rsser

OTOH if it's icy above long falls crampons on boots is the way to go.

Take a live chicken, Disembowel. Carefully read entrails. That will tell you what conditions will be like.

I'm not at all sure that the input so far accurately represents conditions in NZ, esp the Sth Island. I've only been there once, and that was in Oct. Up high where I was skiing on a glacier the snow was excellent. Certainly not thigh deep powder but I would expect earlier in the season there would be resorts with plenty of it. Not thigh deep but certainly enough to be amusing.

Best is iron-on. Lasts longests. When it cools you scrape excess off and use a stiff brush to buff the surface. It's really only meant to fill the pores. There are general purpose glide waxes for this; if you were racing you'd shell out big time for exotic waxes that you change acc to snow conditions.

Can be done externally and may be cheaper that way for tourists. Try the JAL Japan site. About $400 return to Sapporo I believe (to New Chitose airport, then bus or train).

There's fabulous back country and glacier skiing in the Sth Island.

As a XC skier you learn fast to plant the ski tails in the snow when you take them off. It can be a long slow walk out.

No drama with the nutcrackers. If you fall you let go and the clamp just falls off. The rope tows I used at Broken R in NZ certainly flew and you had to be nimble unloading from one. There's one still used on the Bogong High Plains at a non-commercial field.

Does any operator to Japan offer a free sport bag allowance?

Sweet.

You can get an accessory insulating sleeve for the 'bak unbottle. Or there's a Dakine insulated bladder that comes with one already fitted.

Originally Posted By: odekakepantsu wonder where it will bottom out hows the ozzie $ doing? Appreciating over the year. Buy rate is about AUD 1 for 80 yen. Edit: no, mamabear is right. About 1:76 now. Cool; I'm ahead ;-}

Middle age? What's that?! LOL. Snow and sleep. Sleep and snow. Sigh ;-}

There are services in the US that will reship for you. Find gareth_oau (or something) and PM him; he'll tell you about it.

Go with your instincts. You can usually find a reason afterwards ;-}