marnix

They all have their strong points and weaknesses. Les Portes du Soleil: low altitude, huge resort Zermatt - Breuil-Cervinia: very high (cold/high wind), long runs Samnaun - Ischgl: somewhere in between (Ischgl has a good apres-ski scene, but don't miss the last lift back to your side of the border it will be a very expensive taxi-ride (from experience)) Samnaun is a tax-free village, but really as far as you can go within Switzerland

If you like crossborder boarding the possibilties from Switzerland are: Zermatt - Breuil-Cervinia (Swi/Ita) Les Portes du Soleil (Swi/Fra) Samnaun - Ischgl (Swi/Aut)

You can board down Alta but they won't let you on the lift back up, but it is possible to go round the mountain back to Snowbird. If you decide for Utah base yourself in SLC for 8 days and drive up into the Cottonwood canyons and up the The Canyons. Winterpark: boring except the park The Canyons: less crowds than Winterpark and mucvh better terrain. You can enjoy yourself here for a 3-4 days. Snowbird: superb, but too many powderhounds Alta: great, but skiers only Solitude: great terrain and even on weekends empty (a perfect final runof the day is a 5 minute hike over to the Alt

Guess voter turnout around Tokyo will be low this afternoon.

Bulgaria and Poland are high on my priority list but that won't be coming season. Just European Alps and Japan this year.

Did it last year in the rain. Hoping to find someone who wants to come along this month. This time I will check the weatherforecast before I go though.

planning on 25. 6 in Austria, 6 in Switzerland and the rest throughout Japan.

for amounts of snow France and Switzerland are better bets, but that's just statistics. There have been winters that Italy had far more snow than the northern side of the Alps.

Did some skiing in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. Small resorts with quite some hikeable terrain. Your best bet probably is Alagna or Macugnaga. Lots of extreme terrain, but in general less snow than the northern side of the alps. Last season when Switzerland and Austria were covered with record levels of snow the Snowthrill in Italy had to cancelled due to lack of snow.

Switzerland is expensive no matter where you go. Anyway why not take a cheap package deal to Val d'Isere/Tignes or my favorite Serre Chevalier (and go 1 day to La Grave) for a week. relatively cheap and enough lifts and terrain for a week to enjoy.

Never been to Zermatt in winter, but the terrain looks good. I don't like the long ride up to the glacier and the altitude for the matter in winter (=cold and windy)

You really like visiting expensive places! Andermatt is a great place for backcountry and not so busy. Saas-fee usually has a good park, also Davos is a place you shouldn't miss. Verbier is the snowbum hang-out for Switzerland. They have the terrain but it is getting pretty busy. At least the Bunker in Verbier has cheap accomodation. My personal favorite is Champery (Portes du Soleil) great terrain and a nice park, but rather low you might end up with no snow there.

Quote: Originally posted by -20.7: - goggles that don't steam up. (It can't be that difficult). Smith Micro-Fan solves this all (except on real cold days when the batteries freeze up.) Have a look

After a week at 'home' I always think that I bought too much stuff, but after 2 weeks back in Japan I wished I got more stuff when I had the opportunity.

Desperation is a good description of his situation. I think that in the beginning his only goal with the postal bill was to weaken opposing factions within the LDP and strengthen his position. The whole situation escalated and he felt he couldn't go back. Calling for elections might be the end to Koizumi-san political career and even a LDP/New Komeito majority. All this will also influence his possible visit to Yasukuni shrine tomorrow (Aug 15th). I guess he won't do it this time as there is too much at stake and his approval rating are up again (no need to create an international stir now

Which resort in yuzawa area did you go to last time? Tried Kagura/Naeba? That must have enough runs. If you go for more than 1 day I'd go to Hakuba and do a different resort each day.

Narita (city) has a pretty good bar/night scene a good mix of locals and crews enjoying their evening in between flights. So go out and party all night then head over to the airport for your flight.

I like the Dynastar Legend 8800 178 or 188. Great alround on/of piste ski but a bit wider than the new B3. Also like the stormrider and Bigstix 8.6

Sorry no pics. I wish! I wasn't allowed to see them at all, but some one pulled out the wrong brochure by then it was too late... The graphics are more like Line and 4frnt. but 06/07 is still far away.

regular ski socks don't work for me. bought 2 pairs of really thin socks at an army surplus 10 years ago for $1. haven't found anything similar since but they are wearing out. so I need something to replace them soon.

regular ski socks don't work for me. bought 2 pairs of really thin socks at an army surplus 10 years ago for $1. haven't found anything similar since but they are wearing out. so I need something to replace them soon.

Just saw the 2006-2007 Dynastar skis today. not much new but the freestyle/trouble maker graphics really rock. too bad they don't have them for coming season.

The policeman and the thief

When you are old it is easy to hit the 20. I'm way past that number. But years or even days don't have to say much about actual current skills. I have to admit I'm way past my prime. Guess that I am no better now than 15 years ago.