off/piste courses or clinics

I'm keen to do some sort of course or clinic in off-piste snowboarding
this Winter. I like the sound of, and have heard good things about, the
Jackson Hole "Steep and Deep" snowboard camp. I'm really looking
for something in Europe though. I don't care about the country or
resort, but I only want to go somewhere with sufficiently interesting
terrain (Chamonix, Verbier, etc).

Any suggestions or recommendations from anyone who has done such a
course, or even knows about one?

Thanks,

Tim Docker

On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 20:05:13 GMT, Tim Docker
allegedly wrote:

Any suggestions or recommendations from anyone who has done such a
course, or even knows about one?

You could benefit from starting off with an avalanche awareness course
run by people like Facewest in the UK. They do weekend courses in North
Wales, and the people I know who've done them rate them highly.

Full on courses are available from McNab as the other poster mentioned.
I've done their backcountry stuff and the Mt Blanc descent (report on my
website linked below). As well as his other stuff, McNab is now a
qualified mountain guide with the French authorities, which is not an
easy thing to attain. He also hires some top guides in Chamonix, so the
training you receive will be good.

To ride the backcountry safely you need avalanche training, and training
eats into your riding time. You've got to put the time in to get the
goods out. The early courses will be teaching you stuff, so don't
expect to be riding all the time. The more you learn though, the
further away you can get from the pistes.

I'd recommend McNab courses, and would certainly go out there again.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow -
Securing your e-mail

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://rssFAQ.org/

g wrote:

McNab Mountain Sports - www.mcnab.co.uk - based in Chamonix run
exactly the course you describe. Run by pro (and ultra smooth and fast
freerider Neil McNab and supported by a host of experienced mountain guides
they do technique, backcountry and the kommunity camps.

....snip...

I've heard plenty of good things about all the courses and camps (that and my
experience on the clinic are why I'm planning on attending a backcountry course).

Just what I was looking for. Top marks for their tidy website. I spent
way too long with google trying to track this kind of thing down.

Thanks for the pointer.

Tim

read your Mnt Blanc descent and it sounded amazing! don't think i'm quite
ready for that yet though ...

one question, relating to the recent stance thread ... you said after your
last day just freeriding with McNab himself, everyone had adjusted their
binding angles. did he give you specific figures to go by or was it more
how to figure out what was right for yourself?

thanks,

c



"Switters" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 20:05:13 GMT, Tim Docker
allegedly wrote:

Any suggestions or recommendations from anyone who has done such a
course, or even knows about one?

You could benefit from starting off with an avalanche awareness course
run by people like Facewest in the UK. They do weekend courses in North
Wales, and the people I know who've done them rate them highly.

Full on courses are available from McNab as the other poster mentioned.
I've done their backcountry stuff and the Mt Blanc descent (report on my
website linked below). As well as his other stuff, McNab is now a
qualified mountain guide with the French authorities, which is not an
easy thing to attain. He also hires some top guides in Chamonix, so the
training you receive will be good.

To ride the backcountry safely you need avalanche training, and training
eats into your riding time. You've got to put the time in to get the
goods out. The early courses will be teaching you stuff, so don't
expect to be riding all the time. The more you learn though, the
further away you can get from the pistes.

I'd recommend McNab courses, and would certainly go out there again.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow -
Securing your e-mail

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://rssFAQ.org/

On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 11:09:28 GMT, "copek"
allegedly wrote:

read your Mnt Blanc descent and it sounded amazing! don't think i'm
quite ready for that yet though ...

It was indeed amazing.

one question, relating to the recent stance thread ... you said after
your last day just freeriding with McNab himself, everyone had
adjusted their binding angles. did he give you specific figures to go
by or was it more how to figure out what was right for yourself?

Sort of. He made suggestions based upon the stance angles and widths
that people were using over the week, and in most (if not all) cases
suggested just trying with a wider degree of separation.

Not forgetting though that we were there freeriding in the backcountry
and not on a technical clinic. The advice obtained was from a couple of
guys who asked some questions in that area. I think the full benefit
really comes from going on one of his technical clinic courses.

For myself, I rode with 24/9 which I've been using for a few years now.
Listening to what he said to the other guys, and given that it was
lunchtime on the last day, I had nothing to lose from changing my back
foot. I think the recommendation from McNab for myself was to have 30
degrees of separation so I switched to -6 on the back, and didn't notice
any adverse problems. Although... I wasn't landing 360s like I normally
do, but I think that was more to do with the camera being pointed at me,
and my fatigue/hangover. When the camera was put away, the landings
came back!

Subsequent to that, I had a few hours at the snowdome in the summer. I
stuck with 24/-6 and it felt better.

I would have to stress, as McNab did, that it's not just about angles.
It isn't a magic cure for riding problems, and needs to be used in
conjunction with other factors such as (but not limited to) stance width
and riding style. Fortunately the way I ride is close enough to what
McNab teaches, so that it worked for me. Your mileage may vary.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow -
Securing your e-mail

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://rssFAQ.org/

thanks switters ... food for thought. am definitely considering his
technical clinics.

C

"Switters" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 11:09:28 GMT, "copek"
allegedly wrote:

read your Mnt Blanc descent and it sounded amazing! don't think i'm
quite ready for that yet though ...

It was indeed amazing.

one question, relating to the recent stance thread ... you said after
your last day just freeriding with McNab himself, everyone had
adjusted their binding angles. did he give you specific figures to go
by or was it more how to figure out what was right for yourself?

Sort of. He made suggestions based upon the stance angles and widths
that people were using over the week, and in most (if not all) cases
suggested just trying with a wider degree of separation.

Not forgetting though that we were there freeriding in the backcountry
and not on a technical clinic. The advice obtained was from a couple of
guys who asked some questions in that area. I think the full benefit
really comes from going on one of his technical clinic courses.

For myself, I rode with 24/9 which I've been using for a few years now.
Listening to what he said to the other guys, and given that it was
lunchtime on the last day, I had nothing to lose from changing my back
foot. I think the recommendation from McNab for myself was to have 30
degrees of separation so I switched to -6 on the back, and didn't notice
any adverse problems. Although... I wasn't landing 360s like I normally
do, but I think that was more to do with the camera being pointed at me,
and my fatigue/hangover. When the camera was put away, the landings
came back!

Subsequent to that, I had a few hours at the snowdome in the summer. I
stuck with 24/-6 and it felt better.

I would have to stress, as McNab did, that it's not just about angles.
It isn't a magic cure for riding problems, and needs to be used in
conjunction with other factors such as (but not limited to) stance width
and riding style. Fortunately the way I ride is close enough to what
McNab teaches, so that it worked for me. Your mileage may vary.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow -
Securing your e-mail

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://rssFAQ.org/