Zermatt micro-report

Skiied zermatt Saturday and Sunday. Good, it was.


What, you want more? Oh, OK then.

Saturday damned bright, with about 10cm of overnight snow in the
village, which presaged well for the day. Friends who'd been there on
Friday said that there was only a single icy piste, in the Gornergrat
area, open, as all the lifts were closed due to high winds.
Fortunately, the front that arrived in the evening brought with it
much calmer weather as well.

So we met a few friends and got going by about 9:30, straight up to
the Trockener Steg area and did a run or three around there before
heading over towards Cervinia. Conditions were pretty much perfect,
with fresh snow on top of well-groomed pistes providing great skiing
and riding for all levels.

The Italian side was also verr nice, and we made the best of some nice
pristine slopes for some glorious powder skiing too :-))

Sunday wasn't quite as good, with the wind making a return and
limiting the opening of the higher lifts, as well as making it less
pleasant for the less hardy souls. But we still did some good stuff,
more of it in the Furg area, and discovered a few more patches of new
snow, some of which were still soft, some of it wind-affected, making
for testing variations, which of course, are what we want.

Finished, knackered, by about 3 on the Sunday to drive home. Muscles
screamed that they hadn't expected so much on the first day(s) of the
season, and that maybe next year I should perhaps think about doing
some exercise _before_ the season starts ;-)

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

Hey, I was just there as well Friday and Saturday. Here's a report from the
left side:

Friday felt like a typical Vermont day on Gornergrat but slightly warmer.
Slopes were Vermont icy too, due in some part to boarder scraping.
Concierge told us not to go up but we did anyway.

Saturday morning was like a typical light snow day in Colorado (complete
with the decent sized hangover) until the afternoon when the iceballs showed
up (at Suneggaa). Still a very fun day with much more terrain open and
lot's of sunshine.

Can't wait to go back.



On 12/5/05 12:36 PM, in article ,
"Ace" wrote:

Skiied zermatt Saturday and Sunday. Good, it was.


What, you want more? Oh, OK then.

Saturday damned bright, with about 10cm of overnight snow in the
village, which presaged well for the day. Friends who'd been there on
Friday said that there was only a single icy piste, in the Gornergrat
area, open, as all the lifts were closed due to high winds.
Fortunately, the front that arrived in the evening brought with it
much calmer weather as well.

So we met a few friends and got going by about 9:30, straight up to
the Trockener Steg area and did a run or three around there before
heading over towards Cervinia. Conditions were pretty much perfect,
with fresh snow on top of well-groomed pistes providing great skiing
and riding for all levels.

The Italian side was also verr nice, and we made the best of some nice
pristine slopes for some glorious powder skiing too :-))

Sunday wasn't quite as good, with the wind making a return and
limiting the opening of the higher lifts, as well as making it less
pleasant for the less hardy souls. But we still did some good stuff,
more of it in the Furg area, and discovered a few more patches of new
snow, some of which were still soft, some of it wind-affected, making
for testing variations, which of course, are what we want.

Finished, knackered, by about 3 on the Sunday to drive home. Muscles
screamed that they hadn't expected so much on the first day(s) of the
season, and that maybe next year I should perhaps think about doing
some exercise _before_ the season starts ;-)

In message , Ace
writes

Finished, knackered, by about 3 on the Sunday to drive home. Muscles
screamed that they hadn't expected so much on the first day(s) of the
season, and that maybe next year I should perhaps think about doing
some exercise _before_ the season starts ;-)


Ooooh yesss, I remember saying that last year.

exercises wrist

--
Sue ];(

On Wed, 7 Dec 2005 23:14:22 +0000, MadCow wrote:

In message , Ace
writes

Finished, knackered, by about 3 on the Sunday to drive home. Muscles
screamed that they hadn't expected so much on the first day(s) of the
season, and that maybe next year I should perhaps think about doing
some exercise _before_ the season starts ;-)


Ooooh yesss, I remember saying that last year.

I say it every year :-}

exercises wrist

I'm not sure we want to know about that.
--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

In message , Ace
writes

exercises wrist

I'm not sure we want to know about that.

I've injured my right wrist, can't lift a pint of beer so I'm having to
drink drams to rehabilitate it.

Why, what did you think I meant?

--
Sue ];(

MadCow wrote:
Ace writes

exercises wrist

I'm not sure we want to know about that.

I've injured my right wrist, can't lift a pint of beer so I'm having to
drink drams to rehabilitate it.

Why, what did you think I meant?


Alright alright that's enough of that.

What about the boots ? I am concerned about another break-in session
with my foam-injection boots. Even last year I tried them on for a few
hours thinking that the feet would reach a compromise with the boots
and be ready. But then the boots destroyed my big-toe and toe-nail.
Toes swelled to twice normal size (never seems possible until you see
it happen) and the nails went black and came off.

I have a choice:

1) Stick to the off-piste boots and skis - Scarpa Denali and pretend I
never wanted to use piste boots and skis anyway.

2) Buy some more piste boots

3) Unearth a pair of old (non-foam-injected) piste boots


If I attempt a first-round knock-out in feet vs boots again, I risk
the big-toes lying on the canvas twice normal size and unable to fit
in -any- skiboot, which will mean the embarrassment of having to ski
in open-toe Birkenstocks and being mistaken for a hippy. I think
you'll agree that's out.

4) Attempt to some kind of corrective surgery on the foam liners:
Making a wooden toe-substitute and forcing it forward with a rod and a
wedge. Ha ! Take that, evil piste boots.

I have always tried to deny the truth of this but feet, ankle
ligaments and other running gear can change shape over the years for
various reasons, resulting in "boot-foot conflict."

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 18:17:17 +0000, funkraum
wrote:

What about the boots ? I am concerned about another break-in session
with my foam-injection boots. Even last year I tried them on for a few
hours thinking that the feet would reach a compromise with the boots
and be ready. But then the boots destroyed my big-toe and toe-nail.
Toes swelled to twice normal size (never seems possible until you see
it happen) and the nails went black and came off.

I never had it this bad, but my foam-injected boots also would give me
great pain at the start of the season. I tried them on yesterday, just
for a laugh, and was appalled to think that I used to put myself
through such agony.

I have a choice:

1) Stick to the off-piste boots and skis - Scarpa Denali and pretend I
never wanted to use piste boots and skis anyway.

This is the only way to go, IMO. I've found the performance of my
Denali TTs to be just as good in nearly all circumstances as my
previous 'race' boots. Maybe if I was actually racing I'd suffer, but
the all-day comfort they offer from the very start is worth more than
anything else.

2) Buy some more piste boots

You need to ask yourself why. To get 'better' performance than the
Denalis you'd really need to be looking at a dedicated race boot, so
you're going to start suffering all over again.

3) Unearth a pair of old (non-foam-injected) piste boots

Which will give what advantage? Probably they'll be less stiff
(assuming they were 'sorn out') anyway, as well as less comfortable.

snip

4) Attempt to some kind of corrective surgery on the foam liners:
Making a wooden toe-substitute and forcing it forward with a rod and a
wedge. Ha ! Take that, evil piste boots.

Forget it. You're just undoing what they're supposed to be like.
You'll end up with something that doesn't give any additional support
and is still only moderately comfortable

I have always tried to deny the truth of this but feet, ankle
ligaments and other running gear can change shape over the years for
various reasons, resulting in "boot-foot conflict."

It was clear to me that my rock-solid injected inners, made at the end
of a 50+ day ski season, were completely the wrong shape come the
beginning of the next year. It would typically take 3-4 days skiing
before my feet would start to re-mould themselves to the boot.

Seems to me the whole question is a no-brainer. If your technique is
up to skiing in touring boots and not needing the extra support a
piste boot may give, then throw the implements of torture away. After
putting my old ones on I have definitely concluded that I'll _never_
ski in them again, so it's the bin for them, to be sure.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

funkraum wrote:
I have a choice:

1) Stick to the off-piste boots and skis - Scarpa Denali and pretend I
never wanted to use piste boots and skis anyway.

2) Buy some more piste boots

3) Unearth a pair of old (non-foam-injected) piste boots
...
4) Attempt to some kind of corrective surgery on the foam liners:
Making a wooden toe-substitute and forcing it forward with a rod and a
wedge. Ha ! Take that, evil piste boots.

You forgot one option:
5) Attempt some kind of corrective surgery on the offending toe :-)


John.

--
-- Over 2700 webcams from ski resorts around the world - www.snoweye.com
-- Translate your technical documents and web pages - www.tradoc.fr

"John Wilcock" wrote:
funkraum wrote:

I have a choice:

1) Stick to the off-piste boots and skis - Scarpa Denali and pretend I
never wanted to use piste boots and skis anyway.

2) Buy some more piste boots

3) Unearth a pair of old (non-foam-injected) piste boots
...
4) Attempt to some kind of corrective surgery on the foam liners:
Making a wooden toe-substitute and forcing it forward with a rod and a
wedge. Ha ! Take that, evil piste boots.

You forgot one option:
5) Attempt some kind of corrective surgery on the offending toe :-)


I tried to force the issue, but the toe (especially at twice the size)
was not going to make the boot re-shape itself. Finally I was in the
restaurant at lunchtime and every time I shifted a little the boot
would bight the toe and I would give a savage wince. I knew if the
boots came off, I would have to go down the mountain in my socks.

They are always 'a little firm' at the start of the season but never
that bad. When made originally they were fitted toward mid-season.

I think the 'Ace Doctrine' might have to be the option of choice.