OCT 15 ÂŁ4.50 WHERE SOLD
Let the train take the strain + In defence of the indefensible + On the trail of the world’s first skiers + Fashion + Gear + Technique + Fitness + Resorts
Produced by skiers and boarders for skiers and boarders
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publication
READY FOR THE SNOW?
Let the
NEILSON MOUNTAIN EXPERTS
show you the way...
It’s all set to be a big season for Neilson, one of the best-known and longest established wintersports holiday companies in the UK. Proud to have pioneered ‘ski leading’ back in the 70s’, the company is going back to its roots of high value, great service and innovative ideas and is celebrating the launch the Neilson Mountain Experts service for 2015/16 – a FREE guiding and coaching service available exclusively to guests staying in a Neilson Mountain Collection property.
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NEILSON MOUNTAIN COLLECTION The Mountain Collection gathers together an outstanding range of new and established Neilson hotels and chalets – all fully managed and operated by the Neilson team, exclusively for Neilson guests. Delivering elements of the company’s award-winning Beachclub holidays to the snow, Neilson have created ski holidays as they should be, distinctive places to stay in the best ski areas and service delivered by like-minded individuals sharing their love of the mountains and the freedom of the pistes. For the coming winter season, the Neilson Mountain Collection is bigger than ever with seven hotels and 17 chalets across France, Andorra, Italy and Austria. You can expect the very warmest welcome, relaxed atmosphere, expert advice on and off the slopes, great facilities and the flexibility to enjoy your holiday just the way you want to.
NEILSON MOUNTAIN COLLECTION HOLIDAYS INCLUDE: Flights & resort transfers | Neilson hotel or chalet accommodation Daily breakfast & afternoon tea | 4-course evening meals on 6 nights Wine with evening meals for chalet guests FREE Neilson Mountain Experts guiding & coaching service
NEILSON MOUNTAIN EXPERTS New for winter 15/16 and exclusively for Mountain Collection guests is the free Neilson Mountain Experts guiding and coaching service. Provided by fully qualified ski and snowboard instructors, the service breathes new life and energy into ski guiding as they introduce you to the ski areas and guide you round the very best the mountains have to offer together with a group of like-minded, confident blue and red run skiers and boarders. The service also offers professional tuition sessions at no extra cost.
These aren’t structured lessons but a fun and inclusive way to get your ski legs back, make the most of the mountain and improve your technique at the same time. For those looking to take advantage of the free Mountain Experts Service, Neilson will guarantee at least two sessions each week but with the flexibility to join in at your leisure.
FOR FAMILIES
Neilson make sure their youngest guests are well looked after in the mountains too, with a range of clubs for children aged 4 months right through to 16 years. Based in four fantastic resorts in France and Andorra, the Neilson-run children’s clubs are taken care of by a team of fun-loving nannies who really make a difference, packing days and evenings full of exciting activities both on and off the snow.
New for winter 15/16 is the ‘Après Riders Club’– an evening club for 13-16 year olds. And now, offering brilliant flexibility, the ‘Snowbusters Club’ for 5-16 year olds provides a pick-up, drop-off service for skiing kids, including lunch, to ensure parents have plenty of time to explore the mountains each day. The Snowangels crèche (4-23months) and Snowman Club (2-4 years) take care of the very smallest snow-lovers.
visit neilson.co.uk/ski or call 0333 014 3350 Ski-Club_Ski-and-Board_Mag.indd 2
03/09/2015 10:29
Ski lifts don’t charge extra for your ski equipment. Neither do we. Your ski holiday starts the moment you board one of our aircraft. So why spoil it by charging you to transport your ski equipment? With SWISS, your equipment travels free, which makes your journey even more enjoyable. That’s what we call unique service. For more information visit us on swiss.com
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Editor’s note
EDITOR Colin Nicholson colin.nicholson@skiclub.co.uk DEPUTY EDITOR Ben Clatworthy ben.clatworthy@skiclub.co.uk
Flying over the Alps or Rockies on a clear day I am always on the lookout for ski resorts — but they are harder to find than some environmental campaigners would have us believe. As it happens, looking for potential ski resorts in this way is what Paul Mathews — ‘the architect of Sochi’ — does for a living, as Ben Clatworthy reveals in his cover story. Whatever one thinks of Mathews’ involvement in Russia’s 2014 Games and his work on the arid sites where Beijing will stage the 2022 Winter Olympics, on one point he is spot on. Large linked resorts, far from being the ecological monstrosities that many environmentalists portray them as, are in fact by far the most sustainable way of allowing large numbers of skiers and snowboarders to enjoy the mountain. Mathews gives the example of Utah, where activists have opposed the linking of seven resorts — with the result that some skiers make a 150-mile road trip by car to visit each one. It seems that in some circles an inbuilt prejudice — or perhaps it would be better termed snobbery — over lift-assisted skiing has been conflated with an environmental argument. I was once invited to go skiing at an ‘eco-friendly’ lodge in North America — it billed itself as such because it catered only for ski tourers. To get there I had to take a flight from London, then another flight, then another (on which I was one of only two passengers). Then I had to hire a car. Imagine if everyone went skiing in this way… By all means let us extol the benefits of alternative forms of skiing and the delights of skiing in remote locations, but we should not for a moment confuse that with an environmental argument. Downhill ski resorts are the best way for us to enjoy the mountains en masse — and in many cases the bigger the better. On another note, earlier this year we asked a randomly selected group of readers what you thought of the magazine after the first year under a new team. By and large you were pretty positive. Not wanting to rest on our laurels we have tightened up our popular product review pages, this season putting accessories — goggles, helmets, warm weather and avalanche gear — to the test. You liked the boot pages, so this winter our two experts will be reviewing boots in every issue. Our snowboard guru has again been out to Austria to try out all this season’s boards exclusively for Ski+board. And — the jewel in the crown — our team of 11 top skiers have also been to Austria to put this season’s skis through their paces for the Ski Club’s industry-leading ski tests. And, not forgetting that getting there should be half the fun of the journey, we’ve added a crossword to help you while away the time at the departure gate.
ART DIRECTOR Nicole Wiedemann DESIGN INTERN Amanda Barks MEDIA SALES Madison Bell madisonbell.com 020 7389 0859 OVERSEAS MEDIA SALES Martina Diez-Routh martina.diez-routh@skiclub.co.uk +44 (0) 7508 382 781 PUBLISHER Ski Club of Great Britain London SW19 5SB skiclub.co.uk | 020 8410 2000 DISTRIBUTION Jellyfish Print Solutions Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Independently audited circulation of 19,764 (January to December 2014) Issue 189 © Ski Club of Great Britain 2015 ISSN 1369-8826
Cover photo: Shutterstock; illustration, Nicole Wiedemann
Ski+board is printed by Precision Colour Printing, Stirchley, Telford TF7 4QQ
Colin Nicholson Editor
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. All prices are correct at time of publication. Opinions expressed in Ski+board are not necessarily those of the Ski Club of Great Britain, nor does the publisher accept responsibility for advertising content.
Contents October 2015
Photo: Ecosign
8 EXPOSURE A selection of intriguing shots taken by our band of professional photographers
14 YOU SAY A plea for more member meet-ups, the results of our survey, and how to grab a cheap season pass
16 SKI CLUB NEWS The Ski Club leads again in France, and launches its new travel insurance and membership tiers
18 NEWS Piste length obfuscation, new lifts and link-ups, and the upcoming entry requirements to Canada
22 THE MAN WHO DESIGNS SKI RESORTS
The inside edge 50 SNOW WEAR
58 SKI TESTS
70 BOOTS
76 SNOWBOARDS
Our fashion editor reveals this season’s most stylish outfits (the good news is that baggy is out)
The industry-leading tests are back, with our team taking a dip in the deep stuff on freeride skis
In our improved bumper boots section we review the best freeride models coming on to the market
We test the quirky new crop of freestyle boards that reveal the shape of things to come
7
Photo: Pascal Lebeau
37 IN DEFENCE OF THE INDEFENSIBLE
30 TAKE THE FAST TRAIN TO LYON
45 SEARCHING FOR SKIING’S ANCESTRY
80 GEAR
84 TECHNIQUE
88 FITNESS
90 RESORT INSIDER
In the first of our new accessories tests, our reviewer put goggles under the spotlight
Ski instructor Mark Jones knows how to make you a pro in powder, plus avoiding avalanche risk
Get ski fit by adapting your everyday exercise routine — and should you ski when pregnant?
Hoping to dash off for a pre-Christmas ski break? Our panel of experts know where to go
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
8
SKIERS Various LOCATION St Moritz, Switzerland PHOTOGRAPHER Giancarlo Cattaneo If you’re looking for a guaranteed thrill on early season snow, the annual St Moritz City Race — run down the high street of this exclusive town — is a sure bet. Held in late November or early December, it takes place on snow that is piled high between the expensive boutiques whose owners migrate here from St Tropez soon after the resort officially opens its first piste on October 17. Anyone can have a go if they form a team of four.
9
SKIER Matilda Rapaport LOCATION Haines, Alaska PHOTOGRAPHER Oskar Enander Oskar Enander and Matilda Rapaport knew bad weather was coming. They took a gamble and tried a face that was good weather-wise, but didn’t have much light so early in the year. This made looking for a line down the glacier even harder than usual. It was only after the helicopter dropped Rapaport on the peak that Enander could see it was a whole lot bigger and steeper than they had thought.
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
SKIER Unknown LOCATION St Anton, Austria PHOTOGRAPHER Josef Mallaun Ah, that last run of the day down the mountain! What can beat it? Especially when an unexpected bonus is a sunset like this. When photographer Josef Mallaun was in St Anton he was greeted with a sight that you might sooner expect to see out of your aeroplane window, with the added bonus that you get to ski down it. It almost makes you prepared to forsake a bit of Tirolean après-ski.
SKIER Ally Watson LOCATION Gressoney, Italy PHOTOGRAPHER Tom Humpage Tom Humpage was in Italy with a crew of photographers on March 20 this year, the day of the eclipse. He didn’t have the right filters to capture it, so he set off with fellow Briton Ally Watson to get a few general shots. He initially wanted an uninterrupted landscape, without skiers, cable cars or buildings, but a small hike later, he was confronted with this scene and changed his mind, deciding he needed a skier in the foreground to add action and give an idea of the scale. He shouted: “Erm, Ally do you reckon you can hit this line?”
11
SKIER Kevin Guri LOCATION Courmayeur, Italy PHOTOGRAPHER Guy Fattal If you are serious about ski photography the annual ‘Click on the mountain’ photo competition is a good place to go. It takes place every year in Italy, and photographer Guy Fattal and rider Kevin Guri were there. They decided to hit a few street spots and Guri, who is a regular competitor and one-time winner in the Freeride World Tour, threw a particularly stylish 180 off the roof top, which Fattal was able to capture nestling under the eaves of an ice-clad building.
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
Kitzbühel: the ultimate place to ski It’s not just the Hahnenkamm Race that is legendary in Kitzbühel/Kirchberg in the Austrian Tirol region – discover 209 kilometres of ski runs, 54 lifts and an outstanding mix of culture and nature that make this region the best ski area in the world, and an unparalleled place for winter sports enthusiasts.
ADVERTORIAL
K
itzbühel/Kirchberg in the Austrian Tirol region has been making skiing history since 1893, and no other destination in the Alps has greater appeal for skiing enthusiasts. Yet there are so many more reasons to visit than for amazing skiing – one is the Hahnenkamm Race on the ‘Streif’, which is quite possibly the hardest and most popular ski race in the world and has held countless audiences under its spell for the past 75 years. Even more of a draw is the stunning natural scenery with slopes lying amidst the enchanting beauty of the Austrian mountains – so it’s for good reason that the region was chosen once again as the number one ski destination in the world.
Every sweeping turn tells a story In the world-renowned ‘Gamsstadt’ or ‘chamois town’ of Kitzbühel, and the charming nearby parish of Kirchberg, entertainment meets relaxation, and traditional culture meets modern living. The historic stories of the region are celebrated, and off the slopes visitors swap their own skiing stories, making every stay truly memorable. In Kitzbühel/Kirchberg, a guest’s enjoyment is top priority – enjoy the close proximity to nature, VIP events, fantastic shopping,
The world’s best ski destination, three years in a row Having previously been chosen as the best ski region in the world in 2013 and 2014, the Kitzbühel/ Kirchberg in the Austrian Tirol has been awarded with an incredible and never-before-seen 4.8 stars (out of 5) in 2015 by ‘skiresort.de’ – the most comprehensive review service for ski resorts in the world. With 209 kilometres of superbly maintained ski runs – perfect for both experts and beginners, guaranteed snow from November to May, 54 hightech lifts, and exceptional unspoilt landscapes that can be directly accessed from hotels, the region is a Mecca for skiers, snowboarders and those wanting to go off-piste. And what makes ‘Kitz’ even more memorable? Its unique, friendly and welcoming atmosphere which brings ski and snowboarding enthusiasts back time and time again.
and numerous 4 and 5 star hotels, set right on the slopes. All this, and more, makes up the unique ‘Kitz flair’ that the area is renowned for – it simply has to be experienced for itself. Take your next winter break in the Kitzbühel Alps, and discover just why it’s the ultimate place to ski. Our selected partner hotels offer fantastic deals and exclusive packages in Kitzbühel and Kirchberg from just £155 – visit www.kitzski.uk to find out more.
Main picture ©Bergbahn Kitzbühel. Other pictures ©medialounge
YOU SAY…
14
Book early if you want to get big savings on all-season lift passes
Club spirit is alive and well in France despite Leaders’ ban
I’m not sure if everybody knows this, but you can save a lot of money by booking an all-season lift pass early. I’m off to Flaine, and see that I can cut 50 per cent off the cost of a Grand Massif season pass by buying it online by December 10, saving myself €480. I wish I had known this years ago!
I am conscious that there has been a lot of controversy over the ban on Ski Club Leaders in France last season. However, I would like not to dwell upon the negative aspect of the changes last winter, but draw on some of the positives. As I suspect many members already know, the Ski Club is alive and buzzing in Val d’Isère — even on the slopes — despite there having been no formal Leader in the resort last season. The Alex bar remains a popular meeting spot, and the members there have organised a noticeboard to show what is planned for each day and they also advertise the meeting time and place. Each morning, members have gathered and divided themselves into groups, with some people regularly volunteering to take charge of a group, leading people around the mountain, suggesting a spot for lunch, booking the restaurant and generally welcoming visitors to the ski area with open arms. The members who have made this happen are many, but the people who have done this on the most regular basis merit special praise. The club is very privileged to have
Rob Massey, Norwich
Reader comments Good magazine, but I had hoped for a more detailed article to help me choose a new pair of ski boots. This season Ski+board will review boots in every issue. Freeride boots – Page 70 The gear pages would be better if you actually tested the products. Ski+board is now putting all accessories to the test. Goggles – Page 80 It is a great relief to find the magazine is now printed clearly so one can read it without magnification.
Ski Club members in Val d’Isère arranged their own group skiing during social hours
such dedicated members, who have managed to keep the spirit of the club alive in Val d’Isère. I’m sure everyone who was there would agree that they have offered their time with pleasure, and have given visitors to the Espace Killy a great holiday experience. Karen Redmayne
Ski Club launches instructor-led guiding in France – Page 17
We asked, and you told us In February, Ski+board asked 2,000 readers to rate the magazine. We sent out a survey to 500 randomly selected Ski Club members in each of four age bands: those under 30, between 31 and 45, between 46 and 60, and those aged 61 and over. We received 94 responses and the replies were remarkably consistent across all age bands. Overall some 87 per cent felt Ski+board was a valuable part of their membership. When asked to rate how interesting the regular sections were on a scale
of one to ten, you rated news most highly (7.9), followed by resort insider (7.7) and technique (7.5). Exposure, fitness and all our product pages scored well (between 7.2 and 7.3). The exception was snowboards (2.5) — you are mostly skiers! — and fashion (4.2). This year we aim to take a more practical approach to clothing. Photography Masterclass (5.9) and ‘Me and my operation’ (6) are no longer featured, as we felt that they had run their course. You rated the features from
8.4 (British instructors in court) to 4.7 (Such very British ski festivals). We will repeat the survey next year, but you can tell us what you think at any time, by letter, email or social media, as detailed below.
GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? SHARE IT WITH US AT: @TheSkiClub
/theskiclub
skiclub.co.uk/snowtalk
Ski Club of Great Britain, The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon Village, London SW19 5SB OR EMAIL: colin.nicholson@skiclub.co.uk
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8/25/15 1:49 PM
SKI CLUB NEWS
16
Platinum membership tier includes stress-free travel cover in join fee
New policies ensure avid skiers are not failed by their insurers
The Ski Club has launched a new membership tier that comes with all the benefits of standard membership, plus top level annual European multi-trip cover from Ski Club Travel Insurance. In a survey members were asked what improvements they would like to see, and many suggested a tier with insurance. The annual direct debit cost of Ski Club Platinum membership for individuals is £69 for under-35s, £119 for those aged 35 to 69 and £169 for those aged 70 to 75. Platinum members are covered for 45 days of winter sports a year and those taking out family policies also get cover included for children under the age of 24. As with the Ski Club+ membership, which the Ski Club Platinum tier replaces, it comes with a Fogg Medicard — a mountain rescue card that gets skiers and snowboarders off the mountain and to the first treating doctor with no upfront costs if they have an accident. This covers them either on piste or off-piste. If you have any questions about what your membership covers or would like to upgrade to Ski Club Platinum membership, call the Member Services team on 020 8410 2015 or visit skiclub.co.uk/platinum.
A new range of travel insurance policies has been launched by the Ski Club in partnership with Travel Insurance Facilities to cater for passionate skiers and snowboarders. The new product range has three levels of cover — silver, gold and platinum — offering a greater choice of options to make sure travellers find the correct cover for their trip. The range can also cover preexisting medical conditions — which many policies exclude — and people venturing off-piste without a guide, heli-skiing, cat skiing and touring — other common exclusions. The policies can also offer cover for travellers aged up to 85 for single trips or 75 for multi-trip policies.
Ski Club chief executive Frank McCusker said: “Skiing and snowboarding are the most exciting and adventurous of winter sports and our membership has grown more diverse every year. Having listened to our members, we have enhanced the insurance so our policies cover a range of experiences — whether it’s policies that take care of people with medical conditions, the older traveller or allowing children and young adults free cover to travel with their families.” Members of the Ski Club will be entitled to 15 per cent off all policies. To purchase a policy or for a quote visit skiclubinsurance.co.uk or call 0300 303 2610.
Some skiers and snowboarders find their cover is invalid only after they have had an accident
Freshtracks unveils biggest holiday selection ever
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ski touring holidays, on and off-piste ski weekends, and heli or cat skiing. You can view the brochure online or request that one be posted to you at skiclub.co.uk/freshtracks or call 020 8410 2022. 2015 -16
S 2015 -16
to Norway for weekends touring in the Lyngen Alps, with spectacular views of the fjords. The programme matches skiers of a similar ability with specific interests using the best instructors, mountain guides and Ski Club Leaders — volunteer members who ski with the group. This unique formula is ideal for single travellers and those looking to develop their skiing, share their passion with like-minded skiers, and who are seeking new experiences. The choice of holidays include on piste instruction, off-piste holidays with instructors or mountain guides,
ACK B FRESHTR SKI CLU
The Freshtracks holiday programme has gone on sale for the coming winter. With more than 175 group trips on offer, it is the largest and most varied selection of trips that the Ski Club has ever offered. After a highly successful 2014-15 season, capacity has again been increased by ten per cent, with more rooms available for single travellers at no extra cost and more courses laid on to improve off-piste skills. Exciting new additions include heli-skiing in the Pyrenees, freeriding in Slovakia and ski touring in Japan. Time-poor travellers may be tempted
17
SKI CLUB NEWS
Awards and bursaries will help introduce students to snowsports
Ski Club Leaders will continue to offer a service in 17 resorts in six countries, but not in France
Ski Club launches instructor-led guiding service in French resorts Ben Clatworthy
The Ski Club has partnered with Evolution 2 ski school to offer its members a guiding service in France. The partnership, which will run in 11 French resorts, will see instructors offering a programme of at least three sessions a week designed to suit a variety of member standards. The club ran its unique Leading service — provided by volunteer members who ski and socialise with other members — in seven countries until last season. But after Leaders’ volunteer status was questioned by the French authorities, the club had to withdraw the service in France, although it continues to fight the case in the courts. Leaders continue to operate in 17 resorts in Andorra, Austria, Canada, Italy, America and Switzerland. Last season the club replaced its Leaders with Ambassadors in France who socialised with members in resort and offered advice on where to go, but did not ski with them. Frank McCusker, Ski Club chief executive, said: “Despite everyone’s best efforts, the Ambassador service has not been able to capture the magic of our Leading service.” The Evolution 2 instructors assigned to the new service will complete training on the Ski Club’s purpose, values and commitments,
as well as the logistics of running a session and what is expected from members and the club. They will ski and socialise with members, running regular social hours in all resorts and events in the more popular ones. The new service will be rolled out in Alpe d’Huez, Argentière, Avoriaz, Courchevel, Flaine, La Plagne, Méribel, Les Arcs, Tignes, Val d’Isère and Val Thorens. Members can secure a place by paying a booking fee of £10 for half a day’s session and £20 for a full day. McCusker said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Evolution 2 to offer this new service to our members, bringing back the ‘skiing with the club’ element which we all know is a highly regarded benefit. Evolution 2 is a renowned ski school with an excellent reputation that shares our passion and vision of creating the best on-snow experiences for our members.” He added: “A huge thank you goes to our Leaders who provided the Ambassador service in resort last year with the spirit that we see in all our Leaders. We are determined to continue to fight our status in the French courts, but we see this as a hugely positive solution in the interim for our members to enjoy the full benefits of the club.”
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
Set up in 1903 to bring together people interested in snowsports, the Ski Club also has the goal of encouraging people to learn to ski. As part of this, the club is creating the Inspire awards, to recognise contributions to snowsports. Three bursaries will be launched as part of the programme, which will be funded by 50 pence of every membership subscription. The Thomas Lang Bursary will be awarded to six schools that are seeking to introduce pupils to snowsports. Both primary and secondary schools will be eligible to apply for the grants of £500 each. A bursary for university snowsports clubs is also to be launched, with £500 of funding awarded to three clubs, totalling £1,500. Ski Club members are also eligible to apply for funds of up to £500 to support a community, environmental or creative project that has sustainable snowsports at its core. Frank McCusker, Ski Club chief executive, said: “These new awards are a fantastic way of enhancing British skiing at a grassroots level, and help in identifying the next generation of elite athletes.” Full details about the awards will be available later in the autumn.
Club targets younger audience with new site The Ski Club is launching a student snowsports website called Line-S. The site aims to attract younger skiers and boarders with a mix of shared content and videos created both by Club staff and an army of student writers and photographers. In partnership with Wasteland Ski — a student ski tour operator which takes 15,000 students a year to the slopes — Line-S will also offer a new membership tier that provides exclusive discounts, flash sales and competitions to students who are booked on Wasteland Ski holidays. The site is set to launch in the first week of October. See line-s.co.uk.
NEWS
18
Insurance websites act over loophole in snowsports cover
Resorts find new ways to fudge issue of piste length
Colin Nicholson
Ben Clatworthy
The insurance industry is starting to respond to a problem highlighted by Ski+board last October. We revealed that many skiers who took out annual snowsports cover were left uninsured after just two trips. Now a major comparison website carries a warning that most insurers only cover 17 days’ winter sports. Zena Carter at MoneySuperMarket said: ‘We issued the warning due to feedback from providers, as customers were unaware of the limits on duration for winter sports.”
JAN 15 Vanessa-Mae has had her four-year ban from ski racing lifted, Vanes has racesa-Mae but her last-place hopes quashed by ban finish at the 2014 Olympics is still void. In June, the court of arbitration for sport cleared the violinist of breaching anti-corruption rules, but upheld the International Ski Federation’s decision to dismiss the result of the races in question, leaving her ineligible to race in Sochi. Last year Ski+board ran an exclusive interview with the controversial musician, who competed for Thailand.
There are worrying signs that in response to the controversy over piste length claims, more European ski resorts are fudging the issue by using hectares to describe the size of their ski area, rather than kilometres. It is the latest move in an ongoing dispute first covered in the UK by Ski+board in early 2013. We revealed how German cartographer Christoph Schrahe had used software, primarily Google Earth, to assess the true length of pistes. He found that some ski areas were overestimating their claims by 50 to 100 per cent to lure holidaymakers looking for high mileage skiing. The row turned to farce when some ski areas, such as Grand Massif, told the guidebook Where to Ski and Snowboard that they were allowing for the fact skiers slalom down pistes. The new move of quoting areas is likely to confuse skiers more thoroughly as it renders comparison impossible. Unlike, in North America, the European standard has always been to quote kilometres of piste. Undeterred, Schrahe is challenging the figures for the areas too, arguing that the combined area of Val d’Isère and Tignes is 4,300 hectares rather than the 10,000 hectares claimed. Similarly, he says Serre Chevalier’s
Girl, 6, sued over crash during lesson in Austria
Families forced to cut ski trips
In Austria, a six-year-old girl is being sued by a woman for €38,000 (£28,000) after a skiing accident on the slopes of Hochhäderich mountain in the westerly Vorarlberg region. The child, who was with an instructor at the time, is alleged to have made a sharp turn in front of the woman, who says she can no longer ski as a result of the crash. The case is being heard at the Feldkirch provincial court, which must decide whether a child can be responsible for causing an accident. The woman has already tried to sue the relevant adults, but was unsuccessful. The case continues.
Research by the Ski Club has found that the Government’s clampdown on term-time holidays is forcing parents to cancel their yearly ski trip. The club’s annual Consumer Research survey showed that, of those families with children aged 16 or under, more than a third said the recent enforcement of restrictions had affected their skiing plans. And of those, 43 per cent said they had not booked a ski holiday because of the penalties. The clampdown, introduced in 2013 by then education minister Michael Gove, penalises families for going on holiday during term-time
Vanessa-Mae has race ban lifted DEC 14
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Kitzbühel has signed up to a scheme to have the length of its pistes independently verified
ski area is 2,300 not 3,900 hectares. This season Schrahe has launched a ‘verification’ scheme, whereby resorts can pay to have their claims verified. So far only Kitzbühel and SaalbachHinterglemm have signed up. Some resorts, mainly in Austria, did review their figures in 2013. Hochzillertal cut its claim from 181km to just 88km. But last year progress stalled and now appears to have gone into reverse. “Resorts switching to hectares is a step backwards,” said Chris Gill, co-editor of Where to Ski and Snowboard, which has taken up the campaign. “Some are measuring groomed area, while others are quoting the total ski area, including off-piste, which is confusing. And Schrahe has looked at these claims and doesn’t agree with them.”
with fines of up to £120. However, many parents complain the rules are confusing and inflexible, and only encourage travel companies to raise prices during school holidays. In England, February half-term begins on February 6 or 13. In many cases tour operators’ prices for these weeks are 50 per cent higher than in January. But the Department for Education has said there are “no plans at all to change the policy”. In total 15,072 people responded to the survey, which was conducted in partnership with 29 organisations, including tour operators, airlines and national tourist boards.
#visitaustria
And suddenly you realise that relaxation and lifestyle go hand in hand.
w w w. a u s t r i a . i n f o
Yo u r p e r s o n a l A u s t r i a e x p e r t s a r e o n h a n d f o r y o u . Freephone: 00800 400 200 00 or e-mail holiday@austria.info
NEWS
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Canada introduces US-style waiver for foreign visitors
Austria is leading the way with new lift openings
Ben Clatworthy
Ben Clatworthy
Holidaymakers travelling to Canada after March 15 next year will be required to obtain electronic Travel Authorisation to enter the country. Travellers can apply online for the eTA, which is similar to the Esta in the US. It costs C$7 (£3.50) and is valid for five years. Applications opened on August 1 and Canada expects most applications to be approved “within minutes”, despite delays at the time of going to press. Travellers who hold a US passport or Canadian visa are exempt.
A major landslide in April is still restricting access to the popular freeride resort of La Grave in France. Surveys during repairs revealed that the mountain road is at serious risk of crumbling into the lake below. It is expected to remain closed for many more months, increasing the usual 80-minute transfer time from Grenoble to three hours. On February 27 this year thousands of skiers, including many Britons, were trapped after a 50-tonne boulder crashed on to the road to Les Menuires and Val Thorens. It was dynamited the following evening.
Austria now boasts the longest… name of a resort. The ski area of Saalbach-Hinterglemm-LeogangFieberbrunn has been created by a new £15 million gondola linking the Tirolean resort of Fieberbrunn with its neighbours in Salzburgerland this winter to create what is billed as Austria’s second largest ski area. The ten-person gondola will run between Reckmoos in Fieberbrunn and Reiterkogel in Saalbach and can transport 2,600 people an hour. Also in Saalbach, a new six-person, high-speed chairlift has replaced two ageing draglifts, improving access to the new gondola. In nearby Mayrhofen, a new ‘3S’ gondola, the Penkenbahn, will whisk 3,840 skiers an hour from the town into the heart of the ski area, significantly reducing the infamous morning queue. The gondola is the world’s first to be capable of ‘self-rescue’, meaning that should the system lose power or become damaged, the cabins can be recovered using a back-up system. “Austria is leading the way this winter with new developments,” Chris Madoc-Jones, the Ski Club’s resorts expert said. “The new Saalbach link is by far the most significant project, while
Skiers urged to buy from British retailers
On her Majesty’s secret sweep-up
La Grave still cut off by landslide six months on
A campaign has been launched by the Snowsports Industries of Great Britain organisation to encourage Britons to buy equipment in the UK. The Go UK, Buy UK campaign aims to raise awareness of the benefits of buying in-store or online from a UK retailer. “While price is a key driver for many purchasers, there is more to consider,” the trade body said, highlighting pre-sales advice, aftersales support and product warranties. It warned that some websites mask their physical location, giving the impression of being UK-based. Snow wear, skis, boots, boards, gear – Page 49
Staff from the British consulate in Marseille and embassy in Paris are to join forces with tour operator Crystal to help in the annual clean up of France’s biggest glacier, the Mer de Glace, on the Mont Blanc Massif. “This is a good way of giving something back to a region which
Volunteers on the Mer de Glace near Chamonix
The new connection at Saalbach-Hinterglemm
Mayrhofen’s new lift is among the world’s most advanced.” Ski lifts in Austria are classed as public transport systems, so much of the funding comes from the state. Meanwhile, in the US, Park City in Utah will be linked with Canyons, with a new gondola, in a £30 million investment by Vail Resorts, which acquired Canyons in 2013, before purchasing Park City last year. Deer Valley — which is separated only by a rope from Park City — remains separately owned, and it is not possible to buy a pass covering all three resorts. Snowboarders are also banned at Deer Valley resort. The Ski Club has produced a full country-by-country listing of new lifts and resort developments for the coming season. To read it see bit.ly/newlifts1516.
is so popular with Britons,” said ambassador Sir Peter Ricketts. “It also raises awareness of the importance of protecting the environment and the need to leave it litter-free.” The task requires vast numbers of volunteers who, since the launch of the event in 2008, have picked up tonnes of rubbish left by the 500,000 annual visitors to the resort. The teams have also cleared waste from abandoned bivouacs and defunct ski lifts that has reappeared decades later because of glacier movement. The consulate helps British skiers in trouble and has run a Stay Safe on the Slopes campaign since 2012.
SKI CLUB OF GREAT BRITAIN HAS DRIVEN A GREAT DEAL. S O YO U CA N D R I V E A G R E A T V O L V O. As you’d expect of a true Swedish icon, the Volvo Range delivers form and function in perfect harmony. Luxurious. Stylish. Practical. The best of every world. Now, our partnership with Ski Club of Great Britain is bringing you hugely valuable Affinity offers across the Volvo Range – plus servicing, finance and accessory deals – at your local dealership. FIND OUT HOW MUCH YOU COULD SAVE BY CALLING TYSON COOPER ON 01473 372020 OR VISITING SKICLUB.CO.UK/DISCOUNTS
Fuel consumption and CO2 figures for the Volvo Range in MPG (I/100 km): Urban 19.1 (14.8) – 68.9 (4.1), Extra Urban 37.7 (7.5) – 85.6 (3.3), Combined 27.7 (10.2) – 155.2 (1.8). CO2 emissions 237 – 48g/km. MPG figures are obtained from laboratory testing intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not reflect real driving results.
83729_VCUK_Ski_Club_Affinity_Press_Ad.indd 1
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Photo: Shayd Johnson
Meet the man who designs ski resorts
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No fewer than 370 ski areas have been developed with the help of Ecosign, the company founded by Paul Mathews, the architect of Sochi. Ben Clatworthy spoke to the Canadian to find out how to create a good ski resort — from scratch if needs be
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ho designed this resort?’ you may ask in frustration, as you face a hike back to the chalet, or find yourself stranded on the wrong side of the valley after the last lift has closed. In many cases this is a rhetorical question. Most Alpine resorts were born of farming villages, which have grown over the years, linking themselves to other ski areas. But ask the question in a brand new resort and the answer is likely to be Paul Mathews. The Canadian is the world’s pre-eminent resort designer. Even if you haven’t visited one of the resorts he has designed from scratch, such as Sochi, in Russia, or Hanazono, in Niseko, Japan, you may have visited a resort he has helped redesign, such
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as Hemsedal, in Norway, or Zermatt, in Switzerland. And both creating and developing resorts is no mean feat, compared to the days of old. The early pioneers had little to consider by way of design, as they were catering for locals and a few regular visitors. “Pistes were chosen on summer hikes and resorts were run by farm boys who learnt how to ski, and taught other people to ski,” says Mathews. These days some retain that charm of a bygone era, but others want the newest technology so they can deliver the shortest lift queues. And they want to promise the most pistes, knowing that if they do not vie to be the best, they cannot attract the vast mass of ever more mobile travellers. These are just some of the challenges Mathews faces — even creating resorts where there is no snow. He was instrumental in winning Beijing the 2022 Winter Olympics but, as soon as the International Olympic Committee’s decision had been announced in July, photos started circulating of the proposed Alpine site in Zhangjiakou in January — minus the white stuff. The issue is not the temperature. It gets cold here, very cold. Even in town the mercury can fall to below minus 25°C — far colder than in Sochi, Mathews’ previous Olympic project. The problem is that Zhangjiakou, which is 100 miles north-west of Beijing, lies on the edge of the Gobi desert, and gets an average precipitation of just eight millimetres from the start of December to the end of February. So almost all the sliding events at the ‘snow cluster’ venues, all of which were designed by Ecosign, along with two athletes’ villages, will take place
on man-made snow, using nearby fishing lakes for water. Many consider it an outlandish choice of venue, so I put that to Mathews who, without hesitation, replies: “I’ve said that myself.” He agrees that, if common sense were to prevail, it would be more cost effective and sustainable to host the Games at an established resort, where some of the infrastructure is in place. “But that’s not how it works in real life,” he goes on. The reason is that no city wants to “endure” an Olympics too often, he says, “no matter how much they enjoyed the first one”. But Mathews is adamant that Beijing was the best choice for the 2022 Games — given the possibilities on offer. After widespread malaise at the demands of the IOC, all the European frontrunners pulled out and it became a two-horse race. Mathews describes China’s venues as superior to those that its rival Kazakhstan included in its bid, saying he was “perplexed” as to why the former Soviet republic chose the venues in Almaty that it did. Despite Beijing being in the grips of a chronic water shortage, Mathews says: “Beijing winning the Games is good for the snow business in China. It will ignite a boom with many more children coming to the snow.” It’s easy to be cynical, but Mathews’ previous Olympic project — which was no less controversial — appears to be proving something of a success. It was he who originally decided where the resort of Rosa Khutor, the venue for the Alpine events at the Sochi 2014 Games, should be located. Mathews had been whirring around in a helicopter for hours when he spotted the area. That was in the year 2000. Some 14 years — and £30 billion — later and the resort was ready to welcome the world’s best skiers. Many thought Rosa Khutor would prove a white elephant as soon as the athletes left — and perhaps it would have done. But Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the ensuing war in Ukraine, coupled
God, or nature, or whoever is responsible for Earth didn’t make as much ski terrain as one would imagine
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with the falling oil price, has seen the value of the rouble halve since the Games. So the resort is now buzzing with Russians who might previously have headed to the Alps to ski. Mathews’ decision to work with, rather than against, ski resort developments was taken at a critical point in his life. He had just finished a degree in forest ecology and landscape architecture at the University of Washington, in Seattle, in the early 1970s, where he admits he was not a model student, often skipping lectures during the winter semester in search of snow. His passion was skiing, and he liked following Canada’s national ski team, being particularly in awe of the ‘Crazy Canucks’ — a group who earned themselves a reputation for fast, seemingly reckless, skiing in Downhill competitions. Despite these distractions, he graduated and, aged 21, went to explore the Swiss mountains spending a season in Zermatt “being a ski bum”. “I fell in love with the place,” says Mathews, wistfully recalling this “organic village”. He explains that he was particularly fond of the layout of the streets and its noticeable lack of steps. The reason for this, he found out, had nothing to do with skiers, but was to help farmers herd their cows up and down the mountains. Cows, it transpires, struggle on steps even more than skiers in clunky boots. Stairfree resorts are now a concept that Mathews calls “the Zermatt solution”. During that gap year in Europe, Mathews also realised how appalled he was by the way North American ski resorts were set up. He detested the fact that everything was being built to cater for families coming on holiday often with three cars — with grownup children joining parents separately, for example — and with little consideration for the environment. He had two options. He could join a conservation group back in North America to oppose what ski resorts were doing there. Or he could combine his education and passion for skiing, by designing better ski resorts. It was a gamble. Back in 1975, when Mathews founded Ecosign in Whistler, ski resort designers didn’t exist. “There wasn’t a science to how these things were planned. Quite frankly we bought the first ski resort
Photo: Ecosign
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Changbaishan, near the North Korean border, is one of the projects created by Paul Mathews to cater for the growing number of Chinese skiers
planning into the mountains,” he says, rather smugly. He explains: “When you’re at a poorly planned resort, you’re aware of it, because you run into a lot of queues and roadblocks. But if you’re at a well-designed resort everything moves smoothly and you’re probably not even aware we’ve thought of it before.” He gives an example of the former as Grindelwald, where work is underway to modernise the Swiss resort. He says: “It was stupid. You got to the slopes and the next lift was 40 metres up a steep, icy slope. “I was very hard on the Jungfrau region,” he adds, laughing. “They thought they had the best resort in the world, but I said ‘you don’t come close to international standards’.” It was tough love. Mathews plans to increase the uplift capacity from 700 people an hour on the trains, to nearly 3,000 with high-speed gondolas in the so-called V-Bahn Project. But resort modernisation is just one part of his job. Developing resorts from scratch — as in Sochi — poses greater challenges. “God, or nature, or whoever is responsible for Earth didn’t make as much ski terrain as one would imagine,” he says. “So it really is the case of searching for a needle in a haystack, when it comes to looking for new areas of land.” Having spent hundreds of hours of his life in the skies, Mathews says he “has an eye” when looking for new terrain, taking into account access
roads, water supply, gentle bowls, plateaux and, of course, the slopes. “Oddly enough,” he says, “good ski terrain, from the air, looks quite flat. The big dramatic areas that you see are just too steep, without question.” This means finding the right spot is a hugely time-consuming affair. Once a potential site has been identified, Ecosign begins with a study of satellite images and the creation of detailed maps. Meanwhile, a special computer programme assesses the level of solar radiation the slopes are subject to — calculated by factoring in both the orientation and steepness of a slope. Too much solar radiation and what at first sight appears an unspoilt blanket of snow will quickly turn to mush. “When I was at university we calculated solar radiation levels for growing forestry products, and my lecturers developed algorithms,” says Mathews. In his new work he realised that these would prove invaluable when he was looking at both new and existing ski terrain. Before computers were widely used, this was a hugely time-consuming process. “I had a drafting department with five girls slaving away with Leroy lettering,” recalls Mathews of the curious stencil system used to mark up maps. That system carried on right up until the 1990s, when he discovered a software developer in the Czech Republic who had computerised his lecturers’ algorithms.
What hasn’t changed is the way that potential pistes are marked on to the map. White represents flat areas, while green is used for beginner slopes, in the same way as it is on piste maps. Yellow is used to indicate intermediate terrain, while blue is reserved for the steepest, expert pistes. No-go areas are shaded red. Only then do foresters head to the site to scout out the locations for the pistes. They also decide where trees need to be felled. All this information is then drawn, by hand, on the maps. Mathews has also developed a program, which, he says, “reverse engineers the information, and calculates the capacity of that piece of terrain, in terms of maximum skiers per day”. Not stopping there, the program then designs the lift system required to support the terrain. In all, it’s a process that takes years. Of course there are those who oppose the creation and expansion of ski areas. Mathews says: “We try to be extremely sensitive. We avoid water and wetlands, and we study rare plants and animals. If we find them, we make such habitats ‘specially protected’ in our plans and avoid them, even though we aren’t immediately required to do so by regulation.” 0011
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It is his awareness of the impact of each extra piste and lift that makes him — odd as it may seem — an advocate of the giant linked ski areas as found on the Continent. Linking resorts boosts the capacity of existing ski areas and reduces the need for vehicles to travel between them. Mathews says the efficiency of huge areas such as the Portes du Soleil and Les Trois Vallées in France “makes them perfect”, with lifts that allow us to travel far further during a ski day than we could 40 years ago. It’s a concept that has yet to catch on fully in North America. In Utah, for instance, it is possible to stand at the summit of some seven ski resorts, and see the neighbouring resorts. But you can’t ski from one to another. “So people base themselves at Park City and travel by car on a 150-mile round trip to ski at other resorts, such as Alta and Snowbird,” says Mathews. He would like to see all seven linked
to create the ‘One Wasatch’ area. But this is going to take time, though the first step will be complete in December with the opening of a new gondola linking Park City and Canyons. He gives short shrift to the environmentalists who oppose every change, saying: “When we deal with rocks, and want to make small rocks out of large rocks, the gravel created helps protect other valuable environmental resources.” It is clear from our conversation that the environment is something Mathews is genuinely passionate about. It is also clear that his studies, combined with 40 years’ experience developing resorts, has made him exceptionally knowledgeable about the natural habitats of the mountains. But it’s a juggling act. While he says his firm does its “best job for the environment” Mathews acknowledges the end goal is to allow “skiers to enjoy it in the winter, on the snow”. But should that include introducing countries to skiing by staging the Olympics in places without a winter sports tradition? It is easy enough
for Mathews to defend the 2010 Games held in Vancouver and Whistler, where the construction of the £350 million Sea to Sky Highway between the two replaced one of the most dangerous roads in the country. But when it comes to creating new ski destinations, ultimately, Mathews says he is running a business, and designing resorts “keeps him in a job”. And the apparent surge in the popularity of skiing in the East is proving highly lucrative for him. He tips Chongli Thaiwoo, in China — which has been designed entirely by Ecosign — as the next destination. The first phase of this new and “beautiful” resort opens this December. Mathews says the “ski terrain is awesome” and that the resort will be “China’s best”. Of course, it’s unlikely that many of us will be skiing in the Far East any time soon. But the next time you find yourself cursing an ill-placed lift, or an unexpected plateau, pause for a second. Because the chances are that Mathews feels your pain.
Book online at skiolympic.com or call 01302 328 820
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Bring on the lifts! One of Paul Mathews’ biggest projects is linking two Swiss resorts. And the new lifts can’t come a moment too soon, says reluctant ski tourer Arnie Wilson
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stash of legendary off-piste. At this point — too late! — I made it clear that walking up mountains, with or without skins, has never been my favourite pastime. I’m happy to ski almost anywhere, but I contend that ski lifts are a wonderful invention. I leave ski touring to the Luddites. “Don’t worry, Arnie,” Andrea reassured me, “it’s only a quick walk to the top. Maybe ten minutes.” How many times have I heard this from guides as they try to lure me up agonisingly long stairways to heaven? I gazed up at this snowy schlep and I knew in my heart it was going to take me at least half an hour, while my considerably younger companions would hop to the top in no time, and watch my slow slog with amusement. “Can I not get back to the base by skiing the other way?” I pleaded. “Afraid not,” said Andrea. “There’s no way back that way.” So that was it. Committed, again, to doing something I dreaded. When will I learn? Perhaps I need a badge to say: “I love off-piste. I’ll traverse to get to it. A ski lift would be preferable. But please don’t make me walk up.” Yes, it was a struggle and, yes, it did take me far longer than the rest of the group. But the skiing, when I finally made it, was sublime. And perhaps next time I’m back, I will even be able to enjoy it without the big hike up. Arnie travelled as a guest of the Ski Club (skiclub.co.uk/freshtracks; 020 8410 2022), which offers the Andermatt Escape from December 10 to 14 for £850 per person based on two sharing, staying half-board at the Hotel Sonne, including flights, coach transfers and four days with mountain guides. See also myswitzerland. com or call freephone 00800 100 200 30.
Photo: Robert Boesch/Switzerland Tourism
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omething big is stirring in the beautiful, remote hinterland between the two central Swiss resorts of Andermatt and Sedrun. They are joining forces in a long-awaited union with the help of 14 lifts to form a linked ski area. It is part of a £100 million development backed by Scandinavian resort owner Skistar and Egyptian businessman Samih Sawiris. The project has been described as a “fairy tale from the Arabian Nights”, with plans for six hotels offering “fiveand six-star” accommodation in 850 rooms, 500 apartments, private villas, a sports centre, concert hall and an 18hole golf course that Sawiris is happy to share with a farmer’s beloved cows. But don’t hold your breath. Though work began in July, the lifts opening this winter won’t link the resorts just yet. And the final stage of the project won’t start before 2019. Until then skiers will continue to rely on the Matterhorn Gotthard railway to get from Andermatt’s 86km of pistes to Sedrun’s 50km. “The problem here is lots of southfacing exposure,” said Paul Mathews, who is working on the project. But using his solar radiation maps, which show subtle undulations of terrain, he has been able to find areas suitable for pistes. He took Bernhard Russi, the Olympic and World Cup champion,
to a proposed site. Mathews recalls: “I said ‘follow me’ and we found dry powder in early April. Bernhard laughed and said, ‘Paul, how in the world do you — sitting in Whistler — figure out where the dry powder snow is that only a few of us old local people in Andermatt know about?’” Some readers may lament the sacrifice of this ski-touring haven to lifts, but — as far as this writer is concerned — the new lifts can’t come fast enough… as I found on the Ski Club’s Andermatt Escape trip. Don’t get me wrong, the skiing was glorious. We were dazzled by the pin-sharp clarity of the mountains for three days running in February. I have been coming to Andermatt off and on for decades, and even learnt to ski on the more benign slopes of nearby Hospental. But I’d never seen it in all its glory before. More often than not the mighty Gemsstock, which has enough off-piste to keep the most active skier happy for weeks, is shrouded in mist. Never in my many visits have I caught the sun in a cloudless blue sky, even for a day. Our group was led by Andrea Enzio, a delightful Italian — think Poldark with longer hair. And following his sweeping, graceful turns on the first day, we barely scratched the surface of the area. And therein lay the problem. The Gemsstock has just one red and one black run from its 2,961m summit. There are a handful of easier runs mid-mountain. But the rest of this vast, sprawling peak… is off-piste. The highlight for most of our group — if not entirely for me — involved slithering down a longish, steep pitch at the back of the Gemsstock to a broad plateau. From here, the plan was to climb a steep ridge to reach a
FALL IN LOVE WITH
SWITZERLAND… But then what’s not to love? Millions of British visitors have fallen in love with Switzerland – and each new generation reignites the flame of that age-old love affair. But it’s not just the UK - the whole world is an ardent admirer of this idyllic land of mountains, lakes and friendly locals. And you’ll find many peaks in mountain ranges the world over being compared with the mighty Matterhorn. So how could you not fall in love with a country right in the heart of the Alps - which has 52 peaks above 4000 metres? Especially if you’re a skier or snowboarder! And what stunning mountains! With
so many high-altitude slopes and lifts, what’s not to love? Switzerland is home to some of the world’s most iconic peaks. Who hasn’t heard of – or seen pictures of – the mighty Eiger. Or the even more famous Matterhorn, first climbed by an Englishman, Edward Whymper, in 1865. This was just a year after the celebrated Badrutt wager, when the St. Moritz hotel pioneer Johannes Badrutt made his famous bet with four British summer visitors. He persuaded them to come back in the winter. If they didn’t like the experience, he promised to pay their travel expenses.
They accepted, of course, came at Christmas and stayed until Easter. The first winter tourists in the Alps had discovered a new world – and fallen in love with Switzerland. Almost all Switzerland’s resorts are genuinely authentic. Like good wines, they’ve gradually evolved and matured around picturesque mountain villages, offering a truly traditional atmosphere and high quality service. And even if you’re not a keen skier, with such a huge range of resorts, there’s something for everyone. Here we highlight just four possibilities – but wherever you go, we know you’ll fall in love…
Where and when did you fall in love with Switzerland? Share your love story at MySwitzerland.com/yourstory or use the hashtag #INLOVEWITHSWITZERLAND to share it via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. The best stories will win a trip back to the destination they fell in love with.
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with snowshoes on the Touno plain. Enjoy a night at the Hotel Weisshorn (2,337 m), then hike back to Saint-Luc for a delicious fondue prepared by your guide – in the middle of the forest! For a true romantic break, you could opt to stay at the romantic alpine lodge Alpes et caetera, with its mazots (little chalets) that combine comfort and privacy. sierre-anniviers.ch
Best for early birds
Best for friends
LAAX, Graubünden If you thought it would be fun to try out your German, French or Italian in the Swiss mountains, staying in LAAX might test your language skills even further. They speak a form of Romansh here, reflected in some of the names of the spectacular local peaks. But don’t worry – most people speak English, and LAAX is the ideal destination for a fun-filled, action-packed break. Sharing all this with friends makes it even more fun. Four Nights for Friends’ package Enjoy the wonderful skiing and snowboarding here before spending relaxing evenings together in your holiday apartment. Four overnights including a four-day lift ticket for £191pp. laax.com
Best for families
Haslital, Bernese Oberland This is Sherlock Holmes country! Yes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle loved Switzerland too, and his celebrated fictional hero met an untimely end in Meiringen, in the Hasli valley – only to be resurrected again by public demand! Conan Doyle was a skiing pioneer himself and he would surely have enjoyed Haslital’s 13 lifts, 60km of slopes, and 25km of winter hiking trails. Who knows, he might even have had a go in the Audi Skicross Park, the Junior Park, the new Hasliberg ski racing centre, and the extensive “Skihäsliland” practice area – which all add up to exciting winter days for all the family on the Hasliberg. And numerous cosy restaurants and ski bars on and off the slopes will encourage them to reconnect after the day’s exertions! meiringen-hasliberg.ch
Best for romance
Sierre-Anniviers, Valais Loving Switzerland is easier still when you’re in love! Why not climb the Bella Tola – at 3,025m the highest local summit – to watch the sun rise over the stunning surrounding peaks. Or, for a less strenuous outing, hike
Davos Klosters, Graubünden Davos Klosters has some of the best offers for skiers who are happy to get to the mountain early in the season. Lift pass for free, pre-season Up until December 20, guests receive a complimentary ski pass for the slopes that have opened in Davos Klosters for every overnight stay in a partner hotel and certain holiday apartments. Offers start from £50pp/night. Free ski test: December 4-7 And you can take advantage of the resort’s free ski test in December, with top ski models from winter 2015/16 at the test centre at the Parsennhütte. Offers including an overnight and lift pass from £56pp. davos.ch
How to get to Switzerland
Switzerland is so easy to get to. Flights with SWISS are from £54 one way, and your ski equipment travels for free with SWISS (excluding Economy Light fares). The Swiss flag carrier has more than 180 weekly flights from the UK and Ireland to Switzerland. Food and drinks are served on every flight. SWISS.com
How to get around
Swiss trains? You must have heard how punctually, smoothly and effortlessly they run. Like its mountains, Switzerland’s super-efficient transport infrastructure is known around the world. The best way to reach your holiday destination is with the Swiss Transfer Ticket. This takes travellers from any Swiss arrival airport/border station direct to their destination – and back again at the end of their stay. The Swiss Transfer Ticket costs £94 (2nd class) or £151 (1st class) and is valid for one month. What’s more, children under 16 travel free on Swiss trains when accompanied by an adult holding a Swiss Transfer Ticket or Swiss Travel Pass.
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GO LOCO
IN A HOST OF
Avoriaz
Morzine Les Gets
CLUSES
Samoëns Les Carroz
SALLANCHES ANNECY
Argentière
Flaine Chamonix
Le Grand Bornand
Les Houches La Clusaz
Megève
ST GERVAIS AIX LES BAINS
ALBERTVILLE LANDRY AIME
CHAMBÉRY MOÛTIERS
Les Contamines
BOURG-ST MAURICE
Espace Killy Paradiski
LYON ST JEAN DE MAURIENNE
Les Trois Vallées ST AVRE LA CHAMBRE
La Toussuire
ST MICHELVALLOIRE
Le Corbier
GRENOBLE
St Gervais
St Sorlin Valmeinier d‘Arves Valloire Alpe d'Huez
Val Cenis
MODANE Train station Train line Ski resort
Les Deux Alpes
Bus/taxi route
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UNTRACKED RESORTS
This winter, a direct train service to Lyon will make rail travel to the Alps easier than ever. As Daniel Elkan reports, this means you can make tracks to a range of new resorts
T
here are no two ways about it. However you travel to the Alps — by plane or train — it’s going to take the best part of a day. And for nearly 20 years, skiers have flocked to the Eurostar Ski Train, realising that if they’re going to spend a day getting to the slopes, they may as well do so in as much comfort as possible. The Ski Train deposits travellers in a particular corner of the French Alps, the Tarentaise Valley, giving them access to some of the Alps’ biggest and best known ski areas — the Espace Killy (Tignes and Val d’Isère), Paradiski (Les Arcs and La Plagne) and Les Trois Vallées (Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens and surrounding resorts). But what if you wanted to travel by train to a resort outside this region? Until now, you had to take a Eurostar service to Paris’s Gare du Nord, then cross the French capital by Metro, RER (regional train) or taxi to catch a fast TGV train from Paris’s Gare de Lyon — or Gare d’Austerlitz for a sleeper. For train aficionados and those with a phobia of flying, the hassle of crossing Paris was a price worth paying. But for newbies to Continental train travel, that change was a daunting prospect. And changing at Lille
really only helped those skiing in Switzerland. But the launch of a direct Eurostar service from London to Lyon this summer means you don’t have to change in Paris any more. On arrival at Lyon’s principal Part Dieu station, you simply change platform to catch a local train headed towards your resort. The service leaves London every Saturday at 7.19am, calling at Ashford at 7.55am with the next stop at 1pm exactly in Lyon Part Dieu. The station is awash with escalators and lifts, so switching platform is little hassle. And there are several cafés and restaurants in and near the station, so you can break for lunch or forage items for a picnic on board your onward train. From Lyon, the closest resorts are those in the Aravis range — Le Grand Bornand and La Clusaz. A little further afield are those in the Portes du Soleil ski area and Maurienne Valley. Below, we list some key resorts opened up by the new service, giving connection details, plus the cost of onward travel and how long it takes — whether by taxi or bus — in the infographic for each. The new route to Lyon also adds vital capacity to resorts that you can reach direct. The Ski Train sold
Ski+board
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out for half-term dates within hours of going on sale back in July, so the extra 700 to 900 seats a week on the Lyon service are worth considering for those heading to the big beasts of the Tarentaise who missed out on the direct train. The regional service to Albertville, Moûtiers, Aime and Bourg St Maurice that leaves Lyon at 1.50pm actually arrives two hours before the Ski Train. And for dedicated spring skiers, the Lyon service keeps going, while the last Ski Train leaves the UK on April 2, 2016. Eurostar (eurostar.com; 08432 186 186) prices vary, but the cost of a return to Lyon is likely to be £89 to £179 outside school holidays, and about £134 to £299 at New Year and over half term, depending on when you book. In Standard Premier, returns cost about £179 to £299 outside peak periods, and up to about £419 at peak times. For children aged four to 11, fares are two-thirds of adult fares. Returns on the onward trains cost between £20 and £55. They go on sale from October 15 for travel between December 13 and February 4. From November 6 you can buy tickets for travel between February 5 and March 6. And from December 7, you can buy tickets for travel on or after March 7 (voyages-sncf.com; 0844 848 5848). It’s best to book the Eurostar first, as local train fares are basically flat, so there’s little danger of losing out if you book late. Most local trains are fairly spacious with tables and toilets, but no buffet, so stock up first.
VAL CENIS
Train Alight
LYON to MODA NE MODA NE
Return £25
from to total
TAX I
Mo Val Cenisdane €
45
departs 2.50pm at 5.53pm
ET B U S T IC K
€ 18
M O DA N E to VA L C EN IS s
35 minute
Newbies to Val Cenis often wonder why they haven’t heard of this familyfriendly gem before — it’s a bit of a secret. The village is attractive and quiet at night, so you can save yourself for the 125km ski area, packed with good beginner and intermediate runs
32
as well as some accessible off-piste. The altitude and microclimate make for good snow, and the views of the lake are breathtaking. Novices can enjoy Europe’s longest green run, the aptly named 10km Escargot, with a vertical drop of just 700 metres.
LES SYBELLES
Train Alight
50pm departs 2. at 5.34pm 3 Return £2
NE LYO N to M O DA M AU RI EN NE ST JE AN DE
€ 12
TAXI SE RVICE from St Jean de Mauri ST JEAN DE MAURIENNE enne to Le to Corbier LE CO RB IER total € 30 Company
LA CLUSAZ / LE GRAND BORNAND departs 2.08pm
LYON to ANN ECY ANN ECY
Train Alight
at 4.07pm Return £42
BUS
TICK
ET
TAXI SERVICE An ne cy
from
RN D BO GRAN
to
AND es
inut
35 m
Le Grand Bornand
total
€
Company Stamp
60
BUS T ICKE
42 minutes
TAXI SE RVICE from St J ea o n t de Maurienne to La Toussuire SUIRE S U O T A L total € 22 utes URIENNE
E MA ST JEAN D
€ 8.20
30 min
utes
You may not have heard of the Aravis range, but it’s one of the most scenic in the Alps — and home to two cracking resorts: La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand. Marketed as Lake Annecy Ski Resorts, there are 222km of pistes on the combined ski pass and the slopes are excellent for intermediate skiers, with plenty of accessible off-piste in both too. Le Grand Bornand, the birthplace of Reblochon cheese, is the more family orientated. La Clusaz is more vibrant with bars and nightspots dotted along the streets, which form an arc around a central, picture-postcard old church.
Return £33
Train Change Alight
€ 12
Return £33
utes
tota total
€
46
at 5.50pm
ARGENTIÈRE
Company Stamp
60 min
CHAMONIX
LYON to ST GERV AI S ST GERVAI S at 4.53p departs 1.40pm m, leaving 5.0 5pm CH AM ON IX
nne
from St Jean de Maurie ST SORLIN D’ARVES to St Sorlin d 'Arves
to
Company Stamp
35 min
Alight
Stamp
E MAURIE TAXI SERVICE NNE
ICE TAXI SERV A N N EC Y An ne cy from to az us Cl to La LA CLUS € 60 AZ total
LYON to ST GERVAIS departs 1.40pm ST GERVAIS at 4.53pm, leaving 5.05pm at 5.30pm LES HOUCHES
Train Change
ST JEAN D
T
LES HOUCHES
Stamp
Company
€ 8.20
Y A N NtoEC
€ 12
apartment blocks sit between the two architecturally. They offer access to some of the best ridge runs including the wonderful rollercoaster ride from Grand Truc flowing 909 vertical metres to Les Bottières in the valley below.
Train Change Alight
LYON to ST GERVAIS departs 1.40pm ST GERVAIS at 4.53pm, leaving 5.05pm at 6.13pm ARGENTIÈRE Return £33
It claims 310km of linked pistes and has some breathtaking ridge-top runs accessible to all levels of skier, yet many Britons have never heard of Les Sybelles in the beautiful Maurienne Valley. With 23 greens and 56 blues, beginners and early-intermediates can wobble from one easy piste to the next, without running out of options. Three areas were linked to form Les Sybelles about a decade ago. Le Corbier is a purpose-built village and hardly picturesque, but it boasts a charming ‘front-de-neige’ — the ski equivalent of a seafront — making it a pleasant area for beginners. At the other architectural extreme, St Sorlin d’Arves oozes history, and you can visit a farmhouse making Beaufort cheese. La Toussuire’s chalets and
Grand old Chamonix, whose famed off-piste includes the Vallée Blanche glacier run from the 3,840m Aiguille du Midi, is a magnet for advanced riders. But it also has a station in the centre of the village, which you arrive at from the scenic Tramway du Mont Blanc, which curls around mountains, diving in and out of tunnels. Carry on up the line to reach the old village of Argentière. Its slopes boast one of the longest vertical-drop runs in the world, a 2,039-metre descent from the dizzying summit of Grand Montets. Families may prefer to alight at Les Houches, where the tree-lined pistes and excellent nursery slopes are better for littler legs to progress on.
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MEGÈVE
Train Alight
0pm departs 1.4 at 4.46pm Return £52
AI S LYON to ST GERV ES CH SA LL AN
€ 8.50
TAXI SERVI CE S a ES lla CH AN n ches LL SA to Megève to total VE € 30 MEGÈ from
Compan
y Stamp
25 minutes
which has its own impressive ski area with 132km of runs. Not only are the slopes here more snow-sure but they stay wonderfully quiet, even during peak holiday periods. The village of Les Contamines, though not the prettiest, is laid-back and friendly, with a weekly market packed with crafted tapenades, jams and cheeses. And the restaurant owners are so welcoming that you may feel as if you are having dinner at a friend’s home.
LES CONTAM INES / ST GERVAIS Train Alight
LYO N to ST GERVAIS ST GERVAIS
Return £25
RVICE TAXI SE ST St Gervais from The ski area T H E to € 20 total p
Stam Company
at 4.53pm
€ 3.50
S ER V A I
S T G to
C luses LES CARROZ Les C arr oz to
SKI AREA
to
O N TA L ES C
M
utes
I N ES
total
Les Contamines €
Company
from
C L U S ES
Cluses Flaine
to
€
70
to
FL A IN E
Company Stamp
60 min
€8
La Clusaz/Savoie Mont Blanc/Lansard
Train
€ 11
from
total
A short hop from their respective train stations, grand old Megève and historic spa-town St Gervais share the slopes of the 325km Evasion Mont Blanc ski area. Arrive in either of these villages as dusk falls and you cannot fail to be impressed by the grandeur of the old houses, chalets and hotels, rich in history from the time when recreational skiing was in its infancy. A short bus ride up the valley, and on the same ski pass, is slightly higher Les Contamines,
40
utes
TAXI SERVICE C L UtoS ES from Cluses N S to Samoens SAMOË Company Stamp
tota total
s inute
€
41
30 m
Follow the winding road up from Cluses, past trees laden with snow, and you come to three villages which access one epic ski arena: The Grand Massif. What is remarkable about this snowy playground is the way many of its exhilarating runs drop into the same bowl, making it easy for groups to split, then meet for coffee or lunch. The downside of charming Samoëns, with its traffic-free centre of narrow streets and tantalising food shops, is that it is a gondola ride away from the slopes. Further up, Les Carroz is picture postcard cute — and directly on the ski network. Flaine, higher still, offers the best access to this fantastic area, but is the ugly duckling of the three, made up of uncompromisingly rectangular apartment blocks that date back to the 1970s. Arrive as dusk falls at resorts such as La Clusaz, which are now easier to reach by train
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
PORTES DU SOLEIL
p
y Stam
Compan
TAXI SERVICE
30
utes
€
30 minutes total
Stamp
in
25 m
at 4.35pm
E ERVIC TAXI S
CLUSES
to
departs 1.40pm Return £52
€8
G ER V A I S
TAXI SE RVICE from S t G er va is
to
LYON to GRENOBLE CLUSES
Train Alight
10 min
€ 3.50
GRAND MASSIF
departs 1.40pm
skiclub.co.uk
LYON to ST GERVAI S CLUSES
Alight
C L U SES
TAXI C lu se s to Av or ia z total € 80 from
to
AVOdRaiIAnsZlift
via Pro
s
55 minute
€ 8.50
TAXI Cluse s from to Les Gets € 45 tota total
CLUSES to
MORZINE 55 minutes
at 4.35pm Return £52
€ 13
€8
departs 1.40pm
C L U S ES to
L ES G E T S 35 minu
tes
TAXI C lu se s from to
Morzine
total
€
60
The Portes du Soleil consists of 12 ski villages and 650km of pistes, draped over France and Switzerland. Three are especially easy to reach by train from Lyon. Cute Les Gets has one of the best local mountains, Mont Chéry, which remains fairly quiet and, on a powder day, untracked. Bustling Morzine is chalet central. Above it, accessed by cable car, is the purposebuilt, ski-in, ski-out, village of Avoriaz. Here you’ll hear only the tinkle of bells, as horse-drawn sleighs pull skiers and luggage to their accommodation — which is mainly self-catering. The new Aquariaz swim and spa complex is a great place to unwind.
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LOIRE VALMEINIER / VAL Train Alight
LYON to MO DA NE IR E ST MI CH EL-VAL LO
TICK BUS
ET
de
at 5.46pm Return £23
TAXI SERVI
CE St ValmeinierM15ichel-Vall oire 00 OIRE to to
L-VALL MICHE
Compan
y Stamp
tal
37
€
Alight
to
VA L
ER M EI N I
BU S TI CK ET
es inut
€ 12
35 m
ICE SERV ST MICHEL-VALLOIRE I X A T l-Vall oire
St Miche from oire to Vall total
€ 42
mp
any Sta
Comp
Train
to
VA LL OI RE
35 minutes
The Galibier-Thabor ski area may not be a name that trips off the tongue, but with 28 blue runs and 32 reds, intermediates are in their element. Start on the bracing blue from Le Grand Plateau or the Crey du Quart, which deposits you at the Armera chairlift, a stunning ride high above the gorge that separates the two resorts. Historic Valloire is set around a 17th-century baroque
€ 18
LES DEUX A L P ES
LYO N to G RE G R EN O B L N O B L E E
G R EN O B L E to L ES 2 A L P ES s
90 minute
depart
s 2.14p
m
at 3.49 pm Return £34
TAXI SERVICE
Grenoble Les Deux Alpes
from to
tota total
€
ALPE D’HUEZ
Train Alight
LYO N to GR EN OB LE GR EN OB LE
€ 15
B L E to G R ENtOo ’ H U E Ztotal D E P AL
from
€ 12
ST
m parts 2.50p
church. Likewise Valmeinier 1500, a former mining village, boasts proud old buildings. Newer Valmeinier 1800 is well designed, and the run snaking through it makes it ski-in, ski-out.
Company Stamp
140
From Lyon, it’s a short train ride to Grenoble, but then a 90-minute trek to Les Deux Alpes. Your reward is 203km of varied, high-altitude terrain. Freeriders love the bountiful off-piste, such as the thrilling 1,000 metres of vertical from Chalance to the Fée valley. Then there’s notorious La Grave, accessed from the glacier. For intermediates a new blue leads to the resort. True, the sprawling, purposebuilt village lacks charm, but it buzzes at night and offers cheapish lodging.
departs 2.14pm at 3.49pm Return £34
TAX I SE R G r e n o VICE b le A lp e d 'H u e z € 12 0
from
es
Comp
any
Stamp
inut
80 m
The road from Grenoble leads to five villages in the Alpe d’Huez ski area: ski-in, ski-out Oz; quaint Vaujany; tiny Villard-Reculaz; chalet haven Auris; and large, modern Alpe d’Huez itself. All lead on to a 250km ski area, whose central mesh of blue runs are a great place to progress. There are lots of reds too and Europe’s longest black, the Sarenne. The remarkably quiet slopes at the Vaujany and Auris ends also boast many rustic restaurants for quiet coffees and leisurely lunches. Daniel Elkan is a freelance ski journalist and founder of snowcarbon.co.uk — a website about rail travel to the Alps in winter.
YOU’RE TAKING THE MICKEY… Earlier this year, a train full of skiers ended up in Disneyland Paris. Ski Club member Mike Pomfrey was one of them Ah, the joy of train travel! In January I joined a Freshtracks trip to Sainte Foy travelling by Eurostar. It’s a long journey, but comfortable enough and a relaxing alternative to air travel. Until, that is, heading home there was an announcement near Paris: “We have a report of smoke in the Channel Tunnel and are diverting to Lille.” That’s when things started to unravel. After a long wait in Lille we were told we were going to Paris to spend the night in a hotel. We got as far as Charles de Gaulle airport when this was revised to a night at Disneyland Paris. That got all the children on the train excited, of course, but not for long. At Marne-la-Vallée we waited interminably until a single harassed member of staff turned up to
announce we should form an orderly joined trainloads of other people queue (ha!) to be allocated rooms for new security and passport checks at one of the hotels on the Disney site. and finally got back to Blighty. Our Ski Club Ambassador, Helen Very little of this was Eurostar’s Kirkland, was a star in the crisis, living fault though, quite properly, it up to her title by organising passports apologised and took responsibility and tickets to ensure we stayed for the delay. We were offered together as a group. Some hours later cash sums and a free return ticket, we reached our hotel. To be fair, they which, yes, I have used — to return weren’t expecting an influx of tired, to the delightful Auberge sur la harassed travellers. But the bar staff Montagne in Sainte Foy, where we were interested only in flirting with stayed in January. the Essex girls from our train, and by the time we were treated to an ‘all you can eat’ buffet Disneyland Paris most of it had run out. At 6.30 the next morning we were suddenly told to go to the station. Another long scrum and we finally boarded a train to Paris MARNE-LA-VALLÉE Gare du Nord, where we
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*Selected dates apply Photo accreditation: Agence Zoom
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• Improved cover for all holidays, not just skiing • Cover for lack of snow, and avalanches • Off piste skiing and boarding without a guide • Heli skiing, glacier skiing, backcountry skiing and ski touring all covered as standard Ski Club Platinum membership is also available this season, which includes European annual multi-trip insurance and Fogg Medicard – all wrapped up in one price. For a quote, visit skiclubinsurance.co.uk or call 0300 303 2610
37
IN DEFENCE
OF THE INDEFENSIBLE R
ivalries in snowsports are often overplayed. Most skiers and snowboarders don’t actually hate each other and research shows most prejudices to be unfounded anyway. Skiers are more at risk from other skiers than boarders, and likewise boarders from other boarders.
And yet some groups attract outright derision from their mainstream fellows. If you are a snowblader, it is always open season as you face down the snorts and stares of ‘real skiers’. And don’t we all associate monoskiers with faded one-piece ski suits? There are also a host of newer
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
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activities that have sprung up on the periphery of the snowsports world, from fat wheel biking to snow scooting, that make purists wince. Here we explore why these activities hold such an enduring fascination for their aficionados and let them explain it in their own words.
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HONEY, I SHRUNK THE SKIS Snowblades came in after the war to help mountaineers cross glaciers. So why are they scorned, asks Belle Stevens?
I
have a little secret. Or rather two little secrets. I carry them with me when I go skiing. My cover is only blown when it comes to the goodnatured joshing between skiers and
boarders. And it never takes long for the ‘ski or board’ question to pop up. I wait for those moments with rising tension conscious that, despite the banter, there’s a grudging respect Photo: Ski Andorra/La Massana
between the two camps. But I also know that whatever I say will pierce the camaraderie that envelopes the snow scene. You see, I live in a twilight world. I’m neither here nor there. So, when asked, I play for time: “Well, I like a bit of everything really — a bit of skiing, a bit of snowboarding…” But in reality, stalling like this, portraying myself as a renaissance woman of the slopes, only means I have further to fall when it comes to confessing. So I blurt out: “…but actually I really like snowblading.” Then there are the looks. I’ve got to know those looks well. First there is surprise. This descends into confusion, as some newbie asks me torturous questions as to what snowblading is, thereby prolonging my agony. A few kind hearts may try to rescue me, puncturing the awkward silence with concerned questions about my affliction. But there’s no disguising the smirk — that thinly veiled look of contempt on less well-meaning faces. So how did I get here? I started skiing aged seven. At 14, I was finally old enough to visit the local dry ski slope on my own, so I pleaded with my parents for snowboard lessons. But somewhere in this hinterland of skiing and boarding, snowblades became the new craze, so my obliging father bought a pair for us all to share. Now, 20 years on, the blades have come to me as their sole user and advocate. Of course, I realise snowblades have become less popular, but times are changing and, with tensions between snowsports easing and new resorts popping up in tour operators’ brochures away from ski snob La Massana’s gondola connects it to a big ski area in Andorra’s Pal-Arinsal sector
39
hangouts, I decided it was time to wear these bad boys with pride. La Massana is one of those places. It is Andorra’s newest resort after a gondola built in 2004 linked the PalArinsal ski area to the village, which was new to tour operator Crystal’s brochure last season. We reach it after a three-hour transfer from Toulouse (Barcelona’s no closer) on a winding road through the Pyrenees. The Magic La Massana, where we are staying, is one of a small group of wood and stone-clad hotels by the gondola, lying among ski shops and traditional Catalan restaurants, such as La Borda de l’Avi, which does grilled snails, and bars offering a good drink. And by good drink, I mean strong. Andorra has no weights and measures act, so bar staff just love to pour, with the pleasant result that when it comes to making my little announcement everyone was too sozzled to notice. Besides, the morning after, I am instantly able to show off the superiority of my blades. Leaving the ski lockers, it’s just a short flight of steps to the gondola. But this is
enough to make my fellow travellers struggle, knocking elbows on rails, scraping the edges of their skis and boards on metal steps and worrying about the insurance they dismissed over dinner the night before. After a 15-minute ride on the gondola, the blades again win my affection as I skate the few metres of snow to the lifts. In March, it is quiet. The only people on the slopes are local schoolchildren on their weekly class. And at 16°C in town it is warmer than the London drizzle I have left behind.
Belle Stevens with her trusty friends on her way up to Andorra’s slopes
But there is plenty of snow and the as lunches sipping white wine and base is neither hard nor sticky, so my snacking on freshly made pa amb blades are carving nicely. We have tomàquet — a deceptively simple done just a fraction of the 63km of Catalan snack of tomatoes on lightly linked slopes before we head to lunch. toasted bread — I was more sure than Ah, lunch! At the Pla de la Cot we ever as to why snow blades are so dine on minute steak with crushed great. Their manoeuvrability and light pistachio sauce, honey glazed shallots weight makes them perfect on and and roasted cherry plum tomatoes, off the snow in busy conditions. Their followed by passion fruit posset with short length helps my balance. With shaved white chocolate and crème no room for error, I must be directly brûlée with strawberry compote. In above the blades. If I lean back only a a country that is virtually tax-free, little I easily fall, forcing my technique restaurants such to be better and my THE BLADES AGAIN as this can offer turns more efficient. reasonable prices — Instead of making WIN MY AFFECTION AS I and you can also buy SKATE THE FEW METRES clumsy step turns, snowblades at a snip. I jump from edge TO THE LIFTS So a little history to edge, and feel about snowblades, because they have fearless as I hurtle down slopes. It’s a distinguished lineage. The first ‘ski exhilarating. Everyone should try it. boards’ were 50cm to 65cm in length Especially those seeking something and were called Firn Gliders. In the new. Clearly, that wasn’t the line I 1940s they were used by mountaineers took when I went for an interview at in the summer to traverse glaciers. Ski the Ski Club for the post of designer, boards (Ski Blades is Salomon’s brand where the usual deathly hush followed name) became popular in the early after I had dropped my bombshell. 1990s, when the Austrian firm Kneissel Someone cleared their throat. ‘Surely brought out Big Foot ski boards. no one snowblades any more?’ Said to be the inspiration for But within a few months of starting modern twin tip skis, ski boards found there, a colleague ‘came out’ as a a place at the ESPN X Games in 1998 blader. I’ve promised to protect her and the World Skiboard Federation identity, but it’s worth asking yourself was founded a year later. — is someone close to you a closet Sadly, the industry took a dive soon snowblader? You may be surprised. after, dropping out of the X Games Belle travelled as a guest of Crystal in 2001, then out of the commercial (crystalski.co.uk; 020 8939 0726), which market. Were they edged out by offers a week's half board from £416 per snowboards? Who knows? However, person based on two sharing at the Hotel after a couple of days on the snow in Magic La Massana including direct flights Andorra, punctuated with a visit to from six major UK airports and transfers. the pools of the Caldea spa, as well
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
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40
TWO SKIS GOOD, ONE SKI BETTER… Regularly derided as has-beens, monoskiers are making a brave resurgence, as Colin Nicholson discovers
I
felt as if I were hunting down some long-extinct creature. The gangly youth swinging his legs from atop a wooden table under an awning in Val Claret, Tignes, told me I might find them at the top of the Palafour chairlift. But when I got there, I could find no sign of the grandly titled third World Monoski European Cup. Was it an elaborate spoof? It shocked me to realise that it was years since I last saw a monoskier — those mysterious beings who populated the slopes in the early 1980s. And as I pushed through a blizzard in the direction I had been sent — on a trail clearly marked ‘piste fermée’ — I became ever-more convinced of the futility of my quest. And then, squinting through the driving snow, I saw him — a monopod, swivelling elegantly on each turn like a spinning top. I gave chase, only to lose him in the clouds. But no sooner had I
asked myself if he was a figment of my sport was seeing a revival in France. imagination than there was another, If I would kindly stop interrupting and yet another. Gathering at the top their competition, he would happily of a race course were monoskiers of all introduce me to some manufacturers ages and genders — perhaps enough and devotees the next day. to breed a colony of this endangered Indeed, the next morning in Val species of the mountains. Claret the sun was glinting off It was not always this way, Thierry polished rows of Duret and Aluflex Crepeaux, treasurer to Monoski monoskis, fresh off the production France, told me. line, which two WHEN THEY CAME In the early 1980s, Dutch friends, Bas when monoskis first and Rob, both 57, OUT THEY WERE began to appear were admiring AS POPULAR AS in a big way, they keenly. So I asked SNOWBOARDS were as popular as them what appeal snowboards, which came on to the monoskiing held for them. scene at much the same time. In 1982 “You float so beautifully in powder,” and 1983, manufacturers were turning they explained. Yes, they also used out 200,000 to 400,000 monoskis a traditional pairs of skis, particularly year. Some monoskiers went as far as in areas with lots of draglifts, for to question whether old-fashioned which monoskis are as unsuited as pairs of skis had a future. snowboards, but they preferred to Today just a fraction of that number spend most of the time on one ski. remain, though Thierry assured me the I was fascinated. As someone who
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Colin is kitted out on a monoski by Thierry Crepeaux of Monoski France and is soon joining other skiers and boarders on the blue runs at Tignes
was taught ‘old school’ skiing — “keep your knees together like there’s a 50-franc note between them” — I assumed I would make a natural monoskier. So I persuaded Thierry to give me a few pointers. The first shock came as soon as I clicked my boots (ordinary ski boots are fine) on to the single ski. I felt that I had donned the concrete shoes of a mafia victim. More specifically I realised that I had little means of escape if I attracted the mockery and perhaps a few well-placed snowballs from critical bystanders. Bas and Rob assured me I needn’t worry — they had only ever received positive comments, often from skiers Photo: Tignes/Andy Parant
who had given monoskiing a go in its heyday. And while some of their contemporaries may consider monoskiers has-beens, a new generation of skiers has grown up never having seen these curious beasts before. So Bas and Rob’s children, in their early 20s, found them a new and exciting piece of gear to try out. Despite talk of a resurgence, most young monoskiers are the children of existing fans. Monoskis ceased to be rented out generally 20 years ago, though in France you can still hire them in Chamonix, Avoriaz and Les Sept Laux, near Grenoble. Alternatively you can try monoskiing by joining the French association, or one of its counterparts. Or you can go to an event attended by manufacturers, like the one I was at. Frankly, I was struggling with my monoski. For all that my knockkneed ‘A-frame’ stance might limit my scope to manoeuvre on a pair of conventional skis, nothing could prepare me for having just one edge to run on and so little independent control. I managed to link a few turns fairly gracefully on a blue slope, but on the next lift up, when we missed a turning on to the blue, I was thrown by a lightly mogulled red run. The bumps proved too much for me and I finally had to swap back to skis plural. My confidence dented, I shan’t be signing up to join the growing family of monoskiers. But I have gained a new respect for them. And it is worth considering the fickleness of history
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in monoskiing’s decline. Thierry says that it was a simple trick of marketing that propelled snowboards into the ascendancy and plunged monoskis into decline when the two disciplines were neck-and-neck in popularity in the early 1980s. Both were invented in the US, but the American snowboard manufacturer Burton made the ingenious branding decision in 1984 of aligning snowboarding with the world of Hawaiian surf culture, launching an aggressive marketing campaign to give snowboarding a ‘surfer dude’ feel. The campaign was so successful that in time snowboards would come to eclipse monoskis totally. Now it is snowboard sales that are themselves declining — in one of the ebbs and flows of snowsports — and it is skis that are newly fashionable again. However, let us lend a little more respect to the also-rans of snowsports. Given that at one point it looked as though snowboards would overtake conventional skis in popularity too, we should not crow, lest we too find that fashion or fate makes us part of a declining minority. To learn more visit monoski-france.com or mono-ski.org. Colin travelled as a guest of Tignes (tignes.net) and Eurostar (eurostar. com; 08432 186 186), which runs direct trains to Moûtiers, Aime-la-Plagne and Bourg St Maurice from £149 return, including ski carriage. Ski Club members can get discounts on advertised Eurostar prices after the cheapest fares have gone.
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WEIRD OR WONDERFUL … It seems inventors never tire of dreaming up contraptions to get us down the mountain. Ben Clatworthy explores six of them, though he offers no guarantee that they will catch on turns with the help of snowblades clipped on to your usual ski boots. Aficionados say it’s like Easy Rider, as a satisfying cloud of white powder blasts from your rear ski as you set off. But BMX Bandits is more apt, because you’ll feel like a ten-year-old again, going over jumps, through the woods and into natural half-pipes. True, you’re less in control than on skis and take longer to stop, but they can turn a resort you are blazé about into a playground full of surprises.
SNOWBIKING Snowbiking has been taking off in German-speaking areas since Austrian firm Brenter started using lightweight materials to build bikes that weigh just 7kg. An earlier, heavier incarnation dating from the 1960s — the Skibob — made such a mess of pistes that it was often barred from slopes. Now you can carry them on your knees on chairlifts, but they don’t work on drags and are usually banned on gondolas. So how about getting down? The joy of snowbiking is that it’s as intuitive as riding a bicycle, though you won’t find any brakes on the handlebars. Instead you skid your
Photo: Colin Nicholson/Arosa
SNOWMOBILING
Photo: Ski Andorra
On the face of it, these noisy, smelly beasts represent everything that a person who enjoys the tranquillity of
swishing down the mountain will want to avoid — unless they are the most avid petrol-head. But especially if you have gone off the beaten track for your holiday, to the Nordic countries or North America say, snowmobiles offer an adrenalinefuelled way to explore the wider area. Some resorts have snowmobiling circuits, but whizzing round and round these holds limited appeal. Joining a tour is the most interesting way to go and many resorts have adventure companies which offer excursions. Some of the best tours offer stopoffs on the way. For instance, in Arabba, in Italy, it’s possible to ride a snowmobile on a scenic trip to the cosy Plan Boé mountain refuge, where you enjoy a dinner of local specialties and regional wine before heading back. It’s advisable to wrap up well, though heated handlebars usually stop your hands from getting too cold.
BUGGY SKIING Going down the slope on all-fours is something most of us try to avoid. But not Jean-Yves Blondeau, who makes a virtue of it when he’s buggy skiing. Looking like the film character Edward Scissorhands, the Frenchman has built a ski suit with snowblades attached to his arms, legs and torso. The result is a sight to behold. Throwing himself headfirst down pistes, Jean-Yves performs tricks and stunts that are well worth viewing on the YouTube video at bit.ly/buggyski. Unsurprisingly, this is not something ski journalists or the public have been allowed to try, so it’s too early to say whether we will all be buggy skiing down the mountain in ten years’ time. Perhaps the fact that we have heard no more of Blondeau’s previous invention, a 32-wheel roller suit,
Photo: Rob Crabtree/La Plagne
in which he careers around hairpin bends down Alpine roads, suggest that this is one activity which should be left to a trained professional. So for the moment it may be best to enjoy watching him perform on the pistes of La Plagne from the comfort of your armchair.
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…WAYS TO GO DOWNHILL? bonus of being able to take lifts back up to remove the effort from uphills. So why not do the same in winter? If one doesn’t take this as a rhetorical question, the answer is that normal bike tyres that would dig in to the snow. However, fatter tyres with their greater surface area are better able to float on the snow’s surface. Bikes able to handle snow were first developed in the late 1940s, but the fat wheel bike trend resurfaced in the late 2000s, and has since taken the Alps by storm, with many French resorts in particular offering them. Most resorts will only allow you to use them after the pistes have closed to skiers and boarders. Also expect restrictions on where you can take them. The bikes can be taken in larger gondolas, while some chairlifts have brackets — primarily for use during the summer — to hold the bikes. Going down, underinflated tyres grip the snow, while disk brakes make it easier to stop even if the wheels get wet, so it’s safer than it may appear.
FAT WHEEL BIKING Many skiers and boarders love nothing more in summer than spending a day on their bicycle. Some even love cycling in the Alps, tackling twisting trails down the mountainside, with the
Photo: La Plagne
Once you get the hang of this, you will be tackling jumps, half-pipes and powder on your scooter. Some people even enter the Snowscooting World Championships, which have been held in Mont Sutton, Québec, pictured below, and Châtel, France. Some resorts — mostly in France — allow you to rent them by the hour and generally there are few restrictions on where you can use them. And they are relatively easy to take on chairlifts.
Once a rather traditional child’s toy, wheeled scooters made a sudden resurgence on Britain’s pavements in the late 1990s. And the equivalent has been happening on the slopes with ski scooters, a cross between a saddle-less bicycle and a snowboard emerging. Admittedly, it can be scary and you may gain momentum fast. However, slowing down and stopping is far from impossible. One way to do this is by dragging one foot in the snow. A slightly more skilled way is to slide the rear board outwards on its edge, to perform an ice hockey-style braking manoeuvre not dissimilar to what you would do while skiing.
Photo: Mont Sutton
SKI SCOOTING
BODY BOARDING Whether you’re four, or 64, sledging is one of the most enjoyable winter activities — and also one of the most affordable. After all, a tea tray or bin liner is all the equipment you need. But if you’re looking to up your gear, body boarding, or airboarding — where you head down a piste headfirst on an inflatable sled-like cushion — may be for you. The resort of La Plagne started offering it last season through the French ski school, the Ecole du Ski Français. Sessions are every Thursday evening just before the lifts close and one descent costs €27. The resort claims it allows you to experience a “new riding sensation”
Photo: La Plagne
with family and friends. That may be pushing it, but if your steady snowploughs are earning you no piste cred with your peers, then maybe a daredevil descent on one of these is what you need to show them up. And, unlike on a traditional sledge, you’ll find your trouser legs don’t fill up with slushy snow when you brake. Have you tried any crazy ways of getting down the slopes? Tweet your pictures to @TheSkiClub and we may publish them
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On the trail of the first skiers — PART 1 Recent studies suggest the original skiers were not Nordic, but came from central Asia. Andreas Hofer went on a three-stage odyssey to find the Tuvan nomads — and ski with them — starting in Siberia here did the world’s first skiers live? Ten years ago, the answer would indisputably have been in or around Scandinavia. Preserved skis found in Norway, Sweden and northern Russia date from between 3,000BC and 5,000BC as do cave paintings of skiers there. And this is the tradition that started modern skiing. When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle pioneered downhill skiing in the Alps he ordered a pair of skis from Norway. But in the past decade, paintings of hunters on skis have been found in the Altai mountains, which stretch from the Gobi desert to the West Siberian plain, and these could date back 8,000 years. More exciting still, reports have emerged that the Tuvan people, a Turkic-speaking tribe that inhabits the Altai, a region spread between China, Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan, still use home-made skis for hunting and herding. In theory it would be possible for me to ski with the oldest skiing race on Earth… on stone age skis.
W
I started to do my own research. The logistics of a trip to the cradle of skiing were daunting. Visiting such sparsely populated mountains would require two 4x4s for myself, a local guide, ski guide, driver, two mechanics (one per car) and a mountain of camping gear. As the paperwork for these got ever more involved, I was distracted by a book by the Polish writer, adventurer and counter-revolutionary Ferdinand Ossendowski, who was hunted across the Altai by Bolshevik killing squads in the early years of the revolution. Titled Beasts, Men and Gods, it may not have been the best choice of guide book. But the more red tape engulfed me, the more his flight from totalitarianism engrossed me. So, inspired by my bedtime reading, I planned to find the world’s first skiers by following, on skis, his escape route. The first leg of my search would be in Southern Siberia. From there I would go on to Mongolia, then China. The Russian stage sounded promising
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enough. There are ski resorts on the shores of Lake Baikal and the Tuvan Republic, one of Russia’s 21 nominally autonomous republics. But having landed in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar and driven 300km north to the Russian border, I was faced with a problem my hero Ossendowski would have sympathised with. “If you don’t turn around and drive back to Mongolia now, I will have to confiscate the car and arrest you,” said the Russian duty officer, whose grey fur cap had slipped askew in his anger. Our crime? The 17-character serial number on the chassis of the Toyota Land Cruiser, recently bought from the US embassy in Ulaanbaatar, differed by one digit from that on the registration papers. ‘It was stolen!’ the officer said. Worse still, the Nissan Patrol seemed to bear no chassis number at all. We tore out carpets and crawled behind wheels in search of the all-important code, until Schorsch Schichl, my Austrian mountain guide, found the
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manual. Good to have a ski guide with us, even on the flat plains of the Taiga. With the Toyota and half our crew lost, we reloaded tents, sleeping bags, provisions, spare tyres and skis into the only legal vehicle, and drove on to Kyakhta. This is the old trading post between Tsarist Russia and Imperial China. Silk, tea, rice and rhubarb have been bartered here for furs, hides and gold since 1727. Laden as we were — we must have looked like modernday traders ourselves. In contrast to the flash new border crossing we had left, with its richly stocked duty-free area populated with petrol and tyre smugglers, this border town looks like a shrine to its Communist past. Windbattered concrete housing surrounded a roofless collective farm and a lone Lenin bust made from crumbling plaster. The grand Voskresenskaya cathedral, which was Russia’s second biggest church when it was built in 1807, adorned with monumental gates made of pure silver, is today an empty shell, stray dogs roaming its courtyard. As we drove on, undulating hills of pine forest, interspersed with spruce and birch, rolled out of nowhere into nowhere. The names on signs pointing to hidden villages were part Russian, part Mongolian. The occasional Orthodox fortified churches alternated with Buddhist temples built from timber, while low log houses
with beautifully carved and painted windows, sank into permafrost behind rickety fences. More lonely still were the felt-covered yurts that followed. We finally reached bustling UlanUde, where, after an overnight stop, we hit the Trans-Siberian Highway. It was a 450km drive along the Selenga river; taking us past the monastery of Troitskoye, the Selenga estuary, finally cruising along the shores of Lake Baikal, which holds 20 per cent of the world’s unfrozen surface fresh water. But until May it is covered by a vast sheet of ice stretching 600km away and keeping the area at a steady -25°C in winter, far warmer than the Siberian hinterland. In villages along the road babushkas in colourful kerchiefs with felt boots and ruddy cheeks were selling smoked fish and cranberries. We stopped at a roadside diner run by three cheery girls. We were not alone. Three policemen, handcuffed to a convict, were devouring the delicious meat dumplings with gusto, as were the truckers, who were trying to chat up our landladies. But the girls were more amused by us skiers. When we said we were heading for Tunkinsky National Park for skiing and camping, they had good news: “You’re lucky, it’s unusually warm for March, just -17°C.” We couldn’t be sure exactly where Ossendowski had crossed into Outer Mongolia in 1920, weaving his way
WHEN WE TOLD THEM OF OUR SKIING AND CAMPING PLAN, THEY SAID: ‘YOU’RE LUCKY. IT’S ONLY –17°C’
Mount Sobolinaya Mönkh Saridag
MONDY
Lake Baikal
RUSSIA ULAN-UDE
Lake Khövsgöl
MONGOLIA 100km
ULAANBAATAR
through wintry Tuvan territory. So the mighty Mönkh Saridag, standing at 3,491m on the border between Russia and Mongolia, was as good a point as any in this wilderness. With that peak we were hoping to bag our first ski mountain, to ‘wedel’ in steep powder from Russia into Mongolia. With some luck we would bump into the first troupe of Tuvans, the stone-age skiers we were so eagerly looking for. The man who had arranged our visas and border territory permits was from Baikal Explorers, which takes tourists on hovercraft up Baikal’s largely inaccessible shoreline. He was waiting for us in the ancient village of Kultuk, founded by Tsarist trappers on the most westerly point of the lake. He and a mountaineering enthusiast hired for the occasion were waiting by the roadside in Russian fashion, with pickles, ham, cucumber — and two empty shot glasses — laid out on the boot of their car. The fact that they had never heard of our stone-age skiers, I therefore attributed to the vodka. The drive up the bucolic Irkutsk valley was stunning: a wide, springgreen dale, framed by snow-capped mountains, their slopes studded with gnarled larch and majestic Siberian pine. Spring lambs, foals and calves frolicked about. The sun brightened the sunburnt Mongol faces of schoolchildren on their way home. Laundry of all colours flapped in a gentle breeze. It smelled of spring. The policeman at the last checkpoint had doubts about our mission: “Too much snow. You won’t make it to the summit.” As it turned out, it was too much ice, in quantities and colours I had never seen outside Antarctica. We droveMönkh upriver on the dark blue, Saridag bulging ice surface, until the frozen rapids became too steep for our 4x4s and we began sliding back into Russia. We set up camp on a sand bank, with poplars and pines providing firewood for cooking and warming our fingers. So much for “unusually warm”. The next morning, with skis on our backs and crampons on our ski boots, Schorsch and I staggered upriver while the Russians were still sleeping. As the rapids turned into more of a waterfall, the ice changed from deep sapphire to turquoise to aquamarine, glittering under the sun like a giant, illuminated glass sculpture. After two hours the
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Top row: The snow offered just a few meagre turns on Mönkh Saridag; Kyakhta still has a pock-marked statue of Lenin; a Buddhist monastery in Ulan-Ude. Middle row: Troitskoye monastery near Lake Baikal; the start of the long march upriver to Mönkh Saridag’s peak. Bottom row: Villagers welcome a first taste of spring; driving upstream to the Mongolian border river had disappeared under snow and rock, turning up only an hour later. But, the peak of holy Mönkh Saridag, a trophy for mountaineers if not skiers, was still invisible, as was the snow here. The plateau was bare, and my avalanche rucksack suddenly seemed to weigh more heavily on my shoulders. When, after four hours, we realised we couldn’t don touring skins and would have to carry our skis to the summit, we called it a day, putting in just a few meagre turns on our way down. Ossendowski didn’t wear ski boots or carry skis when he fled from the Bolsheviks, so why follow further in his footsteps here? We were skiers, after all, like the Tuvans. No wonder we couldn’t find a trace of them. Our attempt the next day to drive into Mongolia at Mondy, 15km down the road, was thwarted. The border crossing was only eligible to Russians and Mongolians, not foreigners like
us. To reach Lake Khövsgöl, our next destination and a mere 30km away as the crow flies, we would have to drive 2,000km back from where we came. So we retraced our motorised march through the Irkutsk and Buryat regions. But near the city of Baykalsk we noticed a busy count of shabby Ladas, Zhigulis and old, dented Hyundai Foresters, driven not by the usual allotment gardeners, but young people in lurid winter garb. At first we thought they were all heading for a party, until we noticed that on their roofracks, they were carrying skis and snowboards! We turned off the TransSiberian immediately and followed them in high spirits to Grand Baikal, a downhill ski resort just off the road. Those thinking of booking a chalet here on Mount Sobolinaya should be advised that the Sochi of Siberia this is not. With a vertical drop of just 475 metres from its highest point at
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1,004m it has just seven ski lifts. But for us, starved of snow, and yet to track down our elusive Tuvan skiers, it was bliss. Skiing, skiing in the end. A long day on the Trans-Siberian lay ahead of us. So what could be better than stopping for lunch and heading down perfectly groomed slopes with a bunch of punch-drunk Russians? Even Putin had skied here, a local poster claimed. And the views over Lake Baikal were awe-inspiring. Our turns seemed to lift us over its endless expanse of ice, never bringing us closer, no matter how fast we skied. We relished every moment, little knowing the hazards the next leg of our expedition in Mongolia, in search of the stone age skiers, held in store for us. Read the second part of Hofer’s adventures in the next issue of Ski+board.
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The inside edge Your season starts here! From looking hip, to getting fit, and buying top kit, we have the best tips 70 BOOTS We review the best of this season’s freeride ski boots, offering a snug fit for the piste and shock absorption off-piste
90 RESORT INSIDER Our panel of experts pick some of the best destinations for a snow-sure early season getaway
50 SNOW WEAR Chic and sleek, this season heralds the welcome return of flattering, figurehugging snow wear
88 FITNESS Now is the time to get ski fit, so we focus on adapting everyday exercises to get your body ready for skiing
76 SNOWBOARDS We test some of the quirky new crop of freestyle snowboards, plus boots with no need to tie your laces
80 GEAR We try out goggles that adapt to the light, lenses that can be switched in a jiffy and have advice for spectacle-wearers
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TECHNIQUE
SKI TESTS
Planning to hit the deep stuff this season? Mark Jones can make you pro (and all you need is new generation skis)
The Ski Club’s industryleading ski testers return, picking from 872 models to select the best freeride skis for 2015-16
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SNOW WEAR
Photography: Melody Sky
A little bit of nip and tuck Super-sleek and tailored, this season’s silhouettes signal the return of body-conscious snow wear, says fashion editor Maisha Frost Shapeless, tent-like jackets are a thing of the past. A trend towards tighter cuts and tapered outfits makes this winter’s styles uniquely flattering, even when mixed and matched. This has become possible with the help of newly developed stretch fabrics that give freedom of movement even in tailored cuts, making winter 2016 a winning season for style and function. Ellis Brigham’s fashion buyer Dave Whitlow says: “What was massively over-sized for freestyle is now more body-conscious with slimmer, longer jackets.” Long, parka-style jackets are making a resurgence this winter. Some focus on warmth with a detachable inner, such as on Didriksons’ Pelle parka. In the piste sector, the trend is for “sleek, sexy and slimming jackets for women”, according to Whitlow. Tight waisted jackets also make a strong showing in women’s ranges this season. In menswear, jackets feature broad-shoulders, while pants have sharp, engineered styling. In backcountry ranges, lightweight shell jackets remain ever-popular, although some, such as Eider’s Jager jacket have a disguised padded liner for warmth without bulk. “Backcountry shapes are all about garment engineering to maximise efficient movement, minimising seams and excess fabric,” Whitlow says. Meanwhile practical bib pants appear more than ever this season, as more people are venturing into the wild, according to retailer Surfdome. Within these pages, you’ll find a selection of the season’s hottest outfits, as well as information on the latest trends, and the biggest talking points in snow fashion. In the next issue we will look at the colours for the season ahead, and in Issue 3 — the December/January edition — we’ll check out the best way to stay warm. Our final issue will focus on looking fly at the après-ski bar.
Rachel, outside the Hotel Maiensee in St Christoph, wears Fusalp women’s Montana jacket (£1,040) and Sisteron pants (£330). Sunglasses and boots model’s own
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SNOW WEAR
Will, by the Hotel Schwarzer Adler in St Anton, wears an Armada Primaloft Gremlin Insulator hoody (£135) and O’Neill Drifter RX104 sunglasses (£75)
Hiking to St Anton’s backcountry terrain, Tony (closest) wears a Jack Wolfskin Gravity Flow alpine jacket (£145) and Planks Yeti-Hunter bib pant (£200)
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The models are standing by St Anton’s iconic Galzig Gondola, which is the world’s first lift with a ferris wheel, allowing skiers to get on at ground level. From left to right, Will wears Eider men’s Jager jacket (£350), Eisbär Erik beanie (£40) and Salice 619 Flash googles (£85). Rachel wears Schöffel women’s Lorette jacket (£490), Eisbär Mona pom-pom hat (£70) and O’Neill Anso 100 sunglasses (£50). Ashley wears Poivre Blanc women’s jacket (£350) and a Manbi Alicia faux fur headband (£25). Tony wears Schöffel men’s Josh jacket (£490) and O’Neill Tube 102 sunglasses (£50)
Will wears The North Face Freethinker Gore-Tex all-mountain snow sports jacket (from £300), bib pants (from £180) and Nike Vision Command goggles (£185)
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SNOW WEAR
Rachel is at the Hotel Alte Post in St Anton, whose origins date back to the 17th-century. She wears a Degré 7 Irving micro light down jacket (£189), Roxy Torah Bright Whisper insulated pants (£150). and O’Neill Drifter RX104 sunglasses (£75)
Warm, light and compressible — down jackets now top a skier’s ‘must have’ list Once a luxury, a mid-layer down jacket has become a staple. Down is warmer than synthetic materials, and regains its shape better after packing. However, shells fare badly if snagged. Panelling keeps the down in place and traps air for increased warmth. Sewn-through construction — where the outer fabric is stitched directly to the inner lining separating the down into ‘baffles’ — is the most common, especially in lightweight jackets. Box baffling, where the layers are stitched separately, maximises warmth. A high ‘fill power’ on down jackets indicates greater fluffiness and with it a
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good warmth-to-weight ratio. Down jackets are rarely water or moisture proof, but body-mapping jackets, with a mix of down and synthetic materials, can reduce this problem. Arc’teryx, for example, uses its synthetic Coreloft insulation in areas where moisture builds up, such as shoulders and hoods. A potential game-changing alternative to down is The North Face’s ThermoBall. This mid-layer jacket has small Primaloft synthetic fibres that mimic down in trapping heat, and perform well in rain. The jacket compresses to tennis ball size.
SNOW WEAR
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Choose carefully, or you’ll be wearing the feathers of tortured creatures
Will wears Didriksons three-layer Pelle Parka (£250), paired with a Picture William beanie (£30) and O’Neill Drifter RX104 sunglasses (£75)
Down may be more popular than ever this season, but the industry continues to have a dark side, where geese and ducks suffer horrifically when their plumage is ripped out, time and time again before slaughter, to provide volumes of cheap feathers. The practice, known as live plucking, is banned in many places including the UK, while global campaigns against live plucking and force feeding have led to improvements in traceability along supply chains used by producers. International animal welfare organisation Four Paws, which advises outdoors brands on best practice
and adopting traceability systems, recommends shoppers to check the labels’ websites to see how they trace down through their supply chain. If a firm does not mention a policy or is short on detail, press them on it. Four Paws warns that a surge in demand for down this winter could lead to higher levels of animal cruelty. Patagonia, Arc’teryx and Salomon are among the most vocal of the firms using ethically produced down. Allied Feather & Down, the major supplier to the outdoors industry, uses an independent auditor to check sourcing claims.
Standing outside the MooserWirt après-ski bar, Ashley wears Burton Snowboards x L.A.M.B. signature Riff Parka (£260) with matching cargo pants (£160) and mittens (£80) and Anon Optics WM1 goggles (£160) paired with model’s own hat. Will wears Burton’s Dune parka jacket (£390) and Cyclic pants (£225) and a Picture Manchester beanie (£30) with Oakley Flightdeck XM goggles (£145)
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BRITISH RETAILERS Ellis Brigham: ellis-brigham.com Snow+Rock: snowandrock.com Surfdome: surfdome.com TSA: snowboard-asylum.com All four retailers above offer Ski Club members ten per cent off full-priced products DISTRIBUTORS Anon Optics: anonoptics.com Arc’teryx: arcteryx.com Armada: freezeproshop.com Burton: burton.com Degré 7: 07855 959551 Didriksons: didriksons.com; 01275 390451 Eider: eider.com Eisbär: specs4sports.co.uk Fusalp: fusalp.com; 07969 228009 Jack Wolfskin: jack-wolfskin.de Manbi: manbi.com; 01787 881144 Nike: snowboard-asylum.com Oakley: oakley.com O’Neil: oneill.com; 01899 491006 Patagonia: patagonia.com Picture: ellis-brigham.com Planks: planksclothing.com Poivre Blanc: poivre-blanc.com Roxy: roxy-uk.co.uk; 020 7392 4020 Salomon: ellis-brigham.com Salice: salice.com; 01787 881144 Schöffel: 01572 770900 The North Face: thenorthface.com
Fashion editor Maisha Frost Fashion assistant Rachel Rosser Production manager Ben Clatworthy Photography Melody Sky Hair and make-up Jemma Barwick Models Ashley Crook Rachel Tugwell Will Siggers Tony Walker
Considered one of the world’s top ski resorts, St Anton am Arlberg is part of the expansive Ski Arlberg region, with a modern network of 97 lifts, offering 350km of groomed pistes. With on- and off-piste challenges, awe-inspiring scenery and unrivalled après-ski, there are many reasons to visit. Daily flights are available from London Gatwick and twice weekly from Bristol and Liverpool to Innsbruck with easyJet. Alternative airports include Zurich, Munich or Friedrichshafen. St Anton is also easily accessible by train. For further information on St Anton am Arlberg visit stantonamarlberg.com, while to find out about the Austrian Tirol region see visittirol.co.uk
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New holidays with Freshtracks Winter’s almost here, and whether you’re after a weekend blast, an off piste trip with a spa thrown in, or an epic heli adventure, we’ve got some great new trips to resorts far off the beaten track. The holidays listed here are just a small selection of everything that’s on offer – check out the website for full details. Head
Norwegian Ski Weekend
north
for a weeke nd
’s skii ng
Voss, Norway 4–8 Feb 2016 £645 per person (including flights) If you’re looking for something a little different to the traditional Alpine resorts then this long weekend is the perfect choice for you. Just a short flight away, Norwegian resorts are full of character and situated within a beautiful landscape of mountains and fjords. Voss is one of Norway’s larger and more historic ski resorts and offers skiing in two destinations – Voss itself and Myrkdalen just 20 minutes up the road. There’s a good variety of terrain and some easily accessible off piste. You’ll be staying at the historic Flesichers hotel, a superb base for the weekend, with a delicious local cuisine and a great wellness area.
ia’s
ovak Hit Sl
iste off-p
na in Jas
Slovakian Off Piste Ski & Spa
C.H. -
Have you ever thought of skiing Slovakia before? There are so many reasons why you should visit this spectacular destination. There are 12 dedicated freeride zones in Jasná, all within the safety of a ‘North American-esque’ environment, ranging from the easier, safer lines through to the ultra-challenging. You’ll spend six days under the careful tutelage of local ski instructors who will ensure that you have the techniques to tackle the terrain, and make the most of the powder. After a hard day’s skiing you’ll be faced with the dilemma of whether to try the jacuzzi, Finnish sauna or aromatherapy steam room.
Visitn orwa y.com
Jasná, Slovakia 7–14 Feb 2016 £799 per person (not including flights)
Meet
like-m
inded
skiers
on a
PE br
eak
SKI CLUB PROMOTION
A tra di with tional Ita li fami ly sa an town fe slo pes
Families Half Term Instruction Bormio, Italy 13–20 Feb 2016 £1,399 per person (including flights) A distinctly Italian spa town, Bormio is a beautiful resort that promises something fun for all ages. The medieval buildings will delight those who long for a unique and historic resort, with natural hot water spas surrounded by snow-capped peaks. The youngsters will revel in the delights of the family friendly spas, complete with children’s pool, water slide and play area. Not forgetting the important part — the skiing! A local instructor and Ski Club Leader will make the most of the varied slopes to burn up your children’s energy as they blast around this stunning scenery. With Santa Caterina and San Colombano recently added to the lift pass, there’s more than enough terrain to keep everyone on their toes.
es
e Pyren e h t n ies i the sk o t e Tak
Pyrenees Heli Exploration Baqueira Beret, Spain 23–30 Jan 2016 £1,599 (including flights)
PE Norwegian Peaks Trysil, Norway 5–12 Mar 2016 £1,299 per person (including flights) New to Freshtracks for 2016, Norway’s largest resort, Trysil, is modern and well thought out with over 30 lifts and 68 pistes spread over four interconnected ski areas, all with their own unique characteristics. And this Peak Experience (PE) trip for the over-50s is a great way to explore it. From the black slopes in Hogegga to the red, blue and green slopes at Skihytta, Trysil Turistsenter and Trysil Hoyfjellssenter, there is plenty to explore. The Radisson Park Inn has been designed with ski in, ski out convenience and has all the modern services you would expect, including on site ski rental, two restaurants serving local and international dishes, a cosy bar and a pool and spa.
The Spanish resort of Baqueira Beret may not be well known to many UK skiers but it’s an undiscovered gem when it comes to offering an ideal base for exciting and varied off piste terrain. Edurne Pasaban, the first woman to scale all the peaks over 8,000m, certainly agrees and has set up her own ski guiding operation, Kabi, based in Baqueira. Working with experienced local mountain guides, we’ll take you by skis on daily journeys near the resort, and on two days, to more remote corners by helicopter. Not only does Baqueira offer a mountain experience to rival the most famous resorts in the Alps, you’ll also get to try local tapas with a glass of rioja at the end of the day.
For more information or to book a holiday, visit skiclub.co.uk/skiclubfreshtracks or call 020 8410 2022
FREERIDE SKIS
58
SIDEWALL A wall of plastic, typically ABS (the stuff Lego is made of), running from the metal base edge of the ski to the top sheet. It drives power to the metal edges, protects the core and can also help absorb vibrations
CAMBER If a cambered ski is laid on a flat surface its centre will be raised. Camber is now often combined with some level of rocker. Reverse camber (full rocker) is where a ski curves up from the centre to tip and tail
CAP This is where the top sheet and other layers roll down over the side of the ski to the metal edge. Caps can offer benefits over sidewalls, often cutting weight, making skis more forgiving and more resistant to damage
ROCKER Rocker, or early rise, is where the ski has a slight rise before it gets to the tip or tail. Off piste this helps lift and floatation. On piste it aids turn initiation and release
COMBO Cap and sidewall can be combined in several ways, for instance by having sidewall underfoot with cap at tip and tail, or cap rolling down to meet sidewall for the length of the ski. Each will affect the ski's performance differently
SKI CORES A ski's performance is affected by the materials used and how they are arranged in the core. Cores are normally wood or synthetic, combined with other layers, such as resin (usually epoxy), fibreglass, basalt, carbon, aramid and metal
TAPER This is when the widest point of the ski is brought back from the tip or tail, reducing weight and making the skis easier to handle off-piste. On a tapered ski you may feel like you are using a shorter ski
SIDECUT This is the width of the tip, waist and tail of the ski. A ski with a wide waist floats better off-piste, while a ski with a narrower waist will grip better on piste
WOOD CORE
Wood cores tend to be made from strips of wood, glued side by side in a laminate construction. Their characteristics vary greatly: paulownia is light; beech can deliver power; poplar offers a smooth flex and there are many others
RADIUS This is the radius of the theoretical circle that a ski will naturally make in the snow when tilted on to its edge. A smaller radius will produce tighter turns and a larger radius will produce wider turns
SYNTHETIC
What it all means
Synthetic or foam cores are traditionally used in lower end skis, being cheaper, lighter and more forgiving than wood. We are now seeing more hightech synthetics in upper end skis to keep weight low and enhance performance
59
Our testers
SKI TESTS
Freeride skis come of age
The Ski Club’s ski tests are unique to the industry, as our independent, impartial testing team comprises only the best skiers. They are signally able to relate what they feel under their feet to a ski's performance
Formerly one-trick powder ponies, freeride models have evolved to near the nirvana of a one-size-fits-all ski, says Mark Jones
Mark Jones
This season Ski+board will be revealing the results of the Ski Club’s industryleading tests of four categories of ski: freeride, for predominantly off-piste and backcountry use; all-mountain, for more occasional forays into fresh snow; piste, for near exclusive use on groomed runs; and free tour, for those both hiking and riding. Freeride skis, the focus of this issue, are still evolving. The industry has been going crazy over the past ten years with various combinations of rocker and camber profiles. This has slowed to a pace where manufacturers are now making small refinements
Al Morgan
rather than radical changes — and his is great news for the humble skier. Essentially all the brands are getting closer to a consensus on what works best, so we now have skis that have amazing surfing capabilities in powder, but also surprisingly high levels of performance on piste. One of the big changes this year is due to the growing popularity of ski touring, which will be covered in Issue 4. Interestingly, the research and development that has gone into catering for this market has had a big impact on how freeride skis are designed. Lighter materials and construction methods are being used, as all of these skis are now being tested with one eye on how they would perform with a lightweight tech binding and touring boot. Many have tip and tail profiles which will work effectively with a pair of skins. The result is that if you buy a bang-up-to-date freeride model today, rather than being a one-trick pony for powder, it will deliver close to genuine all-mountain performance while supporting a day's touring. This may be the only arrow in your quiver that you need. You can read the full results of the ski tests and watch video reviews online at skiclub.co.uk/skitests
Ski user rating We rate each ski by the type of skier it would suit. So in the example below, the ski would suit upper intermediate to advanced skiers, but it’s not so well suited to beginners or experts. Generally, the skis tested are aimed at those who have skied before.
Beginner
Intermediate
Ski+board
Advanced
OCTOBER 2015
Expert
skiclub.co.uk
Director of ICE training centre in Val d’Isère and trainer for Basi icesi.org Ski Club head of Member Services and former ski service manager skiclub.co.uk
Derek Chandler
Director of Marmalade ski school in Méribel and trainer for Basi skimarmalade.com
Kevin Harris
Ex-race coach and ski model who now covers competitions for TV kevinharris.tv
James Allen
Racer-turned-coach giving private tuition in Val d'Isère to highest Basi level jamesallenskicoaching.com
Pete Davison
Ex-action model who now owns retailer LD Mountain Centre ldmountaincentre.com
Mike Barker
Ex-head coach of England squad, offering off-piste and performance courses snoworks.co.uk
Rowena Phillips
Highly qualified ski school director at Matterhorn Diamonds in Zermatt matterhorn-diamonds.com
Bella Seel
Fully certified in the French, Swiss and UK systems, she runs concierge service ALS alsprivate.com
Lynn Sharpe
Ex-British champion who now owns Target ski training and race coaching targetski.com
Steph Ede
A great skier training for the highest Basi exam who runs a chalet in Val d’Isère stephede@hotmail.co.uk
MEN’S FREERIDE SKIS
60
What’s new in men’s freeride skis? Keen male backcountry skiers have been spoilt for choice since the advent of rocker and reverse camber, with all sorts of profiles and shapes coming on to the market. However the explosion of radically different shapes has calmed down now and there are more small, steady changes, with the most evident being dramatically reduced weights. Performance doesn't appear to have been compromised, with the majority of the skis we tested still being able to handle big arcs at high speed. The new Dynastar Cham 2.0 joins the Rossignol Soul 7 in the top performance category, while the Atomic Automatic 102, which wins the top value award, shows that if you are looking for a one-size-fits all ski, it needn't cost the earth.
K2 PINNACLE 105
Why our tests are always the best Choosing a pair of skis from a retailer or hire shop can be daunting at the best of times, when there are rows and rows of them lined up. So spare a thought for the Ski Club's test team, who went to the Austrian resort of Kühtai in February to be faced with 872 different models of ski available for testing at the annual event organised by Snowsport Industries of Great Britain (SIGB). Happily for them, the selection process of which models will make it into Ski+board and on to the Ski Club's website starts well before that. Our experts narrow down the range by talking to the 23 manufacturers present beforehand to pick only the best performers in the four categories we cover — freeride, all-mountain, piste performance and free tour. And it is the test results of these 84 pairs of skis that will feature in the four print issues of Ski+board. SIGB provides score cards for the nine publications present to fill in.
But the Ski Club's test team take this one step further, producing a more comprehensive card, so that its 11 ski professionals — former racers, elite instructors and freeride experts — can accurately relate what they feel under their feet to the performance of the ski. This is vital as conditions on the mountain can vary between runs, so skiers need to discern the effect this is having on performance. It is vital each ski is tried on the same terrain with the same type of turns on each circuit. We typically get three testers to try each ski and those we think may get awards can have six or more people ski them. In the evening, the testers ensure they are unanimous on the day’s decisions. It’s always pretty clear which skis have come out top. This is why we believe we can lay claim to providing the most in-depth and accurate ski tests available to the UK buyer.
£470
BUILD Cap and sidewall combo/composite,
Titanal, light wood core/tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
137-105-121 19m (184cm) 170, 177, 184, 191 N/A
THEY SAY Lighter than last year’s Annex line, it uses a new Konic core, but keeps weight in the perimeter for strength. WE SAY This is a fun ski. For its generous width it feels very light and easy to use. In powder it works best for short to medium radius turns, feeling reactive and carving a tight arc while being full of energy. It’s also easy to adjust and can move effortlessly from one turn shape to another. In long, fast turns the lighter tip felt less sturdy and flapped when going fast in hard conditions. E A I B
Light, easy, very adjustable and super reactive on piste (Mark Jones) In long turns you need to release the power to move into the next turn (Derek Chandler) Light, easy to use and reactive Felt less stable at high speed in long turns
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MEN’S FREERIDE SKIS
BUILD
ATOMIC AUTOMATIC 102
£545
Sidewall/lightweight basalt wood core/tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
176, 184 N/A
THEY SAY Wide waist gives float in powder. Reactive sidecut performs well on hardpack. Ride the whole mountain. WE SAY This is a very playful ski that instantly floats up in deep powder. All our testers loved it in the deep stuff, where it's simply great fun, feeling easy to steer and effortless to pop off rollers. The binding we had came midmounted, which freestylers will love. However, for blasting out fast turns, some freeride skiers might find there’s a bit too much tail through the end of the turn.
A I B
BUILD
wood core/tip and tail rocker
164, 172, 180, 188 1,850g for 180cm
THEY SAY Awesome flotation and easy handling in soft snow, guaranteeing a smooth ride, great durability and stability. WE SAY Great value! TOP SKI Feels solid in all turn shapes with lots of grip V A E LU and an easy-to-predict sidecut. In deeper snow it’s playful and easy to adjust through the turn, with the pronounced rocker and smooth flex helping steer through the arc. With the rocker profile it feels short underfoot for the length we skied. Don’t be afraid to choose a longer length.
Great for freestylers popping off rollers and taking drops (Al Morgan) Nice for backcountry park fun, but mid point mounting didn't suit me (Kevin Harris)
A
Playful, easy to use, effortless to steer A lot of tail to handle coming out of turns
B
E
I
IC
LUB
133-97-113 17m (178cm) 166, 172, 178, 184 1,700g for 178cm
THEY SAY One of the best all-rounders, now with lighter core, refined five-point sidecut and addition of rocker to a tapered tail. WE SAY Wow! The TOP new build, surprisingly SKI different to last year's, RF OR M has altered the flex, giving it a super-smooth feel and making it far more sensitive underfoot. That makes it stable and strong at speed, blasting out big turns on piste and in chopped up snow. In deeper snow it's accurate and easy to judge, with the pronounced rocker working well.
2015
SK
Sidewall/lightweight wood core/ tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
131-102-122 19m (180cm)
£520
PE
E
DYNASTAR CHAM 2.0 97
BUILD Cap and sidewall combo/lightweight SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
135-108-127 17.2m (184cm)
£400
IN ITA OF GREAT BR
SK
Blasted through choppy stuff, floated in deep powder, skied like a proper ski on piste (Derek Chandler) Fun, playful, easy to use with a smooth flex (Al Morgan)
A
Solid, predictable, easy to read in turns Feels shorter than its actual length
B
E
I
ER
AMPLID MULTIPLAYER
2015
IC
LUB
IN ITA OF GREAT BR
Brilliant! Manoeuvrable, easy to use, dependable at speed (Derek Chandler) The changes have made it far better, stable at speed yet easy to use (Al Morgan) Super-smooth, comfy in all turn shapes Not the cheapest
F_210w_297h_SKI+BOARD.pdf
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15/09/2014
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DOES YOUR EQUIPMENT PERFORM AS WELL AS IT SHOULD...?
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MY
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Recent innovations in technology means ski equipment is better than it’s ever been before. Ski boots are much more customizable, as plastic shells can now be heat moulded and shaped to the lumps and bumps in your feet. Have you improved since you bought your current boots? Are they still comfortable making you reluctant to upgrade them? A pair of custom fitted boots will be more comfortable than you can possibly imagine and give better performance than your old ski boots ever could. Have your skis seen better days? Or are you still using rental equipment? Skis have now become much more versatile and user friendly helping you to ski in all snow conditions. If you choose the correct ski shape and ability level, you will see huge changes in your progression and enjoyment. Come and visit us today to ensure you have the correct advice from experienced equipment specialists before you invest in your next pair of boots and skis. Bringing you the largest specialist range of skis & boots in the UK and advice and expertise since 1965. We’ll always be here to help and advise you on the correct equipment for wherever your passions and dreams take you. Custom boot fitting specialists. Ski Industries Of Great Britain official ski testers. “WINNER OF THE WORLD SNOW AWARDS - BEST UK SPECIALIST RETAILER”
FREERIDE | FREESTYLE | TOURING | TELEMARK | RACE | RECREATIONAL Ski Bartlett, Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon, West London, UB10 0NP T:020 8848 0040 | E:info@skibartlett.com | www.SkiBartlett.com
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MEN’S FREERIDE SKIS
LINE SUPERNATURAL 108
SALOMON Q98
£470
BUILD Cap and sidewall combo/wood core
BUILD
tip and tail rocker
I B
t.
172, 179, 186 2,141g for 179cm
Off-piste nice, floaty and easy. Big ski but very nimble (Derek Chandler) Awesome, smooth ski with lots of versatility and responsiveness (Mike Barker)
A
Lovely smooth ride, awesome over powder One of the heavier models
B
E
I
A
Cool ski, solid grip underfoot Mounting point seems to block flex of ski
B
BUILD
Cap and sidewall combo/wood core with honeycomb tip and tail/tip and tail rocker
BUILD
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
136-106-126 164, 172, 180, 188 1,900g for 180cm
B
ER
IN ITA OF GREAT BR
Better edge hold than last year, great for short turns off-piste (Mike Barker) Easy to use, adjustable in powder and rock solid at speed (Mark Jones) Easy to use in powder, yet stable at speed Now feels harder work at slower speeds
168, 178, 188 1,940g for 178cm
E
I
Really easy, dependable and simple to use (Derek Chandler) Smooth and powerful, felt super stable and can ride through anything (Mark Jones) Super-silky ride, floaty yet solid in powder Feels quite heavy underfoot
£560
136-108-122 27m (185cm) 171, 178, 185, 192 N/A
THEY SAY New shape with carbon fibre in rockered sections of tip and tail add to stability and cut swingweight. WE SAY Always a high performer, the Cochise has a loyal following. Big modifications this year have made a difference. The stiffness through tip and tail has been enhanced, making it feel more of a powerhouse with lots of grip on hard snow and high stability at speed in deep powder. Some skiers will find it less playful, while strong skiers will love the power and stability at speed.
2015
LUB
139-100-129 17m (178cm)
Sidewall/carbon and Titanal wood core/carbon reinforced tip and tail rocker
17m (180cm)
IC
£500
THEY SAY Based on Scott’s award-winning ‘The Ski’, it has the same innovative technology, but its width can handle all conditions. WE SAY An exceptionally smooth flex and buttery tip let you really feel the texture of the snow as you move into the turn. The width underfoot and in the shovel allows the ski to float instantly, making it super-easy to use in any off-piste conditions. At higher speeds it feels stable and sure-footed, and is awesome for stomping through cruddy, chopped up snow. In all, a great ski for powder junkies.
Looks awesome but felt heavy and cumbersome (Derek Chandler) Binding mounting point blocks the central flex of the ski (Mike Barker)
BLIZZARD COCHISE
PE
I
2,040g for 188cm
ROSSIGNOL SOUL 7 £615 inc bindings
SK
A
164, 172, 180, 188
Cap and sidewall combo/elliptic wood core/tip rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
137-98-123 19.6m (188cm)
THEY SAY Unrivaled directional versatility, stable, responsive, ready to charge any terrain, in or out of bounds. WE SAY A real looker with its striking honeycomb tip, this is solid underfoot. That power makes itself felt through the middle of the ski, while the light tip helps redirect turns and ride over powder and crud. At speed the support underfoot feels unburstable. But the central position of the binding mount seems to block the ski's natural flex while the length in the tail made it trickier to finish turns.
THEY SAY New materials in sidewall add grip, while traditional tail gives stronger steering and acceleration coming out of turns. WE SAY Its radical TOP profile makes it quick SKI and easy to pivot and RF OR M steer in deep snow. This gives it a fantastic ‘get out of jail’ ability when firing into trees and tricky spots. Ramp up the speed for big turns and it still feels stable, solid and confidence inducing, with the new sidewall giving it more grip on edge. A great ski that works well in all conditions. E
with honeycomb tip/tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
137-108-126 22.3m (179cm)
THEY SAY ‘Shockwall’ sidewall has full-length 80 durometer elastomer to absorb vibration. Plus it has a new topsheet. WE SAY The Supernatural has a super-smooth flex — every tester raved about the silky ride. Off-piste it’s solid, dependable, with an easyto-predict turn shape and good edge hold. On groomed runs that strong grip continues and makes it confidence-inspiring at speed, feeling stable and secure in big, fast arcs. Overall a well-balanced, versatile freeride ski that has plenty of grip when on the edge.
A
SCOTT SAGEBRUSH
£400
BUILD Elastomer sidewall/Titanal wood core/ SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
E
E A I B
Ski+board
Feels like a big mountain charger, rock solid at speed off-piste (Kevin Harris) The front of the ski needs to be softer to make it more adaptable (Al Morgan) A real charger, grippy and stable at speed Less playful, less easy at slower speeds
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
TESTER PROFILE
Mark Jones Mark is director of ICE (icesi.org), a training centre in Val d’Isère, France, that delivers gap year courses, instructor training and performance courses. He is also a trainer for Basi (the British Association for Snowsport Instructors) and has worked worldwide as a coach. Mark is the veteran of the Ski Club’s ski tests, having run the test team for years. He spends months collating the results for Ski+board and the Ski Club website skiclub.co.uk/skitests.
MEN’S FREERIDE SKIS
64
HEAD MONSTER 98TI £580 inc binding
VÖLKL MANTRA
BUILD
Cap and sidewall combo/ Graphene and Titanal wood core/tip rocker
BUILD
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
135-98-120 21.3m (177cm) 163, 170, 177, 184 N/A
THEY SAY Light enough for the backcountry, versatile enough for the sidecountry and fast enough to rip up the groomers. WE SAY A powerful ski that feels stable and surefooted at speed. In big, giant slalom-type turns it has lots of grip and power, handling chopped up snow and crud with ease. Could work well as an allmountain choice for strong skiers who love powder. In all turn shapes it felt comfortable and balanced. Some testers felt it was harder to handle at lower speeds, but still a solid ski that can tackle anything. E A I
Strong, solid and dependable freeride ski that is great at speed (Al Morgan) A very burly piece of kit, solid feel on piste at high speeds (Kevin Harris) Powerful at speed, lots of grip and stability Less easy to steer at slower speeds
B
ARMADA INVICTUS 108TI
E A I
£ 540
A I B
170, 177, 184, 191 2,100g for 177cm
BUILD
26m (188cm) 168, 178, 188 N/A
141-108-129 21m (186cm) 178, 186, 194 2,100g for 186cm
THEY SAY Our most radical ski, its 108mm waist and long rockered forebody make sure you always stay on top in powder. WE SAY We struggled with tuning for the ski we tested, but its main characteristic came through. This is a solid, hard charger that is superstrong underfoot. For high speed giant slalom turns in variable snow it will drive through anything. A real crud blaster it’s a fantastic weapon on your feet. At slower speeds and for quick adjustments it feels a bit less user-friendly, but fast, hardcharging skiers will love it.
Zero to fun in three seconds! Great in medium turns offpiste (Kevin Harris) Strong charging mid to big arcs, but lacks the usability of other skis (Al Morgan)
A
Fast, powerful in medium to long turns Less easy to use at slower speeds
B
E
I
£470
133-100-121 18.5m (185cm) 169, 177, 185, 193 N/A
THEY SAY The legendary name returns, using Nordica’s Hammerhead tip with titanium reinforcement throughout the ski. WE SAY The Enforcer is wellbalanced, delivering easy-topredict, smooth arcs. It’s strong and responsive in long turns while being able to deliver smooth, short turns too. Though light underfoot, it still feels stable and accurate at speed. On piste, its exceptional grip means it can rip it up with the best of the freeride skis! Feels like a ski that would suit stronger, more aggressive skiers.
E A I B
Good strong ski for good strong skiers, stiff in the tail so harder to release (Derek Chandler) Well balanced ski that grips well on piste (Mark Jones) Powerful at high speeds, solid edge hold Stiff in the tail through the end of the turn
£539
Cap and sidewall combo/carbon wood core/tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
138-108-128
Sidewall/Titanal wood core/ tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
132-100-118 23.7m (177cm)
Very strong at high speeds, great edge grip Can be harder work to pivot on slow turns
MOVEMENT TRUST
THEY SAY The new Invictus delivers stability at speed using a titanium reinforced construction to give a longer, hard charging radius. WE SAY This is a solid hard charger that's stable at speed in variable off-piste. It feels particularly strong in medium to long radius turns, with the powerful construction mid-body making itself felt. The softer tip and rocker profile help turn initiation and making quick adjustments, while slower speeds and shorter turns are more of an effort. Overall, better suited to fast turns in powder. E
BUILD
Sidewall/Titanal wood core/ full rocker
Great ski, grippy on piste, solid edge hold, great fun (Mark Jones) Solid, predictable, easy to use in powder. Straight from the first turn you can relax (Kevin Harris)
B
Cap and sidewall combo/carbon, Kevlar and Titanal wood core/tip rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
NORDICA ENFORCER
£525
THEY SAY A new design with early taper in the tip, plus a 100mm waist and full rocker give a greater range of performance. WE SAY Despite big changes, it has retained that solid, high quality, confidence-inspiring feeling of old. Edge grip is high for a freeride ski, it feels unburstable on the piste, keeping going hard at very high speeds. In deeper off-piste, it’s still a great ski with the well judged rocker and flex making it easy work. It feels best in fast, medium to long arcs, while slower, shorter turns require a bit more effort.
BUILD
Billed as a giant slalom offpiste ski, it needs to be more energetic for freeride (Mike Barker) Solid, fast, but hard to adjust turns at slower speeds (Mark Jones) Strong, solid, stable at high speeds Harder work at slower speeds
I want a pair of those... Several British retailers are present at the ski tests and many offer discounts to Ski Club members. They include: Absolute Snow: 10 per cent off absolute-snow.co.uk Craigdon Mountain Sports: 15 per cent off craigdonmountainsports.com Ellis Brigham: 10 per cent off ellis-brigham.com Freeze Pro Shop: 10 per cent off freezeproshop.com Glisshop: 10 per cent off glisshop.co.uk Lockwoods: various discounts lockwoods.com Sail and Ski: 10 per cent off sailandski.co.uk Ski Bartlett: 10 per cent off skibartlett.com Snow+Rock: 10 per cent off snowandrock.com Snow Lab: 10 per cent off, 15 per cent for servicing snowlab.co.uk Surfdome: 10 per cent off surfdome.com
For stockists information call: 01572 770900
WOMEN’S FREERIDE SKIS
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What’s new in women’s freeride skis? Women’s freeride skis have seen a similar story to the men’s category in that rockers and profiles have undergone subtle refinements rather than big changes, while lighter constructions and swingweights from touring skis are still making an impact. Comparing the men’s choice likefor-like, most women’s versions will be lighter in construction, with different profiles and binding placement to help turn initiation and steering. However, don’t be fooled into thinking these are for relaxed saunters down the slopes. This year in particular saw an influx of some really hard charging, high performance models with K2’s all-new Fulluvit 98TI, the new-style Head Great Joy and Völkl’s 100 Eight Pink all winning top performance awards.
ARMADA TST W BUILD
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
ATOMIC CENTURY 102
£455
Rowena Phillips
14.7m (174cm) 156, 164, 174 N/A
129-102-120 16m (164cm) 156, 164, 172 1,600g for 164cm
THEY SAY Super-light build, fat waist and powder rocker tip and tail give awesome flotation, helping women rip in powder. WE SAY The Century felt particularly good in tight areas and through trees, where the float of its huge rocker and generous shovel made it easy to initiate turns. It was mainly in these short to medium arcs in deeper snow where it felt in its element, delivering a round, steered curve, whose course was easy to predict through the turn. In long, fast turns and on piste it felt less reactive and less stable.
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Easy to use, heaps of float, fun in powder Tip can flap at speed and on piste
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wood core/tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
131-101-122
Great float from the big rocker makes you feel you’re surfing, but still holds a piste (Lynn Sharpe) Very playful off-piste, easy to use an all-round winner (Steph Ede)
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BUILD Cap and sidewall combo/lightweight
THEY SAY The tip's EST rocker makes turns easy, and it has a traditional tail for charging the steeps. A light, do-everything ski. WE SAY A playful ski with lots of rebound and massive float in powder, giving it a surf-like feel, which makes it great fun in all deep snow conditions. On piste it needs to be steered from the middle of the ski to get the best out of it, as the tip and tail rocker make for less skito-snow contact. But nonetheless it has a reactive sidecut which gives skiers a strong arc to play with. Overall a great ski that's fun offpiste thanks to its playful character.
TESTER PROFILE
Rowena leads the women’s team for the ski tests, having been on the squad for many years. She is a director and instructor at Matterhorn Diamonds (matterhorn-diamonds.com), a private ski school in Zermatt, Switzerland, focusing on the needs of individual clients. She has the highest Basi Level 4 qualification and is one of the few British instructors to have successfully completed the final stages of the Swiss ski instructor training system.
Cap and sidewall combo/lightweight wood core/tip rocker
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Suits a slower skier who likes trees and steep slopes (Lynn Sharpe) Likes longer, slower turns off-piste. Nice in round turns, but less reactive on piste (Bella Seel) Easy in short to medium arcs on powder Less reactive on piste, less stable at speed
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WOMEN’S FREERIDE SKIS HEAD GREAT JOY £565 inc binding
K2 FULLUVIT 98TI
BUILD
BUILD
Cap and sidewall combo/Graphene wood core/tip rocker
THEY SAY A new kind of easygoing ski that, when prompted on powder, will make you feel in complete control. WE SAY Feels superTOP SKI light, easy to use and RF playful, adapting to OR M all conditions as you start off. But — amazingly — the more you ramp up the speed, the more power becomes available — its breadth of performance is amazing. This is a ski that can definitely hold its own against the hard chargers, but is also easy to use at slower speeds — and it can do this in all conditions.
THEY SAY An all-new ski featuring a channel light core, Bio flex core and a tapered tip and tail to give all-mountain versatility. WE SAY This is a dead TOP SKI easy ski to use — it’s RF light, manoeuvrable OR M and playful. On piste it’s reactive with a responsive sidecut and great grip for this type of ski. In deeper, off-piste snow it has plenty of lift, loads of life and feels happy in all turn shapes. Overall a ski that does a remarkable job of covering all bases, working almost as well on piste as in powder, regardless of turn shape.
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Fun, floaty and bouncy offpiste and gripping groomers (Bella Seel) Manoeuvrable, full of energy, very versatile both on and off-piste (Steph Ede)
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Light, easy, yet can deliver at high speeds Doesn't come cheap
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VÖLKL 100 EIGHT PINK BUILD SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
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£525
16.7m (165cm) 157, 165, 173 1,690g for 165cm
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THEY SAY 3D Ridge technology gives a new, integrated ski/binding contact point. Weight has been cut to give a versatile, all-terrain ski. WE SAY Ridiculously TOP easy to use, in powder SKI it rises instantly with RF OR M the rockered profile and flex making it effortless to steer. It is comfortable in all turn shapes off-piste, being lively and reactive. In short turns it has loads of energy, while being stable in long turns. On the piste it grips surprisingly well, however that generous rocker and underfoot width do have their limits. 2015
LUB
IN ITA OF GREAT BR
Fun, my kind of ski! Full of life, playful, bouncy, easy to use (Steph Ede) Consistently wide ski that sits on the surface of powder yet is stable at speed (Lynn Sharpe) Easy in powder, loads of float, easy to adjust Rocker profile can flap at speed on piste
E A I
2015
LUB
130-95-115 13.8m (162cm) 152, 162, 172
1,500g for 162cm
THEY SAY Five-point sidecut gives a well-rounded ski for all turn shapes and all-mountain versatility for strong intermediates to experts. WE SAY A strong all-rounder, it performed well in all conditions. On the piste it has good levels of edge grip and is easy to use. In deeper, off-piste snow it felt forgiving and adaptable with the rockered profile doing a good job of making turn initiation and steering adjustments low effort. This is a ski that can handle the off-piste in any sort of turn shape or speed, though it didn’t have ‘wow’ factor in any particular area. Dependable.
IN ITA OF GREAT BR
Great freeride ski! (Lynn Sharpe) So much fun to ride on and off-piste. Plenty of lift in the powder while having great edge grip on the piste (Steph Ede)
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Really adaptable, loads of energy and life Some testers felt the tip was quite stiff
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£400
Fairly good on piste, nice edge grip, easy to turn, forgiving and adaptable (Steph Ede) Reliable, easy and seemed to ski longer than its length (Rowena Phillips) Adapts to all conditions and turn shapes Not inspirational, could be more reactive
DYNASTAR CHAM 2.0 W97
BUILD Cap and sidewall combo/wood core
BUILD
with honeycomb tip/tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
141-108-124
IC
N/A
SALOMON Q96 LUMEN
Sidewall/wood core/ full rocker
SK
163, 170, 177
IC
£400
wood core/tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
17.5m (170cm)
SK
IN ITA OF GREAT BR
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LUB
BUILD Cap and sidewall combo/lightweight
131-98-119
PE
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SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
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LINE PANDORA 95
£430
SIDECUT (mm) 141-98-124 RADIUS 14.3m (168cm) LENGTHS (cm) 153, 158, 163, 168, 173 WEIGHT (per ski) N/A
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Cap and sidewall combo/Titanal lightweight wood core/tip and tail rocker
£445
Sidewall/lightweight wood core/tip and tail rocker
1,510g for 162cm
SIDECUT (mm) 133-97-113 RADIUS 15m (178cm) LENGTHS (cm) 152, 159, 166, 172, 178 WEIGHT (per ski) 1,700g for 178cm
THEY SAY A playful, allmountain freeski, it's equally at home in the trees, bumps and chutes as it is on piste. WE SAY Heaps of grip on piste, as long as it’s riding on a big edge angle. If you can keep it cranked, it won’t let go! The Lumen is also reactive enough at speed to quickly switch turn shape. For slower, more steered turns it is grabby and harder to handle. In powder it's playful, being easy to redirect into different turn shapes and having great rebound. This is a playful, energetic ski that urges you to get on and make it work.
THEY SAY Features a new blend of rocker, sidecut and construction to deliver maximum freeride versatility to women. WE SAY This was another freeride ski that surprised us with its ability on piste. Edge grip is high while stability at speed is exceptional for this type of ski. It is also easy to use at slower speeds with loads of life and playfulness. Off-piste it performs well, with the ability to drive through any conditions. However, it is a beefy ski that feels heavy underfoot, so it requires a fairly large amount of physical effort to steer and adjust.
128-95-114 18.4m (162cm) 154, 162, 170
Huge edge hold on piste, great fun in powder, easy to chop and change between long and short turns (Lynn Sharpe) Easy, poppy, playful off-piste (Steph Ede)
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Powerful, energetic, switches turns easily Feel grabby. Hard work at slower speeds
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B
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
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Easy to turn and holds an edge on piste. Off-piste best at long turns (Lynn Sharpe) On piste easy to turn and grippy, but heavy and barge-like off-piste (Steph Ede) Beefy, powerful, lots of grip on the edge Heavy, requires effort in deeper snow
WOMEN’S FREERIDE SKIS
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MOVEMENT BELIEVE
NORDICA SANTA ANA
£499
BUILD
BUILD
Cap and sidewall combo/carbon lightweight wood core/tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
20m (176cm) 168, 176 1,650g for 176cm
THEY SAY Hyper-lightweight, it helps skiers rip up long off-piste descents while the rocker tip gives agility in more challenging terrain. WE SAY Surprisingly powerful freeride ski, it loves big fast turns on open terrain, giving constant grip and urging you to go for straighter lines and build speed. Big mountain chargers will really be able to get their teeth into this ski. For shorter turns at slower speeds it feels harder work, with the wide platform and powerful construction making it tougher to be agile and quick on your feet. E A I
Simple design gives constant grip, you're supported in long turns (Lynn Sharpe) Likes big turns on open terrain, but chunky and hard to ski (Bella Seel) A proper big mountain ski, loves going fast Tougher to handle in slower, shorter turns
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BUILD Cap and sidewall combo/wood core
Sidewall/carbon lightweight wood core/tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
131-99-119
ROSSIGNOL SAVORY 7 £675 inc binding
£470
with honeycomb tip and tail/tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
133-100-121 16.5m (177cm) 153, 161, 169, 177 N/A
THEY SAY The new balsa core technology, designed exclusively for women, makes it feel strong yet lightweight, reducing fatigue. WE SAY This ski loves powder! It has a beautiful release out of the turn, making it easy to balance on entry into the direction change. In these type of conditions, it’s a lovely ski to ride big turns, with great stability at speed. In shorter turns it doesn’t feel so agile, being slower from edge to edge and feeling heavy underfoot. It can cope on piste, where it works best for long turns. Stable at speed in open areas but heavy and unresponsive in short turns (Lynn Sharpe) Lively in powder, struggled in quicker turns and on piste (Bella Seel)
E A I
Likes high speed powder turns Less responsive in short turns and on piste
B
136-106-126 17m (178cm) 162, 170, 178 1,900g for 178cm
THEY SAY Revolutionary fusion of backcountry, freestyle and freeride performance. Powder Turn Rocker virtually eliminates tip flap. WE SAY The Savory lays down a big footprint due to its width underfoot and this is matched with a large rockered tip. In powder this gives lots of float and an ability to drive through tricky conditions with ease. On piste it has solid edge grip and feels stable at speed for a freeride model. A heavy duty ski, it works well once up and running, but at slower speeds and in confined areas turns require effort. E A I B
Hard work, needed a lot of steering, but good edge grip on piste, and smooth around turns (Steph Ede) Good float on powder due to big rocker tip (Lynn Sharpe) Big and floaty in powder, cuts into crud Physically quite hard work to steer
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CM
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BLIZZARD SHEEVA BUILD
BLACK CROWS NAVIS BIRDIE £570
£420
BUILD Cap and sidewall combo/lightweight
Sidewall/Titanal lightweight wood core/tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
17m (172cm) 158, 165, 172, 179 1,880g for 172cm
THEY SAY Light Flipcore gives easy, balanced feel, while powder rocker and camber underfoot help float. A versatile winner. WE SAY This is a ski that feels like it's built to go fast. It has a stiff flex that can handle speed in crud and chopped up conditions with ease and without flapping. That powerful build also helps on piste where it continues to feel rock solid, with lots of edge grip for a freeride ski. The only downside is that it can feel like heavy going when it comes to manoeuvring at slower speeds and in shorter turns. E A I B
Likes to ski fast, stiff enough for good edge hold. Not easy at slower speeds (Steph Ede) Fast and stiff, responsive in short and long turns but tiring (Lynn Sharpe) Hard-charger, loves speed Needs power to get the best out of it
wood core/tip and tail rocker
SIDECUT (mm) RADIUS LENGTHS (cm) WEIGHT (per ski)
134-104-124
131-102-116 19m (169cm) 169, 179 N/A
THEY SAY A pure freeride toy. With classic camber, an early rise tail and a progressive rocker tip, it adapts perfectly to crud or powder. WE SAY The Birdie is suited to fast skiers, with great stability at speed, while the flex and quality construction give a silky, confidence-inspiring ride. In long turns it has lots of grip and works well blasting out big turns in tricky conditions. On piste it holds up well. It’s only in short turns that it is harder work, feeling quite slow to move from edge to edge. Overall a great looking ski that is perfectly suited to speedy skiers.
E A I B
Feels great making smooth, round, steered turns. Floats well, even in crud (Bella Seel) Ski it hard — on or off piste — and you get a lot back (Steph Ede) Stable at speed, floats well in powder Slow edge-to-edge in short turns
Ski test sponsors With thanks to Atomic, Eider, Salomon, Scott and Planks, who provided clothing for our test team in Kühtai. Ski Club members can get savings on these brands through the many shops in the UK that offer discounts to Ski Club members. You can see the full listing of members' discounts at skiclub.co.uk/discounts Photos: Ross Woodhall
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SKI BOOT LAB
www.profeet.co.uk/skiing
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THE UK SPECIALISTS IN SKI BOOTS, SKI BOOT FITTING, CUSTOM SKI INSOLES & CUSTOM LINERS "I had my boots blown out to accommodate my bunions, so I needed specialised fitting of the shell to my feet. It was done perfectly and the difference that it makes is considerable... every skier ought to take the time to get their feet right before any ski holiday." Konrad Bartelski - Former British Team Skier
Personal assessment
Biomechanical analysis
Kon
Custom insoles*
i
lsk e t r a B rad
Shell customisation & foam liners
One of the widest ranges of ski boots available in the UK!
Call 020 7736 0046 to book your appointment *depending on appointment type
Profeet 867 Fulham Road, London, SW6 5HP
FREERIDE BOOTS
70
What it all means
LINER Designed to keep your feet warm and comfortable, some are standard, while others can be custom fitted to adopt shape of your calves and feet
SHELL
TONGUE Look at the top of your foot and you will see a maze of blood vessels and tendons. A badly shaped tongue compresses these… and that’s painful
Most shells are two-piece and combine a cuff, on top, attached by a hinge to a lower part, often called a clog, below. Threepiece models also have an external tongue
POWER STRAP CANT ADJUSTMENT
The power strap acts as a vital extra buckle around your leg, and is usually closed by velcro, but some high performance boots use a metal closure. Don’t forget to do it up!
With many boots you can tilt the cuff slightly towards the big toe or little toe side of the clog, making you feel more balanced in the boot
BUCKLES These are used to fasten the boot. Buckles should evenly wrap the shell around your foot, keeping it snug without creating pressure points
WALK MODE The stiff back of ski boots, vital for performance, makes them no fun to walk in. So a walk switch releases the cuff to allow it to move backwards
LAST FOOTBED This is a trainer-type insole that comes with the boot. A customised footbed is recommended to improve stability and give better foot-to-boot contact
A ‘last’ is the metal template around which the plastic shell of boots is shaped. It is measured in millimetres across the widest part of the foot, with 100mm being about medium
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BOOTS FLEX This is the theoretical force in Newtons needed to decrease the angle between cuff and clog by ten degrees. High performance boots are stiffer in flex, but are often less comfortable
Chris Exall (skipress.co.uk) describes himself as being 40 years into an 80-year apprenticeship in skiing: his first boots were made of leather. He is a member of the International Federation of Ski Instructors governing body and has written widely on snowsports safety
Boots that won’t drop you in it The latest freeride boots seem to promise the impossible: close fits for speed and shock absorption for off-piste, says Chris Exall When it comes to choosing gear, probably the most important element to get right is boots. This season Ski+board will be reviewing four categories of boot in its four print issues: freeride (in this issue), allmountain, piste and, finally, touring and park’n’pipe boots. While the skier who occasionally tackles the deep stuff will find lots of all-mountain boots, true freeride skiers present designers with a real problem. They ski fast on steep terrain, requiring a close-fitting, responsive shell, like a racer. But that low-volume shell becomes a bruiser over the lumps
and bumps of the backcountry. So a true freeride boot must combine the precision of a F1 car with the soft suspension of a monster truck. Most do this by using a soft, rubber bootboard to take the sting out of big drops. Shells are stiff, but can be used with a thicker liner for cushioning. Ski boots tend to be sold in families, with a core identity and more special features as the flex and price rises. In most cases we look at the highest performing boot in a family, and in some make a second recommendation for the skier who isn’t quite as performance orientated.
ROSSIGNOL ALLTRACK PRO 130 WTR
NORDICA GPX 130
LANGE XT 130 PRICE £450 OTHER FLEXES 120, 100 SIZE 24-29.5 HIKE MODE Yes
Though it’s easy to associate Lange with racing, all of the features that make its classic design work for racers make the XT a winner all over the mountain. Until you unlock the metalon-metal walk mode you get race performance, but once released the cuff can hinge back by 20 degrees. The boot comes in two widths and features rubber-clad rocker soles to make hiking easier. For those looking for comfort, the 120 (£400) is more forgiving, while the higher volume RX 100 (£260) and XC 90 (£285) are better suited to skiers with slightly wider feet. Piste performance with all-mountain design Skiers with wide feet may feel the pinch
PRICE £350 OTHER FLEXES 120, 110,100 SIZE 24.5-31.5 HIKE MODE Yes
As with the XT series from Lange, sister company Rossignol uses a releasable cuff on its Alltrack Pro and a rubberised rocker sole to make hiking easier. The shell comes in two widths, while the shaft of the boot is relatively upright, which keeps it strong edge-to-edge. The shell’s Sensor Grid construction — which looks like a spider’s web — has been created by thinning the shell’s plastic to make the boot lighter and more responsive. A Thinsulate lining helps keep your toes warm, but if it’s comfort you’re after opt for the softer 100 (£265) model. Fits a wide range of foot types straight out the box The 130 is a stiff boot, that’s even harder in the cold
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
PRICE £420 OTHER FLEXES 110, 100 SIZE 22-29.5 HIKE MODE No
Though conventional in looks, the new GPX has many of the features of an all-mountain model. It’s built with a 98mm last, which many skiers find a squeeze, so Nordica has added space around the arch and instep so you needn’t unbuckle on every lift. Instead of using varying foams for fit, as is the norm, the GPX uses a flow liner with a cork zone around the heel and ankle to create a secure fit for even the most aggressive skiers. The liner has PrimaLoft insulation for warmth and a shock-absorbing footboard takes the sting out of landings. One of the best engineered in the category No hike-mode for climbs
MEN’S FREERIDE BOOTS
72
FULL TILT SETH MORRISON
DALBELLO KRYPTON PRO
PRICE £380 FLEX Stiff SIZE 24.5-30.5 HIKE MODE No
PRICE £440 FLEX Soft to hard SIZE 24-29.5 HIKE MODE No
If your inspiration is the Raichle Flexon Comp, as is the case with the three ‘three-piece’ boots on this page, why not use that boot? The original Raichle moulds lay gathering dust until K2’s parent company re-launched them under the Full Tilt label. Key elements have been kept, but a mouldable liner fits a slightly wider range of feet than its predecessor. Stiff and low-volume, it’s Full Tilt’s highest performer, with a low hinge and snug fit making it lively edge to edge. Comfier alternatives are the new Descendant 8 (£290), and the First Chair 8 and 6 (£360 and £320).
Some say Dalbello’s Krypton series is a copy of the Raichle but it’s not. The boot uses a ribbed external tongue, which bends like a drinking straw, sending power to the ski. Progressive flex means even big changes in pitch don’t unbalance the skier. The Pro is infinitely adjustable, and comes with hard and soft tongues, and two densities of bootboard. At its stiffest it’s like a World Cup boot, but switch to softer bolt-ons and it’s easier to ski. The Fusion (£350) has all the design features of the Pro, but comes with a smaller box of parts to play with.
Super-easy to put on and off, even in extreme cold The closure system can take some getting used to
Endless bolt-ons make it completely customisable… …but you can spend hours tinkering, not turning
HEAD HAMMER 130 PRICE £375 OTHER FLEXES 110, 90 SIZE 24-29.5 HIKE MODE No
At a glance it would be easy to think of the Hammer as a park‘n’pipe boot. And it does have some trick features built in — mainly to aid shock absorption. Should you land hard there’s some give in the boots’ toebox — which includes a flexible insert in front of the big toe — to avoid black toenails. The Triad Ergoflex shell also has an anatomically correct hinge point to keep the flex smooth, further aiding absorption. For park specialists, the soft flexing Hammer 90 is the best option, while the Hammer 110 (£330) and 130 are true freeride boots. Plenty of features to help with shock absorption There are better choices for nervous skiers
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MEN’S FREERIDE BOOTS
TECNICA COCHISE 120
K2 PINNACLE 130 PRICE £300 OTHER FLEXES 110, 100 SIZE 25.5-30.5 HIKE MODE Yes
PRICE £370 OTHER FLEXES 130, 100, 90 SIZE 22.5-30.5 HIKE MODE Yes
In most cases we review the stiffest model, but when it comes to the Tecnica Cochise the 130 flex (£420) is just a little too hard core. The 120 is slightly wider, with a 100mm last, and fits a greater range of feet. Both models replace the top buckle with an industrial strength powerstrap and use lightweight plastic in the clog, resulting in a ten per cent weight reduction, making hiking that bit easier. A metal-to-metal cuff release means even with the 130 model it’s just about possible to put on the boot one handed. Overall, a great all-rounder. Dubbed a ‘ski patroller’s boot’ it skis well everywhere Narrow-ish heel fit will squeeze some feet
The Pinnacle may look similar to Tecnica’s Cochise with three buckles and an über power strap, but it’s the Pinnacle’s cuff release that sets it apart. It allows the boot to open wide for climbing, while it also connects the cuff directly to the lower part of the boot. This increases the range of the fore and aft motion, making walking more efficient without compromising downhill performance. The boot has a light and responsive feel, while use of Intuition’s ‘cook to fit’ liner means the boot fits a range of foot types. The softer flex models have a similar feel. The perfect fit for modern shaped skis Heavier than its competitors in the category
ATOMIC WAYMAKER 130
SALOMON QUEST PRO 130
PRICE £360 OTHER FLEXES 120, 100, 90 SIZE 24.5-29.5 HIKE MODE Yes
While K2 and Tecnica use a threebuckle design with a single buckle on the cuff, Atomic’s Waymaker reverses this by putting two buckles on the cuff and a single one on the clog. Developed from the race range, the boot uses a super-light, superstiff carbon spine — which wraps the heelbone and extends to the powerstrap — for rearward support. The boot has a high volume over the instep and in the toebox, making it a great choice for a strong skier with wide feet. And the alpine soles can be switched for sticky touring ones. The 90 flex is good for less strong skiers.
PRICE £370 OTHER FLEXES 110, 90 SIZE 22.5-31.5 HIKE MODE Yes
You could say Salomon re-invented the freeride boot with the launch of the Quest Pro, because until then most freeride skiers used either alpine or touring boots. And the Quest Pro 130 remains a classic, delivering alpine performance in a shell that can be taken under the ropes. New this season, it’s baby brother, the Quest Access Custom Heat (£380) comes with an integrated heating system. It’s been developed with specialist Therm-ic, and has the first heated liner with all the components, including batteries, inside the shell. With a 90 flex it doesn’t have the power of the 130, but it’s warm.
The boot is quick, light and powerful edge-to-edge
The boot’s shell can be moulded to your foot…
Skiers with narrow feet may struggle
…but some skiers end up buying a size too large
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
Things to know before you buy Little things matter when it comes to buying ski boots. Our day-today footwear is light, soft and comfortable, yet a tiny piece of grit in a sock causes us to stop and shake our shoes. And what might be annoying in a pair of brogues will be agony in the unforgiving confines of a ski boot. Of course investing in ski boots costs money, and high performance pairs are not cheap. But most important is investing the time to find the right boot. If possible pick a day when you won’t be rushed and the bootfitter will have time to spend with you, so avoid Saturdays in December. Expect the bootfitter to ask lots of questions and then suggest two or three models that will suit you best. At this point try to put to one side any brand preferences: expensive marketing does not compensate for a great fit. Once you’re standing in a pair of boots remember that sometimes first impressions are wrong. Often a correctly sized ski boot will feel far too small until the liner has compressed a little. Even when the boot seems right, it’s likely the bootfitter will want to look at customising it for you. Many ski boots have shells and liners which can be heated to take the exact shape of your foot and lower leg. For all boots, a custom footbed is vital. It will cradle the base of your foot far better than a standard one, stabilising it to help you find grip at speed.
WOMEN’S FREERIDE BOOTS
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Women’s freeride With more female skiers wishing to stray from the groomers, manufacturers have begun developing more female-specific freeride boots. And it’s great, because the boots still focus on downhill performance, while most have a hike mode, allowing you the freedom to climb and explore. These are some of the best, all of which are adapted for women’s narrow heels, lower calves and lighter weight.
Janine Winter is ski manager and buyer at specialist bootfitter Profeet (020 7736 0046; profeet.co.uk), having spent 11 seasons fitting boots with the famous Boot Doctors in Telluride, Colorado, four seasons in New Zealand, and one in Australia
K2 MINARET 100 PRICE £400 OTHER FLEXES 80 SIZE 22.5-27.5 HIKE MODE Yes
Aimed at advanced women skiers, the K2 Minaret, the female counterpart to K2’s Pinnacle, is unchanged for this season. It’s a high performance boot and, thanks to a walk mode, is a great choice for skiers looking to combine downhill with some hiking. It comes with a mouldable Intuition liner, which provides warmth and a precision fit around the foot — especially the heel area. It features alpine soles that are compatible with both pin bindings and ordinary DIN ones. Its 100mm last fits a wide range of feet, although skiers with narrow feet may find it roomy. Intuition liners are known for warmth and comfort Heavier than many of its competitors
SALOMON QUEST PRO 100 W PRICE £320 OTHER FLEXES 80 SIZE 22-27.5 HIKE MODE Yes
Salomon’s Quest Pro was a winner with women skiers again last season and as a result remains unchanged for the second year. Custom Shell technology allows the whole shell to be heated and moulded to your foot, maximising comfort and eliminating pressure points. The boot features a plastic insert under the buckle overlap to ensure the liner stays dry, even in wet snow. With a great hike and ride capability, combined with the light shell, the Quest Pro is versatile for any terrain. The softer 80 flex is a good option for less confident skiers. Mouldable shell allows for customisation No cant, or cuff adjustment
LANGE XT 110 W PRICE £370 OTHER FLEXES 90, 80 SIZE 22.5-27.5 HIKE MODE Yes
With a new look this season, the XT now comes with both a walk-to-ride rocker sole and an ultra-grip DIN sole, allowing it to fit a huge variety of bindings. With a 97mm last, the boot is great for women seeking a narrow fit. The 110-flex boot is aimed at hard charging female skiers wanting one boot that can do everything and go everywhere. The range also features new lightweight aluminium buckles, which help reduce overall weight. The softer XT 90 W (£169) and XC 90 W (£235) have a softer flex, and fit medium to wide feet better. One of few narrow fitting freeride boots Touring sole is not compatible with pin bindings
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WOMEN’S FREERIDE BOOTS
NORDICA GPX 105 W
TECNICA COCHISE 95 W
ROSSIGNOL ALL TRACK PRO 110 W
PRICE £340 OTHER FLEXES 95, 85 SIZE 21.5-27.5 HIKE MODE No
PRICE £250 OTHER FLEXES 105, 85, 75 SIZE 22-27.5 HIKE MODE Yes
PRICE £335 OTHER FLEXES 100, 80 SIZE 22-27.5 HIKE MODE Yes
The GPX series is an exciting new range for the coming winter. With a narrow 98mm last, they are the only boots featured here to use PrimaLoft in their liners, helping keep feet warm even on the coldest of days. The liner also has cork inserts in key pressure areas to ensure a precise fit. The boot has alpine soles, to help with grip on slick surfaces, but lacks a hike mode. The 105 flex suits advanced skiers while the 95 (£320) and 85 (£225) models are targeted at less aggressive skiers who only occasionally venture off-piste.
Returning with its popular purple and pink shell, the Cochise 95 W is a great hike and ride option offering all day comfort for skiers with medium width feet. It has a three-buckle design with a large, lockable power strap, which acts as the fourth buckle. This should be released while hiking to allow greater motion in the cuff. It comes with DIN compatible soles, but a touring sole with Dynafit inserts can be fitted to the boot. A slightly softer plastic is used over the instep to help with getting the boot on.
Cork inserts improve heel retention No hike mode limits the boot’s uses
Great value for a hike and ride boot A little heavier than comparable boots
With a new look for this season, the All Track suits aggressive female skiers, and combines comfort and performance. The shell features Rossignol’s ‘sensor grid technology’, which aims to reduce the overall weight of the boot. The plush liner is made with Thinsulate, and provides insulation on cold days. The flared cuff is specially designed to accommodate women’s calf muscles, which connect lower than men’s. The sole is interchangeable, allowing compatibility with different bindings. Flared cuffs suit women’s lower calf muscles Original soles are not compatible with pin bindings
Real France. Real Skiing. Short breaks with new vistas. Experience the very best the French Pyrenees has to offer on an Erna Low holiday, and enjoy a skiing experience that is refreshingly different. Set within breath-taking alpine locations and surrounded by mountains adorned with snow, our four classic ski resorts offer something new for everyone, both on and off-piste. With great value ski and spa packages, low cost flights and a range of flexible deals on offer, there has never been a better time to go to the French Pyrenees!
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FREESTYLE SNOWBOARDS
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BASE Extruded bases are cheap, easy to repair, and ideal for beginners. Sintered bases need more care and cost more, but are faster when waxed
FLEX This is graded from one to five, with one being soft — making a board easy to turn — and five being stiff, for high-speed piste performance
LENGTH Board lengths are measured in centimetres from tip to tail. Longer boards suit powder; shorter ones are best for freestyle
WIDTH
EFFECTIVE EDGE
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
The distance between the two contact points on either side of the snowboard
CAMBER PROFILE
ROCKER PROFILE
A board with a camber profile rises up between the rider’s feet and has contact points at each end — at the nose and tail ends of the effective edge
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
FLAT PROFILE A board with a flat profile is flat under the feet, with the board rising only at the tip and tail
COMBO PROFILE A board with a combo profile combines elements of both rocker and camber boards
What it all means
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SNOWBOARDS
Brands throw crazy freestyle shapes
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
This year’s crop of trickster boards look quirky, but their inspiration comes from the sport’s earliest days, writes Tristan Kennedy
Tristan Kennedy is editor of action sports and adventure website Mpora.com and former deputy editor of Whitelines Snowboarding magazine. He tested these boards exclusively for Ski+board at the Snowboard Spring Break event in Kaunertal, Austria
K2 CARVEAIR FLEX PROFILE SHAPE LENGTHS
Reviewers at this year’s snowboard test turned up expecting a dazzling array of new models — and we weren’t disappointed. But we were thrown by the sheer diversity of shapes on offer, particularly in the freestyle category. Given that the main purpose of freestyle boards is to make tricks easier, many assumed manufacturers would stick with the classic shape, with its
CarveAir and the Arbor Zygote looking like nothing you’ve seen before. The reason is that recently riders have been making their own boards, drawing inspiration from the early days of the sport, when boards tended to be more directional and built for carving. New tricks have seen carving grow in popularity, with videos such as the Yawgoons series showing riders take
rounded nose and tail. This makes riding switch — backwards — simple. But the trend towards more quirky shapes that started in the all-mountain category is taking the freestyle world by storm, with boards such as the K2
a surf-inspired approach to freestyle. And so snowboard manufacturers have responded by making strangely-shaped freestyle sticks of their own. We feature some of the most notable models for this winter below.
£400
ENDEAVOR LIVE £389
RIDE BURNOUT
Combo Directional 149, 154
FLEX PROFILE Combo SHAPE True twin LENGTHS 148, 151, 153, 156, 159, 163; 157W, 161W
FLEX PROFILE Combo SHAPE True twin LENGTHS 149, 152, 155, 158, 160; 154W, 157W, 164W
PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS
PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS
PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS
“Ride a new shape and discover a new mindset,” says K2’s catalogue. Whether this unusually shaped stick will revolutionise your life is debatable, but it may refresh how you see the mountain. Its directional shape, with a deep sidecut, cutaway tail and pointed nose, makes carving fun, and easy — which is unusual for a freestyle stick. The result is a board that feels like a surfboard to turn, while feeling playful for tricks. Fun, playful and easy to carve Comes in only two lengths
The Live has been a key board in Canadian brand Endeavor’s quiver for many years, and is often one of its bestsellers. This year’s model marries the lifted contact points of a combo profile with a true twin shape. This makes it great for riding switch and learning new tricks. New for this season is the ‘channel’ system — previously only used by Burton — which allows the bindings to be mounted anywhere along the channel, rather than at fixed points, and moved as desired. Binding adjustments, to tweak your stance, are easy Not the most at home on rails
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
£440
Pro rider Jake Welch is a new addition to the Ride team, and the Burnout is the first board he has designed for them. The board is an all-rounder — good both on- and off-piste. But it’s most at home on jumps. Ride has packed it with tech that helps it perform in the park, such as carbon rods running through the core, which give it extra pop. Beginners beware — this is a hard-charging freestyle board aimed at intermediate to advanced riders. But if you’re able to throw it around, it’s beautiful. An advanced board built for big jumps With carbon inserts, it’s not one for the faint-hearted
FREESTYLE SNOWBOARDS
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LOBSTER HALLDOR £385 HELGASON PRO MODEL
ARBOR ZYGOTE TWIN
FLEX PROFILE Camber SHAPE True twin LENGTHS 153, 156
FLEX PROFILE Camber SHAPE Directional twin LENGTHS 146, 149, 152, 155, 158
PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS
PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS
Happy-go-lucky Icelandic rider Halldor Helgason is one of snowboarding’s biggest stars. He co-owns Lobster with his brother, and this is his signature board. It features an asymmetric sidecut — meaning the toe and heel edges are slightly different shapes. This is combined with Lobster’s patented ‘triple base’ profile, which lifts the toeside edge slightly, making big tricks even easier (apparently). The most affordable board we tested… … but it comes in just two lengths
£400
The Arbor Zygote is designed to combine the playfulness of a freestyle board with the carving ability of something stiffer. Its narrow waist allows for easy edge switch, while the soft flex makes it great fun in the park. While not shaped like a true twin, the length is the same at the tip and tail, which means it handles like a true twin, is easy to ride switch, and is great for trying freestyle moves on piste.
More choice for high-flying women Women who ride have more choice than ever this season, thanks to an ever-growing number of dedicated female freestyle boards coming on to the market. Women’s boards are following their male counterparts in the trend towards carving-based freestyle boards that perform as well on the piste as they do in the park. And that is great news, because practising new tricks outside the park — away from scarily high kickers and critical eyes — is a far less intimidating experience, than exposing yourself to the full scrutiny of park life.
A great board for practising freestyle tricks Soft flex means strong riders may be disappointed
Boots that help you do up your laces This year’s crop of freestyle snowboard boots sees yet more manufacturers move from traditional tie-ups to speed lacing. Of these, by far the most common is the patented Boa system, which features a small wheel allowing you to both tighten and loosen the boot with a quick twist. Even Burton — the biggest snowboard boot manufacturer — who, until now, resisted using the Boa technology, has introduced it on some of its new models this season, including the Limelight, which is featured here. Meanwhile Nike, one of the biggest advocates of traditional laces, discontinued its entire snowboard boot range last season. Could this be the beginning of the end for the humble boot lace?
Read comprehensive advice on buying boards and boots at skiclub.co.uk/kit
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FREESTYLE SNOWBOARDS
BURTON SOCIALITE £310
CAPITA JESS KIMURA £400
K2 LIMELITE
FLEX PROFILE SHAPE LENGTHS
FLEX PROFILE SHAPE LENGTHS
FLEX PROFILE SHAPE LENGTHS
Flat True twin 138, 142, 147, 151
PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS
Combo True twin 138, 142, 146
With one of the most eye-catching graphics of this winter, this Capita board was designed by one legendary snowboarder, Peter Line, for another, Jess Kimura. And the board’s performance is great. It features a new core type that mixes strips of traditional poplar wood with stiffer maple. This is bolstered by carbon inserts, making it feel snappy and responsive. It holds an edge well on piste, but is better in the park.
Soft flex makes it forgiving on jumps Not aimed at park experts
Made for those who love the park Packed with cool technology, it comes at a price
K2 MAYSIS
Flat True twin 138, 142, 146, 149, 153
PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS
PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS
The Burton Socialite is first and foremost a park board. However, its flat profile means it holds an edge better than specialist rail boards on the market, making it fun to ride on piste too. This is especially the case if you want to practise tricks off small side hits before tackling bigger jumps — and the soft flex makes it feel forgiving. Since its launch last year, it’s been perfected, and is a great intermediate board.
£330
The K2 and the Burton boards are actually very similar when it comes to technical specification and performance. The board has a flat profile and a medium soft flex, making it another great choice if you prefer trying new tricks on piste before taking them to the park. The base is extruded rather than sintered, so it’s not the fastest, but, that said, you’re unlikely to be racing on it. A fun board both on the piste and in the park It’s made for tricks, not for speed
DEELUXE ALPHA
£260
£165
FLEX SIZE 5 to12 LACING SYSTEM Boa
FLEX SIZE 4 to 12 LACING SYSTEM Speed lace
PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS
PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS
This boot pairs well with K2’s Hurrithane binding and its CarveAir board (see before). Its mid-stiff flex gives you the support you need to really lean into your turns, yet it’s not so rigid as to stop you doing tail presses in it. It features a dual Boa system, allowing the cuff and the main boot to be tightened to different degrees.
The Alpha is a classic of the Deeluxe range. It’s a softflexing freestyle boot that’s great on jumps and rails in the park. It’s also a strong performer for cruising on piste. As in previous years, the 2015-16 Alpha features the brand’s speed-lacing system, which tightens and loosens the boots using draw strings and cleats. It’s quick and effective.
BURTON LIMELIGHT £210
RIDE SAGE
FLEX SIZE 4 to 10 LACING SYSTEM Boa
FLEX SIZE LACING SYSTEM
PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS
PISTES POWDER JUMPS RAILS
The Limelight is new to Burton’s range for this winter. It’s a relatively soft model with a forgiving feel that’s designed to make freestyle easy, both in the park and on normal terrain. The boot is an excellent choice for intermediate riders who want to try tricks. The Limelight accompanies Burton’s Stiletto or Scribe bindings well.
Ski+board
£180 4 to 10 Boa
Ride’s Sage is a relatively soft boot, and ideal for those whose preference of snowboard would be one in the freestyle category. The boot offers good support at speed and on medium-sized jumps, but is still forgiving enough should you take a tumble. It’s also possible to adjust the back of the boot cuff for a custom fit.
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
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GEAR
Goggles offer eye popping innovations Some of the most radical changes in the world of ski gear have been in goggles. Alf Alderson tests some of the best This season, Ski+board is testing the efficiency, comfort and practicality of all the accessories we feature on these pages. In subsequent issues we will cover helmets, kit to keep you warm, and avalanche safety gear. But in this issue we look at goggles — a vital piece of kit. After all, you need to see clearly when whizzing downhill. One of the most exciting changes is the number of photochromic lenses coming on to the market. Swapping lenses according to the weather can be a fiddly, time-consuming job, particularly with some brands.
TIP 1 Spherical lenses offer a better field of vision than traditional cylindrical lens. TIP 2 Avoid cleaning the inside more than needed as it eventually rubs away anti-fog coating, and always use the cloth provided. TIP 3 If snow gets inside your goggles, let them dry naturally. Only clean the lens when dry.
However, photochromic lenses do this for you, adjusting automatically to the light, like polarised glasses do. Traditional goggle lenses are categorised from zero to four. The higher the number, the darker the lens. Categories two to three are the best all-rounders, while category four should only be used in the brightest conditions, such as on glaciers. Category one lenses are for white-out days, while category zero is clear for indoor or night skiing. Photochromic lenses tend to cover categories one to two or three.
TIP 4 Most goggles are helmet compatible, but when shopping take your helmet to check the fit.
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
NIKE COMMAND
POC LID
BOLLÉ GRAVITY
£185
£200
£109
The Command’s large fit suits skiers and boarders with a big face (such as this reviewer), and provides excellent peripheral vision. The frame is very flexible, and the foam among the softest of the goggles we tested. It has good breathability, which helps eliminate moisture buildup, preventing fogging. Most excitingly, the Command is one of two models reviewed here which can take photochromic lenses. The Command’s frame is compatible with Nike’s ‘Transitions Adaptive’ lenses which darken or lighten automatically according to the light. Indeed, we recommend the photochromic lens over the changeable lens system, as switching lens can be tricky.
Poc has produced a super-stylish bit of kit, but it comes at a price. The frameless Lid has a super-wide design so you enjoy an excellent field of vision — among the best of the goggles tested. The double lens is changeable, but the goggles do not come with a second lens. Expect to pay about £65 for a spare. Switching lens is fiddly and requires some manipulation. Once in place the fit is millimetre perfect, which, combined with the frameless construction, means there are no areas for snow to get stuck in. Add to that a top-of-the-range anti-fog and scratch treatment, and it takes a lot to make the goggles misty — in fact we couldn’t.
The Gravity’s photochromic lens, in this case Bollé’s established ‘Modulator’, is high performing and will satisfy even the most fussy users. Misting isn’t an issue thanks to two venting systems — Flow-Tech, which optimises air flow over the inside of the lens, and Equalizer, which uses special vents to prevent moisture getting in while allowing it out. Special anti-fog technology disperses water molecules across the lens’s surface, preventing moisture build up. The goggles have a close but comfy fit and suit people who have a medium to large face. They are a good choice if you’re looking for one pair of framed goggles that serve many purposes.
Very comfy goggles for people with larger faces Changing lenses is fiddly
Great looks, comfort and vision Changing lens could be easier; no spare lens
Good photochromic lenses; many lenses available Worth checking fit across the bridge of your nose
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GEAR: GOGGLES
Photo: Melody Sky
A vision of the future?
CÉBÉ ORIGINS
JULBO AEROSPACE
£69
£175-£185
Although they are the least costly goggles we tested, there’s nothing that looks or feels cheap about the Cébé Origins. Despite having a medium frame, the goggles still offer good peripheral vision for slightly larger faces. That said, the Origins claim to be glasses compatible, but when I tried them on, they were too small. The pair we tested came with orange category two lens, designed for partly sunny conditions, and they provide great clarity. The double lens works well to prevent condensation, although it can’t be changed. Despite that limitation the Origins are a well-made pair of goggles that offer good value. Good value with glasses compatibility Lens can’t be changed
The award-winning Aerospace features a ventilation system called SuperFlow, which Julbo created in response to our tendency to sweat buckets as we hike uphill to head off-piste, with the result that our goggles often get misted. The SuperFlow mechanism allows you to pull the lens forward, letting air flow in. Before heading down you simply snap it back. It’s basically easy to use, although a little fiddly with gloves on. It’s also useful on snowy days, stopping the goggles fogging up in clammy cable cars. The goggles have a minimalist frame and a detachable peak to prevent snow getting inside. The foam was among the most comfortable tested. No misting up when hiking for your turns Flicking the lens out regularly will lead to smearing
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
One of the most eye-catching innovations in ski goggles is Heads Up Display (HUD). This is a built-in projector that displays information on the lens of the goggles, including piste maps, speed and altitude. The technology is used in the Oakley Airwave 1.5, pictured below (uk.oakley.com), and the Smith I/O Recon (smithoptics. com), both considered the most technically progressive goggles on the market. Both offer Bluetooth and wi-fi connectivity. The HUD system uses prism technology to display information. The wearer perceives this to be the size of a 14-inch screen that is five feet away, so refocusing the eye is not necessary. The processor used in the Airwave 1.5 is the same as that in the Kindle Fire HD, which produces clear graphics, animations and video streaming. Both Oakley’s and Smith’s HUD systems are manufactured by Canadian company Recon Instruments, and the next generation of the Airwave will be an Apple-registered product and so will be fully supported on iPhones and other Apple devices.
Inevitably HUD goggles are bulkier and heavier than regular goggles, but they do allow for lens changes, and have an excellent field of vision and fit. Of course all this comes at a price — the Oakley Airwave 1.5 retails at £520, and the Smith I/O Recon at £589.
GEAR: GOGGLES
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What happens if I wear glasses? If you wear spectacles you have two options for ski goggles — Over the Glasses (OTG) goggles or optical inserts. Most manufacturers make OTG goggles, while many make ones that can accept an optical insert. OTG goggles have a bigger volume than regular goggles and may have a cutout in the foam to allow for the arms of the glasses. One problem with these is condensation, so it’s worth treating your glasses with an anti-fog treatment to stop them misting up or buy goggles with a battery-powered fan. Optical inserts are glazed with your prescription, then inserted into the frame. James Coakley of prescription eyewear retailer rxsport.co.uk says: “Optical inserts are generally more comfortable and convenient, but it’s all down to personal preference.”
DRAGON X2 SAFETY
SMITH I/O7
£185
£160
Despite the high price, the X2 offers value for money as it comes with three lenses — dark blue, yellow and rose. The goggles are frameless, and the lenses provide optimum peripheral vision as they’re moulded into a semicircle, rather than being dictated by the shape of the frame. Better still is Dragon’s Swiftlock lens changing system. A small switch releases the lens, then you just drop in the replacement, and lock it down again. It is by far the easiest system of all the models we tested. So far about 20 lens are compatible, and a great anti-fog coating prevents misting. The peripheral vision is not quite as good as on the Nike Command, but it is still excellent. Super-easy lens change Peripheral vision is beaten by Nike
A PLACE IN THE SUN
• More than 400 km of ski runs • The highest point in the domain, the summit of the Mont-Fort 3330 m • The legendary Piste de l’Ours, famous for its 30 World Cup ski competitions • 7 marked out and secured freeride zones • Over 100 km of marked winter paths • A wide range of activities & a wellness centre • Comfortable accommodation within all budgets W W W. N E N DA Z . C H - WWW. V EY S O N N A Z . C H
The I/O7 are comfortable, goodlooking goggles with sturdy build quality and excellent field of vision. The foam is snug and the silicone backed strap fits helmets well. They have an interchangeable lens system that Smith claims is “intuitive”, but in practice we found it tricky to get the lens back in, invariably ending up smudging it. It comes with two lenses — one for bright light and the other for low light. They have 5X anti-fog technology, which is Smith’s most effective, and feature its patented Porex lens filter, which aims to prevent the distortion that comes with changing elevation — though how many people notice this marginal effect is debatable. Very comfortable, good looks, well made Changing lenses is fiddly
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Keep steering through the arc to control speed
As you move into the new direction keep feeding pressure on to the inner ski
Start bringing the pole forward to help balance and in readiness to plant
Let your body go with gravity and topple over your skis
Look for an opportunity in the terrain to start the turn
Stay balanced and ready to land and steer through the middle of your feet
Release the edges of both skis to start the turn
TECHNIQUE
The speedy way to learn off-piste The latest freeride skis will help you ski powder better than any number of lessons – that’s what instructor Mark Jones says! Here he explains how to get the best out of them The word ‘freeride’ gets bandied around a lot, but what does it mean? Essentially it’s about fast, free skiing in the back country. It’s about increasing the pace, letting the sidecut of the skis take over and riding according to the
lay of the land, rather than making a series of defensive, short turns at low speeds down the fall-line. In many ways it’s a much more natural way to approach off-piste terrain, allowing you to surf the snow
vanessafry.com
TECHNIQUE: FREERIDE
and the mountain, going with the flow, rather than battling against it. If you can learn to ride in this way it opens up a world of possibilities and feelings, giving you the key to unlock the amazing potential the latest freeride skis offer. But there are a number of things that you need to do to make it happen.
GEAR Using the right pair of skis will make more difference to your performance than any number of lessons you have clocked up. This-cannot be emphasised too strongly. The waist or mid-body of the ski needs to be generous — over 100mm wide — to give good stability, float and ease of turning. A rockered profile, with rising tip and tail, is another must. It will help you make adjustments on the move, initiate turns and not getting tripped up through the arc of the turn.
SPEED
Getting the right speed for the conditions and terrain is crucial. Misjudging their speed is an error most skiers tend to make in this terrain. Set off too fast, and all that speed can make the first turn a braking manoeuvre. Such a sharp movement in turn means too much pressure is exerted on the outer ski, which sinks — setting the skier up nicely to fly over the handlebars. Generally, for wider and lighter skis less speed is required. But if the speed is too slow, it’s harder for the skis to rise up and float in the way they were designed. If the speed is right, you should be able to steer out a smooth curve, maintain a constant speed, feel more balanced and adjust the pressure from outer to inner ski more accurately. Great skiers will often ski powder at a constant speed — whether that’s 15mph or 50mph. Maintaining a constant speed also helps balance, while constant braking and acceleration makes this harder. So when determining whether you have the right speed, ask yourself the following questions: • Am I able to maintain this speed? • Can I steer smooth, round arcs? • Am I fast enough to float on the surface?
PRESSURE When you turn a corner in a car it puts pressure on the outer tyres. It’s the same in skiing — as you turn, the motion puts more pressure on the outer ski. This is good if you’re skiing on piste, as that pressure lets the outer ski bite into the snow, giving more grip. However in softer, deeper snow this causes it to sink, makes it harder to steer, and much harder to balance. Here you have to maintain some pressure on the inside ski as you move through the turn. And the deeper the snow, the more you have to rely on that inner ski. Feel for it as you switch into the new direction and try to stand against it. This will give you two important benefits: • The pressure is distributed more evenly
Ski+board
OCTOBER 2015
between skis so you have a greater chance of floating on the surface • It’s easier to balance, because the outer ski is not going to sink too far and quickly decelerate. Finally, with pressure you need to be sensitive to ‘fore and aft’ balance. Your aim is to stay over the centre of the skis, as this makes them easier to steer, while allowing them to float. It you are too far back you will find it harder to steer. If you are too far forward, you’ll lose the floating characteristics of the ski. So, as you move through the turn, you need to: • Maintain pressure over both skis • Put more pressure on the inner ski if the snow gets deeper • Stay balanced over the middle of the ski
EDGE CHANGING For fast skiing in off-piste conditions you need to rely on the shape of the ski. This means tilting both skis on to their edges and letting them follow their natural arc. The more you tilt them, the greater the edge angle and the tighter the arc, making it easier to control the speed. If you’re moving at speed and coming out of a turn it’s important to make a smooth transition into the next one. The first thing to do is let go of the old turn. This is crucial. The trigger for this is a release of both edges of the skis, which you make happen by flattening the skis and rolling on to the new edge. Once you have released the pressure your body will naturally start to topple over your skis and you can prepare to start the new turn. At this point it’s worth using the terrain and snow conditions to your advantage. If you can release the old turn on a roller or bump there will be less resistance to turning. So, key actions for edging are: • To start a new turn, let go of the old one by releasing the edges • Tilt both skis on to the edge to create the turn • Go for maximum edge angle to make a tighter arc • Use the bumps and rollers in the terrain to make a weightless edge change. Once you’ve mastered these you should be ready to take on the backcountry... Read more of Mark Jones’s ski tips at skiclub.co.uk/skitechnique
Mark Jones is director of ICE (icesi.org), a training centre for aspiring skiers and instructors in Val d’Isère, France. He is also a trainer and assessor for Basi and has been in the British demo team at the industry-leading annual Interski Congress four times.
skiclub.co.uk
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SKI CLUB PROMOTION
You love snow We love snow Maybe it’s time to spread some of that love? As a Ski Club member you’ll already know about all the fantastic things that the UK’s largest snowsports club has to offer. So why not get all evangelical and bring your friends and family into the Ski Club fold? We’ve got a couple of great ways for you to introduce new members to the Club and help even more people discover a world of snow.
INTRODUCE A FRIEND Photo: Völkl
Anyone who loves skiing or snowboarding is always keen to share that passion with others. With that in mind, we run a Refer a Friend scheme as a thank you for introducing new members to the Ski Club. Introduce a new member to the Club, and you’ll both receive a £10 Ellis Brigham voucher when they join. Tell them to quote REFER and your membership number when taking out a standard membership (eg. REFER123456) online or by phone. There are no limits to the number of people you can refer – the more members you make, the more you’ll get to spend! Offer only applies to brand new members signing up with a Direct Debit, and only to Ski Club Standard Individual and Family memberships. Not applicable to Beginner, Ski Club Platinum or Under 24 memberships of any type.
GIFT MEMBERSHIP Make a snow-lover happy with a Ski Club Gift Membership
Membership Prices 2015-16
Ski Club membership is the perfect present for all skiers and snowboarders - whether they're just starting out or seasoned experts. They'll enjoy everything that membership has to offer, including our renowned Ski Club Leader service, Freshtracks holidays, access to detailed snow and weather reports, a subscription to Ski+board magazine and of course tons of amazing discounts. Buy someone a gift membership at skiclub.co.uk/join
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TECHNIQUE: OFF-PISTE SAFETY
87
An avalanche of info A mass of advice is available to off-piste skiers… if they know where to look and how to use it, says Nigel Shepherd Last season, 135 people died in avalanches in the Alps and Pyrenees. A few of them may have been foolhardy or poorly equipped, but the broader picture lies in the overall snow stability and how the snowpack develops. If you go off-piste you should know how resorts indicate avalanche risk. A yellow flag indicates levels one and two, low and limited risk. A chequered flag indicates three and four, medium and high risk, and a black flag, five, very high risk. These are flown at the base and often at piste security cabins on the mountain. Electronic signs may also give the wind speed, direction and amount of fresh snowfall. This gives a simple overview, but more detail must be gleaned from other sources. Throughout the winter avalanche bulletins are issued by agencies such as Météo France and Switzerland’s SLF. These can be accessed via an umbrella site such as avalanches.org/eaws. Only in a few ‘prime’ off-piste ski areas will a printout of the avalanche bulletin appear at access points to the mountain. The bulletins are detailed, not just giving info on weather forecasts, but an overview of the snowpack, highlighting where instabilities lie. This is vital to the backcountry rider, who will want to follow the way snow falls and develops especially from autumn to mid-February.
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.
Websites such as avalanches.org/eaws offer a far greater level of detail than the notices at the bottom of pistes
Lean snowfall early on tends to lead to a complex snowpack, especially if the lean period lasts weeks or, as with last winter, nearly two months. The longer a shallow snowpack persists during the coldest months, the more problematic it will be in the long term. Extreme cold penetrates the snow to react with the relative warmth of the ground. Vapour is formed and this attaches itself to the snow crystals, freezing and causing them to grow and separate from each other. The cup shaped crystals formed (also known as depth hoar) are fragile, do not bond together and create an unstable layer in the snowpack. It’s not uncommon in areas out of the sun for the entire snowpack to become depth hoar. When new snow falls, the layer is shrouded and can be very dangerous. On piste this is not an issue. Pisteurs will go out early to trigger avalanches above marked runs by dropping explosive charges on suspect slopes. Another method is Cattex. You may notice lines looking like drag lifts in odd places across the mountain. These wires are used to drop charges into the ideal position. An alternative remote-controlled method that is increasingly common is Gasex. Curved tubes sprouting from the mountain are filled with propane and this is ignited, creating a huge pressure wave directed on to historically vulnerable slopes below.
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However, if you venture beyond the controlled areas of a ski resort no such luxuries exist and this is why you need to delve into the development of the snowpack, rather than just look for a particular coloured flag. The alternative is to dig into the snow and evaluate the layers on every aspect of slope you ride, which is hardly practical. But if you have a mental picture of changes to the snowpack over a long period and are armed with the latest information from experts this will help you know where it is safer to go. More importantly, this knowledge needs to be backed up by experience, and experience is gained more slowly than knowledge. I would suggest that in the first instance you get into the habit of quizzing more experienced skiers and boarders — be they instructors, guides or ski patrollers — what their assessment is of the risk of each situation, compare it with the data you have gleaned online, and that way build up a picture of how you can use this information. Even then, the science of snow is far from exact, which is why even experienced riders get caught out. In the next issue, I will outline how to deal with ‘the wrong kind of snow’ — how to manage avalanche terrain. Read comprehensive weather reports at skiclub.co.uk/snowreports
88
FITNESS
Everyday ways to get ski fit Autumn is the perfect time to start your exercise regime, says Craig McLean Now is the time to get fit for a ski holiday. So in this issue we take a range of everyday cardiovascular exercises and tailor them to make them suitable for a skier’s pre-season build-up. As a rule you should start exercising at least twice a week three months before departure. This will ensure you don’t overdo it on the slopes. In coming issues we will focus on exercises to build strength in specific parts of your body, which will be helpful if you suffer from a weak back, knees or a lack of flexibility.
Craig McLean is a chiropractor and fitness expert. He has worked in the ski industry for over 15 years, helping exOlympians Konrad Bartelski and Graham Bell, and consulting for the Warren Smith Ski Academy
1 Walking and lunges
2 Stepping up a level
A. Walking is a great lowimpact way to get your body moving. As a nation we are becoming more sedentary, so ideally head outdoors for 30 minutes’ exercise a day.
A. Stairs are a great way to work skiing muscles. If you work in an office, eschew the lift to take the stairs. Otherwise find a set of steps and do some stair repeats.
B. Lunges can be added to your walk by taking longer strides. Bend on to the front knee, making a 90-degree angle. Do 20 in a row (ten each side) and repeat three to five times.
B. To increase the exercise and work-out, try tackling two steps at a time. Repeat this — up and down the stairs, one minute on, one off — ten times. Hold the handrail for stability.
C. Ski poles or walking poles are a great way to get your upper body involved and allow you to walk with confidence if your balance is poor. Reach out your arm as you walk.
C. Try three steps at a time if you are feeling fit. This increases the workout of your quads and gluteus muscles — both important muscles for skiing or snowboarding.
You’re doing it wrong if... you are slouched. Stand tall, open your chest, lift your chin and take big breaths. Poor posture walking breeds poor stance on the slopes.
You’re doing it wrong if... you bend the top knee past 90 degrees. Think of your posture and don’t overexert yourself. Stick to two steps at a time if three is uncomfortable.
Myth buster
Expectant mothers should avoid skiing when pregnant… or should they?
It’s a debate that has long raged with expectant mothers who love skiing. Is skiing with a bump a bad idea? Unsurprisingly, the answer varies depending on which trimester of pregnancy you are in, and how good a skier you are.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists advises against sports where there is a risk of falling, as this could cause trauma to the foetus. However, many women choose to carry on skiing for the first trimester,
making sure they stay within their limits. If you choose to do this, it’s vital that you maintain a good level of hydration, and take plenty of rest — including longer lunches — to ensure you avoid exhaustion.
89
FITNESS
3 On your bike A. Cycling is an excellent way to strengthen your skiing muscles away from the snow. Do it for 20 to 30 minutes, split in thirds.
B. To increase the upper body workout, get out of the saddle. Go hard for one minute, then steady for another, repeating this ten times. Keep your head facing forwards, not down.
C. To increase the workout, use the standing position to stretch the calf muscles as you pedal. This increases ankle flexibility, which is vital for skiing and snowboarding.
You’re doing it wrong if... the seat is at the wrong height. Your leg should be nearly straight when the pedal is at its lowest. Keep your back straight, especially when standing.
4 Rowing, but in the gym
5 Low strain cross train
A. Rowing is another cardiovascular exercise that |uses similar muscles to skiing, and is great for the legs, lower back and core if you focus on technique.
A. Using a cross trainer is a great way to exercise, and puts little strain on your hips or knees — useful if you are recovering from an injury. Start on a low level for five to ten minutes.
B. Break the work-out into thirds: warm-up, the middle interval (hard for a minute, steady for another, repeating ten times) and cool down. Or do 500m at a time.
B. You can get your heart pumping hard with the right program. As your fitness improves, increase the level — pedalling against a heavier weight — and time on the machine.
C. Extend the range of movement by fully using your arms. Keep your back upright and, on each extension, lean back enough to feel it in your abdominal muscles.
C. For a workout that concentrates solely on your skiing muscles, avoid using your arms. But, don’t let them dangle. Hold the middle of the machine and focus on your leg work.
You’re doing it wrong if... you shoot your bottom out and lean forward. This bends your back, putting too much stress on your lower spine. Keep your body upright and strong.
You’re doing it wrong if... you’re looking down. A stooped posture is bad for your back and neck. While working out, stand upright and think of reproducing your skiing position.
Dr Eleanor Tillett, honorary consultant at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, says: “Some women may choose to ski during their pregnancies, and their risk of falling will be less if they are experienced skiers,
stay well within their capabilities, and don’t ski if tired. However, a significant risk will remain to both foetus and woman should she fall.” It is therefore best to avoid busy areas and tricky pistes, if only to lessen
Ski+board
the risk of another skier colliding with you. There are alternatives for those who don’t wish to miss out on a holiday in the mountains. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are both low-risk pursuits that can be enjoyed in all of the
OCTOBER 2015
skiclub.co.uk
nine months of pregnancy. Whatever you decide, precaution must be taken on the slopes. As Dr Tillett says: “Accepting this risk is a decision for each individual woman and their medical team.”
Clare Kelly
90
RESORT INSIDER
The early bird catches the snow Desperate to get a snow fix before Christmas? You can, but pick carefully for the biggest network of crisp corduroy WRITERS Abigail Butcher, Ben Clatworthy, Arnie Wilson STATS Chris Madoc-Jones
Last season started badly. The vivid pictures of brown slopes in the Alps, taken days before Christmas, remain etched in the minds of skiers. Particularly for those who booked low-altitude resorts in early December, only to find them bereft of snow. But one bad beginning shouldn’t put you off an early season ski. After all, there have been several great starts in recent years. What it should do, however, is remind you that choosing the right resort is vital when
booking a pre-Christmas break. Resorts with a glacier are a failsafe option, with many opening their lifts at weekends as early as October. But it’s not just altitude that must be considered. For example, although Austrian resorts are often lower than their French and Swiss counterparts, many have invested heavily in snowmaking equipment in the past decade. Here we pick some standout destinations that are safe for a quick break before the season gets going.
Obertauern Blessed by a snowy microclimate at the head of a pass
Photo: Obertauern
WHY THERE? Obertauern may not be the most attractive resort, but thanks to its situation at the head of the Tauern pass, it effectively sits in a huge ‘snow bowl’. Not only does this provide good, reliable snow in the main season, but it also allows the resort to open longer than most Austrian ski areas without a glacier. Fifty years ago, in 1965, Obertauern
was used as the set of The Beatles film Help! It was a particularly bad snow year across the Alps, and the Austrian resort was chosen because it was one of few places with good snowfall. Obertauern offers a fair amount of ski-in, ski-out accommodation and it’s possible to ski a full circular route around the resort — with a little help from bridges over the roads — either clockwise or anticlockwise. Many of the slopes, particularly in the Gamsleitenspitze, Seekarspitze and Hundskogel sectors, are well over 2,000m, and therefore above the treeline. This is great for snow, but offers little shelter from the elements in bad weather. Obertauern is due to open its slopes on November 27. CAN’T SKI, WON’T SKI There is a sports centre with tennis courts, and also a bowling alley. There are four miles of toboggan tracks, winter hiking trails, ice-skating, and some hotel pools are open to non-residents. Salzburg is less than 90 minutes away. AW Most of the slopes are above 2,000m There’s limited shelter above the treeline
PISTES Our pie 22% charts show how 15% resorts grade 30% 33% pistes according to difficulty, showing what percentage are black, red, blue or green (but Austrian, Swiss and some Italian areas don’t have green runs). SLOPES We list the combined length of all the resort’s pistes, as claimed by the tourist office. If the resort is part of a linked ski area we list the total of the whole area. LIFT PASS Prices are for a six-day adult pass during high season.
WHAT WE THINK Snow Lifts Lack of queues Restaurants Mountain food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste Lift pass £160 Lifts 26 Pistes 100km Piste height 1,630m–2,315m
4%
35% 61%
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Photo: B.Longo
RESORT INSIDER
Les Deux Alpes The gentle glacier runs make it an intermediates’ ideal WHY THERE? This purpose-built French ski resort may lack charm, but if you’re looking for an early, snow-sure ski holiday, then it’s a fail-safe destination. The glacier — used by some of the world’s best skiers for summer training — sits on a plateau, and is home to some of the resort’s more gentle runs, while those at lower altitudes are generally the more
Cervinia Italy’s highest resort, sitting in the shadow of the Matterhorn WHY THERE? At the head of a long valley in the Aosta region, Cervinia shares the Matterhorn glacier with Zermatt. With a base at 2,050m and a top station at 3,820m, Cervinia offers the highest skiing in Italy, and is home to one of the longest runs in Europe, Ventina, at 11.5km. Despite these credentials, there is not much for experts, but if you’re after long reds and cruisy blues, you will struggle to do much better before the main season gets underway. And this being Italy, the food is delicious and reasonably priced. On the mountain the choice of restaurants is good, but it helps to do a bit of research beforehand on where to go, because, although the location of restaurants are marked on the piste map, they are unnamed. In the pipeline are plans to link
challenging. Such unusual topography makes Les Deux Alpes one of the best resorts for intermediates looking for a pre-Christmas skiing holiday. And this winter it’s got better, thanks to a €10 million project to create a blue run back to the resort. Previously, most early intermediates were forced to take the gondola down after a day’s skiing on the glacier to avoid the steeper runs. Now skiing home will be possible for those still mastering their turns. The glacier is set to open in time for October half-term, while the main area is scheduled to open on December 5. CAN’T SKI, WON’T SKI Options for nonskiers are limited in the resort. The traditional village of Venosc is a short gondola ride away, while there are plenty of Alpine walks. There’s also an aqua centre with a steam room, hot tub and sauna. The resort’s outdoor pool is free for those with a six-day lift pass. Non-skiers should also visit the ice cave on the glacier. BC
WHAT WE THINK Snow Lifts Lack of queues Restaurants Mountain food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste Lift pass £174 Lifts 47 Pistes 220km Piste height 1,300m–3,570m
12%
18%
21% 49%
Fail-safe snow thanks to the glacier Limited advanced terrain at altitude
Cervinia with the Monte Rosa area, and the campaign is slowly gaining momentum, but as yet there is no concrete start date. Cervinia is due to open on October 31. CAN’T SKI, WON’T SKI There’s a fitness centre and ice rink, but if you want to swim, stay at a hotel with a pool. Exercise done, Cervinia boasts more than 50 restaurants in which to indulge your senses, before whiling away some time browsing the quaint shops in the village. AB Italy’s highest skiing and linked to Zermatt Little true expert terrain on the Italian side
WHAT WE THINK Snow Lifts Lack of queues Restaurants Mountain food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste Lift pass £232 Lifts 54 Pistes 360km Piste height 1,525m–3,820m
17%
22%
61%
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OCTOBER 2015
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RESORT INSIDER
92
Verbier Chic, snowsure, and often opens early for weekends WHY THERE? Gone are the days of Verbier offering summer skiing. But with terrain and off-piste that reaches 3,330m at Mont-Fort, the pistes are high enough to attract good snow even in disappointing years. In lower sectors, snowmaking has been vastly improved of late, though homeward runs — many of which are south or west facing — can still be a bit sketchy early and late in the season. The satellite resort of Bruson, across the valley, is now much more accessible thanks to a new gondola that opened last season. It’s a little gem in the big ‘Four Valleys’ area, and thanks to its north-east facing slopes, the resort almost always has reliable, good-quality snow. Another bonus is the willingness of Verbier’s lift company, Téléverbier, to open at weekends when the snow
falls early. This adaptability means it is not unknown for the resort’s primary lifts to be turning early in November. However, it’s worth remembering the age-old adage: snow in November doesn’t always mean snow in December. Verbier is scheduled to open fully on November 28. CAN’T SKI, WON’T SKI The sports centre has a swimming pool, spa, squash courts and an indoor climbing wall. Dog sledding is available between Les Ruinettes and La Chaux. AW Some of the best off-piste in Europe Homebound runs can suffer from sun exposure
WHAT WE THINK Snow Lifts Lack of queues Restaurants Mountain food Charisma Ski schools Low budget Off-piste Lift pass £239 Lifts 34 Pistes 195km Piste height 1,500m–3,330m
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95
Cryptic crossword
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Expert
By Myles Mellor
Are you a puzzles junkie? Or perhaps you just have some time to kill at the airport? Either way you can try your hand at one of our ski-themed crosswords. Dab hands can try the cryptic crossword here, but should avoiding turning the page as, overleaf, the same crossword appears with less daunting clues. The solution will be in the next issue of Ski+board. ACROSS 1. Wry hemp might get twisted for noted climber (7) 5. He wouldn’t ski on a halfpipe, but he might be seen with a pipe (7) 9. Pig loose, surrounds an icy dwelling (5) 10. Kitchen tool, cut up, gets scrumpy (5) 11. ‘Shameless’ character’s first name or 1,000 electron volts, for short (3) 12. Fitness education is best in abbreviated form (2) 13. Doing so turns the concept of tea around (3) 14. Carves to, unravels into familiar winter weather description (8) 16. How to end a letter without ending (2) 17. Record for a fire? (3) 18. Alpine yodeler wanders in a confused fashion (7) 21. Pools and jets set locale (3) 23. It marks the spot sometimes (2) 24. Redo Anne mix for style of backcountry skiing (8) 26. Pet location reversed for friend (3) 28. Guy reversed — what? (2) 29. Bred hot! Changing into Australian ski resort (7) 30. Loch that ends like a nut? (6) 32. Word in a Billy Paul title. It’s not by Tom Jones! (3) 33. Deer rife! Must be changed for off-piste skiing (8) 36. Excited gestures conceal skis in a certain way (5) 38. Acts now to become winter vehicle (7) 39. Love is like this (4) DOWN 1. Wet hair! Wet! flows into torrent to navigate (10) 2. Santa’s season might turn up in a yeti duel (8) 3. Look into cup, hot or cold, to get a snap (5) 4. Heavy metal fans may be confused with ski term (7)
Advertise in Ski+board – the UK’s only ABC audited ski magazine See skiclub.co.uk/advertise, or contact Jack Daly at Madison Bell on 020 7389 0859 Overseas advertisers contact Martina Diez-Routh on +44 (0) 7508 382 781 or martina.diezrouth@skiclub.co.uk
5. It’s cued for a curve in the side of a ski (7) 6. It might catch a crab (3) 7. MC uses one to announce man’s first name? (4) 8. Scotland’s big Ben (5) 12. It’s at the end of a page — inside letters up to no good? (3) 15. Wolves lope to conceal gradient (5) 19. Ed and Eva join up to run away (5) 20. “We’re tired of you” comment (2,4) 21. Closes an envelope for some mammals (5) 22. Id gels into travels on snow (6) 25. Blondie singer should have been new girl at Queen’s court (3) 26. Farm equipment when linked with snow, puts brakes on (7) 27. Après-ski toast brings winter bonhommie (6) 31. Something not quite right about leaving the piste (3) 34. Eeyore’s friend sounds note of regret (3) 35. Month for Santa, snow, when days are… short (3) 36. Knack for music? (3) 37. Sounds more impressive than metres, but far more short (2)
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97
Easy crossword
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Expert
By Myles Mellor
ACROSS 1. First man to scale Matterhorn (7) 5. He often has a pipe and a carrot (7) 9. Ice house (5) 10. Good winter drink when mulled (5) 11. One thousand electron volts, for short (3) 12. Fitness education, for short (2) 13. Have a snack (3) 14. Covered with clouds (8) 16. “___, I love you” — Beatles song (2) 17. It burns in a winter fire (3) 18. Star of famous movie set in the Austrian Alps (7) 21. Facility with a jacuzzi (3) 23. Former (2) 24. Style of backcountry skiing (8) 26. Ron to Harry Potter, for instance (3) 28. What? (2) 29. Noted Australian ski resort (7) 30. Famous Scottish loch (6) 32. “___ Jones” — song by Billy Paul (3) 33. Off-piste skiing (8) 36. Pushes the skis into the snow (5) 38. Car on skis (7) 39. English Paralympian, Sean ___ (4) DOWN 1. Kind of rafting (10) 2. Christmas time (8) 3. It’s often snapped on a trip (5) 4. Upward bends of ski tips (7) 5. Curve in the side of a ski (7) 6. Scull (3) 7. He competed for Great Britain in six Winter Games, ___ Dixon (4) 8. Ben ___, UK’s highest mountain (5) 12. Instruction at bottom of page, abbr. (3) 15. ___-style course (5) 19. Get out of the way of a course hazard (5) 20. Return from holiday (2,4) 21. Marine carnivores seen all-year round on the Cornish coast (5) 22. Travels on snow (6) 25. New girl at the Queen’s court, for short (3) 26. Snow_____ — braking manoeuvres (7) 27. Après-ski toasting word (6) 31. ___-piste, away from prepared ski runs (3) 34. AA Milne character (3) 35. Winter month, abbr. (3) 36. Knack for music (3) 37. Length measurement, abbr. (2)
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98
In your next issue…
Female mountain guides face their toughest test We talk to two women guides to find out the challenges of working abroad in an overwhelmingly male profession
Speeding around Sun Peaks The newly expanded resort of Sun Peaks is now Canada’s second largest ski area… and is one of few places where you can try speed skiing
The all-mountain issue We name the top performers in the most popular ski category. Plus allmountain boots and boards, and this season’s colours revealed in snow wear You can read back issues of Ski+board online at issuu.com/skiclub
Dates for your diary October 15
October 30 – November 1
November 13
The Clapham Grand, London See this season’s best ski films on the big screen and meet some of the world’s top winter sports athletes.
EventCity, Manchester Now in its third year, the North’s ski show returns with stands aplenty. The Ski Club is at C14. 10am-5pm; £12, Ski Club members get two-for-one tickets.
The Ham Yard Theatre, London An exclusive screening of Matchstick Productions’ latest ski movie. £18.50 in advance; Ski Club members £16.65.
November 5 – November 8
November 14
October 15
Ski Club Leaders’ Alumni Buffet Supper The White House, Wimbledon, London Leaders past and present are invited to share stories over an informal dinner. 6.30pm; £20 in advance.
Ski & Snowboard Show North
Ski & Snowboard Show London
Freeze Big Air
Battersea Evolution, London
October 19 – February 28, 2016
Ortovox Avalanche Awareness Tour
Various venues, nationwide Anyone heading off-piste should know how to avoid an avalanche. The Ortovox Avalanche Awareness Tour, delivered by Henry’s Avalanche Talk, has dates nationwide this autumn. £12.50 online in advance, and £9.50 for members. Full information can be found at bit.ly/avalanchetalks.
Fade to Winter UK film premiere
Photo: David Samuel
International Freeski Film Festival
The UK’s biggest ski show has a new home at Battersea Park’s Evolution Centre, near the iconic power station (pictured), with the usual mix of retailers, resorts, tour operators — and the Ski Club at stand 205. Times vary; £25, Ski Club members get £5 discount on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London Sixty of the world’s top snowboarders and skiers descend on the capital to perform amazing tricks. November 19
Ski Club Annual General Meeting The White House, Wimbledon, London Members can have their say at the yearly meeting of the Ski Club of Great Britain. 7pm; free. For more details visit skiclub.co.uk/ eventcalendar or call 020 8410 2015. Ski Club members often get preferential rates or can register free for listed events
FROM THE CREATORS OF BOARDMASTERS
BRITAIN’S BIGGEST EVER SNOWSPORTS AND MUSIC EVENT
J EN N Y J O N ES: O FF I C I A L E V E N T A M B AS SA DO R P R E S E N T S
QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK
LON DON | 14.11.2015 L I V E M USI C T H R OU G H O U T T H E DAY H E A D LINE AC TS TO B E AN N O U N C E D OFF T HE M OU N TAI N - AP RES -S KI B A R S HO STED B Y R ESIDENT DJ’S | A L L THE L ATE ST G E A R F RO M T H E N EW ES T H OT TEST B R A NDS | A L PINE R ESTAUR A NTS A ND CHE F S.
EARLY BI R D T I C K E T S O N SA L E NOW AT F R EEZEB I G A I R . COM / / #R I DEI N TOWINTER
STORES NATIONWIDE | COTSWOLDOUTDOOR.COM *Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. Only valid upon production of your Ski Club GB membership card in store or use of discount code online. Offer expires 31.12.15.