In recent weeks there seems to have been quite a lot of internet discussion about what the snow conditions in Europe and the Alps have been like.
Snow Conditions Val d’Isere and Tignes
Video Snow Report Gi Tells It How It Is
The Alps cover a big area and there are lots of different weather patterns that will bring different amounts of snow to different regions.
At TDCski The Development Centre – we have been making weekly videos that will give you an honest opinion about what the snow is like in Val d’Isere and Tignes.
So if you are coming to Val d’Isere or Tignes, or maybe you are just thinking about which ski resort you should go to, then have a look at our weekly snow reports.
Last Seasons Wrap Up
We are honest and try to maybe bring a smile to everyone’s faces; just a little!
Here is an end of season wrap up (out-takes) of all of the snow reports from last season (2015/2016)
If you are keen to see this seasons reports then be sure to watch out for them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo.
OK, “surviving” might be a bit strong, but keeping warm on the slopes in the middle of winter can be a challenge. As well as the main clothing like jackets and trousers, there are other things that can make a big difference for people who struggle to stay warm:
Wear Thermals
Extremities get cold first. It is what the body does to protect itself from cold. So, if your hands or feet get cold, it might not be down to the gloves or boots, but because you haven’t got enough layers on. Wear good thermals, and if your hands and feet are still cold, wear another jumper.
Wear Good Thermals
Helmet and Hat
Helmets can expose the neck to cold mountain air. Neck warmers, thin balaclavas or multipurpose tubes keep you toasty warm. Like scarves, but better.
Get your feet out
Particularly for skiers: if your feet have been cold and numb for more than an hour, you need to warm them up. Get inside, take off the boots and get the feet warm again. This will allow you to ski again afterwards, rather than developing serious cold injuries.
Get Your Feet Out
Dry your boots
Damp or wet boots are bad news. You need to dry your boots overnight, so if the hotel or apartment doesn’t have specific boot heaters, you need to make your own arrangements. Portable boot dryers work really well and are easier than balancing boots on radiators.
Dynastar Skis
Giles Lewis is an ambassador for Dynastar skis and Lange boots. He is a ski Instructor with the development centre, who operate in val d’isere Tignes and the Three Valleys, France. He is a trainer and examiner of Instructors for BASI and a member of the British Demo team.
Autumn arrives in the northern hemisphere and this means one thing: it’s nearly time to go sliding around on the snow! The anticipation is really exciting, but nothing beats those moments when you’re doing it, enjoying the mountains in the best way we know how. Here at the development centre we’ve been sharing our passion for skiing since 2002 and we’re pumped up for the coming season. These are some of the things that we’re looking forwards to the most –
The Corduroy
Heading down a freshly groomed piste allows you to feel how smoothly and precisely you are skiing. Less interference from the snow, it’s about enjoying your best turns.
Feel of the carve
Make like a racer, feel the forces driving the turn and appreciate what modern skis can do on the piste. The deeper you go, the bigger the rush.
Air Time
It’s not the size that counts.
Jumps of any size are exhilarating, whether in the park or in the backcountry, jumping is one of those things some people (us) never quite grow out of.
The Quiet of the Powder
Sometimes, after some deep powder turns,the only noise is your own breathing
Sharing it
We love skiing for ourselves , but we also love it when we can share our passion, knowledge and enthusiasm with others. We love making a real difference to people’s
holidays.
The Development Centre run ski schools in Val d’Isere, Tignes and the Three Valleys. Our team of highly qualified, experienced and motivated instructors are there to help you to achieve your goals, whatever they might be.
Ski, Play and Love it with TDCski, Val d’Isere, Tignes and Meribel
Ski…
2002 was a great year – it was the year we started TDC The Development Centre.
14 seasons later we still have the passion and the drive which allows us to create amazing ski lessons and experiences.
We love skiing and we love to pass on that passion – why do we love it? Read on…
We all say that we love skiing, and we have a passion for the sport, and have a passion for teaching people to take part in the sport. But what does that really mean?
We decided that we needed to ask a few of the TDCski coaches to see what they said.
What the Coaches said…do you agree?
Here is a summary of some very common reason about why we love skiing…
Being Outdoors – There is for sure a definite feeling of freedom in the mountains. When you are skiing, that perfect day with the ridiculously blue sky, the white snow, the fresh air. Nothing can beat it. Being outside was a big factor for all the coaches.
But we realise that it is not always a perfect day. Skiing allows us to get out there even when the weather is challenging, and then at the end of the challenge there is the feeling that you have done something to “deserve your lunch.”
Play…
Exhilaration – release the child inside. At the end of the day we are all sliding down a hill on two planks. The worlds trouble are forgotten and for that fleeting second or two (which lasts for minutes and hours) we are released. We are flying, we are going fast but with control, we are all big kids again. Love it!
You can alway get better – no matter what level you are. Each individual can set the level of their own challenge, there is always something to work on. Every turn is different. It is as if we are always searching for the “perfect turn” but we know we will never find it, it is the searching that is fun. Your personal goal might be technical, it might be in the mind, it might be a physical thing, but everyone can have their own little goal, and achieving that goal is a lot of fun.
It is an individual sport done in a group! – Whatever your own personal objectives are when skiing you can be working on your own things, enjoying it your way, while everyone else does their thing, and then every now and again we all get back together and ride a chairlift, or stop for a hot chocolate or lunch. The group element of skiing (apart from just safety) gives every day a purpose, but the pleasure of skiing comes from the individual.
Skiing has to be one of the few sports that all the family can do together, where each member of the family might be doing their best – what other sport do you find dad doing his very best to keep up with his 8 year old daughter?
Love it!
Apart from the above reasons to Love Skiing, the TDC coaches had a few more “unusual” reasons to love it…
“I like being able to come home and wear my thermal underwear around the house for hours at the end of the day.”
“On a beach I once got asked by a stranger “are you a ski instructor?” – I replied “yes, but how did you know?” The stranger said “because you are wear ridiculous looking sunglasses, and you have a Match Stick Tan – a red head on top of a skinny white body!”
“I am yet to see a hollywood movie that doesn’t make skiing look really cheesey. I don’t think filmmakers can capture what it is that makes skiing so much fun.”
We would love to share our passion for skiing this season.
We hope we can.
e love skiing for ourselves , but we also love it when we can share our passion, knowledge and enthusiasm with others. We love making a real difference to people’s
