Reposted review of Espace Killy

The Stats

Top Elevation: 3550m (11647 ft)

Base Elevation: 1550m (5085 ft)

Vertical: 2000m (6562 ft)

Runs: 154 (300km) – Easy 83, Intermediate 46, Difficult, 25

Longest Run: 10km

Lifts: 90 (2 funiculars, 4 cable cars, 4 gondolas, 44 chairlifts, 36 surface lifts)

Ticket Prices (Season 2010/11):  €44.50 (1-day pass), €1,020.00 (season pass)

Favourite Run: Double M (Red)

Vertical/Skiable Area: 15/15

2000m of vertical and 300km of runs is just ridiculous. Even better though, is the total skiable terrain. Whistler-Blackcomb is the biggest resort in North America at 8,171 skiable acres. Tignes-Val d'Isere (otherwise known as Espace Killy) is a whopping 43,495 acres, more than 5 times bigger than Whistler-Blackcomb.

Climate: 11.5/15

Despite the fact it hadn't snowed for a week before we got there, the snow was packed but very dry and fast. Off-piste, powder was still very findable, thanks to the cold conditions. It also only snowed very briefly whilst I was there so all in all the snow quality was excellent. Pity there is evidence that it is starting to diminish in Europe now. Season is not as long as some North American resorts and getting shorter according to long-term meteorological predictions. Still skiing from Late November/Early December to Late April with some summer skiing is more than enough to satisfy the appetite.

Terrain Variety: 10/15

Despite being huge, the terrain doesn't vary all that much. Because it's so high, there is hardly any tree skiing and the runs are all fairly similar. That being said there are a few gems. My favourite run, Double M, was twisty, bumpy, had some great rollers and was very long.

N.B. France has four piste classifications: Green = Easy, Blue = Medium, Red = Difficult, Black = Expert.

Pricing: 10/10
For a tick under 40 Euros, you get access to both resorts, Tignes and Val d'Isere plus insurance which covers you for lost passes and ski patrol. Amazing value when you consider you're skiing the world's second biggest resort for around AUD$55 per day. Plus if you buy multi-day or season passes, its significantly less than that.

Lift System: 8/10

The sheer amount of ski lifts (90) makes up for the fact that a lot of them are still fixed-grip triples or quads, with not many high-speed detachables. However, their positioning of lifts is excellent and if you want to ride every single different type of ski lift, you can.

Grooming: 9/10

Grooming is fantastic. Almost every run I did in the morning was groomed and it didn't matter where you went. They have a massive fleet of groomers and put them to great use.

Staff: 3/10

Lifties were not very visible and, when they were, not very vocal. Restaurant staff also lacked any communication whatsoever. Disappointing overall.

Accommodation: 3/5
I don't know exactly how much was paid, just a ballpark figure (seeing as I didn't pay for it) but we had a very small room in a chalet a little but out of town and despite the fact that it was ski in-ski out, it was probably not worth it. Probably the reason why Val d'Isere is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, despite the ludicrously cheap lift tickets.

Rental Equipment: 3.5/5
I had a great pair of Lange boots and Head skis for the week we were there, which were sized and fitted to a fair degree of detail. Pity it was very, very expensive.

Ski Patrol: 4/5
Fortunately, we didn't need to call on their services but they were a constant presence on the mountain, giving you a safe feeling that you were never far from help.



Total Score: 77/100
An amazing ski resort experience that is let down a little bit by terrain variety and staff. Definitely one to put on the to-do list for any die-hard skiing/board globetrotter.

Change of heart and skiing with snowboarders

Due to a very busy schedule with cycling, university and work, I found it a bit hard to constantly update the blog with AFL posts. So back to skiing it is. I have a post on another ski trip to Heavenly, Lake Tahoe, in the pipeline but, since it was one of my favourite trips, I thought I’d wait until I got it right before posting it.

Thankfully, there’s never a moment where you lack for skiing conversation topics and one that comes up all the time is the skiing vs. snowboarding war. Every skier I talk to has a natural disdain for snowboarders (“they go too fast”, “they’re out of control”, “their hair is too long”) and the same goes for snowboarders’ opinion of skiers (“they go too fast”, “they’re out of control”, “their hair is too short”).

Before doing my season, I was a hater. I used to hate the way you had to wait constantly for snowboarders at the top of lifts, how they wrecked the snow with their one edge and they looked barely in control going down anything moderately steep. Moreover, they spend most of the time on their butt.

However, due to the high number people who had never seen snow before and the even higher number of Aussies in Whistler, if I was skiing in a group, it usually contained at least 50% snowboarders, if not more. Most of the time, it was me with 5 or so other boarders.

At first, it annoyed me. Either I blasted down to the bottom of a run before they’d even finished, waiting forever outside the lift line or I waited for them to strap in before skiing slow enough for them to keep up. Either way, I was waiting forever. However, over the course of the season, the more I spent days on the hill with boarders, the more I enjoyed it.

There are certain facts about skiing with snowboarders that make it more enjoyable than with skiers. Firstly, they have much bigger balls than most skiers. They’ll try almost everything. Dropping huge cliffs, hitting big terrain park features, screaming down icy runs, you name it, they’ll do it (except for moguls). I think its mostly about the whole ‘both-feet-strapped-to-a-plank-of-wood-therefore-I’m-invincible’ mindset.

Secondly, it gives you a great chance to have a relaxing day on the hill. If you’ve had a number of consecutive powder days or days in the park, its nice to just cruise some groomers or tree lines with the slower snowboarders. With all the strapping in and unbuckling, it also gives you plenty of time to take photos.

Finally, they always want to stay up until closing. I can almost guarantee that the last ride on any of the high-alpine lifts will be a hardcore snowboarder begging for another lap. Once they get up there, they never want to leave the hill.

If you really want to get the best out of a day with snowboarders, you have to hit the mountain with them on a powder day. Most of the time, they are as fast, if not faster, in deep pow than skiers. I remember some awesome powder days in Whistler, skiing Spanky’s Ladder, Seppo’s or VD Trees, enjoying the bottomless powder with my best mates, most of whom were snowboarders. I’m not saying that I’d ever give up my skis for a board but on powder days, they look like as much fun and easier to handle.

If you’re still not convinced but have a whole bunch of buddies who snowboard, here’s a couple of tips to pass the time whilst waiting for them.

1. Take an iPod and some headphones. Sometimes you can lap empty lifts twice as fast as boarders so its good to stick some music in and tear up the groomers. Also, if you’re going to meet them up the mountain later or split from the group early, it means you have some musical company.
2. Take a camera. Again, if you’re waiting around a lot, take some happy snaps, take some video, laughing at their misfortunes, etc.
3. Practice some new skills you’re trying to learn. I used to practice popping into switch or just switch skiing the whole way. I also used to hit some little natural features and side-hits which are great fun and a good way of eating up time.
4. As they have both hands free, owing to the absence of poles, hand them a video camera and get them to take some footage of you. Great way to get a glimpse of your technique, tricks or powder runs.
5. Not so much a passing-the-time tip but a reiteration of a point above. If you’ve had a few hard, long days on the slopes, snowboarders do provide a way for you to relax, take your foot of the gas a bit and recuperate whilst still enjoying the snow.

After more than a decade of hate, I now enjoy skiing with snowboarders as much as skiing with skiers. Its just a matter of making the most of the time. There will always be a rift between skiing and snowboarding but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a great time on the mountain together.

Return from Hiatus

Okay, I haven't posted in a while. My bad, I have to apologise for that. More ski / snow based posts will be available soon, plus expanding into some AFL-based opinions. Stay tuned!

My Favourite Whistler-Blackcomb Runs

I currently have a couple of mates who are over enjoying the ski season at Whistler Blackcomb and having just spent a season there and reminiscing a bit on the season myself, I thought I’d recap all of my favourite runs by difficulty.

Ski Trip Reminiscing - Part 1: Tignes/Val d'Isere, French Alps

The Memory
I finished high school back in 2007, which coincided with a family overseas trip (minus my brother, who was on exchange, coincidentally, in France). After a jaunt through Greece and driving up the Turkish Mediterranean coast, we arrived in Geneva to some fairly cold and gloomy weather. My spirit couldn’t have been higher, however, as I was very much looking forward to a week’s skiing in the French Alps.

Equipment Priorities: My list of priorities to get right before you hit the mountain

As I outlined in my previous post, there is a priority of things you want to focus and spend money on getting the selection right. When skiing, some are much more important than others. Keep in mind this is just an opinion, which I'm sure other people will disagree with but my priorities are below.

Protection on the slopes: a guide to helmets and goggles

Helmets are growing in popularity on the slopes, particularly after the death of Liam Neeson’s wife, Natasha Richardson, whilst skiing in Quebec. A lot of people remain sceptical and dismissive of ski helmets, arguing anything from being uncomfortable to being a hindrance to moving your neck, but with impact protection technology and development of lighter and stronger materials, this argument is becoming increasingly obsolete.