DO NOT Use a Smart Phone App as an Avalanche Beacon!

The Canadian Avalanche Center has just released a press release denouncing the use of “smart phone apps” as avalanche beacon.  

3 European smart phone apps are offering service as avalanche beacons now and they have been found to NOT WORK.  When you are running out of air underneath an avalanche, you won’t feel that great about having saved $300 bucks by using a smart phone app instead of a real, certified avalanche beacon.

A smart phone app will never replace your avalanche beacon.  There are so many reasons that an app cannot replace an avalanche beacon:  they don’t work properly, battery life, robustness, reliability and interference.  Please get an proper avalanche beacon and learn how to use it.

Please read the Canadian Avalanche Center’s press release:

Canadian Avalanche Centre Warns Backcountry Users About New Smartphone Apps

Apps marketed as transceivers give users false sense of protection

Oct 24, 2013, Revelstoke, BC:   Smartphone avalanche search applications that are marketed as avalanche rescue systems are not recommended, says the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC).Three European-made apps are presenting themselves as economical alternatives to avalanche transceivers, the electronic device used by backcountry users to find buried companions in case of an avalanche.
After close examination, the CAC has found a number of issues with the technology. Two of the main issues are compatibility and frequency range. All avalanche transceivers conform to an international standard of 457 kHz. Regardless of the brand, all transceivers can be used to search and find other transceivers. “Not only are these new apps incapable of connecting with other avalanche transceivers, they are also incompatible between themselves, so one type of app can’t find another,” explains CAC Executive Director Gilles Valade.

The 457 kHz standard was chosen because it transmits very well through dense snow, is not deflected by objects such as trees and rocks, and is accurate. “None of the various communication  methods used by these apps come close to that standard,” adds Valade. “WiFi and Bluetooth signals are significantly weakened when passing through snow, and easily deflected by the solid objects we expect to see in avalanche debris. And the accuracy of a GPS signal is nowhere near the precision required for finding an avalanche victim. ”

Other critical issues include battery life, robustness, reliability and interference. “These apps are being actively marketed as software that turns a smartphone into an avalanche transceiver but the CAC has serious concerns about their vulnerabilities,” says Valade. “We are warning all backcountry users to not use any of these apps in place of an avalanche transceiver.”

The three apps are:
- iSis Intelligent (Mountain) Rescue System http://www.isis-application.com/en/
- Snøg Avalanche Buddy: http://www.avalanchebuddy.com/
- SnoWhere: http://charcoalfrost.com/

Ski Carry Techniques. Sort of!

Ski Carry Techniques

Aspen Ski Sherpas - Professional Ski Carry Techniques- we've all done at least one of these techniques!

Be an A.S.S.!!!   https://vimeo.com/80124537

Mountain Skills: Set a Plan and Stick to It

You’ve been playing it safe all day. Even though the avalanche bulletin called out “Considerable” hazard for the day (natural avalanches are possible and human-triggered are likely), you haven’t observed any signs of instability while skiing lower angled terrain in the trees. Close to where you’ve been skiing, there’s an untracked slope—and it’s only slightly steeper and just a little more open. It would be so nice to make bigger, faster turns. So, what do you do?  Read on...

What to pack for Skiing?

The Tasty Ski Company are a hardened bunch of alpine mongrels. They have lost count of how many ski seasons they have done out here in the French Alps. They have also lost count of the number of times some of their guests have forgotten to pack an essential item for their ski holiday. Here is their quick guide to packing everything you need for your week in the french Alps.  Read on...

How to look like a Pro skier!

How to Look Like a Pro Skier Even When You’re a Complete Beginner

By Christine van Zadelhoff |

Here are some of the most common dos and don’ts of the slopes:

Read on..

Why do you get cramping and burning under my arches?

6 days ago by Fall-Line Skiing in Gear Tagged: boot doctor, gear, ski boots

Janine Winter from Profeet answers your ski boot questions. by Fall-Line Skiing 

Question: Often when skiing I get a cramping and burning under the arches of my foot. Is it the boots?

Answer: Multiple factors could contribute to a cramping and burning sensation under the arch and yes, one of those could be that you are in the wrong boot. Initially it is important to check the size to ensure the boot is not too big or too small.

Typically, when the boot is too big you end up clawing your feet to try and secure yourself in the boot and gain control of the ski, which will often cause cramping. Likewise, if the boot is too small, it will cause crushing and a lack of circulation to the foot.

Once size and shape of the boot have been eliminated, we would need to check the foot is stabilised in the boot. All ski boots come with a flat piece of foam in the bottom, which doesn’t offer support in the arch.

It is possible to replace that insole with either an off-the-shelf trim-to-fit insole or, even better, a custom insole. This is built by taking a mould of the bottom of your foot in a neutral position. The insole supports the arch and distributes pressure evenly across the whole foot. A footbed alone will solve the majority of pressure points under the foot.

Quite often we find people suffer from tightness of the plantar fascia (which is the connective tissue under the foot) and flexor hallucis longus tendon (which runs through the arch). If these soft tissues are too tight, they will almost certainly cramp in a ski boot. You can help relieve some of that tension using a pediroller or spiky ball to massage out the arch.

There are also some good stretches you can do to lengthen those muscles which will certainly make skiing a more enjoyable experience for you. We may also need to raise the heel in the boot and adapt the footbed further for more severe cases.

Volkl 2016/2017

Volkl Skis are always some of the hottest skis on the mountain.

And we'll be stocking them from next season!!:-)

Whether you’re looking for a ski great at carving, all-mountain, park, or powder, Volkl has you covered. Next year’s lineup for the 2016-17 season looks terrific. Take a look at the pictures Powder7 put up and then get onto our booking system and reserve your pair for the coming winter season!

http://www.powder7.com

The 20 Most Notorious Snowboarding Criminals

What kind of legal trouble have snowboarders got themselves into over the years? Illicit Snowboarding lined-up a veritable rogue’s gallery of snowboarding miscreants who have run afoul of the law for a range of criminal misdeeds…

First up its snowboarding’s version of Point Break...

The Snowboard Bandits.......Read On

Why the Portes Du Soleil keeps solo skiers coming back!

Why the Portes Du Soleil keeps solo skiers coming back

The solo ski experts at The Ski Gathering tell us what is attracting first-timers and veteran solos to Morzine, Avoriaz and Les Gets.

The Ski Gathering offer singles ski holidays for individuals and sociable pairs. They have chalets in Morzine, Les Gets and Meribel. To find out more, visit www.theskigathering.com.

Across the board, solo travel has grown enormously in recent years, mirroring a general trend in ‘independent’ and socialising hobbies. Today, people use apps and websites to find flatmates, meet gym buddies, arrange car shares… and plan their solo-travel adventures.

This is particularly noticeable with ski holidays, where solo travellers are increasingly making their mark. Some solos prefer to ski alone, enjoying the total freedom of the mountain. But most see it as a social opportunity to meet other skiers or boarders and avoid paying the empty-bed supplement. For the latter group in particular, the Portes du Soleil has become a focal point in the solo travel revolution. Why is that?

It’s Perfect for Mixed-Ability Groups

It’s Day One of your solo ski holiday and you’re heading out with a group of people you’ve never skied with before. Head for the Les Gets Bowl - the perfect starting point for mixed-ability groups. Here, five lifts serve twelve interconnecting pistes of varying levels of difficulty. Perfect if you all want to try out different slopes but still meet for the lift ride back up or a swift vin chaud.

The speed demons can head straight for the steep Tulipe red run off the Ranfoilly lift; the less flamboyant can find their feet on the more slow-and-steady Reine des Pres.

Beginners won’t be left out

Resorts like Les Gets and Morzine are perfect for beginners. Friendly people, great ski schools, plenty of beginner slopes, and an easy(ish) descent back into resort. While you’re having lessons, the rest of the group probably won’t be too far away, so meeting up for a long social lunch is still on the cards.

Find time for yourself

One of the best things about solo travel is having the total freedom to do what you want, when you want. You can opt out of group activities and blaze your own trail any time you like. For an afternoon in your own company, intermediates and advanced skiers should head over to the back of Mont Chery in Les Gets. It’s so quiet over there, you can virtually have the mountain to yourself. Soak up the silence and get away from it all for the afternoon.

Looking for an adventure

Solo travel is all about creating unforgettable experiences, so set your alarm and have a crack at the Portes du Soleil ‘Loop’. A big day even for serious skiers, this will take you around the perimeter of this, the world’s largest ski area. Probably not one for snowboarders or inexperienced skiers, this is a demanding day’s exercise and you’ll probably need a guide who knows the way without consulting a pistemap. But those who finish the Loop will never forget the experience. Or stop bragging about it.

Have a guide show you the backcountry off-piste

If you’re traveling independently but are not joining a group of solo skiers, a week can be a long time to ski in splendid isolation. One way to break this up is to get lessons or a guide. The Portes du Soleil has vast off-piste skiing opportunities which are essentially off-limits without an experienced guide, so why not kill two birds with one stone? Explore the road less travelled while getting a bit of company for a day.

Discover hidden treasures

If you’re skiing with other solos, you will probably soon forget that you ever travelled out on your own: we often say that solo travel holidays are for groups of friends who haven’t met yet. A great way to cement this kind of dynamic is to discover new things together, and the Portes du Soleil has plenty of hidden treasures for you to seek out. One example is ‘Les Lindarets’, better known as The Goat Village. Named after the many goats which fill the village in summer, this magical location could scarcely be more picturesque and is the perfect spot for a lunchtime stop-off. It’s a skier’s heaven.

Those looking for an equivalent hell might head for the Swiss Wall. Only to be attempted by the most experienced mogul skiers, this near-vertical drop marks the entry point into Switzerland. Ski or snowboard down it, or watch in admiration from the chairlift to meet up at the bottom. You’ll need a head for heights either way.

So, if your group can’t make it this year, or your friends just won’t even try skiing this winter, there’s really no excuse for staying home.