Do you know someone who is always looking for the next couloir to huck or powder bowl to shred? Then they may be a gnarcissist, obsessed with being in the gnar. Is your comfort zone a sleeping bag designed for polar conditions, clinging onto a narrow ledge over a sheer drop? Then maybe YOU are a gnarcissist? Check out the 7 sure signs of gnarcissism...Discover More
News Alert
The Adventure Junkies have just announced the Top 25 Skiing Blogs of 2021 featuring STYLE ALTITUDE. It will be displayed on our virtual award shelf along with our 7 other Ski Blog awards and our coveted accolade of BEST SKI & SNOWBOARD PUBLICATION UK, 2020 Fitness & Nutrition Awards.
Ski lifts closed in Italy until mid-February. There will be no January opening for ski lifts as the Covid-19 infections remain high. Meanwhile, le mot in France is that the ski lifts won't open for February at all, although with the current freedom to travel throughout the country, the resorts will still be mobbed with French families for the four week half term holidays.
In Switzerland, Health Minister, Alain Berset, justifies the decision to allow skiing to continue with lifts still open, declaring it is safe as 'you ski in nature.' But you can also die in nature as well as from covid. This week, there is the serious threat of avalanches in Switzerland with seven fatalities in four days due to recent heavy snow and unstable snowpack.
In Europe, ski resorts are, at least, now reporting the avalanche risks in their websites. With everyone going uphill as in ski touring while the lifts are closed there is considerable danger from lack of safety knowledge among newbie ski tourers without equipment or awareness of the dangers of Heuristic Traps. Best answer: Take a mountain guide.
Check out our webcam in Serre Chevalier. Danger warning for those with a weak FOMO constitution.
Style Altitude: The (daily) Ski Blog
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A case of acclimatisation to the scenario of no ski lifts
Now the problem is getting away from all the people who have recently discovered ski touring, or just climbing up the mountain on snow shoes with boards and skis on their backpacks...
Back to the Mountains after Covid and Brexit
When we left Serre Chevalier in June 2020 after enduring 58 days of 1km and 1hr from home lockdown we planned to be back in Serre Chevalier before the beginning of the ski season...
Climb, Ski, Repeat. Ski tour laps in Serre Chevalier
With no lifts open, ski touring is the obvious option. But there's dubious snowpack at high altitude. What to do? Study the terrain, find a safe slope with cold pow. Then do laps Japanese style...
What's the Outlook For Snowflakes in the Alps?
There's high pressure over the Alps - and that's just from European governments insisting on lifts closing. It's also caused extreme pressure for the industry with fall out for the future...
All the New Gear - and No Idea What's Happening
New DPS Pagoda 106 touring skis. Tick. New Xenic 10 touring bindings that release below DIN 6. Tick. Skins. Tick. New ski pants. Tick. Now all we need is snow - and to be able to ski again...
Skiing and Snowboarding Features and Gear Reviews
STYLE ALTITUDE Features always have an edge (or two). For park, piste and powder. Off piste, backcountry, slackcountry including Tour Guides showing routes for classic ski tours plus daily ski weather blog and snow conditions throughout the winter with Live Mountain Webcam. Ski and snowboard reviews, the latest new and technical kit, ski and snowboard wear all feature in Gear . For Ski Resort guides go to Friends In High Places with news and views from those working a season (or three) in Seasonaires . For skiers and snowboarders. #lifesamountain
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7 SIGNS OF GNARCISSISM
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BUZZ LIGHT GEAR. How light can you get for ski touring? How wide should your skis be? And how much rocker? It's all a trade off, choosing what works better for touring up against ease of skiing down. Ken Reeve, Backcountry Editor weighs up the best options...
RANDOS. There's an easy swagger to a ski tourer as they walk along, skis on one shoulder. You may think it has something to do with their superiority as part of the badass Rando club looking down on piste punters, but it's actually just because they have their touring boots in walk mode...
THE 9 HEAD GEAR STYLE RULES. What have you got on your head? Don't want to be a Hat Twat? Then you need to follow the rules...