Make sure there’s a good base underfoot before heading for the trees. At the start of the season when early winter storms kick in, skiers will often bound into the forest for shelter and do some powder skiing. But it can be dangerous if there’s not enough base. Thick roots and short stumps are known for grabbing and tripping fast-moving skiers. Worse, if your ski passes under a root, your bindings won’t necessarily release and you could have a nasty fall.

AVOID TREE WELLS Tree wells sound innocuous, but should be avoided at all costs. If you fall head

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first into a tree well or deep, loose snow, it can be very risky as there’s a chance you could be trapped under the snow and suffocate. This accounts for 20 per cent of off-piste fatalities in North America.

Ski close to your buddy and maintain contact at all times, so you can help each other out of trouble fast.

BE AVALANCHE AWARE It’s easy to assume that once you’re deep into the trees you’re safe from avalanche danger. This is not so, and if the area where you are skiing is designated off-piste you need to treat it with as much respect as you would on any backcountry trip.

IS IT LEGAL? This is not a safety issue, of course, but few of us want to feel the financial pain of a fine when we’re on the slopes.

In Switzerland, some areas have been designated ‘tranquillity zones’. Unless a ski touring route, piste or snowshoeing trail passes through these zones, they are out of bounds with infringement punishable by a fine of up to 500CHF (£400) and the loss of your lift pass.

Generally, ski areas rope off sensitive areas to protect saplings and fauna, so these boundaries should be respected.

WANT TO FIND A UK SLOPE NEAR YOU?

Don’t focus on trees — you’ll get drawn to them — look for the gaps between them

The tighter the trees, the more vital it is to finish the previous turn so your speed is under control

Let your legs swing under you as you turn, keeping an eye on a path mapped out between the trees Your body should feel relaxed, but your mind should be alert, playful, and ready to move fast

Use a solid pole plant to help with balance and try to maintain a rhythm to your turns

Ski+board

November 2017

skiclub.co.uk

SKI CLUB PROMOTION

Instructor-led Guiding – what’s new for 2017-18?

Our members have had some great times on the snow with our Instructor-led Guiding service over the last couple of seasons.

But that hasn’t stopped us thinking about how we can make the service even better.

So what’s new with ILG for this coming season?

NEW! Instructor-led Guiding in St Anton

NEW! Additional days in the Espace Killy

St Anton is an iconic Austrian resort – fantastic skiing, both on and off piste, combined with legendary après ski, has understandably made the resort hugely popular with Ski Club members and British skiers in general. But for a while now we’ve been unable to have a Ski Club Leader operating there – so this year St Anton becomes the first resort outside of France to offer Instructor-led Guiding. Dancing on the tables at the Moosewirt in your ski boots after your ILG session is entirely optional…

Val d’Isère and Tignes are hugely popular resorts with Ski Club members, and these 2 resorts have seen the highest number of members skiing with our instructors over the last couple of seasons. Some of our members told us that they found it difficult to book on to a session because so many were sold out. So we’ve added an additional Off Piste full day each week in both of these fantastic resorts – meaning that the ILG service now runs from Monday to Friday.

NEW! Non-members can now use ILG

NEW! Intro to Off Piste sessions

ILG is a great Ski Club member benefit – but we understand that many of our members head to the mountains with friends and family who aren’t members.

So this year we’ve made Instructor-led Guiding available to non-members, so you can still ski with your nonmember friends whilst one of our instructors helps you to get the most from the mountain. There’s an additional cost for non-members – but it still offers great value compared to the usual cost of hiring a private instructor.

The feedback we’ve received from members is that they would like more sessions on offer for those who are new to off piste skiing – so we’ve replaced the Further and Faster days with Intro to Off Piste half days. These will be available in all of our ILG resorts and will offer a great introduction to skiers hoping to get bitten by the off piste bug.

For all the details, including timetables and prices, head to skiclub.co.uk/instructors. Booking now open for all resorts!

Really great day, excellent instructor who found the best snow and gave helpful tips, friendly group, great value.

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OFF-PISTE

Why courses offer great satisfaction

Photo: Ross Woodhall

Learning to tell when the conditions allow you to tackle a tricky run only adds to the joy of skiing off-piste A little over 20 years ago, on the recommendation of a fellow guide, I turned up at the Ski Club’s Belgravia HQ for a job interview. I was fortunate to be hired to help with off-piste instruction on what was then called the Reps Course. I knew little about the club and was taken by surprise at how intense the course was. My role was to teach the safety aspects of skiing, with emphasis on understanding snowpack structures and how avalanche hazards develop, and to manage groups skiing in off-piste terrain.

The club in return schooled me in a unique style of après-ski action, which carried some sort of pass or fail mark which I never fully understood — or passed for that matter! I arrived home after two weeks needing several days to catch up on much missed sleep, but hoping I’d be invited back for more.

Having survived numerous Reps Courses (now called Leaders’ Courses), I’m taking a break from my role as the

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.

club’s alpine safety adviser.

But I cannot recommend enough the value of going on an off-piste course, of which the club’s is just one.

Much has changed in the years since I began, as has the role of Leaders. The Ski Club’s course has adopted a more formal structure and there are policies in place that offer parameters in which Leaders can operate. But the one thing that hasn’t altered is the commitment of men and women from all walks of life to give their time, at their own expense, to help other members enjoy holidays in Europe and beyond. These people are the very heart and soul of the club and have earned my total admiration.

We teach many things on the course, such as using transceivers. A few times folk have failed to switch on the device before burying it. Once, pretty much the entire search area was dug up trying to find it. If ever there was a salutary lesson in checking your transceiver is switched on before you go off-piste, that was it!

We go on to stage disaster scenarios.

Once I saw a trainee, rather than pacify the ‘distressed relative of a victim’, rugby tackle him and sit on him to keep him out of harm’s way. I had to explain — it’s only training! Do bear in mind that real avalanche scenarios will be even more dramatic, so prevention is better than cure. To this end, the snow safety Ski+board

November 2017

Courses can alert off-piste skiers to the many hazards they may face in the backcountry

elements of the course are some of the most vital and popular, along with ski technique instruction. Candidates with a high level of ability and experience often get to ski classic couloirs if conditions allow, with the added satisfaction of learning to determine for themselves when the conditions are right. There have been some epic snow years and some lean years. But we’ve never failed to run the course through lack of snow.

This may sound like an advert for the course and I offer no apologies for that. It is a comprehensive training programme of leadership skills, mountaincraft and safety, suiting several levels of skier.

On a personal level, it’s been about a great deal more than the instruction — the days spent skiing with prospective Leaders and old hands have been among my most memorable on skis. I’ll miss skiing with such lovely people. As they say nowadays — it’s been a great journey.

But I will be back in the next issue of Ski+board to talk about choosing a guide.

skiclub.co.uk

READ SNOW REPORTS THAT ARE UPDATED DAILY HERE

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FITNESS

Ward off the post-lunch slump A recipe for disaster is skiing immediately after you have cooled off sitting outside for a big lunch. So try these afternoon warm-up tips It’s tempting to speed off after lunch to go skiing, particularly if you’ve waited an eternity for the bill. But after eating, more blood flows to your stomach and less to your legs. If you want to get going quickly, try these rapid-fire exercises to get your blood flowing, warming up your whole body from triceps to toes.

Each of these exercises should be repeated ten times — on each side,

1 LEG PISTON

where relevant — ideally in sets of three.

Try to keep a strong, upright posture.

In the next issue, we will look at après exercises to prevent you seizing up at the end of the skiing day, and in the February/March issue we will look at stretches that aid sleep.

READ MORE OF CRAIG’S TIPS IN BACK ISSUES HERE

A

Craig McLean is a chiropractor and fitness expert.

He has worked in the ski industry for over 15 years, helping Olympians such as Chemmy Alcott and Graham Bell recover from injury without surgery. He also consults for the Warren Smith Ski Academy.

B

A Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, and raise one knee off the snow, using your poles for stability.

B Lift your thigh until it’s parallel to the ground, keep your head up and spine straight. Repeat rapidly.

You’re doing it wrong if… You sway from side to side with each leg lift or let your spine bend forward.

2 SKI POLE SQUATS

A

B

A Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and, using your poles to hold you steady, move to squat down.

B Get your knees bent to as close to 90 degrees as possible, keeping your head up and your chest out.

You’re doing it wrong if… You let your body collapse. Keep a strong posture and don’t bend at the hips.

What’s it like to do...? cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is one of the coolest ski fitness trends right now. The idea dates back to ancient Greece, when Hippocrates used snow to treat pain and inflammation. I learnt of it when a swollen knee threatened a ski trip.

So here I am, in an underground lair in Kensington, giving it a go. I strip to my underwear, don gloves and boots

to protect my digits and step into the pod, filled with three parts liquid nitrogen vapour to one part oxygen.

It’s cold. Minus 130°C. Soon my skin tingles, my knees and thighs go numb and my teeth chatter. It’s an odd way to boost your circulation, but in fact I’ve felt far chillier on chairlifts.

“It’s a dry cold that won’t penetrate

F ITN ESS

B

A

3 SIDE BEND OF BACK

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A Start upright, with your weight on both feet. With one pole parallel to the snow gently lean over to one side.

B Lower your hand towards your boot, stretching the lower back. Return to the start position and repeat on both sides.

You’re doing it wrong if… You’re leaning forward or twisting too much.

Be gentle with your movements.

4 LOWER BACK TWIST

A

A From a standing position, plant your poles to one side and twist your body to face over one shoulder.

B

A

B Twist your torso further until you reach the maximum comfortable stretch in your lower back.

You’re doing it wrong if… You’re over-twisting or over-extending your back. Keep your spine still.

5 TRICEP STRETCH

A

B

A Lift one arm behind your head and take your elbow with the other hand, gently pulling it further back.

B Repeat on the other side. Hold this stretch for up to 30 seconds each side.

This will help strengthen pole plants.

You’re doing it wrong if… Your head or upper back rolls forward. And don’t be too forceful when you pull your arm.

the skin, but cools it to plus 1.5°C,” says Alla Pashynska, who brought the first pod to Britain in 2015. She has shut the door for 150 seconds, but my head sticks out the top — unlike cryogenics, where people freeze their bodies after they die in the hope of being brought back to life years later.

“What you feel is very beneficial,”

Alla adds to distract me from the cold. “Your brain is diverting blood to your core to keep vital organs — heart, brain and lungs — working.”

Sixty seconds and counting...

“This triggers a release of hormones, anti-inflammatories and endorphins.”

Studies show this speeds up muscle recovery, boosts the immune system Ski+board

November 2017

and aids sleep. Stepping out, I’m relieved simply to be alive, then warm, as blood rushes back. Walking down the street is surreal, but my knee already feels better, and I’m ready to hit the mountains again. Louise Hall Sessions at Ice Health London or Stoke-on-Trent (07760 460858; icehealth.co.uk) start at £95.

skiclub.co.uk

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SNO W W EA R

MAMMUT STONEY HS THERMO JACKET £400 Waterproof, windproof and breathable, with detachable hood and powder skirt, the Stoney jacket also packs down surprisingly well given that it’s very well insulated. A good range of inner and outer pockets, armpit zips and wrist gaiters round things off nicely.

Good design, good looks, versatile Not the cheapest

Annie wears Mammut Stoney HS Thermo jacket (£400), Planks Yeti Hunter pants (£190), Smith I/07 goggles (£215), and Bern Muse helmet (£90)

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PLANKS REUNION SOFT SHELL £110

SNOW WEAR

Versatile snowproof and windproof soft shell that looks equally at home on the slopes or on the streets. Not a technical garment as such, so other than the helmet compatible (but non-adjustable) hood all you get are two hand pockets and internal iPod pocket.

Has skiing entered its purple period?

Good looks, versatile, great price Limited features

The classic reds and blues of ski jackets have been blended to create the new colour of the season Words by Harriet Johnston and Alf Alderson Purple has long been seen as the colour of luxury — and of self-indulgence for writers — and until this season was considered secondary to the more traditional red and blue tones of ski jackets. However, this season its entry into the strata of classic skiwear, both for men and women, has been confirmed.

From muted plum and dark wine hues, to bright violet and amethyst, we feature a variety of purple jackets with reviews. We also look at how you can incorporate smaller touches of the colour into your current ski outfit, with berry-coloured gloves or flashes of purple in helmets and goggle straps.

One way to pull off bold, bright colours in jackets is to offset them against ski pants that come in more muted colours such as khaki or navy blue.

Rosie wears Planks Reunion Soft Shell jacket (£110) with Planks Good Times pants (£160), Picture Anna 2.0 gloves (£65), Picture Tempo 2 helmet (£75), Dragon NFX black goggles (£110), and Picture My Mountain buff (£30)

Red wears Burton GoreTex Swash Jacket (£400), and Men’s Cargo pants (£180) with Scott Linx goggles (£120) and Bern Watts helmet (£90) Ski+board

November 2017

Contrast is key, says Dave Whitlow, clothing buyer at Ellis Brigham. He adds: “With solid colours, water resistant zips provide tonal harmony or colour pops.

Contrast can also come from brightly coloured mid layers peeping through.”

In the next issue of Ski+board, we will look at how fabric technology is evolving, while in the February/March issue we will examine how the on-going sustainability trend means you don’t have to throw away clothing before time.

READ MORE OF OUR REVIEWS HERE skiclub.co.uk

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SNO W W EA R

Red wears 686 Geo insulated jacket (£180), Scott Vertic GTX 3L pants (£430) with Dragon NFX Split goggles (£110) and 686 Recon infiLOFT gloves (£50)

686 GEO INSULATED JACKET £180 Stylish with an understated design and Gore-tex shell, this jacket features relatively light insulation and is not designed for temperatures below minus 7°C. Technical features include armpit zips, a detachable powder skirt, an adjustable hood and wrist gaiters.

Plain, no-nonsense looks at a decent price Hood adjustment could be better

SNO W W EA R

Tom wears Ortovox Guardian jacket (£600) with matching pants (£520), plus Dragon NFX Black goggles (£110), and Smith Maze helmet (£100)

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Rosie wears Arc’Teryx Airah jacket (£460) with Picture Treva pants (£170), and Bern Muse helmet (£90), Picture Anna 2.0 gloves (£65), Smith Riot I/07 goggles in tiger (£215)

ORTOVOX GUARDIAN JACKET £600

PICTURE TREVA PANTS £170

This tough shell has 20k/20k waterproofing/breathability.

That means it should withstand a 20m-high column of water per square inch from outside and release 20kg of vapour per square metre from inside. It has a removable powder skirt, adjustable hood, armpit zips, two front pockets, soft-feel outer fabric with four-way stretch and wicking merino lining.

These are well-insulated pants with a powder skirt for added warmth and a drawcord waist. Snowboarders will appreciate the foam inserts at the knees, while all of us can benefit from the 10k/10k waterproofing/breathability (see explanation, left).

Features include zipped hand pockets, venting zips and the use of eco-friendly fabrics with durable waterproof coating.

Plain, simple, but effective design Hood is huge when worn without a helmet. Super-pricey

Ski+board

Good insulation, good build Faux cargo pocket on left leg seems a bit pointless

November 2017

skiclub.co.uk

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SNO W W EA R

From left to right, Rosie wears Planks Good Times jacket (£200) with 686 Patron Insulated pants (£150), Picture Anna 2.0 gloves (£65), Bern Muse helmet (£90) and Smith Riot I/07 goggles (£215).

Will wears Planks Good Times jacket (£230) and matching pants (£170) with Smith Maze helmet (£100) and Dragon NFX2 Mill goggles (£150).

Annie wears 686 Ceremony Insulated jacket (£250) with Planks Good Times pants (£160), Picture McPherson gloves (£90) and Atomic Revent goggles (£145)

PLANKS GOOD TIMES MEN'S JACKET £230

686 CEREMONY WOMEN'S JACKET £250

Urban style combines with loads of useful features in the Good Times jacket, making it a great option if you want one piece that you can wear while you ski or in the street. It has generous insulation, a removable powder skirt, armpit zips, a helmet-compatible hood and plenty of pockets.

The Ceremony is designed to keep you warm down to minus 18°C, with a lovely mix of tactile linings and zipped chest vents for when things do hot up. A wide range of features include hand pockets, inner pockets, a removable powder skirt and removable faux fur hood trim — helpful when you come to wash it.

Versatile design Hood adjustment could be better

Warm, lots of features Hood not adjustable; quite heavy

SNO W W EA R

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O'NEILL JONES ELEVATION JACKET £260 This well-engineered two-layer shell offers good insulation without being too heavy or bulky. Features include a stack of inner and outer pockets, an adjustable, lined hood, armpit zips and a powder skirt (not removable). Colours are likely to be love or hate though…

Good design, lots of features Colours won’t appeal to all

MAJOR BRITISH RETAILERS Snow+Rock: snowandrock.com Cotswold Outdoor: cotswoldoutdoor.com Ellis Brigham: ellis-brigham.com Surfdome: surfdome.com TSA: snowboard-asylum.com The retailers above offer Ski Club members ten per cent off full-priced products, apart from Snow+Rock and Cotswold Outdoor, which offer 15 per cent CONTACTS 686: 686.com Anon: anonoptics.com Arc’teryx: arcteryx.com Atomic: atomic.com Barts: barts.eu Bawbags: bawbags.com Bern: bernunlimited.com Burton: burton.com CLWR: snowtraxstore.co.uk Dragon: dragonalliance.com Mammut: mammut.com Oakley: oakley.com O’Neill: oneill.com Ortovox: ortovox.com Picture: ellis-brigham.com Planks: planksclothing.com Scott: ellis-brigham.com Smith: smithoptics.com Fashion editor Harriet Johnston Photoshoot director and illustrator Amanda Barks Assistants Rebeca Gonzalez Jonny Cass Photography Steven Haddock Hair and make-up Naomi Serene Models Red Rainey Rosie Nelson Annie Tanton Tom Ashton

Rosie wears O’Neill Jones Elevation jacket (£260), Planks Good Times pants (£160), Picture Spread 2.0 helmet (£150) and Dragon NFX2 Mill goggles (£150) Ski+board

November 2017

skiclub.co.uk

Get to know...

Alex Chapman Alex Chapman is a fully qualified BASI ski instructor and runs TipTop Ski Coaching. She also heads up the Freshtracks programmes in the Les Deux Alpes area - development and offpiste holidays, so everything from helping intermediates perfect their turns on the glacier, to navigating the couloirs of La Grave.

How many years have you spent on the mountain as an instructor?

This is my fifth year as an instructor for Freshtracks, but I’ve been working and living in the mountains for 13 seasons. Although I worked in sport development before this, I’ve always loved the mountains and the way of life here.

What’s your first memory in the mountains?

I learnt to ski as a child with my parents and my sister. We often went to France on holiday – I think the first place we went was Val Morel – although we went to different places every year for a holiday. My family are reasonable skiers – although I’m not sure they could keep up with me so well now!

What’s your favourite thing about your job?

I like sharing my passion for sking in the mountains with other people. There’s something really special about seeing someone enjoy the mountains as much as I do, particularly when those people are beginners who haven’t been off piste before, who are experiencing something new and I can show them that.

Can you let us in on your favourite resort to ski in?

My favourite resort is Les Deux Alpes – it’s got a good variety of terrain, La Grave is right on the doorstep, snow is essentially guaranteed. You can ski almost every day in Les Deux Alpes.

And where can you recommend as the best place for us to grab a bite for lunch?

The Refuge de La Fée in the La Fée sector is really very, very good.

Great salads. I also like Le Diable au Coeur for something a bit sturdier – they do a great lamb shank. The onion soup is also really good.

What’s your favourite animal to see on the slopes?

I do like to see ibex, although I drove past a wild boar the day before yesterday in the mountains. He was just hanging out on the side of the road – something a bit different!

What’s the biggest misconception about your job?

People assume just because you’re a ski instructor you don’t feel the cold. On the coldest day in Les Deux Alpes it might be -40, with wind chill – believe me, it’s hard not to feel that!

Who would be in your dream ski group?

My dream group? Anyone enthusiastic who wants to learn and experience new things. Of course that has to happen at their own pace, but when you’re skiing with people who are enthusiastic and want to challenge themselves... there’s nothing better. And that can be going to to La Grave for the first time or jumping up from green to red slopes. Anyone wanting to learn is the best group to have.

What’s your gnarliest story from your years on the mountain?

My gnarliest story has to be anytime I’m skiing in La Grave. I do tend to ski there a lot...but it’s the whole place. Of course you have to be very safe there, but it’s the entire experience of skiing there, looking up at La Meije, looking at the glaciers and couloirs. The thing that people sometimes don’t realise is that the easier routes are not that difficult – there are options for all kinds of skiers. The place itself is just absolutely magical. It’s so far from the top to the bottom that once you’re in it, you’re in it.

You really just have to go for it.

What’s your all time best achievement?

I suppose becoming a ski instructor was my best achievement. I finished my exams 7 years ago and I remember being absolutely ecstatic. It was also just a huge feeling of relief.

SKI CLUB PROMOTION

People assume ski instructors don’t feel the cold - believe me, we do!

You can find me here...

The options within this area of the Alps are extensive – no matter what type of skier you may be. The family friendly resort of Les Deux Alpes has a very reliable snow record, with high altitude and its year round glacier. It continues to progress with more snow making installations ahead of this season. Whether you’re looking for long cruisey runs or varied terrain parks, Les Deux Alpes is a strong contender at offering all kinds of skiing for all kinds of skiers. It has over 1400 hectares of off piste terrain, including La Fée bowl, the Vallons Diable itinerary and La Dome Glacier.

photo: Robert Forte-TGM

If that’s not tickling your fancy, then just a stone’s throw away is La Grave, the legendary freeride destination. Earlier this year, the future of the freeride mecca was secured when lift operator SATA agreed to take over the lease of the single téléphérique.

Ski+board travelled to La Grave mere weeks before the decision was made – it was covered in the October issue of the magazine.

Ski Club’s Freshtracks run many holidays to the region throughout the season, and Alex will often take her groups there for a day away from Les Deux Alpes.

Holiday details can be found online at skiclub.co.uk/freshtracks or in your Freshtracks brochure.

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SKI TESTS

SIDECUT

Don’t twist or stick this winter — just buy Technological advances have taken the gamble out of purchasing a ski that can handle it all Words by Mark Jones For most manufacturers the all-mountain category is the big one — it’s the area to which most skiers gravitate in their hunt to find a ski for all conditions. But that remit is a challenge. How do you balance powder requirements, which call for a wide platform, soft flex and rockered profile, with piste performance, where narrow platforms, stiffer flexes and minimal rocker are the basics?

It’s a tough one as there’s no cure-all.

The main trend our testers identified is greater use of the latest materials,

This is the width of the tip, waist and tail of the ski, given in that order. A wider ski floats better off-piste, while a narrower ski will grip better on piste

which allow for lighter weights and a softer longitudinal flex, while remaining torsionally stiff, with a modicum of rocker (and cool graphics) thrown in.

This has been a great success, with the winners being able to pull off the tough act of delivering exciting carving performance on groomers, while still being playful and easy in the soft stuff.

The testers also noted that for many of the others there are big variations in the conditions and terrain to which they’re suited. They vary from laid back powder planks to high-speed piste screamers. If you do spend 99 per cent of your time on piste, the next issue will cover the piste performance category, as Ski+board covered freeride skis in the October issue.

For touring fans, the February/March issue will have reviews of freetour skis.

SEE VIDEO FOOTAGE OF OUR TESTERS ON TOP SKIS

CAMBER

Traditional camber effective edge

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

Camber with front rocker effective edge

Camber with front and tail rocker effective edge

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 length

Reverse camber (full rocker) effective edge

E A I B

We rate each ski by the type of skier it would suit. So in the example on the left, the ski would suit upper intermediate to advanced skiers, but it’s not so well suited to beginners or all experts. Generally, the skis tested are aimed at those who have skied before.

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

SKI TESTS

Meet the jury

SKI CORES RADIUS This is the radius of the theoretical circle that a ski will naturally make in the snow when tilted on its edge. A small radius produces tight turns. The radius varies with ski length: the length tested is given in bold

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

The Ski Club’s test team is made up of top skiers who can offer unparalleled insights into a ski’s performance: MARK JONES Director of ICE training centre in Val d’Isère, France, and trainer for Basi icesi.org AL MORGAN Ski Club head of Member Services and former ski service manager skiclub.co.uk

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

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

WOOD CORES 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

EILIDH MCLEOD Former British Ski Team member coaching under16s. See page 75 kandaharracing.com JOHN TAYLOR An experienced instructor with Stoked in Zermatt, Switzerland. See page 69 stoked.ch SAM PARKES Instructor with Summit Ski School in Zermatt who just passed the Basi Level 4 exam summitskischool.com PETE DAVISON Ex-action model who now owns retailer LD Mountain Centre ldmountaincentre.com TESS SWALLOW Independent Basi Level 4 instructor in Val d’Isère and Basi trainer tradski.com

SIDEWALL This is a wall of plastic, typically ABS (the stuff Lego is made of), running from the metal base edge of the ski to the topsheet. It drives power to the metal edges, protects the core and can also help absorb vibrations

LYNN MILL Ex-British champion who instructs in Val d’Isère and is a coach for British Parasport valdskiinstructors.com

CAP This is where the topsheet and other layers roll down over the side of the ski to the metal edge. The benefit of caps over sidewalls is they often make skis lighter, more forgiving and more resistant to damage

67

Sidewall construction

Cap construction

ROWENA PHILLIPS Basi Level 4 instructor at Matterhorn Diamonds in Zermatt. See page 77 matterhorn-diamonds.com NICKO BRAXTON Basi Level 4 instructor with TDC in Val d’Isère who runs his own telemark courses tdcski.com BELLA SEEL Fully certified in the French, Swiss and UK systems, she runs concierge service ALS alsprivate.com

COMBO Cap and sidewall can be combined in several ways, by having sidewall underfoot with cap at tip and tail, say, or cap rolling down to meet sidewall for the length of the ski. Each affects the ski’s performance

Core Topsheet Reinforcement Edges Sidewall Base

Ski+board

November 2017

NATASHA EDWARDS Basi Level 3 and ISIA rated instructor who is technically brilliant on groomers natasha_edwards@outlook.com

skiclub.co.uk

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MEN’S A LL- MOUNTA IN SKIS: INTER M ED IATE TO A DVA NC ED

Weights are dropping, performance is rising, and there are some very interesting new contenders on the market this winter.

The range of characteristics within this category is huge — some feel as if they are totally focused on piste performance, while others could work well with touring bindings for backcountry adventures.

But there are a select few that seem to have all bases covered.

If you’re committed to buying or renting a ski that can dominate the whole mountain, the winners of the Ski Club’s prestigious awards are the perfect place to start.

Of course, prices have risen this season, after sterling’s Brexit vote slide. But the Salomon XDR is no more expensive than last season’s Salomon X-Drive at £560, and at £530 the award-winning Black Crows Orb is just £30 more than last winter.

Most prices are £50 to £60 higher.

Faction Prodigy 1.0

£389 without bindings

Armada Invictus 89TI

£480 without bindings

Fischer Pro MTN 80

£560 with binding

BUILD

Cap & sidewall combo/light wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 120-90-110 RADIUS 19m (176cm) LENGTHS (cm) 168, 172, 176, 182 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,685g (176cm)

BUILD

Cap & sidewall combo/carbon, Kevlar & Titanal wood core/tip rocker SIDECUT (mm) 130-88-121 RADIUS 17.5m (179cm) LENGTHS (cm) 163, 171, 179, 187 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

BUILD

THEY SAY The Prodigy 1.0 is a park ski with a reactive wood core that adapts to all types of rider in all conditions.

WE SAY Different from most of the skis in this group, the Prodigy is happy cruising in all conditions.

In deep, off-piste snow it’s fun and easy to use — the wide 120mm shovel allows for quick floatation and helps to guide the ski into the turn. On piste, it’s less stable with a loss of edge grip, as there’s not enough power to handle high speeds or big angles. It’s better at slower speeds.

THEY SAY The ultimate edge laying, corduroy ripping tool whose 89mm waist isn’t afraid to gobble up crud, pow and the rest.

WE SAY It has aggressive graphics and a gladiatorial name, but the Invictus was one of the most playful skis off-piste in the test. Its wide forebody gives it lift in powder, while its light construction allows you to adjust the steering quickly. It works well for both easy cruising and in allmountain conditions. It’s less sure at high speed, but it’s great as an entrée into all-mountain skiing.

THEY SAY The all-mountain rocker with early rise tail makes it agile even on tracked snow. For skiers who accept no boundaries.

WE SAY The Pro MTN 80 has a light, sensitive touch with the snow which lets you feel what’s going on underfoot from the conditions and reaction from your soles. Although the ski is light and easy, it still has a strong grip with a super smooth ride, while the fairly narrow 80mm waist makes it quick on to the edge. It’s playful in powder but some might prefer a wider platform for the deeps.

E A I B

This ski needed a lot of work from a good technician (Al Morgan) Easy going and fun in variable off-piste conditions (John Taylor) Playful in the powder Not good at high speed in mixed snow

Sidewall/carbon, Titanal & light wood core/tip rocker SIDECUT (mm) 124-80-110 RADIUS 16m (173cm) LENGTHS (cm) 159, 166, 173, 180 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,700g (173cm)

E A I B

Great intermediate ski for someone aspiring to do more off-piste (Al Morgan) Skis well if it’s not pushed, more playful than some (Nicko Braxton) Light and easy; playful in all conditions Limited at speed and in its performance

E A I B

Smooth; great contact with the snow. Light but performs well (Mark Jones) Great on piste.

Narrow at the shovel; might be tricky in deep snow (Sam Parkes) Sensitive, reactive; still grips on piste Needs to be wider for deep snow

Photo: Ross Woodhall

What’s new in men’s all-mountain skis?

MEN’S A LL- MOUN TA IN SKIS: INTER M ED IATE TO A DVA NC ED

E A I B

Line Sick Day 94

£440 without bindings

Movement Icon 89

£479 without bindings

BUILD

Cap & sidewall/carbon light wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 131-94-117 RADIUS 17.6m (179cm) LENGTHS (cm) 172, 179, 186 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,623g (179cm)

BUILD

THEY SAY Light, fun and easy, the Sick Day incorporates all the best all-mountain features in an approachable, intuitive profile.

WE SAY Many smaller brands have a freeride/park image so it’s a challenge for them to produce a ski for both on and off-piste.

Not so with the Sick Day. It’s wide enough for deep powder, yet is still agile in shorter turns. In the backcountry, it excels with its wide, rockered shovel and soft flex. On piste, it feels too soft for strong skiing, but the reactive sidecut makes it easier to edge.

THEY SAY Movement’s freeride Icon 89 allows the skier to explore the mountain in all conditions.

WE SAY If you like jibbing away from the pistes, the Icon is great fun and a good choice. For an allmountain ski, it feels at home in powder with the ability to drift and smear with the best of them, and it’s awesome in the deepest snow. It floats up quickly to give a smooth ride, making the skier feel confident. On piste, it feels wide underfoot so is slow on to the edge and lacks grip.

Cap & sidewall combo/light wood core /tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 130-89-117 RADIUS 15m (182cm) LENGTHS (cm) 168, 175, 182 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

Nice width underfoot; great for deeper snow with its wide shovel and soft flex (Mark Jones) Fun ski, soft, great for jibbing about (Sam Parkes)

A

Soft and playful in powder; nice shape Weak on piste for high-end skiing

B

E

I

Floaty in powder, but feeling wide underfoot it lacks grip on hardpack (Mark Jones) Floats well in deep snow but has no edge grip on firm pistes (Pete Davison) Real deal in powder and backcountry Not very strong on piste; lacks grip

TESTER PROFILE

John Taylor Only the most dedicated skiers make it into the team for our annual ski tests held in Kühtai, Austria. John, who was new to the team, came well qualified. He has worked with Stoked ski school in Zermatt for the past 14 years and has the coveted ISIA international instructor’s stamp. But you don’t just need good, impartial testers — you want good conditions too. And the Tirolean resort came up trumps for him. He’s into powder, and he loved the perfect, untouched, deep snow on tap every time the team did a backcountry run. stoked.ch

69

70

MEN’S A LL- MOU NTA IN SKIS: INTER M ED IATE TO EX PERT

A I B

Atomic Vantage 90 Cti

£600 with bindings

K2 iKonic 84Ti

£660 with bindings

BUILD

Sidewall/carbon, flax & Titanal wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 127-80-110 RADIUS 15m (176cm) LENGTHS (cm) 155, 162, 169, 176, 183 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,897g (176cm)

BUILD

Cap & sidewall combo/carbon & titanium wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 134-90-117 RADIUS 17.8m (184cm) LENGTHS (cm) 161, 169, 176, 184 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,820g (184cm)

BUILD

THEY SAY The XDR 80 Ti gives a smooth ride, stability and playfulness that defies what you expect of a lightweight ski.

WE SAY This is a major new ski for Salomon, and a new direction for its all-mountain range. With its lightweight construction, new shape and wide shovel, the XDR is easy to use and performs well in all conditions. When tilted on to the edge it has strong grip and it works well in all turns. In powder and crud, it floats up easily and is fun, with the shovel helping to cut through tricky snow. A great ski.

THEY SAY The Vantage 90 Cti grips like a high performance ski, but is still nice and floaty in powder.

WE SAY The Vantage covers all bases and is a very capable allmountain ski. With its reactive sidecut, it responds well on an edge, making it fun on groomers and comfortable in mid- to long radius turns. At speed, it feels strong and stable. In shorter turns, it’s slower from edge to edge and is more cumbersome. Off-piste, it has lots of float and feels very playful.

THEY SAY The redesigned iKonic 84Ti is a highly versatile ski capable of ripping groomers on any day and in any condition.

WE SAY The iKonic is very reactive on piste. It’s quick from edge to edge with strong edge hold, and is smooth and stable at high speed. In the backcountry, the tip floats up easily and making adjustments through the turn is effortless. Some testers feel it could give more ‘grunt’ when pushed hard, and others think its looks lack rack appeal. But it’s a strong all rounder.

Easy turn initiation and good grip, strong power from the tail (Pete Davison) Easy to use, shape and shovel work well, feels spot on for all-mountain use (Mark Jones)

A

Fun in powder; great all-mountain ski Could be grippier on hard snow

B

B

Reactive on piste; floaty in powder Doesn’t really go above expectations

B

I

Playful, would take it on my holidays (Nicko Braxton) Don’t be intimidated by it. It’s not a high performer, but will suit a broad range of skiers (Al Morgan) Works well on most types of terrain Needs more punch in tricky conditions

Head Monster 88Ti

£580 with bindings

BUILD

Cap & sidewall combo/Titanal light wood core/tip rocker SIDECUT (mm) 122-91-109 RADIUS 18m (178cm) LENGTHS (cm) 166,172, 178, 183 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,875g (178cm)

BUILD

Visco-elastic, Titanal and ABS sidewall/wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 125-88-109 RADIUS 18m (180cm) LENGTHS (cm) 166, 173, 180, 186 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

BUILD

THEY SAY With the addition of two Titanal plates, this ski is a real beast now. The new Orb has great pop and is full of life.

WE SAY The flex and TOP SKI sidecut are well judged RF OR M and it feels balanced, giving a very smooth ride. It has great stability at speed both on and off-piste, and feels floaty and playful in powder, while being quick and reactive on piste. Like all the Black Crows skis we tested, this is a high quality ski which will last. An awesome ski, which works brilliantly in all conditions.

THEY SAY Merging freeride DNA with all-mountain width, the new Legend X88 gives powerful, all-terrain performance.

WE SAY Wow! The new TOP SKI Legend is a fantastic RF OR M ski. On piste it has high levels of grip and blasts around in medium to long turns; for its width it’s also quick from edge to edge. On groomers it has no faults.

The icing on the cake is that in powder it’s just as good, with a playful, super easy, floaty nature that allows you to fully engage in any backcountry conditions.

THEY SAY Built for ripping up groomers as well as blazing offpiste, the medium-wide Monster 88 is a versatile all-terrain ski.

WE SAY This year, Head has made a change to the Monster’s rocker to make it softer in the flex, so it’s more of an all-round, userfriendly piece of kit compared with last season’s ski. But it retains its rock solid stability at speed, and gives a skier confidence when going fast. On piste, it’s great fun, stable, with good levels of grip. In deeper powder, it works well, but lacks life and agility.

ER

PE

I

A

E

Dynastar Legend X88

£560 with bindings

PE

A

I

Feels wider than 90mm. Open it up and it’s great, especially in longer turns (Al Morgan) A safe, confidence-building ski — a good all rounder (John Taylor)

Black Crows ORB

£530 without bindings

SK

E

E

Sidewall/carbon & Titanal light wood core/tip rocker SIDECUT (mm) 133-84-112 RADIUS 17.5m (177cm) LENGTHS (cm) 163, 170, 177, 184 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

2015

IC

LUB

OF GREAT BR

ITA

Very smooth, feels balanced in flex and sidecut, skis well on and off-piste (Mark Jones) A great all-rounder; I loved it. Maintains punch on the piste (Nicko Braxton) Surprisingly punchy in short turns Hard to fault

SK

IN

E A I B

2015

IC

LUB

OF GREAT BR

ITA

IN

Well balanced, easy to turn; narrow tail lets you to ski at speed with ease (Pete Davison) Floats off-piste, but can easily perform on piste (Nicko Braxton) Awesome both on and off-piste Hard to fault

Cap & sidewall combo/carbon & Titanal wood core/tip rocker SIDECUT (mm) 133-88-114 RADIUS 17.4m (177cm) LENGTHS (cm) 163, 170, 177, 184 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

ER

E

Salomon XDR 80 Ti

£560 with bindings

E A I B

Solid all-mountain ski that’s user-friendly and easy (Nicko Braxton) Feels light underfoot, great across a broad range of turn shapes (Al Morgan) Fun on piste; stable, yet easy to use Could be more playful in the deep stuff

MEN’S A LL- MOU NTA IN SKIS: INTER M ED IATE TO EX PERT

Rossignol Experience 88HD

£575 with bindings

Scott The Ski

£450 without bindings

BUILD

Sidewall/titanium light wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 124-85-109 RADIUS 16.5m (179cm) LENGTHS (cm) 165, 172, 179, 186 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

BUILD

Sidewall/carbon & wood core with honeycomb tip/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 135-88-124 RADIUS 16.5m (180cm) LENGTHS (cm) 156,164, 172, 180, 188 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

BUILD

Cap & sidewall combo/elliptic wood core/tip rocker SIDECUT (mm) 131-92-121 RADIUS 18m (180cm) LENGTHS (cm) 175, 180, 185 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,950g (180cm)

THEY SAY If you’re looking for a lightweight, versatile ride, the new Navigator 85 is the perfect ski for you.

TOP WE SAY The Navigator SKI R is well-balanced with an FOR M ideal shape and design for all-mountain use. Its light swing weight and great balance make it easy to pivot at slow speed, while it’s solid with great edge grip when skiing faster. It works well in medium to long radius turns.

In the backcountry it has quick reactions on the steeps and feels nimble, floaty and easy in powder.

THEY SAY The benchmark for experts, the Experience 88HD blends high performance carving with an effortless freeride feel.

WE SAY The 88HD works well on piste — it has great stability and edge grip, and in longer turns is solid and easy to read through the arc. Hard-charging skiers will love it and want to go on the edge. In shorter turns it feels heavier and less agile though. In deeper snow, its wider platform and rockered tip help make it usable, but it feels more like a wide platformed piste ski than one for powder.

THEY SAY With 3Dimension sidecut and a Pro-Tip Rocker, The Ski provides performance and versatility in all conditions.

WE SAY A regular winner in the all-mountain category, The Ski has long been our benchmark. It’s still great, retaining its amazingly smooth ride and sensitivity under foot. On piste, it grips well and carves medium to long turns with ease, though the wider waist means it’s slower on to the edge in short turns. But it shines in backcountry powder and crud due to its instant float and ease of use.

A I B

ER

PE

Nordica Navigator 85

£440 without bindings

SK

E

71

2015

IC

LUB

OF GREAT BR

ITA

IN

Very easy to use at all speeds.

Light and nimble with great edge grip (Peter Davison) The most fun all-mountain ski. Lively; edge hold is impressive (John Taylor) Strong on piste and fun in powder Hard to fault

E A I B

Great stability at speed, powerful in long turns, solid platform (Pete Davison) Great for proficient skiers wanting to go hard, they’ll love it (Al Morgan) Stable, fast and fun on piste Less agile in short turns and deep snow

E A I B

Still great! Smooth on the edge, works well in deep snow (Mark Jones) Light and nimble, easy to change turn radius, well balanced (Pete Davison) Strong character; awesome in powder Slower from edge to edge in short turns

72

MEN’S A LL- MOU NTA IN SKIS: A DVA NC ED TO EX PERT

E A I B

Blizzard Brahma

£510 without bindings

Kästle FX85 HP

£765 with bindings

Völkl RTM 84

£745 with bindings

BUILD

Sidewall/carbon & Titanal light wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 127-88-111 RADIUS 17m (180cm) LENGTHS (cm) 166, 173, 180, 187 WEIGHT (per ski) 2,000g (180cm)

BUILD Cap & sidewall combo/Titanal wood

BUILD

THEY SAY The Brahma is the ‘go to’ ski for firm snow. You’ll be linking turns on this quick, responsive ski all season.

WE SAY The Brahma is one of the most high speed focused skis we tested. It has huge stability at speed and great edge grip when pushed hard. It’s strong on piste and is like a race ski in longer turns. But this strength works against it in softer, off-piste snow, where it feels more unforgiving, especially at slower speeds and in shorter turns. However, for groomed runs this ski is a blast.

THEY SAY A modern, allmountain freeride ski with rocker for added versatility throughout the day or season.

WE SAY Kästle makes quality skis, with a price tag to match. This hits you at once: the huge grip, smooth ride and amazing damping at speed give it a powerful character.

It’s unbeatable on piste — like a softer, wider race ski, with incisive engagement into the turn, and it’s able to react instantly to a skier’s input. Its soft tip and wide enough platform mean it’s capable offpiste too.

Skied it hard with a massive edge angle, but it didn’t feel like an all-mountain ski (Al Morgan) Great for high speed, but not much else (Nicko Braxton) Strong edge grip; very stable Not easy in variable, backcountry snow

SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)

E A I B

Sidewall/steel wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 131-84-112 RADIUS 17.9m (177cm) LENGTHS (cm) 162, 167, 172, 177, 182 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

core/tip & tail rocker 119-85-108 19m (181cm) 157, 165, 173, 181 1,960g (181cm)

THEY SAY Its 3D ridge cuts weight, so it’s easier to turn quickly while retaining performance and stability.

WE SAY The RTM is powerful on piste, with jaw dropping edge grip, especially in long turns. In medium and longer arcs, it’s hard to beat and is the strongest in this category. It also has a smooth, well-damped ride, which gives confidence at speed. Though it works well in deeper, off-piste snow, its power and stiff flex makes it harder to use than many skis in this group.

Solid all round, stiff, grippy.

Graphics could appeal more (Sam Parkes) Grippy through the length of the ski, smooth ride, feels like a class act (Mark Jones)

A

High quality, smooth, grippy on piste Pricey

B

E

I

Strong on piste, great edge grip in long turns and high speed.

A tad unforgiving in variable snow (Pete Davison) Smooth and well damped in long turns (Mark Jones) Fast, smooth and grippy on piste Needs to be more playful for the deeps

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Photo: Ross Woodhall

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For a quote, visit skiclubinsurance.co.uk or call 0300 303 2610

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74

WOMEN’S A LL- MOU NTA IN SKIS: INTER M ED IATE TO A DVA NC ED

The Ski Club’s female testers noticed a similar theme to the men, with an overall reduction in weight and many of the models doing the incredible balancing act that is required of a true all-mountain ski.

One area to be mindful of is length.

Some of these models have quite pronounced rocker, so their effective edge on piste is lower than others of a similar length.

So be open-minded about size, and go bigger than your usual length if needed. You may find the longer version skis the same as your usual length — it all depends on the overall profile of the ski.

Also think hard about what type of skiing you spend most time doing, as this is another group that moves around in terms of the conditions and terrain they perform best in.

E A I B

Roxy Shima 90

£389 without bindings

Line Honey Bee

£320 without bindings

Faction Heroine

£389 without bindings

BUILD

Cap/light wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 118-90-108 RADIUS 15m (158cm) LENGTHS (cm) 154, 158, 162, 168 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

BUILD

Cap/light wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 120-92-116 RADIUS 16.5m (166cm) LENGTHS (cm) 155, 166 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,583g (166cm)

BUILD

Cap & sidewall combo/light wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 120-90-110 RADIUS 15m (168cm) LENGTHS (cm) 154, 158, 162, 168 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,480g (168cm)

THEY SAY The all-mountain/ powder Shima has camber underfoot and five-point sidecut for grip at any speed on any slope.

WE SAY The cool-looking Shima has a strong construction, which shows in its overall performance, where it feels solid in longer, faster arcs. Short turns are more of a struggle, though, and the ski feels catchy underfoot, but we may have had a tuning issue on the pair we tested. In deep snow it floats pretty well, and the shape and profile look geared up for backcountry use.

THEY SAY Built with an Aspenlite wood core and Line’s 4D FiberCap, the Honey Bee is light with enough snap for big air.

WE SAY The Honey Bee is a park ski that’s well suited to allmountain use, and will suit skiers who want both. Light and soft, it’s great for easy turn initiation and playing around at slower speeds in all snow types. In longer turns, it has excellent stability and grip, as long as you don’t go too fast.

It’s happy to get some air and play with the mountain, but has a limit on edge angle and speed.

THEY SAY This versatile ski is ready for adventure, whether it’s laps on piste, cruising in the park or getting pitted in the soft stuff.

WE SAY Skiing is effortless with this incredibly light ski, especially at slower speeds. It can pivot and smear through the arc with zero fuss and is one of the easiest in this category. However, when going for high speeds it’s not as secure, with less edge hold and stability. In deeper snow the rocker works well and helps pivoting into turns. It looks cool, and is good fun if you take it easy.

Loves a longer turn, but feels stiff, which makes it more of an issue in shorter turns (Rowena Phillips) Floats fine off-piste and works well on piste (Tess Swallow) Good in longer turns, on and off-piste Grabby; short turns hard to adjust

E A I B

It’s soft — great for playing, but not so good at higher speeds (Rowena Phillips) Light offpiste; shaky underfoot when put under pressure (Eilidh McLeod)

A

Playful, twin tip can work in the park Limited in edge angle on hardpack

B

E

I

Lightweight, rocker allows good pivot, short turns are easy. But no real edge hold (Lynn Mill) Slow turns are fine, but feels wobbly at higher speeds (Bella Seel) Cool image, light and easy Edge hold a struggle at speed on piste

Photo: Ross Woodhall

What’s new in women’s all-mountain skis?

WOMEN’S A LL- MOU NTA IN SKIS: INTER M ED IATE TO EX PERT

A I B

Nordica Astral 84

£440 without bindings

Fischer My MTN 80

£500 with bindings

Armada Victa 87 Ti

£480 without bindings

BUILD

Sidewall/titanium light wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 120-84-105 RADIUS 15m (165cm) LENGTHS (cm) 144, 151, 158, 165, 172 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

BUILD

Sidewall/light wood core/tip rocker 124-79-109 14m (159cm) 145, 152, 159, 166 1,500g (159cm)

BUILD Cap & sidewall combo/carbon, Kevlar

THEY SAY If you want a ski for any day on the mountain that’s lightweight and easy to control, the new Astral 84 will be perfect.

WE SAY New from Nordica is the playful, agile and nippy Astral. It feels alive underfoot and is keen to engage into the new turn. Its playfulness comes from its soft, wide tip, which makes it easy to pivot and smear, while bringing it quickly to the surface in deeper snow. On piste, it takes a while to get used to, but crank up the speed and it’s surprisingly grippy, punching out strong turns.

THEY SAY Forgiving and smooth, this is perfect for women who enjoy skiing off-piste without having to sacrifice good style.

WE SAY We could only try this in a 159cm length, but it was still a powerhouse. It seems more suited to the piste, gripping well on the edge, while being stable as speed builds up. In short turns, it’s quick and agile, with energy coming out of the turn. Off-piste in powder and variable snow, it’s easy to use, but can grab quickly on an edge, though that may have been different with a longer length.

THEY SAY Perfect for fast women, the new Victa 87 Ti is for the all-mountain charger wanting to attack the snow confidently.

WE SAY This is a light, playful ski.

It’s effortless to swivel, smear and pivot at any point in the turn. You feel the rockered tip steering it into the new direction, while the flex is responsive, making it very playful. It feels most at home in powder and variable snow, where its wide shape and bouncy flex make it fun to use. On piste the sidecut reacts well, but it feels less stable at speed.

Light and playful in powder.

Great on piste once you trust it (Tess Swallow) Soft wider tip makes for easy turn initiation for short turns (Rowena Phillips)

A

Cool graphics, punchy for its weight Light tip can flap in long carved turns

B

B

A

Powerful, grippy, high energy Less forgiving in deeper snow off-piste

B

BUILD

Cap & sidewall combo/steel, light wood & synthetic core/tip rocker SIDECUT (mm) 126-78-106 RADIUS 14.5m (163cm) LENGTHS (cm) 149, 156, 163 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

BUILD Sidewall/carbon, basalt & light wood

THEY SAY The Flair is designed to give advanced skiers an agile, smooth ride to ski the slopes all day without fatigue.

WE SAY Typical of Völkl, TOP SKI the Flair is a blast on piste, R FOR M feeling very stable for an all-mountain ski, and surpassing many specialised piste skis. It has great grip and is solid and strong throughout the arc. Surprisingly given such piste performance, it’s also playful and fun in the deep stuff. A wider platform would be better, but the flex and profile help make it good fun off-piste.

THEY SAY The new women’s Temptation 84HD is a high performance carving machine with an effortless freeride feel.

WE SAY Rossignol’s TOP SKI firepower is behind this RF OR M ski and it shows on piste.

On groomers it’s grippy and stable and the sidecut is super reactive when tilted on to an edge. It’s easy to use and can pivot and change direction through an arc. In deeper snow it’s stable, powering through crud and chop, but in powder, it needs to be lighter and to float more to be truly playful.

ER

LUB

OF GREAT

Grippy on piste, yet great off-piste More width would help in powder

SK

AI N B RIT

I like it. Off-piste, just stand on it; on piste it feels confident (Tess Swallow) Stable at speed on piste, comfortable in all turn shapes (Natasha Edwards)

I

Easy to swivel, quick to support your weight and fun in tight tree lines (Lynn Mill) Light and easy; good at short turns, feels bouncy and playful (Bella Seel) Playful; great fun in powder Less stable at speed on hardpack

core with honeycomb tip/tip & tail rocker 132-84-120 14m (170cm) 146, 154, 162, 170 Not available

2015

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SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)

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& Titanal wood core/tip rocker 128-86-119 16.5m (163cm) 155, 163, 171 Not available

SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)

A sturdy steed, even though it was short. Nippy but stiff along its length (Lynn Mill) Felt stable even in 159cm, fun off-piste, easy to turn (Natasha Edwards)

Rossignol Temptation 84HD

£495 with bindings

PE

A

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Völkl Flair 78

£545 with bindings

SK

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SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)

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75

2015

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AI N B RIT

Solid and enjoyable. Turns well on piste, but is a little heavy (Bella Seel) Easy to play on. Good on and off-piste, great stability for initiating the turn (Eilidh McLeod) Great performance ski; fun on piste Can feel over-damped at times

Ski+board

November 2017

TESTER PROFILE

Eilidh McLeod New to the team this year, Eilidh competed for the British Ski Team, and is now coaching under-16s from all over the UK to prepare them for FIS (International Ski Federation) racing. And she enjoys challenging herself off-piste too. So Eilidh was well placed to try out the all-mountain models at our annual tests, which are run over five days at the start of March. As expected with someone of this calibre, she’s incredibly powerful on the piste and can take her awesome skills into any terrain or conditions. kandaharracing.com

skiclub.co.uk

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WOMEN’S A LL- M O U NTA IN SKIS : INTER M ED IATE TO EX PERT

A I B

Dynastar Legend W84

£490 with bindings

Blizzard Black Pearl 88

£460 without bindings

BUILD

Cap & sidewall combo/light honeycomb, carbon & wood core/tip rocker SIDECUT (mm) 133-85-113 RADIUS 13.6m (163cm) LENGTHS (cm) 148, 153, 158, 163, 168 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

BUILD Visco-elastic, Titanal and ABS sidewall/

BUILD

THEY SAY Light, fun and easy to turn, the Total Joy brings a new meaning to all-mountain high performance.

WE SAY With its Graphene frame, the Total Joy is light and easy to use. It’s playful at slower speeds, turning quickly, pivoting and adjusting effortlessly through the arc. At speed on hardpack, it grips and carves with ease, while feeling strong and solid. In powder and crud it’s floaty and drives into the turn easily, though it can lose the tail end of the arc. Overall, this is a great ski.

THEY SAY The all new Legend W84 merges freeride DNA with a modern all-mountain shape for a versatile, all-terrain performance.

WE SAY The Legend is in its element in smooth, medium, round arcs, helped by the new construction with added damping.

Its new wide tip aids stability, especially in chopped up powder and crud, which it blasts through with ease, being rock solid in the middle of the arc in long turns.

In shorter turns it felt sluggish, perhaps because the only length we had to test was 177cm.

wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 123-84-106 RADIUS 17m (177cm) LENGTHS (cm) 149, 156, 163, 170, 177 WEIGHT (per ski) Not available

Strong, solid ski, especially on piste. Very light, but enjoyable and smooth (Bella Seel) Easy to use off-piste but still solid on piste (Natasha Edwards)

A

Light, but packs a punch if cranked up Less accurate coming out of the turn

B

E

I

A buyer’s guide

E A I B

Smooth ride, makes awesome arcs Over-damped in short turns

THEY SAY The new Black Pearl 88 is for strong or aggressive skiers making smooth turns on piste, and skiing powder and bumps.

WE SAY Initiating turns with this ski is effortless and, once committed, the nicely balanced shape and even flex make it easy to predict and smooth through the arc. It loves to charge and its strong grip and reactive sidecut help it perform: it’s great for skiers who love giving 100 per cent on groomers. In deeper, off-piste snow the wide platform helps, and again, it likes to blast through.

E A I B

Its traditional shape and even flex make it a comfortable ride.

(Lynn Mill) Easier to initiate turns off-piste, making it ideal for narrow gullies or trees (Rowena Phillips) Powerful, but easy — great fun Hard work for less confident skiers

Black Crows Captis Birdie

£430 without bindings

K2 Thriluvit 85

£350 without bindings

BUILD

Cap & sidewall combo/light wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 118-90-108 RADIUS 17m (164cm) LENGTHS (cm) 157, 164, 171 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,375g (157cm)

BUILD

THEY SAY The Captis Birdie ski is easy to pivot and slash, but has the flex and support for blasting through wind-crust and corn.

WE SAY Everyone loved this ski’s playfulness. It feels fun and bouncy with great energy. Turn initiation is easy and although it’s always ready to adjust direction there’s an inherent stability that gives the skier confidence to push on. It doesn’t seem to matter what conditions are, from hardpack to groomers to deep powder, it always feels up for it and will give the skier a great time.

THEY SAY The new Thriluvit 85 is ideal for women skiers who want to charge on piste and enjoy themselves off-piste.

WE SAY K2’s experience TOP SKI with women’s skis shines RF OR M through with the Thriluvit.

It feels like a well-developed, balanced all-mountain ski that can handle anything. It’s quick to initiate turns and once into the arc is very reactive so you can push on to your limit. At speed, it’s stable.

Off-piste, it steers well with a welljudged rockered shape and flex, but it can feel heavy at times.

Cap & sidewall combo/light wood core/tip rocker SIDECUT (mm) 128-85-112 RADIUS 13.5m (170cm) LENGTHS (cm) 149, 156, 163, 170 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,625g (170cm)

PE

Several retailers offer Ski Club members savings on full-price items: Absolute Snow: 15 per cent off absolute-snow.co.uk Blacks: 20 per cent off blacks.co.uk Craigdon Mountain Sports: 15 per cent off craigdonmountainsports.com Ellis Brigham: 10 per cent off ellis-brigham.com Finches Emporium: 10 per cent off finchesemporium.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: 20 per cent off sailandski.co.uk Ski Bartlett: 10 per cent off skibartlett.com Snow+Rock: 15 per cent off snowandrock.com Snow Lab: 10 per cent off, 15 per cent off for servicing snowlab.co.uk Surfdome: 10 per cent off surfdome.com

Smooth round turns feel nice; medium-sized and long turns on and off-piste are great (Bella Seel) This relaxed ski suits off-piste most due to its wide tip (Lynn Mill)

SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)

Sidewall/light wood core /tip & tail rocker 126-88-110 13m (159cm) 152, 159, 166, 173 1,450g (159cm)

SK

The biggest thrill is how fun it is — I kept going on and offpiste (Lynn Mill) Love the colours!

Playful, easy to use over the whole mountain (Natasha Edwards)

A

Playful, fun, energetic in all conditions Hard to fault

B

E

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Head Total Joy

£565 with bindings

2015

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ITA

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A ski for all levels. Again K2 has produced one of the easiest skis for all conditions (Lynn Mill) Easy to ski off-piste, nice for short to medium turns (Eilidh McLeod) A well-judged all-mountain ski Can feel heavy off-piste

WOMEN’S A LL-M O U NTA IN SKIS : INTER M ED IATE TO EX PERT

E A I B

Kästle FX85

£685 with bindings

Atomic Vantage X80 CTI

£460 with bindings

BUILD

Cap & sidewall combo/wood core/tip & tail rocker SIDECUT (mm) 119-85-108 RADIUS 17m (173cm) LENGTHS (cm) 157, 165, 173, 181 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,700g (173cm)

BUILD

THEY SAY The FX85 is a modern, all-mountain freeride ski with rocker for added versatility throughout the day or season.

WE SAY The crew at the Kästle factory seem to love making fast skis with no limits. Of all the skis in this category, this is for speed freaks, giving confidence to attack tricky conditions. Super-stable at speed, it laughs off big edge angles by firing out tight arcs. But it’s best suited to medium to long arcs. At low speeds it’s harder work and less user-friendly, but you’ll remember those fast turns.

THEY SAY Successor to the Affinity Storm, this is our widest and most progressive Vantage, with a Ti backbone.

WE SAY The Affinity is lively at speed and feels at its best in long radius, fast turns, where it can handle any conditions or speeds with ease. It’s very stable and its strong construction with stiff flex gives it positive energy and edge hold through the whole arc. In shorter turns it feels good, but can be a bit twitchy to handle, though this may have felt different with a different tune on the base.

Cap & sidewall combo/carbon & titanium light wood core/tip rocker SIDECUT (mm) 124-80-105 RADIUS 16.5m (167cm) LENGTHS (cm) 151, 159, 167 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,579g (159cm)

Grippy for big edge angles and on the steeps (Eilidh McLeod) Fairly stable at speed, but felt like a runaway horse, though I enjoyed the ride! (Rowena Phillips)

A

Fast, stable, grippy; good on the steeps Harder work for less confident skiers

B

Scott The Ski

£450 without bindings

E

I

A solid ski which makes even the bumpiest of slopes feel smooth (Lynn Mill) An expert ski that is solid and wants to go fast.

Feels safe at speed (Bella Seel) Strong on piste and in long turns Twitchy in shorts; harder work off-piste

Sponsors

BUILD

Cap & sidewall combo/elliptic wood core/tip rocker SIDECUT (mm) 127-89-117 RADIUS 16m (165cm) LENGTHS (cm) 155, 160, 165 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,630g (165cm)

THEY SAY With 3Dimension sidecut and a Pro-Tip Rocker, The Ski provides performance and versatility in all conditions.

WE SAY It has the same construction and design as the men’s ski but in a shorter length and feels solid compared with other skis in this group. It’s very strong on piste with good edge grip and gives a super smooth ride. In deep snow the wider platform and long rockered nose help it to float up, but it’s not as light and playful as the womenspecific models in this group.

E A I B

This ski has great edge hold but lacks liveliness in deeper snow (Lynn Mill) Solid piste ski, smooth in short and medium turns (Rowena Phillips) Smooth, solid, strong, easy to predict Felt quite heavy

With thanks to Monarch, which supplied flights, and Planks and Salomon, which provided clothes. and Scott, which also supplied goggles and poles.

TESTER PROFILE

Rowena Phillips Rowena has been helping lead the women’s test team for many years, deciding which women’s skis to try.

It’s a hard choice. No fewer than 799 different pairs of men’s and women’s skis were brought by 19 brands to the test this year. But Rowena was up to the task of helping pick half the 100 that feature on these pages. She’s a strong all-mountain skier (she loves bumps!) and holds the highest British Association for Snowsport Instructors Level 4 qualification. She works at Matterhorn Diamonds ski school in Zermatt, Switzerland. matterhorn-diamonds.com

77

78

LINER

TONGUE

Designed to keep your feet warm and comfortable, almost all those that come with modern boots can be custom-fitted to adopt the shape of your calves and feet

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

PRICE Generally, the higher the flex index, the more expensive the boot. Models made with lighter, more high-tech materials will also be more costly

FLEX Boots come in a range of flexes. The flex is the theoretical force in Newtons needed to decrease the angle between cuff and clog by 10 degrees, and is given after the name of the boot. High performance boots are stiffer, but often less comfortable. The flex reviewed is given in bold, with the price of that flex also given in bold

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

Don’t forget to do it up!

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. Three-piece models also have an external tongue

WALK MODE This is also known as climb mode or cuff release. 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 forwards or backwards, with many models specifying by how many degrees

BUCKLES These are used to fasten the boot.

Buckles should wrap the shell evenly around the foot, keeping it snug without creating pressure points

SIZE Most sizes are given in Mondopoint — the length of your foot in centimetres. Men’s boots usually come in sizes 24.5 to 30.5, or roughly UK sizes 5.5 to 11.5. Women’s boots usually come in 22 to 27.5, which is 5 to 10.5

FOOTBED

BOOTBOARD

This is a trainer-type insole that comes with the boot and sits inside the liner.

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

LAST

Hidden in the shell, it sits under the liner and acts as a shock absorber. Harder bootboards gives more control, but a harsher ride.

Angled bootboards raise the heel in the shell

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, and typically ranges from 96mm to 104mm.

The figure quoted is usually for a UK size 8, but in practice will be higher for bigger feet. The narrower the last, the higher the performance

79

BOOTS

Buckle up for the ride of your lifetime

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

Light but powerful, all-mountain boots have become yet more customisable for a good fit Gone are the days when buying ski boots meant walking out of the shop with an off-the-shelf pair still wrapped in plastic.

Now, there are many options to improve the fit, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the all-mountain category.

Whether it’s Dalbello’s Panterra, with its adjustable ramp angle and walk mode, or Lange’s minimalist RX, all can be made to fit better. Each model here has a customisable liner, with most using EVA

These 21st century plastics have other advantages. Ski boots can now be as light as smoke yet perform well all over the mountain. So whichever all-mountain boot you pick, you’ll find a smooth flexing, light boot that doesn’t sacrifice performance for comfort.

The all-mountain tag used to mean average boots. Today it means great.

That said, if it is true race-like qualities you seek, Ski+board will cover piste

(ethylene vinyl acetate) foam, which after heating cools to take the shape of your foot and leg. Many have shells that can be heated in an oven too, gently pushing the shell out over the lumps and bumps of your foot to relieve pressure points.

boots in the next issue, having reviewed freeride boots in October. Freetour boots will be in the February/March issue.

Dalbello Panterra/Kyra

Fischer RC Pro Vacuum

Tecnica Ten 2 HVL

FLEX 110, 130 PRICE £420, £450

FLEX 70, 80, 90, 100, 120 PRICE £180, £190, £240, £270, £340

Rosie Young graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in sport biomechanics and — having spent a season working in France — now works as a ski boot technician at specialist ski boot fitter Profeet (020 7736 0046; profeet.co.uk)

RECEIVE UP TO 20% OFF FULLPRICE BOOTS HERE

FLEX

90, 100, 120,

120 ID, 130 ID, PRICE £275, £335, £375, £450, £475

FLEX 90, 110 PRICE £450, £460

FLEX 80, 85, 95GW,

95, 95 ID PRICE £240, £295, £300, £350, £385

The Panterra has a three-piece shell, which means its forward flex is smooth and progressive. This allows Dalbello to use a middle buckle set at a 45 degreeangle to pull your heel directly back into its snug pocket. It also has a mechanical bootboard adjustment to raise or lower your heel, balancing you over the middle of the ski, in fore and aft terms. Both the shell and Intuition liner can be heated and customised.

It’s a tad heavy but the walk mode allows for a short climb to good snow. The women’s customisable MY shell and Thinsulate liner give a excellent modified fit.

Reflecting most skiers’ stance, the Soma Tec system helps align legs and skis in a V-shape and stacks their centre of gravity over the ski’s centre. The boot is shrink-wrapped around the foot using Fischer’s Vacuum CF system. And the liner’s Active Fit Zones mean that a hard frame wraps the rearfoot and surrounds softer materials that cushion-fit the ankle and ball of the foot. As you flex, the liner hinges to keep the fit snug.

Using the men’s technology this boot is ideal for women with larger feet seeking comfort and performance. The cuff and liner are lower to fit calf muscles

More switches than a spacecraft Roomy fit means it suits higher volume feet

Great out-of-the-box fit Soma Tec V stance can take time to adapt to

Ski+board

November 2017

FLEX 65, 75, 85, 95 PRICE £190, £190, £240, £270

Tecnica says this is the boot for “large, hard-to-fit feet”, and will suit all but experts. Performance comes from the metal plate that connects the cuff to the clog, controlling rebound at the end of each arc. The HVL (high volume last) uses Quick Instep Max, a section of softer plastic over the instep that makes exiting the boot easy. The liner is heat mouldable and, once moulded, can be ground away to take the pressure from hotspots.

The new women-specific liner provides control fit and more natural balance, reducing fatigue and increasing performance.

It fits all calf shapes.

skiclub.co.uk

Great performers for skiers with problem feet... ...but won’t work well for those with narrow feet

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B O OTS

Atomic Hawx Ultra FLEX 100, 110, 120, 130 PRICE £310, £330, £380, £450 FLEX 80, 90, 110 PRICE £290, £310, £380

The Hawx Ultra is a complex, highly adjustable ski boot: both shell and liner can be heated and custom fitted. The shell uses light Grilamid for the cuff and more robust polyurethane for the clog. Atomic has removed unnecessary plastic so the boot is now about 25 per cent lighter. It has adjustable sole pads that can be canted to align the skier over the ski, something that cuff adjustment alone can’t do.

Unchanged from last season, this light boot has a Memory Fit shell, lower cuff and women’s liner with customisation to optimise comfort.

Hyper adjustable and light At 98mm it favours the more svelte foot

Lange RX

Nordica Sportmachine

FLEX

100, 110,

120, 130 PRICE £290, £230, £350, £425

FLEX 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130 PRICE £180, £230, £270, £320, £360, £420

FLEX 80, 90, 110 PRICE £280, £320, £350

FLEX 65, 75, 85, 95 PRICE £180, £230, £270, £320

The RX has great snow feel and lateral support that makes you want to cut deep arcs in groomers. A rubberised bootboard takes the sting out of bulletproof ice without affecting snow feel — your toes feel as if they’re wired to your edges. An alternative to the 100mm width is the 97mm last, but if you need that snug a fit consider a soft-flexing race model. The 120 and 130 ski true to their rating, so avoid too painful a flex.

This boot’s Dual 3D liner supports the foot, limiting movement and increasing control. The customised tongue increases comfort but eases pressure.

Powerful and accurate Harder to modify than some in this category

The Sportmachine has a race heritage and specialist cork and gel Primaloft liner, which is warm, snug and will rarely pack out. Wrap that in a 102mm shell with an option to adjust the cuff to suit beefier calves, and you have a boot that can cope with advanced and expert skiers in almost all terrain. Light and strong plastics in the lower clog and spoiler, flexible materials over the foot and a soft instep insert hold the foot firmly.

The new Sportmachine features the Tri-fit approach to boot fitting, offering great customisation. The strong but light materials of the cuff aid performance.

Great for good skiers with medium plus feet If it feels too roomy try the Speedmachine

K2 Spyne/Spyre

Head Vector Evo 130

Salomon X Pro

FLEX 110, 120, 130 PRICE £365, £380, £395

FLEX 100, 120, 130 PRICE £300, £330, £360

FLEX 100, 110 PRICE £360, £375

FLEX 90, 110 PRICE £300, £330

FLEX 80, 90, 100, 120, 130 PRICE £250, £270, £300, £350, £390

With its shorter cuff, the Spyne is ideal for strong but lighter skiers or those with powerful, low calves. K2’s Energy Interlock system dovetails cuff and clog tightly as you press against the boot, and springs free when you relax. The liner is Intuition’s LuxFit with the clog area being heat-mouldable, providing a personal, comfortable fit. The fit over the instep is more snug than in some medium to wide models.

The women-specific lower cuff and liner make this a great all-round boot.

The Custom Thermo shell ensures the shell can adapt to your foot.

The Vector Evo has a great out-of-thebox fit that only improves once the heat mouldable Perfect Fit liner has been cooked. The toebox area is roomy but the fit narrows towards the heel. Off the slopes the Vector is almost like a pair of slippers, but on the slopes the beefy shell is built for power and speed. If you can’t adjust the liner enough, the new Form Fit shell plastic formula can also be heated and customised.

This is a versatile boot.

The lower cuff Form Fit shell, Perfect Fit liner and dynamic frame ensure comfort and power transmission for all women.

Easy to fall in love with; easy to ski in Softer than indicated flex; try a stiffer boot too

Great fit and great power for strong skiers Buckles can be fiddly to use

FLEX 70, 80, 90, 100 PRICE £240, £250, £300, £330

Salomon uses its trademark 360° custom shell and cuff in the versatile X Pro. Starting at a medium 100mm width, a little heat lets the boot stretch easily to fit a 106mm foot. Two plastics in a twin frame design are used: rigid plastic holds the side and rear of the foot and a forgiving polyamide allows the clog to wrap the top of the foot. The liner fits well, but fine tuning increases performance by 20 per cent.

A slightly shorter cuff and more generous calf width provide a female-specific fit, while the custom shell and cuff allow women to personalise their fit.

Great for hard-to-fit medium and above feet No cuff alignment adjustment

Chemmy Alcott had a serious knee injury in 2016 and now uses the ski~mojo to help her rehabilitation and performance on the slopes.

“My ski-mojo enables me to get the most out of my days on the mountain” Chemmy AlCott

Used by elite athletes, coaches, instructors and recreational skiers of all ages and abilities

Olympic Mogul Skier Laura Donaldson’s ski~mojo is “invisible” under her ski pants

PoWeRFUl SPRINGS oFFloAd WeIGht FRom yoUR kNeeS

Tel. +44 (0)7786 753267 | info@skimojo.com | www.skimojo.com

ShoCk ABSoRBeRS FoR yoUR Whole Body

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MIPS

LINER This usually refers to the bulk of the helmet in between your head and the shell. This should not be confused with what is sometimes called the lining, which is the fabric layer between your head and the liner. This can sometimes be removed for washing

EPS LINERS Expanded polystyrene is a common liner. It’s a good shock absorber, but after a big impact stays compressed, so the helmet should be replaced

A Multi-directional Impact Protection System separates the shell and liner with a low friction layer. Many accidents involve oblique impacts, resulting in rotation of the head, to which the brain is especially sensitive.

Mips reduces those forces by letting the shell slide relative to the liner

IN-MOULD CONSTRUCTION This fuses a helmet’s outer shell with the impact-absorbing liner to create a light helmet resistant to direct impacts

EPP LINERS Expanded polypropylene liners, in contrast to EPS liners, can take many impacts, so suit riders who expect to take a few knocks, such as snowpark addicts

ABS SHELL ABS (or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) is what the hard plastic shell on many helmets is made of. It is the same material used to make Lego

VISOR These are a substitute for goggles and may help spectacle wearers.

Confusingly, some brands refer to peaks as visors

FIT

STRAP This is usually secured with a clip or ratchet, but some helmets now have magnetic buckles

VENTS These can be opened and closed on certain helmets and in some cases are mesh-covered, keeping snow out

EAR PADS Certain helmets have ear pads, which are useful in cold, windy conditions. Some ear pads are removable, which is helpful if it turns warm

Many helmets have a Boa dial down at the back of the helmet, which you turn to loosen or tighten the cradle holding your head. Certain brands have a small manual pump, which you use to create a snug fit

83

GEAR

Photo: Ross Woodhall

If you’re a fall guy head off body blows Helmets are the top form of protection on the slopes, but other products ease the pain of tumbles too Gone are the days of bobble hats on the slopes. Most of us now see ski helmets as vital, and all helmets sold in Europe must meet the European Standard EN 1077:2007 as stated on the label or sticker.

If you tend to fall a lot, consider an EPP (expanded polypropylene) liner as these still provide protection after several hits.

The most sophisticated have MIPS (Multidirectional Impact Protection System) to protect against glancing blows.

Other parts of your body also need

protecting. The Slytech Backpro One, which costs from £53, is a light and effective way of protecting your spine for many high-impact sports. The POC Spine VPD 2.0 Airbag Vest detects the start of a fall and inflates in less than a tenth of a second, but it costs a whopping £1,106.

Most of us want something cheaper.

Decathlon sells a pack of wrist, knee and elbow protectors for £18. It’s aimed at rollerbladers, but will help snowboarders toos. Cycle site Chain Reaction sells back protectors, padded shorts and knee pads.

For children, brands such as Burton and Slytech produce a range of body protection. But don’t buy kit your child can ‘grow into’. If it doesn’t fit properly, it may be ineffective in a wipe-out.

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.

READ MORE GLOVE REVIEWS HERE

£80

£130

£100

Manbi Park Visor Pro Kids

Bern Heist

Julbo Freetourer

Putting children in helmets with visors is a great idea since a visor is less fiddly than goggles and won’t get lost. This in-mould model from Manbi has an adjustable, medium visibility mirror lens that is resistant to fingermarks. It also has a rear goggle strap, in case your child doesn’t like the visor.

The Park Visor comes in sizes from 48cm, so fits most ages. I liked its faux velvet interior padding which is warm and luxurious. And the Fidlock buckle is the best one-handed system I’ve tried.

It has plenty of other useful features, such as 14 vents, the front two being adjustable, a rear dial micro-adjustment system, which ensures a snug, accurate fit, and removable ear pads. It also has a Recco reflector and Datatag emergency label to help search and rescue teams.

Visor a great option on a child’s helmet Visor may get scratched (but so too goggles)

Bern claims the Heist, which comes in men- and women-specific fits, is the lightest dual shell helmet on the market, despite the fact that it has aluminium ‘Impact Armor’ on the rear and temples.

As you’ll see from the name, this helmet is aimed squarely at ski tourers. The Freetourer has an EPS injection-moulded shell with a polycarbonate outer layer to comply with two standards, EN12492 for

It has an in-mould PVC lower shell, ‘Energy Absorbing Ribs’ and an ABS top plate to reinforce the top vents.

The Heist also features Bern’s ‘Zip Mold’ technology, which consists of a PVC micro-shell lined with liquid injected foam to provide a better weightto-strength ratio than standard EPS foam, so for the price you get a lot of good safety features, It also has a seamless microfleece ‘Luxe Liner’ with a Boa 360-degree Fit System for warmth, but you can’t remove the ear pads and the vents aren’t adjustable, so you could get very toasty.

mountaineering and EN1077 for skiing.

It’s one of the lightest helmets we tested with a maximum claimed weight of 420g (depending on model size) and 22 non-adjustable top vents. Removable ear pads help to control your temperature when you’re climbing.

Adjustment is by a rear dial and there are retention clips back and front — the former for goggles, the latter for a head torch. It’s light and comfy, and I liked its cheerful blue and orange colours.

Given its good price, this versatile helmet is worth a look whether you’re into touring or not.

Good range of safety features; good price Non-adjustable vents;can’t remove ear pads

Ski+board

November 2017

skiclub.co.uk

Versatile; good value Non-adjustable vents

84

G EA R

£65 £220

£260

CP Camurai

Smith Quantum

Swiss company CP’s helmets stand out for their build quality, and the Camurai is no exception. Integrated visors come with all CP helmets, which does add to their weight, but they can be changed quickly with no special tools. The one we tested had a photochromic visor so that was not necessary, since it adapts to changing light conditions.

It lies snug against your cheek bones, so cold air shouldn’t waft in, you can wear it over glasses and the peripheral vision is excellent. There’s also a rear goggle retainer if you ditch the visor.

Of the Camurai’s 21 vents, the front 12 are adjustable. The faux velvet liner is comfy and the ear pads removable, while the fit is easily adjusted with a rear dial.

A ratchet-style buckle on the chin strap ensures you get just the right fit.

The Quantum looks cool. It’s also one of the most expensive helmets we reviewed, though you get a great lid for your money.

The hybrid shell construction comes with an MIPS system along with an impact-resistant Koroyd inner, which is used with Smith’s ‘Aerocore’ design for better airflow. This is aided by an impressive 22 adjustable air vents, with the front and rear vents being adjustable independently of each other.

A fully adjustable Boa FS360 fit system keeps the Quantum secure on your noggin, and the ‘Wayfinder’ strap system uses a one-handed Fidlock buckle.

The lining is designed to wick away sweat, and the ear pads and lightweight goggle lock are removable. In addition, the Quantum is compatible with Outdoor Tech audio systems.

Great build quality Expensive

Excellent all-round protection system Liner doesn’t have much padding; expensive

Demon Phantom with Brain Teaser Audio If skiing or boarding to your favourite tunes is important to you, the Phantom is a steal at £65 since it comes with Brain Teaser Audio already installed — a helmet speaker system that easily plugs into your audio device.

But the flip side is that the Phantom has few other features. It’s not adjustable, so you need to ensure the fit is bang on; there are only two small vents at the front and back and you can’t adjust them either. When it’s warm, you can remove the ear pads, but since the audio speakers are incorporated into these you’ll lose the sound system too.

The safety of your noggin is taken care of with a smooth, matte ABS shell and EPS foam padding, and the lining is comfortable. It has a decent-sized goggle strap — and looks pretty cool overall too.

Great value, especially with integrated audio Vents not adjustable and few in number

Two of the helmets reviewed here explicitly promote their compatibility with audio devices, but how safe is it to ski or snowboard while listening to music?

You’d assume that skiers or boarders who can’t hear clearly will not be as aware of other riders around them.

Also they won’t hear changes in snow consistency — sounds that can prove as good a warning as the changes you feel through your feet. And that is not to mention all the other tell-tale sounds, of snowmobiles and warning shouts — possibly even avalanches.

A 2014 study reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that for snowboarders, listening to music was linked to a lower chance of injury in the terrain park, but also a higher chance that any injury sustained would be serious enough to result in a hospital visit.

The same year a paper presented in the International Journal of Sports Medicine came to the conclusion

that listening to music with an audio ski helmet did not increase mean reaction time to peripheral stimuli in a laboratory setting. Note — in a laboratory setting.

The issue has been discussed in various online forums and the majority view seems to be against listening to music while skiing. Interestingly, it’s more popular among snowboarders than skiers, despite the fact that snowboarding is hardly a youth market any more.

Some ski professionals actively discourage listening to music while skiing. Last Frontier Heli-skiing in British Columbia, Canada, says: “A common question we get is whether guests can listen to music when skiing. While music has a time and place, heli-skiing isn’t one of them.”

Admittedly, not many of us get to heli-ski on a regular basis but it’s telling that, whatever the boffins say, those in the know advise against having music blasting away as you scythe through the powder.

Having said that, I sometimes listen to music on long lift rides, but I keep the volume to a reasonable level so anyone else nearby doesn’t have to listen to it too!

Of course, you are free to do what you want in the mountains, which is one of skiing’s great attractions.

Personally, when I’m skiing I’d rather listen to the sound of the wind whistling by and my skis whispering through the snow. Alf Alderson

Photo: Arapahoe Basin

Music to your ears — or a dangerous cacophony?

SKI CLUB PROMOTION

Photo: Ben Tibbetts

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE READY FOR A HUT TO HUT TOUR

Across the Alps, hidden amongst the mountainous landscape and down in the valleys, are a network of huts, accessible to those intrepid enough to tour without the assistance of lifts. Hut to hut touring involves travelling through the mountain landscape under only human power, giving access to wild and isolated mountain terrain rarely experienced by resort based skiers. The patchwork of huts across the Alps act as refuges against the cold and bitter environment, with food, heat and shelter eliminating the need to carry large heavy packs and the worries over a permanent safe place to sleep.

The true joy of the hut to hut tour is the real, simple living.

Huts themselves are basic with mixed sex dormitory style arrangements, some of up to 20 per room, and bathroom facilities can be limited, with no running water. It is not for everyone – but if you’re wanting to escape, to get back to a more natural sense of existence, to challenge and push yourself out of your comfort zone, then hut-to-hut touring could be for you.

So, what can you expect from a hut to hut tour? Well, Mountain Tracks have over 30 hut to hut tours, including the Eastern Vanoise Tour which is an excellent introduction to hut to hut touring. This area lies behind Tignes and Val d’Isère and the extensive lift system provides

an excellent launch pad for this tour. A typical beginner's hut to hut tour will have a fairly relaxed pace, with skinning between 2-4 hours a day, and ascents of between 500-800m vertical.

It’s suited best to those who are confident off-piste skiers, able to link controlled parallel turns in powder snow, and ski through trees with good control. And it’s an ideal step up for those who have done some resort-based day tours and want to explore more isolated mountain tours.

Look at what's on offer at mountaintracks.co.uk, or give Mountain Tracks a call on 020 8123 2978

86

SNO W B OA R D S

LENGTH

Construction

EFFECTIVE EDGE

Topsheet Core Edges Sidewall

Reinforcement Base

Board lengths are measured in centimetres from tip to tail. Longer boards suit powder; shorter ones are best for freestyle

The distance between the two contact points on either side of the snowboard

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

CAMBER

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

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

WIDTH 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

ROCKER 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

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

FLAT PROFILE A board with a flat profile is flat under the feet, with the board rising only at the tip and tail

Camber effective edge

Rocker effective edge

COMBO A board with a combo profile combines elements of both rocker and camber boards

Flat profile effective edge

Camber and rocker combo* *Camber and rocker combo profiles vary

87

SNOWBOARDS

Sensible has never been such fun The shape revolution has finally come to the most mainstream category of boards — all-mountain models All-mountain snowboards have long been the sensible choice for most riders.

After all, how many of us are really likely to spend most of our slope time in the park or off-piste?

So a sensible choice but, oh, just that little bit boring — until now. For years the price that snowboarders have paid for buying a solid, dependable stick, is to gaze longingly as freestyle boards (covered in the last issue) and pure powder boards (to be covered in the February/March issue) mutate in ever more interesting ways.

But finally the shape revolution has arrived for all-mountain boards, and the 2017-18 crop proves that. For the first time since the mid-1980s there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ snowboard shape any more. So now when you buy one of the big brands’ bestsellers it might be a fat, stubby stick like the Ride Warpig or a tapered directional twin like the Salomon First Call.

Despite their differences, however, these boards still have one thing in common: they’re highly versatile. So this means if you’re looking to be the proud owner of just one board this season, you no longer need to settle for being Mr or Ms Average — you can ride one of these beautiful looking beasts instead.

And if you’re not sure whether you’re ready to go crazy just yet, in the next issue we'll consider piste/entry level boards.

The Ski Club has copies of its DVD Snowboarding Skills: Beginners & Beyond to give away. To receive a copy, simply email your postal address to events@skiclub.co.uk, putting ”Snowboarding DVD” in the subject line.

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.

Gnu Super Progressive Air Machine £550

Bataleon Jam

FLEX PROFILE SHAPE LENGTHS (cm)

FLEX PROFILE Camber SHAPE Directional Twin LENGTHS (cm) 156, 159,

161W, 164W

FLEX PROFILE SHAPE LENGTHS (cm)

PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS

PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS

Combo Directional

157

PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS

This strange-looking board is the result of a collaboration between two innovative companies — jacket-maker Airblaster and board builder Gnu, whose motto is keep snowboarding weird.

“Imagine a pterodactyl mating with a wildebeest,” says Gnu of the board. The directional shape, setback stance and cut away tail help it float in powder despite it being only available in a short 157cm. The combo profile shape and wavy ‘magnetraction’ edges help it feel responsive and hold an edge on icy pistes. The flex isn’t too stiff for tricks and it rides switch well.

It’s weird, it’s one of a kind, but it works.

Fun; an impressively good all-rounder ‘Out-there’ cow graphics won’t suit everyone

Burton Trick Pony

£460

£540

Bataleon has produced its Jam board for years, but this winter’s model has several tweaks. The shape is now slightly directional since most people who buy it want to point it straight rather than going switch. The brand has also altered the Triple Base Technology (TBT) profile underneath the board, making the central flat section wider before the edges rise up at the tip and tail. This means it’s less twitchy underfoot, while keeping the popular TBT ‘catch-free’ characteristics. Bataleon claims the Jam is built to be ridden fast and hard. If that sounds like you, pop it on your shortlist.

The Trick Pony has been part of Burton’s range for a few years now, but the brand only introduced this radical new shape last season. The cutaways at the nose and tail help reduce swing weight, making it easier to spin, and camber replaces the flat profile. This, combined with the carbon ‘I-beam’ in the core, makes the board feel snappy and responsive. As a result, it’s less beginnerfriendly than in previous years. Having been revamped so much last season, this year the Trick Pony’s main changes are in its graphics, but it’s still one of our favourite all-mountain chargers.

Versatile; feels solid underfoot Not as manoeuvrable as shorter boards

Ski+board

November 2017

Camber Twin 150, 154, 158, 162, 158W, 162W

skiclub.co.uk

Responsive; great at carving Could be more forgiving

SNO W B OA R D S

Ride Warpig

FLEX PROFILE SHAPE LENGTHS (cm)

£400 Rocker Directional 142, 148, 154

Burton Deja Vu

Women’s boards

FLEX PROFILE SHAPE LENGTHS (cm)

PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS

Deja Vu is a suitable name for this board as it has been part of Burton's women-specific line-up for a few years. But it deserves a place here thanks to its versatility. Designed for intermediates who want to take their tricks and powder riding to the next level, it’s also popular with novices, who appreciate its softer flex and easyturning Flying V profile, as well as more advanced riders who enjoy the way those same features make rail tricks easier. The downside is that it isn’t stable at high speeds. But if you’re looking for a true allrounder, look no further than this one.

Manoeuvrable; great for tricks and tree runs Could be faster edge-to-edge

£370 FLEX PROFILE Camber SHAPE Directional Twin LENGTHS (cm) 151, 157, 162

PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS

Calling this board a directional twin, rather than directional, may seem odd but there’s a logic to the labelling. The binding inserts are centred with zero setback, meaning that although the nose and tail are different shapes, they’re both the same length, so the board rides switch well. And it’s capable of a park session. It excels at carving up groomed pistes and slashing through powder. Salomon’s all-mountain-specific edge bevel means it holds icy slopes with a vice-like grip and turns beautifully on any snow. Despite the 1980s-style graphic, this is a modern snowboard.

Camber shape makes it feel responsive Not a board for beginners

Combo Twin 138, 141, 146, 149, 152

PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS

The aptly named Ride Warpig is short, stubby and brutally effective.

Introduced into the Seattle-based brand’s line-up last year, it quickly proved popular with riders of all shades. It looks like a powder board and performs well in the fluffy stuff but Ride’s slopestyle specialist Brandon Davis also won last year’s World Championships on one. Its wide waist means that its surface area is similar to that of a regular all-mountain board, so it floats easily in deep snow. The short length makes it manoeuvrable and this, combined with a rocker profile, makes it great for tricks too.

Salomon First Call

£370

Can handle anything you throw at it Not as stable as stiffer boards at speed

Ride Hellcat

£390

Salomon Wonder

£325

FLEX PROFILE Combo SHAPE Directional Twin LENGTHS (cm) 143, 147,

151, 155

FLEX PROFILE Combo SHAPE Directional Twin LENGTHS (cm) 139, 143, 146,

PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS

PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS

Geared more to wide pistes and open powder fields than the park, the Hellcat is for women who want to go fast and ride hard. Stiff for a womenspecific board, it’s steady at high speed and is very responsive. Ride puts urethane (the material in skateboard wheels) in a lot of its sidewalls to help absorb speed chatter and here it has beefed them up with layers of carbon, making the board feel snappier with better edge hold. The directional twin shape is best suited to riding forwards, but you can still do tricks. After all. backcountry freestyler Hana Beaman uses one.

Solid, snappy and carves like a dream Not really suitable for novices

150, 154

Salomon makes other women’s boards with more high-end technology, but this is our pick for a true all-rounder. It has a combo profile that combines camber between the feet with raised, rocker contact points at the nose and tail to give the best of both worlds.

The directional twin shape and setback stance allows you to ride powder without too much back leg burn, but the Wonder is equally at home in the park. However, where it excels is in cruising the pistes — the sintered base is fast and the flex sits in the sweet spot between that of a rigid powder stick and floppy freestyle noodle.

A jack of all trades... ...but admittedly master of none

Photo: O'Neill

88

MADNESS IN SAAS–FEE !

ass Season p

fo r o n ly

.

1 8 1 £ 5 mo

*

g u a ra g n i i k s ’ s nth

n te e d

*You pay in the local currency of the web shop. The amount shown is used for the price quotation in the ad, is rounded and based on the daily exchange rate at the time of the compilation of the offer.

saas-fee.ch/wintercard

Photo: David Machet/La Clusaz

90

RESORT INSIDER

Even skiers need away-days Words by Ben Clatworthy, Chris Madoc-Jones, Sheila Reid, Colin Nicholson A week in one resort, always starting from the same lift, can feel limiting. But don’t despair, for more resorts are offering linked lift passes to entice skiers to explore neighbouring areas — and some have great price tags.

Switzerland has hit the headlines this season with its multi-resort offers partly offsetting the rise in the Swiss franc. But it’s far from alone in this. You can now also ski big-name resorts such as Megève, Chamonix and Courmayeur on the same pass. And in the budgetfriendly French Pyrenees, four resorts have teamed up to offer 247km of pistes on the Pyrenées 2 Vallées pass.

Across the Atlantic, where single-resort lift passes are costly, the expanding Epic Pass, its rival the Mountain Collective, and the Max Pass offer huge savings.

In this issue, we focus on resorts that make a great base for day trips or ‘away-days’ as tour operators call them.

Travel firms will often offer the option of signing up for a day’s skiing at a neighbouring resort for a small fee, laying on a coach. But if you’re an independent skier most of the resorts featured here allow you to reach other areas on ski buses or public transport. If you plan to visit several resorts, staying in a nearby town or village might be cheaper than in the big-name resort.

One city, Innsbruck, is surrounded by nine resorts that make up Olympia SkiWorld Innsbruck. All can be skied on one lift pass and reached using a free bus or tram. It’s a quirky take on a city break: ski a different resort every day then explore the city in the evening. It’s

a great idea if you’re with a non-skiing partner or friend.

All resorts here have invested in new lifts this summer.

In the next issue, we’ll cover those with a great network for piste skiers, while in February/March we look at the best budget spots — again all with new lifts this season.

FIND REVIEWS OF RESORTS WORLDWIDE

HOW OUR GUIDE WORKS CHALLENGE Our infographic shows how resorts

grade pistes according to difficulty, showing what percentage, are black, red, blue or green. However, note that Austrian, Swiss and some Italian areas don’t have green runs. We list the percentage by kilometre, except for Innsbruck, where it is by number of pistes.

PISTES We list the combined length of all the resort’s

pistes, as claimed by the tourist office. We include linked areas that are also covered by the lift pass.

LIFT PASS Prices are for a peak season six-day pass.

SKI CLUB Ski with other Ski Club members where there

is a Freshtracks holiday ‘F’, Leaders ‘L’, or Instructor-led Guiding ‘ILG’.

R ESORT I N SI DER

91

La Clusaz Photo: Gilles Bertrand/Savoie Mont Blanc

Piste height 1,100m-2,600m / Lift pass £177 / Lifts 49 / Pistes 125km

Why there? This traditional French resort succeeds where others so often fail — it has retained its Alpine charm, despite having vastly expanded its ski area. Since 2012, it has been carrying out a major renovation programme on its old lifts. This season, the Crêt de Merle access chairlift has been revamped. The old detachable triple — the first of its kind — has gone, and in its place stands a shiny new sixpack. The hope is to cut the notorious weekend queues (fuelled by locals from Geneva, just an hour away).

The slopes are most popular with intermediate skiers, although there are nice beginner areas, for instance in Manigod. It has a few steep runs up top for advanced skiers, and experts will enjoy myriad off-piste possibilities. However, the low altitude slopes can suffer in lean snow years, as the past three seasons have shown.

Day trips to the charming market town of Le Grand Bornand — a ten-minute bus journey away — are encouraged, and covered on the Aravis lift pass. Expect plenty of cruisy blues and some challenging reds. It also has good cross-country trails. The beginner-friendly resort of Saint Jean de Sixt, between Le Grand Bornand and La Clusaz, is also covered by the same lift pass.

Can’t ski, won’t ski: La Clusaz has an aquatic centre with saunas, steam rooms and a gym, which offers yoga sessions too. There is also a heated outdoor pool at the Aqua Park, while the spa at the Odalys Prestige Residence is open to the public. The resort has an ice rink and horse riding excursions can be arranged by the tourist office.

Zell am Ziller

Photo: Johannes Sautner/Zell am Ziller

Piste height 930m-2,410m / Lift pass £190 / Lifts 52 / Pistes 143km

Why there? Some 8km from British favourite Mayrhofen, Zell am Ziller is a quieter base for skiing the Zillertal Arena.

This intermediate’s heaven, covers several peaks, giving a sense of travel. There are a host of day trips, aside from Mayrhofen. The world’s most expensive new lift this winter is the 3km, ten-seat gondola in Fügen leading to the Spieljoch mountain. In Finkenberg the new Almbahn gondola has doubled its capacity to give 2,400 people an hour another access point to Mayrhofen’s Penken peak. All buses in the valley are free with a lift pass.

Can’t ski, won’t ski: Zell is small, but most gondolas take pedestrians if you want to team up with friends on the slopes. Mayrhofen has a pool and spa and great après ski.

62% 10%

28%

Snow Lifts Queue-free Food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste Great area for intermediates wanting to travel Slightly out-of-the way location

36% 34% 22%

8%

Charming village and ski area with good views Plenty of lower tree skiing for poor weather days

Snow

Within easy reach of Geneva but…

Lifts Queue-free Food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste

…can consequently get very busy at weekends Low altitude slopes have suffered in lean snow years Little for experts except off-piste terrain

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R ESORT I N SI DER

93

Keystone

Photo: Keystone

Piste height 2,830m-3,780m / Lift pass £453 / Lifts 20 / Area 3,087 acres

Why there? Keystone makes a great base for exploring other resorts and has a good lift pass deal for away days. It has three mountains, all linked by fast lifts, and a vast network of blue runs.

More experienced skiers will find challenges in the bowls and on the steep bumps either side of the Santiago Express lift.

This season the Montezuma Express has been upgraded to a brand-new six-seater, cutting queue times, especially at weekends, when the locals descend on the mountain from Denver. The old Montezuma lift has been shipped to Beaver Creek, an hour away by bus or car. That’s just one of the resorts where any Keystone ticket valid for three days or more can be used. Another is Breckenridge (30 minutes away), which has a new six-seater, The Falcon SuperChair, and Vail (44 minutes away), the jewel in the crown for many skiers. Arapahoe Basin, which opened this year on October 13 and is often the first resort in North America to fire up its lifts for winter, is included with all passes and is just 15 minutes away.

Keystone also has extensive, and very popular, night skiing, meaning you can spend your days exploring new resorts, then enjoy evenings hitting awesome groomers back at base. After all, Keystone isn’t famed for its nightlife.

Can’t ski, won’t ski: Not a good choice. You’re asking for trouble dragging a non-skier here as there isn’t a great deal to do off the slopes. There are only a handful of bars and restaurants. Breckenridge or Vail would make a better base.

30% 14%

56%

Fantastic snow and high altitude skiing Some of the best night skiing in the US

Snow

Surrounded by a host of great resorts

Lifts Queue-free Food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste

Very little atmosphere in the evenings Most accommodation is self-catered ‘condos’ Parking is problematic at local resorts. Take the bus!

Kirchberg Photo: Albin Niederstrasser/Kirchberg

Piste height 837m-2,000m / Lift pass £235 / Lifts 54 / Pistes 179km

Why there? The spread-out town of Kirchberg is a great base to explore the Kitzbühel area — and staying there costs less than at its more upmarket neighbour. Three gondolas, which can be reached by bus, link it to the slopes. In the Kitzbühel area the resort’s seventh eight-seat chairlift, the Jufenbahn, was built this summer and serves some of its best steep terrain. Ten minutes up the valley, the furthest lift is the Ki-West-Bahn, the link into Westendorf’s slopes, which are linked to the main SkiWelt area via Brixen, giving you an another 300km to explore.

Can’t ski, won’t ski: Options are limited so hop on a bus to Kitzbühel, where you can relax in the Aquarena’s pools and spa, go bowling or ice skating, and visit a museum.

57%

34% 9%

Snow Lifts Queue-free Food Charisma Ski schools Low budget

• All policies cover off piste without a guide • Single trip policies up to the age of 85 (75 for multi-trip) • Children under 18 covered for FREE on family policies

Off-piste Extensive, varied slopes are accessible Need to go to Kitzbühel for off-slope activities

15% OFF for Ski Club Members

Megève Piste height 1,110m-3,350m / Lift pass £265 / Lifts 88 / Pistes 445km Airports Verona 1h Venice 1.45 h Bergamo 2 h Malpensa 3 h

THE B

Only 4 hours away from any London Airport

THE

Photo: Daniel Durand/Megève

EST F ITALIAN ALP AMIL S Y EXP ERIEN

CE

ALPI

NE R

ELAX

SLED

DOG

Why there? A genuine mountain village, Megève turns picture-postcard pretty once the snow falls, with cute cafés and boutiques lining its medieval centre. Equally antique were the resort’s lifts, which featured 1980s-vintage ‘egg’ shaped gondolas. That all changed when the lift company that owns Chamonix stepped in to start a big refurbishment. Skiing is on three mountains, though only Rochebrune has direct lift access from the centre of town. In this sector, the sixseat Chamois gondola is new, creating a faster access point.

Megève’s manicured slopes suit intermediate and advanced piste skiers best, as there’s a great deal of terrain, while the distinct sectors make the days interesting. Advanced skiers will want to head to the Mont Joly area, the resort’s highest peak at 2,525m, which lies halfway between Megève and the linked resort of St Gervais. One of the two main lifts here, l’Epaule, was replaced over the summer, improving access to the most snowsure part of the resort, which also has the steepest pistes.

For away days, you’re spoilt for choice. Les Contamines, less pretty but higher, is a free bus shuttle away. And now that Megève’s lifts are owned by Chamonix, you can use the six-day plus Mont Blanc Unlimited pass to ski in the Chamonix resorts (about 40 minutes’ drive away), Courmayeur in Italy (an hour’s drive) and Verbier in Switzerland (two hours’ drive). If you don’t have a hire car there are deals available with transfer companies to shuttle between the resorts (see megeve.com).

Can’t ski, won’t ski: Megève’s centre, with its cobbled streets and cafés is great for people watching. The sports centre has a spa, pool, and both indoor and outdoor skating rinks. You can go dog sledding and for a hot air balloon ride. Regular buses go to the lakeside city of Annecy, as well as Chamonix.

19%

29%

39% 13%

Pretty, chic resort and stunning views up the mountain Good hotels, chalets and other places to stay

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Expansive lift pass is ideal for doing away-days

Lifts

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Food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste

Find out the offers: www.alpecimbra.it

Low altitude so snow can suffer on lower slopes Very busy during peak school holiday weeks Few genuinely challenging pistes for experts

Innsbruck

Photo: Josef Mallaun/Innsbruck

Piste height 820m-3,210m / Lift pass £200 / Lifts 90 / Pistes 260km

Why there? Innsbruck is only useful for its airport, right? Wrong, especially if you want an alternative ski trip. A stay in the oniondomed city gives access to the nine areas of Olympia SkiWorld Innsbruck: Nordkette-Seegrube, Patscherkofel, Axamer Lizum, Muttereralm, Rangger Köpfl, Glungezer, Kühtai, Schlick 2000 and the Stubai Glacier. All can be reached by free shuttle bus, and all are covered on one lift pass.

Nordkette is the easiest to reach — by gondola from the city centre — but the terrain is not for the faint hearted.

A 20-minute cable car ride drops you at Hafelekar ridge (2,260m) from where the only way down is to drop into the Karrinne couloir — one of the steepest pistes in Europe. About 50 minutes from Innsbruck, the Stubai Glacier has snowsure and sunny slopes. Schlick 2000, accessed from Fulpmes, is the largest area in the Stubai Valley and a family favourite.

The Patscherkofel ski area can be reached from the traditional village of Igls, on the outskirts of the city. This summer the resort upgraded its gondola, which can now whisk 2,450 skiers an hour to the slopes. The small resort has just six lifts, is family-friendly with beginner areas, a goodsized snow park and stunning views of the city and valley.

Intermediate and advanced skiers will enjoy the challenge of the downhill racetrack used at both the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics.

The statistics here are for all resorts on the Olympia SkiWorld Innsbruck pass and the ratings try to cover the whole area.

Can’t ski, won’t ski: Staying in a city is ideal for a partner or friend abandoned by a hard-core skier. Innsbruck merits a city break itself as there’s so much to do, while the Innsbruck card gives access to its museums (see innsbruck.info).

58% 28%

Snow

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Nine ski areas to explore on one lift pass, plus more

Opportunity to wander around the city after skiing Must be one of the world’s fastest airport transfers

Lifts Queue-free Food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste

Lots of waiting about for shuttle buses Some resorts are a fair distance away Some hills are a touch small for a whole day’s skiing

SKI CLUB PROMOTION

Why go on a Ski Club Freshtracks chalet holiday?

The Ski Club’s chalets in Flaine and Chamonix provide the perfect base to explore some of the finest off-piste terrain in the Alps. Whether you’re looking to learn to ski off piste, improve your powder skills, or you’re a seasoned expert after a backcountry adventure, our chalet holidays offer something that’s perfect for you.

Chalet Freshtracks Flaine

Chalet Freshtracks Chamonix After an extremely successful first winter in the homely Chalet Shiraz, we are pleased to say that Ski Club Freshtracks will be returning for a second season. Already one of the most popular Freshtracks destinations, we are excited to continue to expand our ski programme in this world-famous valley.

Join us at Chalet Freshtracks and spend the week discovering magnificent on and off-piste terrain with our world-class instructors.

Our off-piste instruction weeks in Flaine are without a doubt some of the most popular holidays in our programme, as they really do offer something quite special. The winning combination of first class instruction with Yann, Diane, Alain and team and a warm welcome from our chalet staff is the top choice for many of our regular customers who return to Flaine again and again.

Holidays include: Learn to Ski Powder, Improvers Powder Skills, Adventurous Powder, Flaine Exploration (Day Tour)

The spacious Chalet Shiraz is based in a quiet location in Les Houches. You’ll be warmly welcomed with delicious food and comfortable accommodation and excellent amenities, including sauna and hot tub.

With our Ski Club leader and private minibus, you’ll be able to access all of the surrounding areas with ease and find the best snow in the valley.

Holidays include: All Mountain Development, Off Piste Adventure, Backcountry Skills, Chamonix Exploration (Day Tour)

For more information on a Chalet Freshtracks holiday, visit skiclub.co.uk/Freshtracks or call us on 020 8410 2022.

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ONLINE

Let Mountain Tracks guide you around its new website too

Photo: Melody Sky

The newest addition to the Ski Club family, Mountain Tracks, has had its website updated too. While Mountain Tracks’ more bespoke trips require some consultation with the office to best meet customer needs, many more of the ‘offthe-shelf’ trips are now bookable online.

And users will notice that the site looks much nicer, with a more user-friendly interactive layout helping users find anything from trips to blogs, so visit mountaintracks.co.uk to find out more.

It’s now easier to book the Ski Club’s popular Leader and Instructor-led Guiding services on the go

You can now book sessions with Leaders and instructors online Work on the new Ski Club website continues apace, with the latest development being the unveiling of the new booking system for the club’s popular Leader and Instructor-led Guiding services. This can now be done from a mobile, desktop, or tablet, mirroring the new booking system for the club’s Freshtracks holidays.

Users are able to view the availability of Leaders in 18 resorts in six countries.

They will also be able to see which of these volunteers will be in which resort on a given week, ready to lead fellow Ski Club members around the mountain.

Also online is the roster of when the Instructor-led Guiding service is available in 12 resorts. This winter the 11 French resorts have been joined by St Anton, in Austria. And every resort will have at least half a day dedicated to off-piste, while more sessions have been added in the two Espace Killy resorts of Tignes and Val d’Isère.

With the season looming, the content team is moving up a gear too, adding regular competitions offering a chance to win amazing prizes. Feature articles and news reports will also increase in frequency. Learn more at skiclub.co.uk.

Thanks for helping British ski team Charities bombard us with requests for donations, but here’s one you may have contributed to unknowingly.

The British Snowsports Fund was set up to support British athletes, led in no small part by the Ski Club. Every time you renew your membership or book a ski holiday with a partner organisation is a chance to donate to the fund.

But how vital is it to the athletes? At the British Alpine Championships, held in March in Tignes, we caught up with the British Alpine Squad to find out why it matters. Watch the interviews at youtube.co.uk/thesnowcast.

Win the ski trip of a lifetime to Utah Readers of Ski+board could win the ski trip of a lifetime to Utah. The Ski Club has teamed up with snow wear brand Eider and Ski Utah to offer the lucky winner: two return flights from London to Salt Lake City; five nights at Deer Valley; two nights in Salt Lake City; six days’ ski passes and rental in four resorts and a $200 Hertz rental voucher. See page 4 or visit skiclub.co.uk/utah

Ask locals to give you the lowdown on resorts If you want to know what a resort is like ask a local. That’s what presenter Kev Harris and the Ski Club’s video editor Jonny Cass did last winter in the Tirol.

Visiting Kitzbühel, the Zugspitz Arena, Ischgl and St Anton, they interviewed the locals to create a resort guide that oozes authenticity. Judge for yourself, as all four of the episodes are now live at youtube.co.uk/thesnowcast.

To find out more visit Laurie Taylor talks to the Ski Club’s video team

Ski+board

November 2017

skiclub.co.uk

skiclub.co.uk

Isn’t it about time you upgraded yours?

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY UNTIL JANUARY 20 The Off-Piste Awareness Tour Various locations From transceiver training to talks, Henry Schniewind’s off-piste tour returns. Discounts for club members. See henrysavalanchetalk.com/uk-events/events-in-the-uk.

NOVEMBER 10-11 Can you ski everything you want to?

Skis are now much more versatile and user friendly helping you ski with less effort in lots more varied snow conditions!

Choose the correct ski for your ability level and preferred terrain and you will feel huge changes in the ease of use, your progression and enjoyment.

Recent technology and innovation means ski equipment is better than it’s ever been before... isn’t it time you upgraded your equipment and made the most of your experience in the mountains?

Before you invest in your next trip... come and visit us today to ensure you have the correct advice from experienced equipment specialists.

Bringing you the UK’s largest specialist range of skis & boots 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 Winner of the World Snow Awards - Best UK Specialist Retailer

Download Your FREE Buyers Guides http://bit.ly/SCGB-Buyers-Guide

FREERIDE | FREESTYLE TOURING | TELEMARK | RACE | RECREATIONAL Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon, West London, UB10 0NP T: 020 8848 0040 | E: info@skibartlett.com www.SkiBartlett.com

British University Dry Slope Championship Hillend, Edinburgh

Student skiers and snowboarders can show off their freestyle and racing talent. See bucs.org.uk.

NOVEMBER 16 The Ski Club of Great Britain’s AGM City of London Club, London Members can have their say at the 110th annual general meeting of the Ski Club, to be held from 6pm at the City of London Club. If you wish to attend or have any questions to raise, please email agm@skiclub.co.uk.

DECEMBER 2-15 Ski Club Leaders’ Course Zermatt, Switzerland

Become a Ski Club Leader, with lessons in technique, snowcraft and safety. The cost is £2,999 half board.

Call 020 8410 2011 or see skiclub.co.uk.

FOR MORE EVENTS AND DISCOUNTS HERE

Isn’t it about time you upgraded yours?

IN YOUR NEXT ISSUE We’re gonna party like it’s issue 199…

Ahead of the 200th edition of Ski+board we look at where the magazine has been in the past 50 years

Have you improved since you bought your current boots?

Are they still comfortable?

Go touring without leaving the pistes

Ski boot plastic shells and liners can now be heat moulded to the unique shape of your feet.

This gives you better performance and comfort than your old ski boots ever could - you’ll be amazed at the difference!

A new hut-to-hut package holiday gives you the chance of a weeklong alpine adventure on nothing steeper than a red run

Will Yugo too?

Where can you ski for £10 a day? In the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

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The piste issue Piste skis, boots, snowboards… we rate the smoothest performers

Learn après moves Our fitness expert gives tips on how to avoid seizing up after a day on the slopes

READ BACK ISSUES OF SKI+BOARD ONLINE HERE

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Recent technology and innovation means ski equipment is better than it’s ever been before... isn’t it time you upgraded your equipment and made the most of your experience in the mountains?

Before you invest in your next trip... come and visit us today to ensure you have the correct advice from experienced equipment specialists.

Bringing you the UK’s largest specialist range of skis & boots 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 Winner of the World Snow Awards - Best UK Specialist Retailer

Download Your FREE Buyers Guides http://bit.ly/SCGB-Buyers-Guide

FREERIDE | FREESTYLE TOURING | TELEMARK | RACE | RECREATIONAL Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon, West London, UB10 0NP T: 020 8848 0040 | E: info@skibartlett.com www.SkiBartlett.com

“Can you feel it, the restlessness, the pull, the desire? To go and do, to be somewhere else, to pack a bag for an hour, a day or even more and just go. To find somewhere special, a favourite spot or a new place to explore.

We say go. Go and find your somewhere with our new Winter range, now in-store and online at cotswoldoutdoor.com”

Proud to support

Let’s Go Somewhere Exclusive 15% discount* for Ski Club GB members with code SKIGBN17 *T&Cs apply. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. Selected lines are exempt.

Only valid upon production of your Ski Club GB membership identification in store or use of valid discount code online. Offer expires 28.02.18.