Skiing

If you have tech compatible boots and touring specific skis i really can't see the point in the freeride pros. I absolutely hated them when I used them on a pair of demo skis. A combination of the high stack and the heelpiece just not matching the curve of my boot just didn't instil any confidence. Most tech bindings now come with a guide to get your toe placement right, so it's much easier to get in securely.

I'm not having a go, but I just can't really get into the mindset that buys gear like that for a first pair of skis tbh. Like the videos of "british backcountry skiing" where folk snowplough down a 100m strip of rock strewn snow amongst the heather. Give me hours of vertical descent any day.

If you're not an expert, wouldn't you be better off getting better on piste, then off piste, before buying touring gear and worrying about weight savings that "should" be made?

That's a fair comment. I'm not absolutely new to skiing though. While no speed demon on the blacks, I'm competent at bashing around anything on the pisted sections of a resort and even on whatever alpine skis I rent venture away from the groomed areas onto the verges, the snow fields that sit between runs, the ungroomed runs and even into the woods if conditions seem pretty good. Of course the problem comes when the terrain turns pan flat or uphill. It's either some ungainly skating or skis off, buckles undone and the long, arduous trudge to the next bit I can ride down.

And we've taken to Austria for our preferred destination for ski holidays. There are often a fair few ski trekking trails marked out which my wife will take a day or so to explore. She always seems to enjoy herself and find interesting little spots away from the masses. It's not just off "piste stuff" in the usual sense.

You don't need to be an expert skier to get around these trails or do some of the lighter exploration or even go on a hut hike. However, you do need different equipment. I could have rented the whole set up first but I reckon it's worth a punt for me. I could just get a set of alpine skis, but I'd just be doing more of what I already do. I feel like I'm ready to do a bit more. There's only so much getting better on piste can do for you and I'd only want to get better for racing, which I don't want to do.

Going skiing with the SO in Jan. Not ski'd for nearly 10 years. Will I have lost all my mad skills? I was rolling down blacks when I was 15, don't want to look like a muppet in front of her. She says she's not a great skier but she went to private school so >>>

You'll probably pick it up again pretty quickly. I hadn't skied in almost 20 years when my wife got me back on the planks. It didn't take me too long. Perhaps a refresher lesson over here and another on your first day in the resort to remind you of the good habits.

I had 6 years off until last season and was expecting to be mega shite. Turns out after an hour or so and throwing myself down a few reds it was natural as ever.

Has anyone here been to Fiss in Austria?

The reports for it are pretty good but it doesn't seem to be a place that British companies go to. I'm hoping to find recommendations for accomodation.

I hadn't skied in almost 20 years

Similar for me. Took to carvers with no problems (especially when you learn to carve with them) and was soon smashing myself down reds/blacks with gay abandon.

Got fitted for my first boots today, Tecnica Conchise 110 fit perfectly

and i finally got lucky, they scanned at £218. the guy even tried his hardest to correct it but nope! steal for me

broke a pair of skis yesterday :( 2010 elan mag 72's which were perfect, luckily it was my last day but still annoyed. New ski time !

Looks like its finally started snowing in the Alps..

Fingers crossed.. Two weeks to go

It has - it snowed steadily in Grimentz on Saturday and Saturday night. Not much, but at the moment every little helps, because there was an awful lot of green around on Saturday morning.

Is Chamonix any good? We've booked there for late March, on the basis that it seems close enough to drive and bring the dogs.

Chamonix is great, particularly if you have your own car so you can get to places like Argentiere. Otherwise it tends to involve quite a lot of buses. And of course if you're in Chamonix, you can do the Vallee Blanche, which is a must do.

Chamonix is bloody amazing. I went there for the first time in 25 odd years of skiing last year - can't believe I left it that long. Great skiing, proper alpinist culture/history and a beautiful town to stay in.

The only slight downside (as @danstuff mentions) is that it's not too well connected up as a resort, but it generally just means picking one area to ski in a day.

Desperately wanted to do the Vallee Blanche but the snow coverage was poor when I was there and one of the guys I was with broke his wrist the day before we were planning to go.

shot in the dark here but has anyone skied on K2 Shreditor 102's by any chance?

On my way to try skiing, having never ski'd before. What should I know?

Lean. Two full seasons no snow for me. To think- 5 years ago I had such luck...
Fuck this. I'm becoming a ski bum.

Lean? Are you insane!

Keep your weight forwards. The temptation is to lean backwards, and this is bad. Lean forwards. Keep your knees bent, and push down on the outside leg to initiate and complete a turn. That is all.

And keep turning. The temptation is to panic a bit when heading straight down hill, thereby stopping the turn, accelerating and falling over. Keep turning past the fall line, and if you want to almost through to heading back uphill. This then controls your speed nicely.

Much better to control speed by line than by constantly slipping sideways.

Oh and hit every jump you can, power the moguls and always try to look cool.

Two or three days ski school on idiot hill until you can snowplough.

That was in the early nineties in Wengen and you are probably a natural talent.

Hals und Beinbruch!