[SA Chris]

Cheers, will have a look. Might be a bit on the small side. If there is no fresh for a week it could feel a bit limited.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Duncan - I've been on Burton Step Ins/ Ons for 20+ years. Yes you need specific boots. Union seem to be the choice of the strap binding connoisseurs.

Had a look at the Union Atlas - look pretty good as an all mountain binding. Love my Salamon boots so am not going down the step on route right now (although those Nidecker ones that work with any boots look pretty sweet)...

Had Burton Classics on my last board and loved them but the baseplate has disintegrated and I can't seem to find spares (they're 15+ YO) so the Cartels seem like a good replacement. Am a bit reticient to go EST as it ties you into Burton boards but have found them online new for £189 inc delivery which makes for quite a weapon for not much green all told... No idea about the benefits/pitfalls of EST tho...

[SamT]

Really like my Union Explorers for the split.  Seem lots less faffy than the older sparks/voile ones.

Got Burton Missions on my normal board and have been very happy with them.

[Johnny Brown]

I would be tempted to give the EST a try to make the most of the channel. I’ve not used them, but the benefits seems worthwhile - no bolt plate underfoot so thinner base, more sensitive/ consistent board contact. Greater adjustability in angle and centering with no detents. Less leverage on bolts so shouldn’t need to be cranked down as hard.

Channel is great but be careful only to use correct bolts - standard ones are too long and will dent your base, ask me how I know. I do have to crank my back foot really tight but that’s with standard plates.

[Duncan Disorderly]

I would be tempted to give the EST a try to make the most of the channel. I’ve not used them, but the benefits seems worthwhile - no bolt plate underfoot so thinner base, more sensitive/ consistent board contact. Greater adjustability in angle and centering with no detents. Less leverage on bolts so shouldn’t need to be cranked down as hard.

Channel is great but be careful only to use correct bolts - standard ones are too long and will dent your base, ask me how I know. I do have to crank my back foot really tight but that’s with standard plates.

Johnny "Burton Rep" Brown strikes again  - just looking back at this thread after laying down for the Cartel X EST's - Look like a great option with the Skeleton key and nearly £50 notes cheaper than the Unions...

Just need a lid now (35 years without one and think I've chanced it enough!) and I'm ready to tear down Alp d'Huez next month - Absolutely frothing!!

[SamT]

Not sure where you're based Duncan, but I called into 'The Sick and the Wrong' shop in Keswick when I was up there over christmas and tried a load on.  Not the easiest thing to buy online without trying on.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Not sure where you're based Duncan, but I called into 'The Sick and the Wrong' shop in Keswick when I was up there over christmas and tried a load on.  Not the easiest thing to buy online without trying on.

Know what cha mean, kinda why I've not gone down that route yet (actually that's probably rubbish - I'm just lazy and do what I've always done, wear my beanie & not think about it)... Based in Sheff - Not sure if there's many places local (is Dick's still around?)... Could always get one in resort but will be well spenny in L'Alp I reckon....

[Johnny Brown]

I’ve got a sinner helmet which has been great. I noticed go outdoors had the same one at a knockdown £25 due to a shop soiled box….

[SamT]

Decathlon too.. less steezy obviously.  I tried all their offerings and would have had no qualms about buying one there.. but nothing really fitted well.

[SA Chris]

Just need a lid now (35 years without one and think I've chanced it enough!) and I'm ready to tear down Alp d'Huez next month - Absolutely frothing!!

Looks like they are just getting nailed again, another storm cycle going through

https://wepowder.com/en/villages/alpe-dhuez#pic-blanc

hopefully more to come.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Looks like it's been dumping down in the Alps the last week and more to come:

https://wepowder.com/en/villages/alpe-dhuez#pic-blanc

Heading out on Saturday and been thinking about connies and how the recent 1.5m + of snow that's fallen recently onto what was sounding like pretty hard pack is going to play out - are we looking at some pretty dangerous situations even venturing off piste slightly?

Never owned a tranciever, hired one when I did the Vallee Blanche but other than that have always tended to stick close to the pistes and not felt the need (possibly foolishly) so I'm wondering what folks think - is it worth investing for a week or just being careful?

[SamT]

PM'd you.

I think its a bit dangerious to think "I'm only just off piste" or "I'm not going far off piste" or "I'll just be careful".

I don't think there's any such thing as the above.

You're either off piste or your not, if you are, you can trigger an avalance.  Not sure how you can 'be careful' other than wearing tranceiver and av bag.

I set quite a big slab off once, just the other side of the netting at the edge of the piste. 
The day before, in good weather, I'd been ducking round the netting on a hairpin bend of a red, to get some nice open shallow gully lines down a slope that dropped me onto a green cat track that met at the same lift.
Following day was misty, flat light, low vis and it'd been snowing a fair bit.  I waved tata to the rest of the party as I ducked behind the netting, saying I'd see them at the lift. (no tranceiver no av gear) .  as I traversed in across the top of the shallow gully, it went below me, wasn't quite sure what had happened as the vis was so poor, but I could just see all the willowy bushes below shaking violently indicating the whole slope was in the move..  turning round I saw a rather large crown line (12-18" deep) around the top.  I took my board off and walked up and back onto the red.   So so lucky, nobody would have seen me, friends would have waited for 15mins or so before wondering where I was, then who knows how long before they'd come looking/informed security. I'd have been a gonner and worse still, to this day I have no idea if I'd taken out an entire ski school on the green cat track below. 

[Johnny Brown]

Being informed is a much more powerful measure than a transceiver. Obviously both is best, but if you are just cutting between pistes a bit of savvy will go a long way towards avoiding avalanche terrain. If you are venturing further you need full avvy kit - transceiver, shovel, probe etc plus mates with same and the skills to use - survival rates drop dramatically after 15 minutes burial so the cavalry is highly unlikely to arrive in time.

Avy forecast is here: https://meteofrance.com/meteo-montagne/alpes-du-nord/risques-avalanche

Alpe d'huez is in the Oisans massif. Currently level 4 (out of 5) forecast to improve from Monday. Fresh on hard pack is not necessarily a big issue, but a lot depends on what the temps have done during the dump as to whether there will be instability. Windslab forming over the weekend is the big issue to keep an eye on. Of the three types of avalanches, windslabs are the big killer..

Ortovox have a great series of vids to give you the basics, start here:



One of the best takeaways is that you are highly unlikely to trigger an avy on slopes under 30deg. You can have a lot of fun without getting onto steep slopes. That avoids triggering, but you still need to think about getting hit by slides from above. In resort the risk of avalanches falling into the ski area is likely to be fairly well managed, but avoid skiing/ traversing under steep slopes, and particularly where you could swept into a gully or off a cliff. But to follow something like a broad, shallow ridge between pistes can be very low risk.

I set quite a big slab off once, just the other side of the netting at the edge of the piste

  And don't go alone! Guessing there'd been some wind overnight?
 

[SamT]

Yeah, lesson learned on that one..  It was a looooong time ago now.  Weather was shitty, so yeah, I'm guessing it now it was a leeward slope, and it was windblown accumulating off the side of the piste.

[SA Chris]

plus mates with same and the skills to use

Don't underestimate this. You can have the best avi kit in the world, if there isn't someone with you who knows what they are doing you might as well not have it.

By all accounts the last week has been a game of two halves; rain up to about 2000m and snow above, which can do funny things to the snowpack. Also practice using transceivers before you need them. Even on a football field or golf course in the dark. The signal can be hard to follow due to the curved flux lines, as my scouts found out when I was letting them try mine out last week. https://avyrescue.com/transceiver_search_coarse.php

[SamT]

That avoids triggering, but you still need to think about getting hit by slides from above.

This popped up on my feed last week.. https://youtu.be/RLX_PaCWMT8?si=X7YZ7v0UO22GyZIQ.

[Paul B]

Someone recommended the book "staying alive in avalanche terrain" elsewhere on UKB and I think there was a simplified version that was released later?

[lagerstarfish]

That avoids triggering, but you still need to think about getting hit by slides from above.

This popped up on my feed last week.. https://youtu.be/RLX_PaCWMT8?si=X7YZ7v0UO22GyZIQ.

this came up just before we went the other week - a descent I've done a few times. I thought it looked like an obvious risk, but by the time you are down there its a bit of effort to climb back out. I played it very safe due to similar conditions (and having kids with me most of the time)

[SA Chris]

Someone recommended the book "staying alive in avalanche terrain" elsewhere on UKB and I think there was a simplified version that was released later?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1680511386/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=AGSMIELAHCUUW&psc=1

I've read it, pretty text heavy.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Powderguide-Managing-Avalanche-Tobias-Kurzeder/dp/0972482733

I recommended this, I still think it's a great book.

If you can do a course (I've done a 1 day at Glenmore, and got a free day of avalanche awareness at Whistler) they are better than any book or video.

[hongkongstuey]

i've just booked myself on this so i can get a summer time fix of the fluffy stuff - plus upskill myself a bit in the process too (might also try and bag a day of heli-ski too if conditions look worthwhile):
https://wanakamountainguides.co.nz/ski-touring-courses/backcountry-touring/

as Chris says, the Tempest book is pretty text heavy (but still one of the better books on the subject)

[SA Chris]

Love to get back to Wanaka..

[SA Chris]

Looks like it's been dumping down in the Alps the last week and more to come:

https://wepowder.com/en/villages/alpe-dhuez#pic-blanc

If the latest forecast is correct, I'd be worried about getting up to resort! And hopefully there will be enough on piste fresh snow to keep you busy....

[Duncan Disorderly]

That avoids triggering, but you still need to think about getting hit by slides from above.

This popped up on my feed last week.. https://youtu.be/RLX_PaCWMT8?si=X7YZ7v0UO22GyZIQ.

this came up just before we went the other week - a descent I've done a few times. I thought it looked like an obvious risk, but by the time you are down there its a bit of effort to climb back out. I played it very safe due to similar conditions (and having kids with me most of the time)

Shit the bed 

Thanks for the input guys - big up your bad selves!

Looks like I could have lucked in on the connies - staying in Oz en Osians rather than L'Alp so won't have the switchbacks to face and getting a pickup from Rochetaillee so fingers crossed we'll make it up to the ski station where our appartment is. Psyched!

[SA Chris]

My brother was there with some relatives about 30 years ago for a week at Easter. Their flight was one of the first to arrive on the Saturday, and they got to their hotel about midday at which point it started dumping, so hard they closed the road up. It then proceeded to snow pretty much non-stop for the entire week, so no other coaches could get in, and they had the entire resort pretty much to the few coaches that got in, as they could not get the road open again.

Trouble was he was just a novice skier in a time of skinny straight skis, and had a miserable time struggling to ski in poor vis and deep powder, praying for the snow to stop so they could ski on some sunny pistes. I think they managed to reopen the road the day before they left.....   

[Duncan Disorderly]

My brother was there with some relatives about 30 years ago for a week at Easter. Their flight was one of the first to arrive on the Saturday, and they got to their hotel about midday at which point it started dumping, so hard they closed the road up. It then proceeded to snow pretty much non-stop for the entire week, so no other coaches could get in, and they had the entire resort pretty much to the few coaches that got in, as they could not get the road open again.

Trouble was he was just a novice skier in a time of skinny straight skis, and had a miserable time struggling to ski in poor vis and deep powder, praying for the snow to stop so they could ski on some sunny pistes. I think they managed to reopen the road the day before they left.....   

Must have been quite a dump that! Looking like Monday to Wednesday are gonna be pretty clear so reckon we timed it just right - one of my mates is talking about La Grave... Had a quick look and it looks amazing! Has anyone been?