The 3-Way Pivoting Side Arm Assembly allows to angle the camera towards the person holding

The Monopod

We purchased a Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminium, which was relatively expensive. For about €41 we would have expected a better build quality, but perhaps it wasn’t built for the wet and cold of the ski slopes, and our testing was a little too extreme for it. It is light weight, and is suitable for filming between 35cm and 155cm. You don’t need a monopod much longer than 1m, as the longer it is the quicker your hand tired will get holding it. It’s also easier to keep you balance if the monopod is shorter. And a further advantage of the monopod is you can easily pop it in your backpack when you are done filming and continue along the piste.

Some of the negatives about the Velbon Ultra Stick L50 monopod : One of the rubber grips quickly came off after about an hours use. While its not essential for use, it was still surprising that it would come off. Also I noticed some issues with the locking mechanism, which could be temperature sensitive. During the operation of the monopod, it sometimes got difficult to change its length. Perhaps the plastic had contracted and the space between the picking system contracted. Despite these two issues we were really happy with the device, and the video improvement were quite noticeable.

Using the monopod allowed me to film a few different types of shots on my snowboard.

• the view of the skier looking up the slope
• the view from behind the snowboarder going down the slope
• the view of tracking other skiers as the go down the piste

This year Japan has seen some of the best snow in decades. In some places the snow reached up to 15m high. Of course the Japanese have technology to insure that the skiers can get to slopes in Tateyama safely. They used GPS to accurately (down to 1cm) plough these roads between the villages of Bijodaira and Murodo in Tateyama, Japan.

Video through the snow

Wall of snow

Busses and trains offer a cheap and easy way to get to the slopes, and because of the number of options you can pick the optimal resort depending on the conditions. The great thing about the trains, compared with the busses, is that there is generally a few options on when you can travel back to Munich.

Travel with Deutsche Bahn to Garmisch Classic

With Deutsche Bahn you can do day trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen [website]. The specific ski trains only run on Saturday and Sunday from Munich Hauptbahnhof (main train station), it leaves at 7am. It takes just 82 minutes according to their website to get to the slopes. For €42 you can get a transported to and from the slope and a daily ski pass. On the train you will exchange part of your train ticket for the day ski pass. The train goes as far as Garmisch-Paternkirchen, where you will then need to change to the narrow gauge Olympia Bahn. This is on the right hand side of the train station as you arrive into Garmisch. This final 10 minute train trip brings you right to the slope, and is included in the price of your ticket. When in doubt just follow the crowds (the ones with ski gear at least).

The Olympia Bahn, the original train for the 1936 Winter Olympics, will bring you right to the bottom of the Garmisch Classic slope, where you can ski to your hearts desire all day. Also do take time to enjoy some great views down into the valley and town below.

You can also go the the Garmisch-Zugspitze resort, which has a smaller selection of slopes. Just make sure you’ve bought the more expensive ticket, for €48, and stay on the train that brings you up to the higher up resort.

Travel with BOB (Bayerische Oberland Bahn)

Munich's train station, Hauptbahnhof is marked with the red T, and the bus station station, ZOB with a blue B

This is an independent regional train, BOB , bayerischeoberlandbahn.de that also runs from Munich Hauptbahnhof. The white BOB trains leave from near platform numbers 30-31, which is to the right hand side of the main station hall.

You have a choice of going to 4 resorts with your day pass, prices vary depending on location

• Spitzingsee-Tegernsee, €43
• Sudelfeld, Bayrischzell, €41
• Brauneck-Wegscheid, Lenggries, €41
• Wendelstein, €41

The first 3 of these resorts are great, if you are a snowboarder I would tend to avoid Lenggries as there are quite a few drag lifts and flatter spots. Wendelstein is only a small resort and might not be open, unless there is lots of snow. Information about the tickets can be read here [in German].

For the Spitzingsee-Tegernsee resort, which is 60km away from Munich, take the BOB train to Fischhausen-Neuhaus. Then take the free ski bus directly from the the carpark. You may be asked to show your day ticket to the driver, so keep it handy. Once you reach the resort, you can exchange part of your day ticket for your ski pass. They do require a €3 deposit for the lift pass. Of the four listed this one is our favorite.

For Sudelfeld, Bayrischzell take the train to Bahnhof Bayrischzell, and then take the ski bus to Sudelfeld. For Brauneck-Wegscheid, Lenggries take the train to Bahnhof Lenggries, and then take the ski bus to Brauneck-Wegscheid. For Wendelstein take the BOB train to Bahnhof Osterhofen.

Travel with a bus to the mountains

There are also bus companies that travel from various parts of the city, especially the ZOB, the central bus station at Hackerbrucke. Some of the busses travel daily, and they all offer weekend trips. See some of the following sites

• Ski Bus Muenchen [English] http://www.skibusmuenchen.de
• Munich Ski club [English] http://www.munichskiclub.com
• Power Tages Farhrten [German] http://www.powertagesfahrten.com
• Berr Reisen [German] http://www.berr-reisen.com/

You can also rent ski gear from various sports shops in Munich, which will maximise your time on the slopes, and will probably save you a few Euros too.

Nutritional Info

Each bar weighs 80 grams, so they are filling enough. Seshbar recommends that you eat one an hour before skiing and one afterwards (with plenty of water). As for nutritional value it does appear to be jam packed with energy and protein to keep you sustained for extended periods of exercise. Here are the vital stats ::

The bars are fortified with vitamins (C, E, B6, B2, B1, B12 & folic acid to name a few), guarana extract, 0.8%, and L-glutamine 0.075%. L-Glutamine, an amino acid, helps to keep water in your body.

The Bar

The bar is quite sweet, but overall its really tasty. There are rice puffs in it, so it makes it a little chewy with the chocolate filler. On a cold day this bar would still be easy enough to eat in sub-zero conditions, as it’s brittle enough to bite in to. But it’s not too brittle that it would crumble into lots of pieces and you’d lose have your bar to the slopes.

The Company

Another great reason to support this company is that they are Irish, based out of Dunleer, Co. Louth. The bars themselves are made in Holland. We heard that they had some stumbling blocks along the way with the naming of the bar, but we’re happy to see that they were able to get over that hurdle and to be able to bring a great product to market.

Our overall recommendation is to give them a whirl, and bring them along on your next skiing / snowboard holiday. You can buy them online at www.seshbar.com.

The skiing and snowboarding terrain at Cortina is split into six interlinked areas, each of which has excellent, modern lift facilities:

• Faloria
• Tofana
• Cinque Torri
• Cristallo
• Mietres
• Falzarego-Lagazuoi

Cortina is mostly suited to intermediate-ability skiers and snowboarders; around two thirds of the terrain is suited to intermediates and almost another third to beginners. There is, however, still to be found some excellent terrain for advanced skiers and snowboarders. You are guaranteed to encounter long, linking, groomed trails, wide-open powder bowls and plenty of easy, Beginners’ areas.

Cortina is included in the world famous interconnected Dolomiti Superski Pass, covering over 1,200 kilometres of skiing and snowboarding terrain in the area.

Advanced skiers and snowboarders can make for the powder-filled cliffs and chutes of the Olimpia trail, which hosts a World Cup Downhill competition every year. The trail is very steep, fast, and tests fast turning ability in deep, powder snow. If it is breakneck GS turns that you are looking for, head for the Cristallo Area, on the steep Canalone Staunies trail.

Extreme skiing and snowboarding tours are available in Cortina, here professional guides will take snowriders to the best off-piste powder spots in the surrounding Dolomite mountain range. Local knowledge here is key. A word of warning: It is not wise to venture too far off-piste, by yourself; as there are some large cliff drops and crevasses in the area. Safety courses and equipment should be brought or hired if you are going to do this, and remember never to go off piste on your own where there are avalanche warnings.

Intermediate Skiing and Snowboarding at Cortina

Intermediate skiers and snowboarders really are spoilt for choice at Cortina. All six areas have long, linking groomed trails.

In the Falzarego-Lagazuoi area, the breathtaking nine kilometre groomed Armentarola trail winds its way down around the mountain, from the top of the Lagazuoi Cable Car. From the centre of Cortina Village, take the Faloria Cable Car for lots more long, wide, fast, groomed cruising trails, leading back down into the village.

Beginner Skiing and Snowboarding at Cortina

Beginner skiers and snowboarders learn on the wide gently sloping runs rising up from Cortina Village, graduating to some of the steeper, longer trails on the upper mountain areas.

Cortina has four Ski and Snowboard Schools and all of the will offer you a bilingual instructor. All these companies offer group, day-long and private lessons to all ages and at all ability levels. There is also a mountain guide company in Cortina, offering off-piste guided skiing and snowboarding tours.

Cortina Terrain Park and Halfpipe

The Cortina Terrain Park, in Faloria, has been added in recent years. Here you can jump on boxes, slide over rails, and hit some kickers. There is a good spread in the sizes of the jumps, and to cap it all off there is a competition-sized halfpipe which is in very good shape.

Other Activities at Cortina

Activities also worth checking out in and around Cortina are:

• tobogganing on the long pistes in the Mietres Area, which is always a hit for all ages
• snow rafting, using inflatables to bound down the slope
• snow shoeing, take a hike and get some spectacular views (some of which are not accessible to skiers)
• cross country skiing in the valley.

Off the slopes, you can go swimming in the public pool in the town. There is also a cinema, but the films tend to be in Italian. Or you could go explore the local museums or, get a beauty or massage treatment. Many of the local hotels have luxury spas attached to them. Our favourite was the Cristallo Hotel Spa & Golf course.

Cortina Shopping

The Corso Italia, the pedestrian-only main street in Cortina village is lined with shops stocking the latest ski and snowboard equipment and rental gear. There are also plenty of designer fashion boutiques, jewellery stores, antique stores, art and photography galleries, general, gift, and souvenir stores. Cortina has a wide range of well-stocked grocery markets, delicatessens, butchers, and wine stores.

Restaurants in Cortina

Cortina has numerous restaurants, catering for all tastes. Pizzerias and Italian trattorias tend to only serve traditional Italian cuisine. Watch your portion size as these places make enormous bowls of pasta or pizzas that will be falling off the plate. For coffee & breakfast, if you don’t get that at your hotel, you will be able to find plenty of small cafés offering everything from a espresso to a croissant. Our tip for Italian cafés is to order and drink it at the counter, sitting down will double the price ! Here are some highlights from Cortina

• Pizzeria al Passotto: Try their wood fired pizzas or their delicious homemade pasta, our favourite was the a’matriciana, which was to die for.
• Leone & Anna Restaurant: is well worth a trip. They are known for a more traditional menu. They serve Sardinian cuisine, with an emphasis on fish.
• To go up market , or to celebrate visit the Hotel Cortina. They offer four-course Italian and international menus, which can be polished off with some of their wine from their expansive cellars.
• Rio Gere Restaurant: family-owned and run. Uses local produce rustic Italian meals and interesting desserts, especially the ones with icecream.

Cortina Nightlife

The main street in Cortina village boasts many wine bars, which become very busy in the evening, around dinner time. After dinner, the trendy VIP Club in the Hotel Europa is renowned for its cocktails. The bar turns into a disco after midnight and remains open until the early hours of the morning. The Belvedere Club hosts top DJs throughout the season and, The Monkey Club in the Hotel Cristallo, has frequent theme nights, jazz nights and comedy nights.

Credits

This comes as a bit of a disappointment as Turin airport was well situated near the Italian / French Alps and was quite handy to get quickly to some of the major resorts. It’s proximinity to the France was also a bonus, resorts like Chamonix & Courchevel were about 2 hours transfer from the airport.

Skiing near Turin

The most famous area are the mountains of Piedmont, this was the location for the Winter Olymipics in 2006, so they must be doing something right. Piedmont features 53 ski resorts, the most famous resorts being Valle di Susa,Sestriere,Pragelato,Pragelato,Valsesia. In all there are 1,300 kilometres of runs available and well over 300 gondolas, chair-lifts and ski-lifts. Piedmont estimates that they can carry 400,000 people per hour. Piedmont is a top class skiing area, and it offers more than enough challenges for every level of skier. The prices on some of the smaller resorts are cheaper than skiing in France or Switzerland, so if you are looking for a cheap family ski holiday, then Piedmont might be the area you should look into.

9 resorts near Turin airport

If Turin isn’t an option, i.e. if you don’t plan on staying a whole week, from Sunday to Sunday, then Milan might be a viable alternative. Milan is marked in light blue on the map above. There are two airports in Milan, Bergamo (BGY) & Malpensa (MXP), and have significantly more flights in and out. Ryanair flies every day into Bergamo from Dublin & Aerlingus flies every other day (Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) to Malpensa but this will add about another 1.5 hours on to your transfer time. If you are considering flying to Milan, it might be worth checking our resorts like Andermatt , Flims or Laax, these resorts are about 3 hours outside Milan airport.

Over on the other side of the mountains is Grenoble, France (St Geoirs) (GNB) , which is situated very close to some great skiing. Right now Ryanair fly there on Saturday afternoons, and also might be worth checking into.

Leave your tips

If you have any recommended skiing resorts in this part of the world, i.e. in and around Turin or Milan, please let us know in the comments !

THURSDAY 4 AUGUST 2011

Inghams regret to announce that it has reluctantly decided to cease tour operations from Ireland with effect from winter 2011-12 and that its offices in Dublin will close on Friday, 19 August.

We are writing to the guests who are booked on our Ski 11/12 programme outlining the options open to them. Enquiries should be directed to 1850 92 90 21 (from ROI) or on +44 20 8780 4444.

Inghams will continue to operate its ski programme from Belfast and 20 other U.K. airports. For details go to www.inghams.co.uk

This seems to have come as a sudden decision, as some people have already booked with them for the 2012 season. They will have their UK operation so hopefully the people who have booked will be able to either go on the holidays or get their money back. They fly from Belfast International Airport to Innsbruck and Geneva and cover 44 resorts in 4 countries (France, Switzerland, Austria & Italy). I don’t know if this is a sign of the times for ski operators suffering with the down turn in the economy, of if there are other factors at work here. In the last 10 years the number of Irish people taking ski holidays had reached record proportions.

We’ve updated our list of Irish ski operators, sadly there are only 9 now. If you’ve been effected by this please let us know in the comments.

Tamsin was the first first Irish woman competitor at the Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City in 2002. While Kirsty has represented Ireland in Turin 2006 & Vancouver in 2010. Kirsty was unlucky to be disqualified in the Women’s slalom at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, when one of her skis was deamed too thick (source).

Snow stops falling and the mountains are covered in deep snow. The sky becomes clearer and bluer. The sun begins to shower its rays on the mountain houses. This is the perfect time to gather your things and go on a ski trip.

Just so you know, skiing is dangerous. It is possible that you may hurt yourself. You will feel pain and aches, but you will also take pleasure in it. Although it is considered risky, it makes one hell of an experience. It’s no wonder that most people want to try it, and once they do they stick with it for years to come. Many people ask about whether you need to be particular coordinate or fit to do the sport, while it may be advantageous, it’s not a necessity. If you are a first timer, here are some tips on learning how to ski.

Gear up – borrow or rent some garments from your friends and families. It is not practical to buy the latest stuff if you are not certain you are going to like the experience. Rent some comfortable skis in available stores. It needs to be 20 to 30 centimeters shorter than your actual height. A shorter ski helps you move easily, think of the skis as a boat sailing through the snow. It’s easier to steer a smaller one. Boots are also important to keep your feet on your skis, don’t worry your ski rental shop will know exactly what you need. Now that you have what you need, get ready to be thrilled.

With the friendly help of your new best friend, gravity, you will travel down the slope with ease. It is also the same force that will send you sliding down the slope on your backside, so be careful.  Knowing how to stop and steer is important, in fact it’s all about control. There isn’t any point in being fast if you can’t stop. Another thing you must know is how to balance, knowing when to lean back, forward and to the left and right. It sounds easy, but sadly it isn’t. Position yourself in a comfortable stance to reach maximum equilibrium and control.. Once you have mastered this you can start learning the basics.

First, know that your skis are fastened on your feet. So whichever foot you will move the ski clamped on it will also follow.  If you want to go right, just turn your feet right, and vice versa. The way you stand on your skis is crucial. It reduces your tendency to fall. Position your feet a shoulder width away from each other. Bend your knees slightly and point your toes inward. This position will give you a stable stance even when you move. Hopefully you are now successfully ploughing down the slope.

Another tip on learning how to ski is to control your speed. If you do not know how to manage your pace, you will hurt yourself. You must know how to stop when this happens. To slow down turn your toes slightly inward, but remember to leave a small space to avoid your skis from smashing together. Also remember to keep an eye out for other skiers and snowboards who may be close to you. If you wish to stop, turn your skis to face across the hill. This will resist gravity which will enable you to halt.

One useful tip on learning how to ski that should keep in mind where you want to go, if you keep on gazing down at the snow that is where you will end up so, keep your chin up. Another important tip is to get a winter insurance. With adventure sports like skiing, having an insurance that has winter sports coverage is necessary. This is especially valid if you are a beginner or some advanced skier trying some more taxing things like tricks or off piste skiing.

Not taking risks is what makes most people miserable. Skiing is definitely a risk, but being properly trained and prepared can help alleviate most of the risk. Learning how to ski gives you a taste of what they call life, and living on the edge. Most insurance agencies list it as an extreme sport. It lets you experience an unreachable kind of satisfaction that indoor sports will not be able to give. That is unless you are skiing indoors !

Paul in Kitzbuhel

We are a big fan of the skiing in Austria, in fact we took the train to Kitzbuhel earlier this year, so we know just how cool this resort is. Paul was there earlier this year, dressed in his cool red and blue snowboarding gear. With him for the week was his brother and his trusty GoPro Hero HD camera attached to a long pole.

GoPro & Ginger Based Jumper

Again we have one of those GoPro cameras, this time it’s attached the helmet of Neil Amonson. Neil’s known for his BASE jumping, but this time he’s only little more subdued zooming though the trees and buckets of powered snow. This cool 100 second clip has Neil eating some serious amounts of snow.

Has to be seen to be believed

This video is probably one of our all time favorites, mostly because of the sheer craziness of the whole thing. No further comments are really necessary, just click the video and watch it in fullscreen mode !

GoPro to the power X

If money is now object then you probably should consider this type of a setup for filming your skiing adventures. This video features Jamie Pierre with a ton of cameras filming himself jumping off cliffs and looks like lots and lots of fun.

You can find us on twitter under @irishskiing, and Paul Gilpin under @paulgilpin. Have a great weekend ! And if you have any videos to suggest please do let us know !